The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 64

preaching or the Auguetinee, OhryR011toma, Basila of the Church; the prenching ortha great mcinh, St. Berm1.rd, St. Francia, Peter the Hermit, and the prcnching friars; tl\e preaching or the Heformera, Wyclilfe, Luther, Tyudale, Latimer; the prenching ol the Puritana, Knox, Calamr, Baxter; the preaching of the Methodists, Wc~lcy, Whlto• field, Fletcher; the preaching of the Evangelioala, Newton, Cecil, Simeon, Scott; the P;~chi~ of the Hu~uenots, Oamisarda, Lollarda, Vaudols; the preachln" of the great d1vm911 ID the Church of England, and of the great pulpit orators outside her pale-we cannot but feel that a peculiar interest attaches to the first aermon preached In the Christian Cburoh. It wu a great OCC&Bion, and there wu a groat prencher raised up to profit by it. It will be interesting, as well u instructive, to mark some of the chief features of this primary discourse of the Church's inspired primate. I. 'l'he fi111t thing that strikes one is THE INTENSELY PERSONAL CBARAOTEB OF THIS SERMON : I man its direct, pointod, personal application, The apostle is not reading an c_ssay for the 1188 of men in general; he is not benting the air with philosophical specula• t ions or rhetorical B.ourishes; he is aiming a shaft straight at the mind and conscience of lns hearers. He is speaking with impassioned fervour, albeit also with clear intelligence an~ logical precision, to the men who stand before him; speaking to them of things winch concerned them Kpecially and individually; speaking to them with a view to mfluenoe their conduct decisively, and to affect their condition preaently and eternally. Almost everything in his sermon draws its propriety and its pUDgency from its close relation to the circumstances, the actions, the belief, the knowledge, the education, the whole character and oondition, of thoso to whom he speaks. The sermon could not have been addressed to any other congregation than that to which it was addressed. ::ipokcn to the Church of Ephesus, or Corinth, or Rome, it would have been out of place aud without point. Spoken to the men of Jud111& and those that dwelt at Jerusalem in those eventful days; to the men of Israel, who were his own brethren in the flesh and in the common hope of redemption; spoken to those who knew the voices of the prophets and gloried in D11vid their king, who were expecting the advent of Messiah, and yet were partners in the guilt of crucifying the Lord of glory ;-the sermon was a sharp arrow, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, and discerning the thoughts and intents of their hearts. This feature in St. Peter'& sermon ought to be noted and imitated by all whose office it is to" preach the Word." Thus much as to the manner of the sermon. But if we tum to the matter of it, we notice- 11 THAT .ALL THE P.ABTS OF THE BERICON LEAD t7P TO JESUS CHRIST CBUOIFIED, BISEN, .urn ASCEh'DED. The statement of facts, the reasonings, the quotations from Scripture, the arguments, the reproofs, the exhortations,-all point to one central object, which is Jesus Christ the Lord. Without Christ 88 the subject-matter and end of the preaching, the sermon would go out in darkne11s. Dut in the apostle's skilful though simple treatment, the Lord Jesus stands out to the soul's view with great distinctness and with vivid delineations of his office and work. He appeals to the miracles done by Christ in the presence of his hearers, as proofs of his Divine mission. He points to his betrayal and passion; he proves his resurrection from the dea,I, from the united testimony of the jury of twelve whom they uw standing up before them, from the witness of their own prophets, and from the marvellous signs and sounds which they had just seen and heard. Aud then he brings home to them the awful guilt of his cruci..fi.Lion, that, their hearts being pricked and pierced with penitential sorrow, they may turn to him for forgiveness of their sins and for the reception of his Holy Spirit. In this respect also St. Peter is to be imitated by every evangelist and preacher of the Word. Ill. Another observable feature in St. Peter's sermon is THE DEEP ACQUAINTANCE WITH HoLY ScRIPI'UBE DIBPLAYED IN IT. The descent of the Holy Ghost, the death of Jesus, his descent into hell, his rellllrrection from the dead, his ascension to the right hand of God, his office 88 Christ and Lord, his succession to the throne of his father David, are all proved and illUBtrated by infallible warrants of Holy Soripture. The hidden meanin"s of the Word of God, its prophetic wisdom, its moet blessed revelations, are all broughc°forth from the treasury of the preacher's mind, to enrich his discourae a11d to give depth and solidity to his utterance; teaching us that a thorough knowledge of Holy Scripture is a necessary qualification of every successful preacher of the gospel of Christ. If we a.dd to these the boldness and straightforwardness, the since1lty and oa. n. 1-47.] TIIE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. 69