The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 2 — Section 33

Paul wonld be forthooming, when hie life dropped, to take up and carry on hie apoetollo work ; and therefore we may l!Uppose that, to economize Paul's laboun1, God dealt with him in the extraordinary way of direct injunctions and prohibitions. He was sent at once to sow the seed in the ground that would receive it. He was peremptorily hindered from sowing it where it would not bear fruit. And thus the Church derived the largest possible amount of benefit from his devoted work. 3. We may note on• more reason. The great harvest of souls reaped by St. Paul in the very places where he was sent is another proof of the omniscience of the Holy Ghost, and that the arosth·'s several missions were really ordered and directed by him. When Simon Peter, at the Lord's bidding, after a night of fruitless toil, let down the net and enclosed such a multitude o( fishes that the net brake, and the overladen ships were iu dcmger of sinking, it was manifest that he who had given the command was indeed the Lord. And ~o, when at the oa.11 of the Holy Ghost Paul went to Antioch, and Cyprus, and Pisidia, and Galatia, and Macedonia, and Acbaia., and preached the Word there, and cveryw here there sprang np flourishin!l: Churches, the countless disciples at Antioch, and Lystra., and Iconium, and Philippi, and Thessalonica, and Corinth were so many distinct witnesses that he had indeed a call, and that he who oa.lled him was with him wher&- ever he went. It is an immense encouragement to us to be assured by the success of so ma.ny of our missions at the present time that those who labour in them have received their secret oa.11 from Jesus Christ our Lord. Vers. 16-40.-Trutli (1/Tl,dfalsenood. The domains·or truth and falsehood are in their own nature entirely distinct. This cannot be more emphntically expressed than in the inspired words which speak of God as the God of truth, and of Sa.tan as the father of lies. The two realms are not only distinct, but contrary the one to the other. No greater injury has been done to the cause of truth than by the employment of weapons of falsehood in its defence. And, on the other hand, the most effective weapons used in defence of falsehood have been tho~e which were ta.ken from the armoury of truth. The section before us exhibits a remarkable example of the champions of truth and falsehood, and of the chnracteristic weapons of ea.eh. To take first the case of the masters of the soothsaying girl. With them it was a simple matter of ga.in. What their Pythoness t:i.ught, wha.t direction her soothsaying took, whether her divination supported Judaism, or heathenism, or Christianity, was all one to them, so that their own gains were great. They were good friends and well-wishers to Paul and Silas as long as their own profits were consistent with the spread of the gospel. But when the damsel was silenced, and the silver stream of the rewards of divination was dried up, their anger knew n<> bounds. With the keen fnry of disappointed avarice they tum against those whom before they seemed to honour and respect. But how shall they wreak their vengeance against these " servants of the most high God"? It would not do to speak the simple truth and say, "These men who 'show unto us the way of salvation,' have robbed us of our gains in the name of Jesus Christ. Help us to punish them.'' It would not do to say, " The only fault we have to find with them and their teaching is that we a.re no loDger able to delude simple people, and cheat them out of their money." And so they look about for some nobler, and thereby more effective plea.. "Are we not Romans? Is not Rome the mistress of the world? Is not Philippi a Roman colony? Is it fitting that the imperial majesty of the city shothd be despised and insulted here in the midst of the fasces of the lictors, and in the very presence of the prmtor? Or again, Is not law ti,e very bond which binds the world together? Is not law that which all good ID en honour and obey? Aie not the noble Roman people a. law-a.biding people? And shall a few ignoble and despicable Jews dare to teach customs and persuade men to observe laws contrary to the laws of Rome, and contrary to the duty of Roman citizens? Out upon such lawless insolence l In the name of the majesty of Rome, rise up, ye people, and put these intruders down. In Lhe name of holy law, rise up, ye magistrates, a!ld ciia.,,ise these presumptuous offenders against the law! Vindicate the fair fame c,f Philippi, and silence the,;e blasphemers against the truth!" So spake these lying champions of their own sordid interests; and with the weapons of righteousness wieldud by their unrighteous hands, they gained a. short-lived victory. And now for tbe champions of truth. Paul and Silas, as they a.re portrayed in the simple, lucid IlJlrrative of the Acts of the Apostles, stand before us aa two men of transparent OH, XVI. 1-40.) THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. 35