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SCENES AND INCIDENTS

IN THE LIFE OP

THE APOSTLE PAUL

A3 ILLUSTRATING THE NATURE AND INFLUENCE
OF THE CHRISTIAN REIJGION.

ALBERT BARNES.

ZEIGLER, McCURDY & CO.,
PHILADELPHIA, Pa., CINCINNATI, Ohio, CHICAGO, III.,
ST. LOUIS, Mo., aid SPRINGFIELD, Mass.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by
AM* PUT BARNES,
In the Clerk's Offico of the District Curt uf Die United States, in and lor the
Eastern District uf Pennsylvania.

S. A. GEORGE & CO..
PR1NTXRS, PH1LA.

PREFACE.

THE design of this Volume is indicated, perhaps,
with sufficient clearness, by its title. It is intended
to illustrate some of the doctrines and duties of Chris
tianity, and the nature of its influence in its first contact
with the world, from the example of the most illus
trious of the agents employed in its propagation.
The work is founded on the principle that the nature
of true religion is fairly illustrated in the lives of its
friends ; and that more can be learned of its nature from
the example of those whose lives are conformed to its
requirements, than from a creed or a mere abstract
statement of its doctrines. It is assumed, therefore,
that the example of a good man, in the various situa
tions in which he is placed in the world — the manner of
his acting amid the trials, the duties, and the tempta
tions of life — may incidentally illustrate the nature of
religion, and that these accumulated records constitute a
treasure of great value to the Church, — an argument of
great force, in fact, in favour of the Divine origin of the
religion itself. This constitutes the value of religious
biography.

iv Preface.
The most illustrious instance of this principle un
doubtedly is found in the example of the Founder of
Christianity Himself. The one who stands next to
Him will probably be conceded by every one to be the
Apostle Paul.
In the plan of the work it has been supposed
that, from the character of this Apostle, and from the
manner in which he was brought into contact with
the world, there would be much of this nature that
would always be of value to the Church ; for he was
made, in common with the other apostles, "a spec
tacle" (Marg. theatre; Gr. Oiarpov — seen as those were
who acted on a stage) "unto the world, and to angels,
and to men" (i Cor. iv. 9), and he "obtained mercy"
that in him "first" — irpuroe, eminently — "Jesus Christ
might show forth all long suffering, for a pattern to
them which should hereafter believe on Him to life
everlasting'' (1 Tim. i. 16).
Amid the trials which Paul had to meet in endea
vouring to propagate the Christian religion, it could
not but occur that he would often be placed in circum
stances which might present very difficult points of
inquiry as to what was proper to be done, and in which
his conduct would furnish an important illustration of
what is required by Christian duty.
It was supposed, also, that the events of his life might
do much to illustrate the nature of Christianity as it
came in contact with different classes of mind, and that an

Preface. v
important argument for its truth and its power might
be found in its influence over those minds in turning
them to God, and that those scenes might thus furnish
valuable illustrations of human nature as the ministers
of the Gospel are called to meet it from age to age.
The contact of Christianity with the world now is
substantially the same as in the age of the Apostles :
the qualifications of the Christian ministry for its great
work are substantially the same in every age and land
as those which were found in Paul.
This work does not aspire to be a biography. Such
notices of the personal history of Paul, however, are
given as, it is hoped, may furnish a just and connected
view of his character and life. For the notices of this
kind which occur, I am largely indebted to the very
valuable work of Messrs. Conybeare and Howson.1 I
have made free use of that book so far as the facts in
the Life of Paul are concerned.
ALBERT BARNES.

1 " The Life and Epistles of St. Paul. By the Rev. W. J. Conybeare,
M.A., late Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge; and the Rev. J. S.
Howson, M.A., Principal of the Collegiate Institution, Liverpool."

CONTENTS.

PAGE
i. Early Training of the Apostle Paul . . i
n. Saul a Persecutor  23
m. His Conversion  41
iv. Obedience to the Heavenly Vision . . 65
v. Residence in Arabia  87
vi. Saul brought to Antioch . . . . 113
vn. Saul and Barnabas sent forth . . .133
vm. Paul and Silas at Philippi . . . . 15'
ix. Paul at Athens  169
x. Paul at Corinth  201
xi. Paul at Ephesus  225
xn. Paul at Miletus  249
xiii. Paul in the Temple at Jerusalem . . .269
xiv. Paul before the Sanhedrim .... 291
xv. Paul in the Castle at Jerusalem . . . 311
xvi. Paul before Felix  329

Contents.
xvn. Paul before Festus
xviii. Paul before Agrippa
xix. The Voyage to Rome .
xx. Paul at Malta ....
xxi. ' Paul in Rome 
xxn. Paul's First Trial before Nero
xxiii. Paul's Anticipation of Death .
xxiv. Death of the Apostle Paul .

PAGE 351373 391
411 429
445463
481

List op Jllustrations.

page

PAGE

Ground Plan of Jerusalem .

1

A Street in Jerusalem .

. . 271

Modern Jerusalem

25

Jerusalem

• • 293

Damascus . . .

43

Night-Journey in Judaea

¦ • ¦ 313

Modern Damascus .

67

Ruins of Cesarea . .

331

A Scene in the Desert . . .

89

An Oriental House

* 353

Antioch . . . ...

"5

Roman Officers .

375

135

Ancient Ships

• • 393

Ruins of Philippi , . .

iS3

Malta . ....

4J3

Athens  .

171

Ancient Rome . . .

* ¦ 431

Corinth ...

203

Modern Rome. . . .

447

227251
Ancient Armoitr. . , ,
Roman Crowns ....
Ruins on the Site of Ephesus
. . 465
. . 4S3
EARLY TRAINING OF THE APOSTLE PAUL.
Spacial men raised up at special times, and for special work. — Sa'il of
Tarsus; his writings; their character ; their influence. — His first appear
ance in history. — Inquiries as to his early Life. — The character and
position of his father. — Importance of a father's influence. — Saul's father,
<«. Pharisee. — Though a Jew, a Roman citizen. — Saul's Birthplace. —
Tarsus, u Grecian city. — His Training at Jemsalem. — Gamaliel, * mnn
ol candour ; of learning ; of reverence for law ; of zeal against apostates.
— The moral character of Saul. — His consent to the death of Stephen.

" And the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet whose
name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying,
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a
loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said
tlSis, he fell asleep. And Saul was consenting unto his death."
Acts vii. 58 — 60; viii. I.

JJWN0M
GBOUHD PLAN OF JERUSALEM.
?HAT a young man, "whose name was Saul,"
was present at the martyrdom of Stephen, is
the first mention in history of a man who
ultimately will be found to have exerted as
wide an influence on human affairs as any
one of the race that shall have lived. "The
life of a great man, in a great period of the world's
history, is a subject to command the attention of
every thoughtful mind." Indeed, there is nothing
more worthy of consideration than such a life ; for
there is nothing on which the progress of the world
more depends, or which enters more into the great
changes that mark the world's history. It is, in a
great measure, by raising up and endowing great minds
that God secures the advance of human affairs, and
the accomplishment of His own plans on earth. All

4 Life of the Apostle Paul.
minds have their origin in God ; and great minds seem
to be created by Him as " He creates great oceans,
great mountains, great worlds," as proofs of His own
greatness, — and under an arrangement, also, not less
fitted to the relations of things, and to His own pur
poses, than are such great oceans, mountains, and
worlds. The earth's history has made progress not
merely by slow developement, by quiet and steady
growth, by the silent accumulations of experience and
observation digested into rules to guide and govern the
future, but (in connexion with these things) by bringing
upon the stage from time to time some mind qualified
by high original endowment to give a new impulse to
human affairs ; to lift up the. race to a higher level ;
and to perform, in a single generation, what might
have been otherwise the slow work of centuries, or what
might not have been done at all. Some great thought
is to be suggested, containing " the seeds of things,"
some new discovery is to be made, or some new
invention to be struck out, which shall at once place
the world far in advance of what it was, and shall
materially and permanently affect the affairs of man
kind. Such a mind is created for the occasion ; though
to human view it seems to be made by the occasion.
It appears just at the time when it is needed, accom
plishes the work which is needed, and then passes away.
But not so the invention, the discovery, the great
thought that has marked the age. These become the
property of mankind, — the enlarged "capital" which
constitutes a basis for the new enterprize of the world.

His Early Training. 5
Saul of Tarsus was one of those men. Christianity
needed such a mind ; and the world had reached a
point where it needed such a mind. Christianity was in
such a state that it was desirable — may we not say,
indispensable — that there should be some such mind
employed in its propagation and its defence. Saul of
Tarsus has exerted more influence in spreading Chris
tianity, in explaining and vindicating its doctrines, in
adapting it to the world (if the expression may , be
allowed) and the world to it, in developing its great
principles, in giving to it systematic form, in settling
and establishing the faith of mankind for all coming
time, than any other of the apostles, or perhaps than
all of them combined. One of the entire books of the
New Testament — " The Acts of the Apostles " — is to a
great extent a mere record of his travels, sermons, and
labours ; no less than thirteen, and probably fourteen
out of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament
were written by him, or at his dictation.
The character of those books, also, is as remarkable as
is their relative place in the New Testament. They are
not historical ; — for the historical records of Chris
tianity — the life of the Author, and the history of the
early propagation of Christianity, are found elsewhere.
They are not a collection of public discourses, <ar
orations in defence of the new system of religion, — for
we have none of those except what are preserved by
the fellow-traveller of Paul, in the Acts of the Apostles.
They are, in the main, an explanation and defence of
the doctrines of Christianity ; the most full, able, and

6 Life of the Apostle Paul.
comprehensive, that we have in the New Testament.
They are an inspired exposition of the great plan of
the Author ofthe Christian system, which He did not
Himself choose fully to unfold, but which He left to be
explained by him who was called to be a disciple and
an apostle after His own death. A full defence and an
illustration of what was intended to be accomplished
by that death — by the atonement — could not be so well
made before He died as afterwards, since the statement
could be made more clear, and could be more easily com
prehended after the great facts had occurred on which
the statement was to rest, than before. That statement
He chose should be made, in the main, by Saul of
Tarsus — a man who, so far as we know, had never
seen Jesus of Nazareth ; a man, therefore, who could
testify to nothing from his personal observation ; a man
who had not had the advantage of the long training,
under His own eye, which had been afforded to the
immediate apostles whom the Lord Jesus had chosen.
It is remarkable that they were not selected to be the
instruments in explaining His religion; and yet, perhaps,
a reason for this may be found in the character, the
training, the learning of Sauf of Tarsus.
Certain it is, however the fact may be accounted for,
that if we were to take from the New Testament all
that was written by Saul of Tarsus, we should remove
no small part of that which has gone to form the
religious opinions of mankind. Certain it is that we
should leave the system as it is in the remaining books
of the New Testament, difficult of explanation, arrange-

His Early Training. 7
ment, and comprehension. It could, indeed, by no
means be said that the system could not be com
prehended, or that knowledge enough could not be
derived from the Gospels, from the Acts of the Apostles,
and from the Epistles of James, Peter, John, and Jude,
to answer the great question, " What shall I do to be
saved ?" but it would still be true that we should feel
the need of some such full and comprehensive exposi
tion of those doctrines as we have now in the epistles
of Paul, and that the faith of mankind in the doctrines
of Christianity (or the shape which that faith would
take) would be far different from what it is now. One
thing is clear — that there has been no one of our race
who has done so much to determine the theological
opinions of mankind as Paul has done.
A similar remark may be made in regard to the
influence of his opinions on the world at large. He
has already influenced more minds than Plato ever
did ; in the end, he will have influenced far more than
Plato, and Bacon, and Kant, and Locke, combined : —
than all the Greek, the Persian, the Egyptian, the
Roman priests and sages united. In his own day he
came in contact on more points with the mind of the
world than any other living man. He travelled farther
than Herodotus had done ; he sought more than any
other man the great central points of influence in the
world ; and at Jerusalem, at Damascus, at Antioch, at
Ephesus, at Philippi, at Athens, at Corinth, at Rome,
he left impressions of his presence and power such as no
other man made, and destined to be of longer con-

8 Life of the Apostle Paul.
tinuance than any opinions which influenced the men
of that generation. He came in contact with human
bigotry, superstition, philosophy ; with the pride, the
wickedness, and the voluptuousness of the world ; with
heathen customs and laws sanctioned by ages ; and
more than any other man, he contributed to the inau
guration of a new system of things, the results of which
are to be seen in the yet future history of mankind,
extending onward to the consummation of all things.
As he appears before us, as described in Acts vii.,
he is a young man; and in an attitude fitted to rivet
the attention, yet painful to contemplate. It is a scene
of fury, rage, and violence. A man guilty of no crime, —
who had done nothing to provoke this outburst of wrath,
— who had merely stood up for the defence of a new
system of religion,' — who had said nothing which pro
phets had not said before, — who had affirmed that he
had seen, whether in reality or in fancy, "the heavens
opened, and the Son of man standing on the right
hand of God," — was assailed by a mob (stopping their
ears, as if they would not hear such blasphemy), was
dragged violently out of the city, and stoned to death.
It was the first martyrdom under the Christian religion.
Saul of Tarsus was there; — why, we know not. He
looked calmly on. He took no part in the affray. He-
threw not a stone. He said not a word. If he was a
young man of violent passions, he restrained them. If
he sympathized with these murderers, he said nothing to
encourage them. If there was then that in hirS which at
some future time might manifest itself in a form of perse-

His Early Training. g
cution more violent than this, it was held in check. So
far as the record goes, there was not a word, a look, an
action, which could lead any man to infer that in a few
days he would himself be one of the most furious of per
secutors, and would surpass all living men in the energy,
the fire, the zeal, and the ability, with which he would
endeavour to extinguish the new religion. Yet he was
manifestly regarding this deed of violence with interest
and with approbation; he approved the thing, whatever
might be his views of the mode. Those who were engaged
in the act of persecution knew him. They understood
somehow that his heart was with them, so that they might
safely lay down their " clothes " at his feet, — the outer
"garments" laid aside on such an occasion. Many
years afterwards he refers to this scene, and says, as if
he had at the time been a real participator in the per
secution of Stephen, " I also was standing by, and con
senting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them
that slew him " (Acts xxii. 20).
Even if the matter ended here, and we knew no more
of that young man, we could not but feel an interest in
inquiring, Who was he ? what had been, his training ?
what were the principles which he held ? why had he
such a real and well-understood sympathy with these
murderers ? and why was he then restrained from ex
pressing that sympathy by joining with them in those
deeds of violence and blood ? The question also would
probably occur to our minds, What would he be likely
to do, if such scenes were to be often repeated ?
What is left to us of his early history, as gathered

IO Life of the Apostle Paul.
from intimations made in his subsequent life, may
perhaps enable us to answer each of these questions.
Let us place ourselves, therefore, at this " stand-point "
— this his first appearance in history — and see if we can
find anything in his early training which will account
for the fact that he sympathized at heart with this work
of death, and nevertheless was restrained then from all
active participation in it ; which may explain the reason
why he so soon became an active persecutor himself ;
and which, at the same time, under the overruling pro
vidence of God, and in the accomplishment of the Divine
purposes, was secretly fitting him for the great work that
he was to do as the most eminent among the apostles.
There are three things bearing on this subject among
the incidental intimations which we have in respect to
the early history of Saul, viz. : — the character and position
of his father ; his own early training in a Grecian city ;
and his subsequent training under Gamaliel at Jerusalem.
I. The character and position of his father. In a
speech which he subsequently made in his own defence
(Acts xxiii. 6), he says, with emphasis, and as if he
attached much importance to the assertion, "I am a
Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee." Of his father's name,
indeed, we know nothing. Of his rank, as we shall '
see presently, we have information which may be of
importance in determining some things in regard to Paul
himself. But we are now to inquire what would be the
influence of his being trained up under the guidance of
a father who was a strict and conscientious Pharisee.

His Early Training. II
It would, indeed, assist us much in estimating the
character of Saul of Tarsus, if some knowledge had
been left us of his early training under the influence
of a mother. But it is remarkable that in all his
writings he makes no mention of her. He speaks of
himself as set apart by God " from his mother's womb "
(Gal. i. 15, 16); but this is the only allusion to his
mother which occurs. We have notices of a sister, for
we read of his "sister's son" who rendered him im
portant aid in a time of peril (Acts xxiii. 16), and of
some more distant kinsmen who were converted to the
Christian faith (Rom. xvi. 7, II, 21); but we know
nothing of that relative upon whose influence on the
opinions and conduct so much commonly depends.
It is, doubtless, true that the influence of a mother,
as it is the earliest, is also the most material and
important of the things which go to form the cha
racter of a man. It is, doubtless, true that a large
proportion of those who have become eminent for piety
and usefulness have been able to trace that effect to
the example, the prayers, the instruction, the influence
of a pious mother. The instances are innumerable
where the influence of such early training has gone
into the entire subsequent life, and where a mother,
kept by her position and the proprieties of life from
open and active service in the Church, has sent forth
a son as her representative, imbued with her spirit,
taught by her life, and converted in answer to her
prayers, to accomplish great effects on the theatre of
human affairs, giving direction to talent and influence of

12 Life of the Apostle Paul.
inestimable advantage to the Church and the world. It
would be very easy to refer to a long catalogue of illus
trious names, among the most illustrious in the Church,
— embracing (if not beginning with) the great name of
Augustine, — the value of whose influence, and conse
quently the value of the influence of a mother, no one
can now estimate. It is needless to state on what this
depends. She, the mother, has the first moulding of
the mind of the child. She is constantly with him.
She wins his heart by a thousand tender offices and
kindnesses. She hears his little stories of trouble when
perhaps the father would not; she listens to all his
statements if he is injured, or fancies himself to be so;
she comforts him in what seem to him to be great
sorrows; she opens her ears and her heart to things
which, perhaps, even he would not regard as of sufficient
importance to trouble his father with ; she teaches him
to kneel down and pray; she watches beside him by
day and by night when he is sick ; in her heart he has
always a sanctuary and a home, — a place to which he
may flee, and where he will be sure to find sympathy
and pity, whoever may despise him, or wrong him, or
ridicule him, or neglect him. We are not to be sur
prised, therefore, that God has committed early religious
training, in a great measure, to a mother; nor that, in so
many instances, we can trace eminent piety and usefulness
in subsequent life directly to her influence and prayers.
But it is also to be said that there are cases where the
influence of a father is much more direct and material
in forming the character. It may be exerted in a more

His Early Training. 1 3
advanced period of boyhood, but may be such as effec
tually to mould all the future of the man. The mind
of the father may be more comprehensive and better
informed than that of the mother ; the elements of his
character may be more decided ; there may be more that
the son would wish to incorporate into his own future
life. Firm, calm, thoughtful, sagacious, his example
comes prominently before the mind of the boy just at
the time when the real character is forming in reference
to the world. The nursery character has been formed.
The lessons of religion in childhood have been learned.
For domestic life — for home — for boyhood — the cha
racter is moulded and matured. But the character
requisite for the great world — for the profession — for
the warfare of life — for the race of ambition — for wealth
— for permanent distinction — is now to be formed, and
the boy may now come wholly under the influence of
the father with reference to the opinions and conduct
that shall go to make up that struggle and warfare.
If his principles coincide with those of the mother, all
will be well; if they differ, he may now counteract
much or all of her teaching; and even when they do
coincide, he may do more than she has done in making
the future man what he is to be.
Of the character of Paul's father in this respect —
whether as coinciding with that of the mother, or not —
whether as fitted to carry out the early lessons which
she inculcated, or not — whether as being more adapted to
mould such a mind as that of Saul of Tarsus when a boy,
or not, — we can now know nothing. We know only that

14 Life of the Apostle Paul.
Paul himself referred with emphasis, and, it would seem,
with a significant emphasis, to the fact that he was
" the son of a Pharisee." What would this lead to ?
Can we find any influence from this which will serve
to explain the position in which he first appears?
What was a Pharisee ? A man in whom the senti
ment of religion, or religiosity, was most deeply im
bedded; a man who was a firm believer in revelation;
a man who was a stern advocate for the authority of
law, and consequently of government; a man who, by
theory at least, was opposed to irregular outbreaks of
passion ; a man who professed to aim at strict morality,
and to be guided by its rules; a man who was a zealous
propagandist in religion ; a man who was bigoted in his
attachment to his own opinions, to the traditions of the
fathers, to all that pertained to religion, in its forms,
its ceremonies, its doctrines; a man who was intoleranti
of the opinions of others, but who, if he carried out
his principles, would be a persecutor only in accordance
with law, and not under the force of popular excitement.
Such was the paternal influence under which Saul of
Tarsus was trained; whom we now see, not actively
employed in persecution, but " keeping the raiment " of
those who, regardless of all forms of law, were engaged
in a furious work of death.
There was another thing pertaining to his father,
which may do something to explain what occurred
in the subsequent life of Paul. It was the relation
which he sustained to the Roman government. Though
he was a Jew, most pure in his descent, so that Paul

