A
C T S
CHAP. III.
In
this chapter we have a miracle and a sermon: the miracle wrought to make way
for the sermon, to confirm the doctrine that was to be preached, and to make
way for it into the minds of the people; and then the sermon to explain the
miracle, and to sow the ground which by it was broken up. I. The miracle was
the healing of a man that was lame from his birth, with a word speaking (ver.
1-8), and the impression which this made upon the people, ver. 9-11. II. The
scope of the sermon which was preached here upon was to bring people to
Christ, to repent of their sin in crucifying him (ver. 12-19), to believe in
him now that he was glorified, and to comply with the Father's design in
glorifying him, ver. 20-26. The former part of the discourse opens the wound,
the latter applies the remedy.
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The
Healing of a Cripple.
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1 Now Peter and John went up together into the
temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid
daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them
that entered into the temple; 3 Who seeing Peter and John about to
go into the temple asked an alms. 4 And Peter, fastening his eyes
upon him with John, said, Look on us. 5 And he gave heed unto
them, expecting to receive something of them. 6 Then Peter said,
Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of
Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. 7 And he took him by
the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle
bones received strength. 8 And he leaping up stood, and walked,
and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising
God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:
10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of
the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had
happened unto him. 11 And as the lame man which was healed held
Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is
called Solomon's, greatly wondering.
We were told in general (ch. ii. 43) that many signs and wonders
were done by the apostles, which are not written in this book; but here we
have one given us for an instance. As they wrought miracles, not upon every
body as every body had occasion for them, but as the Holy Spirit gave
direction, so as to answer the end of their commission; so all the miracles
they did work are not written in this book, but such only are recorded as the
Holy Ghost thought fit, to answer the end of this sacred history.
I. The persons by whose ministry this miracle was wrought were Peter and John,
two principal men among the apostles; they were so in Christ's time, one
speaker of the house for the most part, the other favourite of the Master; and
they continue so. When, upon the conversion of thousands, the church was
divided into several societies, perhaps Peter and John presided in that which
Luke associated with, and therefore he is more particular in recording what
they said and did, as afterwards what Paul said and did when he attended him,
both the one and the other being designed for specimens of what the other
apostles did.
Peter and John had each of them a brother among the twelve, with whom they
were coupled when they were sent out; yet now they seem to be knit together
more closely than either of them to his brother, for the bond of friendship is
sometimes stronger than that of relation: there is a friend that sticks
closer than a brother. Peter and John seem to have had a peculiar intimacy
after Christ's resurrection more than before, John xx. 2. The reason of which
(if I may have liberty to conjecture) might be this, that John, a disciple
made up of love, was more compassionate to Peter upon his fall and repentance,
and more tender of him in his bitter weeping for his sin, than any
other of the apostles were, and more solicitous to restore him in the spirit
of meekness, which made him very dear to Peter ever after; and it was good
evidence of Peter's acceptance with God, upon his repentance, that Christ's
favourite was made his bosom friend. David prayed, after his fall, Let
those that fear thee turn unto me, Ps. cxix. 79.
II. The time and place are here set down. 1. It was in the temple,
whither Peter and John went up together, because it was the place of
concourse; there were the shoals of fish among which the net of the gospel was
to be cast, especially during the days of pentecost, within the compass of
which we may suppose this to have happened. Note, It is good to go up to the
temple, to attend on public ordinances; and it is comfortable to go up
together to the temple: I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go.
The best society is society in worshipping God. 2. It was at the hour of
prayer, one of the hours of public worship commonly appointed and observed
among the Jews. Time and place are two necessary circumstances of every
action, which must be determined by consent, as is most convenient for
edification. With reference to public worship, there must be a house of prayer
and an hour of prayer: the ninth hour, that is, three o'clock in the
afternoon, was one of the hours of prayer among the Jews; nine in the morning
and twelve at noon were the other two. See Ps. lv. 17; Dan. vi. 10. It is of
use for private Christians so far to have their hours of prayer as may serve,
though not to bind, yet to remind conscience: every thing is beautiful in
its season.
III. The patient on whom this miraculous cure was wrought is here described, v.
2. He was a poor lame beggar at the temple gate. 1. He was a cripple, not by
accident, but born so; he was lame from his mother's womb, as it should
seem, by a paralytic distemper, which weakened his limbs; for it is said in
the description of his cure (v. 7), His feet and ankle bones
received strength. Some such piteous cases now and then there are, which
we ought to be affected with and look upon with compassion, and which are
designed to show us what we all are by nature spiritually: without
strength, lame from our birth, unable to work or walk in God's service. 2.
He was a beggar. Being unable to work for his living, he must live upon alms;
such are God's poor. He was laid daily by his friends at one of the
gates of the temple, a miserable spectacle, unable to do any thing for
himself but to ask alms of those that entered into the temple or came
out. There was a concourse,--a concourse of devout good people, from whom
charity might be expected, and a concourse of such people when it might be
hoped they were in the best frame; and there he was laid. Those that need, and
cannot work, must not be ashamed to beg. He would not have been laid there,
and laid there daily, if he had not been used to meet with supplies, daily
supplies there. Note, Our prayers and our alms should go together; Cornelius's
did, ch. x. 4. Objects of charity should be in a particular manner
welcome to us when we go up to the temple to pray; it is a pity that common
beggars at church doors should any of them be of such a character as to
discourage charity; but they ought not always to be overlooked: some there are
surely that merit regard, and better feed ten drones, yea, and some wasps,
than let one bee starve. The gate of the temple at which he was laid is here
named: it was called Beautiful, for the extraordinary splendour and
magnificence of it. Dr. Lightfoot observes that this was the gate that led out
of the court of the Gentiles into that of the Jews, and he supposes that the
cripple would beg only of the Jews, as disdaining to ask any thing of the
Gentiles. But Dr. Whitby takes it to be at the first entrance into the temple,
and beautified sumptuously, as became the frontispiece of that place where the
divine Majesty vouchsafed to dwell; and it was no diminution to the beauty of
this gate that a poor man lay there begging. 3. He begged of Peter and John (v.
