Paul. Indeed, from a further examination of these 64 com. binations, he found there were only 32 different figures, each figure being repeated twice in the same situation, though in a different combination; so that the two only differed from each other by the transposition of the dark and light parts. Paving, whereof the other square may be changed 16 times, blaspheme the name of the Lord. And having got èrewhich gives 64 combinations. dentials from the bigh-priest Caiaphas, and the elders of the Jews, to the chief Jews of Damascus, with power to bring to Jerusalem all the Christians he should find there, he went away full of threats, and breathing nothing but blood (Acts ix. 1, 2, 3, &c.). But as he was upon the road, and now drawing near to Damascus, all on a sudden about noon, he perceived a great light to come from heaven, which encompassed him and all those that were with him. This splendour threw them on the ground; and Saul heard a voice that said to him, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ?" It was Jesus Christ that spoke to him. To whom Saul answered, "Who art thou, Lord?" And the Lord replied to him, “ I am Jeus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." Saul, all in consternation, asked, "Lord, what is it that thou wouldst have me do?" Jesus bid him arise and go to Damascus, where the will of the Lord should be revealed to him. PAUL, formerly named SAUL, was of the tribe of Benjamin, a native of Tarsus in Cilicia, a Pharisee by profession; first a persecutor of the church, and afterwards a disciple of Jesus Christ, and apostle of the Gentiles It is thought he was born about two years before our Saviour, supposing that he lived 68 years, as we read in a homily which is in the 6th volume of St Chrysostom's works. He was a Roman citizen (Acts xxii. 27, 28.), because Augustus had given the freedom of the city to all the freemen of Tarsus, in consideration of their firm adherence to his interests. His parents sent him early to Jerusalem, where he studied the law at the feat of Gamaliel a famous doctor (id. xxii. 3.). He made very great progress in his studies, and his life was always blameless before men; being very zealous for the whole observation of the law of Moses (id. xxvi. 4, 5.). But his zeal carried him too far; he persecuted the church, and insulted Jesus Christ in his members (1 Tim. i. 13.); and when the protomartyr St Stephen was stoned, Saul was not only consenting to his death, but he even stood by and took care of the clothes of those that stoned him (Acts vii. 58, 59.). This happened in the 33d year of the common era, some time after our Saviour's death. At the time of the persecution that was raised against the church, after the death of St Stephen, Saul was one of those that showed most violence in distressing the believers (Gal. i. 13. and Acts xxvi. 11.). He entered into their houses, and drew out by force both men and women, loaded them with chains, and sent them to prison (Acts viii. 3. and xxii. 4.). He even entered into the synagogues, where he caused those to be beaten with rods that believed in Jesus Christ, compelling them to ment. Saul then rose from the ground, and felt that he was deprived of sight; but his companions led him by the hand, and brought him to Damascus, where he continued three days blind, and without taking any nourishHe lodged at the house of a Jew named Judas. On the third day, the Lord commanded a disciple of his, named Ananias, to go to find out Saul, to lay his hands upon him, and to cure his blindness. And as Ananias made excuses, saying that this man was one of the most violent persecutors of the church, the Lord said to him, Go and find him, because this man is an instrument that I have chosen, to carry my name before the Gentiles, before kings, and before the children of Israel; for I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name. Ananias went therefore, and found Saul, laid his hand upon him, and restored him to his sight; then rising, he was baptized, and filled with the Holy Ghost. After this he continued some days with the disciples that were at Damascus, preaching in the synagogues, and proving that Jesus was the Messiah (A). From Damascus he went into Arabia (Gal. i. 17.), probably (A) The conversion of such a man, at such a time, and by such means, furnishes one of the most complete proofs that have ever been given of the divine origin of our holy religion. That Saul, from being a zealous persecutor of the disciples of Christ, became all at once a disciple himself, is a fact which cannot be controverted without overturning the credit of all history. He must therefore have been converted in the miraculous manner in which he himself said he was, and of course the Christian religion be a divine revelation; or he must have been either an impostor, an enthusiast, or a dupe to the fraud of others. There is not another alternative possible. If he was an impostor, who declared what he knew to be false, he must have been induced to act that part by some motive (See MIRACLE). But the only conceivable motives for religious imposture are, the hopes of ad vancing one's temporal interest, credit, or power; or the prospect of gratifying some passion or appetite under the authority of the new religion. That none of these could be St Paul's motive for professing the faith of Christ crucified, is plain from the state of Judaism and Christianity at the period of his forsaking the former and embracing the latter faith. Those whom he left were the disposers of wealth, of