His Early Training, 1 5
Could say afterwards of himself that he was " an He
brew of the Hebrews " (Phil. iii. 6), yet (as was not then
uncommon for a foreigner) his father had obtained the
rights of a Roman citizen ; and therefore, when appeal
ing to the Roman authority as a protection from
persecution by his own countrymen, he could say, " I
was free born," — or, I was born with this right of pro
tection by the Roman law, (Acts xxii. 28.) In what
way this right had been obtained by his father, whether,
as in the case of the " chief captain," to whom Paul
appealed in the case just referred to, it had been "pur
chased," or whether it had been bestowed (as is most
probable) on account of some service rendered to the
Roman cause during the civil wars, is unknown, and
cannot now be determined. In whatever way it had
been acquired, it evidently was regarded as an honourable
distinction for a Jew ; it was a ground of protection
in time of danger ; and it gave a security (similar to
what is now derived from a " passport " in foreign lands)
in any part of the Roman empire. Paul more than
once appealed to this as a ground of protection ; and in
virtue of this, he ultimately took his own cause away
from Hebrew tribunals, and even from proconsular
tribunals, and carried it at once up to the Emperor him
self, Acts xvi. 37 ; xxii. 25 — 29 ; xxv. 10, 1 1.
II. His birthplace. Another fact to be noticed as to
the training of Saul, and as bearing on the work to
which he had been designated in the Divine purposes,
was that he received his early education in a Grecian

1 6 Life of the Apostle Paul.
city. Tarsus in Cilicia, on the banks of the river
Cydnus, by which it maintained an extensive commerce,
was a distinguished seat of Greek philosophy and lite
rature, and, from the number of its schools and learned
men, is ranked by Strabo (xiv. pp. 673, 674), with
Athens and Alexandria. Though now a poor and
decayed town inhabited by Turks, not numbering more
than thirty thousand, yet it was, in the time of Paul's
youth, a busy haunt of commerce. St. Basil has re
corded that " Tarsus was a point of union for Syrians,
Cilicians, Isaurians, and Cappadocians." It was the
resort of Greek and Roman merchants ; and the
youthful Saul, on the wharves of the Cydnus, would
mingle with men, in different costumes, from almost
every part of the then known world.
He was indeed a Jewish boy, and would doubtless
be trained and educated in Jewish schools, and under
Jewish influence. But there is another kind of educa
tion than that which a boy obtains in school. It is the
education of the place ; of associates ; of playmates :
of the language which is spoken around him ; of the
books which he reads. You cannot separate the one
from the other. You cannot tell how much of tlie
one or the other has gone into the character of Hie
educated youth ; but often that which is derived from
without is more important than that which is inculcated
at the fire-side and in the school. Under tbe direction
of a father who was a Hebrew, Saul would be U jght
Hebrew letters and Hebrew learning; in accordance
with wise Jewish maxims, he was taught, as we know,

His Early Training. 17
a "trade,"— in his case, that of a "tent-maker" (Acts
xviii. 3);1 but still he was among a Greek people; he
would mingle with those who spoke the Greek language;
and, directly or indirectly, he would become, to a
greater or less extent, acquainted with Greek literature.
The ready and appropriate manner in which he after
wards referred to Greek poets (Acts xvii. 28 ; Titus i.
12 ; 1 Cor. xv. 33), shows that in early life he was not
a stranger to Greek learning.
It is easy to see the bearing of this on his future
life as an apostle. The Greek was spoken in almost
all the countries in which he was to travel. His public
discourses were mostly to be in that language. All
that he would write, to be preserved to the Church and
to the world, was to be in that language. He was to
meet Greeks everywhere ; to preach to them, to ex
plain to them, and to defend before them, the new
system of religion. He was to stand amidst their sages;
he was to " encounter '' their philosophers in the very

1 " It was a custom among the Jews that all boys should learn a trade.
'What is commanded of a father towards his son?' asks a Talmudic
writer. ' To circumcise him, to teach him the law, to teach him a trade.'
Rabbi Judah saith, ' He that teacheth not his son a trade, doth the same
as if he taught him to be a thief;' and Rabban Gamaliel saith, ' He that
hath a trade in his hand, to what is he like ? he is like a vineyard that is
fenced.' And if in compliance with this good and useful custom of the
Jews, the father of the young Cilician sought to make choice of a trade,
which might fortify his son against idleness or against adversity, none
would occur to him more naturally than the profitable occupation of the
making of tents, the material of which was hair-cloth, supplied by the
goats of his native province, and soJd m the markets of the Levant by the
well-known name of eilicium." — Conybeare and Howson, vol. i. p. 46.
C

1 8 Life of the Apostle Paul.
seat of their influence and power (Acts xvii. 1 8) ; and
what is most material, he was (as we have seen) more
than any others of the apostles, to make a permanent
record of the doctrines of the Christian religion. It
cannot have been without design on the part of Him
who directs all things by His Providence, that the early
years of Saul should have been spent where that lan
guage, learning, and philosophy prevailed.
III. There is a third thing to be noticed in regard to
the early life of Saul — his training under Gamaliel.
He himself tells us (Acts xxii. 3), that he was "brought
up" — ayar£0pajuju£i'oe, nurtured, educated — in Jerusalem
" at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the
perfect manner of the law of the fathers." This language
would imply that he had been placed there at quite an
early period of his life. The same thing is implied also in
another expression which he uses (Acts xxvi. 4), when
he says, " My manner of life from my youth " — ht
vsorr/Toc — " which was at the first," — air apxnQ, from the
beginning — "among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know
all the Jews." At the age of thirteen, a Jewish maxim
required that children shpuld be taught the " law."
We know the reason for which he was sent to Jeru
salem. It was the act of a Jewish father, a " Pharisee,"
designing that his son should be trained up in the most
perfect knowledge of the law, and placing him, for
that purpose, under the instruction of the most cele
brated Jewish teacher of his time, — for Gamaliel was to
the Jews what Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus, and

His Early Training. 19
Bonaventura, were among the Schoolmen, and as the
titles " Angelic doctor,*' and " Seraphic doctor," were
conferred on such illustrious men, so the title "the
Beauty of the Law," had been conferred on Gamaliel.
Possibly, also, it might have been the wish of his
father to separate him, at the forming period of his
life, from influences in a Greek city that might tend
to weaken his attachment to the Hebrew faith.
We know what the character of Gamaliel was ; and we
can estimate what would be the nature of his influence
on the mind of a young man like Saul of Tarsus.
(a.) Gamaliel was a man characterized by candour
and coolness of judgment. A remarkable instance of
this occurs in his defence of the Apostles, as recorded
in Acts v. 34-^4.0. The Sanhedrim were determined to
condemn the apostles to death, and it required no
small degree of firmness to stand up even to argue the
case, and to subject oneself to the charge of being their
friend ; but the character of Gamaliel, his ability, his
position, commanded respect ; and his counsel was emi
nently prudent, wise, sensible. He stilled the rage
of the Sanhedrim ; he secured the discharge of the
persecuted men. He was, indeed, a Pharisee. But he
was not trammelled by the narrow prejudices of his
party. He dared to act from principles of justice and
truth. As such a man he had secured in an eminent
degree the confidence of his countrymen, and we are not
surprised to be told that he was "had in reputation
among all the people" (Acts v. 34). He was of the
class to whom Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus

20 Life of the Apostle Paid.
belonged : — a man thoroughly religious ; thoroughly a
Jew; thoroughly, and on principle, a Pharisee, as op
posed to other Jewish sects ; yet a man of noble prin
ciples, and well fitted as an instructor to form a mind
to large and liberal views.
(b.) Tradition has described him as a man who was
distinguished above most of his countrymen by his
attainments in Greek learning, and by his respect for
it. If so, his own mind would be liberalized by those
studies ; and the influence of that fact on one who had
been trained in his childhood in a Greek city, and who
had known something of Greek authors, may be
readily imagined. No one can fail to see what may
have been the effect of this on one who was to spend
so large a portion of his active public life in the very
centres of Greek philosophy, learning, and power.
(c.) As a Pharisee, most eminent, he had a high
regard for authority. He was a teacher of law. He
was an expounder of law. He was a Jew to the heart's
core. But, as opposed to all the excitements of passion,
to all tumults springing out of such excitements, to
unjust and tyrannical measures prompted by mere will
and by popular feeling, he was a man who would stand
firm to the principles of law and of order.
{d.) He did not, as far as we know, become a Christian.
With all his candour, with all his learning, with all
that there was of liberal influence on his mind, derived
from Greek literature, it could not be affirmed that
Gamaliel would never justify persecution. There is
even a prayer on record which is supposed to have been

His Early Training. 21
written by him, or to have received his sanction, and
which, if it was his, shows that he approved the destruc
tion of apostates.1 But if ever he were to be engaged in
persecution, we know that it would be only as justified
by law, and conducted by public authority.
It is easy to trace the influence of these traits of
character on the whole of Saul's public life — alike as
a Jewish persecutor, and as a defender of the faith
which he at first laboured to destroy. We can see
how he would be likely to sympathize in heart with
persecutors; how confidence could be reposed in him
in that respect; how he would abstain from acts of open
violence and lawlessness, — and yet how, under the sanc^
tion of law, he might become (as he was) one of the
most violent and dreaded of the enemies of the Church.
There is always danger to a young man in regard to
his morals when, for the sake of education, or in the
pursuit of wealth or honour, he leaves the restraints and
influences of the domestic circle. Saul of Tarsus would
be exposed to such perils in leaving the home of his

1 " Lightfoot's Exercitations on Acts v. 34 ; Otho's Lexicon Rabbinicum,
sub voc. Gamaliel. The prayer is given in Mr. Home's Introduction to
the Scriptures, 8th ed. vol. iii. p. 261, as follows : ' Let there be no hope
to them who apostatise from the true religion ; and let heretics, how many
soever they be, all perish as in a moment. And let the kingdom of pride
be speedily rooted out and broken in our days. Blessed art thou, O Lord
our God, who destroyest the wicked, and bringest down the proud. ' This
prayer is attributed by some to ' Samuel the Little, ' who lived in the time
of Gamaliel. There is a story that this Samuel the Little was the Apostle
Paul himself, ' Paulus ' meaning ' little,' and ' Samuel ' being contracted
into 'Saul.' See Basnage, bk. iii. ch. i. §§ 12, 13." — Conybeare and
Howson, vol. i. p. 56.

22 Life of the Apostle Paul.
childhood; in being separated from a father's presence
and immediate authority; in visiting even Jerusalem.
Many young men, religiously trained, are ruined in such
changes ; but more young men — great as is the abso
lute number of those who are ruined — are safe. Their
early virtue, their religious principles, their respect for
law and for religion, are successful and triumphant in
the new scene of trial. Saul of Tarsus was of that
number. In his old age, and when he regarded it as
possible that he would soon be put to death, — looking
back to this period, — he could say of his moral character
all through his youth, "Touching the righteousness
which is in the law, BLAMELESS" (Phil. iii. 6).
Such had been the influence of his early training.
Such was he, as he now appears in the persecution of
Stephen ; — a Jew, a Pharisee, a young man, conscien
tious, religious, moral ; one restrained now, as he ever
would be afterwards, from deeds of lawless violence,
yet ready to engage most furiously in persecution when
ever it could be done under the authority of law. It
was not so done in the case of Stephen, for this was
the violence of a mob; yet his heart was there. In
how many things done by others, of which we secretly
approve, are we restrained from active participation,
either by prudence, or the principles of our education,
or because they are not done in the manner which we
approve; and yet our heart is there ! The raiment of
the evil-doers would be safe in our keeping !

II.
SAUL, A PERSECUTOR.
Sanction obtained. — Young men less apt to persecute than the old are.—
Reasons for this. — Saul an exception. — Persecution at Jerusalem. — In
tended persecution at Damascus. — Persecutions common to science and
religion. — Causes of persecution: war of opinions; existence of vested
interests; depraved passions of the human heart; natural aversion to
holiness. — Effects oi persecution: nothing good or true is destroyed; it
serves as a test; it works out adequate results.

" And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the
disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters
to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether
Ihey were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem."
Acts ix. i, x

-Vr

MODERN JERUSALEM.
HE rage of Saul of Tarsus in persecution was
like pent-up fires when they burst forth, or
floods that break through their barriers. No
sooner could the sanction of law be obtained
for the persecution of Christians, than he
became the most furious of persecutors.
From his character, and from his conduct in regard
to the death of Stephen, we have reason to believe
that he never engaged in the work of persecution
without the approval of those in power, and without
a commission to do it Thus, when it is said Acts
viii. 3 {before he had received a sanction to prosecute
the work in Damascus) that he "made havoc of the
Church, entering into every house, and, haling men
and women, committed them to prison," it is fair to
infer that he had obtained leave from the public autho-

26 Life of the Apostle Paul.
rities to do so. In fact, this is more than implied in
the language used — "committed them to prison," —
since it cannot be supposed that he would do this on
his private responsibility. It is certain that when he
entered on his great work of persecution, — when he went
forth to a foreign city to lay waste the Church formed
there, — he had the express sanction of the high priest
We are now, therefore, to contemplate Saul of Tarsus
as a persecutor under the sanction and authority of law.
He was a young man. He had finished his education,
and was about to enter on the public work of life. We
may find something of interest in this fact itself. That
a young man, an educated young man, should engage
in the work of persecution strikes us at once as contrary
to what we expect to find at that period of life, and in
one that had been brought under the liberalizing in
fluence of education. It is at the same time anomalous,
unnatural, and shocking; and it is all the worse, when
by a vigorous self- discipline such an one restrains
himself from the outbreak of passion until he can give
indulgence to it under the forms and the protection of
law. Young men, if I apprehend human nature aright,
are not as likely to be engaged in persecution for
opinion's sake as those of more advanced years. In
them we naturally expect a frank concession of the
right of others to think for themselves, and to utter
freely their sentiments. We look for generous impulses ;
for that which is noble and magnanimous ; for a readi
ness to fly to the aid of the injured; for high and
chivalrous deeds, even verging on disregard of law, and

Saul, a Persecutor. 2J
outside of settled creeds, if so the wronged may be
rescued, and truth may be advanced. We expect to
find them in the foremost ranks in the defence of great
rights, and ranging freely the regions of imagination
beyond the fixed boundaries of thought, if perchance
beyond these limits of creeds and systems they may
find new and unexplored spheres of truth, — as the young
are in advance in visiting unknown lands and seas, if
they may make new discoveries there, — disregarding the
old barriers within which all is explored, if perchance
they may lay open something new to mankind ; —
as the astronomer in a clear night directs his glass into
regions of space beyond the defined bounds of the
universe, if perchance he may discover a planet, star,
or nebula on which the eye of man has never looked.
In religion, as in other things, we are not much
surprised when we find men advanced, or advancing
in life, intolerant in regard to the opinions of others,
or disposed to repress freedom of inquiry and of speech,
even by persecution. Candour and liberality are not
always taught by age ; for age is conservative, and may
be narrow and bigoted. The ideas of such men are
fixed, and are commonly unchangeable. Their opinions
have often been adopted after much examination, and
when they seemed to themselves to have the
whole field before them. They have grown with
their growth, and strengthened with their strength.
They are a part or themselves; are what they them
selves are ; are all that is now of value to them. Too
old, or too feeble, -or too much in love with ease and

28 Life of the Apostle Paul.
repose, they become incapable of pursuing inquiries into
truth, or become envious of those who possess superior
energy and power, and who purpose to carry the torch
of inquiry into regions which their fathers never ex
plored. Moreover, they do not keep up with the world
in the pursuit and acquisition of knowledge; they fall
behind; they have not before their minds the facts and
principles on which a new generation is forming its
opinions ; and they regard that as heresy which may be
only the natural result of enlarged thought, and an
attempt to adjust the old forms of belief to new dis
closures of truth. Pride, bigotry, obstinacy, envy, igno
rance, may combine to induce them to look with distrust
on new views, and to feel that such as advance those
views are showing them personal disrespect, or doing
them a personal wrong. They have not themselves the
patience which they once had in the discussiqn of a new
subject, or in examining opinions long held in the world ;
nor, as they advance in years, have they the fondness
which they once had for new opinions — opinions verging
on heresy or tending to paradox; nor do they now, as
they once did, aim to secure a reputation for inde
pendence of thought by attacking the opinions which
are commonly held by mankind. They are also more
liable to be irritated by opposition or contradiction than
they formerly were, for at their time of life they desire
not to have the foundations of the belief which they
cherish, and on which they have built their personal
hopes in regard to the future, called in question. Un
able, moreover, or indisposed so to apply their minds as

Saul, a Persecutor. 29
to keep pace with the progress of all around them, or to
appreciate the real advances which are being made, they
look upon every new idea as a dangerous innovation,
and often regard the waning of their own power, and the
inevitable decline of their own influence, as an evidence
that the world is going backward ; while the views and
feelings which spring out of these circumstances of de
clining years, they mistake for a love of pure and
unchangeable standards of belief. Hence the almost
universal opinion among aged men that the world is
growing worse, — that superstition, crime, and error are
more prevalent than in their early years.
Young men are often sceptical, or semi-sceptical ;
they are often unsettled in their opinions ; they question
with a daring spirit the correctness of doctrines long
held to be true; they employ themselves (and some
times with a hazardous proximity to error and unbelief)
in adjusting the new discoveries in science to the received
articles of the creed ; they start new and bold theories,
and in these ways they seem to be engaged in pulling
down what the world with infinite toil has reared. But
the very nature of this process tends to make one young
man liberal towards another; for he cannot deny to others
the liberty he claims for himself — nor, in persecuting
them, can he engage in a practical warfare with himself.
Old men are confirmed believers or unbelievers; and in
them is concentrated no small part of the bigotry and
illiberality of the world. The Sanhedrim at Jerusalem
that condemned the Saviour was composed in a great
part of the "elders" of the nation — aged men. The

30 Life of the Apostle Paul.
"Council" that condemned Stephen was made up of the
same old men ; the General of the Inquisition, and the
principal functionaries of the "holy office," were com
monly men of advanced years; and, in all ages, from
the same source originates most of the opposition which
is made to new suggestions in theology, and most of the
alarm which is expressed in view of changes in the forms
of established belief.
Yet few men, young or old, have been so furious in
persecution as was Saul of Tarsus ; and the fact that he,
so young, entered on the work of persecution in the
manner in which he did — "breathing out threatenings
and slaughter" — is one of the things that strike us as
most remarkable in his career. He "made havoc of
the Church, entering into every house, and, haling
men and women," he tore them from their homes,
and "committed them to prison" (Acts viii. 3). He
engaged in this work under the influence of conscience,
as a service which he felt he was bound to render to
God, putting forth all his energies because he thought
that he "ought to do many things" — these things —
"contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth" (Acts xxvi.
9). He "punished" that is, scourged them "in every
synagogue " — in the very places of public worship ; he
used every effort to make them "blaspheme" or revile
the sacred name of their Redeemer ; he became " exceed
ingly mad against them," and drove them from town to
town — away from their own homes " to strange cities ;''
he was present when they were sentenced to death, and
he "gave" his "voice against them" (Acts xxvi. 9 — 11)

Saul, a Persecutor, 31
Three times the fact is especially adverted to, that his
fury raged against women as well as men (Acts viii. 3 ;
ix. 2; xxii. 4), thus making war on all that is tender
and delicate in domestic relations, and spreading every
where the terror of his name. It was not without reason
that, in later years, he remembered with deep repentance
how he had "persecuted the church of God and wasted
it" (Gal. i. 13; 1 Tim. i. 13; 1 Cor. xv. 9).
The Sanhedrim at Jerusalem claimed jurisdiction in
religious matters over the Jews in foreign climes. In
Damascus the number of Jews was very great ; and as
the Christians on the persecution of Stephen had been
scattered abroad everywhere, it was possible, nay, pro
bable, that some of them had fled to that city ; and
having fled there, it was possible, nay, probable, that
they would spread their sentiments there as they had
done in Jerusalem. It Vas important to prevent this,
and Saul obtained a commission to do it. Judaea and
expiring Judaism had no agent who would be more
likely to accomplish the task
The manner in which new views and opinions in
philosophy and religion have been received in our world
is one of the most remarkable things in history. The
tears, the public tears of Pericles, the dictator of Athens,
were necessary to save a feeble woman, Aspasia, sus
pected of philosophy ; but all his eloquence could not
save his friend Anaxagoras, who was condemned to
imprisonment (which was changed in old age to per
petual exile) for having taught that there was an intel-