3), begged an alms; this was the utmost he expected from them, who had the
reputation of being charitable men, and who, though they had not much, yet did
good with what they had. It was not many weeks ago that the blind and the lame
came to Christ in the temple, and were healed there, Matt. xxi. 14. And why
might not he have asked more than an alms, if he knew that Peter and John were
Christ's messengers, and preached and wrought miracles in his name? But he had
that done for him which he looked not for; he asked an alms, and had a
cure.
IV. We have here the method of the cure.
1. His expectations were raised. Peter, instead of turning his eyes form him,
as many do from objects of charity, turned his eyes to him, nay, he fastened
his eyes upon him, that his eye might affect his heart with compassion
towards him, v. 4. John did so too, for they were both guided by one
and the same Spirit, and concurred in this miracle; they said, Look on us.
Our eye must be ever towards the Lord (the eye of our mind), and, in token of
this, the eye of the body may properly be fixed on those whom he employs as
the ministers of his grace. This man needed not to be bidden twice to look on
the apostles; for he justly thought this gave him cause to expect that he
should receive something form them, and therefore he gave heed to
them, v. 5. Note, We must come to God both to attend on his word
and to apply ourselves to him in prayer, with hearts fixed and expectations
raised. We must look up to heaven and expect to receive benefit by that which
God speaks thence, and an answer of peace to the prayers sent up thither. I
will direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
2. His expectation of an alms was disappointed. Peter said, "Silver
and gold have I none, and therefore none to give thee;" yet he
intimated that if he had had any he would have given him an alms, not brass,
but silver or gold. Note, (1.) It is not often that Christ's friends and
favourites have abundance of the wealth of this world. The apostles were very
poor, had but just enough for themselves, and no overplus. Peter and John had
abundance of money laid at their feet, but this was appropriated to the
maintenance of the poor of the church, and they would not convert any of it to
their own use, nor dispose of it otherwise than according tot he intention of
the donors. Public trusts ought to be strictly and faithfully observed. (2.)
Many who are well inclined to works of charity are yet not in a capacity of
doing any thing considerable, while others, who have wherewithal to do much,
have not a heart to do any thing.
3. His expectations, notwithstanding, were quite outdone. Peter had not money
to give him; but, (1.) He had that which was better, such an interest in
heaven, such a power from heaven, as to be able to cure his disease. Note,
Those who are poor in the world may yet be rich, very rich, in spiritual
gifts, graces, and comforts; certainly there is that which we are capable of
possessing which is infinitely better than silver and gold; the merchandise
and gain of it are better, Job xxviii. 12, &c.; Prov. iii. 14, &c.
(2.) He gave him that which was better--the cure of his disease, which he
would gladly have given a great deal of silver and gold for, if he had had it,
and the cure could have been so obtained. This would enable him to work for
his living, so that he would not need to beg any more; nay, he would have
to give to those that needed, and it is more blessed to give than to
receive. A miraculous cure would be a greater instance of God's favour,
and would put a greater honour upon him, than thousands of gold and silver
could. Observe, When Peter had no silver and gold to give, yet (says he) such
as I have I give thee. Note, Those may be, and ought to be, otherwise
charitable and helpful to the poor, who have not wherewithal to give in
charity; those who have not silver and gold have their limbs and senses, and
with these may be serviceable to the blind, and lame, and sick, and if they be
not, as there is occasion, neither would they give to them if they had silver
and gold. As every one hath received the gift, so let him minister it.
Let us now see how the cure was wrought. [1.] Christ sent his word, and
healed him (Ps. cvii. 20); for healing grace is given by the word of
Christ; this is the vehicle of the healing virtue derived from Christ. Christ
spoke cures by himself; the apostles spoke them in his name. Peter bids a lame
man rise up and walk, which would have been a banter upon him if he had
not premised in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth: "I say it by
warrant from him, and it shall be done by power from him, and all the glory
and praise of it shall be ascribed to him." He calls Christ Jesus of
Nazareth, which was a name of reproach, to intimate that the indignities
done him on earth served but as a foil to his glories now that he was in
heaven. "Give him what name you will, call him if you will in scorn Jesus
of Nazareth, in that name you shall see wonders done; for, because he humbled
himself, thus highly was he exalted." He bids the cripple rise up and
walk, which does not prove that he had power in himself to do it, but that
if he attempt to rise and walk, and, in a sense of his own impotency, depend
upon a divine power to enable him to do it, he shall be enabled; and by rising
and walking he must evidence what that power has wrought upon him; and then
let him take the comfort, and let God have the praise. Thus it is in the
healing of our souls, which are spiritually impotent. [2.] Peter lent his
hand, and helped him (v. 7): He took him by the right hand, in
the same name in which he had spoken to him to arise and walk, and lifted
him up. Not that this could contribute any thing to his cure; but it was a
sign, plainly intimating the help he should receive from God, if he exerted
himself as he was bidden. When God by his word commands us to rise, and walk
in the way of his commandments, if we mix faith with that word, and lay our
souls under the power of it, he will give his Spirit to take us by the hand,
and lift us up. If we set ourselves to do what we can, God has promised his
grace to enable us to do what we cannot; and by that promise we partake of a
new nature, and that grace shall not be in vain; it was not here: His feet
and ankle-bones received strength, which they had not done if he had not
attempted to rise, and been helped up; he does his part, and Peter does his,
and yet it is Christ that does all: it is he that puts strength into him. As
the bread was multiplied in the breaking, and the water turned into wine in
the pouring out, so strength was given to the cripple's feet in his stirring
them and using them.
