31 He seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are wit

nesses.

everlasting kingdom. Psa. lxxxix, 35-37; Dan. ii, 44. This could only be accomplished by the spiritual reign of Christ in the hearts of his subjects. In this way did the Messiah succeed David, in that he received the empire of God's people, to reign in them for ever. Thus did the angel assure Mary, when the birth of Christ was announced to her: "The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Luke i, 32, 33. Our Lord assumed his right to the throne of David, though in a different manner from what was expected by the Jews. When before Pilate, and answering his question, "Art thou a king, then?" he said, “Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth." Before this he had shown the reason of his rejection by those who were expecting his coming: "Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence." John xviii, 36, 37.

31. He] That is, David. Seeing this before] Through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Spake of the resurrection of Christ] Prophesied of it; referred to it, and not to himself, in the Psalm quoted. His soul was not left in hell] That is, the soul of the Messiah. (See notes on verse 27.]

32. This Jesus] Peter now proceeds to show the particular and perfect application of this prophecy to Jesus Christ. This same person, whom they had wickedly slain, did answer all the points of the prophecy in his death and resurrection. Him God had raised from the dead. Whereof we all are witnesses] The whole one hundred and twenty, who all of them undoubtedly had seen and conversed with Jesus, were ready to testify to the fact. Some commentators limit it to the apostles who were the appointed witnesses of this, and one of whose chief offices was to declare the resurrection, Acts i, 22; Luke xxiv, 48; and who were now, perhaps, standing with Peter, and assenting to what he uttered. As, however, it is stated that, on one occasion, five hundred of his disciples at once saw him, (1 Cor. xv, 4-7,) and as he appeared at many different times and different places, it is more than probable that all the disciples present had personally

33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

seen him since his resurrection. The value of their testimony depended, 1st. On their general probity-this was never disputed. 2d. The number of the persons, and their opportunities of assuring themselves of the reality of the fact-they not only saw him, but heard him and even touched him. He was with them, and in different places, many days. They saw him in the daytime as well as at night, ate and conversed with him. 3d. From the fact that there was no sufficient reason for dishonesty. They lost everything, in a worldly point of view-property, honor, ease; and even subjected themselves to the most fearful deaths rather than deny what they had stated. The idle story of the soldiers, suggested by the priests, that he was stolen away from the sepulchre, seems to have obtained so little credence, that not one offers it as an objection to the fact stated by Peter.

33. The apostle is now about to appeal to another fact as an attestation of the resurrection of Christ. Having proved that the outpouring of the Spirit, which they were now enjoying, was a prophetic promise connected with the coming and kingdom of Christ, he is prepared now to refer to this as an additional evidence of his resurrection and ascension into heaven, and that he is the true Messiah. Therefore] Having proved his resurrection. Being by the right hand of God exalted] By the right hand of God is meant the power of God. Being exalted, or raised up by the mighty power of God, at his ascension, to sit at his right hand; raised from a state of humiliation to most exalted glory. Having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost] This effusion, according to Joel, was to mark the introduction of Christ's reign, and this our Lord had promised them when he should ascend to the Father, and had commanded them to wait for it in constant expectation. John xvi, 7; Acts i, 8. This promise, which the Father would fulfill in attestation of his Messiahship, (John xiv, 26; xv, 26,) had been on that day gloriously fulfilled. He hath shed forth this] He had poured out this effusion of the Holy Spirit, this miraculous influence. Which ye now see and hear] Producing the extraordinary effects which you now observe-the tongues of flamethe power of uttering and understanding foreign languages. All this is now directly traced to the same Jesus whom they had crucified upon the cross, but who was now evidently, from this unquestioned miracle, which prophets had foretold and he himself had promised, at God's right hand in heaven.

34 For David is not ascended into the heavens, but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

34. "The apostle's argument is this:-That David speaketh concerning the Messiah (as cited verse 25 and following) is clear from Psalm x, 1, where he speaks of a Lord who was to be at God's right hand till all his enemies were subdued. For that patriarch is not raised up from the dead, and 'ascended into the heavens' to God's right hand; therefore he must have spoken this of some other person, namely, of Jesus Christ,' who had shed forth this which ye now see and hear.'"-HOLDEN. For David is not ascended into the heavens] He hath not arisen from the dead and ascended to the right hand of God, the final state of exalted glory. His remains are still with us, and his spirit in the invisible world-the separate state. Mr. Ripley, upon this verse, says: "This remark, concerning David's not being ascended into the heavens, is of the same tenor with some other representations of the Scriptures concerning the state of deceased righteous men." He then refers to the fact that the details of another world are not so minute as curiosity would desire, but sufficiently so to serve as warnings and incitements to present duty. He infers, however, from brief Scriptural hints, "a difference between the state of the righteous after the resurrection, and the state in which they are during the period between their death and the resurrection. This may, perhaps, be illustrated by the case of our Saviour While he was on the cross, he said to the penitent robber, To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise.' Luke xxiii, 43. The soul of Jesus, then, and that of the penitent robber, went, immediately after death, to paradise-a holy and happy state; but, after Jesus was risen from the dead, he said to Mary, 'I am not yet ascended to my Father.' John xx, 17. A distinction seems to be made between the state to which he went immediately after death, and the state to which he was going after his resurrection." This period is sometimes styled, to distinguish it, a separate state, from the separate existence of the soul while the body slumbers in the grave; and the intermediate state, as intervening between death and the resurrection. It must be, however, a state of actual bliss to the righteous, and of misery to the wicked. "It is to the righteous far superior to the earthly state, as their holiness is rendered complete and abiding, the seal is put upon their acceptance with God, and they have a fuller and a special enjoyment of the Saviour's presence." This is evident from the language of the apostle in 2 Cor. v, 6, 8: "While we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord." “We are willing rather to be absent from the body,