dignity, of power, in Judea: those to whom he went were indigent men, oppressed, and kept from all means of improving their fortunes. The certain consequence therefore of his taking the part of Christianity was the loss not only of all that he possessed, but of all hopes of acquiring more; whereas, by continuing to persecute the Christians, he had hopes rising almost to a certainty of making his fortune by the favour of those who were at the head of the Jewish state, to whom nothing could so much recommend him as the zeal which he had shown in that persecution. As to credit or reputation, could the scholar of Gamaliel hope to gain either by becoming a teacher in a college of fishermen? Could he flatter himself, that the doctrines which he taught would, either in or out of Judea, do him honour, when he knew that "they were to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness?" Was it then the love of power that induced him to make this great change; Power! over whom? over a flock of sheep whom he himself had assisted to de Paul. stroy, Paul. probably into the neighbourhood of Damascus, being (ib. ib. 27, 28, &c.), and the Christians of Antioch There he continued about five or six years, from the year of Christ 37 to the year 43; when Barnabas coming to Antioch by the order of the apostles, and there having found many Christians, went to Tarsus to see Saul, and brought him with him to Antioch (Acts xi. 20, 25, 26.); where they continued together a whole year, preaching to and instructing the faithful. During this time, there happened a great famine in Judea Saul and Barnabus went first into Cyprus, where they began to preach in the synagogues of the Jews. When they had gone over the whole island, they there found a Jewish magician called Bar-jesus, who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus; and who resisted them, and endeavoured to prevent the proconsul from embracing Christianity: whereupon St Paul struck him with blindness; by which miracle the proconsul, being an eyewitness of it, was converted to the Christian faith. From this conversion, which happened at the city of Paphos, in the year of Christ 45, many think, that the apostle first began to bear the name of Paul, which St Luke always gives him afterwards, as is supposed in memory of his converting Sergius Paulus. Some believe stroy, and whose very Shepherd had lately been murdered? Perhaps it was with the view of gratifying some li- As St Paul was not an impostor, so it is plain he was not an enthusiast. Heat of temper, melancholy, igno- Paul cution, From the isle of Cyprus, St Paul and his company went to Perga in Pamphylia, where John Mark left them, to return to Jerusalem: but making no stay at Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia; where going into the synagogue, and being desired to speak, St Paul made them a long discourse, by which he showed, that Jesus Christ was the Messiah foretold by the prophets, and declared by John the Baptist; that he had been unjustly put to death by the malice and jealousy of the Jews; and that he rose again the third day. They heard him very attentively; and he was desired to discourse again on the same subject the next Sabbath-day; and several, both Jews aud Gentiles, followed them, to receive particular instructions more at leisure. On the Sabbath-day following, almost all the city met together to hear the word of God: but the Jews, seeing the concourse of people, were moved with envy at it; opposed, with blasphemies, what St Paul said; and not being able to bear the happy progress of the gospel in this country, they raised a persecution against the two apostles: whereupon Paul and Barnabas, shaking off the dust upon their feet against them, came from Antioch in Pisidia to Iconium. Being come thither, they preached in their synagogue, and converted a great number, both of Jews and Gentiles; and God confirmed their commission by a great number of miracles (Acts xiv. 1, 2, &c.). In the mean time, the unbelieving Jews, having incensed the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas, and threatening to stone them, they were obliged to retire to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, where they preached the gospel. At Lystra, there was a man who had been lame from his mother's womb. This man fixing his eyes on St Paul, the apostle bid him rise, and stand upon his feet: whereupon he presently rose up, and walked; the people, seeing this miracle, cried out, that the gods were descended among them in the shape of men. They called Barnabas Jupiter, and Paul Mercury, because of his eloquence, and being the chief speaker. The priest of Jupiter brought also garlands and bulls before the gate, to offer sacrifices to them: but Paul and Barnabas tearing their clothes, and casting themselves into the middle of the multitude, cried out to them, Friends, what do you do? we are men as well as yourselves; and we are preaching to you to turn away from these vain superstitions, and to worship only the true God, who has made heaven and earth. But whatever they could say, they had much ado to restrain them from offering sacrifices to them. In the mean time, some Jews of Antioch in Pisidia and of Iconium coming to Lystra, animated the people against the apostles. They stoned Paul, and drew him out of the city, thinking him to be dead. But the disciples gathering together about him, he rose up among them Paul. cution, when he could do it without betraying the duty of his office or the honour of his God. A melancholy