Godbey's Commentary - Acts - Romans - Enter His Rest

of our Lord and the redemption of the world, brings a new inspiration to the rising tide of faith,
intensified by Peter’s fervent exhortation: “Surely this is the glorious day when our Lord will baptize
us with the Holy Ghost and fire!” Friday is fled and gone, and Saturday, the good old Jewish
Sabbath, ushers in. James and John are eloquent, thrilling all with their inspiring exhortations:
“Surely our Lord will honor the good old Sabbath of Moses and the prophets, and augment the
hallowed memories of this glorious day by sending down the promised enduement.” Another night
of prayer conduces to grander spiritual illuminations. Sunday ushers in. Mary’s eyes sparkle while
eloquent inspiration leaps from her lips: “Surely our Lord will honor the glorious day of most
hallowed memory when He broke the fetters of the tomb and arose triumphant over sin, death and
hell!” These wonderful days, clustered about with the ineffaceable memories of stupendous miracles,
unspeakably sacred to every loving disciple, have all flown away, and “hope deferred maketh the
heart sad.” Monday ushers in, fraught with no inspiring memories. Now prostrate on the floor they
cry to God. The Holy Ghost, with the effulgent lamp of His infallible scrutiny, goes down into the
profound subterranean regions of their fallen spirits, revealing to Peter his cowardice, to Thomas his
doubts, to James and John their ambition, and to all the dark dens of hissing serpents, the dismal lairs
of roaring lions, the filthy kennels of snapping dogs and the loathsome bogs of croaking frogs,
swelling toads and poisonous scorpions, constituting the dismal debris of inbred sin, the Satanic
heredity of Adam the first. Tuesday follows, redeemed by no hallowed memories. So they sink
deeper into the dismal subterranean regions of original sin, contemplating with unspeakable
mortification the gorgon horrors of hereditary depravity revealed to the quickened spiritual eye by
the infallible Heart-Searcher. Wednesday is commemorated by a deeper sinking out of self and still
profounder illuminations revealing the horrors of inbred sin. That day is commemorated in the
experience of many reaching bottom-rock. Thursday ushers in like a sun-burst from a world of
clouds. Many exclaim, “Glory to God, for the triumphant ascension of our Lord on this hallowed day
one week ago!” Mary in advance of her dispensation had known the sweet experience of entire
sanctification, sitting at the feet of Jesus, felicitously oblivious of all the world; as had Nathanael,
an “Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile.” Fortunately, these two disciples stand on the high
plane of cloudless sunshine beneath the clear sky of Beulah land, roaring inspiring shouts to their
brothers and sisters amid the swellings of Jordan’s terrifying floods. Old Peter is one of the first to
heed the inspiring appeals of Mary and Nathanael, and dares to walk out in naked faith and trust the
cleansing blood radically and thoroughly to purify his heart from all the vacillations and cowardice
which had flooded him with intolerable disgrace (Acts 15:9). John, with brilliant countenance,
swings clear by faith alone. Now they follow in platoons. Finally, doubting Thomas, with faltering
tread, dares to set down his foot on Jordan’s stormy billow. Friday floods them all with the
ineffaceable memories of Calvary, when the Lord redeemed the world by His flowing blood. Hence,
the blood has honored that memorable day from dewy morn till dusky eve. It is significantly a day
of victory. Saturday, the good old Jewish Sabbath, literally signifying the perfect rest of the soul in
Jesus, is truly a crowning day on the battlefield of faith so memorable the last nine days. Wonderful
and glorious is the soul rest into which they sink away. The second Sunday morning of those
memorable ten days now gilds the Oriental skies, while the fair-fingered Aurora, the daughter of the
dawn, is moving on tip-toe over great Mount Olivet. This is our Lord’s glorious resurrection day.
The battle has been fought on the bloody fields of consecration and faith and a ten days’ prayermeeting
without intermission. They have gone down to the bottom-rock of Consecration and prayed
up to the triumphant altitudes of Faith. The battle is fought, the victory won and Hope has spread her
eagle pinions ready for her celestial flight. They have spent the ten days on their knees and prostrate