ed; and that as a symbol of their discharging their vow, they might shave their heads; whereby it would appear, that the reports that were spread concerning him were false and groundless, and that he himself still observed the rites and orders of the Mosaical institutions. But, with regard to the Gentile converts, they required no such observances at their hands, nor expected any thing more from them in these indifferent matters, than what had been before determined in the synod formerly held at Jerusalem. St. Paul, who in such cases was willing to become all things to all men that he might gain the more consented to their counsel; and, taking the persons with him to the temple, told the priests that the time of a vow they had made being now expired, and having purified themselves as the nature of their case required, they were come to make the offerings which the law enjoined.

When the seven days, in which those sacrifices were to be offered, were almost ended, certain Jews from Asia, finding him in the temple, began to raise a tumult, and laying hold on Paul, called to their brethren the Jews to assist them, declaring that this was the person who every where preach ed doctrines detrimental to the Jewish nation, and destructive to the institution of the law, and the purity of that sacred place which he had now defiled, by bringing Greeks into the temple: positively concluding, that because they had seen Trophimus, a Gentile convert, with him in the city, that he had also brought him into the temple: so apt is malice to make any supposition in order to draw from thence it's own conclusion. This accusation, though absolutely false, set the whole city in an uproar, and seizing on the apostle, they dragged him out of the temple, when the doors were immediately shut, to prevent his returning into that holy place: nor had they failed of soon putting a period to all his fufferings and troubles, bad not Claudius Lysias, commander of the Roman garrison in the castle of Antenio, arrived with a band of soldiers to his rescue, aud supposing from the great tumult of the Jews, that he was a more than ordinary malefactor, loaded him with a double chain, though he was as yet altogether ignorant, either of his country, or the crimes he was accused of; it being impossible to obtain any satisfactory answer from the multitude, who called for nothing but his death, following the soldiers in such a riotous manner, that they were forced to carry the apostle in their arms, to secure him from the rage and violence of the people, who were ready to tear him in pieces.

While they were going in this manner towards the castle, Paul asked the governor whether he might have the liberty of speaking to him; who finding he understood the Greek language, inquired whether he was not that Egyptian, who, a few years before, had raised a sedition in Judea, and headed a party of four thousand vile and profligate wretches. To which the apostle replied, that he was a Jew of Tarsus, a freeman of a rich & honorable city, and therefore begged of him that he might have leave to speak unto the people. This the Roman officer readily granted, and Paul standing near the door of the castle, made signs that they should hold their peace, and began to address them in the Hebrew language; which engaged them to listen with more attention to the following extraordinary narrative.

"Ye descendants of Jacob, listen to a person of your own religion, and like yourselves a child of Abraham; born in Tarsus, and brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, and fully instructed in the law delivered by Moses to our forefathers, and formerly as zealous for the temple-worship as ye are at present.

"Yea, more, I persecuted unto death all who believed in JEsus, seizing on all I could find both men and women, and cast them into prison. This the high priest and all our elders well know; for from them I received a commission, and repaired to Damascus, to bring from thence to

Jerusalem all the Christians, in order to their undergoing an exemplary punishment. But as I was pursuing my Journey, to execute this commission, and being arrived near Damascus, there appeared, about mid-day, a light from heaven, shining round me with great brightness.

Being terrified at so awful an appearance, I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" To which I answered, "Who art thou Lord ?" And the voice replied, "1 am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest."

66

My companions, during this interval, were greatly terrified at the great light that surrounded me; but they did not understand the words that were spoken from above.

"As soon as I had recovered from the terror with which my mind was filled, on seeing Jesus so highly advanced above all earthly power, I answered, "What shall I do Lord ?" And he replied," Arise, and go into Damascus and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed

for thee to do."

