A Brighter Day Begins with His Word.

PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK

The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1

Arthur Charles Hervey [1808-1894] · 411,060 words · 462 reading sections

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The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 421

root of evil in the fr1lse prophet's life, and which poisons all his teaching. There is craft, guile, the desii(n to deceive others for pri~ate e~ds. Then there is a certain lightness and recldesaness of conduct connected with this, denoted by a pecnliar Greek word (radiourgia), The false teacher will respect no truth …

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The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 422

Revolution, onr etrnggle for existence, our ohastieementa, and our triumphs. Israel's history is the mirror in which every nation mBy view its own, and tm.ce the hand of the Ame world-guiding providence. II. TBE OONl!UIIMATION OF IBRAEL18 BTSTORY. In Jesus the lino of Israel's greatness WIiii continued. He was of t…

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The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 423

IV. Tn11: BElfl88ION OJ' ems. Through this riB_en One the bleRsed boon ie proclaimed. fhe Jlfe, the dea.th, the resurrection, would be !llmply a grand Divine drama, an object ,f contemplation, a. piece of magnificent poetry, were there no practical resnlt like this flowing from i~. But It means victory a.ad releaa_e …

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The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 424

reli:ci0us movement. Here ,certain feelings in their minds are appoalcd to, antagonistio 1;o the gospel. It would be easy to misrepresent it. Th8118 proselyto women might say that they had learned to be religious without the gospel, and what could It do more for them? Or it might be represented that it subverted sound …

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or It-to prove the Messlahship of Jeeua, and therefore to proclaim the gate or life open. History of Divine grnce pointing to day of salvation. The course of thought in Paul's own mind, which led him to faith. II. The HAIN STRENGTH of the argument-the facts of the Saviour's death and resurrection. Paul could speak wit…

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The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 426

Ver. 52.-Spiritual .foy. "And the disciples were filled with Joy and with the Holy Ghoi-t." At the conclusion of a narrative descriptive of varied experiences both of the rnes~engel'8 and oft.he Church. L T~F. JOY OF TRUE ors_cr~1,Es IN THE MIDST OF TROUllL_Es. 1. Joy of personal faith, which 1s promot.ed by d1~c1ph…

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The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 427

keeping warm the Ohurch; they are prevailing in prayer with God; they are "ubduiDg tho body and keeping it under subjection. How often might five men eave and bleM a Churoh, and call down richest blessing on it I III. EMPHATIC HONOUR IB BET ON THEBE FIVE MEN. 1. The Spirit "speaketh expreeRly " to them, in the mid8t o…

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The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 428

and wonder and miracle are, in his own rinful experience. How much had he taken out of others in money and in credulity He shall be reminded of the past. 2, He tried to keep another in the dark and amid the groping and the wandering. He himself s~all ~now_ the grievousness of darkness and the humiliation of groping and…

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The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 429

Ver. 36.-Present service, promised sleep. This allusion to the known devotion of David during his life, and to his "rest from his labours" in the II sleep" that hid him awhile from life, has been introduced in connection with Paul's vindication of the resurrection of "the Man" Jesus-that cardinal fact of Christianity a…

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c[lre shut to one of the sweetest utterances that even he spoke, respecting the "cup of oold water;" and with eyee closed to the widow woman of the mite by the treasury, to whom the Lord did not close his eyes, and to whom he even called the attention of othere. 4. An actual lessening of more.I strength and diminiKh…

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to time 110me testimony or their growing 1md growil'gly grateful appreciation or Cbriet and of bis truth, they then a.re proving their owu growth in likeness to him. They are ~nconscioualy giving the measure of how far the "day dawns" with them, and bow high. the." d~y-star arises in their hearts," or even how far t…

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The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 432

tho froRhest In style, from two of their own ~ · The service i11 over, and they leave, when (1) in some form or another, by deputation or by the importunate acclamation of manv together, the Gentiles beg tho.t next sabbath they may be given to hear the same Word preached, It seems that t?eir application was e.t all eve…

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of his creatures to do. This truth is illustrated In the infinite variety of things which God hAB made on the earth. Each minutest creature ha.s his plaoe, hie work• and hie fitneBB for doing it. As we ascend in the scale of being, the work becomes more com- plex; and it is difficult for us to realize that the same …

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prophets we meet with a ~oet impor~ant ~dvance In the Divine relations, ~ore or lees constantly God dwells with and abides ID those prophets, and their relation to the Divine was the foreshadowing and preparation for the abidin" relations of the Holy Ghost with the believer and the Church. The" Wor~ _of the 101'.'d" ca…

