Acts 2:12,13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.… Of all the expressions of our distaste, a scoff is the worst. Admonition may be physic, a reproof balm, a blow ointment; but derision is as poison and a sword. It was the height of Job's complaint that persons made jests on him; and it was the depth of Samson's calamity (Judges 16:25). That which raises our anger presents some magnitude to our eyes; but that which we scorn is less than nothing. But now everything is not always as it appears, especially to the eye of the scoffer; for here we see things of excellency may be submitted to jests. Note I. — THE OBJECT OF THEIR DERISION. A. miracle. In every miracle there is "the thing done," which must transcend the course of nature, and "the end," which is also supernatural. In respect of the power of God there is no miracle; but in His goodness He was pleased to work wonders, not for show, but for our instruction. And as He had borne witness to His Son by miracles, so doth He here to the Holy Ghost. This was the end of this miraculous operation. II. THE PERSONS. 1. What entertainment finds the miracle? What welcome hath the Holy Ghost? No other than what befals all extraordinary events. Every man lays hold of it and shapes it in such a form as he may please. To some it is a matter of wonder; to others, of mirth. 2. We should account it a strange stupidity in any one not to be more affected at the sight of the sun than of a taper, and to esteem the great palace of heaven but as a furnace. But when God stretcheth forth His hands to produce effects which follow not the force of secondary causes, then, not to put-on wonder, not to conclude that it is for some great end, is not folly, but infidelity, the daughter of malice and envy and affected ignorance. 3. Miracles are signs; and if they signify nothing it is evident that a stubborn heart and froward mind will not understand the meaning of them. And then what are miracles but trifles, matter of scoff and derision? "Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God by miracles" (ver. 22), a juggler; a voice from heaven, but "thunder"; to make the blind to see, etc., witchcraft; to be full of the Spirit, "to be full of drink." When Julian had read a Defence of Christianity, he remarked, "I have read, understood, and condemned it." To which St. Basil replied, "Had you understood it, you would never have condemned it." The same befalls men prepossessed and too far engaged in the world, and the father's reply will reach home to them. 4. To this day our behaviour is little better than mocking. Our lust, which waits for the twilight, mocks at God's Omniscience (Psalm 73:11); our distrust argues against His power (Psalm 78:20; 2 Kings 8:2); our impatience questions His truth; and those who acknowledge Him to be the Giver of life, have confined His goodness to a few. His mercy "triumpheth over" His justice; yet Novatian made every fall as low as hell: and what is despair but a mocking of God's mercy? 5. The ground of all is infidelity, the proper issue of obstinate and wilful ignorance. Plato well observeth, that none can taste and judge of that sweetness which truth affords but the philosopher, because they want that instrument of judgment which he useth; and that cannot be applied by covetousness, ambition, and lust; "the philosopher's instrument is reason." So in Divine mysteries and miracles, we cannot reach the meaning of them without a humble, pure, and free spirit, the best instrument of a Christian. 6. Indeed, reason might have taught these men that this was a miracle. For rude and illiterate men to speak on a sudden all languages, was more than all the linguists in the world could teach. And from no other principle arose the question of ver. 12. But, to "read the riddle, we must plough with another heifer" than reason (Judges 14:18). To dive into the sense of the miracle can proceed from no other Spirit than that whose miracle it was, even Him wire enlightens them that sit in darkness, and who makes the humble and docile soul both His school and His scholar. Reason is a light, but obnoxious to fogs and mists, till this great light dispel and scatter them. Julian was a man as well furnished as any; yet he wounded religion more with his scoffs than with his sword. When he had received his death's wound, he confessed it came from the power of Christ, in a phrase of scorn, "The day is Thine, O Galilean!" Indeed the greatest scoffers have been for the most part eminent in natural abilities, whose reason, notwithstanding, could not show them their own fluctuations, the storms and tempest of their souls, she being eclipsed with her own beams. III. THE SCOFF ITSELF. 1. It was not only a scoff, but an accusation, and there be divers reasons which make men accusers, ambition, hatred, hope of reward. Ecumenius tells us it was here that perverseness which indifferently passeth censure upon any cause, or "no cause at all." And this is bred by opinion, and not by truth. If they understood not what the apostles spake, how could they say they were drunk? and if they did understand, why did they scoff? They were men settled in the very dregs of error and malice; and, having taken up an opinion, they would not let it go, no not at the sight of a miracle. 2. But yet though there were no reason nor probability to justify their scoff, some show there was to countenance it. The apostles, after this gift of tongues, talked much: they were full indeed with the wine of the New Testament; and, as drunken men, they were merry and cheerful; they publish secrets, they fear no face, regard no power, regard not themselves. 3. This hath always been, and to this day is, the great error of the world — to make shadows substances, similitudes indentities, the faintest representations truth (1 Samuel 1:13, 14; 2 Samuel 6:20; Mark 3:21). Upon this ground faith is called "presumption" because it is like it; Christianity is called "madness"; for when we mortify the flesh, and estrange ourselves from the world, most that behold us think us not well in our wits. At this day true devotion goes for fancy, reverence for superstition, bowing for idolatry. Our Saviour's counsel is, "Judge not according to the appearance" (John 7:24). For how easy is it to paint and present things as we please! Many times an evil eye makes an evil face, puts horror upon religion itself, and, where devotion shines out in the full beauty of holiness, draws a Pope or a devil. As "'charity covers a multitude of sins" (James 5:20), so doth malice cover a multitude of virtues with the black mantle of vice. (A. Farindon, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.WEB: Others, mocking, said, "They are filled with new wine." |
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