ducees who denied the resurrection, and the Pharisees who owned it; and obliged the Pharisees, at least as to that opinion, to take his part, and so by pious prudence he turned their opposition against him upon one another: that by setting them at variance he might the better escape. Learn hence, That an innocent and prudent policy may warrantably be made use of by the members and ministers of Jesus Christ, without any blemish to their holy profession, in order to our preservation from the hands of persecutors; a serpentine subtilty may be made use of, together with a dovelike innocency. Thus did St. Paul here: when he perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out, &c. 7 And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisces and the Sadducees; and the multitude was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both. 9 And there arose a great cry and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God. Observe here, 1. How sad a state, and how bad a condition, was the Jewish church now in, when in the Sanhedrim, or great council, men had power and authority, who believed in no life but this; and what hypocrites were the Pharisees, who could thus incorporate and embody with damnable heretics, the Sadducees, and yet at the same time hated and persecuted the christians. The Sadducees were so far from believing that there was any spirit, that they blasphemously maintained, that God himself was no spiritual, but only a corporeal being. When men sin with obstinacy against supernatural light, God justly withdraws from them even natural light, and suffers them to fall from one degree of error to another. Observe, 2. How partiality will change men's judgments, according to the interest of a party or faction. The Pharisees were bitter enemies to the apostle; but, because he owned himself of their sect, they instantly take part with him, and cry, We find no fault with him. The feuds about religion are commonly the sharpest feuds; men are more fond of the notions of their brains, than they are of the issue of their bodies. Odia Religiosorum sunt acerbissima; “ Religious hates are hottest." Observe, 3. How the dissensions of God's adversaries oft-times become the deliverance of God's servants. Thus here the Pharisees and Sadducees quarrel about the resurrection: the Pharisees justify St. Paul, and tell them that oppose him, They are in danger of fighting against God." Thus God, when he pleaseth, can find or make patrons of his people, and raise up friends from amongst his very enemies, to defend his cause. 66 10 And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, feared in pieces of them, commanded ing lest Paul should have been pullthe soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle. 11 stood by him, and said, Be of good And the night following, the Lord cheer, Paul for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. St. Paul was now in the midst of diffi culty and danger; but observe how seasonably God steps in for his succour and deliverance: First, he stirs up that heathen tribune, the chief captain Lysias, who was present at the trial, to see his prisoner have fair play; the Lord stirs up this man to rescue the apostle from the hands of violence, by which he was in danger of being pulled in pieces, and he is returned safe unto the castle again. O how God's encouragements evermore accompany his commands! His faithful servants, when they suffer for him, shall certainly be delivered by him, either in trouble or out of trouble. Secondly, God comforts the suffering apostle with his own presence, and with the gracious manifestations of his special favour; The Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul.-Where note, That if the Lord stand by, and be graciously present with his servants, in a suffering hour, it is no matter how many and how mighty they be that do withstand them, and appear against them. No doubt these words, Be of good cheer, Paul, turned the apostle's prison into a palace, yea, into a paradise, and enabled him to bid a bold defiance to all the devilish designs of the Jews in Jerusalem against him; having got such good security for his safety, even from God himself, in the faith of which our apostle holily triumphs, saying, If God be for us, who can be against us: Rom. viii. 31. That is, none can be against us, either safely or successfully. The presence of God with his suffering servants outweighs all their discouragements. 12 And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying, That they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13 And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy. 14 And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. 15 Now there fore, ye, with the council, signify to the chief captain, that he bring him down unto you to-morrow, as though ye would enquire something more perfectly concerning him; and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him. Observe here, 1. A barbarous and bloody plot, a cursed combination and conspiracy, against the life of the innocent and useful apostle: no sooner was it daylight, but the wicked Jews bind themselves by an oath, never to eat or drink more, until they eat the apostle's flesh, and drink his blood. Thus the wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth, Psal. xxxvii. 12. Observe, 2. The numbers which were engaged in this conspiracy more than forty, they all agreed as one man. Lord, how numerous, how unanimous, how resolute and outrageous, are the enemies of thy holy religion, to carry on their cursed contrivances for the extirpation of it! Thus was it here; these enemies were numerous, more than forty. The devil's designs never miscarry for want of fit instruments: he has a party ever ready to oppose the gospel in every place. And as they were unanimous, as well as numerous, they combined together in one cursed bond here was unity, but not an unity in the truth, but a conspiracy against it; here was the agreement and friendship, but it was like that of Herod and Pilate : against Christ, and not for him; and they were resolute and outrageous, They bound themselves under a curse, under a bloody vow, to pursue their purpose of murdering the apostle. It has been the old policy of the enemies of the church to oblige and bind themselves