The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 106

sacred ueefulneBB, in the communication of spiritua.l life! There should be, there must be, as in the ca.se of Peter and John, fitness for the work and obedience to the word and will of Christ; but after all it is not "our own power or holiness" that "makes any man to walk" in the ways of God. 3. GuiU, qualified by ignorance. Peter charges his hearen; with positive and terrible crime (vers. 13-16); he does, indeed, ma.ke the abatement whi~b is due to ignorance (ver. 17): they did not" kill the Prince of life," knowing that _it "'.~ he whom they were crucifying. But they remained in guilty ignorance of his ongm, his character, and his mission; and t,beir ignorance, if it pal- liated, did not excuse their crime. We also often "know not what we do" when we wrong the innocent, when we sin against ourselves, when we rob God of the glory due to his Na.me. Our ignorance is not left out of the account by the Holy and the Just One; nevertbel ess he adjudges us to be verily guilty, and he condemns us. 4. Penitencs. (Ver. 19.) We are to be changed in our mind, and be converted or turned from our evil ways to those which are right, pure, godly, 5. Faith. (Ver. 16.) Peter says that" faith in the Name" of Jesus Christ bad given the lame man that" perfect soundness" which they all beheld. He does not say, or is not reported as saying, that these "men of Israel" must believe in him whom they had guiltily slain, but that was either implied or expressed in his address to them. "Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ," is the testimony borne by apostles" both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks" (eh. XL 21). II. THE DIVINJC ELEMENT. 1. Ove,.,-uling wisdom. (Ver. 18.) What God had shown beforehand needed to be done, he had, in the ordering of his holy providence, caused to take place. Through all these things which happened at Jerusalem, in which the hand of man had so large a share, there ran a thread of Divine agency; so that pur- poses of heavenly love and wisdom were after all fulfilled. He still "makes the wrath of man to praise him." 2. Glorifying the Just and Holy One, (Vars. 13, 15.) God is bringing many sons unto glory, as well as the "Captain of our salvation." He will ensure the ultimate acquittal and honouring of those who are reviled and wronged. "Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness." 3, Restoration. (Vers. 12, 19-21.) It was the Divine hand, and no human magic, which healed this lame beggar (ver. 12). It is the hand of God which gives such blessed recuperative power to our bodily eystem, and which raises the sick man from the bed of suffering, weakness, acute disease, to newness of physical life. It is God who grants to the condemned but penitent spirit restoration to his loving favour (" that your sins may be blotted out"), and it is he who will one day grant to a renovated world" times of refreshing," the reappearance of Jesus Christ in his heavenly power and glory (vers. 20, 21). There is a sense in which (1) there is much that is marvellous in the working and outwork- ing of God ; it is so far beyond our finite understanding, But there is also a sense in which (2) there is nothing surprii;ing in any acts of restoration or renovation we witness. It is only what we should ask for and expect oJ him. "Why marvel we" at that?--C. Vers. 22-26.-Tlu, greatnen of Jesus <Jhrist. These verses may be regarded as attesting the unapproachable greatness of the Lord Jesus Christ; they invite us to think- I. THAT IIE WAS LIKE ID,"'TO TBE GREATEST OP' ALL WHO PRECEDED BUT WAS mu, GREATER THAN HE. (Ver. 22.) A greater Legislator than Moses, for his laws should last as long as time itself; a. better Man, for he was absolutely without sin; a worthier Leader, conducting out of a harder bondage into a truer freedom, unto a land of greater promise. II. THAT HIS BELATIOll TO MANXIND IS !!UCB THAT TIIE BEJEOTION 01' BIM IS THE RUIN OP' OURSELVES. (Ver. 23.) 1'0 be ignorant of some human teachers is to loso a valuable heritage, a precious treasure, excellent and elevating enjoyment; but to refuse his friendship, to reject his service, is to cut ourselves off from the source of etornal truth, is to abandon ourselves to the course which ends in spiritual death. III. THAT BE IS THE ONE GREAT BEBO OF SACRED ScRil.'TURE, (Ver. 24.) "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Rightly read, "all the[.rophcts" testi- fied of him, and pointed on to those days in which he lived, suffere , died, and rON agaiD. OX, III, 1-26.] THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLl'::S. 101