Acts 24

But then we buy and sell to the glory of God, when in our buying and selling we observe that golden maxim, to do to others as we would have them do to us (Matthew 7:12). When we so sell our commodities that we do not sell our conscience (Acts 24:16): Herein do I exercise myself…

How can a guilty prisoner endure the sight of the Judge? If Felix trembled when Paul preached of judgment (Acts 24:25), how will sinners tremble when they shall see Christ come to judgment? Christ is described (sitting in judgment) with a fiery stream issuing from him (Daniel 7:…

Question 3. Shall none but the bodies of the righteous be raised? Response. Yes, all that are in the graves shall hear Christ's voice, and shall come forth (Acts 24:15). There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust (Revelation 20:12).

17. If God be our Father he will put honor and renown upon us at the last day. 1. He will clear the innocency of his children: God's children in this life are strangely misrepresented to the world; they are loaded with invectives, they are called factious, seditious: Elijah, the…

Ezra 4:15: This city (that is, Jerusalem) is a rebellious city, and hurtful to kings and provinces. Paul was slandered as a mover of sedition, and the head of a faction (Acts 24:5). The same word signifies both a slanderer and a devil (1 Timothy 3:11): Not slanderers.

There is a lawful gain allowed, yet one may not so advantage himself, as to damage another. Let that be the tradesman's motto (Acts 24:16). A conscience void of offense toward God, and toward man.

For our lives, this will move us to embrace true religion from our hearts, and in all things to endeavor to keep a good conscience. This Paul testifies, Acts 24:15, 16: for, having made profession of his hope in the resurrection, both of just and unjust; he says, And herein I en…

The grace here to be desired, is sincerity of heart, or a ready and constant purpose and endeavor not to sin in any thing, but to do God's will, so as we may keep a good conscience before God and men (Acts 24:16). And for this cause I endeavor always to have a clear conscience t…

Now what did this move him to? Mark: Herein (says he, that is, in this respect) I endeavor myself always to have a clear conscience toward God and toward man (Acts 24:16). And let us for our parts likewise remember the last judgment, that it may be a means to move us so to behav…

(3) From the experience they have had of the Lord's dealing with their souls, and the love of God spread abroad in the heart, by the Holy Ghost: (Romans 5:3-5). (4) From a sincere aim and respect to all the commandments of God (Psalm 119:6; Acts 24:16; 1 John 3:20-21; 1 Thessalo…

And all that Christ Jesus heard of his Father, he made known to his Apostles (John 15:15). And of these one Apostle Paul, who also received the Gospel not from flesh and blood, but by revelation from Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:12; 2 Peter 3:15-16; Acts 9:1-2, etc.) did declare to…

Into the land of Nod, and there he builds cities, and calls them by such and such names, and so takes off his thoughts from any good motion, and extinguishes all the motions of grace. And truly so stood the case with Felix (Acts 24:25), when he trembled at Paul's Sermon, he woul…

It is a wonder to see what a change prophetical gifts will work in a man (1 Samuel 10:10, 12): there Saul had a spirit of prophecy come upon him, and the people wondered at it, it works a strange change in a man, and so in the next chapter, the nineteenth and twenty-third verse,…

The law is represented by Moses, and the prophets by Elias. Both did frequently foretell and prefigure the death and resurrection of Christ, and all the Scripture which was then written, was usually called by this term, Law and Prophets, (Acts 24:14) believing all things that ar…

He was marvelously troubled with this enormity, that after the preaching of his doctrine which was divine and holy, he saw so many sects, commotions, dissipations of common wealths, changes of kingdoms and such other like things to ensue, which were the cause of infinite evils a…

And therefore we must labor to be in Christ, having true faith and good conscience (Ephesians 5:15; Luke 21:36). Consider also the example of Paul (Acts 24:16). It is true wisdom to be wise for our souls, and for everlasting happiness: and it was the folly of the foolish virgins…

Blessed, says Solomon (Proverbs 28), is the man that fears himself, or inures himself to fear. Paul says of himself, that he labored and took pains to keep a good conscience (Acts 24:16). Lastly, by reason of this combat, we are put in mind to use sobriety, and watchfulness over…

Euento know the terrour of the Lord: that is, not onely in judgment to conceiue, but also in heart and affection to be perswaded of the terrible fearefulnes of the last judgment; and in this regard not to content our selues with the gift of knowledge and with an outward professi…

First, the Christian religion is here called (but miscalled) a sect, a heresy. After the way which they call heresy (says St. Paul, Acts 24:14) so worship I the God of my Fathers. The sect of the Nazarenes, so Tertullus calls it in his opening of the indictment against Paul (Act…

The Wicked have low Thoughts of the Righteous, they beat down the price of these Jewels what they can, they think them the refuse and scurse, they disdain them, load them with slanders and Invectives: the Prophet Elijah was looked upon by King Ahab as the Troubler of Israel, 1 K…

3. That there shall be such a day is evident by the Principles ingrafted in a natural conscience. When Paul reasoned of Judgment to come, Felix trembled, Acts 24:25. The Prisoner at bar made the Judge tremble.

