The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 457

II. Gon's WAYS WITH THE NATIO!IB WILL BE ULTIMATELY VINDICATED. To their ,·iell' and to our view ithere is much that seems to need vindicaling. For instance, (1) is there not much sign of favouritism in the Divine ways? (2) do not multitudes of men morally perish while God withholds from them hls reve)atlon? (3) however the experiment may serve the great interest of the race, it brings the ruin ot the individual; and (4) the darkness into which man sinks when left a.lone is 110 awful that even the gospel light seems powerless to dispel it. In llUCh ways we find utterance for our questionings and doubts. And yet already God's ways a.re being justified. 1. We are getting fuller e.nd worthier oonceptione of the Divine Being himself, which bring a most restful assurance that what he does for e.ll his creatures is more than right, is lovingly right. 2. Philosophy is helping us to a truer knowledge of the individual man, e.nd of the purpose of race and climatic diversities of me.n, and enabling us to conceive how God may deal with humanity as a whole, and with each part in the interest• of the whole. 3. The Christian revelation declares that the mystery of earth will 1x unfolded by-and-by, and will even pass out of our thought as we contemplate the exceeding glory of its perfected redemption. 4. Christian missions are spree.ding the one saving revelation of God amongst the nations in a way that assures of the coming fulfilment of our largest hopes. Till the day of vindication fully dawns, we must strive to understand better God's ways, e.nd above all to make full present response to God's grace in Christ Jesus as revealed unto w.-R. T. Ver. 17.-'I'M IDimeBB of harvest-times. For the point as presented to a very different audience, see Rom. i. 19, 20; eh. xvii. 28. It he.s been remarked that the Greek words here used by the apostle are "so distinctly rhythmical that they suggest the thought that St. Paul quotes from some hymn of praise which he he.d heard in a harvest or vintage festival, and which, as with the altar to the Unknown God at Athens, he claims e.s due to him whom men ignorantly worshipped." A sentence from Neander me.y give the key-note to the sermon. He says, "The whole creation, as a revelation of God, especially of his almightiness o.nd goodness, is designed to arouse the spirit of man to a perception of the inward revelation of God." Introduce the subject by a picture of the scene connected with it. An occasion was me.de for declaring the relations of nature with religion. Fix thought on the one nature-scene of harvest, and a1iply St. Paul's teaching; first showing how fully in harmony with his views this representation was, and what support Holy Scripture gives to it. J. GoD IUY SPEAK TO HIS CREATURES BY THE VOICE OF NATURE, AND HE DOES TBlJ'S SPEAK TO THEll ALL. 1. God must use some agency in revealing his mind to his creatures. 2. The agency he uses must be in relation to our bodily senses. 3. It need not be fashioned into precise words, because man's heart can be reached through the eye, the ea.r, the taste, as well as by verbal statements. Illustrate the impressions of beautiful landscape, music of the waters, thunderstorms, etc. Any of the things that man can feel God can w;e to convey his mind and message to him. The voices of God in nature are translated for us by our poets, who are-if they fit into their true mission-ministers of God's will to men, or rather, ministers revealing God himself to men. See how the psalmist recognizes the universal witness of this nature-voice: " Their sound is gone out through all the earth, their words to the end of the world;" and apply especially to the harvest-time of earth, which knits the millions of earth together in the joyful recognition of God's loving care and providing merck'B. IL WHAT OF THIS NATUBE-WITNESB TO GoD HAY ALL MEN RECEIVE? L The truth of the Divine unity; for it is plain to all that nature is a design-some one person'11 design. It.s perfect harmonies suggest this. And increasing knowledge corrects the notion of two agents, which men have been tempted to accept, when impressed with the seemingly injurious forces working in nature. Science, in making more plain the perfect harmony of all nature-forces, is giving her testimony to the unity of God. .A.nd then co111es on us this consideration: if there be but one God, our supreme concern is to be in right relations with him. 2. The truth that he is infinite in power; for nature shows us that he is infinite in resources. 3. The truth that he is infinitely good• for nature shows him to us fitting all things together to secure the genera.I well-being. Nature suggests the attractiveness a.nd bea.utifulness of Uod. III.. Ww,.T llOBJ!: TB'.Al!l TBI8 OAlil llATUBE WITNESS OF GOD TO THE CBBJSTLUI? on. XIV, 1-28.] THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. 455