A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Part 2 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. The Firſt Miracle.
HAving already declared the wonderful Conſtitution of the firſt Goſpel-Church that ever was in the World; in the next place follows the Diſcourſe concerning the Fate and Fare which attended it, wherein an intermixture of the Acts of ſome times all the Apoſtles, and of ſometimes ſome only (as touching what they ſaid, what they did, and what they ſuffered) 'tis ſummarily comprehended. Note; This Primitive Church being thus prodigiouſly planted. Perſecution preſently was raiſed againſt it to root it up, and ruine it. Though God's Bridle had hitherto (as before) reſtrained the Devil's Inſtruments, ſo that the very Phariſees and Chief Prieſts, &c. had ſeem'd to favour them, as yet not daring to frown upon them: But now the Grumbling of their Gizzards inwardly (for fear of the loſs of their Phariſaical Kingdom) began to work up, and break out outwardly. Note; Oh the depths of Divine wiſdom, in diſpoſing of things thus, that where-ever God hath a Church, the Devil (by God's unſearchable permiſſion) muſt have his Chappel; and this cannot become a Chappel of Eaſe to the Devil's Chimney-Chaplains (call'd Chemarim's, Atrati, or Black-Birds, Zeph. 1.4.) unleſs they find a free vent for their Spirit of Perſecution, which took its firſt Fire from Peter and John's healing of the Lame Beggar, Acts 3.1, 2, &c. This was the firſt occaſion of the firſt Perſecution. Hitherto all the Apoſtles had acted in conjunction with Peter. (1.) In their chuſing Matthias by a Lot from the Lord to compleat their number of twelve Apoſtles. (2.) In their boldneſs of Preaching to the People when they had received the Holy Ghoſt. (3.) In providing for the Poor that received the Goſpel, for which the Jewiſh Synagogues (out of which they had formerly been Relieved) had now caſt them out of their care; whereof more afterwards: As alſo (4.) In their Joint Celebration of a Council, and ſending their Canons or Decrees to the ſeveral Churches, &c. But in this place here, Peter and John only come into play, by their going into the Temple at the Ninth Hour, the hour of Prayer, not to communicate with the Jews in their now Antiquated Worſhip, but that they might have a larger Field for ſowing their ſeed of the Goſpel in, which they could not miſs of, but meet with upon the Evening of this great Feaſt of Pentecoſt-day, about three a Clock in the Afternoon, which was the time of their Evening Sacrifice: At their entring into the Gate, not of the firſt Court of the Gentiles, but of the ſecond Court of the Jews, they find the Lame man laid hoping for more Alms from his Countrey-men than from Strangers. Note; This ſame Cripple was born lame, and was now forty years old, therefore the harder to cure, and when cured, the more credible Witneſs againſt the Cavillers at his cure, Acts 4.22. This man lay begging daily there, and if he had begg'd in that place ſo many years, it may well be wondered at, that Chriſt himſelf had not cured him long ere this in his paſſing ſo frequently through this Porch, ſeeing we do not find that our Lord ever refuſed any who came for cure: To this it may be ſaid, that the Lord might reſerve this Miracle for this very Time, both for confirming the Truth of the Goſpel, and the Faith of the Apoſtles in Preaching it. All Times and Seaſons are in the Lord's hands, who both juſtly forbears to ſend Salvation at one time, and graciouſly vouchſafes it at another. Note; This now was the day of ſending Salvation to the Cripple, who asked Alms of theſe two Apoſtles. God was better to him than his expectation, and ſo he is to us, daily giving us more than we can ask or think, Eph. 3.20. Yea, he preſſeth favours upon his Suitors, as Naaman did upon Gehazi, 2 Kings 5.23. Peter had no Gold to give him, but he had Grace, to wit, a power from Chriſt wherewith to heal him, which, as he had freely received, ſo he freely gave it to him; when he firſt excited his expectation with [Look on us] that he might the more mind the means, and the manner of his Cure, and be the better prepared to give God the glory of it: No ſooner had Peter ſpoke [In the Name of Jeſus, &c. Riſe up and walk] but preſently [his Feet and his Ankle-bones received ſtrength, &c.] v. 4, 5.6, 7. Together with this word there went forth a power, as Luke 5.17. then was fulfilled that Prophecy, Iſa. 35.6. [The Lame Man ſhall leap as an Hart: The Lord raiſed up the Crooked] Pſal. 146.8. as was this Cripple, whoſe Inſide and Soul was now healed, as well as his Outſide and Body; for he went into the Temple with them, not only to hang up his Crutches (as it were) there, as Memorials of his Mercy; but alſo to render Praiſes to the God of his Mercy: [He praiſed God] not the Apoſtles. Note; Inſtruments muſt not rob the Author of his glory; we may pay the Meſſenger, but we muſt return Thanks principally to the ſending Benefactor: Yet this healed Cripple (in an Extaſie of Thankfulneſs to them) held thoſe his Healers till a great confluence of People came about them (all aſtoniſhed with the unexpected Miracle on this notoriouſly known Lame Beggar) which when Peter ſaw, he embraces this Golden Opportunity, and Preacheth his ſecond ſtinging Sermon to them, whereby a great Increaſe was added again to the Church. Not only this Cripple (who had cauſe at laſt to bleſs God for his Lameneſs, which brought him, as divers Miſeries do others, to the knowledge of Chriſt and of Salvation through him; a blind Eye hath help'd the healing of a blind Soul, &c.) but alſo two thouſand more believed (as an addition to the three thouſand, Acts 2.41. at the leaſt, &c.) 'Tis not improbable theſe Converts were five thouſand diſtinct from the three thouſand. See after: this was the provocation to the firſt Perſecution, Acts 4.4. Thus this Fiſher-man Peter became by Chriſt's helping Spirit, a very notable Fiſher of Men, according to his Maſter's promiſe; for in this ſecond rouzing Oration.
