of Chalcis, in Syria, with his sister Bernice, having come on a visit to Cæsarea, Paul was brought before them, and in another powerful address "almost persuaded Agrippa to be a Christian." His appeal to Caesar could be heard nowhere but at Rome; and soon after, under charge of a centurion of Augustus' band, named Julius, Paul, with other prisoners, set sail in a ship bound for Adramyttium, for the metropolis of the world. The record of Paul's voyage to Rome, in the twenty-seventh chapter of Acts, is remarkably interesting, partly for the incidents that occurred, partly for its minute information respecting the seamanship of the time, and partly also for the wonderful verification of the narrative, in its minutest particulars, which modern inquiry has supplied. The vessel, on leaving the great dock constructed by Herod at Cæsarea, touched at Sidon; then passing to the north of Cyprus, through the gulfs of Cilicia and Pamphylia, afforded the apostle a view-probably his last-of his native mountains. At Myra, in Lycia, a ship was found chartered for Rome, to which the prisoners were transferred. After creeping along slowly as far as Cnidus, adverse winds forced the ship out of her direct course, compelling her to pass southward, under lee of the island of Crete, as far as the harbor called Fair Havens. After waiting long for a favorable breeze, the vessel set sail, but had not proceeded far when she was caught by a furious gale from the north-east. The crew seem to have turned round the right side of the vessel to the wind, and allowed her to be carried along, on the starboard tack, in a westerly direction. In the circumstances it is reckoned that she would drift at the rate of about a mile and a half in the hour. After a fortnight of discomfort and terror that can hardly be conceived, the sailors became sensible, one midnight, that they were approaching land. The ship was immediately anchored astern, and daylight anxiously waited for. When it came, it was observed that a creek ran into the shore. Into this creek the vessel was attempted to be run, but in the attempt her bow stuck fast in the bottom. Partly by swimming, and partly through the aid of boards and broken pieces of the ship, all the passengers, who were two hundred and seventy-six in number, got safely to land. In the course of this fearful voyage Paul distinguished himself very greatly by his presence of mind, his sagacious advice, his regard to the welfare of his fellow-passengers, and his boundless confidence in God. At an early period of the storm he had relieved many hearts by telling of a vision in which God's angel had assured him that the lives of all should be preserved. He had prevailed on the party to refresh themselves with food after a very long fast, and had prevented the stealthy escape of the sailors when their approach to land was first discovered. The wonderful influence which the poor prisoner in chains acquired in the ship was a proof, not only of his native vigor of mind, but of the calmness and wisdom, in the hour of danger, which he had got from fellowship with God. The island on which the ship was cast was Malta-now a part of the British possessions. The bay where the shipwreck occurred still bears the name of St. Paul, and all the circumstances of the shipwreck, as recorded in the Acts, agree wonderfully with existing appearances. The island was inhabited by a people of Phoenician origin. After spending three months among them, Paul and his companions embarked in another vessel; touched at Syracuse in Sicily; had to wait at Rhegium for a favorable wind to carry them through the Straits of Messina; and at last, after gazing on the smoking crater of Vesuvius and the lovely scenery of the Bay of Naples, landed at Puteoli. From this seaport to Rome-a distance of one hundred and fifty miles the apostle traveled by land. Advancing by the Appian Way, he would pass countless localities, memorable by associations both with the mythology and the history of the Romans, which would send through his breast the thrill of emotion with which every scholar looks for the first time on classic scenes. At Appii Forum, fifty miles from Rome, and again at the Three Taverns, deputations from the Christians of the city came to offer to the great apostle of the Gentiles the expression of their deep regard and affection. From a height about ten miles distant from Rome he would catch his first view of the imperial city-a vast conglomeration of houses, the homes of two millions of people. At last he is in the streets of Rome. Its palaces, its temples, its aqueducts, its theatres and its columns rise on every side. The long-cherished desire of his heart is fulfilled-he is to hear the echoes of salvation reverberated from the seven hills of Rome. Never was a city in greater need of a regenerating gospel. Corruption and profligacy in every form were at their height. Crimes