Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1916-10-14


formulate.
at Is enough for the disciple that
he be as his teacher and the servant
as his lord. Matthew 10; 25. II. '.
Felix. the Roman governor OF
Judea. was succeeded by Festus; and,
willing 10 curry favor with the Jews,
he left St. Paul a prisoner. although
confessedly he had found the Apostle
not guilty OF any infraction OF the
Roman law and was persuaded that
his enemies were frantlcally jealous
OF him. The two years OF St. Paul's
impr isonment doubtless afforded ex-
cellent opportunities FOR MS nature
study Of the Divine Plan set forth in
the Scriptures.
II rs impossible for us az this dis
lance even to surmlse with any ac-
curacy what may have been the
Lords object in permitting His faith
ful representative TO be thus debarred
from the privileges OF service. on the
one hand. Il may have been TO give
the Apostle opportunity ror further
study OF the Truth On the other
a lesson OF patience. submission and
confidence in God-that his services
were not Indispensable that while
the Lord would ultimately deliver him,
yet he was not indispensable 20 the
Divine Plan These are important les
sons for all OF Gods people TO learn
particularly all who are IN any prom
inent way identified with His service
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Festus. the new governor. went at
once TO Jerusalem, the center OF his
province. there TO become acquainted
with the chief men or the people
amongst whom he must preside as
governor and judge. He was OF a
totally different character from his
predecessor The Apostle styles him
noble Festus." and history confirms
the appellation.
st. Paurs enemies were on the
alert to accomplish against him
through the new governor what they
had failed to do with Felix. Taking
advantage Of the fact that a new off,
cial would naturally desire TO make
a favorable impression In respect e
prompt dealings with prisoners
charged with sedition, rioting, disloy
brought st. Pauls case TO the atten
ton OF Festus. However, after settini
forth the arguments OF Tertullus e
prejudice the governors mind. the,
feared to have a trial before him be
cause of the weakness OF their cause
for they had no witnesses TO any
wrong-doing on the Apostles part
which could be recognized as against
Roman law OF the privileges or ho-
man citizen.
Apparently their explanation was
that the Apostles conduct had been an
assault upon their religion, along
lines which the Roman governor, I'M
acquainted with their religious GUS
toms, would not be prepared TO appre-
ciate Hence they proposed TO Fes-
tus that. after all. their dispute with
St Paul was more along religious
than civil lines. and that therefore the
desirable thing would be that the
prisoner should be delivered to the
sanhedrin at Jerusalem for trial, ac-
cording to Jewish law. Meantime.
plans had been matured whereby In
the name OF God and religion, and
"the good Of the cause" the Apostle
was TO be assassinated on the journey
from Caesarea to Jerusalem.
Alas. that such criminal injustice
cannot be charged against the Jews
of that age alone: but that In every
age. and in almost every religious
system, the mental unbalance is such
that in the heat OF the moment afro
clous crimes have been advocated and
perpetrated In the name OF God and
holiness! What lessons we may learn
from these excerpts Of historyl When
will mankind learn that as justice is
the foundation OF the divine govern
ment psalm 97:2), everything con-
trary thereto must be displeasing TO
God? When shall we learn that the