A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Part 2 · Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV. Paul tryed before Feſtus.
THIS Chapter is reſolved into Sundry Branches (under one General Head, namely, Paul's ſecond Tryal before Portius Feſtus, as his firſt was before Faelix (in the foregoing Chapter) This Tryal was firſt tranſacted before Feſtus alone, and then it was tranſlated and devolved to King Agrippa. The tranſactions before Feſtus alone conſiſt of Antecedents, Concomitants, and Conſequents.
1ſt. The Antecedents concern; 1. Paul's Accuſers, wherein is Related their importunity and impudence in giving to Paul this new trouble ſo ſoon as this new Governour was come into place, verſe 1. Then their Cruelty and implacable hatred againſt the priſoner, ver. 2. And laſtly their Craftineſs in laying ſnares to take away Paul's life, verſe 3. The 2. Concerns Paul's Judge, wherein we have an account both of his equity in denying their Petition, v. 4. yet granting them Liberty to implead Paul at Ceſarea, ver. 5. and of his expedition in returning ſpeedily from Jeruſalem to diſpatch this Tryal there, verſe 6.
2ly. The Concomitants, which are two; 1. The Jews accuſation of Paul, v. 7. And, 2. Paul's Apology and Anſwer to it for himſelf, ver. 8.
3ly. The Conſequents are likewiſe two, 1. The ſentence of the Judge, v. 9. And, 2. The Exception Paul entred againſt the Court and Judge, propounding his reaſons, verſe 10, 11. for his appealing unto Caeſar, to which the Governour and Council conſented, verſe 12. Now follow the cauſes why Paul's Tryal was tranſlated to King Agrippa, which are two, 1. The Remote cauſe or occaſion was the King's coming to viſit Feſtus and to congrtulate his new Government, ver. 13. and who alſo was deſirous to ſee and hear Paul, verſe 22. But 2. The more immediate cauſe was Feſtus's diſcourſe to Agrippa, firſt private in his own palace (herein he ſtates the caſe with its Circumſtances) v. 14, 15, 16, to 22. and then publick in the Common Hall, from v. 23. to 27. asking his advice, how to manage the appeal, &c. preparatorys to the Third Tryal.
The great truths to be Remarked from the whole Chapter, thus reſolved, follow in courſe. The Remarks are theſe.
The first Remark is; The providence of God works all things for the good of thoſe that love God, Rom. 8.28. Paul ſpake that word from his own experimental knowledge, For 1. It wrought well for Paul that Judea was not not [ſui juris] that is inveſted with a power of life and death within it ſelf (then Paul had undoubtedly gone to the Pot before this time) but it was a providence under the Roman power for Paul's relief. And,
2. 'Twas no leſs a good providence to Paul, that the old Governour (Faelix) was Caſhiered out of his Office, who had ſo wrongfully detained him a priſoner for two years, only becauſe Paul would not, or rather could not bribe him; tho' his preaching ſo powerfully had made him tremble before: But as that qualm ſoon Evaporated, ſo did his honour, for at Feſtus's coming to the Government, he was packed away to Rome (a bound priſoner as he had kept Paul bound ſo long) to anſwer before the Emperor Nero for his barbarous miſdemeanours laid to his charge by the Jews in his Government: A right reward for him, who, to pleaſe the Jews, left Paul bound, Acts 24.27. to pacify them, that they might not purſue him with their complaints for his exactions and cruelties: this man-pleaſer cared not to pleaſe the great God, nor to profit good men A new Governour therefore could not but be more eaſy to Paul, &c. verſe 28. Acts 24.
The ſecond Remark is; Oh! how reſtleſs is the rage and enmity which the perſecutors of the truth have againſt the profeſſors and preachers of it, as here, verſe 2, 3.
The High Prieſt (to make good Paul's calling him a whited wall) and the chief of the Jews (who ſhould have protected the truth) all turn informers to perſecute the truth giving private intelligence (as the word foreign here ſignifieth) to this New Governour, and buzzing ſalfe reports into his ears againſt Paul: Oh! what Prieſts and Rulers were theſe! and how are they hurryed headlong by a Diabolical Spirit to requeſt with utmoſt impudence ſuch a favour of Feſtus, (as they call'd it) namely, to ſend away Paul up to Jeruſalem, when themſelves had hired bloody Ruſſians to murder him in the way, an act to be abhorred of all humaned kind as notoriouſly contrary both to the Law of Nature, and of all Nations, Gentiles as well as Jews. Thus were even the chiefeſt of thoſe Jews given up of God even to a reprobate ſenſe a very little before their final deſtruction: And thus Dangerous it is for men in Authority to Corrupt Juſtice and not only to Degenerate from the Truth, but alſo to become perſecutors of it.
