Malice, innocence, and power.
We have illustrated here—
I. THE WEAPONS OF MALICE.
1. Persistent hatred. It was a long journey to Caesarea, and it was a most humiliating thing, to which they were utterly averse, for the high priest and the elders to appear before the Roman judge to get their countrymen into their own power; nevertheless the undying hatred, the animosity which did not diminish by time carried them through their distasteful work.
3. Gross misrepresentation (Acts 24:5). Paul had caused no little dissension and conflict among his fellow-countrymen, but it was simple perversion of the truth to call him a "pestilent fellow," etc.
4. Offensive characterization (Acts 24:5). Paul was "a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes;" but malice put his position into the most offensive form it could command.
5. Downright falsehood (Acts 24:6). He had not "gone about to profane the temple." These various falsities came from the lips of Tertullus, but they were owned and adopted by the Jews (Acts 24:9). To such baseness malice will stoop to compass its ends; to such iniquity professed piety will condescend when inflamed by the unholy heats of bigotry.
II. THE DEFENSE OF INNOCENCE.
1. Courtesy (Acts 24:10). We may not flatter, but we must be courteous and conciliatory (1 Peter 3:8; 1 Samuel 25:23-33).
2. Straightforward statement (Acts 24:11, Acts 24:14-17). There is no better way by which to prove our integrity than telling the whole truth from beginning to end, with perfect frankness.
3. Fearless denial (Acts 24:12, Acts 24:13, Acts 24:18). We should solemnly deny, in calm and dignified language, that which is falsely alleged against us; in quietness and composure rather than in vehemence and loud protestation, is our strength.
4. Righteous challenge (Acts 24:19, Acts 24:20). We may do well to face our accusers with bold and righteous challenge (John 8:46).
III. THE PITIFULNESS OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS IN POWER. Felix
A powerful incentive to a noble life.
Between the life of the meanest and basest men on the one hand, and that of the purest and noblest on the other, what an immeasurable spiritual space intervenes! We look here at—
I. A NOBLE HUMAN LIFE. There are those who, in the ordering of their life, never rise above
1. A lofty aim. "To have a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men." This means something more than the avoidance of the darker sins and the greater crimes, of those misdeeds which stamp a man as a sinner and a criminal in the eyes of the world. It means
2. A comprehensive view. Paul aimed to be conscientious at all times, m all things ( διὰ παντός). And we know that this was more than a figure of speech; it could hardly be said to be in any way hyperbolical. He did strive to act with a good conscience always. With whomsoever he had to do, in whatsoever he was engaged, he sought to act faithfully. And the truly noble life is one in which the humbler as well as the higher activities and endurances are regulated by holy and heavenly principles.
3. An earnest endeavor; "I exercise myself," i.e. "I strenuously endeavor," "I put forth my whole energy," "I labor." Paul's action amounted to something vastly more than an occasional sentiment or a feeble futile effort; it was an earnest aspiration spending itself in vigorous exertion. He cultivated his spiritual powers; he trained himself in holy habits; he wrestled with the adversaries of his soul; he did stern battle with the lower propensities; he strove to exhibit the graces which are dear to God, the virtues which are valuable to men.
II. A POWERFUL INCENTIVE TO LIVE IT. (Acts 24:15.) We may draw many powerful and all-sufficient incentives to rectitude from considerations which are at hand.
1. Our supreme obligation to God, the Divine Author of our being and Source of all our joy.
2. Our influence upon our fellow-men, and the effect our life has on theirs.
3. The elevated joy we have in the consciousness of rectitude, both of integrity of heart and innocency of life. But we shall do well to add this other also:
4. The hope of future blessedness; including
Rare heroism and common folly.
There are two main points well worthy of attention.
I. AN ACT OF MORAL HEROISM PARTICULARLY RARE. Paul "reasoned of righteousness, continence, and judgment to come." It requires some courage for a man to address a company of his fellows, even when he feels sure that they will be sympathetic; it demands other and far higher courage to address a number of men, when it is certain they will be unsympathetic; but it requires higher devotedness still, it demands heroism of a rare order for one man to use the language of remonstrance and rebuke when speaking to another man, particularly when that other is the stronger and higher of the two. For the poor man, the captive, the accused, the one who stood absolutely in the other's power, to "reason of righteousness, continence, and judgment to come," to the unrighteous and dissolute judge, who had so much ground for dreading the future,—for Paul thus to expostulate with Felix was heroism itself. Let us thank God that he gave us such a man, to do such a work, at such a time in the history of our race. Let us emulate his spiritual nobility. High courage is, in part, a gift to be thankfully accepted; but it is also, in part, a grace to be studiously acquired. Paul was the faithful man he proved himself at Caesarea, not only because his Creator endowed him with a fearless spirit, but because
II. AN ACT OF SPIRITUAL FOLLY PAINFULLY COMMON. "Felix trembled." His agitation should have passed at once into resolution; he should have said at once, "I will return on my way; I will turn my back on my old sins; I will be a new man, living a new life." But he did not; he made terms with his old self; he temporized; he played with his opportunity; he resorted to evasion, to self-deception; he excused himself; he said, "Go thy way; when I have," etc. O well-worn, much-trodden path of self-excuse, along whose pleasant way such thousands of travelers have gone on to their ruin! This is how we commit spiritual suicide, how we go to our death! We do not say presumptuously, "I will not;' we say feebly, falsely, fatally, "I will soon," "I will when." There are three strong reasons against delay under religious conviction.
1. It is a guilty thing. We blame our children when they hesitate or linger instead of rendering prompt and unquestioning obedience; but we are more bound than they to implicit and unhesitating obedience to the Supreme. "I will when—"means "I will not now." It is rebelliousness of spirit put in the least flagrant form; but it is still rebellion; it is a state of sin.
2. It is a delusive thing. We defer, imagining that we shall find ourselves able and willing to do the right thing further on. But we have no right to reckon on this; for:
3. It is a fatal thing. If vice has slain its thousands, and pride its thousands, surely procrastination has slain its tens of thousands. The man who is consciously and determinately refusing to serve God knows where he stands and what he is; he knows that he is a rebel against God, standing on perilous ground. But he who thinks he is about to enter the kingdom, or even dreams of so doing, shelters himself under the cover of his imaginary submission, and goes on and on, until sinful habit has him in its iron chain, or until "pale-faced Death" knocks at his door, and he is found unready.
"Oh, 'tis a mournful story,
Thus on the ear of pensive eve to tell,
Of morning's firm resolve the vanished glory,
Hope's honey left to wither in the cell,
And plants of mercy dead that might have bloomed so well."
C.