The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 37

II. A PEnIOD OP' WAITING AND OP' mon EXPECTATION, UNDEP'I!ilED AS TO 1TB DURATION. Tho tonsion of the disciples on the occasion of the Crucifixion and entombment was relieved, and might have been much more relieved for them. They had been not only expressly forewarned of what was to be, but of the time also. And Old Testament type nnd temple parable had offered to deepen the impression on the minds of the disciples of the women, nnd of the mother herself. Jonah's "three days and three nights," and the "three days" rebuilding of the demolished temple, spoke the duration of the trial, darkness, sorrow. But now all that is known, all that has been said, is, "not many days honco." And to this, no doubt, the quickened intelligence of the apostles and their associates,would have most naturally argued that the delay could not be really long. Christ would never, in the nature of things, keep his disciples long in an inactivity that might degenerate, if prolonged, into indifference or idleness. This exact crisis abounds in aspects and questions of interest. That the apostles should at all be relegated to a period of this kind at such a moment inspiring above all others; that the interval should need to be one of some ten days ; that this length c,f time was not specified to them; and what the ascended Lon.l's transactions were in that interval above,-are suggestions of questions to which none but conJectural and alternative response can be offered. But these things may be said about them: 1. They bring events and experiences of our own individual life, of our combined religious work, of our own entrance and of the Church's entrance upon the fruition of the immortal hope, into close and grateful analogy with things that passed and that were ordained directly under the eye of our Founder and. Lord himself. 2. They are in manifest consonance with the objects and moral advantages of very much of our appointed waiting. Once ascertain and announce time, and it is manifest that a whole range of moral advantage in our education would be swept away, and a vast range of disaster would tyrannously usurp its sacred place. 3. They help comfort every reverent mind, every humble heart, that instead of its first impression being true, that arbitrariness is the bard bondage under which we live, this is the very last thing that can be true. And they help to convince of the greatness of him who, with all the deep counsel of his own purposes, neither forgets nor is baffled in securing the advantage of his own children. III. THE EMPLOYMENT OF THE PERIOD OF WAITING. 1. It is spent "in prayer." Not in an ill-coucealed, graceless return to ordinary work, and which might at any other time have possibly been sacred duty, but which was not so now. Times, the honest work of which is prayer, may well belong to every good life. That of Jesus owned to them. And this was just such a time. 2. It is spent in united prayer. "With one accord." Persons, voices, qearts, hopes,-all were accordant. ·what an augury, what an example, what a type I 3. It is spent in persevering, united prayer. They " con- tinued." No sense of weariness crept over them; no dulness, no monotony, struck them in this their worship and liturgy. 4. To the company and unanimity of the apostles were added" the women, and Mnry the mother of Jesus, and his brethren." (l) There is no priesthood here, nor any proxy of Divine worship and service. Round the apostles are gathered various others,whose worship, prayer, and thoughts are all the same. (2) There is here no exaltation of man and depreciation of woman. 'Twas a happy augury, this little early incident before Christianity was fully planted, of the place that it would give woman; and a happy earnest of the fact that nowhere does woman rank so high as where Christ and his pure truth have the fairer sway at all events, if not yet the 1erfect sway. (3) Mary, the genuine mother of Jesus, acknowledges his Deity. She joins "in prayer;" and "his brethren" do the same. What quiet telling witness to Jesus, aud to our" faith and hope toward" him, this may justly be felt! (4) As Jesus began his earthly career from the stable, so the compacted body of his Church begin theirs from "the upper room." It is not the temple, it is not even the tabernacle, it is not a consecrated place heretofore. The company, the pmyer, the o'er hovering Spirit, " waiting" to alight,-these comecrate. 'l'he grandness and sacredness of temple and of church all had and have their meaning and their use. 13ut there is truth of so much greater and deeper force in Christ and bis people, that wherever they are, that is" the house of God and the !!:ate of heaven," tha.t is the really grand temple, that the sacred Church. Happy, threefold happy, this eBrly picture of Christ's "little flock." "Who shall hl\J'm them? \Vhat shBll move?" And though but some six weeks had passed since they were seen plunged in the faith-  82 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. [en. 1. 1-26.