right themselves in a way of wrath and indignation. But God is full
of grace, full of patience, ready to forgive, and one that delights
in mercy. All this is seen in our text. The biggest sinners must
first be offered mercy; they must, I say, have the cream of the
gospel offered unto them.

But we will a little proceed. In the third chapter we find, that
they who escaped converting by the first sermon, are called upon
again, to accept of grace and forgiveness, for their murder committed
upon the Son of God. You have killed, yea, "you have denied, the
holy one and the just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
and killed the Prince of life." Mark, he falls again upon the very
men that actually were, as you have it in the chapters following, his
very betrayers and murderers, Acts iii. 14, 15; as being loath that
they should escape the mercy of forgiveness; and exhorts them again
to repent, that their sins might "be blotted out;" verses 19, 20.

Again, in the fourth chapter, he charges them afresh with this
murder, ver. 10; but withal tells them, salvation is in no other.
Then, like a heavenly decoy, he puts himself also among them, to draw
them the better under the net of the gospel; saying, "There is none
other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved;"
ver. 12.

In the fifth chapter you find them railing at him, because he
continued preaching among them salvation in the name of Jesus. But
he tells them, that that very Jesus whom they had slain and hanged on
a tree, him God had raised up, and exalted to be a Prince and a
Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins: ver.
29-31. Still insinuating, that though they had killed him, and to