Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/online/mhcc03/v04350

Text File | 1994-03-02 | 7KB | 117 lines

04355
 #16-24 Satan, though the father of lies, will declare the most
 important truths, when he can thereby serve his purposes. But
 much mischief is done to the real servants of Christ, by unholy
 and false preachers of the gospel, who are confounded with them
 by careless observers. Those who do good by drawing men from
 sin, may expect to be reviled as troublers of the city. While
 they teach men to fear God, to believe in Christ, to forsake
 sin, and to live godly lives, they will be accused of teaching
 bad customs.

04364
 #25-34 The consolations of God to his suffering servants are
 neither few nor small. How much more happy are true Christians
 than their prosperous enemies! As in the dark, so out of the
 depths, we may cry unto God. No place, no time is amiss for
 prayer, if the heart be lifted up to God. No trouble, however
 grievous, should hinder us from praise. Christianity proves
 itself to be of God, in that it obliges us to be just to our own
 lives. Paul cried aloud to make the jailer hear, and to make him
 heed, saying, Do thyself no harm. All the cautions of the word
 of God against sin, and all appearances of it, and approaches to
 it, have this tendency. Man, woman, do not ruin thyself; hurt
 not thyself, and then none else can hurt thee; do not sin, for
 nothing but that can hurt thee. Even as to the body, we are
 cautioned against the sins which do harm to that. Converting
 grace changes people's language of and to good people and good
 ministers. How serious the jailer's inquiry! His salvation
 becomes his great concern; that lies nearest his heart, which
 before was furthest from his thoughts. It is his own precious
 soul that he is concerned about. Those who are thoroughly
 convinced of sin, and truly concerned about their salvation,
 will give themselves up to Christ. Here is the sum of the whole
 gospel, the covenant of grace in a few words; Believe in the
 Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. The
 Lord so blessed the word, that the jailer was at once softened
 and humbled. He treated them with kindness and compassion, and,
 professing faith in Christ, was baptized in that name, with his
 family. The Spirit of grace worked such a strong faith in them,
 as did away further doubt; and Paul and Silas knew by the
 Spirit, that a work of God was wrought in them. When sinners are
 thus converted, they will love and honour those whom they before
 despised and hated, and will seek to lessen the suffering they
 before desired to increase. When the fruits of faith begin to
 appear, terrors will be followed by confidence and joy in God.

04374
 #35-40 Paul, though willing to suffer for the cause of Christ,
 and without any desire to avenge himself, did not choose to
 depart under the charge of having deserved wrongful punishment,
 and therefore required to be dismissed in an honourable manner.
 It was not a mere point of honour that the apostle stood upon,
 but justice, and not to himself so much as to his cause. And
 when proper apology is made, Christians should never express
 personal anger, nor insist too strictly upon personal amends.
 The Lord will make them more than conquerors in every conflict;
 instead of being cast down by their sufferings, they will become
 comforters of their brethren.
04380
 * Paul at Thessalonica. (1-9) The noble conduct of the Bereans.
 (10-15) Paul at Athens. (16-21) He preaches there. (22-31) The
 scornful conduct of the Athenians. (32-34)

 #1-9 The drift and scope of Paul's preaching and arguing, was to
 prove that Jesus is the Christ. He must needs suffer for us,
 because he could not otherwise purchase our redemption for us;
 and he must needs have risen again, because he could not
 otherwise apply the redemption to us. We are to preach
 concerning Jesus that he is Christ; therefore we may hope to be
 saved by him, and are bound to be ruled by him. The unbelieving
 Jews were angry, because the apostles preached to the Gentiles,
 that they might be saved. How strange it is, that men should
 grudge others the privileges they will not themselves accept!
 Neither rulers nor people need be troubled at the increase of
 real Christians, even though turbulent spirits should make
 religion the pretext for evil designs. Of such let us beware,
 from such let us withdraw, that we may show a desire to act
 aright in society, while we claim our right to worship God
 according to our consciences.

04389
 #10-15 The Jews in Berea applied seriously to the study of the
 word preached unto them. They not only heard Paul preach on the
 sabbath, but daily searched the Scriptures, and compared what
 they read with the facts related to them. The doctrine of Christ
 does not fear inquiry; advocates for his cause desire no more
 than that people will fully and fairly examine whether things
 are so or not. Those are truly noble, and likely to be more and
 more so, who make the Scriptures their rule, and consult them
 accordingly. May all the hearers of the gospel become like those
 of Berea, receiving the word with readiness of mind, and
 searching the Scriptures daily, whether the things preached to
 them are so.

04395
 #16-21 Athens was then famed for polite learning, philosophy,
 and the fine arts; but none are more childish and superstitious,
 more impious, or more credulous, than some persons, deemed
 eminent for learning and ability. It was wholly given to
 idolatry. The zealous advocate for the cause of Christ will be
 ready to plead for it in all companies, as occasion offers. Most
 of these learned men took no notice of Paul; but some, whose
 principles were the most directly contrary to Christianity, made
 remarks upon him. The apostle ever dwelt upon two points, which
 are indeed the principal doctrines of Christianity, Christ and a
 future state; Christ our way, and heaven our end. They looked on
 this as very different from the knowledge for many ages taught
 and professed at Athens; they desire to know more of it, but
 only because it was new and strange. They led him to the place
 where judges sat who inquired into such matters. They asked
 about Paul's doctrine, not because it was good, but because it
 was new. Great talkers are always busy-bodies. They spend their
 time in nothing else, and a very uncomfortable account they have
 to give of their time who thus spend it. Time is precious, and
 we are concerned to employ it well, because eternity depends
 upon it, but much is wasted in unprofitable conversation.