He reasoned of righteousness first. And this logic was all new to Felix, who had never thought of righteousness or justice as being the end and object of government. Herod was a pretty fair specimen of those Roman rulers or kings as they were sometimes called, and the unrighteous cause for which he had the head of John the Baptist cut off manifests the measure of his regard for justice. If history be correct, Felix was not much in advance of him in this respect. He was governor of Samaria at this time, and his headquarters and home were at Cesarea on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It was in this same city that Paul defended himself so heroically before Festus and Agrippa. Paul is silent as to the course of reasoning employed in bringing his threefold subject to bear with a weight upon the mind of Felix. We may reasonably conclude that his first point was the righteousness of civil government; contrasting the corrupt and perverted ideas of rulers as they then existed in their minds upon this feature, with what they ought rightfully to be. In this connection he did not fail to make occasional home thrusts similar to the one made by Nathan when he said to David: "Thou art the man."
It is a newly-discovered truth that the Bible reveals the only true basis of civil government. That basis, from its lowest bottom to its highest level, is love, or "good will toward men." Government founded upon any other basis is tyranny or despotism, the exact form being determined by the depth of bondage and slavery into which the governed are willing to be pressed down, and by the will of the rulers as to how low they are inclined to press them. The Constitution of the Roman government contained no trace of love. It was all force. History abundantly shows this. Neither justice in the administration of its laws, nor temperance in the demands and exaction of tributes, nor a judgment to come when accounts would be settled, was once thought of. Those in power knew nothing and thought nothing about any day of final retribution.
It is not very probable that Felix was made to tremble by anything Paul may have said concerning civil government. The mind of Felix was too firmly fixed in his own ideas of civil righteousness to be deeply moved or disturbed by anything a prisoner might say upon that point. His execution of Roman law according to his views of righteousness in their administration was satisfactory to his sovereign at Rome; and to please him, and thereby secure perpetual tenure of office, was the height of his ambition. The cause of his trembling must then be found in another quarter, or the adversary may say that Felix, just at that time, happened to be taken with an ague chill, which Paul mistook for the nervous agitation which he supposed to have been induced by the power of his discourse.
Felix was a pagan. His religion, if he had any belief at all in the supernatural, was idolatry. Paul did not appeal to his affections, to his emotional nature, but to his rational part. He reasoned upon his great subject. We may justly conclude that he proceeded in a way similar to that which he took in addressing the Athenians on Mars' Hill. "The God whom ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you." And he set him forth in a rational light. He told them about God's righteousness. He told them that God had appointed a day in which he would judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained, and of whom he hath given assurance or proof unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead. This man was Jesus Christ the Lord. Here, also, he spoke of a judgment to come. And it becomes a thing self-evident that a judgment to come is the main fact upon which all moral and religious truth depends for its power over the hearts and lives of men. Take away from man all fear of accountability in a future state, and his bestial appetites assert their sway. "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die" gives loose rein to every passion, and lust holds high carnival.
For our instruction here, it may be well to speak upon the subject of righteousness. What is it? Righteousness is obedience to law. This is its most general meaning. This is its human sense. In its divine sense it is obedience to the laws of God. Wherein the laws of men depart from the laws of God obedience to their laws is disobedience to God's laws. Here arises a conflict in which each individual may decide for himself which he will do, the will of men or the will of God. The decision of the apostles was "to obey God rather than men." By this obedience they stood righteous in the eyes of God. To be sinners in the sight of men gave them no distress, so long as they felt sure of being righteous in the sight of God.
Jesus is called Christ the righteous. He is set forth in the Word as the only example of perfect righteousness the world has ever had, for "he did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth." He challenged the Jews with the question: "Which of you convinceth me of sin?" They could bring up no charge. Sin is the opposite of righteousness. It is sin, or the love of sin, which is impersonated by our Lord in Matt. 10:28 as a monster of awful power: "And be not afraid of them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." The version of the same matter as given by Luke is terribly sublime: "Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell: yea, I say unto you, Fear him." Brethren and friends, this is the only power we have real cause to be afraid of, and this is the enemy of all righteousness. And this enemy is right in ourselves. We need not go far to find him. Paul calls him by way of eminence as well as age "the old man of sin," "the first Adam," "the outward man," because he loves what is outside of us, fleshly enjoyments. Sin, or the love of sin, is the power that destroys both soul and body in hell. Righteousness is what saves; or, rather, righteousness in heart and life is salvation. If we look to the Lord in faith and prayer, by which I mean, if we love his Word and believe it with our heart, so as to make it the law and guide of our life, at all times and in all ways, we are sure of salvation; for it is through righteousness, as well as through much tribulation, that the saints shall inherit the promises. In the Revelation we read of a great multitude which no man could number, as standing before the throne. What a high standing they have! But by way of preparation for that honor they washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. The robe of each was and is his wedding garment. The Lamb is the Lord's Word, and the blood of that Lamb is the spirit and life of that Holy Word infused into our souls and made effectual unto our salvation, by living a life of heartfelt obedience to his holy precepts.
Monday, April 7. Rain and snow with sleet come down all day. Room very damp and cold, with insufficient fire. Several brethren come to see me to-day.
Tuesday, April 8. Rain and snow continue as on yesterday. Our room very uncomfortable.
Wednesday, April 9. Still cloudy, with rain and snow. We have some pleasant conversations in the prison, with books and papers. But all the public prints are so filled and taken up with war that they give me but little enjoyment. The minds and spirits of nearly all the prisoners are so broken down by the state and prospects of the country that interesting and instructive conversations can hardly be held.
Thursday, April 10. The following beloved brethren and dear sister came in to see us to-day: John Zigler, John Wine and Christian Wine, Benjamin Miller, Joel Senger, and Catharine Showalter, daughter of Brother Jacob Miller and wife of Brother Jackson Showalter. The sight and presence of these brethren refreshed us much; and the dear sister carries sunshine with her wherever she goes. Last night and this morning regiment after regiment passed through town on their way down the valley in the direction of Winchester.