by oaths and execrations, by leagues and associations, to carry on their wicked and bloody designs against the church. They were more than forty which made this conspiracy. Observe, 3. The quality of the persons which were engaged in this bloody purpose: they were the Sadducees, who denied the immortality of the soul, and a life after death. And they apply themselves to the high-priest, and Sanhedrim or great council, not doubting of his and their readiness to join with them. O what a low ebb was the Jewish religion now at! What an high-priest and priesthood was there, that must head a confederacy of murdering Sadducees! How church, when their chief priests were thus great was the degeneracy of the Jewish ready to comply with, and contribute their best assistance to, such a cruel crew of cutthroats and bloody assassins! But they had almost filled up the measure of their sins, and their final destruction was near approaching. Observe, lastly, What craft and cruelty, what fraud and force, are here found and combined together in the church's enemies. The council must court the captain, that he bring down his prisoner, as though they would enquire something more perfectly Thus was the plot concerning him. against the apostle's life laid craftily as well as cruelly under a pretence of having the prisoner re-examined, they contrive to have him brought down from the castle, and in his way to the council they combined toge ther for his destruction. Lord, abate the power of the church's enemies, since their malice cannot be abated! 16 And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul. 17 Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain; for he hath a certain thing to tell him. 18 So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee. 19 Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me? 20 And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee, that thou wouldest bring down Paul tomorrow into the council, as though they would enquire somewhat of him more perfectly. 21 But do not thou yield unto them for there lay in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee. : of Note here, 1. That no conspiracies are or can be kept secret from God, who can both detect them, and defeat them at his pleasure. Note, The remarkable providence of God in bringing this conspiracy to the knowledge of St. Paul's sister's son: he was perhaps by, when the conspirators were contriving the mischief, and overheard them. It is happy for the innocent, that the malicious cannot keep their own counsel. God oftentimes causeth the tongues of his people's enemies to fall upon themselves, and they discover the wicked purposes their hearts, which none but themselves were privy to. Note, 3. How the hearts of all men are in the hand of the Lord, and how he turneth them as he pleaseth. This is evident from the chief captain's great humanity towards St. Paul, and his courteous humility towards his sister's son, taking the youth by the hand, and as readily giving him both audience and despatch; such a ⚫ sovereignty and dominion has God over the hearts of men, that he can instantly incline them as he pleaseth, and make even enemies become benefactors at his pleasure. 22 So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me. 23 And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Cesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night; 24 And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor. Observe here, 1. How wonderfully God overruled the heart of the chief captain, in that he took care both of St. Paul, and the young man also: he bids the young man depart; for had it been known that he had discovered the conspiracy, they had conspired against his life; and had not the chief captain conveyed away the apostle, his enemies, who had been disappointed in this, would have made further attempts against his life. Thus wonderfully doth the good providence of God work for his servants' preservation. Observe, 2. What a strong guard does God raise and set round the apostle for his defence and safety, even a guard of heathen soldiers, to secure him from the Jewish rage; two hundred soldiers, threescore and ten horsemen, and life-guard was here raised for the apostle's What a royal spearmen two hundred. safe-conduct to Cesarea! None of all these soldiers intended him any good; but God had the greatest good-will for him. God made use of them as effectually as if they can make bad persons show kindness to his good servants, and do his will by them who know nothing of his mind and will. When God has work to do, he will find instruments to do by. And though we see them not, yet are they never the farther off. 25 And he wrote a letter after this manner : 26 Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting. 27 This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them: then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman. 28 And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council: Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds. 30 And when it was told me, how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to lay be 29 fore thee what they had against him. Farewell. The chief captain Lysias having sent St. Paul under a strong guard to Cesarea by night, where Felix the Roman governor resided, he writes a letter to acquaint Felix with the accusation laid to the prisoner's charge. In which letter observe, 1. The title given to the Roman governor, Most excellent; Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix, sendeth greeting. Titles of civil honour and respect given to persons in place and power are agree able to the mind and will of God. There is an honour which belongs to men, with respect to their external degree and place, when none is due to them with respect to their internal qualifications. He that is very honourable as to his place, may not deserve any honour as to his worth; yet ought he to be honoured so far as his place requireth. Observe, 2. How God overruled the heart and pen of this captain, Lysias, to do the apostle right, in representing his case fairly and indifferently: that he found nothing brought against him that was punishable, either with death or bonds, by the Roman law. Observe, 3. How triflingly he speaks of the great things in question