LECTURE IV.

ON

THE LABOURS OF PAUL AND SILAS.

PAUL'S

SECOND JOURNEY INTO ASIA AND THROUGH MACEDONIA, GREECE, ETC., UNTIL HIS VISIT TO JERUSALEM. [A.D. 50 TO 60.]

ACTS xix. 21.

After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, after I have been there, I must also see Rome.

WHENEVER We take a comprehensive view of Christianity, in the light of an established institution, it is important to make a distinction between its immediate and remote influence; for it is evident that many partake of the moral benefits of the Christian religion, who neither acknowledge its Divine origin, nor live under the influence of its doctrines. An individual born to the privileges of a Christian, and nurtured or brought up, I will not say in the fear of

Iv.] MORAL INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIANITY.

207

the Lord, but in the principles of that hightoned morality, which the religion of Christ alone sanctions and proclaims, unconsciously derives benefit from a source he never personally arrived at; and this is what I mean by the remote influence of Christianity. We conceive this to be that blessing of Divine Providence which rests upon a nation or a place, for the sake of those who live under the immediate influence of the doctrine of Christ, and this to such an extent that the whole community may be spared for the sake of the ten righteous men that are found in it. But whenever the period may arrive in which there shall be no more any who are owned by the Lord Jesus as His people, then the whole displeasure of the Almighty may be expected to go forth, and, as in times of old, when He pronounced the fatal sentence, " they shall not enter into my rest," His wrath is manifest in the calamities which sometimes fall upon whole nations, and in the warning voice which crieth woe! woe! to the inhabitants of the rebellious city, after which is sent the last and most dreadful visitation of all, He even taketh away the light which had cheered its unconscious and ungrateful inhabitants, and letteth out the vineyard to others. In this manner it is that we may account for the deplorable state of those countries in which St. Paul

208 MORAL INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIANITY. [LECT.

first planted the Churches of Christ': the moral influence of which I speak has vanished, and men have been left to follow their own imaginations until their latter state has become worse than the first, and they are to every good work reprobate. Now what has happened to whole nations may happen to individuals, which circumstance induces us to turn to the immediate influence of God's truth-that is to say, the spiritual influence as distinct from the moral, in order to show, that if, whilst we hear we obey not the truth, or if, having received it, whether with a degree of willingness or indifference, we hold it in unrighteousness, the individual soul becomes the subject of all the just judgments of heaven: neither hardness of heart nor contempt of God's word and commandments will be slow to succeed the backslidings and departures from the light of truth, until the evil heart is ready to receive the seeds of every spiritual enemy which may arise

1

The establishment of Islamism upon the ruins of Christianity in the East, is, I think, a striking example of God's judgments upon apostate nations. Not only is the faith of Mahomet, as Professor White observed, wherever it is established, united with despotic power, but it is destructive of all right moral feeling. If the Turks be allowed the virtue of speaking truth, it still leaves their character, like that of the Corsair,

"Link'd with one virtue and a thousand crimes."

IV.] RELIGIOUS CONTENTION TO BE AVOIDED. 209

in the darkness of night to sow tares for its destruction. Clearly as these things may be exemplified in comparing the labours of Paul and Silas with their subsequent results, yet will it be far better to take heed unto ourselves, and consult our own security—a spiritual exercise to which the meditation upon these subjects is intended to lead us.

It will not be forgotten by such of you as have attended to our narrative, that whilst Barnabas took Mark, and sailed away to the island of Cyprus, Paul and Silas travelled into Syria and Cilicia, confirming the Churches, which had been there planted by Paul himself. This separation of Paul and Barnabas was caused by a dispute which took place on the subject of their former companion Mark. St. Paul considered that he had shown too little zeal for the work of the ministry in leaving them so abruptly in their first journey into Asia: this Barnabas did not think a sufficient reason for refusing to take him with them again. The contention seemed to be a subject of regret, but two great benefits resulted from it a larger field was opened to their missionary labours, the Gospel was more widely diffused, Mark afterwards became more zealous and faithful, and one of the most useful fellowlabourers with St. Paul in his arduous and diffi

P

210 RELIGIOUS CONTENTION TO BE AVOIDED. [LECT.

cult circumstances 1. It is evident that such events might have been produced without the contention of these two inspired men: their conduct, therefore, is not to be an example for our imitation; but we may hence learn never to mix our personal differences with the primary object of our ministry, nor ever to betray the sacred cause of our Lord and Master, nor fail to hold the faith in the unity of the Spirit, however we may differ in our opinion of one another's zeal. For, as to the dispute, it was not about the salvation which is only through a crucified Saviour, that these primitive teachers differed; but it was in their opinion and private judgment of a brother, into which, it being not a matter intended for their judgment, God did not interpose by his Holy Spirit to direct or guide them: it was left for time and circumstances to decide. And thus it will ever be, my brethren: our contentions will be endless, if we inquire what this man or that man shall do; this is not the truth into which the Spirit is pledged to guide us; but whenever our views may unfortunately differ in any thing relating to the doctrines of the Bible, as surely as we search the Scriptures for the truth, in all

1 2 Tim. iii. 11. This Mark must not be confounded with the Evangelist.