66

"I was immediately deprived of sight by the brilliancy of the glory that shone around me: so that my companions led me by the hand to Damascus, where one Ananias, a person well respected by all the Jews of that city, visited me, and said, “Brother Saul, receive thy sight." And in a moment my eyes were opened, and I saw him standing before me. "Perceiving that my sight was restored he said to me, "The Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, hath appointed thee to know his will, to see the great Messiah the Holy One of God, and hear the voice of his mouth; for thou art chosen to be a witness, to all the nations of the earth, of those surprising things which thou hast seen and heard. Why there fore tarriest thou here any longer? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord."

In a short time after this glorious vision, and miraculous power of the Most High, when I was returned from Damascus to Jerusalem, and offering up my prayers in the temple, I fell into a trance, and again saw the great Son of David, who said unto me, " Depart quickly from Jerusalem; for the sons of Jacob will refuse to believe thy testimony concerning me." And I answered, "Lord, they know how cruelly I used thy saints and followers; that I imprisoned and beat them in every city, and in every synagogue. Nay, when they shed the blood of thy holy martyr Stephen, I was also one of the spectators; I consented to his death; 1 even kept the raiment of those that slew him." But he replied, "Depart: I will send thee to countries far remote; even to the Gentiles, that thou mayest there speak in my name and publish to them my salvation."

Till now the Jews had listened with some attention to his speech; but, on his mentioning the commission he had received to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, their fury knew no bounds; crying out, with one accord, "Away with such a fellow from the earth :" he is unworthy to be ranked amongst the race of mortals, or even to breathe the vital air. And as they thought words too weak to express their fury, they threw off their clothes, & filled the air with dust, indicating their great desire of stoning him to death, At this instant a captain of the guard commanded him to be brought within the castle, and that he should be examined by scourging. till he con fessed the reason of the uncommon rage shewn against him by the people. Accordingly, the lictor bound him, and was going to put the orders he had received into execution, when Paul asked the centurion that stood by, whether it was lawful to scourge a citizen of Rome, before any sentence had been passed upon him? The centurion, instead of answering the question, repaired immediately to the governor desiring him to take care how he proceeded against the prisoner, because he was a Roman.

On this information, the governor himself came into the prison, and asked Paul, whether he was really a free citizen of Rome? And being

told he was, he answered, that he himself procured that great privilege by a large sum of money; but Paul answered," I was free born." On re: ceiving this account, the governor commanded the centurion not to scourge him, being terrified at what he had already done, in chaining a free denizon of Rome. The next day, therefore, he ordered his chains to be taken off; and that he might thoroughly satisfy himself of the cause of so unu-, sual a tumult the preceding day, summoned the Sanhedrim to meet, and.. brought down Paul before them, that they might hear his defence.

Being thus placed before the high council of the Jews, Paul told them, that in all the passages of his life, he had taken care to govern his actions by the severest rules of duty and conscience: "Men and brethren I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." How great is the security of a truly good man? How strong though invisible a support does innocence become in the greatest danger! With how generous a confidence does virtue and honesty guard the breast of a true professor of Christianity! Nothing else indeed can lay a solid foundation for satisfac-tion and tranquility when any calamity overtakes us, religion and a good conscience fill the breast with a heavenly serenity, which all the little accidents of this world can neither ruffle nor discompose. And, accordingly, Seneca compares the mind of a wise and good man to the state of the upper region which is always calm and serene, though all around is tumult and confusion.

