And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. (26) And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. (27) And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. (28) But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. (29) Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, (30) And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? (31) And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (32) And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. (33) And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. (34) And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
Here are several very interesting subjects opened to our meditation within the limits of these few verses, of a different nature, but all sweetly corresponding to one great point, namely, to set forth the glory and prayer of the Lord Jesus. The situation of Paul, and his companion, when thrust into this loathsome place, and with many stripes on their backs, and their feet made fast in the stocks, was truly exercising; but as no prison can shut out Christ, so no prison can shut in the soul. Jesus giveth songs in the night, and the midnight hour is a day-light hour, when God the Holy Ghost calls up his people to prayer and praise!
This was not the first time the Lord had answered the prayers of his saints by an earthquake. See Acts 4:31 and Commentary upon it. How Sweetly that promise was here fulfilled, Isaiah 65:24. And was it not (I ask the question), as if to teach them of His abiding presence, who came down in an open display of glory at Pentecost? Acts 2:1, And what a courage it must have imparted to the Apostles, when such decided testimonies were given them, both of the Lord's presence, and the Lord's power? Reader! do not overlook the rich assurance such things bring with them to the present hour, of the same presence and power, though such open manifestations may not be now made, because they are not needed. Read, in confirmation of it, only these two promises, and if the Lord applies them to the heart, they will be fully conclusive, Matthew 28:20; Isaiah 27:2-3
The effect wrought upon the jailor, prompts the mind to ask, whether the Lord in rich mercy had not suffered his sent servants to be imprisoned, purposely to bring about the wonderful event of this man's conversion. But be this as it may, surely no faithful servant of the Lord would shrink from stripes and a prison, if by such means the Lord should be pleased to minister to the salvation of a sinner. And if we call to mind that this visit of Paul to Philippi, had been induced by the effect of a vision, there will be no great violence to suppose, that the Lord's providence in thrusting Paul and Silas into this prison, was intimately connected with the Lord's leading them into Macedon. We may indeed enquire, speaking after the manner of men, how this rugged jailor, whom we may suppose by virtue of his office, rarely, if ever left the prison, should have heard Paul preach, except as by a means like this, Paul came into the prison to preach there?
But, Reader! do not in the earthquake of the prison, given in answer to the prayers and hymns of Paul and Silas, overlook the still greater earthquake the Lord made in the jailors soul. No convulsion without, unaccompanied with trembling within, would have put such a cry as this awakened sinner uttered, when he sprang in and fell down before his prisoners. There was a divine light from the Lord shining inward upon his soul, before that he called for the common light of the house to lighten the wards of the prison. Convinced by this illumination of his own lost estate, and of those prisoners being the servants of the Lord, the language of his very soul earnestly desired to know what must be done for salvation.
The answer of Paul and Silas to the question is short, but sweet, and fully comprehensive to what the Gospel of salvation hath stated. Thus our dear Lord, during the days of his flesh, dwelt much upon it, See Matthew 8:10; Mark 9:23; Luke 17:6. And his servants following their Lord's steps, Acts 14:9; Acts 14:9. But it should be remembered, that in all these instances, and numberless others, it is not meant a mere acknowledgment of the truths of the Gospel. In this sense, devils believe and tremble. But true faith is the conviction, not of the head, but the heart. And this is God's giving, not man's creating. Unto you, saith the Apostle, it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake, Philippians 1:29
And let it be further observed, in the instance of this man, that his faith was manifested to be genuine by the effects which followed. For we are told, that he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes, and was baptized, he, and all his, straightway. Here were decided tokens of a work of sovereign grace wrought in his soul! He took them from the prison to his house. The stripes which he himself had so unmercifully laid on them, he now softened with the oil of love. Their breadless prison was now changed into a bountiful supply of food. And the deadness and darkness of his mind, in a state of nature, was now done away for life and light in the soul. For it is said that he rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. Reader! behold what grace can accomplish! See here, what hath God wrought! Oh! who shall limit the sovereignty of the Lord, when the word of the Lord abounds with such wonderful instances of the power of grace.