Acts (Sections 187-195)
Section 187
"Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because
it was not possible that he should be holden of it." —Acts 2:24 Our Lord felt the pains of death truly and really. His body was in very deed dead, yet there was no corruption.
It was not needful; it could have borne no relation to our redemption.
It would not have been seemly.
It was not demanded by the law of nature; for he was sinless, and sin is the worm which causes corruption. But from the pains of death his body was loosed by resurrection.
I. It was not possible that the bands of death should hold our Lord.
He derived his superiority to the bondage of death—
1. From the command of the Father that he should have power to take his life again: John 10:18.
2. From the dignity of his human person. As in union with Godhead. As being in itself absolutely perfect.
3. From the completion of his propitiation. The debt was discharged: he must be freed.
4. From the plan and purpose of grace which involved the life of the Head as well as that of the members. John 14:19.
5. From the perpetuity of his offices.
"Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec": Hebrews 6:20. King—"Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever": Psalms 45:6. Shepherd—"brought again from the dead"; Hebrews 13:20.
6. From the nature of things, since without it we should have— No assurance of our resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:17. No certainty of justification. Romans 4:25. No representative possession of heaven. Hebrews 9:24. No crowning of man with glory and honor, and exaltation of him over the works of God's hands.
II. It is not possible that any other bands should hold his kingdom.
1. The firm establishment of error shall not prevent the victory of truth. The colossal systems of Greek philosophy and Roman priestcraft have passed away; and so shall other evil powers.
2. The scholarship of his foes shall not resist his wisdom. He baffled the wise in his life on earth; much more will he do it by his Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 1:20.
3. The ignorance of mankind shall not darken his light. "The poor have the gospel preached to them": Matthew 11:5. Degraded races receive the truth. Matthew 4:16.
4. The power, wealth, fashion, and prestige of falsehood shall not crush his kingdom. Acts 4:26.
5. The evil influence of the world upon the church shall not quench the divine flame. John 16:33.
6. The rampant power of unbelief shall not destroy his dominion. Though at this hour it seems to bind the church in the bands of death, those fetters shall melt away. Matthew 16:18.
III. It is not possible to hold in bondage anything that is his.
1. The poor struggling sinner shall escape the bonds of his guilt, his depravity, his doubts, Satan, and the world. Psalms 124:7.
2. The bondaged child of God shall not be held captive by tribulation, temptation, or depression. Psalms 34:19. Psalms 116:7.
3. The bodies of his saints shall not be held in the grave. 1 Corinthians 15:23; 1 Peter 1:3-5.
4. The groaning creation shall yet burst into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Romans 8:21.
Here is a true Easter hymn for all who are in Christ. The Lord is risen indeed, and the happiest consequences must follow.
Let us rise in his rising, and walk at large in his loosing.
Free Thoughts
Christ being imprisoned for our debt, was thrown into the hands of death; but, divine justice being satisfied, it was not possible that he should be detained there, either by right or by force, for he had life in himself and in his own power, and had conquered the prince of death.—Matthew Henry. The Emperor Theodosius, having on a great occasion opened all the prisons, and released his prisoners, is reported to have said, "And now, would to God I could open all the tombs, and give life to the dead!" But there is no limit to the mighty power and royal grace of Jesus. He opens the prisons of justice, and the prisons of death with equal and infinite ease: he redeems not the soul only, but the body.—Dr. Stanford.
Section 188 "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart."—Acts 2:37 Peter's sermon was not a fine display of eloquence;
Neither was it a very pathetic plea; Nor a loud but empty cry of "Believe, believe!"
It was simple, a plain statement, and a soberly earnest argument. Its power lay in the truthfulness of the speaker, his appeal to Scripture, the concurrence of his witnessing brethren, and his own evident faith.
Above all, in the Holy Spirit who accompanied the word.
I. Saving impression is a prick in the heart. To be cut to the heart is deadly (Acts 5:33): to be pricked in the heart is saving.
1. All true religion must be of the heart. Without this—
Ceremonies are useless. Isaiah 1:13.
Orthodoxy of head is in vain. Jeremiah 7:4.
Profession and a constrained morality fail. 2 Timothy 3:5.
Loud zeal, excited and sustained by mere passion, is useless.
2. Impressions which do not prick the heart may even be evil.
They may excite to wrath and opposition.
They may lead to sheer hypocrisy.
They may create and foster a spurious hope.
3. Even when such superficial impressions are good, they are transient; and when they have passed away, they have often hardened those who have felt them for a season.
4. They will certainly be inoperative. As they have not touched the heart, they will not affect the life.
They will not lead to confession and inquiry, nor— to repentance and change of life; to glad reception of the Word, nor to obedience and steadfastness.
Heart-work is the only real work.
II. What truths produce such a prick?
1. The truth of the gospel has often, by the power of the Holy Ghost, produced an indelible wound in minds sceptical and opposed.
2. A sense of some one specially startling sin has frequently aroused the conscience. 2 Samuel 12:7.
3. Instruction in the nature of the law, and the consequent heinousness of sin, has been blessed to that end. Romans 7:13.
4. The infinite wickedness of sin, as against the very being of God, is also a wounding thought. Psalms 51:4.
5. The exactness, severity, and terror of the judgment, and the consequent punishment of sin, are stirring thoughts. Acts 16:25-30.
6. The great goodness of God has led many to see the cruel wantonness of sin against him. Romans 2:4.
7. The death of Christ as a Substitute has often been the means of revealing the greatness of the sin which needed such an atonement, and of showing the true tendency of sin in having slain One so good and kind. Zechariah 12:10.
