had conferred with the council, anfwered, Haft thou appealed unto Cefar? unto Cefar fhalt thou go. 13 And after certain days, king Agrippa (c) and Ber14 nice came unto Cefarea to falute Feftus. And when they had been there many days, Feftus declared Paul's caufe unto the king, faying, There is a certain man 15 left in bonds by Felix: About whom, when I was at Jerufalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, defiring to have judgment against 16 him. To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accufers face to face, and have licence to answer for himfelf concerning 17 the crime laid against him. Therefore when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I fat on the judgment-feat, and I commanded the 18 man to be brought forth. Against whom when the

20 alive.

accufers ftood up, they brought none accufation of 19 fuch things as I fuppofed: But had certain queftions! against him of their own fuperftition, and of one Jefus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be And because I doubted of fuch manner of queftions, I asked him whether he would go to Je-21 rufalem, and there be judged of these matters. But when Paul had appealed to be referved unto the hearing of (d) Auguftus, I commanded him to be kept 22 till I might fend him to Cefar. Then Agrippa faid unto Feftus, I would also hear the man myfelf. To23 morrow, faid he, thou shalt hear him. Ánd on the morrow when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hear

.

(c) Agrippa was fon of Herod Agrippa, mentioned Chap. xii. 1. Bernice was his fifter, and fuppofed to live in inceft with him. She was likewife fifter of Drufilla, mentioned Chap. xxiv. 24.

(d) The Roman emperors called themselves by the title of Cefar, and Auguftus, whatever was their proper name. See Matt. xxii. 17.

The emperor to whom St. Paul appealed, was Nero.

ing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Feftus' commandment Paul was brought 24 forth. And Feftus faid, King Agrippa, and all men which are here prefent with us, ye fee this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerufalem, and also here, crying 25 that he ought not to live any longer. But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Auguf26 tus, I have determined to fend him. Of whom

I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and fpecially before thee, O king Agrippa, that after examination had, I might have fomewhat to write. 27 For it feemeth to me unrcafonable to fend a prifoner, and not withal to fignify the crimes laid against

4

him.

CHA P. XXVI.

I THEN Agrippa faid unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyfelf. Then Paul ftretched 2 forth the hand, and anfwered for himself; I think myself happy, king Agrippa, becaufe I fhall anfwer for myfelf this day before thee, touching all the things 3 whereof I am accufed of the Jews: Efpecially, because I know thee to be expert in all cuftoms and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently. My manner of life from my youth, which was at the firft among mine own nation at Jerufalem, know all the Jews, Which knew me from the beginning (if they would teftify), that after the most straiteft fect of our reli6 gion, I lived a Pharifee. And now I ftand, and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God un7 to our fathers: Unto which promife our twelve tribes, inftantly ferving God day and night, hope to come for which hope's fake, king Agrippa, I am

5

8 accufed

8 accused of the Jews. Why fhould it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God fhould raife the 9 dead? I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jefus of 10 Nazareth. Which thing I alfo did in Jerufalem: and many of the faints (a) did I fhut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against 11 them. And I punished them oft in every fynagogue, and compelled them to blafpheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I perfecuted them even unto 12 ftrange cities. Whereupon as I went to Damafcus,

with authority and commiffion from the chief priests; 13 At mid-day, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightnefs of the fun, fhining round about me, and them which journeyed with me. 14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard

a voice fpeaking unto me, and faying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why perfecuteft thou me? It is 15 hard for thee to kick against the pricks (b). And I

faid, Who art thou, Lord? And he faid, I am Jefus 16 whom thou perfecuteft. But rife, and ftand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minifter and a witness both of these things which thou haft feen, and of those 17 things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people (c), and from the Gen18 tiles, unto whom now I fend thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of fins, and inheritance among them 19 which are fanctified by faith that is in me. Where

upon, O king Agrippa, I was not difobedient unto 20 the heavenly vifion: But fhewed first unto them of

(a) Many of the chriftians. See Chap. ix. 13, 32, 41.

(b) See Chap. ix. 5.

(c) The people fignifies the people of Ifrael, as Luke ii. 32.

Damafcus,

Damafcus, and at Jerufalem, and throughout all the coafts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they fhould repent and turn to God, and do works meet 21 for repentance. For thefe caufes the Jews caught 22 me in the temple, and went about to kill me. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witneffing both to finall and great, faying none other things than thofe which the prophets and Mo23 fes did fay fhould come: That Chrift fhould fuffer, and that he should be the first that should rife from the dead, and fhould fhew light unto the people, and 24 to the Gentiles. And as he thus fpake for himself,

Feftus faid with a loud voice, Paul thou art befide 25 thyself: much learning doth make thee mad. But

he said, I am not mad, most noble Feftus; but speak 26 forth the words of truth and fobernefs. For the king knoweth of these things, before whom alfo I fpeak freely for I am perfuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in 27 a corner. King Agrippa, believeft thou the pro28 phets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa

faid unto Paul, Almoft thou perfuadeft me to be a 29 chriftian. And Paul faid, Would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almoft, and altogether, fuch as I am, except 30 thefe bonds (d). And when he had thus fpoken, the king rofe up, and the governor, and Bernice, 31 and they that fat with them. And when they were gone afide, they talked between themselves, faying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death, or of 32 bonds. Then faid Agrippa unto Feftus, This man might have been fet at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Cefar.

(d) Except the chains he was bound with, and the fufferings he underwent for the chriftian religion.

CHA P.

I

С НА Р. XXVII.

AND when it was determined that we should fail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners, unto one named Julius, a centurion of Au2 guftus' band. And entering into a fhip of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to fail by the coafts of Afia, one Ariftarchus a Macedonian, of Theffaloni3 ca, being with us. And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh him4 felf. And when we had launched from thence, we failed under Cyprus, becaufe the winds were contrary. 5 And when we had failed over the fea of Cilicia and 6 Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sail7 ing into Italy; and he put us therein. And when we had failed flowly many days, and fcarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not fuffering us, we failed under Crete, over against Salmone: 8 And hardly paffing it, came unto a place which is called, The fair havens, nigh whereunto was the city 9 of Lafea. Now when much time was spent, and when failing was now dangerous, because the faft was now already paft (a), Paul admonished them, fo And faid unto them, Sirs, I perceive (b) that this voy

age will be with hurt and much damage, not only II of the lading and fhip, but also of our lives. Nevertheless, the centurion believed the mafter and the owner of the fhip, more than thofe things which 12 were spoken by Paul. And because the haven was

(a) The faft was on the day of atonement (Leu. xxiii. 27.) about the latter end of September, which is ufually a ftormy season.

(6) St. Paul here declares the apprehenfions he then had; but God was afterwards pleased to fhew him that their lives should be faved. Verse 24.

not