V. Here is the impression which this cure made upon the patient himself, which
we may best conceive of if we put our soul into his soul's stead. 1. He leaped
up, in obedience to the command, Arise. He found in himself such a
degree of strength in his feet and ankle-bones that he did not steal up
gently, with fear and trembling, as weak people do when they begin to recover
strength; but he started up, as one refreshed with sleep, boldly, and with
great agility, and as one that questioned not his own strength. The incomes of
strength were sudden, and he was no less sudden in showing them. He leaped, as
one glad to quit the bed or pad of straw on which he had lain so long lame. 2.
He stood, and walked. He stood without either leaning or trembling, stood
straight up, and walked without a staff. He trod strongly, and moved steadily;
and this was to manifest the cure, and that it was a thorough cure. Note,
Those who have had experience of the working of divine grace upon them should
evidence what they have experienced. Has God put strength into us? Let us
stand before him in the exercises of devotion; let us walk before him in all
the instances of a religious conversation. Let us stand up resolutely for him,
and walk cheerfully with him, and both in strength derived and received form
him. 3. He held Peter and John, v. 11. We need not ask why he
held them. I believe he scarcely knew himself: but it was in a transport of
joy that he embraced them as the best benefactors he had ever met with, and
hung upon them to a degree of rudeness; he would not let them go forward, but
would have them stay with him, while he published to all about him what God
had done for him by them. Thus he testified his affection to them; he held
them, and would not let them go. Some suggest that he clung to them for fear
lest, if they should leave him, his lameness should return. Those whom God
hath healed love those whom he made instruments of their healing, and see the
need of their further help. 4. He entered with them into the temple.
His strong affection to them held them; but it could not hold them so fast as
to keep them out of the temple, whither they were going to preach Christ. We
should never suffer ourselves to be diverted by the utmost affectionate
kindnesses of our friends from going in the way of our duty. But, if they will
not stay with him, he is resolved to go with them, and the rather because they
are going into the temple, whence he had been so long kept by his weakness and
his begging: like the impotent man whom Christ cured, he was presently found
in the temple, John v. 14. He went into the temple, not only to offer up his
praises and thanksgivings to God, but to hear more from the apostles of that
Jesus in whose name he had been healed. Those that have experienced the power
of Christ should earnestly desire to grow in their acquaintance with Christ.
5. He was there walking, and leaping, and praising God. Note, The
strength God has given us, both in mind and body, should be made us of to his
praise, and we should study how to honour him with it. Those that are healed
in his name must walk up and down in his name and in his strength, Zech. x.
12. This man, as soon as he could leap, leaped for joy in God, and praised
him. Here was that scripture fulfilled (Isa. xxxv. 6): Then shall the lame
man leap as a hart. Now that this man was newly cured he was in this
excess of joy and thankfulness. All true converts walk and praise God; but
perhaps young converts leap more in his praises.
VI. How the people that were eye-witnesses of this miracle were influenced by
it we are next told. 1. They were entirely satisfied in the truth of the
miracle, and had nothing to object against it. They knew it was he that sat
begging at the beautiful gate of the temple, v. 10. He had sat
there so long that they all knew him; and for this reason he was chosen to be
the vessel of this mercy. Now they were not so perverse as to make any doubt
whether he was the same man, as the Pharisees had questioned concerning the
blind man that Christ cured, John ix. 9, 18. They now saw him walking, and
praising God (v. 9), and perhaps took notice of a change in his
mind; for he was now as loud in praising God as he had before been in begging
relief. The best evidence that it was a complete cure was that he now praised
God for it. Mercies are then perfected, when they are sanctified. 2. They were
astonished at it: They were filled with wonder and amazement (v.
10); greatly wondering, v. 11. They were in an ecstasy.
There seems to have been this effect of the pouring out of the Spirit, that
the people, at least those in Jerusalem, were much more affected with the
miracles the apostles wrought than they had been with those of the same kind
that had been wrought by Christ himself; and this was in order to the miracles
answering their end. 3. They gathered about Peter and John: All the people
ran together unto them in Solomon's porch: some only to gratify their
curiosity with the sight of men that had such power; others with a desire to
hear them preach, concluding that their doctrine must needs be of divine
origin, which thus had a divine ratification. They flocked to them in
Solomon's porch, a part of the court of the Gentiles, where Solomon had built
the outer porch of the temple; or, some cloisters or piazzas which Herod had
erected upon the same foundation upon which Solomon had built the stately
porch that bore his name, Herod being ambitious herein to be a second Solomon.
Here the people met, to see this great sight.
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Peter's
Address after Healing the Cripple.
