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is —

I. A POSSIBLE WORK. "Be baptized, and wash away thy sins." The Holy Word represents the sinful state of the soul under different figures — sleep, slavery, disease, death, pollution. Here pollution. The words imply that it is —

1. A cleansable pollution. It is not ingrained. It is something separable from the soul. It can be washed away. Baptism to Saul would symbolise moral cleansing. No water, of course, can wash the soul; all the waters of the Atlantic could not cleanse one moral stain. There is, however, a spiritual water, "the truth as it is in Jesus," by which the Eternal Spirit does cleanse (Ezekiel 36:25, 27; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Titus 3:7; Ephesians 5:25, 26; Revelation 1:5, 6; Revelation 7:14).

2. A pollution of which man must cleanse himself: "Wash away thy sins." No one can do it for us.

II. IT IS A PRAYING WORK. "Calling upon the name of the Lord." Christ's name is Himself; to call upon His name is to call upon Him.

1. Christ is the efficient cleanser of human souls. His work is to wash away the sins of the world, to purify the moral garments of humanity.

2. Prayer is the ordained means of attaining His cleansing influence (Romans 10:13). The prayer addressed to Him in the upper room at Jerusalem brought down His cleansing influences on the day of Pentecost. You may get wealth by industry, intelligence by study, wisdom by experience, but moral purity only by prayer.

III. IT IS AN URGENT WORK. "Why tarriest thou?" Or, more literally, Why art thou about acting, instead of acting really? Do not hesitate a moment. Be prompt. The importance of promptitude may be argued —

1. From the greatness of the work. Eternity depends upon it.

2. From the time already lost. The whole life should have been given to it, but much has run to waste.

3. From the increase of difficulties. Disinclination, insensibility, force of habit — all increase by delay.

4. From the character of the future. It is —

(1)  Brief;

(2)  uncertain.

(D. Thomas, D. D.)

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KJV: And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,

WEB: One Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus,