Being therefore in his presence, they asked him, saying, Lord, is this the time when you will restore again the kingdom to Israel?

After this discourse, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.

"ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up to heaven? this same Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall descend in the same manner as ye have seen him ascend thither."

ye men of Israel attend to what I say; Jesus of Nazareth was a man whom God distinguished among you, by miracles, by prodigies, and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as you your selves also know:

him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by means of the wicked, have crucified and slain: whom God hath raised up,

having delivered him from the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be overpower'd by it.

for David says concerning him, "I had the Lord always present before me, he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved.

that, as he was a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn to him, to place the fruit of his loins upon his throne: foreseeing this,

Peter and John having their eyes upon him, Peter said, look on us.

and taking him by the right hand, he lift him up; and immediately his feet and ancle-bones received strength.

all the people saw him walking and praising God.

the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and renounced in opposition to Pilate, who was determined to let him go.

but ye renounced him that was holy and just; you interceeded for the life of a murderer,

it is the faith which we have in him, that has procured strength to this man whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him, hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

afterwards Samuel and all that prophesied after him, have likewise foretold these times.

it is to you that God first of all sent his son Jesus, having raised him up to bless you, provided you all renounce your iniquities.

and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you entirely recover'd.

and some young men came and wound him up, then carried him out, and buried him.

Then the high priest, and all that accompanied him, who were of the sect of the Sadducees, being filled with indignation,

him hath God rais'd by his power to be the author of salvation, by giving repentance to Israel, and the remission of their sins.

and we are his witnesses in what we say, and so is the holy spirit, whom God hath given to those that obey him.

you cannot defeat it; perhaps you may be found warring against heaven." To him they agreed: and

they suborned men, who said, we have heard him speak irreverently of Moses, and of God.

and they stirred up the people, the senators, and the doctors of law, who came and seiz'd him, and brought him to the council,

for we have heard him say, that Jesus the Nazarene shall destroy this place, and change the customs which Moses delivered us.

and all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw an air of majesty in his aspect.

and said to him, quit your country, and your kindred, to go to the land which I shall shew thee.

thereupon he went out of Chaldea, and dwelt in Charran: from thence, after his father's death, he removed him to this very country where you now dwell.

he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of land: yet he promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his posterity after him, tho' he had then no child.

at length he gave him the covenant of circumcision: accordingly Abraham circumcised his son Isaac eight days after he was born, Isaac was father of Jacob, who was father of the twelve patriarchs.

the patriarchs being jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt: but God was with him,

he delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him wisdom to become acceptable to Pharaoh king of Egypt; who made him governor of Egypt, and all his houshold.

and when he was exposed, Pharaoh's daughter caused him to be taken up, and maintain'd for her adopted son.

and seeing one of them abus'd, he defended him, and avenged the injury by killing the Egyptian:

for he supposed his brethren would have perceiv'd by this, that God design'd to make him the instrument of their deliverance; but they did not perceive it.

when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina, an angel of the Lord in a flaming bush.

Moses was astonished at this vision: and as he drew near to observe it, he heard the voice of the Lord, which said to him,

then said the Lord to him, "put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.

this Moses whom they refused, saying, who made thee a ruler and a judge? the very same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hands of the angel that appeared to him in the bush.

this is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, "a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear."

'twas he that was in the assembly with our fathers in the wilderness, and with the angel that spoke to him on mount Sina: and delivered the oracles to him by word of mouth for our use.

him our fathers would not obey, but rejected him, and they return'd to their Egyptian disposition.

"make us gods, said they to Aaron, to be our guides: for as for this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him."

it was Solomon however that built him a temple.

When they heard these things, they were transported with rage, and gnashed their teeth against him.

then they broke out into a loud cry, and stopping their ears, fell upon him all at once.

then they dragg'd him out of the city, and stoned him: the false witnesses having laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

and some devout men who carried Stephen to his burial, making great lamentation over him.

that they all followed him, both old and young. this man, said they, is the plenipotentiary of God.

but Peter said unto him, thy money perish with thee, for thinking that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

Philip ran to him, and hearing him read the prophet Esaias, said, do you understand what you read?

how can I, answer'd he, without some expositor? and he desired Philip to mount, and sit with him.

so he order'd the charioteer to stop: and they went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

when they were come out of the water, the spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he pursued his way with joy.

