The growings of the Word.
The terms used here indicate a continuous expansion. "Grew and multiplied" is a blending of figures, and does not easily fit into the term, "Word of God." Probably St. Luke associated the word with our Lord's parable of the "sower;" and thought of it as seed, growing up and bringing forth its hundredfold. Two things are suggested by the sentence taken as a text.
1. St. Luke notices, as a remarkable thing, that, in spite of all the persecutions and hindrances of those evil times, the Word of God grew.
2. And that a sudden revival of zeal, earnestness, and success followed on the dreadful judgment and sudden removal of the Church's great persecutor. It is to the first of these two points that we now direct attention.
I. THE APPARENT HINDRANCES OF TROUBLOUS TIMES. The recent history of Madagascar Christianity provides most effective illustration; or instances may be found in the histories of Lollards, Waldenses, etc. Persecuting times seem to be ruinous; their influence is directed to
But it has never been found that physical violence has been more than apparent hindrance. The nearest approach ever made to success is probably the crushing of French Protestantism by the Massacre of St. Bartholomew. We are learning well the lesson that intellectual evils must be met by intellectual resistances and corrections, and that moral evils must be removed by moral agencies. "The weapons of our Christian warfare are not carnal, but spiritual," and it is vain work for any to oppose us with mere shield and sword and spear. Illustrate from the martyrdom of John Brown, the advocate of freedom for the slave. Persecution seemed to succeed, and
"John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave,
But his soul is marching on"—
marching on to triumph in the vast hinds of America, and marching on to another glorious victory in the newly found highlands of mighty Africa. Persecution cannot stop the onward progress of man's thought or man's love.
II. THE REAL HELPFULNESS OF TROUBLOUS TIMES. The marvel is that the seed actually grows and multiplies in such times. We think the rainstorms hopelessly beat clown the young and tender blades. Nay, they really nourish the roots, and prepare for vigorous upspringing and richer fruitage. Moral harvests wave where martyrs' blood was shed. We may recognize the helpfulness of troublous times if we notice:
1. How they tend to bind men together. Differences of opinion and judgment are for a time forgotten. The common ground is fully recognized. Suffering throws each one upon the loving interest and care of the others, and lessons of the Christian brotherhood are then learned as they can be under no other circumstances. Prosperity and times of peace tend to bring prominently forward men's diversities, and in such times sects are multiplied. Troublous times make men forget their peculiarities in facing a common foe and in sharing a common woe.
2. How they increase enthusiasm and develop energy; Nothing calls forth the latent powers of men like resistance to liberty of opinion. Let a scientific truth be opposed, and the whole energy of the discoverer is called forth for its maintenance, and to him that truth grows tenfold more important and more precious. So with the Christian verities, we "earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints" only when that faith is being contended against.
3. How they bring men more fully to lean on the Divine power. They bring that sense of personal helplessness which makes us cling to the assurance, "Greater is he who is with us than all who can be against us." We feel we may walk alone if it is all light about us. We must lean hard on God if it is night-time and stormy all about us.
4. How they draw public attention to the Christian workers. There is no advertising agent comparable for a moment in efficiency with persecution. Age after age Christ's enemies have done Christ's work, and witnessed among all lands for him, as they have martyred his servants and persecuted his Church. Suffering has a sacred power on human hearts everywhere, and Christ's suffering Church wins men for Christ.—R.T.