DISCOURSE: 1816
PAUL BITTEN BY A VIPER, AND UNINJURED
Acts 28:3-6. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.
IT is curious to observe how, in this chequered scene of life, judgments and mercies, trials and deliverances, crosses and comforts, are intermixed. In the space of a few hours Paul was shipwrecked, and saved; destitute, and relieved; bitten by a viper, and preserved from injury; judged as a murderer, and honoured as a god.
These events, though not of primary importance, are yet deserving of consideration.
The inhabitants of Malta, here called “Barbarians,” as not being learned and polished like the Greeks and Romans, shewed great kindness and hospitality to the shipwrecked crew: and in this they put to shame many who bear the Christian name, who would have plundered, rather than relieved, the unhappy sufferers. A fire being made to warm the people and to dry their clothes, St. Paul gladly exerted himself for the general good, and, gathering a bundle of sticks, put them on the fire. But a viper that had lain concealed in the fagot, no sooner felt the heat, than he seized the hand of Paul, and held it fast with his teeth. Paul however, betraying no fear, held up his hand for a time with great composure, and then shook off the venomous creature into the fire. This event gave rise to various conjectures, which now we proceed to notice.
Let us see,
I. In what light it was viewed by the people present—
At first they regarded it as a judgment on him for some heinous crime—
[There is even in the minds of heathens some idea of a superintending Providence, who, though in general inattentive to the concerns of men, interposes sometimes on great occasions, especially to detect and punish the crime of murder. The first thought therefore of the spectators was, that Paul was thus singled out as a monument of Divine vengeance, which, though it had spared him in the shipwreck, would not suffer his iniquity to pass unpunished.
Now this sentiment is to a certain degree just: but it is erroneous when carried to too great an extent. Certain it is that God does on some occasions mark, as it were, in a visible manner his indignation against sin: but in numberless instances even the most aggravated transgressions pass unpunished in this life, and are reserved for adequate retribution to the judgment of the great day. It is certain also that temporal calamities are by no means to be regarded as certain marks of God’s displeasure: for they are often sent as fruits of his paternal love [Note: Hebrews 12:6.]. The great error of Job’s friends was, that they judged him as a hypocrite, because of the heavy calamities that came upon him: and our blessed Lord has especially guarded us against forming such uncharitable conclusions, in relation to those whose blood Pilate mingled with the sacrifices, or those on whom the tower of Siloam fell [Note: Luke 13:1-5.]. The truth is, that in this world “all things come alike to all;” “nor can any man know either love or hatred by all that is before him [Note: Ecclesiastes 9:1-3].” Josiah, as well as Saul or Ahab, may be slain in battle; and Paul, as well as the rebellious Israelites, may be bitten by a serpent: and therefore to condemn any on account of the afflictions with which they are visited, is to act like those who accounted David, yea, and Christ himself, as judicially stricken and smitten of their God [Note: Psalms 41:8; Isaiah 53:4.]
Afterwards, they considered it as an evidence that he was a god—
[As the heathen imagined that there was a superior Being who punished sin, so they believed that their gods sometimes “came down to them in the likeness of men [Note: Acts 14:11.].” Hence, when the people saw that Paul had sustained no injury, they concluded that he must be a god. But here they ran to an opposite extreme. Having no knowledge of the only true God, and of his power to protect his servants, they missed entirely the true construction, which they should have put upon the event before them. But indeed, there is this propensity in every man to judge too favourably of those who prosper, as well as too unfavourably of those who suffer. The just medium can be attained by those only, who investigate matters with a dispassionate mind, and take every thing into consideration that should regulate and decide the judgment.]
From shewing in what light they viewed the event, we proceed to consider,
II.
In what light it should be viewed—
God had doubtless some gracious design in this dispensation. We apprehend it was intended by him,
1. As a means whereby to awaken their attention to his Gospel—
[Paul was sent to Rome that he might testify of Christ in Cζsar’s palace. And as he was now on his way thither, God ordained that he should have an opportunity of making known the Saviour to the barbarians at Malta. But Paul was now a prisoner, and therefore not likely to gain much attention from the people: besides that, he was not at liberty to go amongst them as he would willingly have done. But, by this miracle, the attention of all was instantly fixed on him, and a way was opened for a free communication of the Gospel of Christ. That he availed himself of the opportunity, we cannot doubt: and that he had considerable success, there is reason to conclude, from the gratitude expressed by all ranks of people amongst them at his departure.
The same object, we apprehend, God has in view, by numberless dispensations which occur from time to time. Both mercies and judgments are continually represented as designed of God for this end; “And they shall know that I am the Lord.” The miraculous powers with which the Apostles were invested were not credentials only, for the authenticating of their divine mission, but means also of recommending the Gospel to the attention and acceptance of men. And we shall do well to regard the various events that are now passing in the world, as calls from God to embrace and hold fast the Gospel of Christ.]
2. As a standing memorial of the care which God takes of all his faithful servants—
[Many and glorious are the promises which God gives us of security in his service. That we are not to expect visible and miraculous interpositions in our favour, is true: but we are not to suppose that he will leave us to the influence of blind chance, or give us up into the hand of our inveterate enemies. Were his gracious care withdrawn, “Satan would soon sift every one of us as wheat.” But Jehovah keeps us in his everlasting arms, so that “no weapon that is formed against us can prosper.” As our Lord could not be apprehended till his time was come, so neither can any of his faithful people be destroyed, till God himself has signed the warrant. See how amply this is set forth by David [Note: Psalms 91:9-13.], and in the book of Job [Note: Job 5:19-23.]: and shall these promises fail of their accomplishment? “Hath God said, and will he not do it; hath he spoken, and will he not make it good?” The promises made directly to the Apostles, must, as to their literal sense, be limited to them [Note: Mark 16:17-18; Luke 10:19.]: but, in the spirit of them, they must be applied to all, who put themselves under the shadow of Jehovah’s wing [Note: Psalms 91:3-7.]. “The wrath of man shall praise him:” and every occurrence, however adverse to the eye of sense, shall work for the present and eternal good of all his faithful people [Note: Romans 8:28; 2 Corinthians 4:17.]
Let us learn then from hence,
1.
Justice to man—
[We all are prone to judge one another: but this is to usurp the prerogative of Jehovah. The command of Christ, and of his Apostles is, “Judge not;” “Judge nothing before the time, &c. [Note: Matthew 7:1-2; 1 Corinthians 4:5.]”
2. Confidence in God—
[It may be, that in the service of our God our trials may be great and numerous; yea, and we may be judged by our fellow-creatures with the severest judgment: but we may safely commit every event to him [Note: 1 Corinthians 4:3.], assured, that he will “bring forth our righteousness as the noon-day,” if not in this world, yet most certainly in the world to come.]