you behold him as soon as the word came with power to his soul in the sight of all, he rises to newness of life. The House of God is the first place that he affects, in order that he may honour his heavenly Benefactor; and there, with a joy unknown before, he puts forth all his energies in the service of his God. Thus it was in the day of Pentecost: and thus it will be, though in different degrees, in all who truly believe in Christ.]

And what is blessedness, if this be not?

[If the healing of the man's body was such a source of joy, what must the healing of the soul be? The truth is, that s'n is the one source of all the misery that is upon earth: and the restoration of men to a measure of their pristine holiness in Paradise will restore them also, in the same proportion, to their pristine happiness. Holiness, in so far as it is wrought in the soul, is the commencement of heaven upon earth.] SEE then here,

1. What Christianity really is

[It is thought, by the generality, to be a plan devised and executed for the salvation of men from destruction. But this is a very low and contracted view of Christianity. It is a plan for the remedying of all the evil which sin has done: for restoring the Divine image to the soul, as well as for rescuing it from perdition. I pray you, brethren, to view it in this light; and to remember, that heaven itself would be no blessing to you, if sin had possession of your soul———]

2. What is the blessing now offered unto you

[If Jesus was sent, in the first place, to the Jews, he is now sent to you and the blessing which he first offered to them, he now offers to you. It is in this sense that "men are to be blessed in him; and for this shall all nations call him blessed'." Do not, I entreat you, suffer your minds to be drawn aside by earthly vanities. What have they ever done for you? or what can they do? If you were elevated to the highest rank, and put into possession of all that the world could give you, what would it all effect in a way of permanent and solid happiness? You would soon be forced to give the same testimony respecting it as Solomon did, that it is all "vanity and vexation of spirit." But where did you ever find a person give such a testimony respecting holiness? Where did you ever find a man who was not happy in proportion as his in-dwelling sins were mortified, and all heavenly graces were exercised in his

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1 Ps. lxxii. 17.

soul? O that you could be prevailed upon to try what this blessedness is! You would soon find that " the peace flowing from religion passeth all understanding," and that" its joys are unspeakable and glorified."]

MDCCXLVII.

THE CRIPPLE HEALED BY PETER.

Acts iv. 8-10. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

PERSECUTION for righteousness' sake was foretold by Christ as the portion of all his people: and accordingly we find, that no sooner did his Apostles begin to publish the glad tidings of salvation, than they were arrested as criminals, and brought into a court of justice to answer for their conduct. Peter and John had healed a man who had been "lame from his mother's womb." In consequence of this, multitudes were gathered together, to inquire into this miracle, and to learn by what means it had been wrought. Peter declared to them all, that it had been wrought by that very Jesus, who had so recently been crucified by them, but who was risen from the dead, and possessed of all power in heaven and in earth. This testimony was the means of converting an immense number of persons to the faith of Christ. But it grieved and incensed the rulers, who immediately adopted measures to crush the rising sect; apprehending and imprisoning the two Apostles, and on the very next day bringing them to trial as disturbers of the public peace. Peter renewed the testimony he had before given, and persisted in declaring, that the miracle had been wrought by Jesus of Nazareth, in proof that he was risen from the

dead, and was the true Messiah, the Saviour of the world.

In considering this miracle, we shall notice it, I. As a ground of conviction to the Jews

That a great miracle had been wrought, was manifest to all, insomuch that the rulers themselves were constrained to acknowledge it. Hence Peter took occasion to shew them,

1. That Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah

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[It was obviously beyond the power of man to effect so great a work, as that of restoring in a moment to the perfect use of his limbs a man who was forty years of age," and had been a cripple from the womb. Whence then did Peter and John obtain the power to effect it? This was the point which the rulers desired to ascertain; and this could be learned only from the Apostles themselves. Peter boldly answered the interrogatories which were put to him; and declared, that the lately-crucified, and now exalted, Jesus had empowered them to communicate this blessing to the man®. But how could he convey to them this power, if he were not himself alive? or how could he enable them to do what nothing but Omnipotence could effect, if he himself were not omnipotent?

This argument was addressed to the very people who had bribed the soldiers a few weeks before to say, that the Disciples had come, whilst they were asleep, and had stolen the body of Jesus from the tomb. But though the rulers had satisfied their nation by accounting in that manner for the supposed resurrection of Jesus, they did not now dare to bring forward such an absurdity in anwer to the Apostles: for of what use would the dead body of Jesus be? could that enable the Apostles to work a miracle? or would God communicate miraculous powers to them for the express purpose of sanctioning the most wicked falsehood that could be fabricated?