32 Life of the Apostle Paul.
ligent Cause of all things. Socrates was persecuted,
and condemned to death, for teaching the same thing,
and for (as was alleged) " corrupting the youth of
Athens " by his views of religion. Aristotle had diffi
culty in saving his own life, and fled in a stealthy
manner to Chalcis, in order, as he said, to save the
Athenians a new crime against philosophy. Plato was
twice thrown into prison, and once sold as a slave.
{Cousin, i. 305). In later times, Galileo was imprisoned
for maintaining that the sun is the centre of the
system of the universe, and that the earth and other
planets revolve around it. The Saviour of the world
was put to death on a cross, and His followers were com
pelled to flee from their country for announcing that
fact there, and were subjected to every form of torture
for announcing it in the lands to which they were
driven. In Jerusalem, Derbe, Lystra, Philippi ; in
the Coliseum and the gardens of Nero at Rome ; in the
vallies of Piedmont, in the Netherlands, Spain, Venice,
Italy, France, England, Scotland, Goa, — in all these
places the pure religion of Christ has somehow en
countered the opposition of men, and secured a triumph
only as the result of a baptism of blood and fire.
In every case of persecution, whether in science or
religion, the CAUSES are to be sought in something
peculiar in the views advanced, as bearing on received
opinions and on the state of the world ; but there are
general principles involved, which demand only a slight
modification to enable us to understand why Christianity

Saul, a Persecutor. 33
has been, from the beginning, compelled to make its
way through scenes of suffering.
(i.) There is, first, the war of opinion; the conflict of
sentiments ; the tenacity with which men hold their
views ; and the feelings which are aroused when, from
any cause those views are attacked. A man's opinions
are a part of himself, and they become as dear to him
as life or liberty. They constitute for all valuable
purposes, and in the estimation of his friends and of
the world, the man. They are the measure of his
reputation and of his influence. They are the result of
all his experience, his studies, his observation in the
world ; they are what he has accumulated in his pro
gress through life that is of special and permanent
value. They are what gives him a standing among
his neighbours. To attack them is, therefore, to attack
himself ; to overthrow them is to take away all which he
has that constitutes his claim to notice while living, or
to remembrance when dead.
In the nature of the case, therefore, all new views in
philosophy or religion encounter whatever there may be
in the community as the result of experience, thought,
study. Hence, the progress of opinion is slow, and new
sentiments make their way only by many conflicts.
This remark has additional force, if the matter in any
way affects important interests, and especially if it is
connected with religion, and involves, our conscience
and our immortal hopes. To attack such things is to
assail that which must be dearest of all to the heart of
man ; for to destroy or change opinions long cherished,
D

34 Life of the Apostle Paul.
on which the hope of eternal happiness is founded, may
be to leave man in a world indisputably wretched with
no hope of a better. Religious opinions, therefore,
have been among the slowest to make progress in the
world ; the strife in regard to these has been more bitter
than in regard to any others; and freedom of speech
on religious subjects has been among the last of the
victories secured by the conflicts of past ages.
(2.) There are vested interests connected with opinions.
There are institutions sustained by law, which are
founded on forms of belief; there are endowments
which are identified with modes of faith ; there are
orders of men whose position and influence are depen
dent on the received articles of a creed ; there are
customs and usages connected with society that grow
out of forms of doctrine ; there is often a connexion
between Religion and the State so close that to assail
the one is construed as rebellion against the other.
All the religions of ancient, as well as most of the
religions of modern times, were sustained by law. One
nation indeed recognized the religions of other nations,
and the gods of all people might find a place in the
Pantheon ; but then it was a great principle that while
each country recognized the religion of other lands, it
allowed no attack on its own. When, therefore, Chris
tianity, in violation of this universally admitted prin
ciple, attacked and denounced all forms of idolatry,
that is, all the religions of the world, — when it refused
to recognize any of the Pagan gods as entitled to
homage,— when it demanded practically that every

Saul, a Persecutor. 35
altar, Jewish and Pagan, should be overthrown, — that
every temple of worship should be closed, that every
fire on Jewish and heathen altars should be put out for
ever, that every priest, Jewish, Greek, Roman, Egyptian,
should be disrobed, and be no longer acknowledged as
an authorized minister of heaven, — that augurs, sooth
sayers, and vestal virgins should be dismissed for ever,
— it arrayed against itself all the malice of an enraged
and mighty priesthood, and all the power of the State ;
and the result is well known.
(3.) There were, and have been, few of the false
religions of the world which did not, under the sanc
tion of religion, sustain, and pander to, some of the
foulest corruptions of the human heart. There is
scarcely a form of human passion, however debasing
or vile, which has not been countenanced by the forms
of religion, and the indulgence of which has not been
connected with the prevalence of an existing form of
worship. One leading feature of the plan of that
mighty Agent who has tyrannized over mankind — the
Prince of darkness — has been to secure the sanctions
of religion for the indulgence of gross and licentious
passions ; and to do this, so as not to shock the moral
sense of mankind, has been the consummation of the
highest forms of superstition that the world has known.
This purpose had a foundation and a form under every
Pagan system of worship ; it has had its culmination
in that corrupt and debased Christianity that has spread
its influence over a large part of the earth. Hence
to attack vice, as true Christianity always does, is to

36 Life of the Apostle Paul.
attack the system which upholds it ; to endeavour to
cajry a pure morality over the world was to array
against itself the power of all the religions of the earth.
(4.) To all this, another cause — more potent than all
these, and giving strength to all these — is to be added.
It is undeniable — (History will not allow us to deny it
any more than will the Bible) — that there is in the
human heart by nature a fixed aversion to such holiness
as that which enters into the character of God, and
such as He requires of man ; that the scheme of salva
tion by a Redeemer is repulsive to the mass of mankind ;
that the preaching of the Cross is an "offence" to one
class, and a " stumbling-block " to another ; that the
doctrines of human depravity, of salvation by grace,
of justification by faith, of a just and changeless future
retribution, grates hard on the natural feelings of man
kind ; that the requirement to renounce the world and
to lead a holy life — a life of prayer, and self-denial, and
benevolence — finds no response in the unconverted
human heart ; that to demand of men, as the first
condition of eternal life, that they shall renounce all
confidence in their own morality and good works, give up
all trust in their own righteousness, and sit down humbly
at the foot of the cross, depending solely for salvation
on the blood of One who was crucified, is to array
against those who promulgate this doctrine all that
there is of accumulated self-love as derived from a life
of outward integrity, or from dependence on the forms
of religion, and all that there is of pride in the human
heart

Saul, a Persecutor. 37
It is not difficult, therefore, to account for the fact of
persecution as pertaining to the history of the world ; it
is not difficult to see how all these things were concen
trated in such a mind as that of Saul of Tarsus.
It is a very interesting and material inquiry in regard
to the real progress which the world has made in morals,
in liberty, in philosophy, in religion,— What has, on the
whole, been the EFFECT of persecution on these great
interests? Has it, on the whole, tended to retard the
progress of society, or has it been connected with its
advancement ? Would the world have been in as good
a condition now, if persecutions had never occurred, as
it actually is at the present time ? Has persecution,
with all that there has been of pain, and sorrow, and
tears, and scenes of horror, been really a calamity to
mankind — to the race at large — for which there has
been no adequate compensation ? Could those things
which have been secured by it have been as soon or as
well secured, if secured at all, without it ? Has the
world gained enough in liberty and religion to be an
equivalent for all the cost?
The world is now old enough, and the results have
been sufficiently marked, to enable us, in part at least,
to answer these questions.
(1.) It has become, as the result of these trials, a
settled principle that nothing which is good and true
can be destroyed by persecution, but that the effect ulti
mately is to establish more firmly, and to spread more
widely, that which it was designed to overthrow. There

3S Life of the Apostle Paul.
is, manifestly, some principle in human nature which
leads men to look with attention and favour on that
which is persecuted and opposed ; there is a deep con
viction that a right has been violated; there is that
which awakens the original sympathies of our nature in
favour of the suffering and the wronged ; there is some
thing in the patient endurance of the persecuted which
leads men to inquire in regard to the sentiments held ;
there is something, be it what it may, which makes the
persecuted more firmly attached to their principles, and
more eloquent in their defence. It is not known that
any opinions on any subject have been driven from the
world by persecution ; or that any doctrine, on the whole,
has spread less extensively as the consequence of an
attempt to suppress it by violence. It has long since
passed into a proverb that "the blood of the martyrs
is the seed of the Church." In a special manner the
principle has been settled in regard to Christianity, that
it cannot be driven from the world by persecution. Im
perial power has done all that it could do to destroy it;
every device of human ingenuity has been resorted to
in order to extinguish it; there can be no new engines
to prolong torture, or to render it acute, more ingenious
and effective than those which have already been em
ployed; and it may be assumed now — it is assumed —
that if Christianity is to become extinct in the world, it
must be by some other means than by persecution.
(2.) In like manner, persecution becomes a test of the
reality of religion; of its reality as a system; of its
reality in regard to the sufferers. It is not, indeed, a

Saul, a Persecutor. 39
direct demonstration of the truth of religion. It is
undeniable that the advocates of other systems than
Christianity have borne persecution patiently. Pagans,
Philosophers, Mohammedans, Buddhists, sceptics, infidels,
atheists, have adhered to their opinions on the rack
or at the stake. Does this prove that their opinions
were well founded, and that they were suffering for
the truth, or that all other systems were false but theirs?
These questions may be answered in the negative; and
yet it may be still true that the mass of men will
somehow see in the endurances of Christian martyrs
an argument for the Divine origin of their religion.
It was no forced or unphilosophical utterance, when the
Roman centurion said, in view of the sufferings of Jesus
of Nazareth, "Truly this was the Son of God." His
manner of suffering was so in accordance with what
might be expected in a favourite of the Most High; His
sufferings were so in unison with His teachings and
His life, that the impression was one which would force
itself upon a candid and liberal mind, that all this could
be accounted for only by the supposition that He was
what He claimed to be. The history of the Christian
martyrs has impressed the world with the same con
viction in regard to the truth of their religion. The
number has been so great, — they have borne their suffer
ings so patiently, — they have been persons of so varied
character, rank, age, sex, condition, yet all manifesting
the same spirit, — they have met death so calmly, —
so many of them have been distinguished for intelligence,
— and so many of them, in the early stages of martyr-

40 Life of the Apostle Paul.
dom, were simple witnesses of what they affirmed to be
true, and bore testimony to what is properly the subject
of testimony {facts which they said they had observed —
that the general impression on mankind is, and must be,
that sufferings so varied, so protracted, so meekly borne,
could be only in the cause of truth, and that beneath
all this there was truth.
(3.) Once more ; the results of persecution are worth
all which they cost. The results of the imprisonment of
Galileo are more than a compensation for all that he
suffered. The results of the discovery of America are
more than a compensation to the world for all that
Columbus endured in arousing the world to a belief
that there might be such a "new world;" for all the
perils of a voyage in unknown seas; for his struggling
with sailors in mutiny; for the denial of his rights;
and for his neglect and poverty, after he had disclosed
the new continent to mankind. The sacrifices made at
Bunker Hill, at the Valley Forge, and in all the perils and
privations of the war of Independence, have been already
more than repaid in the prosperity of this great nation.
Thus, also, the happiness which has been conferred on
the world by Christianity since the fires of persecution
were first kindled against it, and that which the world
will yet enjoy when it shall be diffused over all the earth
— the blessings which it scatters here, and the bliss of
heaven hereafter — have been and will be, more than a
compensation for all the sufferings of all the martyrs.

III.
CONVERSION OF SAUL OF TARSUS.
Conversion of great minds and weak. — Saul of Tarsus converted. — Unde-
niableiiess of the change. — Nature oi it. — A new direction given to the
character. — As before, so after conversion, Saul evinced respect for law ;
conscientiousness; zeal for God; desire of proselytism; energy of pur
pose. — Sincerity ofthe change; evinced by sacrifices involved. — Manner
ot the change. — The narrative accepted by Christians. — Answers to
sceptics. — Not a falsehood; not an imposture; not fanaticism; not
enthusiasm; not self-deception; not desire for posthumous fame.

"And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus; and suddenly there
shined round about him a light from heaven; and he fell to the earth,
and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ?
And he said, Who art thou, Lord ? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom
thou persecutest : it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he
trembling and astonished, said, Lord, What wilt thou have me to do ? . .
Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.
And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son
ofGod." Acts ix i — 20.

DAMASCUS.

'HE conversion of a great mind may be an
event more important than the capture of a
city, or the founding of an empire. The
city may not be materially affected in its
order or its prosperity by a change of masters ;
and the empire that is founded will decay.
It is mind that effects the great changes in human
things; and the influence of a single mind may be such
that, while all other things change and decay, that will
never die. The cities and empires founded by Semi-
ramis, Cyrus, Alexander, Tamerlane, have long since
ceased to exist; the influence of Plato still lives.
Changes of a radical character in truly great minds
do not often occur; perhaps rarely, except on the sub
ject of religion, — or that which constitutes a transition
from sin to holiness; from infidelity to faith; from a

44 Life of the Apostle Paul.
high purpose of ambition to a desire of serving the
Redeemer; from schemes of conquest to plans of charity;
from some absorbing worldly passion to zeal for doing
good. Augustine, Chrysostom, Origen, Martin Luther,
Henry Martyn, furnish examples of such changes. They
were men, who in worldly pursuits would have been
great, but who abandoned what was brilliant in prospect
for another service — a service which equally demanded
all their powers; a service which (while such was no
longer the leading purpose of their lives) would make
them widely known, — would make them " great '' in the
new department of effort, as they would have been in
another sphere if their course of life had not been
changed. There are minds, indeed, of a lower order, in relation
to which we can argue almost nothing from any change,
except their own imbecility, flexibleness, weakness.
There are minds that are naturally weak, vacillating,
unsettled ; with no strength of purpose or character ;
with no great aim in life; with no strong prejudices of
education or of feeling to be conquered ; with no deeply-
rooted principles to resist any change. Such minds are
swayed, as the tops of the ears of corn, and the sur.<ice
of the lake are moved, by every passing breeze. The
fickle multitude — the masses of men — are often thus
swayed. Sudden excitement, popular frenzy, bursts
of passion, eloquent appeals, move them easily in one
direction, to be moved as easily in another, when the
gale shall set from an opposite quarter. A change in
such minds on the subject of religion may be real, and

His Conversion. 45
may be of infinite and eternal importance to the indi
vidual; but we draw no great conclusions from the
turning of such minds in regard to the falsehood of
the system abandoned, or the truth of that which is
adopted. We may not doubt its genuineness ; we
may not be disposed to underrate its value ; but we do
not see in it an argument as to the truth or falsehood of
the opinions abandoned or of those embraced.
It is not so when a change, radical, entire, permanent,
occurs in one of great strength of character, of high
intellectual endowments, of fixed principles ; in one who
has established a reputation ; in one who has a high
social position ; in one to whom an honourable career
lies open ; in one who sees before him in the line which
he is pursuing what would gratify any purpose of ambi
tion, — but who voluntarily abandons all this for a life
of poverty, shame, self-sacrifice, peril, and toil, with
no hope of an earthly reward. Such a change in the
governing purpose of the life (especially if it involves
persecution, contempt, suffering ; if it demands a break
ing away from old friends and old pursuits ; if it is
accompanied with a radical revolution of character and
life), from a career of vice to a career of virtue, — from
harshness, severity, and cruelty, to gentleness, benignity,
and charity, — cannot but arrest attention as to its cause.
Hence it is natural and not unphilosophical, to ask what
is the force of an argument derived from the fact of
such a change in regard to the falsehood of that which
is given up, and the truth of that which is embraced.
Such changes of life and opinion have an important

46 Life of the Apostle Paul.
effect on the world. They are not like death, which
simply arrests influence by removing the man ; they
are the transfer of so much power to the other side of
an "equation." A commander, if killed in battle, is
simply removed. As his country loses nothing but the
withdrawing of so much talent and generalship from its
armies (though that may be much), so the enemy gains
nothing by any new accession of experience and gene
ralship to its own side. If, however, such a man aban
dons his standard ; if he proves false to his country ;
if, from being loyal, he becomes disloyal ; if he goes
over and joins the ranks of the foe, his country not
merely loses his service, as it would if he had been shot
down, but the enemy gains that which may decide
the battle, and determine the war. Saul of Tarsus
might have been struck dead by the flash which blinded
him, and then there would have been only so much
withdrawn from the persecuting power. But he was
not killed ; he was carried over " to the other side
of the equation." Luther might have been struck
dead by the flash which killed his companion by his
side, instead of being convicted of sin, as he was, by
that display of Divine power and sovereignty ; and
then there would have been simply but just so much
undeveloped talent withdrawn from the world. He
became a Christian man ; and all his influence and
power were transferred to Christianity.
Saul of Tarsus entered on his career with uncommon
advantages. He was endowed by nature with talents
fitted to conduct him to eminence in any cause in which

His Conversion. 47
he might embark. He was a bold, ardent, impetuous,
independent, indefatigable young man. He was a
patriot in the highest sense in which that term could
be used in Judea. He possessed uncommon talent for
reasoning ; he was capable of the severest invective ;
he had the power of withering sarcasm ; he understood
the force of cutting irony ; he was able to soar into the
highest regions of imagination ; and though with some
decided defects as a public speaker, yet so eloquent was
he that he was numbered by Longinus among the
celebrated Grecian orators. He was a Jew to the
heart's core ; an Hebrew of the Hebrews, body and
soul ; as bigoted and furious as any Jew ever was. He
was a religionist of the highest order ; and never had
the sentiment of religion, as he understood it, acquired
a more stern dominion over a man's soul, than over his.
He was a young man of irreproachable morals, true to
the highest standards of virtue which had then been set
up in the world.
The influence of such a man must have been vast
His ambition, his energy, and his eloquence must have
placed his name among those whose lives have most
deeply affected, for good or for evil, the destiny of
mankind. Amidst the ruins of the empire of Herod
the Great, — the fragments of empire over which he
once ruled, now crushed beneath the Roman yoke, —
and amidst the revolutions which were occurring in the
Roman empire itself, there was as fine a field for the
display of talent as the world has ever furnished. Being
a Roman citizen, every department of effort and of

48 Life of the Apostle Paul.
influence was open to him ; and as Agrippa, a Jew,
had played his part in the conflicts of Octavianus,
Lepidus, and Antony, no one can tell what part Saul
of Tarsus might have been destined to fill ; for we have
no reason to suppose that he would have hesitated to
avail himself of the opportunities for distinction which
were thus accessible to him.
At the time to which our attention is now called, he
had embarked on a great enterprize, in his view essential
to the preservation of true religion, and to the salvation of
his country. A new religion had appeared, — a religion
which, in the apprehension of such a mind as that of
Saul, was not to be despised. It had elements of
greatness and power which were not to be overlooked.
The highest authority in the nation had been called into
requisition to suppress it ; the Author of the new
religion had been put to death ; the Sanhedrim had
prohibited the promulgation of its doctrines in the most
solemn manner. But in vain. It gained strength by
every new attempt to crush it. It threatened the
extinction of the national religion ; the entire abolition
of the sacred rites of the temple ; the subversion of laws
and customs hallowed for ages.
Saul saw whither all this was tending, and his great
powers were summoned to the suppression of the new
faith. A blow had been struck in Jerusalem by the
death of Stephen, and by the persecutions connected
with that. The "disciples" had been "scattered abroad,"
and it was hoped that the " pestilent heresy " might be
suppressed altogether there. Yet a light, lurid like a

