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The Spirit of Prophecy Volume 3
now rejoicing in the full use of his limbs, free from pain, and happy in
believing upon Jesus.
The apostles saw the amazement of the people, and questioned
them why they should be astonished at the miracle which they had
witnessed, and regard them with awe as though it were through their
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own power they had done this thing. Peter assured them it was done
through the merits of Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had rejected and
crucified, but whom God had raised from the dead the third day. “And
his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom
ye see and know; yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this
perfect soundness in the presence of you all. And now brethren, I wot
that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those
things which God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets,
that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.”
The manner of Jesus in working his miracles was very different
from that of his apostles. His language was that of one who possessed
power in himself. “Be thou clean.” “Peace, be still.” Neither did he
hesitate to accept the honor offered him on these occasions, nor seek
to divert the minds of the people from himself, as though his miracles
were not wrought by his own power, for his own glory. But the apostles
wrought miracles only in the name of Jesus, and refused to receive
the least honor to themselves. They claimed to be only instruments of
that Jesus whom the Jews had crucified, but whom God had raised and
elevated to his right hand. He was to receive all the honor and praise.
After the performance of this miracle, the people flocked together
in the temple, and Peter addressed them in one part of the temple, while
John spoke to them in another part. The apostles, having spoken plainly
of the great crime of the Jews, in rejecting and ting to death the Prince
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of Life, were careful not to drive them to madness or despair. Peter
was willing to lessen the atrocity of their guilt as much as possible,
by presuming that they did the deed ignorantly. He declared to them
that the Holy Ghost was calling for them to repent of their sins and
to be converted; that there was no hope for them except through the
mercy of that Christ whom they had crucified; through faith in him
only could their sins be canceled by his blood.
This preaching the resurrection of Christ, and that through his
death and resurrection he would finally bring up all the dead from
their graves, deeply stirred the Sadducees. They felt that their favorite