Acts xxvi. 28, 29. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.
^ IT is surprising to see what different effects the Gospel produces upon different minds; some view ii
as the very extreme of folly, whilst others regard it as the most glorious display of Divine wisdom. Even when our blessed Lord himself spake, some of his audience believed his words ; whilst others said, " He hath a devil and his mad." Thus differently were some of Paul's auditors affected also, when he vin- dicated himself before Festus and Agrippa ; Festus exclaimed, " Paul, thou art beside thyself;" whilst Agrippa, falling under the force of truth, said, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian."
The effects however which the Gospel produces on all who receive it aright, is uniform : and St. Paul's answer to Agrippa affords us a fit occasion to set them before you in the clearest manner. It leads us to notice,
I. In what state Agrippa was —
He was convinced in his judgment, but undecided in his will —
[He was conversant with all the Jewish laws and cus- tomsa, and a firm believer in the prophetic writings'3: hence he expected assuredly that the promised Messiah would come. Respecting the advent of that Messiah he had had no oppor- tunity of hearing, except from the reports of persons who were adverse to the truth (and such is yet the unhappy lot of kings and princes, who are constrained for the most part to form their judgment from very partial and erroneous state- ments) : but now, from the discourse of Paul, he was convinced that Jesus was the Christ, and that his religion was indeed from God.
Still however he knew not how to embrace this religion himself. He saw that an open profession of Christianity might possibly shake his authority amongst all his subjects; and that at all events it must be attended with a life of morti- fication and self-denial, since he must renounce " the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life," and give him- self up to God in a life of universal holiness. But this was too great a sacrifice for him to make. If he could be a Christian, and yet retain the pleasures of sense and the honour that cometh of man, he would willingly embrace the Gospel ; but if he must encounter so many difficulties, he will rather forego the pearl, than pay the price.]
This, alas! is the state of many amongst ourselves —
a ver. 3. b ver. 27.