His Conversion. 49
meteor, was seen to gleam in the North. From
Damascus, whither the new doctrines had been carried,
they might spread as well as from Jerusalem ; and it
was of importance to suppress them there also. Saul
was commissioned to do it, and was on his way to carry
out the purpose.
Suddenly, according to his own account of the
matter, a light appeared in his path, above the bright
ness of the sun. It bewildered him ; blinded him ;
smote him to the earth. A voice addressed him, " Why
persecutest thou me ?" It said, " I am Jesus whom
thou persecutest But rise, and stand upon thy feet : for
I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make
thee a minister and a witness both of these things which
thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will
appear unto thee ; delivering thee from the people, and
from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send 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 sins, and inheritance among them which
are sanctified by faith that is in me" (Acts xxvi. 14 — 18.)
This is the brief account in the New Testament of one
of the most remarkable changes which ever occurred in
a human mind, and connected materially — perhaps,
essentially — with one of the most marked and impor
tant of the revolutions that have taken place in the
progress of human events, — the establishment of the
Christian religion in the world. A time had arrived
when, on the supposition that the religion was true, it
had become necessary to summon some such well-
E

50 Life of the Apostle Paul.
endowed and disciplined mind to accomplish the object
contemplated by it.
There is every mark of reality, genuineness, and
thoroughness in this conversion, whatever may be said
about the cause of it — a point which we shall afterwards
have occasion to examine. I mean, when I speak of
the "reality, the genuineness, and the thoroughness," of
his conversion, that it was sincere ; that it was not
feigned. No one who gives credit to the history at all,
or to any history, can doubt that a change occurred, in
Saul's views, purposes, feelings, and aims, and that it
extended its influence over his entire subsequent life.
He ceased to be a persecutor ; he became the friend of
the cause which he had persecuted. He sought no
longer to destroy the religion which he had opposed ;
but he laboured most earnestly to spread it abroad
throughout the world. The injury which he had done
to the cause he endeavoured to counteract. He could
not indeed undo the wrong that he had done ; he could
not bring back to life those who had been put to death
when he " gave " his " voice against them ;" he could
not blot out the record of the sorrows which he had
caused, and the tears which he had made to flow.
When murder has been committed, no change in the
murderer can recall the murdered man to life; when
sentiments of infidelity have been scattered abroad, no
act of the penitent sceptic can gather them up again ;
when morals and faith have been corrupted, no tears,
no efforts of him who has done it, can rescue and restore
the victims ; when innocence has been ruined, the con-

His Conversion. 5 1
version of the betrayer and the seducer does not recall
the seduced and the wronged from the low haunts of
vice, or from the grave. But the penitent and regene
rated man may, in some degree, repair the evil which he
has done to society. Saul did this ; he lived to diffuse
the Christian religion with a zeal corresponding to that
which he had exerted to destroy it. And this fact is as
clearly attested as any other fact of ancient history.
That Csesar crossed the Rubicon, or fell in the Senate
House, is not more certainly established than this.
The question as to the sincerity, the reality, the
genuineness of the change involves two inquiries : —
What was the change itself ? What was the evidence
that it was real, genuine, sincere ?
(1.) What was the change ? It was substantially that
which always occurs in conversion. It was a change
in the governing purpose of the soul ; in the great aim
and object of the life; — a change of the will, of the
heart, of the affections. It was a change from a hatred
of the new system, to the love of it ; from a rejection of
Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, to a cordial reception
of Him as such ; from trust in his own righteousness for
salvation, to reliance on the merits of the Saviour ; from
zeal in serving God under Judaism, to zeal in serving
Him under the form of Christianity ; from pride and
self-confidence, to humility and a renunciation of self ;
from the bigoted and narrow spirit of a Pharisee, to a
love and charity which embraced all mankind, because
all were made of " one blood," and because Christ had
died for alL

52 Life of the Apostle Paul.
It is material in understanding this case in itself,
and as an illustration of the nature of regeneration or
the new birth, to remark that the change was in the
•will, the affections, the governing purpose of the man ;
not immediately on Ijis intellect, his mental capacity,
his distinguishing characteristics. In conversion, the
same great elements of character, the same mental pecu
liarities, remain as before. It is only the new direction
which the powers take that constitutes the change.
rhe individuality of every man that has been con
verted is preserved ; the mental characteristics are
retained ; the constitutional powers are intensified, and
turned in a new direction. John and Peter, Luther
and Melancthon, carry with them into their religious
life what distinguished them in their former life. From
what Luther and Melancthon were as Christians, there
is no difficulty in determining what they had been in
their mental characteristics before they became such. Of
Saul of Tarsus, therefore, as of every other man who is
converted, we have two views of constitutional character,
or of the individual, — that before his conversion, and
that after his conversion. From the one we could
anticipate what the other would be ; from the other we
could re-construct his character, and show what he was,
as the naturalist can the animal from a single fossil
bone. Of all which characterized Paul as an apostle,
we should find the elements in his character as a
Pharisee and as a persecutor. In all (save the heart, the
purpose, the will), that made him great as a defender
and propagator of Christianity, we should find that

His Conversion. 53
which would have made him great in acting his part on
the theatre of human affairs, if he had lived and died a
Pharisee. (a.) There was, before his conversion, a stern regard
for law — a respect for law so great that it would not
permit him to take an active part even in persecution
unless under legal sanction and authority. That regard
for law ran through all his life as a Christian apostle —
in his maintenance of his rights as a Roman citizen
(Acts xvi. 37; xxii. 25; xxv. 11); in his demanding
of the Jewish high-priest that he should not cause him
to be smitten contrary to the law (Acts xxiii. 3) ; in
his willingness to be punished — even to die — if he had
been an offender (Acts xxv. 1 1) ; and in the respect
which he everywhere and always enjoined for civil rulers,
and civil government, even when Nero was on the
throne (Rom. xiii. I — 7).
(b.) There was, before his conversion, a most rigid
conscientiousness — that conscientiousness which at
tended him even in the work of persecution, when he
" verily thought '' that he " ought to do many things
contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth " (Acts xxvi.
9) ; which justified him in saying, when arraigned
before the Sanhedrim, " I have lived in all good con
science before God until this day " (Acts xxiii. 1) ;
and which enabled him, even after his conversion, to
say of his early life, " touching the righteousness which
is in the law, blameless" (Phil. iii. 6). So thoroughly
was this conscientiousness carried into his life after his
conversion that he could say to his countrymen, " And

54 Life of the Apostle Paul.
herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience
void of offence toward God, and toward men" (Acts
xxiv. 16), and could make the solemn asseveration in
the review of his life, — " For our rejoicing is this, the
testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and
godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the
grace of God, we have had our conversation in the
world" (2 Cor. i. 12).
(c.) There was before his conversion a zeal for God, —
a zeal which made him willing to make any sacrifice to
promote what he regarded as the Divine honour. The
change in his conversion was not in the intensity of his
zeal; it was in its direction. Under both systems
there was the same underlying constitutional ardour, —
an ardour which might, indeed, become under either
system more intense, and which was in either, so intense
and characteristic that knowing what it was in the one,
we might infer what it would be in the other.
(d.) As a Pharisee, there was, before his conversion,
an intense spirit of propagandism — for this was of the
very essence of the religion of the Pharisees, who
compassed sea and land to make one proselyte (Matt.
xxiii. 15). After his conversion, this also took another
direction ; his zeal for propagating the new faith sprang
from a higher motive, and he had the consciousness
that this would be for a better influence on the cha
racter ; but there was still the same earnest desire to
bring men to the same faith with himself; — a con
formity to be secured by all his powers and endowments,
and by every measure of effort which he was capable

His Conversion. 55
of putting forth. There was essentially the same man,
acting in a different form.
(e.) Paul was, before his conversion, daring, energetic,
ready for any lofty enterprize ; a man who would
shrink from no danger, and be turned back by no
obstacles in accomplishing an object ; a man who
would encounter any peril, by land or by sea, in
carrying out his purposes. We recognize the same
man, with his energies turned into a new channel, when
we hear him recount the events and endurances of his
life (2 Cor. xi. 24 — 27).
(2.) If we are asked, then, what evidence we have
that there was really such a change in the will, the
purpose, the affections of the man, as might be properly
designated by the words conversion, regeneration, a new
creature, a new man, we do not point to any thing in
his mental characteristics, but to the course of his subse
quent life. How do we judge, in any such case, of a
man's sincerity, and of the genuineness of his pro
fessions ? There is, there can be, no better criterion
than when he sacrifices much by the change ; when he
gives up brilliant prospects with nothing now before
him as an equivalent; when he is compelled to part
with old friends, or to make bitter foes of them ; when
he abandons all that had been instilled into his mind by
a careful education ; when he departs from the senti
ments cherished by father, mother, friends; when he
submits to poverty, contempt, and scorn ; when he
exposes himself to fines, or scourging, or imprisonment ;
when his career is to be one of peril and toil, with no

56 Life of the Apostle Paul.
prospect of earthly recompense ; when death, perhaps
in its most horrid form, is to be the consequence of the
change. Saul of Tarsus gave up hopes and prospects perhaps
as brilliant as any ever cherished by an aspiring young
man ; he subjected himself to the bitter hatred and
scorn of his kindred ; he embraced a religion then the
most unpopular of any on the earth ; he exposed him
self to every form of persecution ; he became poor, an
outcast, and a wanderer ; he set before him one great
object of life — if " by all means he might save some ;"
he shunned no danger, was appalled by no obstacle,
asked no reward, was checked by no opposition ; he
avowed his principles everywhere, — seeking to assert
and defend them in places of intelligence, influence, and
power, — where men were best qualified to judge of truth,
and where a sensitive and noble-minded man would
feel it most keenly if his sentiments where held in con
tempt, — when confronted with philosophers at Athens,
and when arraigned on trial for his life before Nero ;
never wavering, never shrinking, never breathing out one
sigh of regret, never concealing his new views ; exulting,
triumphing, rejoicing to the end of life that he had
abandoned all for Christ (Phil. iii. 8). Such a change
could not be otherwise than sincere, real, genuine. It
has never been doubted, however it may be explained.
A very material point here occurs as to the bearing
of this change on the evidences of the truth of the
Christian religion.

His Conversion. 57
Beyond all question — all possibiiity of debate — if
this change actually occurred in the form and manner
recorded in the New Testament, the Christian religion
is true. If Jesus of Nazareth actually appeared to
Saul of Tarsus, then it follows that He had risen from
the dead ; that He had ascended to heaven ; that He
still lived ; that He still reigned. If it were admitted
that Christ rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven,
then there would be, with no class of men, any further
ground of doubt as to the fact that He was from God.
The evidence in the case, therefore, in favour of the
truth of the Christian religion, would not be the mere
fact that Saul was converted, but it would be the fact
that he was converted in the manner stated by himself,
and the proof thus furnished that Christ was actually
raised from the dead.
There are two classes of men who have a deep
interest in the point thus suggested ; — those who already
believe it true ; and those who doubt it.
To the former of these — to Christians — the account
of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus is a straightforward
account. There is nothing in it to stagger their faith ;
there is nothing which is not in unison with their views
of the rank, the dignity, and the power of Christ, or
with what, in their apprehension, would be likely to
occur, or might occur. Christ, in their view, is Divine.
He is, in a sense in which the language can be applied
to no other being, "the Son of God," the "brightness
of the Father's glory, and the express image of his
person." To Him, as the Son of God, as Mediator

58 Life of the Apostle Paul.
between God and man, has been given "all power in
heaven and in earth." That power he manifested,
when on earth, by curing diseases, by casting out devils,
by raising the dead. Risen from the grave, and seated
at the right hand of God, He is now invested with all
the power, and encompassed with all the glories of
heaven. There, as Mediator, He administers the affairs
of the universe, so far as they bear on the interests of
redemption. He has control over all the agencies
necessary to carry forward His work on earth, and to
secure the reconciliation of the world to God.
In the narrative, therefore, of His appearance to Saul
of Tarsus, there is nothing inconsistent with the faith
of Christians in regard to Him ; — with what He did
personally when on earth, — with His real rank and
dignity, — or with the purpose for which He was raised.
His appearing again on earth, with visible splendour
and glory, to convert a great mind engaged in persecu
tion, and to make that mind instrumental in carrying
forward the work for which He had commissioned His
apostles, while at the same time furnishing a visible
proof to mankind of the reality of His ascension, was in
harmony with all that the Christian believes of Him.
The glory, the splendour, the exceeding brightness of
the light, — "above the brightness of the sun," and that at
mid-day, — is in accordance with all that the believer
regards as appropriate to the Son of God in the glories
of heaven.
To the other class — to unbelievers — the subject pre
sents itself under a different aspect, and is to be disposed

His Conversion. 50,
of in a different manner. It should be disposed of,— and
disposed of in such a way as to be satisfactory to any
candid mind.
There are such ways as the following in which men
seek to dispose of it ; there are, as far as I can see, no
other, save that which admits the narrative to be true,
and the religion to be from God.
First. That the whole narrative is false. Such a sup
position would, of course, dispose of it. But it would be
impossible to prove this. In the narrative itself there is
no essential absurdity ; there is nothing contradictory to
what is affirmed elsewhere of the rank, the power, and
the purpose of the Redeemer; there is nothing which
does not seem material in explaining the undoubted
facts which occurred in the life of Saul of Tarsus.
Some such change did occur in his life, as we have
already seen ; and this statement will, better than any
other, explain the fact.
Second. That the whole was on the part of Saul an
imposture, — a story fabricated to impose on mankind ; —
in other words, that he knew and believed the claims of
Jesus to be unfounded, but yet resolved to pretend that
the impostor had appeared to him as if risen from the
grave, and had commissioned him to go and proclaim
Him to the world as the Messiah. If a man should
adopt this theory, it would be natural to ask, how he
could explain conduct so strange, — so unlike what com
monly influences the human mind ! What motive could
Saul have had in devising this story ? What reason had
he to believe that he could make his countrymen or the

60 Life of the Apostle Paul.
world believe it ? How could he hope to convince those
who were travelling with him on the career of persecu
tion, that this had occurred ? How could he so deceive
them, or so induce them to be silent concerning the
whole affair, as to prevent their testifying that nothing
of the kind had occurred ? And, if successful in this,
what could he hope to gain by this change in his opinions
and pursuits, and by an attempt to propagate such an
imposture, in compensation for what he would be com
pelled to surrender — his bright prospects — his friends —
his principles of early training — and for what he could
not but foresee must be encountered in poverty, toils,
and persecution ? They who can believe that Saul of
Tarsus meant to make use of one imposture, by adding
another to it for his own purposes, will furnish to the
world one of the best evidences that all credulity is not
with such as believe that he acted under the convictions
of truth, and was sincere in his change.
Third. That he was a fanatic ; and that his change,
and all which was consequent on it, could be accounted
for on this supposition. But, apart from the fact that
such a supposition is quite contrary to all that is recorded
respecting his character — that is, the whole account of
him, given in the Acts of the Apostles, and traced in the
Epistles ascribed to him, — the question would still occur
which involves the whole difficulty, How came lie to be
fanatical in this cause at all? How did he suppose that
he would find in his becoming a follower of Jesus of
Nazareth a suitable field for fanaticism ? Men become
fanatics on an opinion already embraced ; they do not

His Conversion. 61
embrace an opinion for the sake of being fanatics, or
because any one department of human effort is particu
larly favourable to fanaticism. Men become fanatics on
the subject of slavery ; on the subject of abolition ; on
some particular doctrine of religion ; on the subject of
human rights ; on some point of reformation ; on some
real or imaginary wrong ; — but it is an abuse of language
— it is contrary to fact — to say that they embrace such
views because they are fanatics, or with a design to dis
play their fanaticism. Moreover, if it should be admitted
that this was a characteristic of the Apostle Paul, still
it is to be said that of all the religions ever proposed to
mankind, the pure and simple Gospel of Jesus was the
least adapted of all to any such purpose. As a Jew — a
Pharisee — Saul would have found his early religion far
more appropriate for the developement of such a trait of
character than the Gospel of Christ.
Fourth. That he was an enthusiast. Admitting
here, for the time, that this was the character of Saul
of Tarsus, — or admitting that he ever became an enthu
siast — still the question would be, How would this
account for his conversion ? What new elements were
there in the Christian religion, as it appeared then,
which could not be found in the religion wherein he
had been trained, to induce an " enthusiast " to embrace
it ? Here, also, it is to be remarked that men become
enthusiasts in the faith which they hold ;. in the doctrine
in which they have been nurtured ; in the objects which
they have to accomplish : they do not embrace a new
form of faith in order to furnish a new field for enthu-

62 Life of the Apostle Paul.
siasm. Enthusiasm, like fanaticism, so far as it exists at
all, would rather be a reason for not changing, than for
changing ; and, indeed, one of the most serious obstacles
to the conversion of men to Christianity is the fact that
they are fanatics and enthusiasts in some form of super
stition or idolatry, and that this cannot be overcome so
as to allow the conscience and the sober reason to
operate freely. If Saul of Tarsus was converted under
the influence of mere enthusiasm, it must be regarded as
a solitary instance in the whole history of conversion to
a new form of belief.
Fifth. That he was himself deceived ; that a flash of
lightning blinded him, or that a meteor crossed his path ;
and that through fear, through an ardent imagination^
and through the conviction of conscience, he thought
that this was Jesus of Nazareth, and that He seemed
audibly to address him, to rebuke him, to call him to a
different life. It cannot be denied that conscience, when
a man is doing wrong, might take this direction ; that a
peal of thunder, a flash of lightning, the explosion of a
meteor, might arrest the attention of a sinner, and fill
him with apprehensions of a judgment to come, and be
so far, as in the case of Luther, a means of his conver
sion. But it is to be observed, in the first place, that
this mode of accounting for what occurred, would super
sede all the others which have been suggested, and
would make any further argument in regard to them
unnecessary. Then, it is to be observed further, that we
are to take in the entire statement : — that the immediate
effect was to produce blindness (which indeed would not

His Conversion. 63
be improbable) ; that Saul was restored from that state
by the hands of a Christian disciple in Damascus (Acts
ix. 17) ; that this disciple professed to have been sent by
an express command addressed to him in a "vision,"
(Acts ix. 10) ; that he had come in obedience to that,
and a miracle was performed on Saul's restoration to
sight, as if "scales" had fallen from his eyes (Acts ix. 18).
Now, here is more than one man. This was not a mere
effect of a flash of lightning, or of a meteor. It required
a distinct agency in arresting Saul; and at the same
time another distinct and remote agency in preparing
one to meet him, to restore him to sight, and to
acquaint him with the purpose for which he had been
arrested. Sixth. There is still another supposition. It is that
Saul of Tarsus had sagacity enough to see what could
be made out of Christianity, so that if he abandoned his
old religion, and embraced this, he would more certainly
achieve what was the great and leading purpose of his
ambition, — a remembrance after he was dead ; an in
fluence that would increase and grow in all coming ages;
a reputation that would convey his name down to the
end of the world. This, in fact, would be true, as a
result of his embracing the new religion. As a persecutor
— a Jew — his name would have perished, — or, if re
membered, it would have been only, as the names of
persecutors are, remembered to be execrated in future
ages, and to become more and more infamous as the
world advances. But as a Christian and an apostle,
the name of Paul will go down to the latest periods of

64 Life of the Apostle Paul.
the world's history, and will be mentioned only with
honour. But to suppose that he saw all this, — that he
acted on this supposition, — that the change in his
opinions and life was produced by this anticipation, —
that he was willing to give up fame, comfort, reputation,
during his life, for the sake of posthumous honour and
applause, — that because he saw all this, he was willing
to encounter the poverty, obloquy, shame, toil, and perse
cution, which he must have foreseen would follow such a
change, — is to attribute to him a measure of sagacity
that no man ever yet possessed.
There remains, then, only the supposition that the
change in Saul of Tarsus was real, and that the account
of his conversion in the Acts of the Apostles is true ; — a
supposition, which demonstrates at the same time the
truth of Christianity, — the power of the Gospel in chang
ing the most obdurate heart, — and the wisdom of the
Saviour in calling a man of such endowments into His
service.

rv.
PAUL'S OBEDIENCE TO THE HEAVENLY VISION.
Saul of Tarsus addressed by a voice from heaven. — Such communications
still possible, but no longer to be expected. — How does God now teach
us His will ? By the revelations of His word ; the dictates of reason ;
the voice of conscience ; the events of providence ; the preaching of the
gospel; casual appeals; the influences of the Spirit. — W/tat does God
enjoin on us ? The forsaking of sin ; faith in Christ ; preparation for
death; consecration to the service of God. — Duty of obeying His call. —
Results of neglecting it. — Results of heeding it.

" Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I m not disobedient unto, the heaTeniy
vision." Acts xxvi. 19.

DAMASCUS: VIEW OF THE PRESENT CITY.