8. The abundant grace and love revealed in the gospel, and received by us, are sharp arrows to wound the heart.
III. What hand makes these painful pricks?
1. The same hand which wrote the piercing truths also applies them.
2. He is well-acquainted with our hearts, and so can reach them.
3. He is the Quickener, the Comforter, the Spirit helping our infirmities, showing to us the things of Jesus: his fruit is love, joy, peace, etc. We need not utterly despair when wounded by such a tender Friend.
4. He is a Spirit to be sought unto, who acts in answer to his people's prayers. We turn for healing to him who pricks.
IV. How can these pricks be healed?
1. Only One who is divine can heal a wounded heart.
2. The only medicine is the blood of his heart.
3. The only hand to apply it is that which was pierced.
4. The only fee required is gladly to receive him.
Let us ask the question, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
Let us then obey the gospel, and believe in the Lord Jesus.
Pointed Passages
Conversion is a work of argument, for the judgment is gained by the truth. It is a work of conviction, for the awakened are pricked in their hearts. It is a work of enquiry, for they ask, "What must we do to be saved?" And, lastly, it is a work of comfort, for its subjects have received remission of sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost.—Joseph Sutcliffe.
Peter, standing up, said: "We heard from him whom we know that God has raised from the dead the promise of the Holy Ghost. He hath shed forth this; therefore let Jerusalem know assuredly that God hath made him Lord." I call that Peter's colossal "therefore." It is the strongest word in the first oration delivered in the defense of Christianity. The Holy Spirit was promised; he has been poured out; therefore let those who receive him know that the power behind natural law—our Lord, who was, and is, and is to come—is now breathing upon the centuries as he breathed upon us symbolically. He hath shed forth this; therefore, let all men know assuredly that God hath made him Lord. When they who were assembled at Jerusalem at that time heard this "therefore," they were pricked in the heart.—Joseph Cook.
Heart-work must be God's work. Only the great heart-Maker can be the great heart-Breaker.—Richard Baxter. The Comforter came to convince the world. The Comforter! Does it seem a strange name to any of you, my brethren, for him who came on such an errand? Does it seem to you that, in convincing you of your sins, instead of comforting you, he must needs cover you with shame and confusion, and make you sink to the ground in unutterable anguish and dismay? No, dear brethren, it is not so. Those among you whom the Spirit has indeed convinced of sin, will avouch that it is not. They will avouch that, in convincing them of sin, he has proved that he is indeed the Comforter. If the conviction and consciousness of sin arise from any other source, then indeed it is enough to crush us with shame, and to harrow us with unimaginable fears. But when it comes from the Spirit of God, it comes with healing and comfort on its wings. Remember what the sin is, of which he convinces us—that we believe not in Christ. All other conviction of sin would be without hope; here the hope accompanies the conviction, and is one with it. If we have a deep and lively feeling of the sin of not believing in Christ, we must feel at the same time that Christ came to take away this along with all other sins.—J. C. Hare. When a man is wounded with a barbed arrow, the agonies he suffers will cause him to toss about in pain; but the harder he strives to release the weapon from his flesh, the more does it become entangled in his sinews, the wound becomes enlarged, and the torture is increased. When, by the power of the Holy Spirit, a man is wounded on account of sin, and the arrows of the Most High tear his soul, he frequently tries to pluck them out with his own hand, but finds that the misery becomes worse, and the inflaming wounds at last cause faint-ness and despair. Only the Good Physician knows how to relieve the pain without tearing and festering the spirit.—Handbook of Illustration.
Section 189
"And beholding the man which was healed standing with
them, they could say nothing against it."—Acts 4:14 The rulers and elders were opposed to Peter and John.
It is no new thing for the gospel to be opposed. Nor a strange thing for the great, the official, the powerful, and the influential to be foremost in such opposition. The opposition of ungodly men is—
Natural, seeing that the heart of man is depraved.
Endurable, since our Lord and his apostles suffered it.
Harmless, if we commit the case to God.
Overruled for good by divine grace and wise providence. The best and perhaps the only way to silence opposition is by exhibiting the blessed results which follow from the gospel.
Those who would say anything if they could, can say nothing of what they would, when they see before their eyes the cures wrought by the word of the Lord Jesus. "The man that was healed" is our best apologist. Better than Paley's "Evidences," or Butler's "Analogy," is the proof given by results.
I. The gospel is vindicated by its results.
1. On a broad scale in nations. England, the islands of the Pacific, Jamaica, Madagascar, etc.
2. In individual conversions from open sin. Some of the worst men have become clear instances of the purifying power of the gospel.
3. In restoring to hope the comfortless and despairing. Very marvelous is its efficacy in the direction of healing mental maladies.
4. In elevating saints above selfish aims and designs, and inducing heroic consecrations. The biographies of gracious men and women are demonstrations of the divine power of the Word.
5. In sustaining character under fierce temptation. Wonderful is the preserving salt of grace amid surrounding putrefaction.
6. In holy and happy death-beds. These are plentiful throughout history, among all ranks; and they never fail to convince the candid.
Many another catalogue of results might be made.
Many a man is unable to be an infidel because of what he has seen in his mother, wife, or child.
II. Gospel-works and workers must look for like vindication.
Nowadays men ask for results: the tree must bear fruit, or the cry is, "Cut it down." We do not shrink from this test.
1. The minister must find in his converts a proof of his call, and a defense of his doctrines, methods, peculiarities, etc.
2. A society, college, or institution must stand or fall by its fruits.
3. The individual professor must abide the same test.
4. The church in any place, and the church on the largest scale, must be tried by similar methods.
5. Even our Lord himself loses or gains honor among men according as his followers behave themselves.
III. The gospel and its workers deserve vindication at our hands.
Those who are healed should boldly stand with Peter and John, as witnesses and fellow-workers. This suggests a series of practical questions: —
1. Has it produced blessed results in us?
2. Have we come forward to stand with the preachers of it in evidence that it has wrought our cure? Are we continually witnessing to the truth and value of the Gospel of Christ?
