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guided zeal! How restless and unwearied in its designs of cruelty! It had already sufficiently harassed the poor Christians at Jerusalem; but not content to have vexed them there, and to have driven them thence, it persecuted them unto 'strange cities;' following them even to Damascus itself, whither many of these persecuted Christians had fled for shelter; resolving to bring up those whom he found there to Jerusalem, in order to their punishment and execution. For the Jewish Sanhedrim had not only power of seizing and scourging offenders against their law, within the bounds of their own country, but, by the connivance and favour of the Romans, might send into other countries, where there were any synagogues that acknowledged a dependance in religious matters upon the council at Jerusalem, to apprehend them; as here they sent Paul to Damascus to fetch up what Christians he could find, to be arraigned and sentenced at Jerusalem.

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8. But God, who had designed him for work of another nature, and separated him from his mother's womb to the preaching of the gospel,'' stopped him in his journey. For while he was, together with his company, travelling on the road, not far

quered people to arrange their religious affairs according to their own wishes; and though the authority of the Sanhedrim could not properly be regarded as extending to Damascus, the stretch of power was allowed, since the price of conciliating so strong a party as the Pharisees would, in this instance, be only the sacrifice of some unknown and, perhaps, seditious individuals. It has been remarked on this subject, that the power of the Sanhedrim and the high-priest, like the authority of the pope by the Papists, was acknowledged by the Jews of all countries; but of course it could only be exercised by the sufferance of the civil magistrate.-ED.

Gal. i. 15.

from Damascus, on a sudden a gleam of light, beyond the splendour and brightness of the sun, was darted from heaven upon them; whereat, being strangely amazed and confounded, they all fell to the ground, a voice calling to him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?' To which he replied, 'Lord, who art thou?" Who told him, that 'he was Jesus whom he persecuted ;' that what was done to the members was done to the head; that it was hard for him to kick against the pricks;' that he now appeared to him to make choice of him for a 'minister' and a 'witness' of what he had now seen and should after hear; that he would stand by him, and preserve him, and make him a great instrument in the conversion of the Gentile world. This said, he asked our Lord 'what he would have him to do;' who bade him go into the city, where he should receive his answer. St. Paul's companions, who had been present at this transaction,' heard the voice, but saw not him that spoke to him; though elsewhere the apostle himself affirms, that they' saw the light, but heard not the voice' of him that spake: that is, they heard a confused sound, but not a distinct and articulate voice; or, more probably, being ignorant of the Hebrew language, wherein our Lord spake to St. Paul, they heard the words, but knew not the sense and meaning of them.

9. St. Paul by this time was gotten up, but though he found his feet, yet he had lost his eyes, being stricken blind with the extraordinary brightness of the light; and was accordingly led by his companions into Damascus. In which condition he there remained, fasting three days together. At

1 Acts, xxii. 9.

this time we may probably suppose it was, that he had that vision and ecstasy, wherein he was taken up into the 'third heaven," where he saw and heard things great and unutterable, and was fully instructed in the mysteries of the gospel; and hence expressly affirms, that he was not taught the gospel which he preached by man, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." There was, at this time, at Damascus one Ananias, a very devout and religious man, (one of the seventy disciples, as the ancients inform us, and probably the first planter of the Christian church in this city,) and though a Christian, yet of great reputation amongst all the Jews. To him our Lord appeared, commanding him to go into such a street, and to such a house, and there 'inquire for one Saul of Tarsus,' who was now at prayer, and had seen him in a vision coming to him, to lay his hands upon him, that he might receive his sight. Ananias startled at the name of the man, having heard of his bloody temper and practices, and upon what errand he was now come down to the city. But our Lord, to take off his fears, told him, that he mistook the man, that he had now taken him to be a chosen vessel, to preach the gospel both to Jews and Gentiles, and before the greatest potentates upon earth, acquainting him with what great things he should both do and suffer for his sake; what chains and imprisonments, what racks and scourges, what hunger and thirst, what shipwrecks and death he should undergo. Upon this Ananias went, laid his hands upon him, told him that our Lord had sent him to him that he might receive his sight, and be filled with the Holy 2 Gal. i. 10, 11.

1 2 Cor. xii. 1.

Ghost; which was no sooner done, but thick films, like scales, fell from his eyes, and his sight returned. And the next thing he did was to be baptized, and solemnly initiated into the Christian faith. After which he joined himself to the disciples of that place, to the equal joy and wonder of the church, that the wolf should so soon lay down its fierceness, and put on the meek nature of a lamb; that he who had lately been so violent a persecutor, should now become not a professor only, but a preacher of that faith which before he had routed and destroyed.

SECTION II.

Of St. Paul, from his Conversion till the Council at Jerusalem.

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SAINT Paul staid not long at Damascus after his conversion, but having received an immediate intimation from heaven, probably in the ecstasy wherein he was caught up thither, he waited for no other counsel or direction in the case, lest he should seem to derive his mission and authority from men, and being not disobedient to the heavenly vision,' he presently retired out of the city; and the sooner, probably, to decline the odium of

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Our author dates the conversion of the apostle some years earlier than other writers. Lardner, after a very careful review of different circumstances and testimonies, concludes that it most probably took place about the year 36 or 37.-Works. vol. vi. p. 241.-ED.

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the Jews, and the effects of that rage and malice which he was sure would pursue and follow him. He withdrew into the parts of Arabia, (those parts of it that lay next to the χώρα Δαμασκηνὴ, the ' region of Damascus;' nay, Damascus itself was sometimes accounted part of Arabia, as we shall note by and by from Tertullian,) where he spent the first-fruits of his ministry, preaching up and down for three years together. After which he returned back to Damascus, preached openly in the synagogues, and convinced the Jews of Christ's messiahship, and the truth of his religion. Angry and enraged hereat, they resolved his ruin; which they knew no better way to effect, than by exasperating and incensing the civil powers against him. Damascus was a place not more venerable for its antiquity, (if not built by, at least it gave title to Abraham's steward, hence called Eliezer of Damascus,) than it was considerable for its strength, stateliness, and situation: it was the noblest city of all Syria, (as Justin of old, and the Arabian geographer, has since informed us; and the prophet Isaiah before both, calls it

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"the head of Syria,") seated in a most healthful air, in a most fruitful soil, watered with most pleasant fountains and rivers, rich in merchandize, adorned with stately buildings, goodly and magnificent temples, and fortified with strong guards and garrisons; in all which respects, Julian calls it the holy and great Damascus, κ τον τῆς Εφας ἁπάσης ¿¿ðaλμòv, “the eye of the whole east." Situate it

Gal. i. 17, 18.

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2 Acts, ix. 23; 2 Cor. xi. 32, 33. * Justin. lib. xxxvi. c. 2, p. 425. Geograph. Nub. clim. 3, part. 5, p. 116. Epist. xxiv. p. 145.

5 Isa. vii. 7.

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