Ver. 28.-Th.! great df!(;ision. "Then Agrippa said unto Paul," etc. Times when the attitude and bearing of one person wonderfully set forth the m11.jesty of truth. Jesus before Pontius Pilate. Luther at Worms. Paul at Ca!sarea. Agrippa face to face with the sincerity he despised; Festus with a religion altogether different from that of Rome. The assembly of courtiers and soldiers and abandoned people in the presence of spi..-it.us.l reality. The reversal of the appee.mnces. Paul really trying the uffenders against God at the bar of Christ's truth. The effect of the simple narrative of facts and its powerful appeals. Though scom and mockery in Agrippa's words, still confession of his inability to reply. Whether as in Authorized or as in Revised Version, the meaning is t.h.e sa.me : "l am not persuaded, though I cannot deny anything you say." I. DECIDED CllB.rsTLUTITY is the only true position. "To be a Christian" is to be fully persuaded. 1. Decided faith. Not belief about truth, but persuasion that Jesus i;, our Saviour. 2. Essential change. "To be'' that which we were not before. Not a n,ere change of external position towards Christianity, but the surrender of the whole self to the Law of Christ. 8. Public profession. The name" Christian" distinguished the man from others. It was assumed as a pledge of fellowship and united action. The Church is the voice of Christ, his living representative and witness. We must identify ourselves with bis body, by being grafted as members into it. IL CHBI8T1A.NITY APPEALS 'l'O THOSE WBO ABE OPEN TO PERSUASION. 1. It is possible to be =persua,d,ed,, becanse inwardly resisting truth, because self-deceived, because demanding that which is not re.a.sonable, as the hardened sceptic, the trifler with opportunity, the prond intellect, the light-minded and pleasure-loving. 2. The com- monest and yet most resporuible of all positions is that which, like Agrippa's, is near persuasion, yet distinctly waiving off the appeal. It is an awful spiritual danger to turn away from an open door. 8. It is better to be persuaded by the gracious appeal than compelled to acknowledge the truth by the overwhelming evidence of judgment. Paul's JJOsition before Agrippa a prediction of the future trial of all men, when they shall be mani- festly brought into the presence of those who have been persuaded, and the unreasonable- ness and guilt of their unbelief will be shown forth in contrast with the simple faith and loving obedience of those who shall be honoured with Christ's name and glory upon them. The obstacle to full persuasion should be sought within. There is little more required. Neither the truth itself, nor its method of presentation, nor the circumstances uf our life, nor the difficulties of our profession, are any excuse for our remaining unper- suaded. The reality behind the veil of external appearance in the court e.t Cresarea, Paul's good corucience, strength, hope, comfort, final victory, all should persuade us LO be altogether such as he was then and is now.-B.
Ver. 3.-The conditwn, of Ma/ring to profit. "Wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently." The oocasion of these words of the apostle may be justly viewed all round ii..B a model occasion of public speaking for the preacher, and of listening for the hearer. A. certain amount of result, and of very powerful result, was gained, though confell86,dly W>t all that oould have been wi»hed. It i.B not the leSB to be noticed that just that, OH, llVJ, 1-32,) THE ACTS OF TUE APOSTLES, 279
however, wa8 gained which may be supposed obte.inable by the faithful use of the best human means. And for the rest, the work was stayed where, in the very truest sense, we are warre.ntcd to say, "Permiete celera Deo," or the results belong to God. The occasion, perhaps unintentionally enough, reveals the great standin.,. 0 conditions of elfoctive preaching nnd profiting hearing, There must be - I. ONE COMPETENT TO SPEAK, 1. He must know his s11bject, 2. He must feel deeply his subject. 3, He must handle a subject which concerns his hearers, ancl is neither above them nor beside their needs. 4. He must know the graces of speech, but specially that of respectfulness and courtesy towards those whose ear he wishes to gain. Who might command may sometimes better "beseech" (Philem. 8, 9), n.nd so much the more if one thing that be asks for is the thing so rare, so difficult, patience. II. THOSE PREPARED TO HEAR. Different considerations will determine the question in what such preparedness ma.y most truly consist. We have here to do with only acer- tain human range of preparedness. 1. The hearer must be open, ready, willing to hear aml capable of underst/l,'11,ding. Paul does not speak hollow words. He know3 he can make much greater progress with Agrippa. than with Festus, because Agrippa was really not unversed in matters of revealed truth. 2. The bearer must be prepared to give his mind patiently to the great 1;ubjects that ma.y be exhibited to him. They a.re whn.t ma.y well require patience. 3. He must be honest to make decision a.nd to take action on what he ha.s heard. So far Agrippa. went a. long way towards being "a good hearer" of the Word. 4. If the case be such, he must be readv to give full public profession of his decision. In this Agrippa. failed. He and Festus only "talked between themselves."-B.