^ ISHING to make a profitable use of the
history of Saul's conversion, I shall here
refer to the manner in which God ad
dresses mankind, or indicates His will to
them ; the purposes for which He addresses
or calls them ; and the importance of
obeying such a " call " or " vision."
The will of God was made known to Saul of Tarsus
by a direct communication from the Redeemer Himself.
The "vision" which appeared to him was such that he
could not doubt that it was Divine. He who spoke
announced Himself to be the Saviour of the world, and
the purpose for which He thus addressed Saul was dis
tinctly made known to him : " I have appeared unto thee
for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness

68 Life of the Apostle Paul.
both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those
things in the which I will appear unto thee, delivering
thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom
now I send 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 sins, and
inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith
that is in me " (Acts xxvi. 1 6 — 1 8.)
Thus, also, God could address each one of the human
race as an individual and by name, and thus indicate to
us His will as to what we should believe and do. He
could speak to us by dreams or visions, as He did to
Abraham, to Isaac, and to Eliphaz ; He could address us
by a voice, as He did Samuel ; He could send a special
messenger to us, as He did to Ahaz, to Ahab, to David,
and to Hezekiah ; He could direct an angel to convey a
message to us, as He did to Daniel, to Zacharias, and to
the Virgin Mary ; He could call us to His service by an
internal voice which we could not disregard, as He did
Jeremiah and Ezekiel ; or He could speak to us in His
majesty and glory, as He did to Isaiah in the temple, to
Saul on the way to Damascus, or to John in Patmos.
The Father of spirits could thus keep up a constant
communication with men in such a way that they could
not doubt that He addressed them, and in such a way
that in yielding they could not doubt that they were
obeying His will.
There were reasons, however, why this should not be
the usual method by which He addressed mankind. Such
a mode of address, while it might have the advantage

Obedience to the Heavenly Vision. 69
of determining at once the question of duty, would
render in a great measure useless the faculties with
which He has endowed us, and would change almost
entirely the order of things now existing on the earth.
To a great extent it would render useless the faculty of
reason, designed to aid us in investigating truth; it
would take away the stimulus to human effort in the
search after what is right ; it would render man indolent
and unconcerned until the voice should come with a
distinct announcement of the will of God; it would
destroy not a few of the motives which now prompt us
to action ; it would be a departure from the great princi
ples on which men are governed in other things than
religion; it would materially affect the whole subject of
moral government, and make the progress of the world
dependent rather on supernatural impulses than on
settled and regular laws.
We are, therefore, to put these things out of view, in
reference to the question how the will of God is to be
ascertained. Even on the most momentous questions of
our existence, on the truths most important to be known,
in situations most perplexing, in doubts and difficulties
most appalling, in the most fervid, earnest aspirations
of the soul after knowledge of the truth, we are to lay
aside all expectations of a voice from heaven ; of a
vision ; of a dream ; of the sending of an angel to
instruct us, to warn us, to point out the path of duty, to
teach us what to do.
But is there no way in which the mind of God is now
indicated to us ? Is it impossible for God now so to

70 Life of the Apostle Paul.
communicate His will to the soul of an individual that
he shall be in no danger of error as to what he should
do ? Are there no leadings of the hand of God, no
methods by which He reveals His will, no appeals which
He makes to the soul, no warnings, no admonitions, no
invitations, no encouragements ? Are there no promises
addressed to man in his pilgrimage that he may regard
as a voice direct from God to him ? Has God so with
drawn from the world, or has He so bound Himself by
the physical laws which He has imposed on created
things, and so limited the exercise of His omnipotence
within those laws, that He has reserved to Himself no
way now of making known to an individual traveller to
another world what He would have him to do ? As we
cannot rely on dreams, and visions, and voices, and the
visitations of angelic beings to guide us, what methods
are there by which our Maker makes known His will
to us ?
There is, first, His hqly Word, the volume of
Revelation, containing the standing and permanent
intimations of his will. The Bible does not — for it
could not — address each one of the race by name, but
it gives directions and counsels adapted to our common
nature, and applicable to all the situations in which man
can be placed : — directions and counsels applicable to
the aged and the young ; to princes and their subjects ;
to masters and servants ; to parents and children ; to
those in affluence and those in poverty; to those in
health and those in sickness ; to those inquiring what
man shall do as the great business of this life, and what

Obedience to the Heavenly Vision. 71
he shall do to prepare for the life to come. On the
great truths most desirable for every man to know, and
on the question which man so often asks, how he may
be saved, the communications are as explicit, and are as
distinctly adapted to each one, as though they were an
original communication from God to him alone ; and in
the various circumstances of human life, with all the
endless variety of these circumstances, it is probable
that a case has never occurred in relation to which some
principle could not be found by a careful study of the
Bible that would be a true and certain indication of the
will of God.
There is, secondly, the rational nature which God
has given us, — in like manner, within its proper limits,
furnishing a safe intimation of the will of God. This
rational nature is often, indeed, put sadly out of place,
and abused by mankind. But we cannot suppose that
God would so endow man with reason as to lead him
astray; or so that its just decisions would be contrary to
truth ; or so that in its fair applications it would beguile,
mislead, and destroy. Nor can we suppose that He
would so constitute man in his rational nature that any
direct statements from Himself by a revelation would be
contradictory to what man's reason compels him to re
gard as true : for there is but one God, and under the
government of that one God the deductions of reason, —
that reason with which He has endowed us, — can no
more contradict the higher truths which He might
directly reveal, than the revelations of the natural eye
would contradict the revelations of the telescope. In

72 Life of the Apostle Paul.
its proper place, reason is as true to its Maker as was
the voice which addressed Isaiah in the temple, or the
"vision" which appeared to Saul of Tarsus. It never
lends its voice in favour of irreligion, vice, or crime.
When, indeed, reason attempts to penetrate the counsels
of the Almighty without the aid of revelation, and to
intrude into the mysteries of the Divine nature beyond
what is revealed, — when it attempts to form a system of
religion which shall supersede that of revelation, — when
it attempts to supply the place of all communications
from heaven, it always errs, for it has departed from its
appropriate sphere. But it does not err when it speaks
of the obligations of virtue, justice, and truth ; when it
directs the mind up through His works to God Himself;
when it appeals to man in favour of God and religion by
considerations drawn from the immortality of the soul,
and the solemnities of a future existence; when it
presses upon man the duty of preparing for another
world. If a man will honestly consult his own reason
on points like these, he will have no more doubt what
is the will of God than Saul of Tarsus had when the
"vision" appeared to him on the way to Damascus.
Whatever may be the feelings of men on the great
subject of religion, we are sure that we always have their
reason with us when we urge them to forsake their sins
and to give themselves to the service of their Maker.
There is, thirdly, the voice of conscience; — true also
to its Author and Lord ; true to the purpose of indi
cating His will in the sphere in which He has appointed
it to operate. Its province, indeed, is often mistaken ;

Obedience to the Heavenly Vision. 73
and hence, like reason, man makes it an unsafe guide.
It is not given to him to be a revelation, nor to supersede
the necessity of a revelation, for it communicates no new
truth. In its own place, however, it is a method by
which God communicates His will to man, and is as true
to its office as the magnet to the pole. It urges to the
performance of duty; it condemns that which is wrong.
It prompts us to do that which ought to be done,
when interest would seem to lead in another direction,
when the decisions of reason would be too slow, or when
passion would drive us on to vice and ruin ; and, when
we have done that which is right, it expresses approba
tion in a manner which we cannot but regard as the
voice of God Himself. It can never be made to lift its
voice in favour of the neglect of religion ; of impenitence ;
of the indulgence of guilty passions ; of disregard of the
counsels which require us to prepare for eternity. It is
among the most admirable of the arrangements of the
Divine administration, — an arrangement which cannot
be explained except on the supposition that there is a
God, and that God is the friend of virtue, and the enemy
of vice ; the friend of truth, and the enemy of error ; the
friend, and not the enemy of the soul. It is a way in
which God is speaking to hundreds of millions of men at
each moment ; and in such a manner, that if they would
follow His counsels according to the laws of this arrange
ment, we may again affirm that they would be in no
more danger of erring than was Saul of Tarsus when he
yielded obedience to the heavenly vision.
There are, fourthly, the events of Divine Providence ;

74 Life of the Apostle Paul.
often among the clearest methods by which God com
municates His will to men. The sparrow falls not to
the ground without God ; and the minutest events in a
man's life are under His direction. Every one may find
in his own life, if he chooses, not a few events that were
designed to indicate to him what was the will of God.
The Providence which commits to his care an aged and
helpless parent, — which entrusts to him an unprotected
sister, — which lays at his door the afflicted, the wounded,
the dying, — which consumes the dwelling of his neigh
bour, leaving a family unprotected in the cold of a
winter's night, — which directs to his dwelling him who
has fled from oppression, and who pants for freedom, —
so speaks to him that he is in no danger of mistaking,
in such a case, the Divine will. The Providence, too,
which has given to a man talents fitted to promote the
progress of society and the welfare of mankind, or
wealth that may extensively promote the interests of
humanity and religion, or learning adapted to enlighten
and guide others, — or which opens a world of sorrow,
oppression, and sadness to his access, — is an intimation
of the Divine will that need not be mistaken. The
Providence, also, that takes away an endeared object of
earthly affection which stood between the heart and
God, and which seized upon the affections with idolatrous
power, is to the soul an intimation of the will of God as
clear as if the lesson were written with a sunbeam. So
a man in one pursuit in life finds his plans blasted, sees
some unexpected obstacle always in his way, encounters
obstructions thrown across his path which he can neither

Obedience to the Heavenly Vision. 75
anticipate nor remove; and he may find in these things
an intimation that he is in a wrong path as clear as was
that in the case of Saul the persecutor when he was
arrested by the Saviour on his way to Damascus. Such
checks and restraints have been laid in every man's life ;
and, if they were heeded, it would never be difficult for
a man to ascertain the way-marks which the Great
Director of human affairs has set up to guide us.
There are, fifthly, the calls of the Gospel ; the admoni
tions of the living preacher ; the counsels and entreaties
of the Christian pastor. The Christian ministry is
God's " great ordinance " for securing the reconciliation
of men to God ; for calling them to repentance and
salvation ; for applying great permanent truths and
principles to the ever-varying circumstances of human
existence. The voice of the minister of religion, so far
as his appeals accord with the revealed truth of God,
and so far as those appeals are adapted to the particular
circumstances of a people, may be — and, so far as I can
see, should be — regarded as the message of God Himself
to the soul ; — a message, here, again, we may say, as
distinct, and as little capable of misapprehension, as was
the voice that addressed Saul of Tarsus. This state
ment will not be misunderstood. We who are ministers
of the Gospel do not claim to be inspired. We make
pretensions to no superiority in mental, moral, or
spiritual excellence above our fellow-men. We arrogate
no power of peculiar insight into Divine things. We
sustain no peculiar relation to God. We assert for
ourselves no peculiar sanctity or immunity on account

76 Life of the Apostle Paul.
of our office ; and no power, in virtue of the office, to
impart grace to the soul. But, regarding the ministry
as an appointment of God, and as a wise arrangement
for bringing His truth before the minds of men, we
believe that it is designed as a means of keeping up a
communication between God and the world, and as a
method of expressing the Divine will, not only in respect
to abstract truth, but to the duty of individual men ; as
an arrangement intended to convey the calls and the
warnings of the Creator to the world ; and as in fact one
of the most important means by which He addresses
the children of men. When in obedience to His com
mission, the minister of religion brings before a man
truth, undoubted truth, — when he presents it in such a
form as to be adapted to the particular circumstances,
to the time of life, to the state of mind, to the peculiar
temptations of that man, to the enquiries which are
awakened iri his soul from other sources in regard to
truth and duty, — we know not why this should not be
regarded as in fact a method by which God Himself
addresses that man, as really as Saul of Tarsus was
addressed from heaven.
A sixth method in which God speaks to men is by
the voice of a stranger. So it was when the eunuch of
Ethiopia was addressed by Philip, and directed to Jesus
of Nazareth as the Messiah. So to thousands the
Apostle Paul went as a stranger, and announced the
message of life and salvation. And so, now, in a stage
coach, — on a steam-boat, — on a rail-road car, — in a
remote hut where a traveller may tarry for a night, —

Obedience to the Heavenly Vision. 77
on the ocean, — in a foreign land, — in a hospital, far
away from home and friends, from mother, sister,
daughter, pastor, — in a Christian sanctuary which may
be casually attended, — the voice of a stranger may be
heard ; and shall it be deemed extravagant to believe
that the feet of the stranger may have been guided in
order that he might speak to that soul about the way of
salvation ?
And there is still a seventh method, universal in its
nature, by which God addresses the children of men.
It is by the influences of the Holy Spirit : a teaching
and a guidance superadded to all the others, and with
out which which none of them would be effectual. This
is not a new revelation, for it imparts no new truth. It
is not inspiration. It is a silent secret influence on the
soul, prompting it to duty ; awakening the conscience ;
alarming the fears ; restraining from sin ; seasonably
recalling truth to the memory; inclining the heart to
prayer ; disposing the soul to meditate on death, judg
ment, and eternity, and prompting to the formation of
better plans and purposes ; " convincing," according to
the language of the Saviour, " of sin, of righteousness,
and of judgment." It is an arrangement to which the
world owes all its religion, and no small part of the
restraints of virtue and law, and of the promptings of
humanity. I believe that God thus communicates, in
some measure, His will to every human soul ; that this
is a " light which enlighteneth every man that cometh
into the world." Life, if we would mark it, is made up
of thousands of suggestions from some unseen quarter,

78 Life of tlie Apostle Paul.
prompting us to duty ; starting some thought of what
is wise, and right, and just, and good ; inclining us to
thoughtfulness, to meditation, to prayer ; making the
soul dissatisfied with its present course, and drawing it
along in the path of duty, benevolence, and peace.
Sometimes these suggestions come to the soul with the
gentleness of the evening zephyr — and in the evening ;
sometimes with the fury and violence of the storm — and
in the storm ; sometimes when we are alone; sometimes
in the crowded place of business ; sometimes when we
are made sad by affliction; sometimes under the
preaching of the Gospel ; and sometimes when there
are no apparent causes giving a new direction to the
thoughts. And shall we doubt that there is such an
influence really abroad in the world, — an influence
which converts men from the error of their ways, and
which prompts to great and generous deeds ? Can any
one on any other supposition than this explain how it
was that Saul of Tarsus, that Augustine, that Luther,
that Bunyan, that John Newton were converted ? Can
any mere philosopher explain how it was that John
Howard, an English gentleman of affluence, was led to
conceive and execute the purpose of spending his life
in breathing the pestilential air of the dungeons of
Europe, that he might relieve the sufferings of the
prisoners ? Is it fanaticism to suppose that God pitied
the prisoner whose "soul was bound in affliction and
iron," and that He meant in this way to open the heart
of humanity to a much-neglected portion of the race,
and so moved by His Spirit the heart of Howard that

Obedience to the Heavenly Vision. 79
he was not " disobedient unto the heavenly vision ?"
Can any mere philosopher explain how it was that the
minds of Clarkson and Wilberforce were directed to
the evils of the African slave-trade, and how they were
led to identify themselves with the great cause of
universal emancipation ? Is it fanaticism to suppose
that God looked down with an eye of pity on injured
Africa, and that He meant thus to awaken in the souls
of men everywhere a sense of the wrongs done to an entire
quarter of the globe? And can we be in danger of
error in supposing that the same Spirit breathed into the
hearts of Morrison, and Schwartz, and Henry Martyn, a
desire for the conversion of the world, and made them
willing to go forth and publish salvation to those who
were "sitting in the region and shadow of death?"
And can we be wrong in supposing that God by His
Spirit appeals now to the sinner ; that He awakens him
to a sense of his condition ; that_ He makes him dis
satisfied with the world and with sin ; that He creates
a desire in his soul to find a better portion than earth
can give ; that He calls him to virtue, to religion, and
to a new life, by a voice as real as that which addressed
Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus ?
But to what does God call us in these various methods
by which He appeals to us ? Is it possible to ascertain
what is His purpose and design with regard to us? Is
the voice so distinct, that we may know what is the will
of God, — so clear, that in following it we may be sure
we shall not be in danger of falling into a mistake ? Is
it possible for us in our own case to obtain an answer to

80 Life of the Apostle Paul.
the question which Saul of Tarsus asked with so much
sincerity and solemnity respecting himself : " Lord,
what wilt thou have me to do ?" (Acts ix. 6).
Let us learn from the example of Saul of Tarsus;
let us see whether the answer to the question may not
be as clear in our case as it was in his.
First, as in his case, so now, God calls the sinner to
forsake the ways of sin. He summoned Saul of Tarsus
to abandon his purposes of persecution ; — and in
like manner He calls on the wicked to "forsake his
way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts " (Isa. lv.
7). This would involve the forsaking of every form
of transgression ; of every purpose of life that is at
variance with the law of God. Whatever may be the
form of wickedness ; whatever pleasure or profit may
attend it ; whatever honour may be supposed to result
from it, yet the voice of God calls on men to abandon
that course of life, and to turn to the ways of virtue and
truth. Be it the persecution of the friends of God, as
in the case of Saul, — be it unbelief, — be it worldliness, —
be it ambition, — be it low sensuality, — be it the love of
pleasure, — be it a life of gaiety, — no matter in each
case what may be the sacrifice involved in relinquishing
it, and no matter what the number or the social position
of those whose friendship must be lost, or whose hatred
incurred, — the course required is a plain course ; the
command is a plain command. Everything combines
in the summons which God thus addresses to the soul, —
His word ; our reason ; our conscience ; the dealings
of God's Providence ; the influences of His Spirit ; the

Obedience to the Heavenly Vision. 8 1
voice of the pastor, and the voice of the stranger. No
man in reference to this can make a mistake as to the
will of God ; no man can take a single additional step
in the course of iniquity without knowing that he does
it in the face of God's great message to his soul.
Secondly. He calls men to faith in that Saviour in
whom Saul of Tarsus was called to believe, and whom
he was commissioned to make known to the world.
Saul had sought to make his way to heaven without a
Saviour; he had despised the Redeemer's cross, His
sacrifice, His tomb ; he had rejected all the evidences
which had been furnished to the world that Jesus came
from God ; all the proofs drawn from His marvellous
power, His wisdom, and His goodness, that He was
sent from heaven ; all the evidences in His life and His
death that He was the promised Messiah. All that
Saul had done in relation to Him might be traced to
the simple fact that he was an unbeliever; all would
have been different if he had been a believer in Jesus.
Thus the sinner is addressed now. He has lived, and
is living without a Saviour. He has refused to receive
Christ as a Redeemer. He has been determined not to
feel or acknowledge his need of a Saviour. He has by
his conduct identified himself with those who rejected
and crucified Jesus. His whole life has been that of an
unbeliever. God now calls him to believe in Jesus
Christ as a Saviour ; as his Saviour ; — to receive Him ;
to rely on Him ; to live to Him ; to love Him ; to
follow Him. Here, too, all the methods of God's
appeals to men combine in enforcing the call. To secure
G

82 Life of the Apostle Paul.
this, all the various methods whereby God speaks to
the soul have been originated and arranged. His word ;
reason ; conscience ; Providential dealings ; the warning
voice of a pastor, or of a stranger ; the influences of the
Spirit of God, — all these are in the same direction and
all tend to the same end — to call men to embrace the
Lord Jesus as their Saviour.
Thirdly. God calls men to prepare for another world ;
to be ready to give up their account to Him. It is
impossible, in respect to this, to misinterpret the Divine
will. In the voice which comes to men from the Bible,
from reason, from conscience, from the events of Provi
dence, from the pulpit, from the stranger, and from the
influences of the Holy Spirit, there is, in this respect, no
uncertain sound; no ambiguity. In all the voices that
come to men from heaven by day or by night, there is
none that calls them to a life of gaiety or ambition ; that
calls upon them to make "gold" their hope, or to "say to
the fine gold, Thou art my confidence." Hear what was
said in ancient "visions" to the children of men: — "God
speaketh once, yea, twice, yet man perceiveth it not.
In a dream ; in a vision of the night, when deep sleep
falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed, then he
openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,
that He may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide
pride from man" (Job xxxiii. 15 — 17). How often now
does God thus speak! How often does He admonish men
that they are mortal, and call upon them to prepare for
another life ! Does one day pass in the life of any man,
in which death is not, if he would heed it, brought before

