01. Chapter One
Chapter One 1. A PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE
Saint Paul, was falsely accused of sedition by Tertullus: “We have found this man a troublesome fellow, and a worker of sedition” (Acts 24:5). And so Paul makes an apology for himself before Festus and King Agrippa in Chapter 26 of the Book of Act.
Paul proves himself as an orator. He courts the king (1) by his gesture: he stretched forth his hands, as was the custom of orators; (2) by his manner of speech: “I think of myself as happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself before you, touching upon all the things of which I am accused” (Acts 26:2).
Paul then addresses three things, and in so deep a strain of rhetoric as almost to have converted King Agrippa:
(1) He speaks of the manner of his life before his conversion: “I lived as a Pharisee after the strictest sect of our religion” (v.5). During the time of his unregeneracy, he was zealous for traditions; his false fire of zeal was so hot that it scorched all who stood in his way; “I shut up many of the saints in prison” (v.10).
(2) He speaks of the manner of his conversion: “I saw in the road a light from heaven, beyond the brightness of the sun” (v.13). This light was none other than what shone from Christ’s glorified body. “And I heard a voice speaking to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’” The body being hurt, the head in heaven cried out. Paul was amazed at this light and voice, and fell to the earth: “I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said, ‘I am Jesus whom you persecute’” (v. 1415). Paul was now departed from himself. All opinion of self-righteousness vanished and he grafted his hope of heaven upon the stock of Christ’s righteousness.
(3) He speaks of the manner of his life after his conversion. He who had been a persecutor before now became a preacher: “Arise, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to make you a minister and a witness of those things which you have seen” (v. 16). When Paul, this “vessel of election,” was savingly worked upon, he labored to do as much good as previously he had done hurt. He had persecuted saints to death before; now he preached sinners to life. God first sent him to the Jews at Damascus and afterwards enlarged his commission to preach to the Gentiles. And the subject he preached was this, “That they should repent and turn to God, and do works fit for repentance” (v. 20). A weighty and excellent subject!
I shall not dispute the priority, whether faith or repentance goes first. Doubtless repentance shows itself first in a Christian’s life. Yet I am apt to think that the seeds of faith are first worked in the heart. When a burning taper is brought into a room, the light shows itself first, but the taper preceded the light. In the same way, we see the fruits of repentance first, but the beginnings of faith were there before.
What inclines me to think that faith is seminally in the heart before repentance is because repentance, being a grace, must be exercised by someone who is living. Now, how does the soul live but by faith? “The just shall live by his faith” (Hebrews 10:38). Therefore, there must first be some seeds of faith in the heart of a penitent; otherwise it is dead repentance and of no value.
Whether faith or repentance goes first, however, I am sure that repentance is of such importance that there can be no saving without it. After Paul’s shipwreck, he swam to shore on planks and broken pieces of the ship (Acts 27:44). In Adam we all suffered shipwreck, and repentance is the only plank left us after shipwreck to swim to heaven.
It is a great duty incumbent upon Christians to solemnly repent and turn to God: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2); “Repent therefore, and be converted so that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19); “Repent of your wickedness” (Acts 8:22). In the mouths of three witnesses this truth is confirmed. Repentance is a foundation grace: “Not laying again the foundation of repentance” (Hebrews 6:1). That religion which is not built upon this foundation must fall to the ground.
Repentance is a grace required under the gospel. Some think it legal; but the first sermon that Christ preached, indeed, the first word of his sermon, was “Repent” (Matthew 4:17). And his farewell that he left when he was going to ascend was that “repentance should be preached in his name” (Luke 24:47). The apostles all beat upon this string: “They went out and preached that men should repent” (Mark 6:12).
Repentance is a pure gospel grace. The covenant of works allowed no repentance; there it was: sin and die. Repentance came in by the gospel. Christ has purchased us with his blood so that repenting sinners shall be saved. The law required personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience. It cursed all who could not come up to this: “Cursed is everyone that does not continue to do all things which are written in the book of the law” (Galatians 3:10). It does not say, “He that does not obey all things, let him repent;” instead, it says “let him be cursed.” Thus repentance is a doctrine that has been brought to light only by the gospel.
How is repentance worked? The manner in which repentance is worked is this:
1. Partly by the word
“When they heard this, they were pricked in their heart” (Acts 2:37). The word preached is the engine God uses to effect repentance. It is compared to a hammer, and to a fire (Jeremiah 23:29), the one to break, the other to melt the heart. How great a blessing it is to have the word dispensed, which is of such virtue! Those who put out the lights of heaven will find it hard to escape hell!
2. By the Spirit
Ministers are but the pipes and organs. It is the Holy Ghost breathing in them that makes their words effectual: “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all those who heard the word” (Acts 10:44). The Spirit in the word illuminates and converts. When the Spirit touches a heart, it dissolves with tears: “I will pour out upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace ... and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn” (Zechariah 12:10). It is wonderful to consider what different effects the word has upon men. Some at a sermon are like Jonah: their heart is tender and they let tears fall. Others are no more affected by it than a deaf man with music. Some grow better by the word; others grow worse. The same earth which causes sweetness in the grape causes bitterness in the wormwood. What is the reason the word works so differently? It is because the Spirit of God carries the word to the conscience of one, and not to another. One has received the divine unction, and not the other (1 John 2:20). O pray that the dew may fall with the manna: that the Spirit may go along with the word. The chariot of ordinances will not carry us to heaven unless the Spirit of God joins himself to this chariot (Acts 8:29).