Here then the argument was incontrovertible: a miracle had been wrought: the persons who had been the instruments of effecting it, ascribed the power to Jesus, who, agreeably to the prophecies concerning him, had been "set at nought by the builders, and was become the Head of the cornerf:" there was therefore no alternative left, but to acknowledge Jesus as the true Messiah. How infatuated must they be, who could withhold their assent from so plain a truth!]

2. That they in God's sight were the worst of murderers

e ver. 14, 16.

d ver. 7.

e Acts iii. 16.

ver. 11.

[They had not been able to fix any charge of guilt upon im: seeing that he had in all things approved himself "The oly One and the Just:" yet had they insisted on his cruciion, when Pilate, convinced of his innocence, had "deterned to let him go:" yea, though he was "the Prince and thor of life," they had preferred "a murderer" and destroyer life before him. It was true, they had acted nded by their own prejudices and passions: but still they ignorantly," re highly criminal in the sight of God; and must perish to eternity, if they did not look to Him as their Saviour, whom y had crucified as a malefactor.

What a tremendous charge was this! To be accused of rder! of murdering the Prince of life, and "crucifying the rd of glory!" But the charge was undeniable: and no hope mercy remained to them, but by repenting of their guilt, d seeking to be cleansed from it in that very blood which ey themselves had shed.]

But, as the miracle in this view is profitable chiefly the Jews, we shall proceed to consider it,

1. As a ground of consolation to us

Whilst we enter into all the feelings of the man hat was restored, and are ready, as it were, to unite with him in all the expressions of his joy, we cannot but regard his miraculous restoration as calculated, 1. To confirm our faith

[What cannot the Lord Jesus Christ effect? Whose soul can he not heal as easily, and as effectually, as he healed the body of that poor man? "Is there any thing too hard for him?"-- -]

2. To encourage our hope

[Long had that man neglected the opportunities which the presence of Jesus at Jerusalem afforded him: for we cannot doubt, but that if he had applied to Jesus for relief, as myriads of others did, he would not have applied in vain. But now the mercy which he had never thought of seeking, was conferred upon him unsolicited. What then will not Jesus do for them that ask him? What though we have slighted him all our days, and have never so much as thought of him till this present hour; will he spurn us from his footstool? Has he not said, that "Whosoever cometh to him, he will in no wise cast out?"---]

h Acts iii. 17.

i Acts iii. 6, 7.

[We wonder not at the ecstacies of the restored man: we should rather wonder if he had not so expressed his joy and gratitude. But have not we also cause for joy? Does not every recovery from sickness, or every continuance of health, proceed from the same source? and is it not equally a ground of praise and thanksgiving? The circumstance of his cure being miraculous attracted more attention, it is true; but it added nothing to the value of the blessing bestowed: and if we were duly sensible of the benefits we enjoy, we should glorify our God even as he did.

But what if the Lord Jesus Christ has healed our souls? What if, by his life-giving word, he has quickened us from the dead? Should not we praise and magnify his name? Would not even the stones cry out against us, if we held our peace?" See what the prophet foretold as the effect of the preached Gospel; "Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall singk." See what David experienced as the result of this mercy to his own soul'; and know, that if the same external demonstrations of joy be not called for, the same internal frame of mind as the healed cripple possessed, should distinguish every one that professes to believe in Christ "What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me?" is surely as proper to be asked on account of spiritual blessings, as of any mercies that can be vouchsafed to our poor perishing bodies.]

IMPROVEMENT

1. Let us seek ourselves to be living witnesses for Christ

[Little did this healed cripple imagine what weight he added to the Apostles' testimony, or how the sight of him. confounded all the enemies of the Lord Jesus. And little does the consistent Christian imagine to what a degree he strengthens the hands of those who preach the Gospel. Truly we take courage when we can appeal to the effects of our ministry on the hearts and lives of our hearers. O let those who profess to have received the truth, shew, that the grace of Christ has wrought as effectually on them for the renovation of their souls, as it wrought on the cripple for the restoration of his limbs. Let every temper and disposition of our minds constrain our enemies to acknowledge, that "we have been with Jesus," and are blessed monuments of his transforming powerm Such an exhibition of his power and grace will glorify him more than all the bodily cures he ever wrought".]

Isai. XXXV. 6. 1 Ps. ciii. 1. 3. m See Isai. xliii. 11, 12. n 2 Thess. i. 11, 12. with Isai. lxii. 3.