He 1. Abaſeth himſelf (and his Fellow-Diſciple) that he might exalt Chriſt, ſaying [This Miracle is not done by our holineſs] Acts 3.12. It ſeems the Jews had a conceit that extraordinary Holineſs would attain to miraculous workings. The Apoſtle anſwers [No] to it; for Holineſs, though it be never ſo real, and raiſed in Men, cannot cauſe the leaſt Miracle, although, all things conſidered, it ſelf be a great one, requiring ſo much power to work it in us, as the Raiſing of Chriſt from the Dead, Eph. 1.19. much leſs could their Holineſs heal a Man that was born Lame, as he reaſoned well, who ſaid, [Since the World began was it not heard, that any opened the Eyes of one that was born blind] John 9.32.
2ly. When he had rectified their readineſs to pay their Rent to a wrong Landlord, then he corrects and rebukes them ſharply for their curſed contempt of Chriſt, v. 13. in denying him, crying, [We have no King but Caeſar] Joh. 19.15. And again, [But ye denied him] verſe 14. in preferring Barabbas the worſt of Men and a Murderer before Jeſus the beſt of Men, and a Saviour, crying, [His blood be upon us and upon our Children] Matth. 27.20, 25. This Nail of their denying Chriſt he beats upon again and again, and drives it home to the head, and the more, becauſe it had been Peter's own ſin, which had coſt him ſo much bitter ſorrow, Luke 23.62. He propoſed to them the ſame effectual Remedy.
3dly. Then, dipping his Nail in Oil, that it might drive the deeper, he, not being able to excuſe their Malice and Murder of the Prince of Life, thus far mitigateth it, that it was not the Sin againſt the Holy Ghoſt, which can never be forgiven, verſe 17. whereby he put the penitent (among them) in hope of pardon, becauſe it was their Ignorance and blind Zeal that had led many of them into this unparallel'd Enormity. So 1 Tim. 1.13. 1 Cor. 2.8. and Luke 23.34. Note; This ought to be carefully cautioned, when ſuch as have been Perſecutors are under conviction and contrition, for having favoured the wicked, and frowned on the godly, &c. They muſt thus be informed, that they deſpair not of Divine Mercy.
Thus Peter (from his own experience) opened a door of hope for them, who had given conſent only to the Crucifying of Chriſt (and therefore was that Sin charged upon them, though probably none of thoſe preſent did actually nail Chriſt to his Croſs.) if they did but repent and be converted, verſe 17, 19. The ſame door of hope may we have opened to us by Repentance, &c. Though we have too often given our conſents, that ſuch and ſuch Soul-murdering Sins (like ſo many Barabbas's) ſhould be preferr'd before a precious Chriſt. Thus both Jews and Gentiles conſpir'd againſt Chriſt as foretold, Pſal. 2.1, 2.
4ly. Beſide this Lenitive to qualifie the foregoing Corroſive, Peter doth not only tell them how God uſed the Ignorance of ſome, and the Malice of others for his own glorious Ends, in accompliſhing the foreordained and foretold Death of our dear Redeemer; but alſo informs them, v. 19, 21. (1.) Of a day of Refreſhing, to cool their now-inflamed Conſciences, if indeed they repented and were converted, that is, if they came up to a true and thorough contrition for ſins in time paſt, and to a real univerſal Reformation from ſin for time to come, though now in an angry Conſcience, they felt an angry God, yet then their ſins ſhould be blotted out, Iſa. 43.25. and 44.22. and not be found any more, though they ſhould be ſought for, Jer. 50.20. And though they had been writ in God's Book of Remembrance with a Pen of Iron, and with the point of a Diamond, Jer. 17.1. yet the Red Lines of Chriſt's Blood ſhould be drawn over the Black Lines of their Sins, and ſo cancel out the bitter hand-writing againſt them, Col. 2.14, &c. And their ſins being thus perfectly remitted by Chriſt, as if they had never been committed againſt Chriſt. They ſhould then ſit as cool under Chriſt's ſhadow, Cant. 2.3. as the weary Labourers or Travellers do under refreſhing ſhades, when the hot Sun-beams hath beaten upon their heads. Now the Judgments of God, and his moſt hot Diſpleaſure, did haſten to deſtroy the Jewiſh Nation, but ye by embracing Chriſt (ſays he) ſhall eſcape: And he informs them (2dly.) Of a Time of Reſtitution (as well as of a day of Refrigeration) wherein all things (put out of order by the Sin of the Firſt Adam) ſhall be repaired and reſtored into their primitive order and beauty by the bleſſing of the Second Adam, Acts 3.21. to the end. Under this preſent Diſorder upon the Univerſe, the whole Creation is ſaid to groan, Rom. 8.19, 20, 21, &c. waiting and looking out at a Window (as Siſera's Mother did, Judg. 5.28.) earneſtly expecting this bleſſed and bleſſing Friend's coming. Note; When this Time ſhall be, is become a great Queſtion. Plato hammer'd at it in his great year of Revolution, wherein all things ſhall return ([in ſtatu quo prius] as they were at firſt: All the Conſtellations of the Heavens ſhall come to the very ſame point wherein they were created: Some think, it ſhall be at the calling of the Jews, which Paul calls [Life from the Dead] Rom. 11.15. Their Reſtoration will bring better bleſſings to us Gentiles, than did their Rejection, a more glorious State, a thorough Reformation, ſuch as ſhall be at the laſt Reſurrection of the Dead.