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to be admired. They wanted everybody to praise the Saviour. So Peter stood up to preach in the Temple courts. He said, 'Ye men of Israel, why do you look on us, as though by our own power and goodness, we had made this man walk? It is through believing on Jesus he was cured. You asked Pontius Pilate to have Jesus killed, and to let go the murderer Barabbas. But God raised Him from the dead, and took Him up to heaven, where He will stay till the happy time that God has spoken of. Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.'

IV.

THE FIRST IMPRISONMENT.

Acts, iv. 1-31.

PETER had just preached his second sermon written in the Bible. He had preached it in the Temple. His first

sermon was preached in the street,-this -in the Temple. There were more enemies here in the Temple than there had been in the street, for the priests were here who hated Jesus, and could not bear to hear that He was still alive, having risen from the grave. A whole troop of them came, seized Peter and John, and put them in a prison close by. They could not judge them that evening, for it was getting dark. What a dreadful thing to spend a night in prison-a close, unpleasant, dark dungeon! This was the first night that the apostles were imprisoned, but it was not the last.

The judges were called the Sanhedrim. There were about seventy of them. Their hall of judgment was close to the Temple. Early in the morning Peter and John were taken out of prison and made to stand before the judges. These judges sat in a halfcircle round the wall. Amongst them

was Christ's great enemy-Caiaphas, the High Priest.

But Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea were not there, though they belonged to the Sanhedrim.

Many of the relations of Caiaphas came to see the judgment.

But who is that man standing by Peter and John, looking so loving and so brave? He is a very poor man, yet joy is in his looks. It is the poor cripple who sat at the gate yesterday begging.

Looking towards this man, the judges said to Peter and John, 'By what name, or by what power, have you done this?' That is to say, How have you cured that lame man?

Then Peter was filled with the Holy Ghost, and answered boldly: 'By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand before you quite well.'

Then he added these words, 'There

is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.' It is not only that poor cripple is saved from his lameness by Jesus, but that same precious Name can save us all from hell and death, and no other name can do it.

The judges were surprised to hear Peter speak so boldly for his Master.

But though the judges saw that a great miracle had been done, they were determined not to believe in Jesus themselves and to prevent other people believing. This was the sin against the Holy Ghost. When you yourself believe and yet try to prevent others believing, that is the sin against the Holy Ghost, as when the Pharisees saw the miracles of Jesus and said He did them through Satan, to prevent others believing on Him. This is the sin that cannot be forgiven. The priests did just the same now. They forbade Peter and John to teach any more.

eyes,

The judges would have liked to punish Peter and John; but as the people saw the very man who had been cured standing before their the judges were afraid to punish the apostles. All they could do was to command them not to teach, or to preach in the name of Jesus any more. But Peter and John boldly answered, Is it right in the sight of God to obey you sooner than God?'

God had told them to speak, and they said they would speak. How gladly now would the judges have killed them! but they were afraid of making the people angry, and so they let them go.

Peter and John hastened home to their own friends, and told them all that happened to them during the night and in the morning. And then they prayed together, and thanked God for doing wonders in the name of Jesus. As soon as they had done praying the

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