therefore consider the Acts of the Apostles as written about the year 64.

IV. The place of its publication is more doubtful. The probability appears to be in favour of Greece, though some contend for Alexandria in Egypt. This latter opinion rests upon the subscriptions at the end of some Greek manuscripts, and of the copies of the Syriac version; but the best critics think, that these subscriptions, which are also affixed to other books of the New Testament, deserve but little weight; and in this case they are not supported by any ancient authority.

V. It must have been of the utmost importance in the early times of the Gospel, and certainly not of less importance to every subsequent age, to have an authentic account of the promised descent of the Holy Ghost, and of the success which attended the first preachers of the Gospel both among the Jews and Gentiles. These great events completed the evidence of the divine mission of Christ, established the truth and universality of the religion which he taught, and pointed out, in the clearest manner, the comprehensive nature of the redemption which he purchased by his death.

PART II.

CHAPTER THE SEVENTH.

OF ST. PAUL.

I. HISTORY OF ST. PAUL TO HIS CONVERSION. - II. TO THE END OF HIS FIRST APOSTOLICAL JOURNEY.III. TO THE BEGINNING OF HIS SECOND APOSTOLICAL JOURNEY.- IV. TO THE END OF HIS SECOND APOSTOLICAL JOURNEY.-V. TO THE END OF HIS THIRD APOSTOLICAL JOURNEY. -VI. TO HIS RELEASE FROM HIS FIRST IMPRISONMENT AT ROME. -VII, TO HIS DEATH.

-

-VIII. HIS CHARACTER, AND OBSERVATIONS UPON HIS EPISTLES.

a

I. ST. PAUL was born at Tarsus, the principal city of Cilicia, and was by birth both a Jew and a citizen of Rome." He was of the tribe of Benjamin, and of the sect of the Pharisees." In his youth

he appears to have been taught +1 making; but we must remembe

a In the Acts of the Apostles he is called Saul till the ninth verse of the thirteenth chapter, and afterwards he is always called Paul. No satisfactory reason has been assigned for this change. Vide Benson's History of Christianity; vol. ii. p. 28. and Lardner, vol. vi. p. 234. and the authors quoted by him. Perhaps the best conjecture is that of Bishop Pearce: "Saul,

who was
probably
his Hebr
Roman na

to this hi
i. e. Sergiu
Vide Pearce

с

b Acts, xx
Philip. iii.
Acts, xviii.

d

"t of tent

ong the

Rome, i. e.

the

pect

rt,

PART II.

CHAPTER THE SEVENTH.

OF ST. PAUL.

I. HISTORY OF ST. PAUL TO HIS CONVERSION. - II. TO
THE END OF HIS FIRST APOSTOLICAL JOURNEY.
III. TO THE BEGINNING OF HIS SECOND APOSTOLICAL
JOURNEY. IV. TO THE END OF HIS SECOND APOSTO-
LICAL JOURNEY.— -V. TO THE END OF HIS THIRD
APOSTOLICAL JOURNEY.- -VI. TO HIS RELEASE FROM
HIS FIRST IMPRISONMENT AT ROME. -VII, TO HIS
DEATH. -VIII. HIS CHARACTER, AND OBSERVATIONS
UPON HIS EPISTLES.

a

b

I. ST. PAUL was born at Tarsus, the principal city of Cilicia, and was by birth both a Jew and a citizen of Rome. He was of the tribe of Benjamin, and of the sect of the Pharisees. In his youth he appears to have been taught the art of tentmakinged; but we must remember, that among the

a In the Acts of the Apostles he is called Saul till the ninth verse of the thirteenth chapter, and afterwards he is always called Paul. No satisfactory reason has been assigned for this change. Vide Benson's History of Christianity, vol. ii. p. 28. and Lardner, vol. vi. p. 234. and the authors quoted by him. Perhaps the best conjecture is that of Bishop Pearce: "Saul,

who was himself a citizen of Rome,
probably changed his name, i. e.
his Hebrew name, Saul, to the
Roman name, Paul, out of respect
to this his first Roman convert,
i. e. Sergius Paulus, Acts, xiii. 7.”
Vide Pearce in loc.

b Acts, xxi. 39. xxii. 25.
Philip. iii. 5.

с

d Acts, xviii. 3.

Jews of those days a liberal education was often accompanied by instruction in some mechanical trade.a It is probable that St. Paul laid the foundation of those literary attainments, for which he was so eminent in the future part of his life, at his native city of Tarsus'; and he afterwards studied the Law of Moses, and the traditions of the elders, at Jerusalem, under Gamaliel, a celebrated Rabbi.c

St. Paul is not mentioned in the Gospels; nor is it known whether he ever heard our Saviour preach, or saw him perform any miracle. His name 34. first occurs in the account given in the Acts of the martyrdom of St. Stephen, to which he is said to have consented: he is upon that occasion called a young man, but we are no where informed what was then his precise age. The death of St. Stephen was followed by a severe persecution® of the Church at Jerusalem, and Paul became distinguished among its enemies by his activity and violence. Not contented with displaying his hatred to the Gospel in Judæa, he obtained authority from the high priest to go to Damascus, and to bring back with him bound any Christians whom he might find in that city. As he was upon his

a Vide Doddridge's Notes upon Acts, xviii. 3. There was a maxim among the Jews, that "he who teaches not his son a trade, teaches him to be a thief."

b Strabo, lib. xiv., tells us, that at this time Tarsus was distinguished as a place of education.

с

Acts, xxii. 3.

d Acts, viii. 1.

e This persecution is supposed to have lasted about four years, from the year 34 to 38. f Acts, viii. 3.