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12 And when Peter saw it, he answered
unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so
earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man
to walk? 13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the
God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and
denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him
go. 14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a
murderer to be granted unto you; 15 And killed the Prince of life,
whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. 16
And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see
and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness
in the presence of you all. 17 And now, brethren, I wot that
through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
18 But those things, which God before had showed by the mouth of all his
prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. 19
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when
the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things,
which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world
began. 22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall
the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall
ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. 23 And it
shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet,
shall be destroyed from among the people. 24 Yea, and all the
prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have
likewise foretold of these days. 25 Ye are the children of the
prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto
Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you,
in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
We have here the sermon which Peter preached after he had cured the lame man. When
Peter saw it. 1. When he saw the people got together in a crowd, he took
that opportunity to preach Christ to them, especially the temple being the
place of their concourse, and Solomon's porch there: let them come and hear a
more excellent wisdom than Solomon's, for, behold, a greater than Solomon is
here preached. 2. When he saw the people affected with the miracle, and filed
with admiration, then he sowed the gospel seed in the ground which was thus
broken up, and prepared to receive it. 3. When he saw the people ready to
adore him and John, he stepped in immediately, and diverted their respect from
them, that it might be directed to Christ only; to this he answered
presently, as Paul and Barnabas at Lystra. See ch. xiv. 14, 15. In the
sermon,
I. He humbly disclaims the honour of the miracle as not due to them, who were
only the ministers of Christ, or instruments in his hand for the doing of it.
The doctrines they preached were not of their own invention, nor were the
seals of it their own, but his whose the doctrines were. He addresses himself
to them as men of Israel, men to whom pertained, not only the law and
the promises, but the gospel and the performances, and who were nearly
interested in the present dispensation. Two things he asks them:-- 1. Why they
were so surprised at the miracle itself: Why marvel you at this? It was
indeed marvellous, and they justly wondered at it, but it was not more than
what Christ had done many a time, and they had not duly regarded it, nor been
affected with it. It was but a little before that Christ had raised Lazarus
from the dead; and why should this then seem so strange? Note, Stupid
people think that strange now which might have been familiar to them if it had
not been their own fault. Christ had lately risen from the dead himself; why
did they not marvel at this? why were they not convinced by this? 2. Why they
gave so much of the praise of it to them, who were only the instruments of it:
Why look you so earnestly on us? (1.) It was certain that they had
made this man to walk, by which it appeared that the apostles not only
were sent of God, but were sent to be blessings to the world, benefactors to
mankind, and were sent to heal sick and distempered souls, that were
spiritually lame and impotent, to set broken bones, and make them rejoice.
(2.) Yet they did not do it by any power or holiness of their own. It
was not done by any might of their own, any skill they had in physic or
surgery, nor any virtue in their word: the power they did it by was wholly
derived from Christ. Nor was it done by any merit of their own; the power
which Christ gave them to do it they had not deserved: it was not by their own
holiness; for, as they were weak things, so they were foolish things, that
Christ chose to employ; Peter was a sinful man. What holiness had Judas? Yet
he wrought miracles in Christ's name. What holiness any of them had it was
wrought in them, and they could not pretend to merit by it. (3.) It was the
people's fault that they attributed it to their power and holiness, and
accordingly looked at them. Note, The instruments of God's favour to us,
though they must be respected, must not be idolized; we must take heed of
reckoning that to be done by the instrument which God is the author of. (4.)
It was the praise of Peter and John that they would not take the honour of
this miracle to themselves, but carefully transmitted it to Christ. Useful men
must see to it that they be very humble. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
but to thy name give glory. Every crown must be cast at the feet of
Christ; not I, but the grace of God with me.
II. He preaches Christ to them; this was his business, that he might lead them
into obedience to Christ.
1. He preaches Christ, as the true Messiah promised to the fathers (v.
13); for, (1.) He is Jesus the Son of God; though they had lately condemned
Christ as a blasphemer for saying that he was the Son of God, yet Peter avows
it: he is his Son Jesus; to him dear as a Son; to us, Jesus, a
Saviour. (2.) God hath glorified him, in raising him up to be king, priest,
and prophet, of his church; he glorified him in his life and in his death, as
well as in his resurrection and ascension. (3.) He hath glorified him as the
God of our fathers, whom he names with respect (for they were great names
with the men of Israel, and justly), the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of
Jacob. God sent him into the world, pursuant to the promises made to those
patriarchs, that in their seed the families of the earth should be blessed,
and the covenant made with them, that God would be a God to them, and their
seed. The apostles call the patriarchs their fathers, and God the God of
those patriarchs from whom the Jews were descended, to intimate to them that
they had no evil design upon the Jewish nation (that they should look upon
them with a jealous eye), but had a value and concern for it, and were hereby
well-wishers to it; and the gospel they preached was the revelation of the
mind and will of the God of Abraham. See ch. xxvi. 7, 22; Luke i. 72,
73.
2. He charges them flatly and plainly with the murder of this Jesus, as he had
done before. (1.) "You delivered him up to your chief priests and
elders, the representative body of the nation; and you of the common people
were influenced by them to clamour against him, as if he had been a public
grievance." (2.) "You denied him, and you disowned him, would
not have him then to be your king, could not look upon him as the Messiah,
because he came not in external pomp and power; you denied him in the
presence of Pilate, renounced all the expectations of your church, in the
presence of the Roman governor, who justly laughed at you for it; you
denied him against the face of Pilate" (so Dr. Hammond), "in
defiance of his reasonings with you" (Pilate had determined to let him
go, but the people opposed it, and overruled him). "You were worse
than Pilate, for he would have released him, if you had let him follow his own
judgment. You denied the Holy One and the Just, who had approved
himself so, and all the malice of his persecutors could not disprove it."
The holiness and justice of the Lord Jesus, which are something more than his
innocency, were a great aggravation of the sin of those that put him to death.
