THE KING’S; BUSINESS
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He told them there was no use in yelling so loud to prove what everybody believed. He also ,put in a protest against mob law. It is a protest that needs to.be constantly made, for there are many forms of mob law. Many a thing is carried by mob law where there is no riot at all. Trying to carry things by multiplying names on petitions is oftentimes nothing but a resort to mob law. The town clerk told them there was a legal way of having difficulties settled and crimes punished, and that they must take the legal way, and even though they were right, not to carry the right by wrong means. He further told them they were in danger of getting in trouble them selves by raising a riot. Men who incite a riot, or set in motion mob law, ought always to get in trouble themselves. Mob law should be severely punished. The advice that he gave to the excited citizens of Ephesus to be “quiet,” “do nothing rashly,” is good advice for us all. The Greek word translated “rashly” means “precipitately.” There was never a time in the world’s history when so much harm was being wrought by precipitate action as today. Precipitate action lay at the bottom of all the present war with all its immeasurable consequences of evil and agony: If a man persists in keeping his head and doing nothing “precipitately,” he is considered a Coward by fools and with out having sufficient regard for national honor, but by w ise1men he is considered wise and the safe man for a nation to trust. Let us as individuals be deliberate and thoughtful and be sure we are right before we go ahead. The true man of faith will never do anything “precipitately” (Isa. 28:16). Paul and his companions had respected the rights even of idolaters. He had not robbed temples, and not even spoken evil of their false god. He seems to have used his strength rather in preach ing truth that1 in attacking error. The town :clerk states the . case ■against mob Jaw well. He showed it was never neces sary,, and always resulted in evil in the final issue. ■/. ;
to enter” in order that he might seize this opportunity o-f addressing the people: There was a rare combination of fearless courage and humility in Paul. The mad mob awakened the manly fire in Paul’s soul. He wished to go into the midst of the riot and proclaim Jesus, but he yielded to the entreaties of the disciples and the persua sion of nis friends who were in places of power. The time will come when Paul will have the opportunity of facing a mad mob, but that will be further on, the time had not come as yet. Mobs are always irra tional, and mob law is always insane. Indi vidual men who are perfectly rational by themselves, will do the most ridiculous things when they get in a crowd. In this case there was a perfect babel of voipes, one crying one thing, another another. It did not make much difference what they cried so long as they yelled lo.ud enough. There was utterconfusion and the majority did not know why they were come together. That is> usually the way it is with a mob. A Jew was put forward. It could be easily seen that he was a Jew, and that stirred the mob up again. There is nothing that will stir up some mobs like seeing a Jew. There must be something wrong if there is a Jew connected with it; so the original cry, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians,” is taken up again and for two hours they yelled it at the top of their voices. If shouting could prove anything surely this proposition was proven, but shouting, no matter how loud it is, proves nothing except tlie folly of the shouters. The probability is they did not altogether believe it themselves in their inmost souls, and were trying to convince themselves of it by yelling the louder. The man who in his inmost soul is sure that he is right is pretty sure to be calm and quiet, while the man who doubts the truth of his position waxes vehement in his .assertion of it, and what he. lacks in conviction he tries to make up in'noise. Sunday,. March 18 ■ Acts 19:35-4l - The town clerk was a sensible fellow.
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