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Saul was now onward of his journey to Damascus (the worst journey that ever he intended, but the best that ever he undertook,) a journey most maliciously purposed by him, but most mercifully disposed by God. Heaven had designed him for better service, and work of another nature; and accordingly he is stopped in his way, knocked off his horse, a sudden beam of light beyond the brightness of the sun darts upon him, dazzles him, and he hears a voice, saying Saul, Saoul, why persecutest thou me? that is, me in my members. Whatever is done against Christians for anything that Christ commandeth them, he takes it as done against himself. Such as persecute the saints for their sancity, persecute Christ himself; and he can no more endure to see them wronged, than himself. As the honour of Christ, the Head, redounds to the members, so the sorrows of the members are resented by the Head. Christ said not thus to his murderers on earth, Why bind ye me? Why buffet ye me? Why scourge ye, and why crucify ye me? But here, when the members suffer, he cries out from heaven, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Lord! thou art more tender of thy body mystical, then thou was of thy body natural; more sensible of thy members sufferings, than of thine own.
Observe, 2. The wonderful power of the heart-changing grace of God. Saul cries out, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Saul is no longer a lion, but a lamb; the wolf that hunted before for his prey, now gently couches like a sheep; hears and obeys the voice of Christ the great Shepherd; and of a persecutor of the church, becomes the great doctor of the Gentiles.
Behold! the tare is become wheat; the child of wrath, a chosen vessel; the prodigy of nature, the miracle of grace.
Lord! who can enough admire and magnify the sovereignty and omnipotent prevalency of divine grace, which could refine and did extract very precious gold from so rough, so coarse, and so base a metal?
Conversion is a work of wonder in all men, but a miracle in this man, and extraordinarily strange, and instantaneously sudden; and therefore is by no means to be made the measure and standard of every man's conversion.
Shall we think no man converted, unless he be struck down with a light and power immediately from heaven, and be taken with a fit of trembling, and frighted almost out of his wits?
How many by the benefit of a good education, others by the blessing of God upon some affliction, and upon calm consideration, without any great terrors and amazement, have been visibly changed and converted?
The effects and fruits of conversion are very visible in all, but the manner of conversion is not alike in all. Things may be very visible in their effects, which yet are not visible in their cause. If the fruits of our conversion be visible, the certainty of it is unquestionable, and the advantage of it will be unspeakable, although we cannot tell the time when, or the manner how, the Holy Spirit wrought it in us.