The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 2 — Section 318

HOMILETIOS. Vers. 1-10.-Kindnea. Genuine kindness is a pleasant thing to see by whom- soever and under whatsoever circumstances it is exercised. God has planted it in the human breast, and it is one of the distinctive attributes of man. Too often, indeed, the indulgence of ba.d passions is suffered to choke it, a.nd rival interests to interfere with its action. Still, there it is, a faint reflection, it is true, of the love of God, but never- theless a remnant of God's image in ma.n ; pleasant to behold, sweetening the relations of man with man, and capable, if allowed to exercise its rightful sway over human actions, of increasing to an almost infinite extent the happiness of the human race. Kindnes5 shows itself, mainly, in two ways. First, in a general inclination to promote the well-being of others. But secondly a.nd chiefly, in sentiments of sorrow and compassion for the misfortunes of others, and in active endeavours to relieve their sufferings a.nd supply their wa.nts. Such was the kindness of these simple Maltese peasants. They saw before them nearly three hundred persons in the extremest destitution. Houseless, without food, drenched with wet from the sea and from the rain. without any change of raiment, shivering with cold, exhausted with fatigue, their plight was most miserable. When the kind islanders saw them they were touched with their misfortunes. Nor did they rest in pitiful feelings only. They set actively to work to alleviate their sufferings. They opened their humble dwellings to receive them. They supplied them with what food they could. They helped them to dry their dripping clothes ; they collected fuel to kindle fires by which to warm them ; they gave themselves no little trouble a.nd labour to give them every comfort within their reach. And what enhances the kindness is that there could be no)iope of reward. The men whom they were helping had lost everything they possessed. Their whole property had gone down to the bottom of the sea. They could give nothing in return for what they received. .All the more was the uncommon kindness which they showed them pure and unalloyed with selfishness. They were unconsciously obeying the precept of Paul's Master, "Do good, hoping for nothing a.gain." May we not hope that they found the truth of his promise, "Your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest"? It is a great confirmation of this hope that we read in the following verses how the hand of the Lord was stretched out in signs and wonders. The miracles of Sc.ripture are never useless or gratuitous displays of power. The most obvious purpose of those wrought in Malta. was the conversion of the natives; and it is very pleasant to think that those kind men who were privileged to minister to the neces- sities of Paul and Luke and their companions in the faith, reaped a rich and unexpected reward, when they learned at their mouths the blessed promises of God's grace, and were received into the number of the children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Vere. 11-15.-Befreshment. What a weary time had Paul's three la.et years of life been I Incessant fightings with his hard-hearted, virulent countrymen ; a pitiless storm of hatred and persecution and false a.ccusation raging incessantly against him 1 trial succeedi.Lg trial, yet bringing no respite from injustice ; weary prison hours, whilo the active spirit was bound by tLe chain which kept him prisoner at Cresarea; anci then the furious tempest, and. the labours a.nd anxieties of that terrific voyage, and the threats of tht, ..avage soldi.3ry, and the loss of all he bad in the shipwreck, and the hardships to be endured by his frail body in the cold wintry season. Save the kindness orr. xxvm. 1-81.] THE AOTS OF THE APOSTLES. 337 ----------------------------- - - - - .,c the bn.rb1uie.ne, thore had been no reet to mind or body since he arrived a.t ,J erusnlern. And now hie face was set tow11rds Rome. But who could tell what awaited him thero? He wae going there ae a prisoner. He wne going to another trial. He wae going to et.and beforo Nero, with no protection but his innocence. He had countrymen at Rome. Would they behe.ve towe.rde him 11B hie countrymen in Judrea. had done? And what lmd ho to expect from the populaco at Rome? He bad never seen Rome. :But for a poor lone prieoner there was plenty in that city of blood and lust and unbounded power to awe.ken vague fears and undefined anxieties, and to trouble the firmest spirit. And eo he walked on toward the goal, hopee and fears perhaps etruggling within him for the mastery. And now they were just arriving at Appii Forum, when, lo I e. consider- able crowd advanced to meet him. Who could they be? and what was their errand? A moment or two soon explained it. They were brethren, Christian brethren, issuing from the foulness of the great heathen city in all the purity of faith and love, to come and greet and welcome the apostle. There, at a thousand miles from his native land, he was not among strangers; ho was surrounded by those who had never indeed seen his face, but who loved him fervently in Christ Jesus. 'l'here, in the land of idolatry, amidst heathen temples and every form of wickedness flourishing in that hot-bed of corruption, he was in the midst of saints, by whom the Name of Jesus was loved and adored. In that stronghold of Satan there was a chosen band not ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified, not ashamed of Paul his prisoner-a band of men to whom Paul's arrival was a joy and a glory, and who were come upwards of forty miles, in all the warmth of love and admiration, to honour him and,.welcome him, and to give him proof of their obedience and devotion to him. Their presence was like a bright gleam of sunshine upon the apostle's way. His heart leaped up in response to that welcome greeting. His bruised and wearied spirit revived. Love and joy and hope made music in his soul, and his first thought was to give God thanks for this refreshment. Then with fresh courage he went on his way like a giant refreshed with wine, ready to work or to suffer, to contend, to be:i.r vitness, to preach, to travel, to write, to spend and be spent, to live or to die for Christ, as his heavenly Father should appoint, till the set time should come when all his toil would be over, and the cross would be exchanged for the glorious crown of righteousness and of life. Vere. 16-31.-Thefall. The main feature in these concluding verses of the ActR of the Apostles, as it is one of the most momentous incidents in the history of God's dealings with mankind, is the fall of Israel from their proper place in the Church of God. For nearly two thousand years, if we date from the call of Abraham, this one family had been separated from the rest of mankind, and eventually received insti- tutions of such wonderful strength and vitality as to keep them separate through centuries of extraordinary vicissitudes, that they might be depositaries of God's great promise, and bis wituesses in the world. But when at length the great promise made by God to the fathers had its fulfilment in the birth of Jesus Christ in.to the world, and the time of rest and glory to Israel would seem to bavo arrived, another event l,appened, also foretold by the prophets, viz. the rejection of their Messiah by an unbelieving and stiff-necked generation. He came to bis own, and his own received him not. "\Vho hath believed our report?" was the prophetic announcement of this unbelief. "Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive" was the prophet's description of the gross heart of the people w b.en the glad sound of the gospel should come unto them. And so now it came to pass. We have seen in the preceding narrative how the most gifted of men, with a profusion of love and eloquence and power which has never been surpassed, went about from country to country, and from city to city, proclaiming to his Jewish brethren tho unsearchable riches of Christ. We have seen how everywhere to the.mass he spoke in vain. The blessed Word of life fell on ears dull of bearing. They resented the message when they should ha.ve hailed the messenger with delight. They sought to silence that tongue in death which spoke to them of Jesus and the resurrection. And now onee more a chance is given them. The generous prisoner has no sooner set his foot in Rome than he calls to Lim all bis fellow-countrymen. Forgiving all the wrongs and injuries and violence which had embittered his life, be once more lays before them Uie blessed news of the kingdom of God, o.nd exhorts them to enter in. Til.:i exhortl•  THE ACTS OP 'l'HP, APOSTLES. [OR, U..VUL 1-31,