After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome. (22) So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timothy and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season. (23) And the same time there arose no small stir about that way. (24) For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen; (25) Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. (26) Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: (27) So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at naught; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshipeth. (28) And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. (29) And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theater. (30) And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. (31) And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theater. (32) Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together. (33) And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defense unto the people. (34) But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. (35) And when the town clerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshiper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter? (36) Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly. (37) For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. (38) Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another. (39) But if ye inquire anything concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly. (40) For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse. (41) And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.
Without, going over a large tract of ground, on the subject of idolatry, which the history of those verses would lead into, I shall only detain the Reader with one general observation upon the whole, which, under divine teaching, may enable both the Writer and Reader of this Poor Man's Commentary, to gather sufficient improvement to bless God in being delivered from such awful delusions as are here shewn.
When we see, as in the melancholy instance before us, to what a desperate degree of ignorance and idolatry the mind of man is capable of being driven; and when we behold at the same time, as in the case of Paul, the vast difference when a soul is brought from darkness to light, and as the Apostle himself expresseth it, is turned from idols to serve the living and true God; (1 Thessalonians 1:9) it becomes a subject of infinite moment to ask the cause? No two beings under the sun can differ more than what is here represented. Here is a nation so sunk in the grossest idolatry, that even an image becomes the object of all the world's worshipping as they thought, and here is an Apostle of Christ going forth with his life in his hand, to preach Jesus to the people.
It becomes a subject of infinite importance, in tracing effects to their cause, to explain such a mystery. For when we see the human mind so immediately opposed in one to another, it is very obvious there must be some source predisposing to this end. And happy it is for us the Gospel of Christ very fully and satisfactorily explains it.
There we learn, that in the one common nature of our fallen estate in Adam, by his apostasy, the whole race became equally involved in ruin. All equally dead in trespasses and sins; and all equally incompetent, while remaining unquickened by the Spirit, to any one act of Spiritual life. The Church of God, being given by the Father to the Son before all worlds, and consequently before sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and the Son of God having undertaken to recover his Church from the Adam-state of, ruin in which she was involved at the fall in the common mass of nature, in the fulness of time, as it is called in scripture language, the Son of God comes in grace and truth, to do away sin by the sacrifice of himself, and by his Holy Spirit he quickens the souls of his redeemed, and brings them out of darkness, and the shadow of death, and breaks their bands asunder. I stay not to produce the whole proof of these things, for this would swell my pages indeed. But I refer the Reader, in confirmation, to some few of the more plain and conclusive. See Romans 3:10-19; Ephesians 1:4; Romans 5:12; Galatians 4:4; Hebrews 9:26; Ephesians 2:1-5; Psalms 107:14
Without amplifying the subject, this statement (and which by the way let it be considered is wholly scriptural), is enough in testimony to show wherefore it is that the souls of some, such as Paul and his companions, in this history became quickened, regenerated, and made new creatures in Christ Jesus. Hence they hear and know the joyful sound, and walk in the light of God's countenance. In the - name of Jesus they rejoice all the day, and in his righteousness they are exalted, Psalms 89:15-16. everything in Christ becomes lovely, and is endeared to their view. His person, His work, His glory, His offices, His character, His relations; all that He is its himself; all that He is to his people; what He hath done for them, and what He is still doing for them, and will do for them to all eternity; these glorious subjects, when they are themselves quickened to a new and spiritual life, are opened to their minds, and cause them to rejoice with joy, unspeakable and full of glory! On the other hand, the souls of others remaining in the Adam-nature of a fallen, sinful, and lifeless state, unawakened, unrenewed, uncalled, the whole of their apostasy remains, and, as the carnal mind is enmity against God, they not only are insensible to their own corruptions by nature, and the want of grace to bring them out of it, but they hate to be reformed, and cast God's words behind them. I stay not here again to produce all the evidences of these solemn truths which might be brought forward, but refer only to a few, Rom 8:5-8; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Romans 1:22-25; Psalms 51:17
If it be said, (as indeed it hath been said by presumptuous minds), how is this to be explained on principles of equity? The answer is at hand, and indeed hath been already given. The Lord is righteous, in all his ways, and holy in all his works. Psalms 145:14. It must be a righteous act in recovering the Lord's people from the Adam - nature of a fallen state, because the Son of God, in that nature, hath bought their persons out of the hands of law and justice, and God makes good his covenant-promises to his dear Son. And it must be a righteous act in leaving those to their sins who delight in them, seeing it is in this instance, as in every other, only permitting every cause to produce its own natural effect: And in relation to those before whom the word of grace is dispensed, and where, instead of softening their hearts, it only acts as heat upon circumstances, to harden them the more, and raiseth their greater bitterness of spirit against the truths of God, it tends but to confirm the truth of scripture, in skewing to what a desperate condition man is sunk by the fall, and what wonders of grace must it be in every instance, when a poor sinner is brought out of it.
Reader! ponder well the subject. And if so be the Lord, in rich, free, sovereign mercy, hath brought you from the Adam-nature in which you was born, in which you lived, and, but for the gracious provision made in Christ, in which you would have died; calculate if you can the vast amount of the immense mercy! Well may every child of God take to himself that sweet scripture, and make it his daily song during the whole time-state of his pilgrimage. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling, Psalms 2:11.