The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 2 — Section 79

family the universal one. 4. A Creator-God who docs not forsake men to their own inventions, but is t~e present and ruling Providence among them. 'l.'here is such a reality as an admin1stration of the wide empire on earth, and that administration in each part, each greater or less distribution, is Divine, is that of God, the sovereicrn 0 God. 5. A Creator-God who admits of no proxy whatsoever of idol fashion. II. THE TRUE APOSTLE OF CHRISTIANITY UNDERTAKES TO HAKE AN UNFALTERING AFFIRMATION OF THE THINGS HOST DISTINCTIVE OF CIIRISTIANITY, These shall be facts or truths, not grown of rc.'\son, not even surmised of reason; very likely not, in all their beariugs and all the questions they s,1ggest, such as ca.n be accounted for by reason. They occupy by intention a unique place. They come of the pronouncement of One ":ho brin!;s all-sufficient credentials, and w~om to disbelie"."e rat~onally is a greater d1fficulty tor reason by far than to believe. This grand, surpassmg voice of Heaven is here given as threefold. 1. It bids repentance on the part of man. 2. It declares Judgment to come by Jesus Christ. 3. It declares hereunto the resurrection of Jesus Christ; and certainly, if the resurrection of Jesus Christ is here instanced as speaking volumes for bis likely judgeship, it will carry all that is necessary for showing men present at his solemn judgment-bar. Evidently nothing so much arrested men1 wheu the world's clock was then striking, as this annouucement of resurrection from the dead for Judcre 0 and jud~ed. III. THE TRUE APOSTLE OF CHRISTIANITY DOES NOT BIDE AW A Y THE ELEMENT OF Bmll:AN RESPONSIBILITY Ah'D THE 1''ECESSITY OF JIUHAN CO-OPERATION WITH DIVINE WORK. This is but one among many ways of asserting that man is himself a creation of reason and of heart and of conscience; in brief, of just so much ns to constitute him justly responsible to bis Creator. Beyond a doubt, we cannot draw the line that says where the exertion of man's will and the interposition of God's providence end or begin, Iior, in all probability, could we see the line if it were drawn. It is none the less certain tha.t both of these are facts in human life. Paul goes so far as to say that Divine arrangements (ver. 27) lead to Divine inquirings on the part of men, aud are directly adapted to suggest" seeking the Lord." Notice, therefore: 1. 'l.'hat it lies with men, part of their simplest, :first, happiest duty, to "seek the Lord," in distinction from the vain theory or degrading wish that the belief in the reality of the existence of God should be an absolutely necessary outcome of our life or natural income of our con- viction. It is a remarkable fact that in all highest senses it is both one and the other of these things, but that in lower and literal sense, if it were so, it would bereave human knowledge of God of its noblest aspects, noblest tokens, and noblest uses. 2. That there is so much uncertainty about :finding him we seek, as might well givo zest and energy and trembling vigour to endeavour. 3. That the uncertainty lies much in some moral direction of our nature. To "find God" is not the quest of the intellect merely or chiefly. It will lie nearer the heart, at all events, and it will be greatly dependent on, say, the conscience, what it is in a::iy man and how he heeds it, To ":find God" will depend on "feeling after" him. The absence of a certain kind and amount of sensibility will in many a ca.se decide, and "that right early," our not finding some one or some thing. Some truth and some people a.re coy. .And very indisputable it is that sometimes it is of the highest truth and the highest style of human character that this is most chiefly true. 4. That to win the crown of" finding"- finding really, finding blessedly, finding for ever-is quite among the possibilities; ay, it is among the sure promises exceeding precious to the true seeker. 6. That the grand object "sought," "felt after," and "found" is all the time "not far from " any one, i.e. really near to every one. He is so near us in our breathing life itself. He is so near us in all those qualities which are derived from his parentage. He is so near us in bountiful goodness and in pitying, strong love.-B. Vere. 32-34.-Three ki'Tl,d,s of hea1·ing. It is not always given to the hardest and tnost conscientious labourer to reap a large harvest. 'fhe day had been a day of bard work and faithful work for Paul. Arrived at sunset, he counts more disappointment than gain. ThiB passage speaks of three kinds of hearers, And it is telling us of facts-facts that were, facts that too often are. Notice- L THERE ARE WBO HEAR AND MOCK, 1. They mock when thoy hear something and fear 10mething. 2. They mock when they cannot confute what ill spoken into thtir CII, XVIJ, 1-34.] THE ACTS OF THE .APOSTLES. 81