fie) that after the most straitest sect of our re

severe * in Points of Faith, and A. D. 62.
most exact in the ceremonial
Duties, of all the Jewish Selts;
and so lived and conversed for

many Years at Jerufalem.

6. And now I stand, and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers.

6. Nay, and the very Article of Faith I am now accused of, is no other than that great Divine Promise made to Abraham and the Patriarchs, viz. The Promife of CHRIST the Messiah, and of our Refurrection and future State, now proved and demonftrated by his rifing from the Dead.

7. Unto which promise our twelve tribes instantly serving God day and night, hope

to come; for which hope fake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

8. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the

7. An Article this, That all orthodox Jews have ever believed, and is the Spring and Foundation of all the divine Worship they conftantly pay to GOD. It is this I am arraigned for; but it is by the Sadducees, who believe no future State at all.

8. Now, I challenge these Adversaries to give me any one Reafon, Why a God of infinite Justice and Wisdom, should not appoint a future State of Rewards and Punishments; or why his infinite Power should not enable him to raise the Dead to Life again?

dead?

10. Which thing I

also did in Jerufa

9, 10 & 11. As to my Profeffion of these Promises to be fulfilled in JESUS of Nazareth, owning his Meffiahship and Refurrection; when you confider the violent Prejudices I had against all People of that Perfua

N3

fion,

1

A. D. 62. lem, and many of the faints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief Priefts, and

when they were put

to death, I gave my
voice against them.
11. And I punished
them oft in every sy
nagogue, and com-
pelled them to blaf-
pheme: and being
exceedingly mad a-
gainst them, I perse-
cuted them even unto
strange cities.

12. Whereupon as
I went to Damafcus,
with authority and
commiffion from the
chief priests:

13. At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness

of the fun; shining

sion, both by my Education and Temper; how many of them I voted to Prisons and Death at Jerufalem, what a fevere Commiffion I obtain'd from the Coun

cil, to punish, banish, and perfe

cute them wherever I found them, and by all Methods of hard Usage to make them renounce their Profeffion; you cannot think I turned Christian out of any light and frivolous Confiderations, but from clear and weighty Evidences. Now the Occasion and Manner of my Converfion was this;

12 & 13. As I was upon the Road to Damascus, in pursuance of that bloody Commission * against the Christians of those Parts, we were furrounded with a glorious Appearance of the Divine Majesty, in a Light that e clipsed the Sun.

round about me, and them which journeyed with me.

14. And when we 14. The Brightness and Terwere all fallen to the ror whereof, caused me and my Fellow-Travellers to fall proftrate upon the Earth; when a Voice

earth, I heard a voice
speaking unto
faying in the Hebrew

and

tongue, Saul, Saul,
why perfecutest thou
me? It is hard for
thee to kick against
the pricks.

from the Divine Glory, directed to me by Name, asked, Why I perfecuted his Disciples, and thus pretended to withstand the irrefiftible Evidences and Power of GOD's true Religion?

15. And I faid, Who art thou, Lord? And

he said, I am Jesus

15. When, in the utmost Degree of Aftonishment, I cried to know what tremendous Voice

whom

this

* See Chap. ix, and Chap. xxii, and compare this Relation with them.

whom thou persecu- this was, I was answered, It was A. D. 62. the Voice of JESUS of Naza-~

test.

reth the Son of GOD, the true Meffiah, of whose Difciples I was to unmerciful a Persecutor.

16. But arise, and stand upon thy feet, for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a

minister and a witness,

both of these things which thou hast seen,

and of those things in the which I shall appear to thee.

16. Arise therefore (faid Jefus to me) and be now convinced of your Error, for I have in this miraculous Manner discover'd my felf to you for your Converfion, in order to make you an eminent Apostle and Preacher of the Truth of my Religion, whereof now you are convinced, and in which I I will particularly instruct you afterward.

17. Delivering thee 17. And in whatever Dangers from the people, and you shall be involved by your from the Gentiles, unto Publication of this my Religion, whom now I send thee. I will, by my Power and Providence, protect you against either Jews or Gentiles.