3. Does the influence of the gospel upon us so continue and increase unto holiness of life as to be a credit to its influence?
4. Are there not points in our character which harm the repute of the gospel? Should not these be amended at once?
5. Could we not henceforth so live as more effectually to silence the opponents of the Word?
Let the Church plainly see that her converts are her best defense; they are, in fact, her reason for existence.
Let converts see the reason why they should come forward and declare their faith, and unite with the people of God.
Cases in point In the course of one of his journeys, preaching the Word, Mr. Wesley went to Epworth. Having offered to assist the curate on the following day (Sunday), and his offer being refused, he took his stand upon his father's tombstone in the evening, and preached to the largest congregation Epworth had ever witnessed. This he did night after night. He preached also during his stay of eight days at several of the surrounding villages, where societies had been formed and a great work wrought among the people, and some of them had suffered for it. "Their angry neighbors," says Wesley, "had carried a whole wagon-load of these new heretics before a magistrate. But when he asked what they had done, there was a deep silence; for it was a point their conductors had forgotten. At length one said, 'They pretended to be better than other people, and prayed from morning to night'; and another said, 'They have converted my wife. Till she went among them she had such a tongue! and now she is as quiet as a lamb!' 'Take them back, take them back,' replied the justice, 'and let them convert all the scolds in the town.' "—Tyerman's Life of Wesley.
Lord Peterborough, more famed for his wit than for his religion, when he had lodged with Fenelon, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was so charmed with his piety and beautiful character, that he said to him at parting, "If I stay here any longer I shall become a Christian in spite of myself."—G. S. Bowes. A person who had expressed doubts whether the negroes received any real advantage by hearing the gospel, was asked whether he did not think one, named Jack, was better for the preaching. He replied, "Why, I must confess that he was a drunkard, a liar, and a thief; but certainly now he is a sober boy, and I can trust him with anything; and since he has talked about religion, I have tried to make him drunk, but failed in the attempt."—Arvine.
Certain gentlemen waited upon Rev. Matthew Wilks to complain of the eccentricities of his discourses. Wilks heard them through, and then produced a long list of names. "There," said the quaint divine, "all those precious souls profess to have found salvation through what you are pleased to call my whims and oddities. Can you produce a similar list from all the sober brethren you have been so much extolling?" This was conclusive; they withdrew in silence. The behavior of some professors has often given the wicked an opportunity to reproach religion. Lactantius reports, that the heathen were wont to say, "The Master could not be good, when his disciples were so bad." The malice of sinners is such that they will reproach the rectitude of the law, for the obliquity of their lives who swerve from it. Oh that your pure life did but hang a padlock upon their impure lips!—William Seeker.
Section 190 "And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren."—Acts 7:13 There is a plain parallel between Joseph and Jesus, his brethren and ourselves.
Certain classes of real seekers do not at once find peace; they go to Jesus after a fashion, and return from him as they went. Our fear is that they may grow indifferent or despairing. Our hope is that they will go again, and before long discover the great secret, and find food for their souls. To this end we would follow the track of Joseph's story, and use it as an allegory for the benefit of the seeker.
I. There is a something which you do not know. The sons of Israel did not know Joseph. Like them—
1. You have no idea of who and what Jesus is. Power and pity blend in him. He is far more than he seems.
2. You view him only as great, Lordly, unapproachable; a great and stern governor and taxmaster.
3. You do not know that he is your brother, one with you in nature, relationship, and love.
4. You cannot conceive how he loves: he yearns to make himself known; his heart is swollen big with compassion.
5. You cannot guess what he will do for you: all that he is and has shall be at your disposal.
Picture the Israelitish shepherds in the presence of the exalted Egyptian prince, as he stands veiled in mystery, girded with power, and surrounded with honor. Little could they imagine that this was Joseph their brother.
II. There is a reason why at your first going you have not learned this.
Joseph was not made known to his brethren on their first journey; nor have you yet found out Jesus, so as to know his love.
1. You have not looked for him. The sons of Jacob went to Egypt for corn, not for a brother. You are looking for comfort, etc., not for the Saviour.
2. You have not yet felt your sin against Jesus, and he would bring you to repentance, even as Joseph brought his brethren to confess their great wrong.
3. You have not yet gone with your whole force. As the brothers left Benjamin at home, so have you left some faculty or capacity dormant, or chill, in your seeking for grace.
4. You will have a larger blessing through the delay; and the Lord Jesus will in the most seasonable hour reveal himself, as Joseph did. Till then he refrains.
III. There is great hope in your going again to him.
Joseph's brethren made a great discovery the second time; you are in similar circumstances to them. Go a second time; for—
1. You must go or perish. There was corn only in Egypt, and there is salvation only in Christ.
2. Others have gone and speeded. All nations went to Egypt, and none were refused. Has Jesus cast out one?
3. You have lingered too long already, even as did Israel's sons.
4. A welcome awaits you. Joseph longed to see his brethren, and Jesus longs to see you.
IV. There are forecasts of what will happen if you go. The story lends itself to prophecy. As the sons of Israel fared with Joseph, so shall you fare with Jesus.
1. You will tremble in his presence.
2. He will bid you draw near.
3. He will comfort you by revealing himself to you.
4. He will bless and enrich you and send you home rejoicing, to fetch all your family to him.
5. He will rule all the world for your sake, and you shall be with him, and be nourished by him.
Let us hasten to go to our Saviour the second time.