enthusiast courts persecution; and when he cannot obtain it, afflicts himself with absurd penances: but the holiness of St Paul consisted only in the simplicity of a godly life, and in the unwearied performance of his apostolical duties. That he was ignorant, no man will allege who is not grossly ignorant himself; for he appears to have been master not only of the Jewish learning, but also of the Greek philosophy, and to have been very conversant even with the Greek poets. That he was not credulous, is plain from his having resisted the evidence of all the miracles performed on earth by Christ, as well as those that were afterward worked by the apostles; to the fame of which, as he lived in Jerusalem, he could not possibly have been a stranger. And that he was as free from vanity as any man that ever lived, may be gathered from all that we see in his writings, or know of his life. He represents himself as the least of the apostles, and not meet to be called an apostle. He says that he is the chief of sinners; and he prefers, in the strongest terms, universal benevolence to faith, and prophecy, and miracles, and all the gifts and graces with which he could be endowed. Is this the language of vanity or enthusiasm? Did ever fanatic prefer virtue to his own religious opinions, to illuminations of the spirit, and even to the merit of martyrdom? Having thus shown that St Paul was neither an impostor nor an enthusiast, it remains only to be inquired, whether he was deceived by the fraud of others: but this inquiry needs not be long, for who was to deceive him? A few illiterate fishermen of Galilee? It was morally impossible for such men to conceive the thought of turning the most enlightened of their opponents, and the ernellest of their persecutors, into an apostle, and to do this by a fraud in the very instant of his greatest fury against them and their Lord. But could they have been so extravagant as to conceive such a thought, it was physically impossible for them to execute it in the manner in which we find his conversion to have been effected. Could they produce a light in the air, which at mid-day was brighter than the sun? Could they make Saul hear words from out of that light which were not heard by the rest of the company? Could they make him blind for three days after that vision, and then make scales fall off from his eyes, and restore him to sight by a word? Or, could they make him and those who travelled with him believe, that all these things had happened, if they had not happened? Most unquestionably no fraud was equal to all this. Since then St Paul was neither an impostor, an enthusiast, nor deceived by the fraud of others, it follows, that bis conversion was miraculous, and that the Christian religion is a divine revelation. See Lyttleton's " Observations on the Conversion of St Paul;" a treatise to which it has been truly said, that infidelity has never been able 10 fabricate a specious answer, and of which this note is a very short and imperfect abridgement, I VOL. XVI. Part I. Paul. them, entered again into the city, and the day after left it with Barnabas to go to Derbe. And having here preached the gospel also, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch of Pisidia. Passing through out Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia, and having preached the word of God at Perga, they went down into Attalia. From hence they set sail for Antioch in Syria, from whence they had departed a year before. Being arrived there, they assembled the church together, and told them the great things God had done by their means, and how he had opened to the Gentiles a door of salvation; and here they continued a good while with the disciples. St Luke does not inform us of the actions of St Paul from the 45th year of Christ to the time of the council at Jerusalem, which was held in the 50th year of Christ. There is great likelihood that it was during this interval that St Paul preached the gospel from Jerusalem to Illyricum, as he informs us in his epistle to the Romans (xv. 19.); and this without making any stay in those places where others had preached before him. He does not acquaint us with the particulars of these journeys, nor with the success of his preaching; but he says in general, that he had suffered more labours than any other, and had endured more prisons. He was often very near death itself, sometimes upon the water and sometimes among thieves. He run great dangers, sometimes from the Jews and sometimes among false brethren and perverse Christians; he was exposed to great hazards, as well in the cities as in the deserts: he suffered hunger, thirst, nakedness, cold, fastings, watchings (2 Cor. xi. 23.-27.), and the fatigues inseparable from long journeys, which were undertaken without any prospect of human succour; in this very different from the good fortune of others who lived by the gospel, who received subsistence from those to whom they preached it, and who were accompanied always by religious women, who ministered to them in their necessary occasions. He made it a point of honour to preach gratis, working with his hands that he might not be chargeable to any one (1 Cor. ix. 1.-15.); for he had learned a trade, as was usual among the Jews, which trade was to make tents of leather for the use of those that go to war. (Acts xviii. 