52
Sketches from the Life of Paul
but now all these things were of little consequence to him compared
with the new and strange dread that agitated his mind, and his desire
to possess that tranquility and cheerfulness manifested by the apostles
under their extreme suffering and abuse. He saw the light of Heaven
mirrored in their countenances; he knew that God had interposed in
a miraculous manner to save their lives; and the words of the woman
possessed by the power of divination came to his mind with peculiar
force: “These men are the servants of the most high God, which show
unto us the way of salvation.”
He saw his own deplorable condition in contrast with that of the
disciples, and with deep humility and reverence asked them to show
him the way of life. “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him
the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.” The jailer
then washed the wounds of the apostles, and ministered unto them;
and was baptized by them. A sanctifying influence spread among the
inmates of the prison, and the hearts of all were opened to receive the
truths uttered by the apostles. They were convinced also that the living
[79]
God, whom these men served, had miraculously released them from
bondage.
The citizens had been greatly terrified by the earthquake. When the
officers informed the magistrates in the morning of what had occurred
at the prison, they were alarmed, and sent the sergeants to liberate the
apostles from prison. “But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us
openly, uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison;
and now do they thrust us out privily? nay, verily; but let them come
themselves and fetch us out.”
Paul and Silas felt that to maintain the dignity of Christ’s church,
they must not submit to the illegal course proposed by the Roman
magistrates. The apostles were Roman citizens, and it was unlawful to
scourge a Roman, save for the most flagrant crime, or to deprive him
of his liberty without a fair trial and condemnation. They had been
publicly thrust into prison, and now refused to be privately released,
without proper acknowledgments on the part of the magistrates.
When this word was brought to the authorities, they were alarmed
for fear the apostles would make complaint of their unlawful treatment
to the emperor, and cause the magistrates to lose their positions. They
accordingly visited the prison, apologized to the apostles for their