Surely this is the season, for the Holy Ghost saith "today."
Line upon line
You take it hard, that you are not answered, and that Christ's door is not opened at your first knock. David must knock often: "O my God, I cry by day, and thou hearest not, and in the night season I am not silent": Psalms 22:2. The Lord's Church must also wait: "And when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer": Lamentations 3:8. Sweet Jesus, the heir of all, prayed with tears and strong cries, once, "O my Father"; again, "O my Father"; and the third time, "O my Father," ere he was heard. Wait on: die praying: faint not.
It is good to have the heart stored with sweet principles concerning Christ and his love, so as to rest in hope, though the Lord heareth not at the first. He is Christ, and therefore he will answer a sinner's cry ere long. It is but Christ's outside that is unkind.—Samuel Rutherford. A man who had long been seeking religion in a half-hearted way, one day lost his pocket-book. He said to his wife: "I know it is in the barn; I had it after I went there, and before I left it was gone. I am going back to find it; and find it I will, if I have to move every straw." Such seeking soon secured the prize, and enabled his wife so clearly to illustrate the way to seek Jesus, that the man soon found him also, and rejoiced in a full salvation. The last time I preached upon the matter of decision in religion was in old Farwell Hall. I had been for five nights preaching upon the life of Christ. I took him from the cradle, and followed him up to the judgment hall, and on that occasion I consider I made as great a blunder as ever I made in my life. If I could recall my act I would give this right hand. It was upon that memorable night in October, and the Court House bell was sounding an alarm of fire, but I paid no attention to it. We were accustomed to hear the fire bell often, and it didn't disturb us much when it sounded. I finished the sermon upon "What shall I do with Jesus?" And I said to the audience, "Now, I want you to take the question with you and think over it, and next Sunday I want you to come back and tell me what you are going to do with it." What a mistake! It seems now as if Satan was in my mind when I said this. Since then I have never dared to give an audience a week to think of their salvation. If they were lost they might rise up in judgment against me. "Now is the accepted time." We went downstairs to the other meeting, and I remember when Mr. Sankey was singing, and how his voice rang when he came to that pleading verse:—
Today the Saviour calls; For refuge fly. The storm of justice falls, And death is nigh.
After our meeting, on the way home, seeing the glare of flames, I said to my companion, "This means ruin to Chicago." About one o'clock, Farwell Hall went, soon the church in which I had preached went down, and everything was scattered. I never saw that audience again. My friends, we don't know what may happen tomorrow; but there is one thing I do know, and that is, if you take the gift of God, even Christ Jesus, you are saved. What are you going to do with him tonight? Will you decide now?—D. L. Moody.
Section 191 "The witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul."—Acts 7:58 The Holy Spirit records Stephen's martyrdom, but does not enter into details of his sufferings and death, as uninspired recorders would have been so apt to do. The object of the Holy Ghost is not to indulge curiosity nor to harrow the feelings, but to instruct and move to imitation.
He tells us of the martyr's posture,—"He kneeled down"; his prayer,—"Lord, lay not this sin to their charge"; and his composure,—"he fell asleep."
Upon each of these points volumes might be written. Our attention is now called to the incident of Saul's being present. This supplies us with—
I. A suggested contrast.
Stephen and Saul.
These were both highly earnest, fearless men.
Yet at this time they were wide as the poles asunder.
1. Stephen spiritual; giving in his address great prominence to the spiritual nature of religion, and the comparative insignificance of its externals. See verses 48-50.
Saul superstitious, worshipping form and ritual, full of reverence for the temple and the priests, and so forth.
2. Stephen, a humble believer in the Lord Jesus, saved by faith alone.
Saul, a self-righteous Pharisee, as proud as he could live.
3. Stephen defending and vindicating the gospel of Jesus.
Saul, giving his countenance, his vote, his assistance in the persecution of the servant of the Lord Christ.
Inquire if a Saul is now present. Call him forth by name. Have you been a consenting party to the persecution of good men? Have you thus copied this young man Saul?
You do not object to making Christian men the theme of ridicule.
You smile when you hear such ridicule. By your indecision in religion you aid and abet the adversary. In these ways the witnesses lay down their clothes at your feet, and you are the accomplice.
Oh, that grace may yet convert you!
II. A singular introduction to true religion.
Many have been brought to God by means somewhat similar. The young man whose name was Saul, met with the religion of Jesus in the person of Stephen, and thus he saw it with the following surroundings: —
1. The vision of a shining face.
2. The hearing of a noble discourse.
3. The sight of a triumphant death.
These did not convert Saul, but they made it harder for him to be unconverted, and were, no doubt, in after days thought of by him.
Let us so introduce religion to men, that the memory of its introduction may be worth their retaining.
III. A remarkable instance of the Lord's care for his church. The apostolical succession was preserved in the church.
1. Stephen's death was a terrible blow to the cause; but at that moment his successor was close at hand.
2. That successor was in the ranks of the enemy.
3. That successor was far greater than the martyr, Stephen, himself.
There is no fear for the church: her greatest champions, though as yet concealed among her enemies, will be called in due time. The death of her best advocates may assist in the conversion of others.
IV. A gracious memorial of repented sing. Did not Paul give Luke this information concerning himself? and cause it to be recorded in the Acts of the Apostles?
It was well for Paul to remember his sin before conversion.
It will be well for us to remember ours.
1. To create and renew feelings of humility.
2. To inflame love and zeal.
3. To deepen our love to the doctrines of sovereign grace.
4. To make us hopeful and zealous for others.
Let dying Stephen be cheered by the hope of young Saul's salvation.
