and as they were looking stedfastly toward heaven, as he mounted up, on a sudden, two men appear'd before them robed in white, who said,

"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."

and said, men and brethren, the prediction which the holy ghost made, by the mouth of David, concerning Judas, who was guide to those that seiz'd Jesus, must have been accomplished.

for it is written in the book of psalms, "let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein:" and "let another take possession of his charge."

saying, "thou Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show us which of these two thou hast chosen,

and upon the rumour of this event, the multitude came together, and were confounded, every man hearing the disciples speak in his own language.

struck with astonishment and admiration, they said to one another, are not these men who are speaking, all Galileans?

how comes it then that we hear every man talking in our own native tongue?

others in derision said, these men are full of sweet wine.

But Peter standing up with the eleven, and raising his voice, said to them, ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known to you, and observe what I say.

"it shall come to pass in the last days (saith God) I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men dream dreams:

the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and illustrious day of the Lord shall come.

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:

men and brethren, let me with assurance tell you of the patriarch David, who died and was buried here, his sepulchre being with us to this day:

Now when they heard this, their hearts were struck with remorse, and they said to Peter, and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do?

so that they sold their possessions and goods, and distributed the money to every one as his occasions required.

they were carrying a man who had been lame from his birth, one whom they daily laid at the gate of the temple called, Beauty-gate, to ask alms of those that pass'd into the temple.

As the lame man who was cured, held Peter and John, the people all in surprize ran to Solomon's porch, where they were.

which Peter observing, thus addressed them, ye men of Israel, why are ye so surprized at this event? or why do you look so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or piety, we had caus'd this man to walk?

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.

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.

salvation is not to be had by any other: for there is no other name under heaven given to men whereby we can be saved.

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were illiterate, and of the lower rank of men, they were surpriz'd; but tho' they knew that they had been Jesus's disciples,

yet seeing the man who was cured standing with them, they could not tell what to reply.

saying, what shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all that dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.

but to prevent its spreading any further among the people, let us charge them with threats not to speak for the future to any man in that name.

for the man who was so miraculously cured, was above forty years old.

which they laid down at the apostles feet: and they distributed it to every man as his occasions required.

sold an estate he had, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles feet.

Now there was a certain man named Ananias who with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,

was not the estate your own estate? and was not the price for which it was sold, all in your own hands? how came such a design as this in your heart? thou hast not lyed unto men, but unto God.

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

then Peter said to her, how comes it that you have conspir'd together, to tempt the spirit of the Lord? see there at the door the men that are come from burying thy husband, and they shall carry thee out likewise.

in the instant she fell down dead at his feet: and the young men came in, found her dead, carried her out, and buried her by her husband.

did not venture to approach near them. the number of those who believed in the Lord, both men and women, increas'd more and more.

when they heard that, they entred into the temple early in the morning, and taught. in the mean time, the high priest, and those of his party, being arrived at the council-chamber, summon'd all the Jewish senate to meet, and sent to the prison to bring the apostles before them.

when somebody came and told them, the men whom ye order'd to prison, are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.

upon which the captain went with his officers, and brought them, without offering any violence, for fear of being stoned, he and his men by the people.

saying, did not we strictly command you, not to teach in this name? and yet you have spread your doctrine through Jerusalem, and you endeavour to make us responsible for this man's blood.

then Peter and the other apostles made answer, we ought to obey God rather than men.

and then he said, "ye men of Israel, be cautious how you proceed with regard to these men.

for some time ago one Theudas started up, pretending to be something extraordinary, who was join'd indeed by about four hundred men: but he was no sooner put to death, than his followers all dispers'd, and were reduc'd to nothing.

after this man, Judas of Galilee appear'd, at the time of the registry, and seduc'd many people: he also perished, and all his followers were dispersed.

my opinion therefore is, not to meddle with these men, but to let them go on: for if the design be a human project, it will fall of it self. but if it be from God,

this proposition pleased the whole assembly: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the holy spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch.

when some out of the several synagogues, belonging to the freed men, to the Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and to those of Cilicia, and of Asia, came to dispute with Stephen.

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

where they produc'd false witnesses, who said, this man is continually inveighing against the holy place, and against the law.

in the mean time a famine spread over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, so that our fathers did not know where to get provisions.

and were transported to Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.

and he said, there I see the heavens open, and the son of man standing on the right hand of God.

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.

as for Saul, he made havock of the Church, entring into their houses, whence he dragg'd away both men and women, to throw them into prison.