Obedience to the Heavenly Vision. 83
his mind by his Maker; in which there is not some dis
tinct admonition to be prepared to die ? Will any man
be able to allege, when he is called before God, that he
has never been fairly warned; that he has not been
summoned to prepare for -the future world ; that he has
not been urged to flee from the wrath to come ?
Fourthly. God calls men to devote themselves to
His cause ; to give themselves to a life of usefulness ; to
live so as to promote His glory in the world ; to labour
to advance the great interests of truth and righteousness ;
to be the patrons and friends of whatever will elevate the
race, and to diffuse abroad that religion which is identified
with the welfare of man: — to give back to Him, in His
service, the result — the fruit — of the talents, the learning,
and the influence which He has conferred on them.
Saul of Tarsus had been endowed with great talents.
He could not fail, for good or for evil, to exert a vast
influence on mankind. He was so created that, however
selfish and wicked he might be, he could not "live unto
himself." He must influence others. He contributed
largely in shaping the events of that age of the world.
Those talents he had abused. He had employed them
against the cause of Christ. But he was now called by
an audible voice to devote those talents to Christ, and
to His cause: — and well he answered and obeyed the
summons. So it is with you; — with each one; — with all. The
talents with which you are by nature endowed, — the
learning which you possess, — the influence which you
may have in the world, — the wealth which you have

84 Life of the Apostle Paul.
gained, — belong to God ; and He asks that all these
may be devoted to the great ends for which they were
bestowed upon you. He made you what you are in
mental endowment. He redeemed you. He keeps you.
The vigour of body which you possess is His gift. Your
power of reasoning, your genius, your eloquence, are
His. The place which you occupy in the world, morally,
intellectually, socially, has been assigned by Him. The
circumstances of your life have been ordered by Him.
And He calls you — alike by Scripture, by your reason,
by your conscience, by the events of His Providence, by
heavenly influences, — to consecrate all you have to His
service and to the good of man. Heaven appeals to you,
and the world appeals to you, not to live in vain.
It remains now to notice, in few words, the duty of
obeying such a heavenly call or "vision."
(i.) Contemplate the effect on a man's character of
not yielding to the calls of duty, and of resisting the
influences which would draw him along in the way of
virtue, of purity, and of usefulness ; the effect on a man's
character when, in order to pursue a chosen course, it is
necessary for him to go against the decisions of reason,
the generous impulses of his nature, the voice of con
science, the warnings of Providence, the admonitions of
God in His word, by His ministers, and by His Spirit.
" It is hard," said the Saviour to Saul of Tarsus, " to
kick against the pricks:" — hard for the ox that resists,
that treads back on the goads which would urge him on.
In a forward movement, — in patient and gentle and

Obedience to the Heavenly Vision. 85
proper toil, he feels not their sharp piercings in his flesh;
it is only when he resists, and presses backward, that he
feels them ; and then the more he presses back, the more
keenly he feels their sharpness. So it is with the various
appeals of God. It is easy for one disposed to do his
duty to go forward : for he yields to all that urges him
on ; and reason, and conscience, and truth, and GodJs
Spirit, have no sharp " goads " with which to pierce and
penetrate his soul. But it is hard for a man to go
against all these. Life then becomes a warfare, — a
warfare more fierce and dreadful than is that of the
man of God against " principalities, and powers, and
spiritual wickedness," for the sinner has to fight his way
down to ruin, — at war with the Bible ; at war with his
reason ; at war with his conscience ; at war with God's
Providences ; at war with the Spirit of God ; at war with
his pastor; at war with his best friends; a warfare never
to cease until he achieves a disastrous victory over all
that is generous and noble in his own nature, — a victory
in hell !
(2.) Contemplate the feelings of one who has yielded
to the summons which called him to leave the ways of
sin, and to devote himself to God. Such a man was
Saul of Tarsus, when he uttered the words which have
been selected as a motto for the present chapter.
He had nearly finished his course. With conscious
gratification he then reflected that he had been "not
disobedient unto the heavenly vision," but had promptly
obeyed, and had faithfully carried out the command to
the utmost extent of his power. Time had only con-

86 Life of the Apostle Paul.
firmed him in the conviction that this call was from
heaven ; and, although it had been attended with many
sacrifices, privations, and trials, it grieved him not that
he had, in the cause of the Saviour, given up the brilliant
prospects of his early life, and gone cheerfully where the
" heavenly vision " led him.
God calls each one of us to repentance from sin; to
faith in the Redeemer; to preparation for the world to
come; to a life of usefulness. We shall die, — all die.
From the borders of the eternal world, we shall look
over the present life. The road which we now travel
we can travel but once; and a mistake in the great
purposes of life cannot be repaired. There are two ways
in which men close life; two classes of reflections which
occur on the bed of death. The one is like that of
Paul, when with a good conscience, a man can say that
he has endeavoured in all things to obey the call of
God; the other the reflection of one who then feels that
every voice from heaven has been rejected, disregarded,
or resisted; who feels that through all the journey of
life he has made war on the word of God, on his reason,
on his conscience; that he has resisted the appeals made
by the Providence of God, by the ministers of reli
gion, and by the influences of the Spirit ; that he has
slighted the counsels of father, mother, sister, pastor,
friends. For myself, when I die, I desire the former of
these. May God give us grace, one and all, that we
may not be disobedient unto " the heavenly vision."

RESIDENCE OF PAUL IN ARABIA.
The Interval between the selection of a profession or calling, and the entrance
on its active duties.
Length of Paul's residence in Arabia. — Its locality. — Its purpose. — Lesson
suggested to those entering on active life. — Professions or callings open
before men. — Variety of occupations. — Variety of talents. — The same
ends to be sought in HA..— Principles on which the choice should be made.
— It must be in accordance with the will of God; and therefore (i) such
as best secures the purposes of life ; (2) such as best meets the circum
stances of life ; (3) such as best suits individual endowments; (4) such
as is strictly honourable; (5) such as presents fewest temptations;
(6) such as most promotes the welfare of society; (7) such as will not
hinder the interests of the soul. — Interval between the choice of a pro
fession and entrance on it. — Time for preparation not lost time. — Pre
paration, special and general. — Training for this life subordinate to
preparation for eternity.

" But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb,
and called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach
Him among the heathen, immediately I conferred not with flesh and
blood; neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before
me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then,
a/V.r three years I went up to Jerusalem." Gal. i. 15 — 18.

A SCENE IN THE DESERT.

,Tisa fair interpretation of the statement made
by Paul, in his Epistle to the Galatians, that
he spent three years in Arabia, before he re
turned to Damascus on his way to Jerusalem.
It might, indeed, from the mere language be
suggested as a matter of doubt or uncertainty,
whether after having been compelled to flee for a time,
he did not soon return to Damascus, and whether some
considerable part of these three years may not have been
spent there before he went up to Jerusalem ; but we are
to bear in mind that although the language might bear
this construction, yet it is not the necessary or the most
obvious one ; and, further, we are to remember that the
same causes which may have made it necessary for him
to flee from Damascus, would have probably prevented
his speedy return there with any view of preaching the

90 Life of the Apostle Paul.
Gospel. We are not to suppose that those who were his
enemies, and the enemies of the Gospel there, would
have been soon calmed down so as to welcome his
return ; nor are we to suppose that the authorities at
Jerusalem, whose commission he had disregarded, would
have failed to send men with ample powers to arrest and
punish one whom they could not but deem one of the
worst apostates. The narrative, therefore, fairly requires
us to understand this as affirming that the three years
were spent in some part of Arabia.
This is the most obscure, and indeed may be regarded
as the only obscure portion of the life of Paul after his
conversion. Of any other three years of his apostolic
history we could give a more satisfactory account than we
can of these ; for, after this, we can trace his course with
a good degree of certainty through perhaps every year
of his life. But a singular uncertainty rests on this
entire journey. To what part of the great country known
(in ancient times or now) as Arabia, he went ; why he
went there at all ; how he was employed ; why he did
not at once enter on his public work in connexion with
the other apostles ; why he did not immediately " repor
himself" at Jerusalem to be recognized as an apostle ;
and what was the bearing of this season of retirement
and meditation, if such it was, on his future life, — all
these are points on which we are left entirely to con
jecture, and on which conjecture is wholly useless. The
word "Arabia" has always been a term very vague in
its application. " Sometimes it includes Damascus ;
sometimes it ranges over the Lebanon itself, and extends

Residence in Arabia. 91
over to the borders of Cilicia. The native geographers
usually reckon that stony district of which Petra was the
capital, as belonging to Egypt, — and that wide desert
towards the Euphrates, where the Bedouins of all ages
have lived in tents, as belonging to Syria, — and have
limited the name [Arabia] to the peninsula between the
Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, where Jemen, or 'Araby
the Blest,' is secluded on the south. In the threefold
division of Ptolemy, which remains in our popular
language when we speak of this still untravelled region,
both the first and second of these districts were included
under the name of the third."1
Into which of these parts of Arabia Paul went, we
have not the means of determining. If he went into
that part which was near Syria, he may not have gone
very far from Damascus. If, however, he went into
Arabia Petrsea, "then perhaps his steps were turned to
those mountain heights by the Red Sea, which Moses and
Elijah had trodden before him."
We are not told his reason for going into Arabia, nor
his employment when there. His mind would naturally
long for solitude ; and, in view of the work before him,
he may have felt that by a season of calm contemplation,
of prayer, of profound meditation on that new system
which he had embraced, and which he had been so sud
denly called to make known to the nations of the earth,
he might be better qualified for his great mission. It
may give some confirmation of this view to remember
that the great Hebrew lawgiver, Moses, spent years in the
1 Conybeare and Howson, vol. i. p. 94.

92 Life of the Apostle Paul.
desert of Midian before he was prepared for his great
work of leading forth and delivering the people of God;
that Elijah, the great prophet, wandered in such deserts
before he came forth to his great work ; that the fore
runner of Messiah — John the Baptist — "was in the deserts
till the day of his shewing unto Israel," and there grew
and waxed strong in spirit ; and that the Redeemer him
self was "led by the Spirit into the wilderness" to be
tempted and tried, after His baptism, and before He
entered on His public work as the Messiah.
With these examples before us, we shall not probably
err in supposing that the time spent by Paul in Arabia
was passed with some reference to his future life, as pre
paratory to his great work, in meditation and occupations
which tended to qualify him for prosecuting it to the
best advantage. It is to be remembered that the other
apostles were three years under the instructions of the
Great Teacher himself ; and, in like manner, these three
years may have been spent by Saul of Tarsus in some
way best adapted to make his subsequent life what it
was. He had been called to the apostleship, and his
future course had been designated ; but there might have
been an important work of self-culture, of prayer, of
meditation, of communion with God, necessary before he
entered fully on his work. He was yet a young man ;
he had been trained for one profession or calling, as a
Pharisee ; he was now to prepare himself for another
and a very different calling, as a minister of the despised
Jesus of Nazareth, — as a preacher to the Gentiles, —
as an apostle to the world.

Residence in Arabia. 93
The point thus suggested is the interval betzveen the
choice of a profession or calling in life and the entrance on
the public duties of that prof ession or calling. No period
of human life is more important than this; and if I can
bring forward any thoughts which will be of use to any
in that period of life, I may be rendering to them an im
portant service for all their future course.
To place the whole subject before the mind, it would
be necessary to contemplate these points : the profes
sions or callings which are open before those who are in
early life ; the principles on which the choice of a pro
fession or calling should be made ; and the manner in
which the interval between the choice of a profession or
calling and the entrance on its active duties should be
spent. This latter is, indeed, the main point ; but a few
remarks on the two former will aid us in its con
templation. Although they do not arise directly from
my subject, they are appropriate as preparing for that.
I. The first point relates to the prof essions or callings
which may be properly regarded as presenting themselves
to one who is about to embark on life.
(1) The first thing which strikes us on this point is
the great variety of things to be done in the world, during
any one generation ; or, the variety of the fields for
exertion and employment. Among the problems which
we may suppose to have been before the mind of the
Creator when about to make living beings, this could not
but have been a material one, how to give employment
or occupation to the numberless creatures which He
purposed to bring on the stage, — as it is still a most

94 Life of the Apostle Paul.
important problem, and one which it is beyond the power
of created intellect to solve, how such employment shall
be given to countless myriads of minds that are to exist
for ever, — how the eternity of our being shall be occupied.
There would have been no kindness — there would have
been the utmost want of kindness — in creating minds for
which no employment had been arranged. With the highest
wisdom, and with the most benevolent adaptation to the
necessities of created mind, and to the varied endow
ments of men, an arrangement has been made for this
in our world ; and we cannot doubt that a similar
arrangement will be made in eternity. On our earth,
with the vast numbers that people it at any time, and
with the almost endless diversity of talents, tastes,
powers, and individual propensities that exist among men,
there is enough to be done, in any one generation, to
keep that generation occupied ; there is a sufficient
variety of things to be done, to meet the peculiar en
dowments of the numberless individuals in each genera
tion. No one has undertaken to estimate the number of
things to be done; the number of the professions, pur
suits, or callings, which may occupy the attention of
men. No one, who is about to make choice of an avoca
tion, would undertake to enumerate or compare them, so
that he could have them all before him in making his
selection. The choice is, in fact, commonly made within
very narrow limits ; but these by no means exhaust the
fields of occupation, or define the range of the human
powers. Agriculture, commerce, the mechanic arts, the fine
arts, literature, the learned professions, civil life, the service

Residence in Arabia. 95
of the army or the navy, — these are the callings which
commonly occur to the mind as constituting those from
which the young are to choose. But how small a part of
the actual things to be done, and that are done, in each
generation is embraced under these general terms. In
any one of these callings, moreover, what a variety of
things there may be to be done. In agriculture, what a
variety of employments are actually included. How
many men may be employed on the different parts of
making a gun, or a locomotive engine, or even a pin, —
and that with so distinct an occupation as to be in itself
a calling. In building a ship, or in navigating it, — in the
manufacture of cloth, — in domestic arrangements, — in
war, — in peace, — in travel, — in the arts, — in the business of
a great city, — in the employments of a country life, — what
an endless variety of things is to be done at any one time;
— so endless, that when we contemplate it, we see that
the problem has been in fact solved in regard to our
world, and that there is enough to be accomplished to
occupy all who at any time may dwell on our globe.
(2.) The next point, under this head, relates to the
variety of endowments among men, as adapted to these
various occupations, — endowments such that these
various ends are in fact secured, and such that at the
same time they are secured voluntarily, or so that men
enter on their different pursuits not by force or compul
sion, but of preference and choice. While there is, in
any one generation, enough for all to do, there is at the
same time talent enough upon the earth to do all that
needs to be done in that generation. There are men

96 Life of the Apostle Paul.
enough to subdue and cultivate the earth ; there are
enough to maintain the interests of commerce, to navi
gate distant seas, to ply the mechanic's tools, to con
stitute armies, and to man ships of war, to occupy the
seats of learning, to push the discoveries of science, to
occupy the positions of trust and responsibility in civil life,
to perform the work of legislation, and to administer the
laws ; there are enough for even the most humble and
lowly occupations in life. If a new invention is required
to promote the progress of human affairs at a quicker
rate than ordinary, some Arkwright, or Fulton, or Morse,
is endowed by the Creator with genius to strike out the
invention ; if some new and great discovery is to be made
in science, some Kepler or Newton is endowed for that
purpose ; if unknown lands are to be discovered and
explored, some Columbus or Cook is endowed to under
take the task, and disclose the existence of islands or
continents to the rest of mankind.
And thus it is, also, in those professions and callings
which would seem to be most perilous and least inviting.
Commerce is needful for the world; and it is evidently a
part of the Divine arrangement that, in the best state of
human affairs, there should be an exchange of the com
modities of different climes and regions, involving the
dangers and hardships of a seafaring life. If this
were left to parents, it could not be accomplished, — for
no parent would be likely to select the profession of a
sailor for his son. If there were no special propensity
in the minds of any, it could not be accomplished, — for
the perils of the sea are so great, and the rewards of a

Residence in Arabia. 97
seafaring life are so small, that under ordinary impulses
men would not undertake it. But God has arranged
this so as to secure the end. In each generation there
is about the same relative number endowed with the
desire of a mariner's life, — as many as are needful to
accomplish the purposes of commerce in that generation.
It is an early propensity in the mind of the boy ; it is
among the most fixed of all propensities ; it is so settled
that ordinarily when it seizes upon the mind, the boy
cannot be diverted from it. It is God's purpose that the
seas shall be navigated, and the world united by com
mercial relations. "A poet must be born a poet,"1 and
so a sailor must be born a sailor. In this way ordinarily
God fills up the ranks of seamen by implanting this
strong propensity in the mind, and bringing about what
could be accomplished in no other way.
(3.) A third remark under this head ; the ends of life
may be secured, the purposes of society advanced, and God
may be honoured, in any one of these occupations and em
ployments. Those on the ocean serve Him as really as
they do who are on the land ; those in humble life, as
really as those in an exalted rank ; those who per
form menial offices, as well as their employers ; those
who are private citizens, as well as those on thrones,
invested with state, and pomp, and power ; those whose
names perish as soon as they die, as really as those
whose names are blazoned abroad, or preserved in ever-
enduring brass. "Art thou called," says the apostle, "being
1 Poeta nascitur.
H

98 Life of the Apostle Paul.
a servant ? Care not for it ; for he that is called in the
Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman" (i Cor.
vii. 21, 22). "The eye cannot say unto the hand, I have
no need of thee ; nor again the head to the feet, I have
no need of you " (1. Cor. xii. 21).
Within this range, this wide range of employment,-*—
with these varied natural propensities and endowments, —
and with this assurance that in any of these employ
ments the purpose of life for which we are individually
designed may be accomplished, and that within any of
these professions or callings, life may be honourable and
useful, and the Creator acceptably served, — the prof ession
which is to determine our amdition on earth is to be chosen.
II. In the next place, we have to inquire on what
principles should such a profession or calling be chosen ?
In the case of Saul of Tarsus, it was determined by
the declared purpose of the Redeemer (Acts xxvi. 16
— 18). Young men now cannot hope for any such direct
and infallible guidance. Are there any principles which
will be a sufficient guide to them in the choice of a profes
sion or calling ? If so, what are those principles ?
It is important to remark here that every one should
te able to make it clear to his own mind that in selecting
a profession or calling, he is acting in accordance with
the will of God. We speak of ministers of the Gospel
as having a "call" to the ministry, and of its being im
proper for them to engage in that work without evidence
that they are so called. It is, indeed, true that ministers
of the Gospel should have such a " call" to their work ;

Residence in Arabia. 99
but if it be meant that this is of the nature of a miracle,
or is a distinct voice from heaven, addressed to them on
the subject, then that is demanded in their case for
which there is no authority, and for which there is no
special necessity. It remains yet to be shown that there
is any thing in their case which does not exist in
the case of every other man and every other profes
sion. The great question for each one, taking into
view his qualifications, circumstances, and endowments,
and the wants of the world, is, — how he can make the
most of his life for the purpose for which life was given
him, — how he can best serve his Maker, — and how he can
best promote the great interests needful to be promoted
in the world in his generation. The merchant, the
artizan, the mariner, the soldier, the man of letters or
science, should be able to make it clear to his own con
science that his is the course of life in which his
Maker intended that he should walk ; or, that he has a
"call" to that, as really as the minister of the Gospel has
a call to preach the word.
What, then, are the principles on which such a choice
should be made, or which are to guide us in the choice ?
I shall here suggest a few things on this point which
it seems to me — as I now view life, looking back on it
when I have passed over most of the journey — are just
views, and which might be adopted by those in early life,
as rules in determining on the course to be chosen.
(1.) The first is, that the profession or calling should be
selected in which the most can be made of life for its proper
purposes; or, in which life can be turned to the best

ioo Life of the Apostle Paul.
account Life, though transitory, short, uncertain, has its
purpose. There is an end for which we were made ; for
which we have been endowed as we are ; for which we
were brought on the stage at the time when we were ;
for which we were placed in the circumstances in which
we have been placed. If we can find out that, and can
follow it, we shall make the most of life. If we err in that
— if we take a wrong direction, — if we attempt what we
cannot accomplish, — if we fail to accomplish what we
might, — life with us will be wasted ; its great purpose
will be frustrated.
(2.) The second principle which I mention is, that,
consequently, when there is a fitness for either of two or
more courses of life, that should be chosen which mider the
circumstances will be most adapted to secure the ends of
life. Within a certain range — which is in fact quite
limited — a man might be equally adapted to two or
more callings. It may not be strictly true that he
would even within this range, succeed in one as well as
in another of these ; but still he is so constituted that if
the condition of society should be such that he could
not find an opening in that calling for which he is best
fitted, there may be another, or perhaps more than one
other, which he could enter, and in which the great ends
of life would be substantially secured. This "play" if I
may use a term drawn from one of the mechanic arts,1
was arranged for in the endowments of men, that no
one might be thrown out of all employment, or that
1 " Play — room for motion ; the play of a wheel or piston." — Webster.