35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that

and to be present with the Lord." This may also be inferred from our Lord's language, John xiv, 2, 3: "I go to prepare a place for you; and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also." "The state, then, on which the righteous enter at death is eminently a blessed state, to be in which, enjoying the presence of Christ, and associating with the spirits of just men made perfect, is far better than to be on earth, Phil. i, 23; yet it is inferior to that consummation of bliss and glory which awaits the righteous at the resurrection of the body, and subsequently to the day of judgment. From this intermediate state the righteous are to come forth, at the resurrection, to assume their spiritual bodies, and to be admitted to the still higher and happier state, that may appropriately be called the heaven of endless and supreme glory; and the wicked assume their bodies, and be consigned to their endless condition of wo."-RIPLEY. David had not yet left this state. Our Lord remained here a short time, but returned from it and ascended to the throne of God. But he saith himself] As recorded in the 110th Psalm, 1st verse. The Lord] The original Hebrew word is Jehovah, the name peculiarly appropriated to Almighty God, and for which the Jews had so much reverence that they never pronounced it; but when they met it in reading the Scriptures they would use another appellation to express it-Adoni, Lord. When the term Jehovah is thus translated in our Bible, as in this case, small capitals are used. To my Lord] This is Adoni, Lord, a term used by a servant when addressing his master, or a subject his king, and signifying respect, reverence, submission. Christ is referred to by this title. Although a natural descendant of David, he calls him by this reverent title: "Jehovah says to him, whom I regard as Lord and Master," &c. Sit thou on my right hand] To be seated on the right hand is indicative of the highest honor.

35. Until I make thy foes thy footstool] Allusion, in both of these last sentences, is had to the ancient custom of kings honoring deserving merit by seating the person upon their right hand, and expressing their triumph over their enemies by placing their feet upon their necks. This quotation from David, although repeated for another purpose, could not but have assured them of their certain destruction if they continued to be the enemies of the Son of David.

36. Here the apostle draws his argument to a most pointed and cutting conclusion. Therefore] In view of these unanswerable facts. Let all the house of Israel] All the Jewish nation. Know assuredly]

God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every

Be perfectly convinced. There can be no reasonable doubt. God hath made] Hath constituted-appointed. That same Jesus] The identical one; the very same person who suffered at your hand. Both Lord and Christ] Both Master, King, Ruler, and Messiah, the appointed Redeemer of Israel: the very King and glorious Saviour they had been long expecting, and whom, through their blindness and wickedness, they had rejected and slain.

37. Now when they heard this] When they heard this solemn declaration, in connection with the overwhelming proof of the apostle's correctness. They were pricked in their hearts] "Were pierced at the heart." "The term signifies to be pricked through, and is used in reference to the emotions of violent grief or remorse, whether expressed in words or silent."-BLOOMFIELD. They were deeply convicted of guilt in the act they had done, and in their continued rejection of him-moved by fear of the threatened danger, and melted into contrite sorrow in view of the sufferings of Jesus, which they had caused. Men and brethren] Their views of the apostles have greatly changed The mocker and blasphemer is changed to the broken-hearted inquirer-the lion has become a lamb. They desire now, on their part, to propitiate the favor, and obtain the interest, of these followers of Jesus whom they had persecuted, hoping, perhaps, that their offenses may be pardoned through their intercessions. What shall we do?] We acknowledge our sin. We are convinced that Jesus is the Messiah-the threatenings of God are impending over us. What can we do? How appropriate the cry! How natural in the lips of the convicted sinner!

38. Repent] Thus did the apostle fulfill the instructions of our Lord just before his ascension, “that repentance and the remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." They were now convicted of their sins, and the apostle directs them to a work which is to be immediately attended to—a sincere sorrow for their past conduct, and a breaking off from all their sinful courses. Scriptural repentance implies a deep and lasting sorrow on account of sin, a just sense of its demerit and heinousness, and a solemn and prayerful determination to cease from every sinful act and live a life of holiness, accompanied with an humble reliance upon the merciful promises of God in Christ Jesus for forgiveness.