18. To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of fins, and

inheritance among them which are fance tified by faith that is

in me.

18. For the Conversion of both which People, I now ordain you an Apostle and Preacher, to convert them from their Idolatry, recover them from their Ignorance, Superstition, and Immoralities; that from being Slaves of Sin and Satan, they may become the Children of GOD, and Heirs of eternal Happiness, by a fincere Faith in me, and

Practice of the Duties of my Religion.

19. Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

19. Thus I was converted, and how, O King Agrippa, could any Man, without the most inexcufable Obstinacy, stand out againft from Heaven itself?

A. D. 62. cus, and at Jerufalem, ~ and throughout all the coafts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God,

+ See Ver.

17.

and do works meet for
repentance.

21. For these causes
the Jews caught me in
the temple, and went
about to kill me.

the People on purpose

22. Having there-
fore obtained help of
God, I continue un-
to this day, witness-
ing both to small and
great, saying none o-

ther things than those
which the prophets
and Mofes did say

should come:

23. That † Chrift should fuffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should thew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

invested with the Powers of the Holy Ghost, I fet my self, in all Places I came at, to convert both Jews and Gentiles, by preaching this fincere Repentance, Faith, and Obedience in CHRIST the Meffiah.

21. And having done this in several Parts of the * lesser Afia, fome of those Jews meeting me afterward in the Temple, raised to destroy me.

22. But through the Divine t Providence, I have hitherto escaped, the Effects of their Malice, and continue to preach the fame Doctrine of CHRIST's Messiahship, and his Refurrection; which indeed is the Thing aimed at by Mofes, and answers exactly to the Predictions of the Prophets.

23. For those Prophecies concerning the Messiah, do in no wife represent him as a temporal Monarch, triumphing in the Conquest of Nations, and in the Destruction of Mankind; but as a Suffering † Saviour, that should by the Merits of his Death, redeem the whole World from the Punishment of their paft Sins; and by the Conquest of Death by his || Resurrection, give all Mankind a Pledge and Afssurance of Life and Immortality, upon the Terms of fincere Faith and Obedience.

*Chapters xvi. xvii. xviii. and xix.

24. At

That Chrift was capable

† Ver. 23. εί χριςός παθητός of suffering, and was to fuffer. See the NOTES on PREFACE to 1 Epift John iv. 3.

|| Ver. 23. Be the first that should rise from the Dead. See NOTE on Chap. xiii. 34.

24. And as he thus spake for himself, Festus faid with a loud voice, Paul thou art beside thy self, much learning doth make thee mad.

25. But he said, I am not mad, most noble Feftus, but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

26. For the king knoweth of these things, before whom alfo I speak freely: for I am perfuaded

that none of these things are hidden from him: for this

24. At this Discourse of Paul's, A. D. 62. Festus, being a Person utterly unacquainted with either Jewish or Chriftian Notions, took him to be beside himself, and told him, he had studied himself out of his Wits.

25. Paul very modestly replied, that he gave no Symptoms of any irregular Transport, but had spoken only clear and plain Matters of Fact;

26. For the Truth of which, in the main, he was willing to appeal to King Agrippa, who could tell, That the Life, Death, and Refurrection of JESUS, (and his own Converfion too) were not meer Inventions of his own, but

thing was not done Things of publick Fame and Cognizance throughout all the Jewish Land.

in a corner.

27. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

27. Then addreffing himself to Agrippa, You, O King, (fays he) by being a Jew, must be supposed to believe the prophetical Writings to be of Divine Inspiration. See then, if all their Representations of the Meffiah are not most eminently fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

28. Then Agrippa faid unto Paul, Almost thou perfuadest me to be a Christian.

29. And

28. The King replied, That the Account he had given of his Converfion, and the Reasons for his Religion, had almost induced him to be a Christian *.

29. Paul

* Ver. 28. Almost thou perfuadeft me to be a Chriftian. But whether this was said by way of Banter, or in good Earnest, is hardly to be determined. 'Tis clear that Agrippa never did turn Christian, whatever present Effect this Difcourse might have on him.