156. The Prayers And Praises Of Paul And Silas.
The Prayers And Praises Of Paul And Silas. The Prayers and Praises as recorded.—Acts 16:25. The Lord’s Answer.—Acts 16:26-34.
“There be three chief rivers of despondency, sin, sorrow, fear.
Sin is the deepest, sorrow hath its shallows, and fear is a noisy rapid.” In the hearts of Paul and Silas is joy that the world knows not of, “joy and peace in believing.” Sin is forgiven, sorrow hath flown away, and there fear has no resting place. Within the gloomy walls of that prison are heard “songs in the night,” prayer to the God of Israel: they are not captives; man cannot bind their spirits, it is only the poor clay tenement he has cruelly imprisoned, their souls are free. Chained in that low dungeon, suffering from the chastisement of the preceding day, instead of the groan of pain, the curse against the magistrates who had caused them to suffer for spreading and teaching the truth, the prisoners, who are confined with them, are awakened at the hour of midnight by the voice of prayer, and the hymn of praise.
Paul and Silas are singing in that prison cell; it is music hallowed to God’s service, sweet breathings of the spirit, whose strains are caught by waiting angels, and carried to heaven, to swell the chorus which is sung there to the praise of God and the Lamb for ever. And why are their fellow prisoners lost in wonder as their midnight praises reach their ears? Why does the world look on in astonishment, as it sees a smile lightening up the face of the suffering Christian, the child of God, calm in the midst of trial, rich in poverty, singing in prison, and filled with hope? Oh, they see, but they know not what is swelling the harmony in these calm hearts of Paul and Silas. It is a spirit born of heaven; its holy source, the great God himself; it is the moon that lights this little night of time, the night before a glorious morning.
Paul and Silas realize what David, the sweet singer of Israel, expresses so beautifully: “The Lord will command his loving kindness in the day time, and in the night his songs shall be with me.” And, reader, the spirit of Paul and Silas may be yours. You, too, may through all your trials, and the clouds that gather so thickly over you, may look up and pray; instead of the tears that now bathe your sorrow-worn cheeks, the light of joy may be there; but before you can realize all this “Your hearts must cast off their slough of darkness, Their eclipse of hell and sin.” Your spirit, bound to earth, must be unloosened from its fetters here, would you breathe with Paul and Silas the pure air of heaven. God will take away all that is bearing your spirits downward, all that is binding them to deceitful, unsatisfying earth. Ere you wait to see the idol mouldering to ashes, the phantom fading away, give your heart and its affections to God; your spirit then will sing a purer, holier song than the world has ever charmed you with; and in the prison house of earth your spirit may be free. Is your head bowed by the weight of sorrow in your heart, and the thousand strings of that “harp” shattered and broken, God’s spirit can bring from them strains of heavenly music; hymns at morning, hymns at midnight; man cannot do this—earth, with all its wealth, cannot give your spirit rest—none but God, none but God, giveth songs in the night.