Sermon

_Acts 26:28._—[〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] —Almost you persuade me to be a Christian.

In this chapter you have the Apostle Paul's apology and defensive plea which he makes for himself against those blind Jews which did so maliciously prosecute him before Agrippa, Festus, Bernice and the Council.

In which plea he does chiefly insist upon three things.

The manner of his life before conversion.

The manner of his conversion.

The manner of his life after conversion.

How he lived before conversion he tells you from verse 4 to 13.

How God worked on him to conversion, he tells you from verse 13 to 18.

How he lived after conversion, he tells you from verse 19 to 23.

Before conversion he was very pharisaical.

The manner of his conversion was very wonderful.

The fruit of his conversion was very remarkable.

Before conversion he persecuted the Gospel which others preached; after conversion he preached the Gospel which himself had persecuted.

While he was a persecutor of the Gospel the Jews loved him, but now that (by the grace of God) he was become a preacher of the Gospel, now the Jews hate him and sought to kill him.

He was once against Christ, and then many were for him, but now that he was for Christ, all was against him; his being an enemy to Jesus, made others his friends, but when he came to own Jesus, then they became his enemies.

And this was the great charge they had against him, that of a great opposer he was become a great professor.

Because God had changed him, therefore this enraged them. As if they would be the worse, because God had made him better. God had worked on him by grace, and they seem to envy him the grace of God.

He preached no treason nor sowed no sedition, only he preached repentance and faith in Christ, and the Resurrection, and for this he was called in question.

This is the summary and sum of Paul's defense and plea for himself; which you find in the sequel of the chapter, had a different effect upon his judges.

Festus seems to censure him, verse 24.

Agrippa seems to be convinced by him, verse 28.

The whole bench seems to acquit him, verses 30 and 31.

Festus thinks Paul was beside himself.

Agrippa is almost persuaded to be such a one as himself.

Festus [reconstructed: thinks him mad] because he did not understand the doctrine of Christ and the Resurrection; Much learning has made you mad.

Agrippa is so affected with his plea, that he is almost worked into his principle: Paul pleads so effectually for his religion, that Agrippa seems to be upon the turning point to his profession.

Then Agrippa said to Paul, Almost you persuade me to be a Christian.

Almost][〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], so the Greek, the words make some debate among the learned. I shall not trouble you with the various hints upon them by Valla, Simplicius, Beza, Erasmus and others.

I take the words as we read them, and they show what an efficacy Paul's doctrine had upon Agrippa's conscience. Though he would not be converted, yet he could not but be convinced. His conscience was touched, though his heart was not renewed.

Finis.