As he was on his journey, and near Damascus, on a sudden, a light from heaven surrounded him,

and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice which said to him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

and he said, who art thou, Lord? and the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: [it is hard for thee to kick against the goad. Then trembling with the fright Saul said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? and the Lord said to him,]

the mean while the men who accompany'd him, remain'd astonish'd, hearing a voice, but seeing no one.

at length Saul rose from the ground; and when he opened his eyes, he could not see: so that they led him by the hand, and brought him to Damascus,

and the Lord said unto him, arise, and go to the street called Straight, and enquire at the house of Judas, for one Saul of Tarsus: for he is there at prayer.

(at that very instant Saul saw in a vision the said Ananias come in, and put his hand on him, to restore his sight.)

go, said the Lord to him: for he is the instrument I have chosen, to bear my name to the Gentiles, to kings, and to the children of Israel.

for I will make him see how much he must suffer for my name.

A good while after, the Jews conspir'd to kill him:

but Saul was appriz'd of their plot. and as they were night and day upon the watch at the gates, in order to kill him,

the disciples took him by night, and let him down the wall in a basket.

when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he try'd to associate himself with the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and could not be persuaded that he was a disciple.

thereupon Barnabas took him with him to the apostles, and related to them how the Lord had appear'd to him on his journey, and had spoken to him, and how publickly Saul had preach'd at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Cesarea, and sent him away to Tarsus.

Peter said to him, Eneas, Jesus, who is the Messiah, gives thee health: rise, and make your bed your self: upon which he immediately rose.

and all that dwelt at Lydda, and Saron, saw him, and became converts to the Lord.

as Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples having heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him to desire he would come to them without delay.

Peter immediately went with them, and when he was come, they conducted him to the upper chamber: and all the widows advanc'd to him weeping, and shew'd the robes and garments which Dorcas made while she was with them.

one day about the ninth hour, he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God, who addrest himself to him, and said, Cornelius!

and when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, what is it, Lord? and he said to him, thy prayers and thine alms have been observ'd and approv'd by God.

and a voice said to him, rise, Peter; kill and eat.

and the voice spake to him again the second time, don't call that common, which God calls clean.

As Peter was still pondering upon the vision, the spirit said to him, there are people below, who enquire for you.

they answered, Cornelius the centurion, a man of probity and piety, one that has an universal good character among the Jews, was divinely admonish'd by an holy angel to send for you to his house, to hear what you had to say to him.

then he invited them in, and they lodged there. On the morrow, Peter departed with them, and some of his brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and prostrated himself at his feet,

but Peter rais'd him, saying, stand up; I am but a man, as well as you.

and as he discours'd with him, he went in, where finding many persons assembled; you know,

but in every nation, he that feareth him, and acts justly, is acceptable to him.

how Jesus of Nazareth divinely inspired by the holy spirit, and with miraculous power, went about doing good, and healing all that were under the oppression of the devil: because God was with him.

we are witnesses of all his transactions, both in Judea, and at Jerusalem. however, they put him to death, even that of the cross.

but God raised him up the third day, and shewed him openly,

not to all the people, but to those witnesses, which God had before chosen: to us, I say, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

he is the person to whom all the prophets give this attestation, that all who believe in him, shall receive remission of sins, by his authority.

Peter was yet speaking, when the holy spirit descended on all that heard him.

so he directed they should be baptized in the name of the Lord. after which they desired him to stay some time with them.

and ask'd him, why did you go to eat with the uncircumcised?

he told us how he had seen an angel, who had presented himself to him, and had said, send to Joppa, to fetch Simon, surnam'd Peter:

at length Barnabas departed to Tarsus in quest of Saul, and having found him, he conducted him to Antioch:

having apprehended Peter, he put him into prison, appointing a detachment of sixteen soldiers to guard him, intending to have him brought to publick execution, after Easter.

thus Peter was kept in prison, but the Church prayed to God, without ceasing, for him,

the Lord suddenly appear'd and fill'd the room with light, and touching Peter on the side, awak'd him, saying, rise, be quick. and immediately his chains fell from his hands.

as Peter still continued knocking, they let him in, and seeing it was he, they were extremely surpriz'd:

but he made a sign to them with his hand, to be silent: and related to them, how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. go, said he, and acquaint James and the other brethren with this affair. after which he departed and went to another place.

Herod having caus'd diligent search to be made, without being able to find him, after examining the guards, he order'd them to execution. after which he departed from Judea, and went to Cesarea, where he resided.