However this expression of the apostle might tend to shew the true state of his mind; the high priest Ananias was so offended at it, that he commanded those who stood next to him, to strike him on the face; at which the apostle smartly replied, "God shall smite thee, thou whited wall." Thou art placed on the seat of judgment to determine according to the law, and commandest me to be smitten in direct opposition to it's precepts. On which some of the spectators replied, it is not lawful to revile the high priest of the Almighty. And Paul answered, I did not know that Ananias was appointed by God to be an high priest; but as he is invested with authority, it is unjust to revile him, God himself having commanded, that "no man should speak evil of the ruler of the people." St. Paul, now perceiving the council consisted partly of Saducees and partly of Pharisees, cried out," Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, son of a Pharisee," and am now brought before this tribunal, for assserting the resurrection from the dead." This declaration threw the whole court into confusion; the Pharisees, being zealous patrons of that tenet, declared the prisoner innocent, and that in all probability he had received some intimation from heaven by an angel, or the silent whispers of the Holy Spirit; and if so, they really fought against Omnipotence himself, by opposing his doctrine. While the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection, together with the existance of either angel or spirit, strenuously insisted that the apostle was a turbulent person, and ought to be punished for his misconduct.

Hereupon the council was greatly divided and their dissentions increased to that degree, that the captain feared Paul would have been pulled in pieces by them, and therefore took him from the bar, and carried him back to the castle. But during the silence of the night, the great Redeemer of mankind, to comfort his faithful servant under all the terrors he had suffered the two preceding days appeared to him in a vision, encouraging him to constancy and resolution, assuring him, that as he had borne witness of him at Jerusalem, he should, notwithstanding all the malice and wicked designs of his enemies, live to bear his testimony even in Rome itself before the Gentiles.

The Jews, whose envy and malice were increased by the dilatory proreedings, determined, the next morning, to use a quicker method of putting a period to his life. In order to this, above forty of the most

turbulent entered into a shocking confederacy of killing him; ratifying it by an oath, and the most bitter execration, that they would neither. eat nor drink till they had put their inhuman design in execution: but such vile monsters would do well to remember, that a Being, from whose eye nothing can be concealed, and whose power nothing can resist, is privy to all their actions, often renders their designs abortive, and will surely punish them for their base attempts. Accordingly, this design, though probably concluded under the pitchy mantle of the night, was discovered to St. Paul, by his sister's son, and, at the request of the apostle, told to the governor himself, who immediately commanded two parties of horse and foot to be ready by nine o'clock that night, in order to conduct St. Paul to Felix, the Roman governor of that province, to whom also he sent an account of the whole proceedings of the Jews against the prisoner and, at the same time, ordered his accusers also to appear before the Roman magistrate: accordingly St. Paul was conducted to Antipatris, and afterwards to Cesarea, where the letters being delivered to Felix, the apostle was also presented to him; and finding that he belonged to the province of Cilicia, he told him, that as soon as his accusers were come down, he would determine the affair, and commanded him to be secured in the place called Herod's Hall, till they should appear against him.

Ananias, the high priest, with some others of the Sanhedrim, came to Cesarea, a few days after St. Paul's arrival, accompanied by Tertullus their advocate, who, in a short, but eloquent speech, adorned with all the flattering and insinuating arts of oratory, began to accuse the apostle, charging him with sedition, heresy, and the profanation of the temple; that they would have saved him the trouble of this hearing, by judging him according to their own law, had not Lysias, the chief captain, violently taken him from them, and sent both the prisoner and them to Cesarea, by a guard of soldiers.

The charge of the orator against the apostle being finished, Felix told St. Paul, that he was now at liberty to make his defence: accordingly he distinctly answered every part of the charge in the following manner, answer this charge of the Jews with great satisfaction before thee, because thou hast for many years been a judge of this nation. About twelve days since, I repaired to Jerusalem, to worship the God of Jacob: but I neither disputed with any man, or endeavoured to stir up the people in the synagogues or the city; nor can they prove the charge they have brought against meat this time.

However, I readily confess," that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers," firmly believing every part of the writings of Moses and the prophets; and, at the same time, believe as they themselves also do, that the Almighty will raise at the last day, both the just and the unjust from the dead; and I am careful to maintain á clear and quiet conscience, both towards God and man, agreeable to this faith.