3.). St Paul and St Barnabas were at Antioch when some persons coming from Judea (Acts xv. 1, 2, &c.) pretended to teach, that there was no salvation without circumcision, and without the observation of the other legal ceremonies. Epiphanius and Philaster say, that he that maintained this was Cerinthus and his followers. Paul and Barnabas withstood these new doctors; and it was agreed to send a deputation to the apostles and elders at Jerusalem about this question. Paul and Barnabas were deputed; and being arrived at Jerusalem, they reported to the apostles the subject of their commission.. Some of the Pharisees that had embraced the faith, asserted, that the Gentiles that were converted ought to receive circumcision, and to observe the rest of the law. But the apostles and elders assembling to examine into this matter, it was by them decreed, that the Gentiles, who were converted to Christianity, should not be obliged to submit to the yoke of the law, but only to avoid idolatry, fornication, and the eating of things strangled, and blood. St Paul and St Barnabas were then sent back to An३. tioch with letters from the apostles, which contained the decision of the question, and the resolution of that august assembly. The apostles also deputed Jude surnamed Barsabas and Silas, who were principal brethren, to go to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas to give their testimony also of what had been decreed at Jerusalem. Being arrived at Antioch, they assembled the faithful, read to them the apostles letter, and acquainted them, that it had been resolved to discharge them from the yoke of the ceremonial law. Some time after this, St Peter coming to Antioch, and joining himself to the converted Gentiles, he lived with them without scruple; but some brethren happening to arrive there from Jerusalem, he separated himself from the Gentile converts, and did no longer eat with them for which conduct St Paul publicly censured him (Gal. ii. 1 1—16.). St Paul (id. ii. 2, 3, &c.) in the same journey to Jerusalem, declared openly to the faithful there the doctrine he preached among the Gentiles; and besides, discour sed of it in private among the chief of them in presencé of Barnabas and Titus. St Peter, St James, and St John, with whom he had these conversations, could find nothing to be either added or amended in so pure and so sound a doctrine and demeanour. They saw with joy the grace that God had given him; they acknowledged that he had been appointed the apostle of the Gentiles, as St Peter had been of the circumcision. They concluded that Paul and Barnabas should continue to preach among the Gentiles; and only recommended to them to take care concerning the collections for the poor; that is to say, to exhort the converted Christians among the Gentiles, to assist the faithful brethren in Judea, who were in necessity; whether it were because they had sold and distributed their goods, or because they had been taken away from them (Heb. x. 54.). After Paul and Barnabas had continued some days at Antioch, St Paul proposed to Barnabas to return and visit the brethren through all the cities wherein they had planted the gospel, to see in what condition they were. Barnabas consented to the proposal; but insisted upon taking Jolin Mark along with them. This was opposed by Paul, which produced a separation between them. Barnabas and John Mark went together to Cyprus; and St Paul, making choice of Silas, crossed over Syria and Cilicia, and came to Derbe, and afterwards. to Lystra (Acts xvi. 1, 2, &c.). Here they found a disciple, called Timothy, whom St Paul took with him, and circumcised him that he might not offend the Jews of that country. When, therefore, they had gone over the provinces of Lycaonia, Phrygia, and Galatia, the Holy Ghost would not allow them to preach the gospel in the proconsular Asia, which contained Ionia, Æolia, and Lydia. They therefore went on to Mysia, and coming to Troas, St Paul had a vision in the night. A man, babited like a Macedonian, presented himself be-fore him, and said, Pass into Macedonia and come and succour us. Immediately he set out on this journey, not: doubting but that God had called him into this country. Embarking therefore at Troas, they sailed to Neapo lis. Thence they came to Philippi, where upon the sabbath day they went near the river side, where the Jews had a place of devotion, and where they found some religious women, among whom was Lydia, who was converted and baptized, and invited the apostle and verted; as also several of the Gentiles, and many women of distinction that were not Jewesses. Paul. his company to lodge at her house. Another day, as they went to the same place of devotion, they happened to meet a maid servant possessed with a spirit of divination, who followed St Paul and his company, crying out, that these men were the servants of the most high God, who declared to the world the way of salvation. This she did for several days together; at last St Paul, turning himself towards her, said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of the body of this woman: upon which it immediately left her. But the masters of this damsel, who made much money by her, drew Paul and Silas before the magistrates, and accused them of attempting to introduce a new religion into the city. For this the magistrates ordered them to be whipt with rods upon the back and shoulders, and afterwards sent them to prison. Towards midnight, as Paul and Silas were singing hymns and praises to God, on a sudden there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and all the doors flew open at the same time, and the fetters of the prisoners burst asunder. The gaoler being awakened at this noise, and