The Moral Aspect of Physical Blessing
And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified His Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Mm go. — Acts iii. 12, 13.
The reply of Peter to the astonished crowd is in thorough consonance with the miracle which had just been wrought. The people were excited, the apostles were calm; the people clamoured in darkness,, the apostles spoke from the serene elevation of cloudless light; the people were startled by a spectacle, the apostles were controlled by law. Was it not almost a mockery to ask the people why they marvelled? Are great works to be regarded without surprise? Are men to become familiar with the outstretched arm of God, and to be calm in the presence of His chariot and
MORAL ASPECT OF PHYSICAL BLESSING. 6i
spear? The power that can restore is a power that can destroy: what if that dread power be preparing itself to strike? It would strike but once, — its stroke would be death!
The speech of Peter may be regarded in four
aspects: —
I. As SHOWING THE FALSE METHOD OF LOOKING AT
HUMAN AFEAiES. “As though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk.”
1. The visible is not the final.
2. Second causes do not explain life.
There is a false method of looking at the results (1) of preaching; [2) of business; [^) of tlmiking.
The man who does not look beyond second causes lives in distraction — in chaos!
II. As SHOWING THE TRUE METHOD OF REGARDING THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS. ^’ God hath glorified
His Son Jesus.-” Faith in His name hath made this man strong.”
That is the sublime explanation of all recovery, all progress all abiding strength and comfort. Forget God and society in every phase and movement becomes a riddle without an answer: its happiness is but a lucky chance — its misery an unexpected cloud.
Regard liamau life as controlled and blessed by the mediation of Jesus Christy then —
1. There is discipline in every events — design, meaning, however untoward and unmanageable the event.
2. A purpose of restoration runs through all human training.
See how new, how beautiful, life would be, if after all its happy experiences we could say,” God hath glorified His Son Jesus ‘’! ( Physical recovery: spiritual forgiveness: special interpositions: even death itself.)
III. As SHOWING THE ONLY METHOD OP SETTING MAN
EIGHT WITH God. *^’’ Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.^^
The men who worked Christian miracles spoke plain words about mens souls. There is no ambiguity hereM
Are the old rousing words “Repent,^^ ‘^’Be converted,’^ being allowed to slip out of Christian teaching, and are we now trifling with the character and destiny of men?
1. Every man must repent, because every man has sinned.
2. Every man must be converted, because every man is in a false moral condition.
TV. As SHOWING THE SUBLIME OBJECT OF JeSUS
Cheists incarnation.” To bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.’’^
1. Where iniquity is, there is no blessing.
2. Physical restoration is but the type of spiritual completeness.
Two practical lessons arise out of the subject. (1) It is not enough to wonder at the migJity luorlis of God. (2) Gods glory is ever identified with the icell-heing of man. ‘’ Restitution: “Refreshing: “‘^ ‘^ Blessing.-”
Peters appeal rested upon a solid biblical basis: Moses, Samuel, all the prophets. Gods message is the summing up of all the voices of holy history.