motive for imposing on others, and for embracing Christianity, without being convinced of its truth. His mind, it is well known, was strongly possessed with opinions against Christ and His followers. Interest, power, and reputation lay on the side he forsook; and the sect he embraced was under the greatest and most general contempt. That in the very instant of his being engaged in the fiercest persecution against it, he should, on a sudden, imagine himself called by a heavenly vision, to be the Apostle of Christ, whom, but a moment before, he had deemed an impostor and blasphemer, is, in itself, so wholly incredible, and so far from being the probable effect of an enthusiasm, imposing itself upon his mind, that just a contrary effect would have been produced from such a cause. But he was not alone when this event occurred; there were others in company with him, whose minds were no better disposed than his to the Christian faith. Could it be possible that the minds of all these men should be so strangely affected at the same time, as to make them believe they saw a great light, and heard a voice from heaven, when, in reality, they neither saw nor heard any such thing? The supposition is impossible; and we can only conclude that the conversion of St. Paul was really effected in the miraculous manner here described 2.

' Lord Lyttelton.

SECT. CXCIV.-Saul preacheth Christ boldly.-Acts ix. 20-31; 2 Cor. xi. 32, 33; Gal. i. 17-24; ii. 9, 10.

HAD this event been an imposture, it might be curious to observe in what manner it was carried on. Doubtless his first care would have been to get himself owned by the Apostles, and received by them; until this was done he could not expect to obtain esteem and credit amongst the disciples. But, instead of attending to this necessity, he "went into Arabia, "and went not "up to Jerusalem to them which were Apostles" and leaders, nor did he indeed go to them, nor to that city, until three years later. Some have thought that it was ordered by Providence that there should be an interval of retirement and quiet to St. Paul, between his violent persecution of Christians and his zealous propagation of the Gospel. Of this journey into Arabia St. Luke not being with him says nothing in the Acts of the Apostles; but St Paul mentions it himself in his Epistle to the Galatians, but so cursorily, as to leave it obscure how to fix the precise time of his further history; his expression, however, is, "Immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood; but I went into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus." In the solitudes of this country he would have ample leisure to meditate upon his past transgressions, upon the pardoning mercy of his God, 'Lord Lyttelton. Bishop Tomline.

4

5 Dr. Whitby.

and upon the hallowed work, to which, from that time forth, he was to be unremittingly devoted. He "returned to Damascus, "and straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God; but all that heard him were amazed, and said, Is not this he that destroyed them, which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent that he might bring them bound unto the Chief Priests? But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews that dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ." St. Paul says, "then after three years I went up to Jerusalem." Accordingly we are left to infer, from the silence of Scripture to the contrary, that he continued all this time at or near Damascus. A formidable combination of the Jews was the result of his successful preaching in that city, and they "took counsel to kill him;" and "the governor, under Aretas the king, kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison desirous to apprehend him," "and they watched the gates day and night to kill him. But their laying wait was known of Saul. Then the disciples took him by night," "and through a window in a basket was he let down by the wall, and escaped his hands." The daughter of this Aretas was married to Herod, tetrarch of Galilee, by whom she was repudiated, that he

might form the incestuous marriage with his niece Herodias. Aretas declared war against Herod in consequence, but made the pretence of it the adjustment of the limits between his kingdom and Galilee. This war was brought to a conclusion by the total overthrow and dispersion of Herod's army, and this destruction of his power was regarded by the Jews as a punishment upon the tetrarch, and a mark of God's displeasure towards him for the murder of John. Herod begged the assistance of the emperor Tiberius, who ordered the Roman lieutenant in Syria to bring him Aretas, dead or alive; but he was delivered from this danger by the death of Tiberius, and during the subsequent reign Aretas invaded and took Damascus, which had once belonged to his ancestors'. It does not appear what was the motive of his hostility to St. Paul.

66

' And when Saul was come to Jerusalem he assayed to join himself to the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple." It appears, from his own account, he went up "to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days; but other Apostles, save James the Lord's brother," that is, the kinsman or cousin-german of Christ, saw he not at that time. It would appear from another place, that he must have quitted Jerusalem after this short sojourn, although whither he went is not re

7

Pictorial Bible.

8

Bishop Hall.

corded. Unless we may suppose that it was at this period that he "came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, and was unknown by face unto the Churches of Judæa, which were in Christ; but they had heard only that he which persecuted them in times past now preached the faith which once he destroyed." His own history of himself records events that "came to pass when he was come again to Jerusalem;" it was probable, then, that it was at this second visit, that "Barnabas took him and brought him to the Apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus." 'And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto him, they gave to him and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship." Saul, therefore, when he was now "again at Jerusalem," was familiarly and intimately conversing with the Apostles and disciples, and executing his ministry and Apostleship together with the other Apostles at Jerusalem o.

His zeal for the honour of the Saviour soon excited the indignation of his own countrymen. "He spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians." These were Hellenists, or Jews born and residing in countries where the Greek language

Dr. Wells.