Made Fast in the Stocks.

From: Messages of God's Love: 1906

Narrator: Chris Genthree

IN some of the old villages in England there remains what is called stocks, just as we see in the picture before us. But they are not used any more. It is an old form of punishment, but done away with many years ago. You can see by the picture what sort of punishment it was. The prisoners sat with one leg through a hole in a board, which could only be opened by the constable; and there they were exposed to the laughter of all the passers-by. No doubt you can easily understand that it was not only with shame but was very painful to sit in that position any length of time.

It would seem had enough to have to be put in such a position for doing what is wrong, but what do you think of one being put there for doing good?

If you will turn to Acts 16:16-40¹⁶And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: ¹⁷The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation. ¹⁸And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. ¹⁹And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, ²⁰And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, ²¹And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. ²²And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. ²³And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: ²⁴Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. ²⁵And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. ²⁶And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. ²⁷And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. ²⁸But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. ²⁹Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, ³⁰And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? ³¹And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. ³²And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. ³³And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. ³⁴And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. ³⁵And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. ³⁶And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. ³⁷But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. ³⁸And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. ³⁹And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. ⁴⁰And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed. (Acts 16:16‑40), you will see there that Paul and Silas were first beaten, then put in prison and their feet put fast in the stocks and that because they had commanded an unclean spirit to come out of a certain woman. It was not that they had power over the unclean spirits, but they did it in the name of Jesus Christ. It was, therefore, the power of His name. This woman had been telling fortunes, and such things, by that evil spirit she had, and brought much money to the man that owned her, and when that man saw she was delivered from that evil spirit, instead of his being thankful for it, he got angry with Paul and Silas because the woman could not make any more money for him in that evil way; and he had the magistrate take Paul and Silas and beat them and put them in the prison and there put their feet fast in the stocks.

Do you think anyone could be happy in such a place as that? Ah yes, they knew Jesus as the One who had died for them, and they were happy and prayed and sang praises unto God, and the prisoners heard them.

There is one lesson I would like to have you learn from this, and that is, that after we have believed in Jesus as our Saviour, it is to know what He is for our joy. If we are occupied with Him and what He has done for us, we can be happy if we are suffering for Him.

In a time like the present, we may not get our feet put in the stocks, because we speak of Christ, but we may be laughed at, and hear hard things said against us, but we can easily bear all that when we think of what the Lord Jesus bore for us. The worldly people did not lib e Jesus, and so those who believe in Hirai need not expect anything else but that such people will not like them either. How much better it is to please the One who loved us so much as to give Himself a sacrifice for us, than to think of pleasing those who do not want Him. Ah, He is worthy to be praised, He is worthy to have our whole lives spent for Him, and if others are so foolish as to make fun of those who believe in Him, they should rejoice that they have been led to see differently, and rejoice that they are given a place with the Lord Jesus on earth. May you, my dear reader, stand for your Lord and Saviour, and seek to honor Him in all your ways, and tell others of that same blessed Saviour and invite them to come to Him. If they come, they will be given to know the value of that word, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37³⁷All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37).

“I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST: FOR IT IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION, TO EVERY ONE THAT BELIEVETH.” Rom. 1:16¹⁶For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16).

ML 03/25/1906

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