(3.) "You desired a murderer to be released, and Christ crucified;
as if Barabbas had deserved better at your hands than the Lord Jesus, than
which a greater affront could not be put upon him." (4.) You killed
the prince of life. Observe the antithesis: "You preserved a
murderer, a destroyer of life; and destroyed the Saviour, the author of
life. You killed him who was sent to be to you the prince of life,
and so not only forsook, but rebelled against your own mercies. You did an
ungrateful thing, in taking away his life who would have been your life. You
did a foolish thing to think you could conquer the prince of life, who
has life in himself, and would soon resume the life he resigned."
3. He attests his resurrection as before, ch. xi. 32. "You thought
the prince of life might be deprived of his life, as any other prince
might be deprived of his dignity and dominion, but you found yourselves
mistaken, for God raised him from the dead; so that in putting him to
death you fought against God, and were baffled. God raised him from the
dead, and thereby ratified his demands, and confirmed his doctrine, and
rolled away all the reproach of his sufferings, and for the truth of his
resurrection we are all witnesses."
4. He ascribes the cure of this impotent man to the power of Christ, (v.
16): His name, through faith in his name, in that discovery which he
hath made of himself, has made this man strong. He repeats it again, The
faith which is by him hath given him this soundness. Here, (1.) He appeals
to themselves concerning the truth of the miracle; the man on whom it was
wrought is one whom you see, and know, and have known; he was not
acquainted with Peter and John before, so that there was no room to suspect a
compact between them: "You know him to have been a cripple from a child.
The miracle was wrought publicly, in the presence of you all; not in a
corner, but in the gate of the temple; you saw in what manner it was done, so
that there could be no juggle in it; you had liberty to examine it
immediately, and may yet. The cure is complete; it is a perfect soundness;
you see the man walks and leaps, as one that has no remainder either of
weakness or pain." (2.) He acquaints them with the power by which it was
wrought. [1.] It is done by the name of Christ, not merely by naming it as a
spell or charm, but it is done by us as professors and teachers of his name,
by virtue of a commission and instructions we have received from him, and a
power which he has invested us with, that name which Christ has above every
name; his authority, his command has done it; as writs run in the king's name,
though it is an inferior officer that executes them. [2.] The power of Christ
is fetched in through faith in his name, a confidence in him, a
dependence on him, a believing application to him, and expectation from him,
even that faith which is, di autou--by
him, which is of his working; it is not of ourselves, it is the gift of
Christ; and it is for his sake, that he may have the glory of it; for he
is both the author and finisher of our faith. Dr. Lightfoot suggests
that faith is twice named in this verse, because of the apostles' faith in
doing this miracle and the cripple's faith in receiving it; but I suppose it
relates chiefly, if not only, to the former. Those that wrought this miracle
by faith derived power from Christ to work it, and therefore returned all the
glory to him. By this true and just account of the miracle, Peter both
confirmed the great gospel truth they were to preach to the world--that Jesus
Christ is the fountain of all power and grace, and the great healer and
Saviour--and recommended the great gospel duty of faith in him as the only way
of receiving benefit by him. It explains likewise the great gospel mystery of
our salvation by Christ; it is his name that justifies us, that glorious name
of his, The Lord our righteousness; but we, in particular, are
justified by that name, through faith in it, applying it to ourselves. Thus
does Peter preach unto them Jesus, and him crucified, as a faithful friend of
the bridegroom, to whose service and honour he devoted all his interest.
III. He encourages them to hope that, though they had been guilty of putting
Christ to death, yet they might find mercy; he does all he can to convince
them, yet is careful not to drive them to despair. The guilt was very great,
but, 1. He mollifies their crime by a candid imputation of it to their
ignorance. Perhaps he perceived by the countenance of his hearers that they
were struck with great horror when he told them that they had killed the
prince of life, and were ready either to sink down or to fly off, and
therefore he saw it needful to mitigate the rigour of the charge by calling
them brethren; and well might he call them so, for he had been himself
a brother with them in this iniquity: he had denied the holy One and the
Just, and sworn that he did not know him; he did it by surprise;
"and, for your parts, I know that through ignorance you did it, as did
also your rulers," v. 17. This was the language of Peter's
charity, and teaches us to make the best of those whom we desire to make
better. Peter had searched the wound to the bottom, and now he begins to think
of healing it up, in order to which it is necessary to beget in them a good
opinion of their physician; and could any thing be more winning than this?
That which bears him out in it is that he has the example of his Master's
praying for his crucifiers, and pleading in their behalf that they knew not
what they did. And it is said of the rulers that if they had known they
would not have crucified the Lord of glory. See 1 Cor. ii. 8. Perhaps some
of the rulers, and of the people, did therein rebel against the light and the
convictions of their own consciences, and did it through malice; but the
generality went down the stream, and did it through ignorance; as Paul
persecuted the church, ignorantly, and in unbelief, 1 Tim. i. 13. 2. He
mollifies the effects of their crime--the death of the prince of life;
this sounds very dreadful, but it was according to the scriptures (v.
18), the predictions of which, though they did not necessitate their sin, yet
did necessitate his sufferings; so he himself saith: Thus it is written,
and thus it behoved Christ to suffer. You did it through ignorance may be
taken in this sense: "You fulfilled the scripture, and did not know it; God,
by your hands, hath fulfilled what he showed by the mouth of all his
prophets, that Christ should suffer; this was his design in delivering him
up to you, but you had views of your own, and were altogether ignorant of this
design; you meant not so, neither did your heart think so. God was
fulfilling the scripture when you were gratifying your own passions."