far too abominable to be named were openly committed and witnessed in the houses of the first families. The emperor Nero, though only in his twenty-fourth year, had begun his awful course of crime-had already stained his hands in the blood of his mother and his wife, and was living under the influence of his mistress, the infamous Poppaa, a proselyte to Judaism. The free citizens were more than a million, the slaves. about the same in number. Rome was like London, with all its miseries, follies and vices exaggerated, and without Christianity. At first Paul endeavored to make impressions on the Jewish inhabitants, but his efforts were in vain. He then turned to the Gentiles, with whom he had much greater success. For two years he continued a prisoner, dwelling in his own lodging, but constantly chained to a Roman soldier. Some of these soldiers appear to have been converted to Christ-won, very probably, not less through the influence of his consistent example and loving spirit than the force of his arguments. Even in Nero's palace converts were made through his instrumentality. It is certain that the Roman church increased amazingly, because, a year or two after, the number of Christians who were slaughtered L by Nero was enormous. During these two years were written. the Epistles to Philemon, the Colossians, the Ephesians and the Philippians. At last Paul's trial came on: most probably it was conducted in the immediate presence of Nero. The narrative of Acts comes abruptly to a close before telling the result. It is from Paul's epistles we learn that he was set free. How the remaining portion of his life was spent can be gathered only from indirect notices in his letters and the statements of uninspired writers. It is generally believed that from Rome he went to Asia Minor, and from there to Macedonia. He seems then to have gone to Spain, where he is thought to have spent two years. Returning to Ephesus, he found matters in a somewhat critical condition. In Crete, too, which he visited about this time, he found much cause for anxiety. False teachers were busy perverting the truth and sapping the foundation of Christianity. The First Epistle to Timothy and the Epistle to Titus seem to have been written about this time, instructing these faithful men, who were laboring respectively in Ephesus and in Crete, to resist all false doctrine and zealously maintain the truth. Perhaps the Epistle to the Hebrews was also written about this time, but its date as well as its authorship is uncertain. Paul had hoped to spend the winter at Nicopolis, in Macedonia, but he was not allowed to remain there. He was arrested on a new charge, and hurried to Rome to stand a second trial. Since he had been last at Rome, Nero had conducted himself in a very shameful way. More than half the city had been burned by an awful fire, which lasted for six days, and which some ascribe to Nero himself. The blame was laid by him upon the Christians, who were now an exceedingly numerous body. A frightful persecution raged against them. "Some were crucified; some disguised in the skins of beasts and hunted to death with dogs; some were wrapped in robes impregnated with inflammable materials and set on fire at night, that they might serve to illuminate the circus of the Vatican and the gardens of Nero, where this diabolical monster exhibited the agonies of his victims to the public, and gloated over them." The number who perished was very great. Paul's privileges on his second confinement seem to have been much smaller than on his first. The Second Epistle to Timothy was now written by him, in the full expectation of being speedily offered up. When brought to trial, in presence of a large number of leading men, he was enabled to make a bold statement of the gospel. But no defence could avail against the will of Nero. The apostle, on being called a second time, was condemned. Near the spot now occupied by the English cemetery, his head was struck from his body. Devout men carried the headless corpse to the catacombs, or subterranean vaults below Rome, to which in after times the martyrs used often to fly for concealment. There, in some unknown vault, rests the body of the greatest of apostles, awaiting the fulfillment of the words so nobly applied by himself"Death shall be swallowed up of victory." AT CÆSAR'S BAR. "At my first answer no man stood by me," Alone before the imperial majesty He stood, unawed by either fire or cord. The haughty ruler over many a land Frowns from the judgment-seat, and round his throne Rome's dark-browed senators, a sullen band, Gaze with stern eyes on him who stands alone. All round the hall fierce eyes of soldiers gleam, With clash of armor moving to and fro; Close round the bases of the Palatine Clusters the flat-roofed town, and spreading fills The broad Campagna, almost to the line, Distant and purple, of the Alban hills. |