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It reads thus:" Thou, the one God, the greatost, the most glorious Name, help ua all, we bose<>ch thee." 'l'he unrest and anxious inquiring of Sergiua Paulus are further indicated in the fact that he bad come into the power of Elymas the sorcerer, who evidently persuaded him that he could settle all his doubts. 'l'ho s…

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be careful of mere Corm, nnd his speech was always liable to sudden breaks and halts, through the rapidHy with which new thoughts were suggested and side issues forced into consideration. His power lay in the intensity of his convictions, which gave a do<1rnatio and convincing force to the expression of his views• a…

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poaibly be limited in lte appliMtion to D11vid himeelf? Our text le the overwhelming amwer: " D11vid, 11fter he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on lleep, and "''.e.s laid unto his fathere, and saw corruption." The words could only bo true o'. Messiah.. They were true of Jesus of Nazareth. The …

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nese. And certainly we may :find the perfect eumple of the" best" in David's greater l:lon. III. WD MAY MINIBTEB TO OUR GENERATION BY MANFULLY RESISTING THE EVIT,8 THAT MAY AFFLI0T IT. For every generation has its conflicts and wants its holy we.rriors, its bre.ve soldiers, as well as its noble leadern. Evil i~ active…

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CHAPTER XIV. trXltrµa., a 110hism (eee John vii. 43: b:, 16: L 19 ; l Cor. i. 10). Ver. 1.-E'ntered for went both, A.V.: Jl!Jtlll Ver. 5.-Made an omet for an assault for O,~ Je1DB, A.V.; and for and al.so, A. V.; made, A.V.: of the Jews for also of the Jews, Greelu for tl,e Greel~, A.V. Observe bow in A. V.; t,o entr…

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would, porl1ape, be better given by "listened" gen. Mor. Mercury Is Hermes in bis special to Paul ep,•aldng. There le great resem- charMter as tlie god of market8 and trade. blance between this miracle of bealin;.t, nnd But tlie Lyce.oniariR here th,,ught of liim that of the lame man laicl at the gate of the in his pri…

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his prenching to his bmtrel1!. How different deacons the choice was by the people, how this address t,c, the heathen L,·ce.onie.na from indic•ted we are not told (oh, vi. 5); the those to Jews e.nd proselytes 1• Hore he leads question here, on whioh commentators dis• them from m,ture to God ; there from pro- agree, is …

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HOMILETICS. Vere. 1-28.-The Word and tFie miracle. In the advancement of the kingdom of God on earth, whether by our Lord himself in the days of his flesh, or by the apostles after his ascension, two great instruments were in constant and simultaneous llll0- the preaching of the Word of God and the working of miracl…

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HOMILms BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-7.-Apostolic (ministerial) ea:perience. I. THE PRIVILEGE OP PREACHING The. apostles at Iconium "so spa.kc" (ver. 1), i.t. with such force, persuasiveness, fidolity, that "a great multitude believed" (ver. 1); "they abode speaking boldly in the Lord" (ver. 3), i.e. they urged the …

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I. TITE msuFFIOIENT. 1. The hand of God in natwre does not suffice. " The living God which made heaven and earth, ancl the sea, and all thinus that are therein," has •• not left himself without witness" anywhere; everywhere he has "<lone good, and sent rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with …

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through much tribulation we enter the kingdom (ver. 22), Christian truth is large and deep. It bas its portion for the idolater, another for the novitiate, another for the matured. The true Christian leader is he who varies his instruction in accordance with the spiritu11l condition of his disciples. 3. 1'o exert a …

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With eager, eympathetio, rejoicing epirite the assembly must have received the nnrrativo. How grnteful m\18t hav•J been the pee.Ima, how fervent the prayers, how heartfelt the congratulations, that followed! A work is not crowned until its story has been told to those who bad a real and living part in its initiation an…

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I. THE BUFFERER A?m HIS FAITH. 1. His complaint was congenital, and, according to ordinary ways of thinking, incurable. This brings all the more his faith into relief. It is the very power and property of faith to conquer what seems to reason unconquerable. It is impossible to show that any diseases are in themselve…

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pure and healthy happiness and domestic joy, there is tho reflection of the "joy ol God to see a happy world." "God is wisdom, God is love; "-this is the refrain of the hoart true to itself; nor can the occasional discorus of bodily pain or mental perplexity mar the sweetness of the music or obscure the clearness of th…

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Vers. S-18.-.77ie 'light shining in darknes1: Lystra. The heathenish state of the population. So much the brighter seemed the light. The effect of the miracle on the cripple. A warning against making a superstitious use of men's credulity -as the Romish Church has done. I. A REAL TRIAL OF THE A.POSTLE!!. 1. Of their…

