Israel's Messiah. They could now enthusiastically preach His Messiahship in Judæa and Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth. No wonder the multitude heard them proclaiming the wonders of Divine grace. New wisdom, new love, and new will-power had been given them from the Spirit of God. Supernatural aid is as necessary to the modern as it was to the apostolic Church. Intelligence, wealth, numbers, organization, have value as consecrated instrumentalities, but the indwelling and sanctifying Spirit is the life-breath of the Church. Without the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit Christian life is impossible.

2. The gift was providential. Unwittingly, but in God's providence, messengers had been brought to Jerusalem from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the disciples' testimony concerning Jesus. These selected witnesses were to carry back the news of Pentecost and the new Gospel message to hundreds of scattered Jewish communities; thus preparing the way for the Twelve and for the Apostle Paul. God's providence always co-operates with His grace. In the solitary desert a Philip appears for the instruction of the eunuch. Our heavenly Father not only vouchsafes a supernatural gift to work within, but also sets at work providential forces to co-operate without.

3. The gift recognized the individuality of the recipients. The tongues of fire were divided and sat upon each of the one hundred and twenty. It was not enough that Peter, great as he was, should be equipped for work; James and John also must be similarly and separately qualified. And not the pillar Apostles only, but the other nine also required the supernatural gift.

The miracle of Pentecost shows that the supernatural gift is necessary to the completeness of the human soul. No man can realize his true self until, like the one hundred and twenty, he is filled with the Holy Ghost and Divine power.

4. The gift emphasized the necessity of unity. It was when all were with one accord in one place that the Spirit descended. No Christian can be complete in himself. The individual needs the Church, and the Church needs the individual.

The power of the Holy Ghost will not descend upon a divided Church. It is the whole and homogeneous lens that brings the distant heavens near, and not its shattered

fragments. The Macedonian phalanx became the means with which Alexander humbled the East. A united Church filled with the Holy Ghost will yet humble East and West.

5. The gift was the reward of their faith. The disciples waited for the supernatural gift which had been promised.-(M. D. Buell.)

THE FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
ACTs ii. 37-47.

LET us survey the system and principles through which the new life began to flow in the first Christian church.

Let us consider the three branches of this great delta

I. The Church as a spiritual organism. "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do?" The impact which welded together the first Christian brotherhood was. spiritual. Peter's sermon had a powerful effect Christward and churchward. Baptism was the scal to be placed on each one as the sign of the acceptance of the new covenant. The Lord's supper, as we observe it, was recognized "in the breaking of the bread" both at home and in the temple. There was a new covenant enunciated in which children were included, and the scattered prodigals of every nation. "For to you is the promise, and to. your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto. Him." It was anticipated the time would come when the Church would increase by those who were born into it, as well as by the addition of those who were born when they were old.

We must take into account the varied population gathered in Jerusalem at this time. to comprehend the wide influence of this first Christian brotherhood. The Church in its. simplicity was therefore widely established at the first. The spiritual exercises of prayer, fellowship, attention to the Apostles' teaching, furnished a sufficient liturgy.

There was a double movement as a result of the Spirit's work in the hearts of the men who believed at Pentecost. There was the new birth in the soul and the swarming instinct out of the old comb-filled hive.

II. The Church as a social organism. "And all that believed were together, and had all things common: and they sold their possessions and parted them to all according as. any man had need." The method of asso

ciation of Christ and His disciples doubtless exercised the greatest influence in the moulding of the new society. But the early Christians were already familiar with other modes of social organization than those of the Jewish synagogue. "There were then, as now, associations for almost innumerable purposes in almost all parts of the empire. There were trade guilds and dramatic guilds; there were athletic clubs, and burial clubs, and dining clubs; there were friendly societies, and literary societies, and financial societies; if we omit those special products of our time, natural science and moral science, there was scarcely an object for which men combine now for which they did not combine then."1

In many communities the Church can be little more than a wrecking-station. Lodges have various principles of selecting; but they always take picked men. There are no voluntary associations save the Church, and institutions supported by it, which take as members those likely to become a burden to the order. As an illustration of how well-to-do persons early sacrificed and laboured for the new brotherhood, we have the story of Barnabas, who "having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the Apostle's feet." He belonged to Cyprus and to the priestly order of Levites. The property he sold was the ancestral acres. The idea of a community of goods was doubtless further fostered by the expectation of Christ's speedy return. If the Church does not meet the needs of the age, it is not from lack of a right original charter or expansive principles. No class was left unprovided for, to fall behind or to be crowded down. The social organism was as broad as the spiritual.

