The Cure Of Aeneas And the Visit To Dorcas; Acts 9:32–43–Part 2

Church History: Peter healed Aeneas, a man that had been bedridden for eight years. His case was very deplorable: He was sick of the palsy, a dumb palsy, perhaps a dead palsy. The disease was extreme and chronic for he was bedridden for eight years; and we may assume that both he himself and all about him despaired of relief for him, and that he would be bedridden until his death. Peter said to him; Aeneas, Jesus Christ makes you whole. Peter does not pretend to do it himself by any power of his own, but declares it to be Christ's act and deed, directs him to look up to Christ for help, and assures him of an immediate cure--not, "He will make you," but, "He does make you, whole." He ordered him to bestir himself, to exert himself: "Arise and make your bed, that all may see that you are thoroughly cured." Power went along with this word: he arose immediately, and no doubt very willingly made his own bed.
All that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord. They all made enquiry into the truth of the miracle, did not overlook it, but saw him that was healed, and saw that it was a miraculous cure that was wrought upon him by the power of Christ, in his name, and with a design to confirm and ratify that doctrine of Christ which was now preached to the world.
They all submitted to the convincing proof and evidence there was in this of the divine origin of the Christian doctrine, and turned to the Lord, to the Lord Jesus. They turned from Judaism to Christianity; they embraced the doctrine of Christ, and submitted to his ordinances, and turned themselves over to him to be ruled and taught and saved by him.7
Another miracle performed by Peter, for the confirming of the gospel, and which exceeded the former, was the raising of Tabitha to life when she had been dead for some time.
Tabitha lived at Joppa, a sea-port town in the tribe of Dan, where Jonah took a ship to go to Tarshish, now called Japho. Tabitha was a Hebrew name, the Greek for which is Dorcas, both signifying a doe, or hind, or deer, a pleasant creature. She was a disciple, one that had embraced the faith of Christ and was baptized; and not only so, but was eminent above many for works of charity. She showed her faith by her works, her good works, which she was full of, that is, in which she abounded. She was a caring person, always thinking of ways which she should do good. She devised liberal things. Her hands were full of good employment; she made it a business to do good. She was never idle, having learned to maintain good works, to keep up a constant course and method of them.
Her friends and those about her did not bury her, as usual, because they hoped Peter would come and raise her to life again; but they washed the dead body, according to the custom, which, it is said, was with warm water, which, if there were any life remaining in the body, would recover it; so that this was done to show that she was really and truly dead. They tried all the usual methods to bring her to life, and could not. They laid her out in her grave-clothes in an upper chamber, which Dr. Lightfoot thinks was probably the public meeting-room for the believers of that town; and they laid the body there, that Peter, if he would come, might raise her to life the more solemnly in that place.