Let wicked young Saul repent of his wrong to Stephen.
Observanda A Spanish painter, in a picture of Stephen conducted to the place of execution, has represented Saul as walking by the martyr's side with melancholy calmness. He consents to his death from a sincere, though mistaken, conviction of duty: and the expression of his countenance is strongly contrasted with the rage of the baffled Jewish doctors and the ferocity of the crowd who flock to the scene of bloodshed. Literally considered, such a representation is scarcely consistent either with Saul's conduct immediately afterwards, or with his own expressions concerning himself at the later periods of his life. But the picture, though historically incorrect, is poetically true. The painter has worked according to the true idea of his art in throwing upon the persecutor's countenance the shadow of his coming repentance. We cannot dissociate the martyrdom of Stephen from the conversion of Paul. The spectacle of so much constancy, so much faith, so much love, could not be lost. It is hardly too much to say with Augustine, that "the church owes Paul to the prayer of Stephen."—Conybeare and Howson.
Here first comes in view an individual destined to be the most extraordinary character in the church of God. Had a prophet stood near on this occasion, and said, "Ah! Saul, you will by-and-by be stoned for the same profession, and die a martyr in the same cause," he would have been filled with surprise and indignation, and have exclaimed, "What, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this thing?"—William Jay. As soon as Satan heard of the conversion of Saul, he ordered the devils into deep mourning.—John Ryland, Senior.
Among the leaders of the great revival of the eighteenth century were Captain Scott and Captain Toriel Joss, the former a captain of dragoons, the latter a sea-captain. Both became famous preachers. Whitefield said of them, "God, who sitteth upon the flood, can bring a shark from the ocean, and a lion from the forest, to show forth his praise." The following lines by William Hone, author of the 'Everyday Book," were written to describe his own experience— The proudest heart that ever beat Hath been subdued in me; The wildest will that ever rose To scorn thy cause, and aid thy foes, Is quell'd, my God, by thee.
Thy will, and not my will, be done; My heart be ever thine;
Confessing thee, the mighty Word, My Saviour Christ, my God, my Lord, Thy cross shall be my sign. Might they not have been written by the young man, "whose name was Saul"?
Section 192 "To you is the word of this salvation sent."—Acts 13:26 Paul and Barnabas first preached the gospel to the seed of Abraham.
These Jews contradicted and blasphemed, and therefore, in verse 46, the servants of the Lord boldly exclaimed, "We turn to the Gentiles." A blessed turning this for you and for me!
Herein is a warning to ourselves, lest we refuse the gospel, and find it taken from us, and sent to others. At this moment, to our hearers we earnestly say, "To you is the word of this salvation sent."
Let us then consider—
I. What is the word of this salvation?
1. It is the testimony that Jesus is the promised Saviour. Verse 23.
2. The word which promises forgiveness to all who exhibit repentance of sin, and faith in the Lord Jesus. Verse 38, 39.
3. In a word, it is the proclamation of perfect salvation, through the risen Saviour. Verses 32, 33.
It is comparable to a word for conciseness and simplicity.
It is a word, as being spoken by God, and as being his present utterance even at this moment.
It is a word; for it reveals Him who is truly "the Word."
It is a word of salvation; for it declares, describes, presents, and presses home salvation.
It is a word sent, for the Gospel dispensation is a mission of mercy from God, the Gospel is a message, Jesus is the Messiah, and the Holy Ghost himself is sent to work salvation among men.
II. In what manner is the gospel sent to you?
1. In the general commission, which ordains that it be preached to every creature.
2. In the fact that the gospel is preached in our land, the Bible is in every house, and the word is proclaimed in our streets.
3. In the providence which has brought you this day to hear the word. Very specially may you be sent to the preacher, the preacher sent to you, and the special message be sent through the preacher to you.
4. In the peculiar adaptation of it to your case, character, and necessity. A medicine which suits your disease is evidently meant for you.
5. In the power which has attended it, while you have been hearing it, though you may have resisted that power.
It would be a sad thing if we had to single out even one, and say,—"This word is not sent to you"; but we are under no such painful necessity.
III. In what position does it place you? In a position—
1. Of singular favor. Prophets and kings died without hearing what you hear. Matthew 13:16.
2. Of notable indebtedness to martyrs and men of God, in past ages, and in these days; for these have lived and died to bring you the gospel.
3. Of great hopefulness; for we trust you will accept it and live.
4. Of serious responsibility; for if you neglect it, how will you escape? Hebrews 2:3.
It puts it out of your power to remain unaffected by the gospel.
It must either save you, or increase your condemnation.
IV. In what manner will you treat this word?
1. Will you decidedly and honestly refuse it? This would be a terrible determination; but the very idea of so doing might startle you into a better mind.
2. Will you basely and foolishly delay your reply? This is a very dangerous course, and many perish in it.
3. Will you play the hypocrite, and pretend to receive it, while in your heart you reject it?
4. Will you act the part of the temporary convert?
5. Will you not rather accept the word of salvation with delight?
Suppose the gospel should be taken from you by your removal to a place where it is not preached, or by the death of the minister whom you so greatly esteem. It would be just. It may happen. It has happened to others. Refuse the heavenly message no longer, lest your day of grace should end in an eternity of woe.
Personalities A minister having to preach in the city jail, was accompanied by a young man of fine mind and cultivated manners, but who was not a Christian. As the minister looked at the audience, he preached to them Jesus with so much earnestness as deeply to impress his companion. On their return home, the young man said, "The men to whom you preached today must have been moved by the utterance of such truth. Such preaching cannot fail to influence." "My dear young friend," answered the minister, "were you influenced? Were you impelled by the words you heard today to choose God as your portion?" "You were not preaching to me, but to your convicts," was quickly answered. "You mistake. I was preaching to you as much as to them. You need the same Saviour as they. For all there is but one way of salvation. Just as much for you as for these poor prisoners was the message of this afternoon. Will you heed it?" The word so faithfully spoken was blessed of God.
