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40 unto the people. And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the ftairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people: and when there was made a great filence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, faying,

CHA P. XXII.

IMEN, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence 2 which I make now unto you. (And when they heard that he fpake in the Hebrew tongue to them, 3 they kept the more filence: and he faith,) I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarfus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel (a), and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous to4 wards God, as ye all are this day. And I perfecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering 5 into prifens both men and women (b). As alfo the high-prieft doth bear me witnefs, and all the eftate of the elders: from whom alfo I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damafcus, to bring them which were there, bound unto Jerufalem, for 6 to be punished. And it came to pafs, that as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damafcus, about noon, fuddenly there fhone from heaven a great 7 light round about me. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice faying unto me, Saul, Saul, why 8 perfecuteft thou me? And I anfwered, Who art thou, Lord? and he faid unto me, I am Jefus of Na9 zareth whom thou perfecuteft. And they that were with me, faw indeed the light, and were afraid; but

(a) I was inftructed by Gamaliel, not only in the knowledge of the law of Mofes, but in all the traditions and cuftoms of the elders, which I thought to be for the honour of God, and was as zealous for their obfervance as you all now are.

(6) See Chap. ix. 2.

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they heard not the voice of him that fpake to me (c). 10 And I faid, what fhall I do, Lord? And the Lord

faid unto me, Arife, and go into Damafcus, and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed II for thee to do. And when I could not fee for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them 12 that were with me, I came into Damafcus. And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt 13 there, Came unto me, and stood, and faid unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy fight. And the fame 14 hour I looked up upon him. And he faid, The God of our fathers hath chofen thee, that thou fhouldest know his will, and fee that Juft One (d)› 15 and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. For thou fhalt be his witnefs unto all men, of what thou 16 haft feen and heard. And now why tarrieft thou?

arife, and be baptized, and wash away thy fins, 17 calling on the name of the Lord. And it came to pafs, that when I was come again to Jerufalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; 18 And faw him, faying unto me, Make hafte, and

get thee quickly out of Jerufalem: for they will 19 not receive thy teftimony concerning me. And I faid, Lord, they know that I imprifoned, and beat in 20 every fynagogue, them that believed on thee. And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was fhed, I alfo was standing by, and confenting unto his death, 21 and kept the raiment of them that flew him. And

he faid unto me, Depart: for I will fend thee får 22 hence unto the Gentiles. And they gave him audiénce unto this word, and then lift up their voices, and faid, Away with fuch a fellow from the earth: for it

(c) They did not diflintly hear the words that were spoken, though they heard a confufed found. Chap. ix. 7. (d) That Just One is Jefus Chrift, the righteous, the only Son of God:

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23 is not fit that he fhould live. And as they cried out,

and cafe off their clothes, and threw duft into the 24 air (e), The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the caftle, and bade that he fhould be examined (f) by fcourging that he might know 25 wherefore they cried fo against him. And as they bound him with thongs, Paul faid unto the centurion that food by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man 26 that is a Roman (g), and uncondemned? When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, faying, Take heed what thou doeft; for this 27 man is a Roman. Then the chief captain came, and faid unto him, Tell me, Art thou a Roman ? He 28 faid, Yea. And the chief captain anfwered, With

a great fum obtained I this freedom. And Paul faid, 29 But I was free born (b). Then straightway they departed from him which fhould have examined him (i) and the chief captain alfo was afraid after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had 30 bound him. On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loofed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and fet him before them.

(e) See Chap. xviii. 6.

To throw duft into the air at any one, was a mark of contempt; thus Shimei did to David. 2.Sam. xvi. 13.

f) Scourging is called examining, because it was inflicted in order to make a prifoner confefs the crime he was accused of.

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(g) A free citizen of Rome was exempt by law from scourging, and from every punishment before trial and conviction. See Chap. xxiii. 3.

(h) I alfo am a free citizen of Rome, and having paid a great price for that privilege, know how to refpect it in others. But, faid Paul, I inherit it from my parents; for I was born free. (2) They who were going to have fcourged him. See Verfe 24 Note.

CHA P.

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CHA P. XXIII.

A ND Paul earnestly beholding the council, faid, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good con2 fcience before God, until this day. And the highpriest Ananias commanded them that ftood by him, 3 to fmite him on the mouth. Then faid Paul unto him, God fhall fmite thee, thou whited wall (a): for fitteft thou to judge me after the law, and com4 mandeft me to be fmitten contrary to the law (b)? And they that stood by, faid, Revileft thou God's high5 prieft? Then faid Paul, I wift not, brethren, that he was the high-priest (c): for it is written, Thou 6 fhalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.

But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharifees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharifee, the fon of a Pharifee of the hope and refurrection of the 7: dead, I am called in queftion. And when he had fo faid, There arofe a diffenfion between the Pharifees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided. 8' For the Sadducees fay that there is no refurrection, neither angel nor fpirit; but the Pharifees confefs both. And there arofe a great cry: and the fcribes that were of the Pharifees part arofe, and ftrove, faying, We find no evil in this man: but if a fpirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight a10 gainft God. And when there arofe a great differ

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(a) St. Paul takes occafion from the high-prief's wearing a white robe to compare him to a whited fepulchre, which however embellifhed on the outfide, is full of rottennefs and uncleannefs. See Matt. xxii. 27.

(6) The law did not allow any one to be punished before the cause was heard.

(c) I did not confider his high station. If I had, I would not have fpoken fo fharply to him. For I am fenfible, it is contrary to the law of God to treat perfons in authority with difrefpect. Exod. xxii. 28. 2 Pet. ii, 10. Jude 8.

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fion, the chief captain, fearing left Paul fhould have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the foldiers to go down, and to take him by force from a11 mong them, and to bring him into the caftle. And the night following, the Lord ftood by him, and faid, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou haft teftified of me in Jerufalem, fo muft thou bear witnefs alfo at 12 Rome. And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themfelves under a curfe, faying, that they would neither eat nor drink 13 till they had killed Paul. And they were more than 14 forty which had made this confpiracy. And they came to the chief priests and elders, and faid, We have bound ourselves under a great curfe, that we 15 will eat nothing until we have flain Paul. Now therefore ye with the council, fignify to the chief captain, that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would enquire fomething more perfectly concerning him and we, or ever he come 16 near, are ready to kill him. And when Paul's fif

ter's fon heard of their lying in wait, he went and en17 tered into the caftle, and told Paul. Then Pank called one of the centurions unto him, and fard, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he 18 hath a certain thing to tell him. So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prifoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath fomething. 19 to fay unto thee. Then the chief captain took him

by the hand, and went with him afide privately, and 20 afked him, What is that thou haft to tell me? And he faid, the Jews have agreed to defire thee, that thou wouldeft bring down Paul to-morrow into the council, as though they would enquire fomewhat of 21 him more perfectly. But do not thou yield unto them for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themfelves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink ti they

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