The third Remark is; How eaſy it is with the moſt wiſe God to baffle and blaſt the moſt cunning contrivances of the Devil and his Inſtruments againſt his Church and Children as he did here the Plot of the prieſts againſt Paul whom they deſigned to Aſſaſſinate in his Journey to Jeruſalem. No, ſaith Feſtus, ver. 4. he ſhall be kept at Ceſarea, &c. N.B. It is more than probable that Faelix had informed this Feſtus of the Jews's Malice againſt Paul, and the rather becauſe the Jews had informed the Emperor againſt him: Such men will not ſtick to recriminate where they can have an opportunity and no doubt but this information of Faelix made Feſtus more favourable and carry fairer to Paul, not daring to truſt him among the malicious Jews.
This was a marvelous good providence of God for Paul's preſervation: Thus God ſees and ſmiles, he looks and laughs at all the Plots of the wicked againſt the godly, Pſal. 2.4. and 37.12, 13. and 52.6. and 59.8. yea he laughs them to nothing: Therefore may we commit our preſent Calamitous caſe and cauſe to him as to a faithful Creator, 1 Pet. 4.19. He judgeth righteouſly, &c.
The fourth Remark is; To be loaded with Calumnies hath been the common, and conſtant condition of God's Servants continued along under all times of both the old and the new Teſtaments, as is eaſily obvious to every ordinary obſerver of the ſacred Story: So 'tis here [the Jews ſtood round about Paul, the priſoner, and laid many and grievous Crimes against him which they could not prove] ver. 7. Acts 25. it ſeems, tho' Feſtus would not grant that which thoſe Incarnate Devils called a Favour, namely, an Opportunity of killing Paul in his Journey to Jeruſalem, yet yielded he that the worſt of them, (who were able to Travel) might do their beſt againſt him in his Tryal at Caeſarea, ver. 5, 6. whether he haſtened for that purpoſe. N.B. Now the Court conveneth, the Judge ſits upon the bench, and the priſoner is brought to the barr, the Jews accuſe him of three Heinous offences (as appeareth in Paul's anſwer to them) the firſt Crime they charged him with is his Breaking the Law of God, Profeſſed by the Jews, the ſecond is his Prophaning the Temple of God; and the third was he had Committed high Treaſon againſt the Emperour Nero: none of thoſe three groſs and Capital offences could the Accuſers demonſtrate by any ſubſtantial or ſufficient Evidence, were it ſufficient to Impeach, no man could be Innocent, &c.
The fifth Remark is; The Servants of Chriſt are happy in their own Innocency, while their Adverſaries render themſelves ſo much the more unhappy, by how much the more they do belye them and most wrongfully calumniate them. As they did Paul here, who from his own Experience ſpake [that the Miniſters of the Goſpel muſt paſs through evil report and good, by honour and diſhonour, yet keep their Integrity,] 2 Cor. 6.48. N.B. Hearing evil for doing well (ſaid that Martyr) is writ upon▪ Heaven's Doors: Reproach is the rude reward of a Religious Righteouſneſs. Hence Luther became proud of his Reproaches, ſaying, Superbus ſio, quod vid eo nomen peſſimum mihi creſcere, &c. Paul eaſily wipes of theſe three Reproaches, anſwering, that 1. He had been always a Religious obſerver of the Law 2. He went devoutly into the Temple upon a Religious account. and 3. He never had taught any Rebellion againſt Caeſar, nor acted any thing to diſturb the Emperour's Government, ver. 8. None of which affirmations his Enemies were able to diſprove.
The ſixth Remark is; Carnal polititians care not to conſider oft times what is Righteous in it's own nature, ſo much as what is of uſe for their preſent purpoſe, be it right or wrong: as Feſtus here (like Felix before him) was willing enough to do the Jews a pleaſure verſe 9. with chap. 24.27. Paul probably perceived that Feſtus was now warping towards popularity in asking [wilt thou go up to Jeruſalem, &c?] Apparently inclining to favour the Jews becauſe Felix had been diſplaced upon their complaints againſt him therefore would he merit their Opinion of him, by making this offer to Paul, whom he could not command to make the Jews his Judges being a Roman Citizen, therefore ſaith Paul to him, [I am now before Caeſars Tribunal, whoſe Vice-gerent thou art, and who only ought to Judge a Citizen of Rome,] ver. 10. begging no favour but juſtice, Appealing to Caeſar himſelf from this partial Judge, ver. 11. This he might challenge (from the ſuſpicion of Feſtus) as his Roman priviledge and this he did for theſe Reaſons, 1. To make Caeſar more favourable to himſelf, and to other Chriſtians. 2. Becauſe he apprehended it far more ſafety to himſelf, and to the Church: and 3. He was warranted by a Divine Revelation from Chriſt himſelf to make this Appeal, Acts 23.11. which extrrordinary information of his going to Rome could not but be a mighty ſupport, and ſtrong conſolation to him in his intervening conflicts; and Feſtus was glad of this appeal, that without peril on the one hand, and ill-will on the other, he might quit his own hands of ſuch an Intricate affair which he underſtood not, ver. 12.