concerning our blessed Redeemer's death and resurrection, as also of the whole gospel: he calls them, undervaluingly, questions of their law. As the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God, so the manifold wisdom of God is accounted and esteemed folly by the ignorant and blind world. Yet observe, 4. How God overruled his very slighting of these controversies in dispute for the apostle's advantage: he being by that means preserved from the rage of the Jews. When this man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed by them, I came with an army and rescued him. Behold how God accomplishes his own designs for the preservation of his servants, by the hands of those from whom destruction could rather have been expected. Thus here, God made use of an heathen captain to rescue and defend the apostle from the enraged Jews, who send him under a strong guard, with a friendly letter in favour of him, to Felix the governor at Cesarea, where he gives notice to his accusers to implead him face to face. Blessed be God, that our times are in his hands, not in our enemies' hands, nor yet in our own; until we have finished the work which God designed us, neither men nor devils can take us off. 31 Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32 On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle, 38 Who, when they came to Cesarea, and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him. 34 And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia: 35 I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment-hall. The apostle being brought before Felix the Roman governor, although he was an heathen, yet he showed the apostle far more favour than his own countrymen the Jews: for, observe, 1. His affability to St. Paul, in asking him of his country. 2. His justice; he would not judge him till he had his accusers face to face, I will hear thee when thine accusers are come. If it be enough to accuse, who can be innocent? and if it be sufficient to deny, who would be found guilty? Magistrates must know a cause, before they give sentence or judgment about it; otherwise, though they pronounce a right sentence, it is not in judg ment, but by accident. Magistrates must be stars, as well as ministers; they must do nothing blindfold, or blindly. Observe, 3. His great favour towards the apostle, in committing him a prisoner, not to the common gaol, but to Herod's palace; a fair prison, if a place of confinement may be so called. The Sanhedrim at Jerusalem, though of his own country, and of his own religion, yet were not so kind to him as Felix the beathen governor. Thus the chapter concludes with an account of the apostle's wonderful deliverance from the Jews at Jerusalem, who conspired his destruction; together with the instrumental means and manner of it. In the next chapter we find him brought to Cesa CHAP. XXIV. In the beginning of this chapter we find St. Paul brought to his trial before Felix, the Roman governor; a famous trial, at which the plaintiff was Ananias the high-priest, and several members of the Sanhedrim; the defendant, St. Paul; the judge, Felix: the emperor's attorney general, Tertullus; and the indictment drawn up against the prisoner, heresy and sedition. From which imputation the apostle clears himself,; and in the end of the chapter makes a declaration of his faith, and gives an account of the holiness and inuocency of his life. AND after five days, Ananias the high-priest descended, with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul. Observe here, How Ananias the highpriest, with the elders or heads of the Jewish council at Jerusalem, travel from thence to Cesarea, a great many miles, to inform the government against St. Paul; After five days Ananias descended, &c. The devil's drudges stick at no pains, spare for no cost, in doing his drudgery. A persecuting spirit claps wings to a person, it makes him swift in his motion, and zealous in his application and endeavours. Observe, 2. How the high-priest carrieth with him one of their most eminent and eloquent advocates, to implead the innocent apostle. Satan never miscarries in any of his enterprises and wicked designs for want of fit tools to carry them on. He hath his Tertullus, an eloquent orator, ready, who could tune his tongue any way for a large fee. Ananias descended, with a certain orator named Tertullus, &c. and corrupt minds. There is no cause so foul and bad, but some will be found to plead it; yea, to justify and defend it. And if so, judges had need be wise, as the angels of God, discerning between truth and falsehood. Observe farther, How Tertullus seeks to gain the judge's favour by flattery and falsehood to win judges by flattery hath ever by false accusers been taken for the surest way of success; but after all, flattery is a very provoking and wrath-procuring sin; and it is hard to say, which is most dangerous, to receive flattery or to give it. When men give much glory to man, 'tis hard for man to give that glory back again to God. 'Tis hell and death to flatter sinners, or suffer ourselves to be flattered by them. Observe lastly, That bad government is better than no government; tyranny itself is better than anarchy. The Jews were not now their own masters, but tributaries to the Romans. Yet Tertullus acknowledges, many worthy deeds were done unto their nation by the prudence of the Roman governor: "Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence, we accept it always, and in all places, mos noble Felix." 5 For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes : 6 Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law. 7 But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands, 8 Commanding his accusers to come unto thee: by examining of whom, thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things whereof we accuse him. 9 And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so. Tertullus having prepared the judge, presently falls upon the matter, and charges St. Paul with being a pestilent fellow, a seditious person, a disturber of the nation, a profaner of the temple, a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. And adds, that out of mere zeal to the Jewish religion, they had themselves before now despatched him cut of the way, but that he was vio |