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I. WHAT THEY WERE TO PREACH.

1. Repentance. This consists in conviction of sin, contrition of heart, and godly sorrow for transgressions; and it ends in real conversion to God.

2. Remission of sins. Free, full, final. The Forgiver retains no anger.

3. They were to preach both repentance and the remission of sins. We are not to separate what God hath joined together. To encourage the hope of pardon, without repentance, is rebellion against common sense, and treason against the whole spirit and letter of the Word of God. And, on the other hand, there is no true repentance without proper views of, and faith in, God's pardoning mercy and grace. Without these the heart may be terrified, but it never can be softened.

II. HOW THEY WERE TO PREACH THIS. "In His name."

1. In His stead.

2. By His authority.

3. Through His mediatorial influence.

III. AMONG WHOM WERE THEY TO PREACH? "Among all nations."

1. Christianity was designed to be universal; to enter and to pervade all nations of the earth.

2. Christianity is adapted to universality.

3. Enough has already been done to encourage our hope of its actual universality in due time.

IV. WHERE WERE THEY TO BEGIN THEIR WORK? "In Jerusalem."

1. To fulfil Scripture (Zechariah 14:8).

2. To attest more strongly the truth of Christianity. They were to begin to preach the facts of the gospel in the very place where it is reported they occurred; and so recently as to be in the memory of those they addressed. Would impostors have done this?

3. To afford proofs of the Saviour's compassion. He sends His ambassadors with offers of mercy and pardon to. a city whose inhabitants were reeking with His blood.

4. It was that His ministers should afford encouragement to all; so that none should have a just pretence "to perish in despair." "Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

5. It was to encourage His servants in their endeavours to evangelize. The apostles were not to begin at a distance, but as near as possible. Suppose, now, you had a wilderness covered with briers and thorns, and you wished to make a smooth passage through it; would it be wiser to begin at the farther end, and work homewards, or at home first, pursuing your course to the farther end? Would not the latter way save you some time and trouble? And, as you went on, would not the little parts you cultivated afford supplies to aid you to proceed with your cultivation?

(W. Jay.)

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KJV: And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

WEB: As they said these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, "Peace be to you."