第124章

Thus Paul, the prisoner, urged the claims of the divine law upon Jew and Gentile, and presented Jesus, the despised Nazarene, as the Son of God, the world's Redeemer.

The Jewish princess well understood the sacred character of that law which she had so shamelessly transgressed, but her prejudice against the Man of Calvary steeled her heart against the word of life.But Felix had never before listened to the truth, and as the Spirit of God sent conviction to his soul, he became deeply agitated.Conscience, now aroused, made her voice heard, and Felix felt that Paul's words were true.Memory went back over the guilty past.With terrible distinctness there came up before him the secrets of his early life of profligacy and bloodshed, and the black record of his later years.He saw himself licentious, cruel, rapacious.Never before had the truth been thus brought home to his heart.Never before had his soul been so filled with terror.The thought that all the secrets of his career of crime were open before the eye of God, and that he must be judged according to his deeds, caused him to tremble with dread.

But instead of permitting his convictions to lead him to repentance, he sought to dismiss these unwelcome reflections.The interview with Paul was cut short."Go thy way for this time," he said; "when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee."How wide the contrast between the course of Felix and that of the jailer of Philippi! The servants of the Lord were brought in bonds to the jailer, as was Paul to Felix.The evidence they gave of being sustained by a divine power, their rejoicing under suffering and disgrace, their fearlessness when the earth was reeling with the earthquake shock, and their spirit of Christlike forgiveness, sent conviction to the jailer's heart, and with trembling he confessed his sins and found pardon.Felix trembled, but he did not repent.The jailer joyfully welcomed the Spirit of God to his heart and to his home; Felix bade the divine Messenger depart.The one chose to become a child of God and an heir of heaven; the other cast his lot with the workers of iniquity.

For two years no further action was taken against Paul, yet he remained a prisoner.Felix visited him several times and listened attentively to his words.But the real motive for this apparent friendliness was a desire for gain, and he intimated that by the payment of a large sum of money Paul might secure his release.The apostle, however, was of too noble a nature to free himself by a bribe.He was not guilty of any crime, and he would not stoop to commit a wrong in order to gain freedom.Furthermore, he was himself too poor to pay such a ransom, had he been disposed to do so, and he would not, in his own behalf, appeal to the sympathy and generosity of his converts.He also felt that he was in the hands of God, and he would not interfere with the divine purposes respecting himself.

Felix was finally summoned to Rome because of gross wrongs committed against the Jews.Before leaving Caesarea in answer to this summons, he thought to "show the Jews a pleasure" by allowing Paul to remain in prison.But Felix was not successful in his attempt to regain the confidence of the Jews.He was removed from office in disgrace, and Porcius Festus was appointed to succeed him, with headquarters at Caesarea.

A ray of light from heaven had been permitted to shine upon Felix, when Paul reasoned with him concerning righteousness, temperance, and a judgment to come.That was his heaven-sent opportunity to see and to forsake his sins.

But he said to the messenger of God, "Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee." He had slighted his last offer of mercy.Never was he to receive another call from God.