The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 285

nnd receives the man who brings into his cell the money of his ransom, so our souls, by faith, welcome nod receive him by whose precious blood we have been bought out of our prison-house of sin. III. 'l'o BELIEVE IN CHRIST IS TO BOLL OUR BURDEN UPON Hnl, To shift the weight of 1111 the trouble and anxiety from our own shoulders, and let Christ bear it 1111 for us; 11s one might do who had an important trial coming on, but trusted the whole matter to bis skilful lawyer-friend. IV. To BELIEVE IN CHBIST IS TO APPLY TO HIH, As the hungry and the thirsty apply for food and drink, so the hungry soul applies to Christ for the bread which, if a man eats, he lives for ever. V. To BELIEVE IN CHRIST IB TO COME TO HIM, To flee to him 118 the villagers flee into the strongholds before invading armies; as the doomed man fled into the sanctuary to lay hold of the horns of the altar, or as the man,Iayer fled before the avenger of blood to gain the shelter of the city of refuge. So the soul enters the stronghold of Christ, takes sanctuary with Christ, passes within the gates of Christ, the Refuge for the sinner. VI. To BELIEVE IN CHRIST IS TO LEAN UPON Bll[, TO BTA Y UPON HIM, 118 we lean upon a staff for support. Christ is the strong Staff, on which the soul, with all its eternal interests, may safely lean ; Christ is the healthy, strong Friend, on whom the sick, fainting, weary soul may wholly rely. VII. To BELIEVE IN CHRIST IS TO ADHERE TO mH, TO OLEAVE TO HnL As the drown- ing man clutches so must we grasp, cling to, cleave to, the Lord Jesus, binding the soul to him as with everlasting bands. With so many and so simple illustrations, how well you may be urged now-even now-to believe on the Son of God, and find the pardon he speaks, the life he gives, and the love with which he will make you his own for everl-R. T. Ver. 36,-Testing the ,mpulse to confeasion. The eunuch knew how his own proselytism had been sealed. When he accepted the Jewish faith, he made confession of it by the rite of baptism. So now, when he had accepted a new faith, his first impulse was the desire to seal it by a renewal of the rite, and the site of the water reminded him of the possibility of making his confession of Christ there and then. Though ver. 37 is not found in the Revised Version, and may be only an editor's explanation that has crept into the text, we may be quite sure that Philip would not baptize the eunuch in response to his impulsive request without some such test as this-a test which would bring out whether his faith was whole-hearted and sincere. He must know if his belief was belief with all the heart. On this test, which needs to be still put to would-be confessors, we may dwell. L BELIEF OF THE HEART IS THE BELIEF OF SINCERE CONVICTION. A man becomes intellectually convinced that Jesus Christ is the Saviour. That conviction may come by very different agencies adapted to individuals, Mere ideas never urge to faith, con- t!ktions do. II. BELIEF OF THE HEART IS THE BELIEF OF DEEP FEELING. The intellectual grasp of truth is not enough. The sense of sin and the gratitude for salvation urge the out- going of trustful affections towards the Saviour. III. BELIEF OF THE HEART FINDS EXPRESSION IN PRACTICAL RESOLVE. First an entire decision for Christ ; then a full and unreservt•d consecration to him ; then a turning round of our whole life to his obedience, and a daily devotion of our powers and talents to his service. But this belief with the heart is no mere fitting association of the first act of confession; it needs to be daily maintained, ~wing knowledge of Christ giving fuller ap),)l'ehenaions of him, and our hearts lo_vingly responding to ail _we can learn and know. Heart-belief alone can ensure the active, noble, and self~enymg Ohristian lifo.-B. '1'.  282 THE AOTS OF THE APOSTLES,