Observe, It was not only determined in the secret counsel of God, but declared
to the world many ages before, by the mouth and pen of the prophets,
that Christ should suffer, in order to the accomplishment of his
undertaking; and it was God himself that showed it by them, who will
see that his words be made good; what he showed he fulfilled, he so fulfilled
as he had shown, punctually and exactly, without any variation. Now, though
this is no extenuation at all of their sin in hating and persecuting Christ to
the death (this still appears exceedingly sinful), yet it was an
encouragement to them to repent, and hope for mercy upon their repentance; not
only because in general God's gracious designs were carried on by it (ant thus
it agrees with the encouragement Joseph gave to his brethren, when they
thought their offence against him almost unpardonable: Fear not, saith
he, you thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good, Gen. l.
15, 20), but because in particular the death and sufferings of Christ were for
the remission of sins, and the ground of that display of mercy for
which he now encouraged them to hope.
IV. He exhorts them all to turn Christians, and assures them it would be
unspeakably for their advantage to do so; it would be the making of them for
ever. This is the application of his sermon.
1. He tells them what they must believe. (1.) They must believe that Jesus
Christ is the promised see, that seed in which God had told Abraham all the
kindreds of the earth should be blessed, v. 25. This refers to that
promise made to Abraham (Gen. xii. 3), which promise was long ere it was
fulfilled, but now at length had its accomplishment in this Jesus, who
was of the seed of Abraham, according to the flesh, and in him all
the families of the earth are blessed, and not the families of Israel
only; all have some benefits by him, and some have all benefits. (2.) They
must believe that Jesus Christ is a prophet, that prophet like unto Moses
whom God had promised to raise up to them from among their brethren, v.
22. This refers to that promise, Deut. xviii. 18. Christ is a prophet, for by
him God speaks unto us; in him all divine revelation centres, and by him it is
handed to us; he is a prophet like unto Moses, a favourite of Heaven;
more intimately acquainted with the divine counsel, and more familiarly
conversed with, than any other prophet. He was a deliverer of his people out
of bondage, and their guide through the wilderness, like Moses; a prince and a
lawgiver, like Moses; the builder of the true tabernacle, as Moses was of the
typical one. Moses was faithful as a servant, Christ as a Son.
Moses was murmured against by Israel, defied by Pharaoh, yet God owned him,
and ratified his commission. Moses was a pattern of meekness and patience, so
is Christ. Moses died by the word of the Lord, so did Christ. There
was no prophet like unto Moses (Num. xii. 6, 7; Deut. xxxiv. 10), but a
greater than Moses is here where Christ is. He is a prophet of God's raising
up, for he took not this honour of himself, but was called of God to it. He
was raised up unto Israel in the first place. He executed this office in his
own person among them only. They had the first offer of divine grace made to
them; and therefore he was raised up from among them--of them, as
concerning the flesh, Christ came, which, as it was a great honour done to
them, so it was both an obligation upon them and an encouragement to them to
embrace him. If he come to his own, one would think, they should receive him.
The Old-Testament church was blessed with many prophets, with schools of
prophets, for many ages with a constant succession of prophets (which is here
taken notice of, from Samuel, and those that follow after, v.
24, for from Samuel the prophetic era commenced); but, these servants being
abused, last of all God sent them his Son, who had been in his bosom. (3.)
They must believe that times of refreshing will come from the presence of
the Lord (v. 19), and that they will be the times of the
restitution of all things, v. 21. There is a future state, another
life after this; those times will come from the presence of the Lord, from his
glorious appearance at that day, his coming at the end of time. The absence of
the Lord occasions many of the securities of sinners and the distrusts of
saints; but his presence is hastening on, which will for ever silence both. Behold,
the Judge standeth before the door. The presence of the Lord will
introduce, [1.] The restitution of all things (v. 21); the
new heavens, and the new earth, which will be the product of the
dissolution of all things (Rev. xxi. 1), the renovation of the whole creation,
which is that which it grieves after, as its present burden under the sin of
man is that which it groans under. Some understand this of a state on this
side the end of time; but it is rather to be understood of that end of all
things which God hath spoken of by the mouth of all his holy prophets since
the world began; for this is that which Enoch, the seventh from Adam,
prophesied of (Jude 14), and the temporal judgments which the other
prophets foretold were typical of that which the apostle calls the eternal
judgment. This is more clearly and plainly revealed in the New Testament
than it had been before, and all that receive the gospel have an expectation
of it. [2.] With this will come the times of refreshing (v. 19),
of consolation to the Lord's people, like a cool shade to those that have
borne the burden and heat of the day. All Christians look for a rest
that remains for the people of God, after the travails and toils of their
present state, and, with the prospect of this, they are borne up under their
present sufferings and carried on in their present services. The refreshing
that then comes from the presence of the Lord will continue eternally
in the presence of the Lord.
2. He tells them what they must do. (1.) They must repent, must bethink
themselves of what they have done amiss, must return to their right mind,
admit a second thought, and submit to the convictions of it; they must begin
anew. Peter, who had himself denied Christ, repented, and he would have them
to do so too. (2.) They must be converted, must face about, and direct
both their faces and steps the contrary way to what they had been; they must return
to the Lord their God, from whom they had revolted. It is not enough to
repent of sin, but we must be converted from it, and not return to it again.
They must not only exchange the profession of Judaism for that of
Christianity, but the power and dominion of a carnal, worldly, sensual mind,
for that of holy, heavenly, and divine principles and affections. (3.) They
must hear Christ, the great prophet: "Him shall you hear in all things
whatsoever he shall say unto you. Attend his dictates, receive his
doctrine, submit to his government. Hear him with a divine faith, as prophets
should be heard, that come with a divine commission. Him shall you hear,
and to him shall you subscribe with an implicit faith and obedience. Hear
him in all things; let his laws govern all your actions, and his counsels
determine all your submissions. Whenever he has a mouth to speak, you must
have an ear to hear. Whatever he saith to you, though ever so displeasing to
flesh and blood, bid it welcome." Speak, Lord, for thy servant hears.