Well then, this qualification must be understood (as I said) in the sense of the second Covenant; and what's that? Sincerity of sanctification; when a man does carefully endeavor to keep his garments unspotted from the world, and to approve himself to God; when this is his const…

1. Upon religion itself: sometimes the truth is traduced, and the way of God is evil spoken of, disguised with the nicknames of sedition, heresy, schism, faction. Look as astronomers miscall the glorious stars by the name of the Dog-star, the Bear, the Dragon's Tail, and the lik…

Every ordinary affair must be carried forth in the strength of the habitual purpose; but in all actions we would make a business of, there must be an actual purpose. And because his authority alone can sway the conscience, which is under his dominion; therefore it concerns us in…

1. When the settled purpose of our souls is to cleave to God, to love and serve him with an entire obedience both in the inward and outward man, when this is the full determination and consent of our hearts. 2. When we do what we can by all good means to maintain this purpose; f…

2 Kings 10:31: Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart, for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam which made Israel to sin. See the contrary in Paul, Acts 24:16: And herein do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of off…

Upon your peril be it, if you refuse his grace. So gospel obedience falls under a command — the great God has charged us to keep all his precepts; to make conscience of all duties that we owe to God and man (Acts 24:6), the smaller as well as the greater (Matthew 5:19). God coun…

The lifting of the hands to God's commandments is not a thing done accidentally, occasionally, or in a fit of zeal, but our trade and course of life. "I exercise myself in this, to have a conscience void of offense both towards God and men" (Acts 24:16) [illegible] — this was th…

This was Felix's case, Paul was reasoning of Justice and Temperance, graces that he was little acquainted with, and Paul quickens all by a remembrance of judgment to come, and then Felix trembled; but how does he put off this heart-work? Hereafter we shall have a more convenient…

There is a twofold trembling. - First, One is when the word discovers the guilt of sin and the wrath of God that belongs to that guilt, this, where conscience is awake causes trembling and amazement; thus when Paul preached of righteousness and judgment, it is said Felix tremble…

Those military duties and field-graces, (as I may call faith, hope, and the rest) they shall be honourably discharged. In heaven we shall appear, not in armour, but in robes of glory; but here they are to be worne night and day: we must walk, work, and sleep in them, or else we…

But also practically a man's heart may deceive his heart, and may persuade himself that he is godly and religious (James 1:26), and that his ways are right (Proverbs 14:12), and may say within his heart, and so think not only, I am holier than you, and yet not be so much as cere…

And how soon the will is broken and dead, then is the man broken, dead and crucified with Christ. Much will, much life of sin: See (John 5:40), (Luke 19:14), (Mark 6:25), (Matthew 1:19), (Mark 15:15), (Acts 24:27), (Acts 25:9), (Luke 10:29), (Revelation 22:17). All will, argues…

For in these words he signifies that it is a lively affection to worship God, and a sincere endeavor to live holily and godly. Sometimes indeed it extends also to men, as in Luke where the same Paul protests that he endeavored himself to walk with a good conscience toward God an…

And: I have cleaved to your testimonies. And: direct me in the path of your commandments, for in it is my delight (Acts 24:16; Psalm 119:6; Psalm 119:30; Psalm 119:31; Psalm 119:35). No man must here think that a repentant sinner fulfills the law in his obedience, for their best…

Most men are guilty, therefore they do not love to hear of the Assizes. When Paul preached of judgment, Felix trembled, Acts 24:25. he had a bad conscience; Josephus tells us of Felix, that he was a wicked man: The woman that lived with him (Drusilla by name) he had enticed away…

Hereby we hold fast the things which we have learned, we awaken our faith, inflame our love, strengthen our hope, revive our desires, increase our joys in God; we furnish our hearts, and fill our mouths with materials of prayer, we loosen our affections from the world, we pre-ac…

What my doctrine is, is showed in the first chapter of this book, to which I refer the reader; but I may say with Saint Paul: After that way which they call heresy, so I teach men to worship the God of their fathers, and not to believe anything but what is written in the Old and…

For men flee nothing but that which they apprehend as evil, dangerous, and so the true object of fear. Now when Felix and Agrippa were both upon the wheels, I cannot say that conversion formally was begun; yet materially it was, the one trembled, and so was afraid, and fled, and…

Saul was often pricked in his conscience, and therefore when an evil spirit of bondage came upon him, and vexed his conscience, and David came into play before him, to mitigate the sense of anguish, he thought with a javelin to have nailed him to the wall; a prick of conscience…

They are eager to be justified by the Law (Romans 10:2). They will not submit to look for righteousness only by Christ, and (Acts 24:20) they were all zealous of the Law; for want of fellowship with Christ in his death, they became zealous of the Law: but take a man whose heart…