Acts 2:38. Then Peter said unto them, repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." By reading from the 14th verse to the 40th inclusive, the reader will perceive that the apostle, having preached the necessity and effects of God the Holy Ghost's work, then God the Father's foreknowledge and determinate counsel, and lastly God the Son's complete salvation, Jehovah the Spirit honours his free grace sermon, in which he had not made a single offer, by awakening many of the hearers, for we read, " When they heard this they were pricked in their hearts, and said unto Peter, and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" And " then," (not before " they were pricked in their heart,") Peter said unto them, "repent and be baptized every one of you." he could not baptize them until he clearly saw they possessed the grace of repentance, the inseparable accompaniment of faith. Then he adds, " the promise is unto you and your children, and to all that are afar off," (not to as many as have the gospel offered them, nor as many as ministers shall call, but) " even as many as the Lord our God shall call." Here then is no offer, no proffer, and no spiritual exhortation to unregenerate men.