III. The ecclesiastical organism. "Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven" (Acts ii. 5). It was a strictly cecumenical council which organized the first Christian church; as much so as that of Nicæa, three hundred years later. There were representatives from the whole known world. The decrees of this body ought, therefore, to be universally binding on the Christian brotherhood for all time. It was the teachers, prophets, and evangelists, as described in the twelfth chapter of first Corinthians, who carried on the spiritual labours of the Church. Above all other agencies emphasized in the formation of the Church was that of the Holy Ghost. He it

1 Hatch, p. 26, Bampton Lectures, 1880.

was who bound into a living unity the spiritual, social, and official parts of the organization. His presence was more than any fixed form, and a better guarantee for truth in the later ages of the Church's history. The words of Newman, before he sought rest in absolute visible authority, show a perception of the ground of the Church's real security in truth: "The safeguard of faith is a right state of heart. This it is which gives it birth; it also disciplines it. It is holiness, or dutifulness, or the new creation, or the spiritual mind, however we word it, which is the quickening and illuminating principle of true faith, giving it eyes, and hands, and feet. It is love which forms it out of the rude chaos into an image of Christ."-(William R. Campbell.)

THE LAME MAN HEALED.

ACTS iii. 1-16.

Two men were on their way to church. What is there in that worth the telling? Much, every way. The mere fact is significant, were names and issue unknown. For the churchgoers are the important people; they are the people who to-day are pressing on the long arm of the lever that moves the world. Now they have reached the great eastern entrance of the temple. It was called the Gate of Nicanor, but its best name was "the Gate Beautiful." Josephus says that while the other gates of the temple were gilded and silvered, this one was a masterpiece of Corinthian bronze, "much surpassing those that were enriched with silver and gold." But henceforth this Gate Beautiful was to have a beauty quite apart from its artistic merit. The approaches to Buddhist temples and Mohammedan mosques are crowded with blind, halt, and withered. The understanding is that a man on his way to church is most likely to be in the mood of generous doing. Worship and benevolence belong together; God and goodness, faith and love, Peter and John, go arm in arm. Then the strange thing happened. This beggar's day had come, though he knew it not. Two of God's men were at hand, with God's love in their hearts, and clothed with power to confer it.

I. The Miracle. These two men were specially endowed with spiritual gifts, called charismata, such as were necessary in the formative period of the new Dispensation of the Spirit. One of these was the gift of healing. Mark how it was exercised upon this

2 University Sermons.

cripple at the gate. 1. "And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us." Attention is the first thing. "Look on me," is the physician's shibboleth of strength. It means, Turn away thy thought from thy wretched self to me; give thyself up without doubt or questioning to me; put thyself under my power that I may rend or heal thee. 2. "Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee." The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not an immediate panacea for all the ills that human flesh is heir to. The humblest disciple of Jesus has a secret in his bosom that will gladden every soul to whom he is willing to reveal it. What he needs is to be willing to communicate (1 Tim. vi. 18), to say to all spiritual sufferers as they pass by, "Such as we have give we unto thee." 3. "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." The heart of every Christian is a magazine of power. But the latent energy of a coal mine moves no wheels, drives no industries, makes no stir in the world any way. Peter and John had power, and they knew it; and they knew, moreover, that it was good for nothing except as they used it. When the Church awakes and is willing to use the power God has given her, the end will be near; and the glory of the Lord will soon cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.

Thus the beggar was healed. The story is told with Divine simplicity: "And he, leaping up, stood and walked." If, however, there was in all Jerusalem a soul more gladsome than his, it was that of the Apostle at whose word Christ had healed him. For "remember the words of the Lord Jesus how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive." Would that all who follow the Master were more familiar with "the generous pleasure of kindly deeds."

II. The Sermon. The scene changes to Solomon's Porch. The healing of the poor cripple made a great stir in Jerusalem. The text of this sermon was the beggar himself, healed and standing by. The best text in the world for a gospel sermon is a miracle of grace. The Worldly Wiseman may talk back to the best philosophic discourse that ever delivered, but there is no answer to the fact of regeneration. And, fortunately, these proofs of the power of Christianity are not wanting.

was

This sermon of Peter's falls naturally into three parts. First: a setting forth of Christ

The

as the efficient worker of the miracle. power is not in us, but in Jesus, the Prince of Life, whom ye crucified. Secular charities fail sooner or later because there is nothing essentially and permanently helpful in them. When you have eliminated the name of Jesus from any moral enterprise there is little or no heart left in it. The excellency of the power is Christ's, and only Christ's, the world over. Second: With this presentation of the power of Christ in explanation of the miracle, Peter proceeds to an indictment. The people whom he is addressing are the very ones who crucified this Christ: "Ye killed the Prince of Life! Ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you!" This is plain talking, but plain talking was what the occasion called for. He had preached Christ, but Christ is only for sinners; therefore he must preach sin. "The needle of the law must enter before the the thread of the gospel." The moment for a sweeping, glorious presentation of the gospel of immediate salvation had come, and Peter was ready to present it. Third: "Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." (D. J. Burrell, D.D.)

