Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Acts
Book: Acts
Chapter: 9
Overview:
The
Conversion of
Saul.
(1-9) Saul converted preaches
Christ.
(10-22) Saul is persecuted at
Damascus, and goes to
Jerusalem.
(23-31) Cure of Aeneas.
(32-35) Dorcas raised to
Life.
(36-43)
1-9 So ill informed was
Saul, that he thought he ought to do
all he could against the name of
Christ, and that he did
God
service thereby; he seemed to breathe in this as in his element.
Let us not despair of renewing
Grace for the
Conversion of the
greatest sinners, nor let such despair of the pardoning
Mercy of
God for the greatest
Sin. It is a signal token of Divine favour,
if
God,
By the inward working of his
Grace, or the outward
events of his
Providence, stops us from prosecuting or executing
sinful purposes.
Saul saw that Just One, ch. 22:14; 26:13. How
near to us is the unseen world! It is but for
God to draw aside
the
Veil, and objects are presented to the view, compared with
which, whatever is most admired
On Earth is mean and
contemptible.
Saul submitted without reserve, desirous to know
what the
Lord Jesus would have him to do.
Christ's discoveries
of himself to
Poor souls are humbling; they lay them very low,
in mean thoughts of themselves. For three days
Saul took
No
Food, and it pleased
God to leave him for that time without
relief. His sins were now set in order before him; he was in the
dark concerning his own spiritual state, and wounded in
Spirit
for
Sin. When a sinner is brought to a proper sense of his own
state and conduct, he will cast himself wholly
On the
Mercy of
the
Saviour, asking what he would have him to do.
God will
direct the humbled sinner, and though he does not often bring
transgressors to joy and peace in believing, without sorrows and
distress of
Conscience, under which the soul is deeply engaged
as to eternal things, yet happy are those who sow in tears, for
they shall reap in joy.
10-22 A good work was begun in
Saul, when he was brought to
Christ's feet with those words,
Lord, what wilt thou have me to
do? And never did
Christ leave any who were brought to that.
Behold, the proud Pharisee, the unmerciful oppressor, the daring
blasphemer, prayeth! And thus it is even now, and with the proud
infidel, or the abandoned sinner. What happy tidings are these
to all who understand the nature and power of
Prayer, of such
Prayer as the humbled sinner presents for the blessings of free
Salvation! Now he began to pray after another manner than he had
done; before, he said his prayers, now, he prayed them.
Regenerating
Grace sets people
On praying; you may as
Well find
a living
Man without breath, as a living
Christian without
Prayer. Yet even eminent disciples, like
Ananias, sometimes
stagger at the commands of the
Lord. But it is the
Lord's
Glory
to surpass our scanty expectations, and show that those are
vessels of his
Mercy whom we are apt to consider as objects of
his vengeance. The teaching of the Holy
Spirit takes away the
scales of ignorance and pride from the understanding; then the
sinner becomes a new
Creature, and endeavours to recommend the
anointed
Saviour, the
Son of God, to his former companions.
23-31 When we enter into the way of
God, we must look for
trials; but the
Lord knows how to deliver the godly, and will,
with the
Temptation, also make a way to escape. Though
Saul's
Conversion was and is a proof of the
Truth of Christianity, yet
it could not, of itself, convert one soul at
Enmity with the
Truth; for nothing can produce true
Faith, but that power which
new-creates the
Heart. Believers are apt to be too suspicious of
those against whom they have prejudices. The world is full of
deceit, and it is necessary to be cautious, but we must
Exercise
Charity, 1Co 13:5. The
Lord will clear up the characters of
true believers; and he will bring them to his people, and often
gives them opportunities of bearing
Testimony to his
Truth,
before those who once witnessed their
Hatred to it.
Christ now
appeared to
Saul, and ordered him to go quickly out of
Jerusalem, for he must be sent to the
Gentiles: see ch. 22:21.
Christ's witnesses cannot be slain till they have finished their
Testimony. The persecutions were stayed. The professors of the
Gospel walked uprightly, and enjoyed much comfort from the Holy
Ghost, in the
Hope and peace of the
Gospel, and others were won
over to them. They lived upon the comfort of the
Holy Ghost, not
only in the days of trouble and affliction, but in days of
Rest
and prosperity. Those are most likely to walk cheerfully, who
walk circumspectly.
32-35 Christians are saints, or holy people; not only the
eminent ones, as
Saint Peter and
Saint Paul, but every sincere
professor of the
Faith of
Christ.
Christ chose patients whose
diseases were incurable in the course of nature, to show how
desperate was the case of fallen mankind. When we were wholly
without strength, as this
Poor Man, he sent his
Word to heal us.
Peter does not pretend to heal
By any power of his own, but
directs Aeneas to look up to
Christ for help. Let none say, that
because it is
Christ, who,
By the power of his
Grace,
Works all
our
Works in us, therefore we have
No work,
No duty to do; for
though
Jesus Christ makes thee whole, yet thou must arise, and
use the power he gives thee.
36-43 Many are full of good words, who are empty and
Barren in
good
Works; but
Tabitha was a great doer,
No great talker.
Christians who have not property to give in
Charity, may yet be
able to do
Acts of
Charity, working with their hands, or walking
with their feet, for the good of others. Those are certainly
best praised whose own
Works praise them, whether the words of
others do
So or not. But such are ungrateful indeed, who have
kindness shown them, and will not acknowledge it,
By showing the
kindness that is done them. While we live upon the
Fulness of
Christ for our whole
Salvation, we should desire to be full of
good
Works, for the honour of his name, and for the benefit of
his saints. Such characters as
Dorcas are useful where they
Dwell, as showing the excellency of the
Word of
Truth By their
lives. How mean then the cares of the numerous females who seek
No distinction but outward decoration, and who waste their lives
in the trifling pursuits of
Dress and vanity! Power went along
with the
Word, and
Dorcas came to
Life. Thus in the raising of
dead souls to spiritual
Life, the first sign of
Life is the
opening of the eyes of the mind. Here we see that the
Lord can
make up every loss; that he overrules every event for the good
of those who trust in him, and for the
Glory of his name.