Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 6.djvu/56

50 their meeting there. But God inclined their hearts to tolerate them there a while, for the more convenient spreading of the gospel; and they who permitted buyers and sellers, could not for shame prohibit such preachers and healers there. They all met in public-worship; so early is the institution of religious assemblies observed in the church, which must by no means be forsaken or let fall, for in them a profession of religion is kept up.

(2.) They were there with one accord, unanimous in their doctrine, worship, and discipline; and there was no discontent or murmuring about the death of Ananias and Sapphira, as there was against Moses and Aaron, about the death of Korah and his company; Ye have killed the people of the Lord, Numb. 16. 41. The separation of hypocrites by distinguishing judgments, should make the sincere cleave so much the closer to each other and to the gospel-ministry.

2. It gained the apostles very great respect, who were the prime ministers of state in Christ's kingdom.

(1.) The other ministers kept their distance; Of the rest of their company durst no man join himself to them, as their equal or an associate with them; though others of them were endued with the Holy Ghost, and spake with tongues, yet none of them at this time did such signs and wonders as the apostles did: and therefore they acknowledged their superiority, and in every thing yielded to them.

(2.) All the people magnified them, and had them in great veneration; spake of them with respect, and represented them as the favourites of Heaven, and unspeakable blessings to this earth. Though the chief priests vilified them, and did all they could to make them contemptible, that did not hinder the people from magnifying them, who saw the thing in a true light. Observe, The apostles were far from magnifying themselves, they transmitted the glory of all they did very carefully and faithfully to Christ, and yet the people magnified them; for they that humble themselves shall be exalted, and those honoured, that honour God only.

3. The church increased in number; (v. 14.) Believers were the more added to the Lord, and, no doubt, joined themselves to the church, when they saw that God was in it of a truth, even multitudes both of men and women. They were so far from being deterred by the example that was made of Ananias and Sapphira, that they were rather invited by it into a society that kept such a strict discipline. Observe,

(1.) Believers are added to the Lord Jesus, joined to him, and so joined in his mystical body, from which nothing can separate us and cut us off, but that which separates us and cuts us off from Christ. Many have been brought to the Lord, and yet there is room for others to be added to him, added to the number of those that are united to him; and additions will still be making till the mystery of God shall be finished, and the number of the elect accomplished.

(2.) Notice is taken of the conversion of women as well as men; more notice than generally was in the Jewish church, in which they neither received the sign of circumcision, nor were obliged to attend the solemn feasts; and the court of the women was one of the outer courts of the temple. But, as among those that followed Christ while he was upon earth, so among those that believed on him after he went to heaven, great notice was taken of the good women.

4. The apostles had abundance of patients, and gained abundance of reputation both to them and their doctrine, by the cure of them all, v. 15, 16. So many signs and wonders were wrought by the apostles, that all manner of people put in for the benefit of them, both in city and country, and had it.

(1.) In the city: They brought forth their sick into the streets, for it is probable that the priests would not suffer them to bring them into the temple to Solomon's porch, and the apostles had not leisure to come to the houses of them all. And they laid them on beds and couches, because they were so weak, that they could neither go nor stand, that at the least the shadow of Peter, passing by, might overshadow some of them, though it could not reach them all; and, it should seem, it had the desired effect, as the woman's touch of the hem of Christ's garment had; and in this, among other things, that word of Christ was fulfilled, Greater works than these shall ye do. God expresses his care of his people, by his being their shade on their right hand; and the benign influences of Christ as a King, are compared to the shadow of a great rock. Peter comes between them and the sun, and so heals them, cuts them off from a dependence upon creature sufficiency as insufficient, that they may expect help only from that Spirit of grace with whom he was filled. And if such miracles were wrought by Peter's shadow, we have reason to think they were so by the other apostles, as by the handkerchiefs from Paul's body; (ch. 19. 12.) no doubt, both being with an actual intention in the minds of the apostles thus to heal; so that it is absurd hence to infer a healing virtue in the relics of saints that are dead and gone; we read not of any cured by the relics of Christ himself, after he was gone, as certainly we should, if there had been any such thing.

(2.) In the country-towns; multitudes came to Jerusalem from the cities round about, bringing sick folks that were afflicted in body, and them that were vexed with unclean spirits, that were troubled in mind, and they were healed every one; distempered bodies and distempered minds were set to rights. Thus opportunity was given to the apostles, both to convince people's judgments by these miracles, of the heavenly original of the doctrine they preached; and also to engage people's affections both to them and it, by giving them a specimen of its beneficial tendency to the welfare of this lower world.

17. Then the High-Priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, 18. And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. 19. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison-doors, and brought them forth, and said, 20. Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people, all the words of this life. 21. And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the High-Priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22. But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told, 23. Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within. 24. Now when the High-Priest, and the captain of the temple, and the