seeing all the doors open, he drew his sword with an intention to kill himself, imagining that all the prisoners had made their escape. But Paul cried out to him, that he should do himself no mischief, for they were all safe. Then the gaoler entering and finding all the prisoners there, he brought out Paul and Silas from this place, asking them what he must do to be saved? Paul and Silas instructing him and all his family, gave them baptism. After this the gaoler set before them something to eat; and when the morning was come, the magistrates sent him word that he might release his prisoners, and let them go about their business. But Paul returned this answer to the magistrates; Ye have publicly whipped us with rods, being Roman citizens; ye have thrown us into prison; and now ye would privately dismiss us: But it shall not be so, for you yourselves shall come to fetch us out. The magistrates hearing that they were Roman citizens, came to excuse themselves; and having brought them out of prison, they desired them to depart out of their city. Paul and Silas went first to the house of Ly dia, where having visited and comforted the brethren, they departed from Philippi. Then passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica the capital city of Macedonia, where the Jews had a synagogue (Acts xvii. 1, &c.). Paul entered therein, according to his custom, and there preached the gospel to them for three Sabbath-days successively. Some Jews and several proselytes believed in Jesus Christ, and united themselves to Paul and Silas : but the greatest part of the Jews being led away by a false zeal, raised a tumult in the city, and went to the house of Jason where St Paul lodged. But not finding him there, they took Jason and led him before the magistrates, where they accused him of harbouring in his house people that were disobedient to the ordinances of the emperor, and who affirmed that there was another king besides him, one Jesus whom they preached up. But Jason having given security to answer for the people who were accused, he was dismissed to his own house; and the night following the brethren conducted Paul and Silas out of the city, who went to Berea, where they began to preach in the synagogue. The Jews of Berea heard them gladly, and many of them were con The Jews of Thessalonica being informed that Paul and Silas were at Berea, came thither and animated the mob against them; so that St Paul was forced to withdraw, leaving Silas and Timothy at Berea to finish the work he had so happily begun. Those who conducted St Paul embarked along with him, and brought him as far as Athens (Theod. in 1 Thessal.), where he arrived in the 52d year of Jesus Christ. As soon as he was got thither, he sent back those that had brought him, with orders to tell Silas and Timothy, that he desired them to follow him to Athens as soon as possible. In the mean time, he went into a synagogue of the Jews, and preached to them as often as he had opportunity; and disputing with the philosophers who were frequent in that place, they at last brought him before the Areopa gus, accusing him of introducing a new religion. St Paul being come before the judges, pleaded in his own defence, that among other marks of superstition which he had found in that city, he had observed an altar inscribed, "To the unknown God." It was therefore this God whom they confessed that they knew not, that he came to make known to them. Afterwards he spoke to them of God the creator of heaven and earth, of the superintendence of a providence, of the last judgment, and of the resurrection of the dead. But after they had heard of the resurrection, some made scorn of him, and others desired to hear him another time. However some of them embraced the Christian faith, of which number was Dionysius a senator of the Areopagus, and a woman called Damaris, and several others with them. St Timothy came from Berea to Athens according to the request of St Paul, and informed him of the persecution with which the Christians of Thessalonica were then afflicted. This obliged the apostle to send him into Macedonia, that he might comfort them and keep them stedfast (1 Thessal. iii. 1, 2, &c.). After this St Paul left Athens and went to Corinth, where he lodged with one Aquila a Jew, and by a trade a tentmaker (Acts xviii. 1, 2, &c.) With this Aquila the apostle worked, as being of the same trade himself. But, however, he did not neglect the preaching of the gospel, which he performed every day in the synagogue; showing both to the Jews and Gentiles that Jesus was the Messiah. There he made several converts and he tells us himself (1 Cor. i. 14-17. and xvi. 15.) that he baptized Stephanus and his whole house, with Crispus and Gaius. About the same time Silas and Timothy came to Corinth, and acquainted him with the good state of the faithful at Thessalonica; and soon after this, he wrote his first epistle to the Thessalonians, which is the first of all the epistles that he wrote; and not long after he wrote his second epistle to that church. St Paul, now finding himself encouraged by the presence of Silas and Timothy, went on with the work of his ministry with new ardour, declaring and proving that Jesus Christ was the true Messiah. But the Jews opposing him with blasphemous and opprobrious words, he shook his clothes at them, and said, “Your blood be upon your own head; from henceforth I shall go to the Gentiles." He then quitted the house of Aquila, and went to lodge with one Titus Justus, who was original I 2 ly Paul. |