PETER AND JOHN BEFORE THE COUNCIL.

ACT iv. 1-18.

A NOTABLE miracle had been wrought at the gate of the temple, and a notable sermon had been preached to the assembled crowd, who were filled with wonder and amazement. It is the sequel of that which had been thus done and said which furnishes our present theme. We notice

I. The offence of the Apostles. It was not that they had been the means of bringing healing and health to a disabled man. Most sympathetic souls doubtless were glad. Others, probably (are there not always such ?), after a little, began to question this way of coming to his health. It was not according to the regular practice. It was a reflection upon the professed practitioners of the healing

art.

But this was not the grievance to those with whom the two disciples of Jesus are brought into speedy conflict. These were the ruling class, the Sadducees, of whom were also the officials, both ecclesiastical and civil,

who arrested Peter and John and locked them up for more deliberate examination. These were the rulers of the Church in that day; but they were by no means the religious class. The offence of the Apostles was not that they had healed the lame man, or even that they had been disciples of Jesus, but that " they taught the people and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead." It was an offence of doctrine rather than of deed which excited the opposition of these Sadducean rulers. It was the offence of supernaturalism.

But there was something more than this in it. Men oppose teachings often because the teachings conflict with the lives which they prefer to live. Supernaturalism always has its foes, for it implies a present God-a God who works, who sees and will judge.

Ours is a Sadducean age. Natural science has engrossed the attention of the learned class to a large degree. They will accept mind cure or hypnotism, but not the healing touch of God. They will allow the inspiration of the poet, but not of the prophet.

The offence of the cross is not the only one which stirs up hostility. The offence of supernaturalism is now equally cause of anger and derision as it was in the days of Peter and John.

II. The defence of the Apostles. Thus arraigned and thus accused, the two disciples are put in ward until the morrow.

This was

the very time for which they had been prepared-the very time to exercise their gift to be witnesses here in the very court of Israel. And that is what they were not defenders of themselves, but sturdy, truthful, uncompromising witnesses to Jesus and the resurrection.

So they rehearse the facts. "You ask us who has done this good deed to the helpless man? Jesus has done it; Jesus the Christ, the Messiah for whom Israel has looked and longed. Nay, you know Him well, Jesus of Nazareth, the Man whom you so lately condemned to death, yes, whom ye crucified 'He is the Author of this cure. For God undid your murder and raised Him from the dead."

only One by whom we can be saved. We disciples or you priests and Sadducees can be safe and be saved alone by Him whose name and power has wrought this cure."

The defence of those who believe in supernaturalism is not argument. You cannot reason about the particulars in a sphere which men refuse to recognize. What can you do? You can oppose your faith to their unbelief, your confidence to their incredulity. You can give your ringing testimony to what you know. Testimony will win the day for Christ sooner and more surely than reasoning; for it will secure a hearing for the reasons of the faith that is in the disciples. Witnesses are more important than advocates. A hundred reasons why it should be so are not half as strong as one It is so."

III. The Charge of the Judges. After this form of a trial, the accusation and the defence, the court retires to consult. They cannot deny the facts. Facts are unfortunately stubborn things. What shall they do? "Let us silence them," they say; and so they bring the two unlearned men before them and charge them, with all the authority they have and with what dignity they can, not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus." How well they were able to enforce their command the further record tells.

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It is not the last time in the history of the world that men of deep convictions have been met with a similar command. Right or wrong, it is impossible to correct men's thinking, or, for very long, their speaking, by the mere command or compulsion to be silent. The very command is a confession of weakness. To ask your foe not to strike again is to acknowledge your fear of him.

You cannot silence witnesses. The fire which is in men's hearts cannot be smothered by the authority of courts, civil or ecclesiastical. The truth of God will overcome all lies at last in the kingdom of the truth. In the hot fires of experience the dross will be run off and the pure silver reflect the image of its Maker.

All through this passage the name of Jesus is set forth as the source of power, of salvation, and of Divine teaching.—(Geo. M. Boynton.)