dead, and was the true Messiah, the Saviour of the world.
In considering this miracle, we shall notice it, I. As a ground of conviction to the Jews —
That a great miracle had been wrought, was mani- fest to all, insomuch that the rulers themselves were constrained to acknowledge itc. Hence Peter took occasion to shew them,
1. That Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah — [It was obviously beyond the power of man to effect so
great a work, as that of restoring in a moment to the perfect use of his limbs " a man who was forty years of age," and had been a cripple from the womb. Whence then did Peter and John obtain the power to effect it? This was the point which the rulers desired to ascertain d; and this could be learned only from the Apostles themselves. Peter boldly answered the interrogatories which were put to him ; and declared, that the lately-crucified, and now exalted, Jesus had empowered them to communicate this blessing to the mane. But how could he convey to them this power, if he were not himself alive? or how could he enable them to do what nothing but Omnipotence could effect, if he himself were not omnipotent?
This argument was addressed to the very people who had bribed the soldiers a few weeks before to say, that the Dis- ciples had come, whilst they were asleep, and had stolen the body of Jesus from the tomb. But though the rulers had satisfied their nation by accounting in that manner for the supposed resurrection of Jesus, they did not now dare to bring forward such an absurdity in anwer to the Apostles: for of what use would the dead body of Jesus be ? could that enable the Apostles to work a miracle ? or would God communicate miraculous powers to them for the express purpose of sanction- ing the most wicked falsehood that could be fabricated ?
Here then the argument was incontrovertible: a miracle had been wrought : the persons who had been the instruments of effecting it, ascribed the power to Jesus, who, agreeably to the prophecies concerning him, had been " set at nought by the builders, and was become the Head of the corner*:" there was therefore no alternative left, but to acknowledge Jesus as the true Messiah. How infatuated must they be, who could with- hold their assent from so plain a truth!]
2. That they in God's sight were the worst of mur- derers—
' ver. 14, 1G. d ver. 7. e Acts iii. 16. f ver. 11.