The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 83

the career of prophecy, may be testified by the thought: 1. Of the largeness of the contents of it. 'fhe volume is an ample one indeed. What treasures it unrolled, and _\II the while seemed to say spontaneously," This day is this Scripture fulfilled in you,r hearing" I It was an abounding harvest that was now gathered in ripe,-a rich and gladdening vintage, It is not prophecy fulfilled for an individual king or mighty man, nor for a caste of priests, nor for a band of prophets, but it includes "all flesh, . . . sons and daughters, . . . young men, ..• and old men, . . . my servants and my handmaidens." It proved itself over a wide variety of human character and condition. 2. Of the intrinsic nature of it. " They shall prophesy." It is a fulfilment in spiritual sort. The Spirit is the great Worker,and spiritual results are still what underlie great outer wonders, Living powers of human nature,immensely intensified and diversified, -these are the phenomena at all events. They are marked as "the beginning," not of "sorrows," not of "tribulation," not of "miracles," but of "signs" that contain an amount and a kind of signifying power far in excess of all v.D.ich had ever been. Now began-whatever its duration should prove to be-this world's last ceon. And strongly marked are its characteristics from the first. "All flesh" begin to answer responsive to the might of the invisible Spirit, and in a certain sense the very presumption of Saul, and of those who were stricken because they touched the sacred ark, begins to be the law. Directness of individual contact with whatever should be most huly, for each and all, becomes the established, the enthroned religion of the world. Ill. A GLORIOUS DISCLOSURE A.ND EMPHATIC PROCLAMATION COUCHED IN THE VERY WORDS OF ANCIENT REVERED PBOPHEC'Y. (Ver. 21.) That very prophecy that bad seemed to cover, now served to proclaim loudly and distinctly the universal mercy of the one universal "Lord." The "gracious word" now proceeds from its lip, to begin its unresting journey. What a word was this, "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be saved"! It is the disclosure in broadest daylight of the purpose of ages past; yes, of a purpose that bad been purposed before the world began. Most assuredly prophecy bad held it, and bad macle it visible, but to very few who beheld, though it was before their eyes. The eyes even of those to whom it was given to see "were bolden that they knew" it not. And the vast multitude outside were long time dying without the knowledge or so much as one glimpse of it. Of the past three years Jesus bad given significant hints of it in some of bis works, and had whispered it sometimes in the ears of his disciples, and had distinctly uttered it in bis parting commission, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." But to the day of Pentecost "is this grace given," that it should preach aloud, with a hundred tongues, and a hundred better than silver trumpets, the riches of the gospel of Christ. Three things mark what was then in particular, and what must ever essentially be the surprising riches of the proclama- tion. 1. It is hope to all and every one. 2. It is the call of a human voice alone, no doubt drawn deep from the heart, that is the method, the one simple method of access to that hope. 3. The hope is that of no mere respite, subterfuge, soothing relief, but of salvation. Exclusiveness "is finished;" ritual, ceremony, sacrifice, the earthly prieet,-eacb "is finished;" tantaliziDg expectancy "is finished;" and everlasting salvation is to be had free, by any one and by every one, for the one anguished or trustful call of the heart "on the Name of the Lord." It is a fact worthy to be noticed, that, as the gospel of Jesus' own public ministry began from the quotation of Tuaiah's prophecy (Luke iv. 17-21; Isa. lxi. 1), so the gospel of the day of Pentecost begins its illustrious career with the motto of a quotation from prophecy (Joel ii. 28-32). 'fhese two links-were they the only ones-bow strongly they bind together the Scriptures of the old and new covenants, and the covenants themselves I IV. THE FIRST OF THE LONG SUCCESSION OF CHRISTIAN PREACHERS. (Vers.14, 29, 38). This honour was reserved for Peter, to be the first of that" great company which publish" the glad tidings of salvation through Jesus Christ. He had been/reparing for this plac8 now these three years. He bad passed through good fame an through ill, through not a little most merited rebuke; he had passed through, not the discipline of warning and correction alone, but also through that of the genial influences and constant stimulus of priceless privileges. The memories of the fishing, and the storm, and the walkina on the water, and the death-chamber, and the brilliant heights of the 'l'rans- figurati~n, and the darkest contrasts of the shades of Gethsemane's garden, and the "18 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. [cu. n. 1--4:T.