I. 'fHE NAME 011' CHnIRT TllE ROUP.CE OF THE POWER. 1. His personal merit as Redeemer. He himself worked miracles; not as a mere instrument in the hands of God, but as Divine. When he left the world, he appointed his apostles to be his represontatives, giving them all power in heaven and earth in his Name. He ascended to the right hand of God as an accepted Saviour, and from thence semis down the gifts, 2. His royalty as Head of the Divine kingdom. The sufferin;1:s of the world belong to its state of ruin, though not caused by the sin of the individual. The kingdom of Christ is set up in the midst of the fallen race to bring about "the restitution of all things." The heavens are opened. 'l'he light comes down into the darkness. 8. His Name o.s an object of faith. The spiritual draws up the lower world into itself. To believe is to lay hold of the hand which exalts us. As Peter laid hold of the lame man by the right hand and raised him up, so the representatives of Christ lay hold of a dying world; and whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but rise with him into a new life. II. 'l'HE l'OWEn OF FAITH PUT FORTH. 1. From the Church upon the world. By listening to the world's cries, and directing the souls of men to the trne He! p. By taking the sufferers by the hand and calling down upon them the blessing of God. By pro- claiming everywhere the gospel of "perfect soundness," in lieu of the world's false gospels of imperfect remedies, and as a free gift of God to man. 2. From the individual soul upon the life. The apostles represent faith; the lame man, the ruined state of our nature. The living principle implanted by grace works an entire healing of the whole of humanity. Show that all the evils which belong to our life are in some way traceable to the want of faith; that is, of harmony with God. Vital, practical religion lifts up one part of the nature after another. The Christian is the highest style of man. 'fhe gospel of the Resurrection preaches a renovation which begins on this side of the grave. 'l'he power of the risen Christ works through the whole man; at last gives him perfect soundness. The blessed effect of the Name of Jesus in our heart, in our circumstances, in our family, in our prospects of the future. ,v e cannot receive the special gifts poured out on the early Church, which, in the form they then bad, were intended to serve a temporary purpose, but we can receive that "most excellent gift of faith." The Church should not rest satisfied while there is little manifestation of the power of faith in the works accomplished. Why are we content to go to and fro to the temple, and see the wretchedness of fellow-creatures, without attempting to remove it? Why is any enterpriso reckoned impossible? No limits to the successes of the Church when she is filled with faith. We want to lead the world" leaping and prai~ing God" into the temple of his truth. We shall do it,not by argument, not by ritual, not by excitement, Lut by the putting forth of the power of the Holy Gbost.-R.
Ver. 19.-0onversion. "Repent ye therefore," etc. The universal requirement. Rulers and people. lgnorant and educated. Near the kingdom, or far off. 'l'he end to be aimed at by all Christian effort and enterprise. The application of all mighty displays of Divine power. The real beginning of individual spiritual life, and of a true Church. I. 'l'HE NATURE OF TRUE CONVERSION. 1. Spiritual change. Not a mere ritualistic sensation, or educational development of the character, but being" born again." Repent- ance, change of mind, on the ground of facts acknowledged and promises received. 'l'he announcement of the gift of God prepared tho way for the call to repentance. The kingdom of heaven is at hand, therefore repent ; pass through the gate into life. 2. Man's co-operation with God. "Repent and turn again" (Revised Yernion)," that your sins may be blotted out," etc. No amount of feeling is conversion; no enlightenment of the mind, or even devoutness of spirit, supersedes the change of life. The sins are blotted out by the blood of Christ as guilt, their burden is removed from the conscience, the heart, and the life, when repentance and faith introduce the sinner into the state of grace. What the apostle appealed for was a real coming out of the old state into the new. We must not be satisfied with mere religiousness, instead of decided con- fession of Christ before men, Direct the Word to the individual: " Repent ye." The participation of privilege as children of Abraham, as members of the favoured nation, no release from the obligatio11 to repent. The Church it~elf 1;eeds rev_ival and change. ll. ENCOUBAGEIIIENTB, ' 1. The great ./ctct, Conversion 18 a reality, already 188D. 108 TIIE ACTS OF TRE APOSTLES. [OB. m. 1-26,