XIV. AT THE ASTONISHMENT OF THE MAGISTRATES AND ENCOURAGED VISION FROM THE LORD. BY A MORNING dawns, and a message is sent to the jailor, "Let these men go." What, then, are the guilty consciences of these magistrates troubled? Yes, the earthquake has alarmed them. Oh, only those whose souls are stayed upon God, can, in times of danger, be kept in peace! Instead of being able in calm composure to say, "Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea," they thought of Paul and Silas, whom they had so unjustly imprisoned, and were alarmed In haste the messengers rush to the dreary cell, and "You are free, you are free!" is their eager exclamation to the prisoners. Do they joyfully rise from the damp dungeon stone, in haste to tread the free earth again? No; on the contrary, they seem unwilling to depart. Listen-Paul is speaking! In calm and dignified composure, he quietly says, "They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay, verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out." He might have added something of this kind, "Put away this defence from a Roman citizen, and they are at once subjected to any indignities. Cicero says, 'the Portian law has removed the rod from the body of any Roman.' We have been publicly disgraced, and we must be publicly acquitted. The laws have been violated, and we demand protection." Paul would not thus have spoken from a revengeful spirit, but he felt that he was promoting the honour of the Gospel, by proclaiming that he had not been acting contrary to law. His public name and character for the sake of his God, he was bound to defend, however unresistingly he might have submitted to private insult and wrong. When this message was conveyed to the magistrates they were very much alarmed. They well L knew it was no slight crime to punish unjustly a Roman citizen. No time is to be lost, so they go themselves to the prison, and beseech Paul and Silas to leave the place quietly. Our characters are at stake, they say. There will be a tumult in the town. We did not indeed know that you were Romans. Paul seems to have been satisfied with this concession; and, no doubt, being anxious to preach the Gospel in other parts, he consented to leave Philippi. They hasten to the house of their friend Lydia, whom you will remember as the seller of purplethe attentive listener at the river-side. Farewell is a sorrowful word, even amongst the Lord's servants. We can, in imagination, hear this faithful apostle, giving his parting admonition to the weeping brethren: "Those things which ye have both learned and received, and heard, and seen in me, do; and the God of peace shall be with you." And this same Almighty Protector who delivered his servants, this same Jesus, though invisible, is ever at your side, waiting to be gracious unto you. It needs not the scourge nor the imprisonment to bring him to your aid; the uneasy sigh, even the childish anxiety-to these he will graciously attend. Yes, He who speaks in the earthquake and in the storm, He who rolls the planets in their spheres, and under whose control are the armies of heaven, will stoop to hush the throbbings of your troubled heart, and will put the shield of his love before you in the hour of danger. And now we must follow Paul to the synagogue in Thessalonica. The Scriptures are in his hands, and he is speaking to the assembled multitude of Jesus. He is explaining the prophecies concerning the Messiah. Thessalonica was a famous city in Macedonia, and was inhabited by Jews, Greeks, and Romans. Many of the Greeks, and amongst them women of rank and influence, renounced their idols, and sought the way of salvation through Christ Jesus. The unbelieving Jews became very envious, because Paul and Silas made so many converts; and, urged on by this feeling, they go into the forum or market-place, where many idle people were generally assembled, and quickly getting a mob around them, they attack the house of Jason, where these apostles lodged, and to whom Paul was related. They could not find these devoted men, but they seize Jason and his friends, and bring them before the rulers of the city. And what do you think was the charge against them? They were accused of having turned the world upside down! Well, this was, at all events, acknowledging the power of the Gospel. We know it changes the heart, and the world would certainly present a very different aspect were its precepts universally obeyed. It was, however, the intention of the Jews to speak evil of the apostles; and, therefore, not content with this charge, they proceeded to accuse Paul and Silas of sedition, and of rebellion against the Roman emperor. their words, and because they spoke of their loyalty to Jesus, to persuade the people that this was an act of rebellion against their earthly sovereign. It was not difficult at such a time to assume forgetfulness of the Christian precept," Render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, and unto God the things that are God's. It was very easy to pervert The rulers were excited and alarmed by the mob collected, but they do not appear to have thought much of the accusation brought against the apostles; for, in accordance with the Roman usages, they took security of Jason for the future good conduct of his friends. It has been supposed that Jason gave a pledge that they should leave the city; but of this we are not certain. The Gospel had taken deep root in Thessalonica. The foundation of a church was laid there. Paul and Silas had accomplished their labours of love in this city, and therefore we are not surprised to find, that, in compliance with the earnestre quest of their friends, who are alarmed |