Outside the Temple

Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;

Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.

And Peter, fastening his eyes on him with John, said, Look on us.

And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

Then Peter said. Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

And he took him by the right hand, and lifted Mm up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

And all the people saw him walking and praising Grod:

And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering. — Acts iii. 1-11.

Look at this miracle in the light of what has alreadytaken place. There is great enthusiasm in the church. The divine life is so to speak at its highest point. The church, though on earthy has been brought very nearly to the gate of heaven. Confining our observation within the limits of the churchy we should consider that the age of human unity and love had come in all its golden glory. We are now invited to go beyond the church-line and at our very first step we find a man who appeals to our sympathy in his pain and helplessness. See how world lies within worlds and how misleading are all the inferences drawn from a limited set of facts: (a) The man who has access to every means of mental and spiritual culture may think all the world as highly privileged as himself: {b) The healthy and prosperous family may forget that other households are afflicted and depressed. Look beyond your own sphere. You have not far to look: there is but a step between thee and the world which is either higher or lower than thine own. The lesson has a double application: the prosperous man is to look down that he may help; the unsuccessful man is to look up that he may hope.

Look (1) at the Social side, and (2) at the Apostolic side of this incident.

I. The Social Side. (1) We may be able to carry the cripple J when we are unable to lie«il him. Do what you can. Human helplessness is a continual appeal to human power. There are secondary services in life. We cannot always do the great deed; nor can we always stand in the full light that we may be seen of men: sometimes we can only carry, we cannot restore.

(2) The commonest minds, as well as the highest, have always associated the idea of charity with the idea of religion. This is right. This is a high com- ^liment to any form of religion. See how it has been paid to Christianity above all! The theology that has no philanthropy is its own vain god.

(3) Look at the compensations of the poorest life. The man was carried daily by friendly hands. The man had the temple as his daily hope. The sun shines even on the poorest lot.

II. The Apostolic Side. {a) The apostles never attempted to do without fuhlic worship. Such worship has distinct advantages. (1) Provocation of thought]; (2) Development of sympathy.

(h) The apostles never neglected human want in their anxiety to render Divine worship. Some people are one-sidedlj religious.

The incident as thus regarded suggests two questions: (1) Are we too pious to be philanthropic? (2) Has the name of Jesus lost its power?

Restored from a scan of the 1873 edition, with page headers and numbers removed and words rejoined across line breaks. Scan-derived text, still being proofread; compare the original scan before quoting.