Preservation of Paul From the Jews in the Temple

    Another escape for your life, Paul. Never were you in greater danger. The murderers have you in their hands, and they are in the very act of beating you to death. But you are saved by Providence, without a miracle. "And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul." What a happy thing that tidings of the tumult were carried to the chief captain! But especially, how providential was it that the tidings reached him in time! The victim of vengeance might have been immolated before the arrival of the officers. And it was strange that such was not the fact. It would take some time to carry the tidings, and it would take some time to prepare the guard, and come to the place. Paul might have been killed a thousand times before the arrival of deliverance. The tumult must have commenced some considerable time before the mob drew Paul out of the temple to kill him, else he would have been killed long before the news had reached the officer. Here is the hand of Providence adjusting the deliverance to the danger, and putting the guard of deliverance in motion, so as to arrive at the critical moment the work of death was commenced; but Providence had a deliverer at the door. A few minutes longer, and a hundred thousand men could have done no service to Paul. How many times is murder prevented in a like providential manner! The accidental approach of others, or even the rustling of the leaves by the wind, may turn away the hand of the assassin.

    What a blessing to the Christian is civil government! Even arbitrary and tyrannical governments are in general a protection to them from the assaults of illegal violence. God is the author of civil government ; and he makes it in every country answer the purpose for which he has appointed it. True, it is often tyrannical, oppressive, and unjust; but it never is so, except when God designs to punish the nations. And if Christians know and perform their duty to the government under which Providence has placed them, they will usually find protection. But if it be the will of God that his people should suffer from the rulers of the nations, for the glory of his name, they may commit their safety to the Lord. If they suffer for his work, the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon them. Let them never suffer for evil-doing. Let them be as strangers and pilgrims on the earth. They have before them a city that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.