66

Having spent some years in distant countries, I repaired to Jerusalem, with the alms I had collected in other provinces, for the poor of mine own mation, and offerings for the God of Jacob. And while I was performing the duties of religion, certain Asiatic Jews found me in the temple, purified according to the law; but neither attended with a multitude of followers, or the least tumultuous assembly. It was therefore necessary that these Jews should have been here, if they had any thing to allege against me: nay, I appeal to those of the Sanhedrim here present, if any thing has been laid to my charge, except the objections of the Sadducees, who violently opposed me for asserting the doctrine of the resurrection from the grave at the last day."

Having thus heard both parties, Felix refused to pass any final sentence, ill he had more fully advised about it, and consulted Lysias the governor of

Rr

he was the most proper person to give an account of the sediunch, commanding, in the mean time, that St. Paul should be 1.pt under a guard, but at alle same time enjoy the liberty of being visited Jy la hikode, and rece're from them any office of friendship and kindness Lfer thought proper to bestow.

Pras is a Jewess, and daughter of the elder Herod, who was also the of Fella, soon after this came down to him at Cesarea, in whose pre

vermer sent for Paul, and gave him leave to explain the docof Chainty. In this discourse, the apostle took occasion particulast up the great obligation which the laws of CHRIST lay ma to justice and righteousness, to sobriety and chastity; urging, sant Line, the true and impartial account that must be given at Judgment of the great day, when all men shall be arraigned before the *^2 tracoat of Catpotence, for the actions of their past lives, and be eterna”y punished or rewarded, according to their works done in the body. Ta's reasoning was wisely adopted to the state and temper of Felix; Put ecrrosives are very uneasy to a guilty mind: men naturally hate whatEser Erings their sins to remembrance, and sharpens the sting of a violated conscience. But however disagreeable these truths may be, they cannot beleard without eonfusion; and, accordingly, when St. Paul pathetically described the terrors of the last judgment, Felix trembled on his throne; & was so greatly affected, that he caused the apostle to break off abruptly, felling him that he would hear the remainder of his discourse at a season' more convenient than the present.

Certainly Felix had sufficient reason to tremble, and his conscience to be sensibly alarmed at these reflections; for he was a man notoriously infamous for rapine and violence! Tacitus tells us, that he made his will the law of the government, practising all manner of cruelty and injustice: his incontinence, luxury, and debauchery, was remarkable; nor did he seruple to violate all the laws of God and man, to satisfy his unruly passions: to these qualities he added bribery and covetousness; and, therefore, often sent for our apostle to discourse with him, expecting be would have given him a considerable sum for his release; having in all proba Bility, heard that St. Paul had brought a large quantity of money to Jerusa lem but finding no offers were made him, either by the apostle himself or his friends, he kept him prisoner two years; when he himself being discharged from his office by Nero, he left Paul in prison, in order to gratify the malice of the Jews, and engage them, after his departure from Judea, to speak the better of his government.

After the displacing of Felix, the government of the province was conferred on Portius Festus, before whom, at his first coming to Jerusalem, the high priest and Sanhedrim preferred an indictment against Paul, desiring that he might be sent for up to Jerusalem, in order to his trial, intending to assassinate him by the way: but Festus told them, that he was shortly going himself to Cesarea; and that, if they had any complaint against Paul, they might come down thither and accuse him. Accordingly, as soon as he was come to Cesarea, he ascended the tribunal, where the Jews renewed the charge they had before brought against Paul; but the apostle soon cleared himself of every part of the charge, they not being able to prove any thing against him. Festus, however being willing to procure the favour of the Jews at his entrance on the government, asked him whether he would go up and be tried before him at Jerusalem ? But the apostle well knowing the consequence of such a proposal, answered, Tam a Roman, and therefore ought to be judged by the Roman law; and now stand before the Judgment-seat of Cæsar. I have done nothing against the Jews, a fact thou thyself very well knowest to be true. If i have committed any thing that deserves death, I am ready to die; but if not, no person hath a power to deliver me into the hands of mine enemies,

"I appeal unto Cesar."