Residence in Arabia. 101
there might be opportunity for a choice between such
different employments as might promise almost equal
success; and, at the same time, that there might be at
any one period genius and talent enough upon the earth,
as above stated, for all the purposes to be accomplished.
Now, the principle which I am laying down is, that within
this range — this room for choice— this " play" in the en
dowments of our nature, the selection of a profession
should be made, and that a man should not attempt to
force himself into a condition or calling for which he was
never designed; nor should he envy those who are difi'er-
ently endowed.
(3.) A third rule would be, that the prof ession or calling
should be chosen which will be best adapted to develope the
peculiar endowments of the mind, or which will be in the
line of those endowments. We cannot originate or create
endowments of the mind ; we cannot, by any culture or
training, create a talent for music, where the geri„ of it
does not exist in the soul ; nor can we originate a talent
for painting, or sculpture, or the mechanic arts ; nor can
we give to ourselves high mathematical endowments, or
the power of invention, or a brilliant imagination. To
a certain extent, most of these exist in every mind, so
far as to enable us to find enjoyment in what is done by
others of richer genius ; but it would be vain for us to
endeavour to make them the basis of our own purposes of
living. They struggle in vain who attempt to be dis
tinguished in that for which nature has not endowed
them. He who would succeed in life must make it a
point to put forth his efforts in the line of his native

102 Life of the Apostle Paul.
endowments. Thus carrying out the purposes of God,
life is easy ; toil becomes a pleasure ; the vessel moves,
not against a current and against obstructions, but it is
moved by the current, and the course of life is gentle,
tranquil, prosperous, and happy.
(4.) A fourth thing which is vital to any just views
of life, to a proper choice of a profession, is, that that
only should be chosen which is just and honourable ; which
is itself right, and is consistent with the highest
standard of morality ; and which can be pursued in all
its ramifications, and always, and in all respects, on the
principles of honesty, truth, justice, and fairness. There
are sufficient employments of this nature ; and those are
the only employments which God has set before men, or
to which He ever calls any of the human race. There are
employments, indeed, founded wholly on the idea of
injustice and falsehood ; which involve, in all their stages,
corruption, perjury, dishonesty ; which secure no success
except as others are defrauded of their rights; which
require the employment of cunning, trick, concealment,
as essential to their prosecution, — employments, not
unlike the occupations of those who kindle false lights
on a dangerous coast, that they may allure vessels in a
storm to a rocky shore, and who gather the rich cargoes
of the vessels thus decoyed to ruin. But, on the other
hand, there are employments numerous enough to oc
cupy all the talent of the world, whose beginning' is
honourable, and which may be honourably prosecuted
to the utmost extent. Such, for example, is agriculture
— the primitive employment of man — which may be

Residence in Arabia. 103
carried on in all its departments — from the purchase
of the soil; the levelling of the forests; the enclosing
of the fields; the ploughing, the sowing, the harvest,
the threshing, the sale, — on principles of entire honesty ;
where, through the whole course, there is not necessarily
involved, at any stage, or in reference to any depart
ment, the idea of dishonesty or fraud. Such, too, are
the mechanic arts; such the operations of commerce;
and such, too, may be the employments of those in the
learned professions. Such, and such only, is the course
of life which a young man should choose.
(5.) A fifth principle is that that course should be chosen
in which there are tlie fewest temptations to evil. We
cannot, in our world, place ourselves absolutely and cer
tainly beyond the reach of temptation ; for all are liable
to it. If the Saviour of the world was tempted, we may
be certain that no man, however pure and honest he
may be, can be sure that he will be beyond its reach.
But, at the same time, it is obvious that, of two callings
in life, one may clearly be much nearer to dangerous
temptations than another; that one will be comparatively
free from danger, while the other will be in fact a volun
tary warfare with the most enticing forms of evil. The
one, too, may be a course where the associates and com
panions will be naturally among the pure and the good ;
the other, where they will be the crafty, the unprin
cipled, and the corrupt All wise young men will foresee
this, and will make it an element in determining their
choice. He calculates much on the strength of his own
virtue, and commonly reposes in it a degree of con-

104 Life of the Apostle Paul.
fidence to which it is not entitled, who puts himself
deliberately in the way of temptation, or who exposes
himself needlessly to it. One of the best maxims in
determining our course of life is, to select, at the outset,
that in which virtue and principle will be least likely to
be put to a test, and in which, from the nature of the
calling, a man may bring around him such associations
and influences as will be an auxiliary in keeping him
in the paths of virtue.
(6.) A sixth principle is, that a young man should
choose that which while it will conduce to his own indi
vidual interest and to the purpose of his life, will, at the
same time, promote the general good of society, and contri
bute to the advancement of the race; which will not inter
fere with the happiness of others, but will add to those
influences that tend to secure liberty, civilization, moral
and intellectual culture, and religion. " None of us
liveth to himself." For good or for evil, the life of every
man will affect the interests of others. Every just and
proper employment, while it promotes the welfare of
him who pursues it, will, at the same time, subserve
the progress of society at large; — like the insect which,
while it performs its little part for itself, aids in the
common work of raising the coral reef higher and
higher, until it lifts itself above the surface of the
waters, and becomes the abode of higher orders of
beings. Society is organized on the principle that any
lawful and proper employment will not injure, but will
advance the interests of the whole community ; — as the
movement of each wheel in a well-constructed machine

Residence in Arabia. 105
will not only not embarrass, but will promote the har
monious and regular operation of every other part.
Every man might be his own blacksmith or shoemaker ;
but it is an advantage to the farmer and the professional
man that these should be distinct departments of labour.
It is a saving of time and expense to a community that
there should be men trained to these callings. So it is
with all other lawful occupations. There are callings
which cannot be pursued without ruin to others. The
individual engaged in the pursuit may be, for a time,
prospered; but in his prosperity, and just in proportion
to his prosperity, he is scattering poverty, and woe, and
tears, and broken hearts, around him: — making men's
houses the abodes of crime and sorrow; filling alms
houses, and prisons, and graves. Such, always, is the
result of the manufacture and sale of intoxicating drinks.
The distinction between a lawful and an unlawful em
ployment, in its tending to good or evil, should always
be a consideration in influencing a man what profession
to choose.
(7.) A seventh principle may be added. It is, that
that calling should be selected which will not interfere
with, but which will best aid the preparation for another
world. There are employments which are necessarily
inconsistent with such preparation ; there are those,
otherwise lawful and proper, which will greatly em
barrass a man in it; there are those, which are directly
in the line of that, and which will tend to promote it.
Our chief interests are beyond the grave, and all that we
do in this life should have a bearing on the life to come.

106 Life of the Apostle Paul.
Obviously, then, it is a just principle that those interests
should not be jeopardied by our avocations in this life;
but that while we seek to fill up life in a way that will
best secure the ends of our existence here, our whole
plan and course of life should be such as will not hinder
but serve our preparation for a future world. .
It would be easy greatly to extend these remarks,
but the above rules embody the main principles which
should guide those who are forming their plans for life.
III. These remarks and suggestions will enable us, in
the third place, to answer the main inquiry with which
we started, — In what way shall the interval between the
choosing of a profession and tlie entrance on its active
duties be employed? The point was suggested by the
supposition that, in some way now unknown to us, in
the deserts or towns of Arabia, — by prayer, by medita
tion, by some active discipline, — the three years spent
there by Paul were designed to fit him for the better
performance of the vast and the untried duties of the
apostleship. A very few simple bints will be all that it will now be
necessary to suggest.
(i.) The first is, That time enough should be taken to
prepare for tlie prof ession or calling which has been selected.
It might seem to be a waste of life to spend so many
years in the mere work of preparation for future life;
and doubtless many would say that, on the supposition
that Saul of Tarsus, after all his previous training, spent
these three years in prayer, or meditation, or study, it is

Residence in Arabia. 107
unaccountable that so much of life should have been
wasted when the world was perishing for lack of the
Gospel which he was appointed to preach. But on the
same principle, also, it would seem unaccountable that,
by the arrangements of God Himself, so much time
should be spent in helpless infancy; so much in child
hood ; so much in the studies of youth, in the schools,
and in practice of the mechanic arts : — one-third of life,
even when life reaches its longest allotted limits, —
ordinarily, more than half of life, — often, more than
three-fourths of the whole of existence here on earth,
thus spent in mere preparation. There is undoubtedly
a tendency in these times, in all the professions and
callings, to abridge the period of training for the future
work in which a man is to be engaged. So short does
life seem, so unprofitable appears the time spent in
preparation, so vast seems the work to be done, that
they who are to engage in the active duties of life
become impatient and restless, and leave the place of
preparation only half-furnished for their work. Thus it
is often difficult to retain youths in our colleges during
the time usually prescribed for an academic course; thus
young men, destined to the work of the ministry, pant
to be engaged in their great work, and feel as if in their
studies, they were wasting time that might be employed
in winning souls to the Saviour.
Yet all this is based on a false principle, and a false
view of life. He does not accomplish most who enters
earliest on his work, but he who is best trained and pre
pared. The raw recruit is of little service in battle; the

IOS Life of ihe Apostle Paul.
long, and minute, and tedious process of drilling is not
lost; but all the time spent in that is a gain when the
battle comes. The contest among the Grecian wrestlers,
boxers, racers, lasted usually but a few moments — cer
tainly not beyond a few hours, — and to many the long
previous training and discipline might seem to have
been wasted ; — yet to one who should have acted on that
principle, the contest would have ended in defeat, and
the crown would have passed into the hands of another.
More' by far was accomplished by that previous training
than would have been, or could have been, without it.
So it is in the battle, the race, the struggle, the conflict
of human life. He does most who is best prepared; he
usually carries away the palm who has given himself to
the most thorough discipline.
Take another view of the matter. Not only is life
itself short, — short in itself, and short in reference to the
objects to be gained, — but professional life is very short
The average life in a profession or in any calling, — as
physician, lawyer, clergyman, farmer, mechanic — is not
much, if any, above twenty years ; and in that time a
man is to do what he has to do for this world and the
next. The real question, then, would be, whether — in
view of this brevity of professional life — this moral cer
tainty that it cannot ordinarily be more than twenty or
thirty years — it would be better to enter on it at thirty,
well prepared, or to enter on it at twenty, or earlier,
with a very imperfect preparation, or with none at all.
Now, the period from thirty to fifty, and even sixty, is
ordinarily the best period; the period of most vigour, of

Residence in Arabia. 109
most maturity, of most practical wisdom; — a better
period altogether for securing what men have to secure,
than an earlier period of life. How short were the
public lives of Chatham, of Fox, of Burke, of Curran, of
Patrick Henry, of Daniel Webster ! How short was the
period when Demosthenes stood conspicuously before
the world ! Yet who would venture to say that the long
previous and careful self-training of the orator — the use
of his voice beside the roaring ocean — the filling of his
mouth with pebbles to correct a defect in his speech —
was lost and wasted time ?
(2). Secondly; The studies should obviously have refer
ence to the future calling. No man is a "universal
genius;" no man can hope to be master of all arts, and
to become possessed of all knowledge. The duty of one,
therefore, who is preparing to be a farmer, is to perfect
himself in that calling; the duty of one who is to be a
machinist, is to make himself master of the mysteries
of his trade ; the duty of one who is to be a merchant,
is to perfect himself in what pertains to commerce; the
duty of one who is preparing for either of the learned
professions, is to make himself master of that one which
he has chosen, and not to prepare for all professions or
callings. He must feel that this is to be the business of
life ; this is what is to constitute his life ; this is what he
is to make of life. A man will feel the importance of
this when he reflects that what constitutes life to him is
to be found in that calling. This idea concentrates on
that preparation all that tliere is to him of greatness, of
solemnity, and of responsibility in life itself. If he were

HO Life of the Apostle Paul.
to spend his life in varied and different employments,
then this idea of solemnity, responsibility, and greatness
might be diffused over them all. If he could be a farmer,
and a mechanic, and a merchant, and a soldier, and a
sailor, and a physician, lawyer, clergyman, then his idea
of life would embrace all these ; and no one calling, in
this view, would have any special or supreme importance.
But he is not to be all these. He is to be a farmer, or a
mechanic, or a merchant, or a soldier, or a sailor, or a
physician, lawyer, clergyman ; and all that there is of life
to him is to be concentrated in that one calling. Others
are to fill up life, and make it to themselves what it will
be in some one of the other callings ; — life to him is to be
what it will be in that profession alone. By that, he is to
be known ; by that, he is to be remembered, if remem
bered at all. How momentous, therefore, does the time
of preparation for a profession become ! How solemn
must this thought have been to Saul of Tarsus, when he
abandoned, at the call of the Saviour, his former course
of life, so brilliant to him in the prospect, and now felt
that to him the wliole of life was embodied in the idea
of his being an apostle of Christ !
This remark is so obvious that I need not enlarge on
it There is, however, an observation connected with
this point, so important, and so often overlooked, that I
may be permitted to dwell on it a moment. It is, that
every man, while he aims to perfect himself in his
particular calling, should seek to cultivate his mind in
all respects, and to know all that he can, consistently
with his main purpose, on alf that belongs to the

Residence in Arabia. Ill
subjects of human inquiry. In the course of a pro
fessional life it will be found that nothing which a man
has learned on any subject is useless. Occasions will
occur in which, in his regular calling, all that he has
acquired will find an appropriate place, and will aid
him in his work. But, besides, every man is to be more
than a mere professional man. He is a husband, a
father, a neighbour, a voter, a citizen ; he is to be one
of a generation, and to move and act with it ; he is to
be a patron of schools, and colleges, and institutions of
benevolence ; he is to be identified with the interests
of learning, liberty, and religion ; he is a traveller to
another world, and has great interests beside those
which relate to his mere calling. He is, or should be, a
Christian man, and is to act, or should act, with Chris
tians in their efforts to save the world. Life is narrowed
down almost to nothing when a man is merely a business
man. (3.) One thought only remains. It is, that the prepa
ration for that profession should be — as the choice ofthe
profession, and the profession itself should be, — subor
dinate to the life to come — to the preparation for eternity.
The one will not interfere with the other. No man is
impeded in his proper business by prayer; no man is
injured in any calling by seeking to obtain instruction
daily from the Bible ; no man is hindered in intellectual
pursuits, by cultivating the pure affections of the heart,
by exercising love to God, love to the Saviour, love to
men, — by cultivating a spirit of gentleness, conscien
tiousness, purity, kindness ; no man is injured in his

112 Life of the Apostle Paul.
prospects for this life by cherishing the hope of the life
to come. It should not be forgotten, also, that the real
preparation which a man is at any time making may be
for the eternal world. He may not live to enter on his
chosen profession ; long before the anticipated time
shall arrive for entering on that, a more, material
question may be before his mind and heart, — whether
he is prepared for the unchanging world.
Life is great if properly viewed in any respect ; it is
mainly great when viewed in connexion with the world
to come. Its most momentous period is that which we
have been considering ; the results of the manner in
which that period is spent, will reach beyond the skies.

VI.
SAUL BROUGHT TO ANTIOCH.
Buried talent called forth to its appropriate field of labour.
Saul's journey to Arabia not recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. — Tts
effect on the disciples at Jerusalem. — Saul's reception by Barnabas. —
Saul numbered with the apostles. — In danger from the Grecians. — Sent
to Tarsus. — Sought by Barnabas. — Occasion of his call to Antioch. — The
gospel not for Jews only. — The gospel successfully preached to Greeks. —
The name "Christian" first used. — Thefield of labour open; Antioch;
and the world. — General arrangements for calling forth talent. — Talent
existing in various forms. — Talent a creation, not a developement. —
Talent conferred as itis needed. — Talent adapted to the demand for it.
— Scope for the exercise of talent. — Emergencies arise to call it forth.

•" Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul : and when he
had found him he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass that a
whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much
people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch."
Acts xi. 25, 26.

E have seen that Saul of Tarsus, after he
had spent sufficient time in Damascus to
show the reality of his conversion, and to
proclaim there the fact that Jesus was the
Messiah, retired before the opposition of
the Jews, and went into Arabia, where
he spent three years.
On his return to Jerusalem it is said of him that " he
assayed to join himself to the disciples ;" that is, he
sought to be recognized as a follower of the Saviour ;
but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that
he was a disciple (Acts ix. 26). They remembered him
as a Jew ; as a most devoted, zealous, and bigoted
Pharisee. They feared that there had been some decep
tion about the report of his conversion, and were slow to

1 1 6 Life of the Apostle Paul.
believe that a man who had been so infuriated, and who
had done so much to destroy the Church, had become
a sincere disciple of Jesus.
It is a very remarkable fact that the journey into
Arabia is not referred to by Luke, in his account of Paul
in the Acts of the Apostles. From the narrative there,
(Acts ix. 19 — 26), the inference might be that Saul had
gone at once from Damascus to Jerusalem; and that his
assaying to join himself to the disciples had occurred
very soon after his conversion. And it might seem
probable, also, if so long an interval as three years had
occurred between his conversion and his going to
Jerusalem, that the sacred historian would not have
passed it over in silence.
The enemies of Christianity have not failed to urge
this as an instance of an irreconcilable contradiction
between the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistle to the
Galatians. But, in reply to this, it may be said, that
(apart from the general fact that any historian, however
minute and accurate his account may be, must pass over
many facts, which may be in themselves important, and
which might be mentioned by others), the account in
Luke, as it is, is best explained by the supposition that
such a journey did take place, and indeed is not easily
explained except on such a supposition, {a.) If there had
been no such interval, — if Saul had gone up to Jerusalem
immediately after his conversion, and after the zeal
which he had shown in Damascus in preaching Christ
as the Messiah, — it is morally certain that the disciples
would have welcomed him at once, and without suspicion.

Brought to Antioch. wj
In Damascus he had given all the evidence which could
be desired of the reality of his conversion. He had
abandoned the purpose for which he had gone there.
He had engaged in the work of preaching the Gospel.
He had done this with all the ardour which was charac
teristic of the man, and with so much zeal as to arouse
the wrath of the Jews residing there (Acts ix. 22). All
this must have been known to the Christians at Jeru
salem ; and had he come at once among them, it cannot
be supposed that their fears would have been excited,
or that they would have had any suspicion about the
sincerity of his conversion, {b.) But on the supposition
that he had been absent "three years" in Arabia, all
this might be changed, and that very fact might lead to
suspicion and apprehension in regard to him. In that
long time the freshness of the impression produced by
his conversion would have passed away. The very fact
of his absence, of his silence, of his doing nothing (so far
as known) in the cause of Christianity, might have pre
pared their minds for suspicion and doubt. Where had
he been ? What had been his employment ? Why had
he so soon ceased to defend the cause of Christianity,
and so soon withdrawn from public view ? Why had he
not come at once to Jerusalem ? and there, in the very
centre of opposition to Christianity, and on the very
spot where the Messiah had been put to death, why had
he not stood up as a new witness for that Saviour who
was said to have appeared to him on the way to
Damascus ? How natural — how almost unavoidable —
on the supposition that he had gone to Arabia, and had

118 Life of the Apostle Paul.
been there for three long years, would be the impression
that he had lost his interest in the cause of Christianity;
that he had ceased to be a professed disciple ; that he
had returned to his former faith ; and that now, in
seeking to unite himself with them, there must be some
sinister motive, and that his coming among them might
be regarded as the act of an insidious and dangerous
enemy. These considerations may, perhaps, show that the fact
of Luke's not mentioning the journey into Arabia, is so
far from being an objection to the truth of his narrative,
that the supposition of Paul's having gone there is neces
sary to an explanation of the facts which the historian
has stated, — or that what he has stated would not have
been so likely to have taken place, if there had been no
such journey. If it is so, then this may be regarded as
one of what Paley calls " undesigned coincidences,''
showing that the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistle
to the Galatians are both genuine. An impostor — a
fabricator — would not have thought of such a device.
Such things occur only in real history; not in attempts
to impose on the world.
The difficulty to which I have now adverted in regard
to the reception of Saul by the disciples at Jerusalem,
was met by Barnabas. He, somehow, and from some
cause not explained, had formed a strong attachment
for Saul. Possibly he may have been informed of the
fact that Saul had gone into Arabia, and of the manner
in which he had spent those three years of absence.
With the fullest confidence in his character, he "brought

Brought to Antioch. II 9
him to the Apostles, and declared unto them," that is,
reminded them, "how he had seen the Lord in the way,
and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached
boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus" fActs ix. 27).
He dwelt on this as fully proving the reality of his con
version; and showed them that there could be no just
ground of suspicion respecting his future career. They
were satisfied, and received him as one of their number.
But here a new difficulty arose, and Saul was again
in danger. " He spake boldly in the name of the Lord
Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians : but they went
about to slay him" (Acts ix. 29). These Grecians —
Hellenists ('EXXr/vto-rdc) — foreign proselytes — probably
held some opinions which Saul regarded as dangerous,
and which he felt himself bound to oppose; and the
result was, as often happened to him afterwards from
similar causes, that his life was in danger. To secure
his safety, and perhaps also to introduce him to a field
of labour where it might be hoped he would be most
successful, it was resolved to send him to Tarsus.
How he was employed in Tarsus, we have no means
of ascertaining. It was the home of his childhood ; it
was a place where he would be surrounded by the
friends of his early years, by the members of his own
family; a place where he might come in contact with
distinguished Pagan philosophers and men of learning.1
We cannot well doubt that the young convert would
seek to bring the claims of Christianity before as many
of these sages as possible; we cannot doubt that in the
1 Conybeare and Howson — "Life of St. Paul" — vol. i. p. 104.

