THE ACTS NOT A BOOK OF PRECEDENTS

^[p. 373] THE ACTS NOT A BOOK OF PRECEDENTS

The book of Acts is not a book of precedents. It is a book tracing the course and leadings of the Holy Spirit from the mount of Olives to Paul’s imprisonment; how christianity was entirely new and outside judaism. The Jews having refused the Lord from glory, and every offer made to them, “It was necessary [said Paul] that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the gentiles” (Acts 13: 46). The Acts trace this out for us, and set forth how every offer had been made to God’s professed people on the earth. Hence the servants of the Lord seized every opportunity, temple or synagogues, for declaring the grace of God. But now christianity being refused by the Jew, it comes forth in its new and heavenly order. And everything now is to be of the Holy Spirit sent down to testify of the glorified Christ; and as the chapels or religious buildings are all now connected with some perversion or limitation of the truth of christianity, the Spirit would not lead a servant of Christ to use one of them for His testimony, except under very exceptional circumstances.