A history of the work of redemption. Containing the outlines of a body of…

In this pouring out of the spirit, which began at the Pentecost following Christ's ascension, began that first great dispensation which is called Christ's coming in his kingdom. Christ's coming thus in a spiritual manner for the glorious setting up of his kingdom in the world, is represented by Christ himself as his coming down from heaven, whither he had ascended, John xiv.18. There Christ having been speaking of his ascension, says "I will not leave you comfortless; I will come unto you▪" speaking of his coming by the coming of the Comforter, the Spirit of truth. And, verse 28. "Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you." Thus the apostles began to see the kingdom of heaven come with power, as he promised they should, Mark ix.1.

(2) What is next to be observed is the success of the gospel among the Samaritans. After the success of the gospel had been so gloriously begun among the proper •ews, the Spirit of God was next wonderfully poured out on the Samaritans, who were not Jews by nation, but the posterity of those […] the king of Assyria removed from different parts of his dominions, and settled in the land that was ••habited by the ten tribes, whom he carried captive. But yet they had received the five books of Moses, and practised most of the ri•es of the •aw of Moses, and so were a sort of mongrel Jews. We do not find them reckoned as Gentiles in the New-Testament: for the calling of the Gentiles is spoken of as a new thing after this, beginning with the conversion of Cornelius. But yet it was an […] of making that a people that […] no people: for they had corrupted the religion which Moses commanded, and did not go up to Jerusalem to worship, but had another temple of their own in Mount Geri•zim; which is the mountain of which the woman of Samaria speaks, when she says, "Our fathers worshipped in this mountain." Christ there does not approve of their separation from the Jews; but tells the woman of Samaria, that they worshipped they knew not […], and that salvation is of the Jews. But now salvation is brought from the Jews to them by the preaching of Philip, (excepting that before Christ had some success among them) with whose preaching there was a glorious pouring out of the Spirit of God in the city of Samaria, where we are told, that "the people believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of Christ, and were baptized, both men and women; and that there was great joy in that city,"