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Under ordinary circumstances this description of miracles wrought by God by the hands of Paul might be liable to the supposition is here that it is found. And when we look a moment beneath the surface we discover ample justification for the epithet applied to these miracles. Let us observe -

I. IN WHAT THE SPECIALTY OF THESE MIRACLES CONSISTS. We are taught the answer in one verse.

1. They are wrought without the laying on of the hands of Paul, without his presence, without his voice, without (so far as appears) even any knowledge on his part of the persons or the needs of the persons who received healing. These four circumstances do incontestably entitle them to the description of "special;" the nearest approach to them being miracles of the kind that were wrought when one touched "the hem of the garment" of Jesus. But Jesus did then perceive and know that "virtue was gone out of him."

2. They are wrought with intervening signs of most unusual kind; the connecting visible links being handkerchiefs and aprons that have been in some contact with the body of the apostle, and are now carried to the sick and possessed by any one - presumably any one of their friends. The nearest approach to anything so "special as this may, perhaps, be considered to occur in the conduct of those who brought their sick on their couches into the streets, that haply the mere shadow of Peter might overshadow some of them" (Acts 5:15). But in these cases there was far nearer and closer connection between the miracles wrought (if such were wrought) and Peter than the connection of handkerchiefs fitfully carried by any one.

II. THE OBJECTS OF THIS SPECIALTY OF MIRACLE.

1. To arrest a lively attention.

2. To suggest really far deeper thoughtfulness in all those who had thought to think.

3. To spread far and wide blessings themselves, each one of which had a hundred tongues to speak the praise of some one.

4. To attract attention to the miracle itself and the blessing wrapt in it and to the real Worker of it, rather than to suffer attention to be distracted by an apparently too close relation of the miracle to Paul personally. It is true that many in their blindness might still think and speak of all the wonderfulness of Paul, and even of the body of Paul. But yet others would be helped to see (what with time all the world would be sure to see) that it was no more due to Paul than to the handkerchief, that the miracle was wrought, but all due to God, and all to his praise and glory.

III. THE MORE GENERAL AND PERMANENT LESSONS OF THIS SPECIALTY OF MIRACLE. For the "special miracle" helps to reveal only the more definitely and distinctly the meaning of any miracle.

1. It is for the attainment of a great moral end; to give sufficient and just ground, for instance, to believe, to trust, and to act the things which, without it, might be only believed and trusted by credulity, or not at all.

2. It is to attain this moral end, without overriding the exercise of men's own reason and heart and conscience. The just suggestion, s of a miracle, forcible as they ought to prove, are still only moral helps and guides.

3. The miracle is so far forth for darker days and for the more backward stages of humanity. The foundation work for much to be built upon as time should travel on; the time fittest for the miracle is the earlier time, the more childish time of the world. Then the besetting snare of the miracle would, at all events, count for less harm, and the moral good of it would be enshrined a "possession for ever."

4. The miracle is useless if permanent. Evidently the day of miracle was drawing near its end when Peter's shadow was waited for. But very near indeed to its end was it when even Scripture says, "God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul." If their end had not been now near, one of two things must have followed. Either they must have taken their place as grateful resources for the healing of the diseased and the dispossessing of the possessed, or, in order to keep their moral virtue and effect, they must have been becoming in long vista yet more and more "special." - B.

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KJV: And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:

WEB: God worked special miracles by the hands of Paul,