Add to Your Faith, Courage
“And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” — Acts iv. 7-13.
THE key-note of the last stanza is still sounding in our ears: the number of the men — saved men — was about ‘five thousand. These more crowded parts in the way of life are memorable in earth and heaven. The expanse of time when it is over will, in the Saviour’s eye, be like the expanse of heaven now in ours: the milky way, everywhere bright, exhibits at some places a glory that excelleth, where revolving worlds, like dust of gold, are more thickly strewn upon the blue. That day when the first stroke of persecution fell on the first preachers will be a bright day in the annals of the kingdom. The page allotted to it in the sealed book will be deeply laden. In the family register it is the birthday of many sons.
“On the morrow” the court sat, and the panels were called to the bar. The Sanhedrim seems at that time to have been packed by the relatives and partisans of the high priest. The accused had nothing to expect from their judges; but they trusted in God, and possessed their souls in patience. Referring to the cure of the cripple, the court demanded of the apostle in what kind of power and in what kind of name they had effected that miracle of healing. The Jewish leaders, during the life and ministry of Jesus, in order to explain his miracles, broached the theory that by aid of the devil he cast the devils out. It is probably an idea of this kind that suggests the question of the court.
A third time Peter speaks, and a third time bears witness for Christ with great fulness and boldness. These successive witness-bearings of Peter are all framed on one model, all strike the same note. In every one there is — 1st, A Scriptural argument, more or less full, identifying J esus with the Messiah of the prophets; 2d, A plain, piercing charge, laying the guilt of crucifying Christ to the door of his audience and judges; and, 3d, A tender and pressing offer of mercy, through the blood of Christ, to his murderers.
Like his three confessions, Peter’s three denials also were all conceived in the same strain. With circumstantial differences, they were substantially the same: “I know not the man; I know him not; I know not what thou sayest.”
How like each other, too, were the Lord’s three questions addressed to Peter in order to complete his restoration! Thrice the question pierced the repenting disciple’s ear, “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?” and thrice the answer echoed from the repenting disciple’s burning heart, “Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.” By the same spirit this apostle, strong now by faith, emits the threefold confession of his Lord.
These were not the only occasions on which Peter bore testimony to Christ in the beginning of the gospel. Both he and his fellow-labourers did much that has not been recorded; but I think it is of the Lord that at the outset of his public ministry three successive confessions of Peter’s faith have been recorded in fulL He had fallen more than any of the faithful eleven; and correspondingly fuller evi-; dence is given that he had not fallen away — that through the intercession of the Lord his backsliding had been completely healed.
After this period, although Peter appears as a performer j of miracles, an exhorter of believing Jews, and a messenger to a Gentile family, he does not come forward again in this history as a public preacher. He gives place first to Stephen, next to Philip, and ultimately to Paul and his missionary associates.
The most remarkable feature in the three successive, j examples of Peter’s preaching is the indictment, charged: directly home upon the consciences of his hearers, that they were the crucifiers of Christ (Acts ii. 23; iii. 14, 15; e iv. 10). He found that this sharp method was successful j the first time, and therefore repeated it. It was thus that Nelson’s victories were won. When the enemy’s ships were extended in a line before him, he formed his into a column, pierced their line with its point, and fought them from the other side. Finding this method successful, he always followed it.
The boldness of Peter as a witness here is amply accounted for by the intimation that he was “full of the Holy Ghost.” The Master had fulfilled his promise, and the servant was thereby enabled to execute his task. Cause and effect are as clearly connected in this experience as in the processes of Nature. Wanting the Spirit, Peter was not able to bear witness for the Lord in presence of a serving-maid; with the Spirit, Peter held his judges fascinated by the glance of his eye, while he pierced them with his word. This apostle experienced the truth of Paul’s paradox on both its sides: “When I am weak, then I am strong;” and when I am strong, then I am weak.
Peter interprets the prophecy about the Stone rejected by the builders as Jesus had interpreted it in his hearing (Matt, xxi.) He applied it directly to the Messiah whom the J ewish priests had slain; and added, “Neither is there salvation in any other.” There has been at various periods much foolish disputation on the question whether there be any salvation beyond the pale of the Pope’s Church. Away with all these profane babblings! It is not out of this Church or out of that; it is, Out of Christ there is no salvation. This is the only limit that God has set: it is blasphemous as well as foolish to suggest any other.
Behold the arraigned and accused man! He arraigns and accuses his judges — convicts his judges. Nay, more, he stands at their bar and offers them mercy; he proclaims to them the free pardon of their sin through the blood of Jesus whom they crucified; he warns them with tenderness and calmness which must have struck terror into their hearts, that unless they accept mercy by this channel, no mercy will ever reach them. This Name, this manifestation of God, is given among men. It comes from heaven to earth. It comes to save, not to destroy; but it will not save those who reject it. By this Name we must be saved, or perish.
The judges were amazed at the boldness of Peter and John. But as they wondered, some one recognised the two men as having been seen in company with Jesus; and this accounted for their courage. Companionship with Jesus makes a hero, the enemy being judge. But is there any need or room for heroism in our plain, prosaic days? Persecution for conscience’ sake has, indeed, in its grosser forms long ceased in our country. We have no opportunity of displaying precisely that form of courage which the Sanhedrim observed in Peter and John. But heroism is needed yet in the world. A Christian needs the boldness which is attained only through companionship with Jesus.
Many fall miserably in life’s battle for lack of courage — fall before ignoble foes. It were less discredit to show the white feather in presence of the prison and the scaffold; but our youth strike their colours to meaner terrors. And yet, let me do justice to the men of my own generation. The adversaries are, indeed, softer individually, but they are mightier in the mass. The sword, indeed, does not penetrate the flesh; the fire does not wrap itself round the living body; but the world’s course, like a river composed of many soft drops, rolls downward in a vast volume, and carries even strong swimmers away. “When acts are weighed in the balance of the upper sanctuary, it may possibly appear that as much boldness is needed to stand in our day, and withstand, all our days, the constantly- sucking stream of vanity and earthliness, as it required at the beginning of the gospel to be faithful unto death against principalities and powers. But the conclusion of the whole matter is, that near the Lord — consciously enjoying his favour and leaning on his love — near the Lord we shall be able to resist the greatest of our enemies; far from him, we shall fall before the least.