SERMON XII.--PAUL AND FELIX
ACTS xxiv. 25.
And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to
come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I
have a convenient season, I will call for thee.
This is a well-known text, on which many a sermon has been preached,
and with good reason, for it is an important text. It tells us of a
man who, like too many men in all times, trembled when he heard the
truth about his wicked life, but did not therefore repent and mend;
and a very serious lesson we may draw from his example.
But even a more important fact about the text is, that it tells us
what were really the fundamental doctrines of the Christian religion
in those early times, about twenty-five years, seemingly, after our
Lord's death; what St. Paul used to preach about; what he considered
was the first thing which he had to tell men.
Let us take this latter question first. About what did St. Paul
reason before Felix?
About righteousness (which means justice), temperance, and judgment
to come.
I beg you to remember these words. If you believe the Bible to be
inspired, you are bound to take its words as they stand. And
therefore I beg you to remember that St. Paul preached not about
UNrighteousness, but righteousness; not about INtemperance, but about
temperance; not about hell, but about judgment to come; in a word,
not about wrong, but about right.
Pages:
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109