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le that which the Ohuroh maintains in ite united capacity. Individual and Isolated efforts are not so likely to be blessed. 3. The special importance of the mission of Paul and Barnabas in showing the open door of faith to the Gentiles. Such a fa.et could not have wielded the same influence had it not been rehearsed th…

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organizing them11elves, truly after very rough sort, for this purpose. And if tha purpose be ever done, when it is done there will soon be an end of their harmony. V. THE J,AST GROUP OONSISTS OF TIIE TWO APOSTLES AND A THIRD WITR TREIII, THOUGH JNVISIDLB. These, passing from the midst of an angry people, went their wa…

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glory. 3. But their faith wae of those who, believing, believed "ignorantly," believed absolutely wrongly, nnd believed far more wrongly (now by Scripture's most emphatic assertion) than could be justified in any way. 4. Their faith exhibited that leading mark of the lowest kind of faith which must link on the wonder …

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And Paul, who had wrought through the mighty power of God, mlmolea for the deliverance of others, ie the eubjeot of I\ miracle himself now. And it le the Divine favour, as no hum~n minister of it served the occasion. Paul has been stoned, drawn out of the city; foe and friend take him for dead-nay, perhaps he wae eo…

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work 11ny energy or ludividnamy, we shall ijOOn have persons opposing, misrepresent- Ina and hindering ue. Here, in the very outset of St. Pa.ul's missionary career, the inH~1once of the "unbelieving Jews" ie indicated, and this fanatical Jewish party persistently followed up the apostle wherever he went, trying to …

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Ver. 15.-No gods, only God. The subject may be introduced by such a sketoh or the incidents as will bring prominently forward these points. 1. The apostles wrought a miraculous healing.. 2: Their e.c_t was seriously misconceived. 3. Pagan sentiments ov«:rwhelmed the Chnst1an teaching. 4. The apostles most deeply fel…

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declnre that there are no gods ; there is only God; and that they themselves are only men, his servants, who are permitted to put forth gracious power, as a persuasion to men to receive his blessed message of pardon and life.-R. T. Ver. 16.-God's ways with the nation,. Attention is called to the sentence, "Who, In tim…

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II. Gon's WAYS WITH THE NATIO!IB WILL BE ULTIMATELY VINDICATED. To their ,·iell' and to our view ithere is much that seems to need vindicaling. For instance, (1) is there not much sign of favouritism in the Divine ways? (2) do not multitudes of men morally perish while God withholds from them hls reve)atlon? (3) how…

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The Chrisfom man comes back upon nBture with the illuminations of that higher and fuller revele.tion which he.s for a time absorbed him-from the vision of God, manifest In Obrist Jesus, which was so glorious as for a while to occupy his thought and feeling wholly. But coming back with these new thoughts of God, he find…

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The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 459

Ver. 28.-Pr11yer as a recommendation to t1ae grace of God. The Syrian Anttooh is here referred to as the place "from whence the two great missionaries had been recom- mended to the grace of God," and from eh. xiii. 3 we learn in what this recommendation to the grace of God consisted: "And when they had fasted and praye…

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OHAPTER L its Altera.tive Enlarged, Practical r,mJD P.A.GE Trust... 25 The Recapitulation 6 Heavenward Gazing reca.lled to The Grain of Mnsta.rd Seed 7 Ea.rthwa.rd Watching 27 The Rewards of Iniquity ... 8 A Second Interval of Thrilling Ex- Christ's Mission and ours ... 9 pectation hushing itself in Prayer 29 Wisdom in…

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J'AOB TRBlfll PA.OW TllAH The Servant.a in the Footsteps of The Church's Mission to the World... 175 their Lord 137 "We o~ght to obey God rather tha.n Tho Unfolded Be.n.ner of Salvation ... 137 Men ... 176 The Impotenoe of Unbelief 138 The Throne of Meray 1711 Witnessing for Obrist 138 A Study of Jewish Cha.re.cter: G…

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The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 462

IUBIO P.lOB TRZME •.J.oP. The One Question of Conversion 304 " God is no Respecter of Persons " . . . 346 The Considerateness of a Love already The Universal Proclamation 346 Infinite 306 The Great Philanthropist .. . 317 The Act of Oo.pitulation ... 308 The Saviour's Charge to his Ministers 347 The Sequestrated Soul …

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Public domain historical Pulpit Commentary. Source page identifies the volume as Public Domain; text extracted from its historical PDF.

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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.