The ſeventh Remark is; God will not be wanting to his Servants in ſtraits, but will diſpoſe of matters in order to their Deliverance, when it may conduce to his own glory, and their good. Thus it is here, ver. 13, 14, 15, 16, &c. King Aggrippa muſt come to congratulate Feſtus, who muſt declare the caſe of God's oppreſſed Servant to the King, how the Jews at Jeruſalem deſired Judgment againſt Paul, Indictâ cauſâ, without a fair hearing on both ſides, Feſtus muſt condemn this by the light of nature and of nations to be an unjuſt deſire, and quite contrary to the Roman Cuſtom eſpecially againſt a Roman Citizen: by this means the wicked malice of the Jews was made manifeſt and Paul's preſervation was provided for, yea and God's deſign of Paul's publiſhing the Goſpel at Rome it ſelf, (according to the Divine Revelation, Acts 23.11.) was likewiſe hereby promoted. Thus the Lord will be ſeen in the Mount, for his diſtreſſed Servants when it will have a tendency to his honour, he will raiſe up ſome Feſtus or other to open the oppreſſed man's Cauſe, as God did the Chief Buttler in the cauſe of Joſeph, Gen. 41.9, &c. and Jonathan in David's cauſe, 1 Sam. 18.3. and 19.2, &c.
The eighth Remark is; 'Tis Notorious injuſtice in a Judge to paſs Sentence of Condemnation upon a perſon unheard, and not permitted to make his beſt defence for himſelf, &c. This baſeneſs was below the Roman Gallantry, while Pagans, v. 16. The accuſers muſt ſtand face to face to the accuſed.
NB. The Roman manner was: The Accuſers ſat in thoſe Seats that were at the left hand of the accuſed and his advocate at the right hand: The Plaintiff had three hours allotted him, the Defendant had ſix; and if he were caſt, yet was he not given up to his Adverſaries to be puniſhed at pleaſure (as thoſe Jews would have had Paul here) but as the Judge appointed it. Nor was this manner of adminiſtring Juſtice only according to the excellent Law of the Romans, but alſo according to that more excellent Law of the Jews (given to them by God himſelf) Deut. 21.4. Nay, the contrary practice was againſt the Law of nature, and of all nations, yet ſuch a Diabolical Spirit of malice had ſo blinded the Jews, that as they had got Chriſt condemned when the Judge himſelf had declared him Innocent Luke 23.4. ſo they would have ſerved his ſervant, the Apoſtle Paul here, for which attempt this Pagan Judge Feſtus reproves them, and the light even of nature condemnes them: Indeed ſuch hath ever been the Devils malice againſt the ſervants of Chriſt, that in all Ages he puſheth on Impious Judges into thoſe precipitant practices of condemning them without any f…r Tryal or fully hearing their defences, well knowing the power of truth, that ſhould it be ſuffered to be throughly ſcann'd he is very jealous his Kingdom would fall: Nichodemus ſaith, John 7.51, Our Law is otherwiſe, Deut. 1.17. and 17.8, &c. and 19.15.
The ninth Remark is; Pagans and Prophane perſons have low, vile and undervaluing thoughts and apprehenſions of the moſt high and Holy things of God: Here this Heathen Governor Feſtus calls the Religion and Worſhip (which was of God's own inſtitution) moſt prophanely no better than by that contemptible name of Superſtition, verſe 19. as if it had been [Super statutum] above the Statute; and how ſlightly doth he alſo ſpeak of our dear Redeemer, only ſtiling him [one Jeſus] Alas! thoſe Dunghil Cocks know not the price of that precious pearl (neither the Maſter, nor the Servant, and therefore do they vilify them in their vain imaginations and with their opprobrious Expreſſions, as is done here.
The tenth Remark is; Truth and Innocency ſhine forth more ſplendidly by the more oppoſition that is raiſed againſt them, from v. 20. to the end. Feſtus is offended to find the Church imbroyl'd with Queſtions (would to God it were not ſo now, &c.) he conſults with Agrippa what to do; Agrippa deſires to hear Paul (as Herod did to hear the Baptiſt, Mark 6.20. and to ſee Chriſt, Luke 23.8.) Hereupon Feſtus proclaims Paul's innoceny, and therein his own injuſtice, in not acquitting the innocent; Long delayed juſtice oft proveth more heavy than ſpeedy injuſtice. Feſtus pretends he knew not by what rule or Judges Paul's caſe could be decided, but intends to force his return to the Sanhedrim (in favour of the Jews, v. 9.) had he not been over ruled by Paul's appeal to Caeſar which Feſtus durſt not deny. Thus the providence of God wrought all matters for Paul's Juſtification and for the Jews Juſt reproof; the Judge here had no Crime to inform Caeſar of againſt Paul▪ &c.