Acts 3

Chap. III. Ver. 1—11. A lame man healed by Peter and John, in the name of Jesus.—Peter and John going up to the temple at the usual hour of evening prayer, which at this season (the latter end of May) must have been about four o’clock in the afternoon, they found there a poor lame man, whose friends had carried him to lie by the side of the beautiful brazen gate which Herod had presented to the temple, to receive the alms of the charitable and religious. Peter and John performed on him a perfect cure, as the Lord Jesus had done some time before on the paralytic and the impotent man at Bethesda, in like circumstances. On this miracle we remark:—1. That there is no ground for the infidel insinuation, that the apostles enriched themselves by the sale of the property of their converts; for, immediately after that sale, we see that two of the chief of them had neither gold nor silver.

2. We notice the similarity between this miracle and that on whom our Lord addressed the same words—“Arise, take up thy bed and walk!” and was instantly obeyed. 3. Yet we may remark also a striking difference in the manner of address. Jesus wrought all his miracles in his own name; but the apostles in his name—“In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, (saith Peter,) rise up and walk.” How shall we account for this, but on the principle of our Lord’s divinity? It is the duty of a mere creature, however elevated, to render glory to his Maker; and of a sinner to render honour to his Saviour. Peter and John did both, and were particularly careful to take no honour to themselves: “Why look ye upon us, (said Peter,) as though by our own power we had made this man to walk!”

But when did Jesus express a fear lest his disciples should do him too much honour? 4. We remark the attachment of this poor healed cripple to the instruments of his cure, and his gratitude to the author. He held Peter and John that they might not leave him, and seems to have been active in collecting the people around him, that they might see what God had done for him: and at the same time, that they might not confine their attention to the instruments, he “entered with them into the temple, walking, leaping, and praising God.” (Ver. 8.) While we feel due gratitude to those by whom we receive our blessings, at the same time we should not forget the great Author, from whom they ultimately come.

Ver. 12—26. Peter’s second sermon.—What we have said respecting Peter’s first sermon, in the preceding chapter, will in great measure seal this. He was a most ardent and zealous preacher, and his heart was full of the great subject of his ministry, “Christ, and him crucified.” The present discourse, as the reader will observe, arises out of the miracle wrought on the man lame from his birth, and the amazement excited by that event: and from the important circumstance of the miracle being wrought in “the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,” he presses upon them the enormity of their guilt, in having rejected, persecuted, and finally crucified this illustrious person; for, after all, had it not been for the clamour of the multitude, “Crucify him, crucify him,”

Pilate would certainly have released him, (ver. 13.) And their guilt in this is highly aggravated by the consideration that the man whom they preferred, and of whom they obtained the release, was a notorious murderer, ((Luke 23:19);) whereas him whom they virtually crucified, was the Author and Prince of Life—the Captain of our Salvation. (See note, ver. 15.) The apostle, indeed, admits that they sinned through igno- PRs the aetna ASG URS PES ES PIP TS A