Jesus said, "Preach the Gospel to every creature." I can imagine Peter was asking him: "What, Lord! shall we offer salvation to the men who crucified you?" And I can imagine Jesus answering him: "Yes, Peter, I want you to preach my gospel to everybody, beginning at Jerusalem. Proclaim salvation to the men who crucified me. Peter, I'd like you to find that man who put the crown of thorns on my head. Tell him, if he'll take salvation as a gift, he shall have a crown of glory from me, and there sha'n't be a thorn in it. Look up that Roman soldier who thrust that spear into my side, to my very heart, and tell him that there's a nearer way to my heart than that. My heart is full of love for his soul. Proclaim salvation to him."—D. L. Moody. To whom is it that the God of salvation sent "the word of salvation?" He sent it to all sinners that hear it. It is a word that suits the case of sinners; and therefore is it sent to them. If it be inquired, for what purpose is it sent to sinners? . . . It is sent as a word of pardon to the condemned sinner. Hence may every condemned sinner take hold of it, saying, This word is sent to me. It is sent as a word of peace to the rebellious sinner. It is sent as a word of life to the dead. It is a word of liberty to the captives, of healing for the diseased, of cleansing to the polluted. It is a word of direction to the bewildered, and of refreshment to the weary. It is sent as a comforting word to the disconsolate; and as a drawing word and a strengthening word to the soul destitute of strength. It is sent, in short, as a word of salvation, and all sorts of salvation and redemption to the lost soul, saying, "Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost."—Condensed from Ralph Erskine.
Section 193 "And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.
"Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books
together, and burned them before all men: and they counted
the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
"So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed."—Acts 19:18-20 This last verse is a dispatch from the seat of war announcing a glorious victory for the royal arms.
Past triumphs of the gospel may be used as encouragements.
We, too, shall see the Word of God grow and prevail; for— The gospel is the same as ever. The human race is unchanged at heart. The sins to be overcome are the same. The Holy Spirit is just as mighty to convince and renew. The trophies of victory may be expected to be the same.
Men, magic, books, and the love of money shall all be subdued.
Let us turn aside to see—
I. The Word of God planted.
Planted it was, or it could not have grown. The work proceeded in the following fashion—
1. Certain disciples were further enlightened, aroused, and led to seek a higher degree of grace. This was an admirable beginning, and revivals thus commenced are usually lasting.
2. These became obedient to an ordinance which had been overlooked (verse 5), and also received the Holy Ghost, of whom they had heard nothing: two great helps to revival.
3. A bold ministry proclaimed and defended the truth.
4. Opposition was aroused. This is always a needful sign. God is not at work long without the devil working also.
5. Deceitful counterfeiting commenced, and was speedily ended in the most remarkable manner.
6. Paul preached, pleaded, made the gospel to sound forth, and on departing could say, "I am pure from the blood of all men."
Read this and the following chapter, and see how three years were well-spent in planting the church at Ephesus.
II. The Word of God growing.
"So mightily grew the word of God." The measure of it was seen—
1. In a church formed with many suitable elders.
2. In a neighborhood fully aware of the presence of the gospel among them; for it touched them practically; so much so, that important trades were affected.
3. In a people converted, and openly confessing their conversion.
4. In a general respect paid to the faith. Even those who did not obey it, yet yielded it homage and owned its power.
Here we see Paul's work and God's work. Paul labored diligently in planting, and God made it to grow: yet it was all of God. Is the Word of God growing among us? If not, why not?
It is a living seed, and should grow.
It is a living seed, and will grow unless we hinder it.
III. The Word of God prevailing.
Growth arouses opposition; but where the Word grows with inward vitality it prevails over outward opposition. The particular proof of prevalence here given is the burning of magical books.
1. Paul does not appear to have dwelt continually upon the evil habit of using magical arts; but gospel light showed the guilt of witchcraft, and providence cast contempt on it.
2. The sin being exposed, it was confessed by those who had been guilty of it, and by those who had commenced its study.
3. Being confessed, it was renounced altogether, and though there was no command to that effect, yet in a voluntary zeal of indignation the books were burned. This was right because—
If sold, they would do harm.
They were so detestable that they deserved burning. Their public burning lighted up a testimony.
4. Their destruction involved expense, which was willingly incurred, and that expense gave weight to the testimony. No other proof of power in our ministry will equal that which is seen in its practical effect upon our hearers' lives. Will you who attend our preaching see to it that you purge yourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit?
Sparks
It's a blessed time in a soul, it's a blessed time in a family, it's a blessed time in a congregation, it's a blessed time in a country—when the Word of God grows mightily and prevails. . . . It's a blessed time when open sinners are seen leaving their sins and seeking the Saviour; when men are seen giving up their unholy gains; when tavern-keepers take down their signs and burn them—when they give up their licenses; and it's a blessed time when card-players throw away their cards and take the Bible instead. It's a blessed time when the lovers of gaudy dress take their gaudy dresses and destroy them.—Robert Murray M'Cheyne. The gospel, like a plant of great vigor, will grow almost among stones. Thus have 1 seen it to grow among hypocrites, formalists, and worldlings; and I have seen it laying hold of one, and another, and indeed, of many, however untoward the surrounding soil. "So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed." When the leaven of the gospel begins to work, there will be no need of a train of arguments to prove how inexpedient, how utterly unworthy it is for a Christian to turn aside after the vain amusements and trifling books used by the world: "Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols?" What have I to do with black arts, or dealing with a lie? Those who first trusted in Christ were willing to forsake all and follow him. The grace of the gospel produces a new taste—it alters everything about us,—our friends, our pursuits, our books, etc.—Richard Cecil.