A good reason is here given why we should be observant of, and obedient to,
the word of Christ; for it is at our peril if we turn a deaf ear to his call
and a stiff neck to his yoke (v. 23): Every soul that will not hear
that prophet, and be directed by what he saith, shall be destroyed from
among the people. The destruction of the city and nation, by war and
famine, was threatened for slighting the prophets of the Old Testament; but
the destruction of the soul, a spiritual and eternal destruction, is
threatened for slighting Christ, this great prophet. Those that will
not be advised by the Saviour can expect no other than to fall into the hands
of the destroyer.
3. He tells them what they might expect.
(1.) That they should have the pardon of their sins; this is always spoken of
as the great privilege of all those that embrace the gospel (v. 19): Repent,
and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out. This implies, [1.]
That the remission of sin is the blotting of it out, as a cloud is blotted out
by the beams of the sun (Isa. xliv. 22), as a debt is crossed and blotted out
when it is remitted. It intimates that when God forgives sin he remembers it
no more against the sinner; it is forgotten, as that which is blotted out; all
the bitter things written against the sinner (Job xiii. 26) are wiped out as
it were with a sponge; it is the cancelling of a bond, the vacating of a
judgment. [2.] That we cannot expect our sins should be pardoned unless we
repent of them, and turn from them to God. Though Christ has died to purchase
the remission of sin, yet, that we may have the benefit of that purchase in
the forgiveness of our sins, we must repent, and be converted: if no
repentance, no remission. [3.] Hopes of the pardon of sin upon repentance
should be a powerful inducement to us to repent. Repent, that your sins may
be blotted out: and that repentance is evangelical which flows from an
apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, and the hopes of pardon. This was
the first and great argument, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
[4.] The most comfortable fruit of the forgiveness of our sins will be when
the times of refreshing shall come; if our sins be forgiven us, we have
now reason to be of good cheer; but the comfort will be complete when the
pardon shall be allowed in open court, and our justification published before
angels and men--when whom he has justified, them he glorifies, Rom.
viii. 30. As now we are the sons of God (1 John iii. 2), so now we have
our sins blotted out; but it doth not yet appear what are the blessed
fruits of it, till the times of refreshing shall come. During these
times of toil and conflict (doubts and fears within, troubles and dangers
without) we cannot have that full satisfaction of our pardon, and in it, that
we shall have when the refreshing times come, which shall wipe away all tears.
(2.) That they should have the comfort of Christ's coming (v. 20, 21):
"He shall send Jesus Christ, the same Jesus, the very same that
before was preached unto you; for you must not expect another
dispensation, another gospel, but the continuance and completion of this; you
must not expect another prophet like unto Jesus, as Moses bade you expect
another like unto him; for, though the heavens must receive him till the
times of the restitution of all things; yet, if you repent and be
converted, you shall find no want of him; some way or other he shall be
seen of you." [1.] We must not expect Christ's personal presence with us
in this world; for the heavens, which received him out of the sight of the
disciples, must retain him till the end of time. To that seat of the blessed
his bodily presence is confined, and will be to the end of time, the
accomplishment of all things (so it may be read); and therefore those
dishonour him, and deceive themselves, who dream of his corporal presence in
the eucharist. It is agreeable to a state of trial and probation that the
glorified Redeemer should be out of sight, because we must live by that faith
in him which is the evidence of things not seen; because he must be believed
on in the world, he must be received up into glory. Dr. Hammond
reads it, Who must receive the heavens, that is, who must receive
the glory and power of the upper world; he must reign till all be made subject
to him, 1 Cor. xv. 25; Ps. lxxv. 2. [2.] Yet it is promised that he shall
be sent to all that repent and are converted (v. 20): "He shall
send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you by his disciples, both before
and since his resurrection, and is, and will be, all in all to them." First,
"You shall have his spiritual presence. He that is sent into the world
shall be sent to you; you shall have the comfort of his being sent; he shall
be sent among you in his gospel, which shall be his tabernacle, his chariot of
war." Secondly, "He shall send Jesus Christ to destroy
Jerusalem, and the nation of unbelieving Jews, that are enemies to Christ and
Christianity, and to deliver his ministers and people from them, and give them
peace in the profession of the gospel, and that shall be a time of refreshing,
in which you shall share." Then had the churches rest; so Dr.
Hammond. Thirdly, "The sending of Christ to judge the world, at
the end of time, will be a blessing to you; you shall then lift up your
heads with joy, knowing that your redemption draws nigh." It seems to
refer to this, for till then the heavens must receive him, v.
21. As God's counsels from eternity, so his predictions from the beginning of
time, had a reference to the transactions of the last day, when the mystery
of God shall be finished, as he had declared to his servants the prophets,
Rev. x. 7. The institution of all things in the church had an eye to the
restitution of all things at the end of time.
