The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 2 — Section 22

hearts of both alike." He further reminds them what a heavy yoke the ,Jewish Lo.w had proved for many generations; how than½ful they were to be relieved from the legal bondage by the salvo.tion offered through faith; and how unreasonable it would be to aUcmpt to imposo on others a burden. which neither they nor their fathers had ever been able to bear, Dean Plumptre gives thus the conclusion of St. Peler'a speech: "'1.'he Pharisee mirrM reaard the Law as binding; but even he, if he believed in Ghrist, was compelled to ionfes; that his hope of salvation was founn in the work of Christ as the Saviour; and if so, then, as regards that hope, Jew and Gentile were on the same level, and the judgment that men could not be saved without the Law was but the inconsistency of an intolerant dogmatism, insisting on imposin" that which was acknowledged to be profitless." There is in St. Peter's speech a fir~ declaration of the great evangelical principles. I. SALVATION ON GoD'B BIDE 18 ms ACT OF GRACE. The idea of purchase or desert. is wholly excluded from it. Salvation by perfect obedience to fo=l rules, and faithful keeping of covenant terms, had b~en_ thoroughly tried in Judaism, and it ban certainly and .hopelessly failed, because smnmg man lacked the power. Man could no more save himself by the attempted obediences of Judaism than by the human schemes devised in heathenism. It was evident that salvation for man must be an intervention of Divine love, a manifestation of Divine grace. And this is the very essence of the gospel message concerning God: "What the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh." Salvation is a. Divine gift, offered freshly and freely, a.pa.rt from all previous revelations and conditions, on terms which God himself is pleased to arran/!:e, .And, without bringing forward any older ideas or customs, our simple duty is to listen to God as he tells us the conditions upon which he is pleased to offer forgiveness and life. We may be quite satisfied if we can find the terms laid down in the new covenant of grace, and they are these : "God bath given unto ug eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son bath life." II. SALVATION, ON M.AN1B BIDE, 18 HIS ACT OF FAITH. No gift can be of value unless there is a proper preparedness to receive it. We do not simply scatter our common earthly gifts, we choose to whom we shall give them, and we expect them to be in such a state of mind and feeling towards ug as shall ensure that they will accept and make good use of our gifts. Such conditions apply to the gift of salvation. Of free grace, though it is, it requires something in man which can alone secure that the gift will be valued. 'l'he spiritual preparedness of man for the spiritual gift is calleJ. faith. It is illustrated in the disposition of mind which Christ required iu those whom he miraculously healed. .And it incluJes (1) surrender of self-trust; (2) confidence in God's provision and promise; and (3) a full desire for and expectancy of Divine help. Faith, as a disposition or mood of mind, is to be distinguished from faith as an act. 'fhe state of faith sets us ready to receive the gift; the act of faith appropriates the gift. So presenting man's faith, it will be clearly seen that no kind of " merit," as a ~aving work, can attach to it. Ill. BOTH ARE LARGE ENOUGH CONDITIONS TO COVER AND EMBRACE ALL IIU:UAXITY. Jew and Gentile too. 'l'his is St. Pater's point in vers. 9, 11. 'l'be grace of the tmi ,-ecs,,,i Father can, without doubt, reach and bless and save all. .Andfaith is so common, so univer:;al a human faculty that it can be made a conditio:a for all. Every one can thankfully open hand and heart to receive a gift. Everybody can trust.-R. T. Ver. 26.-The hi_qhest Christian commendation. Nothing could be said more .fittec.l. to ensure the confidence of the Churches in the messengers sent from the conference than this description: "Men that have hazarded their lives for the Name of our Lord Jesus." It may be observed that men have established this test of sincerity, nobility, or belief in any truth : " Could the man stake his life on it?" " \Vas be willing tl, die for it?" 'l'he heroic traveller is the man who stakes his life on his purpose, as did Livingstone, The heroic soldiers are thoy who volunteer for the forlorn hope, auJ <lie to _se_rve their country. The heroic martyrs are the men who can die for their faith anG. op1n1on. No mau's faith has come under the full testing unless, in some form, it is proved whether ho will die for it. 'l'he sublimest of all illustration$ is l'oun,l in our Lord'11 purpose of perfect obedience to his Father's will. Tbat purpose came ur:der  24 TUE ACTS OP THE APOSTLES.