Imprisonment of Paul and Silas
53
injustice and cruelty, and themselves conducted them out of the prison,
and entreated them to depart out of the city. Thus the Lord wrought
for his servants in their extremity.
The magistrates entreated them to depart, because they feared their
influence over the people, and the power of Heaven that had interposed
in behalf of those innocent men who had been unlawfully scourged
[80]
and imprisoned. Acting upon the principles given them by Christ, the
apostles would not urge their presence where it was not desired. They
complied with the request of the magistrates, but did not hasten their
departure precipitously. They went rejoicing from the prison to the
house of Lydia, where they met the new converts to the faith of Christ,
and related all the wonderful dealings of God with them. They related
their night’s experience, and the conversion of the keeper of the prison,
and of the prisoners.
The apostles viewed their labors in Philippi as not in vain. They
there met much opposition and persecution; but the intervention of
Providence in their behalf, and the conversion of the jailer and all
his house, more than atoned for the disgrace and suffering they had
endured. The Philippians saw represented in the deportment and
presence of mind of the apostles the spirit of the religion of Jesus
Christ. The apostles might have fled when the earthquake opened their
prison doors and loosened their fetters; but that would have been an
acknowledgment that they were criminals, which would have been a
disgrace to the gospel of Christ; the jailer would have been exposed to
the penalty of death, and the general influence would have been bad.
As it was, Paul controlled the liberated prisoners so perfectly that not
one attempted to escape.
The Philippians could but acknowledge the nobility and generosity
of the apostles in their course of action, especially in forbearing to
appeal to a higher power against the magistrates who had persecuted
them. The news of their unjust imprisonment and miraculous deliver-
ance, was noised about through all that region, and brought the apostles
[81]
and their ministry before the notice of a large number who would not
otherwise have been reached.
Paul’s labors at Philippi resulted in the establishment of a church
there, whose numbers steadily increased. His example of zeal and
devotion, above all, his willingness to suffer for Christ’s sake, exerted
a deep and lasting influence upon the converts to the faith. They highly