Matthew Henry Commentary Acts 16:25-34

"But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns unto God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison-house were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one`s bands were loosed. And the jailor, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. And he called for lights and sprang in, and, trembling for fear, fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house. And they spake the word of the Lord unto him, with all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, immediately. And he brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his house, having believed in God." — Acts 16:25-34 (ASV)

The consolations of God to His suffering servants are neither few nor small. How much happier are true Christians than their prosperous enemies! As in the dark, so out of the depths, we may cry to God. No place, no time is wrong for prayer, if the heart is lifted up to God.

No trouble, however grievous, should hinder us from praise. Christianity proves itself to be from God, because it obliges us to be just to our own lives. Paul cried aloud to make the jailer hear and to make him pay attention, saying, Do yourself no harm. All the cautions of the word of God against sin, and all appearances of it and approaches to it, have this tendency.

Man, woman, do not ruin yourself; do not hurt yourself, and then no one else can hurt you; do not sin, for nothing but that can hurt you. Even regarding the body, we are cautioned against the sins that harm it. Converting grace changes how people speak of and to good people and good ministers. How serious the jailer's inquiry!

His salvation becomes his great concern; that lies nearest his heart, which before was furthest from his thoughts. It is his own precious soul that he is concerned about. Those who are thoroughly convinced of sin, and truly concerned about their salvation, will give themselves up to Christ. Here is the sum of the whole gospel, the covenant of grace in a few words: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, and your house.

The Lord so blessed the word that the jailer was at once softened and humbled. He treated them with kindness and compassion, and, professing faith in Christ, was baptized in that name, with his family. The Spirit of grace worked such a strong faith in them that it removed further doubt; and Paul and Silas knew by the Spirit that a work of God was worked in them. When sinners are thus converted, they will love and honor those whom they before despised and hated, and will seek to lessen the suffering they before desired to increase.

When the fruits of faith begin to appear, terrors will be followed by confidence and joy in God.