4. He tells them what ground they had to expect these things, if they were
converted to Christ. Though they had denied him, and put him to death, yet
they might hope to find favour through him, upon the account of their being
Israelites. For,
(1.) As Israelites, they had the monopoly of the grace of the Old Testament;
they were, above any other, God's favourite nation, and the favours God
bestowed upon them were such as had a reference to the Messiah, and his
kingdom: You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant. A
double privilege. [1.] They were the children, that is, the disciples, of
the prophets, as children at school; not sons of the prophets, in
the sense that we read of such in the Old Testament, from Samuel and downward,
who were, or are, trained up to be endued with the spirit of prophecy;
but you are of that people from among whom prophets were raised up, and to
whom prophets were sent. It is spoken of as a great favour to Israel that
God raised up of their sons for prophets, Amos ii. 11. All the inspired
writers, both of the Old and New Testament, were of the seed of Abraham;
and it was their honour and advantage that unto them were committed the
oracles of God, Rom. iii. 2. Their government was constituted by prophecy,
that is, by divine revelation; and by it their affairs were for many ages very
much managed. See Hos. xii. 13. By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of
Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved. Those of the latter ages of the
church, when prophecy had ceased, might yet be fitly called the children of
the prophets, because they heard, though they did not know, the voices
of the prophets, which were read in their synagogues every sabbath day, ch.
xiii. 27. Now this should quicken them to embrace Christ, and they might hope
to be accepted of him; for their own prophets had foretold that this grace
should be brought unto them at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. i.
13), and therefore ought not to be neglected by them, nor should be denied to
them. Those that are blessed with prophets and prophecy (as all are that have
the scriptures) are concerned not to receive the grace of God therein in vain.
We may apply it particularly to ministers' children, who, if they plead their
parentage effectually with themselves, as an inducement to be faithful and
forward in religion, may comfortably plead it with God, and hope that the
children of God's servants shall continue. [2.] They were the children,
that is, the heirs, of the covenant which God made with our Fathers, as
children in the family. God's covenant was made with Abraham and his seed,
and they were that seed with whom the covenant was made, and on
whom the blessings of the covenant were entailed: "The promise of
the Messiah was made to you, and therefore if you forsake not your own
mercies, and do not by an obstinate infidelity put a bar in your own door, you
may hope it shall be made good to you." That promise here mentioned, as
the principal article of the covenant, In thy seed shall all the kindreds
of the earth be blessed, though referring principally to Christ (Gal. iii.
16), yet may include the church also, which is his body, all believers, that
are the spiritual seed of Abraham. All the kindreds of the earth were
blessed in having a church for Christ among them; and those that were the
seed of Abraham according to the flesh stood fairest for this privilege.
If all the kindreds of the earth were to be blessed in Christ, much more that
kindred, his kinsmen according to the flesh.
(2.) As Israelites, they had the first offer of the grace of the New
Testament. Because they were the children of the prophets and the covenant,
therefore to them the Redeemer was first sent, which was an encouragement to
them to hope that if they did repent, and were converted, he should be yet
further sent for their comfort (v. 20): He shall send Jesus Christ,
for to you first he hath sent him, v. 26. Unto you first, you
Jews, though not to you only, God, having raised up his Son Jesus,
appointed and authorized him to be a prince and a Saviour, and, in
confirmation of this, raised him from the dead, sent him to bless you,
to make a tender of his blessing to you, especially that great blessing of turning
every one of you from his iniquities; and therefore it concerns you to
receive this blessing, and turn from your iniquities, and you may be
encouraged to hope that you shall. [1.] We are here told whence Christ had his
mission: God raised up his Son Jesus, and sent him. God raised him up
when he constituted him a prophet, owned his by a voice from heaven, and
filled him with his Spirit without measure, and then sent him; for to this end
he raised him up, that he might be his commissioner to treat of peace. He sent
him to bear witness of the truth, sent him to seek and save lost souls, sent
him against his enemies, to conquer them. Some refer the raising of him up
to the resurrection, which was the first step towards his exaltation; this
was, as it were, the renewing of his commission; and though, having raised him
up, he seemed presently to take him from us, yet he did really send him afresh
to us in his gospel and Spirit. [2.] To whom he was sent: "Unto you
first. You of the seed of Abraham, you that are the children of the
prophets, and of the covenant, to you is the tender made of gospel
grace." The personal ministry of Christ, as that of the prophets, was
confined to the Jews; he was not then sent but to the lost sheep of the
house of Israel, and he forbade the disciples he then sent forth to go any
further. After his resurrection, he was to be preached indeed to all nations,
but they must begin at Jerusalem, Luke xxiv. 47. And, when they went to
other nations, they first preached to the Jews they found therein. They were
the first-born, and, as such, had the privilege of the first offer. So far
were they from being excluded for their putting Christ to death, that, when he
is risen, he is first sent to them, and they are primarily intended to have
benefit by his death. [3.] On what errand he was sent: "He is sent to
you first, to bless you; this is his primary errand, not to condemn you,
as you deserve, but to justify you, if you will accept of the justification
offered you, in the way wherein it is offered; but he that sends him first to
bless you, if you refuse and reject that blessing, will send him to curse you
with a curse," Mal. iv. 6. Note, First, Christ's errand into the
world was to bless us, to bring a blessing with him, for the Sun of
righteousness rose with healing under his wings; and, when he left the
world, he left a blessing behind him for he was parted from the disciples
as he blessed them, Luke xxiv. 51. He sent his Spirit to be the great
blessing, the blessing of blessings, Isa. xliv. 3. It is by Christ that God
sends blessings to us, and through him only we can expect to receive them. Secondly,
The great blessing wherewith Christ came to bless us was the turning of us
away from our iniquities, the saving of us from our sins (Matt. i. 21), to
turn us from sin, that we may be qualified to receive all other blessings. Sin
is that to which naturally we cleave; the design of divine grace is to turn us
from it, nay, to turn us against it, that we may not only forsake it, but hate
it. The gospel has a direct tendency to do this, not only as it requires us,
every one of us, to turn from our iniquities, but as it promises us grace to
enable us to do so. "Therefore, do your part; repent, and be
converted, because Christ is ready to do his, in turning you from your
iniquities, and so blessing you."
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