Agesilaus, when he saw the usurer's bonds and bills blazing in the fire, said, "I never saw a better or a brighter fire in all my life!" and it were heartily to be wished that all scandalous, blasphemous, and seditious books and pamphlets were on the fire, too.—John Spencer.
Yes, God blessed the self-denial, and gave them compensation—and a compensation, too, remarkably appropriate. They who burned books obtained books. They burned books for Christ, and they received books from him. Have you never heard of Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians? Do you recollect no such letter as one from the Saviour "to the Angel of the church at Ephesus?"—T. R. Stevenson. The Earl of Rochester, of whom it has been said that he was "a great wit, a great scholar, a great poet, a great sinner, and a great penitent," left a strict charge to the person in whose custody his papers were, to burn all his profane and lewd writings, as being only fit to promote vice and immorality; by which he had so highly offended God, and shamed and blasphemed the holy religion into which he had been baptized.
Section 194 "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks."—Acts 26:14 Jesus even out of heaven speaks in parables, according to his wont. To Paul he briefly utters the parable of the rebellious ox.
Note the tenderness of the appeal: it is not "Thou art harming me by thy persecutions," but, "Thou art wounding thyself." He saith not, "it is hard for me," but "hard for thee." May the Lord thus speak in pity to those who are now resisting his grace, and thus save them from wounding themselves.
Listen attentively to the simple comparison, and observe—
I. The ox. A fallen man deserves no higher type.
1. You are acting like a brute beast, in ignorance and passion. You are unspiritual, thoughtless, unreasonable.
2. Yet God values you more than a man does an ox.
3. Therefore he feeds you, and does not slay you.
4. You are useless without guidance, and yet you are unwilling to submit to your Master's hand.
5. If you were but obedient you might be useful, and might find content in your service.
6. You have no escape from the choice of either to obey or to die, and it is useless to be stubborn.
II. The ox-goad.
You have driven the Lord to treat you as the husbandman treats a stubborn ox.
1. The Lord has tried you with gentle means, a word, a pull of the rein, etc.: by parental love, by tender admonitions of friends and teachers, and by the gentle promtpings of his Spirit.
2. Now he uses the more severe means— Of solemn threatening by his law. Of terrors of conscience, and dread of judgment. Of loss of relatives, children, friends. Of sickness, and varied afflictions. Of approaching death, with a dark future beyond it.
3. You are feeling some of these pricks, and cannot deny that they are sharp. Take heed lest worse things come upon you.
III. The kicks against the goad.
These are given in various ways by those who are resolved to continue in sin.
1. There are early childish rebellions against restraint.
2. There are sneers at the gospel, at ministers, at holy things.
3. There are wilful sins against conscience and light.
4. There are revilings and persecutions against God's people.
5. There are questionings, infidelities, and blasphemies.
IV. The hardness of all this to the ox.
It hurts itself against the goad, and suffers far more than the driver designs.
1. In the present. You are unhappy: you are full of unrest and alarm, you are increasing your chastisement, and fretting your heart.
2. In the best possible future. You will feel bitter regrets, have desperate habits to overcome, and much evil to undo. All this if you do at last repent and obey.
3. In the more probable future. You are preparing for yourself increased hardness of heart, despair, and destruction.
Oh, that you would know that no possible good can come of kicking against God, who grieves over your infatuations!
Yield to the discipline of your God.
He pities you now, and begs you to consider your ways.
It is Jesus who speaks; be not so brutish as to refuse him that speaks from heaven.
You may yet, like Saul of Tarsus, become grandly useful, and plough many a field for the Lord Jesus.
Striking Thoughts Did not Lord Byron feel the sharpness of the goad when he exclaimed, concerning the gospel, "The worst of it is, I believe it?"
You have heard of the sword-fish. It is a very curious creature, with a long and bony beak, or sword, projecting in front of its head. It is also very fierce, attacking other fishes that come in its way, and trying to pierce them with its sword. The fish has sometimes been known to dart at a ship in full sail, with such violence as to pierce the solid timbers. But what has happened? The silly fish has been killed outright by the force of its own blow. The ship sails on just as before, and the angry sword-fish falls a victim to its own rage. But how shall we describe the folly of those who, like Saul of Tarsus, oppose the cause of Christ? They cannot succeed: like the sword-fish, they only work their own destruction.—Illustrative Teaching.
Dr. John Hall, in one of his sermons, compared the attacks of infidelity upon Christianity to a serpent gnawing at a file. As he kept on gnawing, he was greatly encouraged by the sight of the growing pile of chips; till, feeling pain, and seeing blood, he found that he had been wearing his own teeth away against the file, but the file was unharmed.
Oh cursed, cursed Sin! Traitor to God, And ruiner of man! Mother of Woe, And Death, and Hell!
—Pollok.
Cowper describes Voltaire as— An infidel in health, but what when sick?
Oh—then a text would touch him at the quick.