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

but when they had embraced the doctrine of Philip, concerning the kingdom of the Messias, and the authority of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

when Simon saw that the holy spirit was given by imposition of the hands of the apostles, he offered them money, saying,

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

accordingly he departed: and met a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, and was her high-treasurer: he had been at Jerusalem, to perform the duties of a proselyte,

in his humiliation he was judged, he was taken off: and who shall describe the men of his time? for the land has taken away his life."

went to the high priest, and demanded letters for the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any of this sect, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

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

then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many that this man has done a world of mischief to thy saints at Jerusalem: he is now here,

where finding a man named Eneas, a paralytic, who had kept his bed eight years,

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.

In Cesarea there was a centurion of a cohort in the Italic legion, whose name was Cornelius, a religious man,

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.

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

said he, how unlawful it is for a Jew, to frequent a stranger, or even to go to his house: but God hath shewed me, that I should not look upon any man as common and unclean.

then Cornelius said, it is now four days ago that I was fasting, and while I was at prayers in my house, about the ninth hour, a man in bright attire presented himself before me,

In the mean time, the apostles, and the brethren, who were in Judea, heard that the Gentiles had likewise receiv'd the word of God.

at that very instant three men, dispatch'd from Cesarea to me, were just arrived at the house, where I was.

and the spirit bid me make no difficulty of going with them. these six brethren accompany'd me, and we went together to the man's house.

In the mean time they who were dispers'd upon the persecution that arose after Stephen's time, had travell'd as far as Phenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, without preaching the gospel to any, but Jews only.

for he was a good man, and full of the holy spirit and of faith: so that many converts were added to the church.

at which the people gave a shout, saying, it is the voice of a God, and not of a man.

but at the instant an angel of the Lord smote him, because he did not glorify God: so that he became a prey to worms and died. In the mean time, the

he was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, a man of prudence: who sent for Barnabas and Saul, desiring to hear the word of God.

and said, "thou heap of imposture and mischief, offspring of the devil, and enemy to all justice, wilt thou not cease to pervers men from the right ways of the Lord?

and after the lesson out of the law and the prophets was finish'd, the heads of the synagogue sent this message to them; Men and brethren, if you have any instruction to offer to the people, deliver it.

thereupon Paul stood up, and having made sign with his hand for their attention, he said, men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.

God removed Saul, and rais'd up David to be their king, to whom he gave this testimonial, " I have found David the son of Jesse: he is a man most acceptable to me, and he will execute all my orders."

but the Jews having animated the women of quality of their religion, and the leading men of the city, raised a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and banish'd them from their territorys.

Now at Lystra there was a man, who could not stand upon his feet, he was born a cripple, and had never walked about.

cry'd out, "sirs, what are you going to do? we are but men as well as you, and we exhort you to renounce these vanities, and turn to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth and the sea, and all that they contain:

Then the apostles, the presbyters, and the whole church thought it proper to select some out of their own body to accompany Paul and Barnabas to Antioch: such as Judas surnam'd Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren,

men that have exposed their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

as she followed Paul and the rest of us, she cried out, these men are the servants of the most high God, who show you the way to salvation.

having presented them to the Officers, they said, these men, who are Jews, raise great disorders in our city, and preach such maxims,

When it was day the officers sent their serjeants to bid the jayler let the men go.

so that many of them believed, besides a considerable number of women of distinction, and of men, that were Greeks.

there certain Epicurean and Stoick philosophers encountred him: "what does this mountebank mean?" said some: "he seems to proclaim some strange deitys," said others: because he talk'd to them of Jesus and the resurrection.

the GOD who made the world and every thing therein, and is the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples erected by men:

God has been pleas'd to over-look this state of ignorance: but now he enjoins all men every where to repent:

because he has fix'd the day, when he will judge in equity, by that man, whom he has appointed thereto: of which he has given full proof to all the world, by having raised him from the dead."

(since I am with thee, and no man shall lift up his hand so as to hurt thee:) for my people in this city are numerous."

In the mean time a Jew, nam'd Apollos, born at Alexandria, a man of letters, and vers'd in the scriptures, arriv'd at Ephesus.

the man who was possess'd immediately leapt upon them, got the better, and used them so roughly, they were forc'd to fly out of the house, cover'd with nothing but their wounds.

for the men you have brought here, have neither plunder'd your temples, nor inveigh'd against your goddess.

if Demetrius and the other artists, that are with him, can lay their action against any man, the law is open, and the proconsul is near; let them begin their process.