Men complain of their circumstances, and cry, "This is hard—hard as for the bird of plumage to beat against the wires of its cage." Nay, harder far than that. It is hard for loss of trusting, loving obedience; and because no good can come of it, no success can be gained in the vain, Utopian, and worse than foolish struggle. Let every man struggle to improve himself, and he will not fail to improve his lot also. But let him never "kick" against his earthly lot; for so, if hurt at all, he hurts himself the more. He "kicks against the pricks."—Pulpit Commentary. The Spirit of God can make use of any agency to bring sinners to repentance and faith in the Redeemer. Commenting once upon the words, "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass her master's crib; but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider," the speaker sought to impress upon his people how strangely guilty the human heart is, despising the goodness of God, and forgetting his very existence. Three or four days after, a farmer, who had been present, was giving provender to his cattle, when one of his oxen, evidently grateful for his care, fell to licking his bare arm. Instantly, with this simple incident, the Holy Spirit flashed conviction on the farmer's mind. He burst into tears, and exclaimed, "Yes, it is all true. How wonderful is God's word! This poor dumb brute is really more grateful to me than I am to God, and yet I am in debt to him for everything. What a sinner I am!" The lesson had found its way to his heart, and wrought there effectually to lead him to Christ.
Section 195
"And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness:
for they kindled a fire, and received us every one,
because of the present rain, and because of the cold."—Acts 28:2 Here was an early Shipwrecked Mariner's Society.
Among rough people there is much of genuine kindness.
Let not people of a gentler mould, greater education, and larger possessions, come behind them in deeds of kindness. Their kindness was thoroughly practical. We have too much of "Be ye warmed," and too little kindling of fires.
There may be spiritual as well as physical cold, and for this last the kindling of a fire is needed. This is our present subject.
I. That we are very apt to be cold.
1. The world is a cold country for gracious men.
2. By reason of our inbred sin, we are cold subjects and far too apt to be lukewarm, or frozen.
3. Cold seasons also come, when all around lies bound in frost. Ministers, churches, saints, are too often cold as ice.
4. Cold corners are here and there, where the sun seldom shines. Some good men live in such cold harbors.
5. Chilling influences are now abroad. Modern thought, worldliness, depression in trade, depreciation of prayer, etc.
If we yield to the power of cold, we become first uncomfortable, next inactive, and then ready to die.
II. That there are means of warmth.
1. The Word of God is as a fire. Heard or read, it tends to warm the heart.
2. Private, social, and family prayer. This is as coals of juniper.
3. Meditation and communion with Jesus. "While I was musing the fire burned": Psalms 39:3. "Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way?" Luke 24:32.
4. Fellowship with other Christians. Malachi 3:16.
5. Doing good to others. Job prayed for his friends, and then his captivity was turned. Job 42:10.
6. Return to first love and doing first works, would bring back old warmth. Revelation 2:4-5.
Let us get to these fires ourselves, lest we be frostbitten and benumbed.
III. That we should kindle fires for others.
We need the fire of revival, seeing so many are washed upon our shores in dying circumstances.
Concerning a true revival, let it be remembered that it both resembles the fire in the text, and differs from it.
1. It must be lighted under difficulties,—"because of the present rain." The sticks are wet, the hearth is flooded, the atmosphere is damp. It is not easy to make a fire in such circumstances; and yet it must be done.
2. The fire we need cannot, however, be kindled by barbarians: the flame must come from above.
3. Once get the flame, the fire begins with littles. Small sticks are good for kindling.
4. It is well to nourish the flame by going down on your knees, and breathing upon it by warm and hearty supplications.
5. It must be fed with fuel. Think of the great Paul picking up a bundle of sticks. Let each one bring his share.
6. This fire must be kindled for "every one." We must not be content till all the shivering ones are comforted.
7. The fire will be of great service, and yet it may warm into life more than one viper. Thank God, the fire which revived the creature into venomous life will also destroy it.
What can we each do towards this fire? Can we not each one kindle or feed the fire? Bring a stick.
Let no one damp the flame.
Let us pray.
Kindling
How to maintain spiritual warmth. Philip Henry's advice to his daughter was: "If you would keep warm in this cold season (January, 1692), take these four directions: 1. Get into the sun. Under his blessed beams there are warmth and comfort. 2. Go near the fire. 'Is not my word like a fire?' How many cheering passages are there! 3. Keep in motion and action—stirring up the grace and gift of God that is in you. 4. Seek Christian communion. 'How can one be warm alone?' "—Feathers for Arrows.
"Ane stick'll never burn! Put more wood on the fire, laddie; ane stick'll never burn!" my old Scotch grandfather used to say to his boys. Sometimes when the fire in the heart burns low, and love to the Saviour grows faint; it would grow warm and bright again, if it would only touch another stick. . . . What we need, next to earnest prayer to God and communion with Christ, is communion with each other. "Where two or three are gathered together," the heart burns; love kindles to a fervent heat. Friends, let us frequent the society of those who are fellow pilgrims with us to Canaan's happy land. "Ane stick'll never burn," as a great generous pile will be sure to.— Anon.
I will tell you a story, which I have from very good hands, of two very eminent men, both for learning and piety, in the beginning of the last century, one of them a great prelate (indeed a primate), and the other a Churchman of great note. These two eminent men often met together to consult upon the interests of learning and the affairs of the church; and when they had dispatched that business, they seldom parted from one another without such an encounter as this: "Come, good doctor," said the bishop, "Let us talk now a little of Jesus Christ"; or, on the other side, said the doctor, "Come, my Lord, let me hear your grace talk of the goodness of God with your wonted eloquence; let us warm one another's hearts with heaven, that we may better bear this cold world." Here is now an example of holy conference without a preface and yet without exception; a precedent easy to imitate wherever there is a like spirit of piety. A few such men would put profaneness out of countenance, and turn the tide of conversation.—Goodman.
See how great a flame aspires, Kindled by a spark of grace!
Jesus' love the nations fires, Sets the kingdoms in a blaze; To bring fire on earth he came, Kindled in some heart it is:
Oh, that all might catch the flame, All partake the glorious bliss.
—C. Wesley