120 Life of the Apostle Paul.
synagogue there, as he afterwards did elsewhere, he
would urge the proofs that Jesus was the Messiah ; nor
can we doubt that his labours there would be attended
with some measure of success.1
But he was in obscurity. His talent there was com
paratively buried talent. He was endowed alike by
native talent, by his education, and by the grace im
parted to him at his conversion, for a far larger sphere ;
and he had been called to the apostleship that he might
occupy a wider field. The time had come when he was
to be called forth to the great business of his life. A
"work of grace" had commenced in Antioch, the capital
of Syria, a city second in importance to none in the
East, and in its position and influence second only to
Rome. So much importance had this work assumed in
the view of the Apostles at Jerusalem, that Barnabas,
one of their most valued fellow -labourers, had been
sent there. So extensive was the field of labour in
Antioch, so much need was there of additional help,
and so deeply did Barnabas himself feel the necessity
of counsel in this great undertaking, that, calling to
mind the eminent gifts of his friend, Saul of Tarsus, he
resolved to call him to his aid. The work required one
like Saul of Tarsus, and would be ample for the employ
ment of all his special qualifications for the ministry.
In our age a telegraphic despatch would have sum-
1 " In his own family, we may well imagine that some of those Christian
" kinsmen " whose names are handed down to us (Rom. xvi.) — possibly
his sister, the playmate of his childhood, and his sister's son, who after
wards saved his life (Acts xxiii. l6 — 22) — were at this time, by his exertions,
gathered into the fold of Christ.-" — Conybeare and Howson, ut sup.

Brought to Antioclt. 121

"<5

moned him to Antioch at once; but in a difficult and
dangerous journey, Barnabas himself had to go and
find him : " Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus for to
seek Saul, and when he had found him, he brought
him unto Antioch."
The theme, then, before us, as will be seen by this
explanation of the circumstances of the case, is THE
CALLING OF THIS OBSCURE AND BURIED TALENT INTO
A WIDER AND MORE APPROPRIATE FIELD OF LABOUR
AND USEFULNESS, — THE FIELD OF LABOUR NOW
OPENED BY THE NEW EMERGENCY IN THE CHURCH
AND BY THE ENLARGED VIEWS OF THE NATURE AND
DESIGN OF THE NEW RELIGION. The point of general
interest to which we shall be led by the facts here
adverted to in the case of Saul of Tarsus, will relate to
the arrangements by which God prepares talent for wide
and useful employment, and the methods by which that
talent is called forth to accomplish His designs. In
illustrating this, I would notice —
I. The emergency or occasion which had then occurred
in the Christian Church. And here we may observe
three things:
(1.) The ideas of Christians up to that time had been
limited. It was a slow process by which the attention
of the apostles and other Christians was directed to the
regions beyond Palestine, and even when their thoughts
were directed to other lands, it was rather to the scat
tered Hebrews than to the heathen; to the syna
gogue, rather than to the " Porch," the " Lyceum," the

122 Life of the Apostle Paul.
"Academy," or the Pagan temple of worship.1 Their
affections clustered and lingered around Palestine — the
land of their fathers, the seat of the national religion;
their remembrances were of the Hebrew people as the
" covenant " people of God ; they met everywhere, in
their views as derived from the ancient religion, the
barriers which had been set up between the Hebrews
and other nations. Slowly were their early Jewish pre
judices overcome; slowly did they learn the lessons

1 " Hitherto the history of the Christian Church has been confined
within Jewish limits. ... If any traveller from a distant country has been
admitted into the community of believers, the place of his baptism has
not been more remote than the " desert ' of Gaza. If any ' aliens from
the commonwealth Of Israel ' have been admitted to the citizenship of the
spiritual Israelites, they have been ' strangers ' who dwell among the hills
of Samaria. But the time is rapidly approaching when the knowledge of
Christ must spread more rapidly, — when those who possessed not that
Book, which caused perplexity on the road to Ethiopia, will hear and adore
His name, — and greater strangers than those who drew water from the well
of Sychar will come nigh to the Fountain of Life. The same dispersion
which gathered in the Samaritans, will gather in the Gentiles also. The
' middle wall of partition ' being utterly broken down, all will be called by
the new and glorious name of ' Christian. '
" And as we follow the progress of events, and find that all movements
in the Church begin to have more and more reference to the heathen, we
observe that these movements begin to circulate more and more round a
new centre of activity. Not Jerusalem, but Antioch, not the Holy City oi
God's ancient people, but the profane city of the Greeks and Romans, is
the place to which the student of sacred history is now directed. During
the remainder of the Acts of the Apostles our attention is at least divided
between Jerusalem and Antioch, until at last, after following St. Paul's
many journeys, we come with him to Rome. For some time Constan
tinople must remain a city of the future; but we are more than once
reminded of the greatness of Alexandria ; and thus even in the life of the
apostle we find prophetic intimations of four of the five great centres of the
early Catholic Church." — Conybeare and Howson, vol. i. p. 106.

Brought to Antioch. 123
which God meant to teach them by the things which
were occurring.
(2.) The events which had now taken place at Antioch
could not well be mistaken in their meaning, as bearing
on this point. The Gospel had been preached there
with great power and success. It had been attended
with the same results which had been produced when
it was proclaimed in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.
What was particularly remarkable was, that while those
who " were scattered abroad upon the persecution that
arose about Stephen," though they went to " Phenice
[Phenicia], and Cyprus, and Antioch" preached "to
none but unto the Jews only " (Acts xi. 19), men from
other places — " Cyprus, and Cyrene " (in distant Africa)
— preached also, and preached to the "Grecians" —
Trpoe roue 'EXAijvtorae — so that "a great number believed,
and turned to the Lord" (Acts xi. 20, 21). This to the
Church was a new idea. The Gospel was to be preached
beyond the bounds of Palestine. It was to be preached
by those who had not gone from Palestine. It was to
be preached to those who were not of Hebrew descent.
The Gospel was securing a firm hold on a large Pagan
city — one of the great capitals of the world. It, there
fore, was not to be confined to Judaea or the Jews, but
was to extend to every land ; to embrace all people.
Henceforward this was to become a fixed idea in all
their conceptions of the nature of Christianity ; in all
their views of the Church ; in all their doctrines of
Christian fellowship ; in all their plans for spreading
their religion.

124 Life of tlie Apostle Paul.
(3.) The name by which they would be called was
to be the name Christian, — a name given for the first
time at Antioch ; a name conferred and adopted just as
this enlarged view of the nature of their religion was
becoming the common view of the Church ; a name
more expressive and significant under this new view of
their religion than any other could have been.
Its origin is not known. On this point I may be
allowed to give the following extract : — " It is not likely
that they received this name from the Jews. The ' chil
dren of Abraham ' employed a term much more expres
sive of hatred and contempt. They called them 'the
sect of the Nazarenes.' These disciples of Jesus traced
their origin to Nazareth in Galilee; and it was a proverb,
that nothing good could come from Nazareth. Besides
this, there was a further reason why the Jews would
not have called the disciples of Jesus by the name of
'Christians.' The word 'Christ' has the same meaning
with 'Messiah.' And the Jews, however blinded and
prejudiced on this subject, would never have used so
sacred a word to point an expression of mockery and
derision ; and they could not have used it in grave and
serious earnest, to designate those whom they held to
be the followers of a false Messiah, a fictitious Christ.
Nor is it likely that the ' Christians ' gave this name to
themselves. In the Acts of the Apostles, and in their
own letters, we find them designating themselves as
' brethren,' ' disciples,' ' believers,' ' saints.' Only in two
places (Acts xxvi. 28 ; 1 Peter iv. 16), do we find the
term ' Christians ;' and in both instances it is implied to

Brought to Antioch. 125
be a term used by those who are without. There is
little doubt that the name originated with the Gentiles,
who began now to see that this new sect was so far
distinct from the Jews, that they might naturally receive
a new designation. And the form of the word implies
that it came from the Romans, not from the Greeks.
The word ' Christ ' was often in the conversation of the
believers, as we know it to have been constantly in their
letters. ' Christ ' was the title of Him whom they
avowed as their leader and their chief. They confessed
that this Christ had been crucified, but they asserted
that He was risen from the dead, and that He guided
them by His invisible power. Thus ' Christian ' was the
name which naturally found its place in the reproachful
language of their enemies. In the first instance we
have every reason to believe that it was a term of
ridicule and derision. And it is remarkable that the
people of Antioch were notorious for inventing names
of derision, and for turning their wit into the channels
of ridicule."1
The name " Christian " was well fitted to be the
name of the followers of the* Redeemer in all ages, and
in all lands, — binding all in one, and becoming a common
appellation by which they would be known and recog
nized in all parts of the world. As the idea had at
length sprung up in the Church, and was now spreading,
that the religion of the Saviour was designed to be
universal as well as perpetual, so this name was appro-
1 Conybeare and Howson, vol. i. pp. 116, 117.

126 Life of tlie Apostle Paul.
priate to that idea, and would serve to keep it up in all
future times. The name was not Jewish in its nature ;
it had nothing local ; it sprang from no national pecu
liarity ; it indicated nothing in regard to tribes, clans,
languages, complexions, or to the peculiar laws or
customs of any people ; it indicated only a relation to
Christ — a relation to be sustained alike and equally by
all, in all lands and in all ages, who would be brought to
believe on Him. It was, therefore, a name in which
the appellation Jew or Greek, — European, Asiatic, or
African, — Caucasian, Mongolian, or Ethiopian, — nay,
in which the then unknown names American, Hawaiian,
Australian, might be ultimately lost, — the higher appel
lation of CHRISTIAN uniting the whole world in one
great brotherhood. In speaking of human beings, the
names man and Christian are those only which express
universality. The first regards the race as one ; the
other, as redeemed. All other names are local ; all
others tend to divide, not to unite nations ; all others
are more or less at the foundation of rival interests, of
alienation, of war, of conquest. The names man and
Christian alone lie at the foundation of universal love,
concord, equal rights, and peace.
II. The ample field, on which the talents of Saul, now
summoned from obscurity, might act. That field was,
first, Antioch itself, as a point of influence in the world ;
and second, the whole world, as now open to his efforts.
(i.) Antioch itself. Antioch was one of the most
prominent points of influence then existing among the

Brought to Antioch. 127
nations. Babylon and Nineveh had lost their import
ance ; Constantinople had not yet been founded ; Paris
and London were merely a collection of huts. Jeru
salem, Alexandria, Ephesus, Antioch, Athens, Corinth,
Philippi, Rome — these were the centres of influence
and power ; — Rome the centre, and all these subordinate
to that. A founder or a defender of a new religion, who
sought the widest sphere for propagating it, would
direct his attention to those first-named cities, with the
purpose, sooner or later, of reaching the imperial city —
the capital of all.
Antioch, the capital of Syria, by its situation, its
wealth, its commerce, its accessibility, its communi
cation with the other parts of the world, its numbers,
and the fact that, for purposes of commerce, there
were multitudes gathered there from every other part
of the world, was one of the most important centres of
influence ; and we may readily understand, therefore, why
he was called, by the Providence of God, to labour in
that city.1
1 " Antioch and Alexandria had become the metropolitan centres of
commercial and civilized life in the East  Their histories are no
unimportant chapters in the history of the world. Both of them were con
nected with St. Paul : one indirectly, as the birthplace of Apollos; the
other directly, as the scene of some of the most important passages of the
apostle's own life. Both abounded in Jews from their first foundation.
Both became the residences of Roman governors, and both were patri
archates of the primitive Church. But before they had received either the
Roman discipline or the Christian doctrine, they had served their appointed
purpose of spreading the Greek language and habits, of creating new lines
of commercial intercourse by land and sea, and ol centralising in themselves
tlie mercantile life of the Levant. Even the Acts of the Apostles remind

128 Life of the Apostle Paul.
(2.) The world itself would be suggested as a field of
Christian effort, for which Saul was especially qualified,
and which, in his call to the apostolic office, he had been
designated to occupy. The new idea which had been
started, and which led to the propagation of Christianity
beyond the bounds of Judaea at all, was one which could
not be confined in its operations to Antioch. It was
too large and comprehensive to be hemmed in by so
narrow limits ; for the principles which made it proper
to preach the Gospel in Antioch, and to those who were
not Jews, made it proper to preach it everywhere, and to
all people. The events now occurring in that heathen
capital could not but suggest to a mind like that of
Saul, the fact that the whole world was to be visited by
like influences of the Spirit of God.
Thus were his great talents called forth and placed in
the field which from the beginning it had been deter
mined that he should occupy. Thus, too, was furnished
one illustrious instance of the manner in which God
qualifies particular men for some great work to be

us of the traffic of Antioch with Cyprus and the neighbouring coasts, and
of the sailing of Alexandrian corn-ships to the more distant harbours of
Malta and Puteoli. Of all the Greek elements which the cities of Antioch
and Alexandria were the means of circulating, the spread of the language
is the most important. Its connection with the whole system of Christian
doctrine — with many of the controversies and divisions of the Church — is
very momentous. That language, which is the richest and most delicate
that the world has seen, became the language of theology. The Greek
tongue became to the Christian more than it had been to the Roman or
the Jew." — Conybeare and Howson, vol. i. pp. 9, 10.
For a full description of Antioch, see Ibid, vol. i. pp. 118 — 122.

Brought to Antioch. 129
performed, and of the manner in which, in due time,
talent is called from obscurity.
III. We may notice, as a great general truth in the
progress of the world, the arrangements for calling
talent forth to accomplish the Divine purposes. On
this subject, the following remarks may be made: —
(1.) The talent which exists at any one time in the
world, is found in one of these forms : (a.) Talent in
preparation for the future ; (b) Talent in obscurity, or
not called forth ; (c.) Talent employed in a purpose
corresponding to the design for which it was created;
(d.) Talent perverted and abused. These forms may
exist separately, or two of them may be combined.
Thus talent in preparation, and as yet in obscurity,
may be combined, for the occasion may not yet have
arisen to call it forth. We have no reason to doubt
that while Saul was in Arabia, and while he was in
Tarsus, — in both cases in comparative obscurity, — he
was actually preparing for the great work to which his
life was to be devoted.
(2.) There is talent created in each age of the world,
for all the purposes of that age. It is brought into being
by God's power. It is not developed from the past ; it is
not the production of the mere laws of nature; it is not
derived from any quality in the parents or the ancestry
of those thus endowed; it is as much a new creation
as Would be the introduction of a new world into the
system of worlds already made. There was nothing in
the little village of Stratford-on-Avon that could pro-
K

130 Life of the Apostle Paul.
duce the mind of Shakespeare ; nor was there anything
in the mind of his father, the "glover" and "furrier"
residing there, of which "Lear," and "Hamlet," and
" Othello," could be regarded as the developement. The
mind of Shakespeare was as really an act of creation
as the creation of a world. There was nothing in the
birthplace of Cardinal Wolsey, or in the character of
the butcher his father, of which his great genius could
be considered as the developement. So with Johnson,
Milton, Addison, Cowper, Burns, Michael Angelo, West,
Fulton. These minds were made of such capacity,
such power, such adaptedness to a particular end, as
God pleased; and were brought upon the earth at
such a time, and in such circumstances, as He saw
best. There is a difference, in this respect, between the
arrangements which God has made for the physical
wants of the world, and for its mental and moral wants.
In the former case, long before man was upon the earth,
in the very beginning, He had created, and had depo
sited in the earth, all the gold and silver, the iron and
the lead, that the race which was to be made would need
in all its history, — not to be created anew, as it might be
required — and not to be exhausted. Mind, on the con
trary, He brings upon the earth as it is wanted, — creating
from age to age, as those which have acted their parts
are removed, new minds to carry forward the great
purposes which have to be accomplished.
Minc£ thus created, is designed to meet the wants
of a particular age. At every period there is a class of
minds needed to carry the world forward in its ordinary

Brought to Antioch. 131
course, — in the regular developement of things ; in
working the fields already cultivated ; in finishing the
roads, canals, and houses already begun ; in maintaining
the institutions of learning and of charity which have
been already founded ; and in gathering up and trans
mitting to future times the results of observation and
experience in that generation. As, however, the most
marked advances which the world makes are not by a
steady and easy ascent, but rather per saltum — by being
suddenly raised from a low level to a higher steppe,
plateau, or elevation, along which it is to move, until
some new occasion shall arrive to elevate the race to
a higher level still, — so (when the time arrives for such
a new elevation) God creates the mind or minds fitted to
the occasion. Thus some great law-giver appears ; some
splendid genius in poetry or painting; some man en
dowed with eminent military talents ; some patient,
plodding student; some profound philosopher. Such
men as Moses — Solon — Lycurgus — lay the foundation for
new •epochs, and such "epochs" really constitute the
history of the progress of the world.
(3.) Under this arrangement, much talent may be
obscure and hidden ; much may be in a state of almost
unconscious preparation for the part which it is to
act. How little did Washington dream, amid the quiet
scenes at Mount Vernon, of the great things which he
was really preparing to accomplish ! how little did
Oliver Cromwell, on his farm, dream of the great part
which he was to act in the history of the world ! The
emergency came. There was enough for those great

132 Life of the Apostle Paul.
men to do, and God had endowed them with talent
sufficient to do all that was needful to be accomplished
in their age.
(4,) Emergencies do arise to call forth the talent
which God has conferred. When liberty is endangered,
when a country is invaded, when a new mode of govern
ment is to be instituted, when reforms are to be effected,
when the world is prepared for some new and signal
advance, then talent before hidden and unknown, but in
a state of ample preparation, is brought forward to do its
work. Such — in a more eminent degree than aught else
(and indeed in a degree so eminent and so sacred as to
make it seem almost profane even to allude to it at all,
in the way of comparison with the ordinary progress of
human affairs) — was the period when, after so long a
preparation, and when "the fulness of the time was
come," the Son of God was called from His obscurity
in darkened Galilee, and by the descent of the Holy
Ghost was solemnly consecrated to His work as the
Messiah ; for then the affairs of the whole world
were to be put on a new footing, and the race was
to be raised to a permanently higher level. Such
also, — subordinate to that higher purpose, but still so
marked in its character as to constitute a new epoch in
the world's history, — was the fact which we have been
contemplating, the calling forth of Saul of Tarsus from
his obscurity to act his part on the great theatre of
human affairs.

VII.
SAUL AND BARNABAS SENT FORTH.
Christianity assuming the form of Missions to the Heathen.
Missionary work the predestined sphere of Paul's labour. — Duty of civi
lized nations to the uncivilized. — Barriers which hinder the attempt to
spread a new religion. — Differences of nationality. — Distinctions of caste.
— Diversities of colour. — Existence of separate religious beliefs. — Diffi- '
culty of overcoming these barriers. — Unwillingness of the more favoured
to proclaim truth to the less favoured; — and of the less favoured to
receive it — The teachings by which Christianity triumphs over these
obstacles. — It declares (l) the unity of mankind; (2) an atonement made
for all; (3) Gospel hope the same for all; (4) the way of salvation open
to all; and (5) the same natural rights possessed by all. — What the
Gospel has done for us, and can do for others.

" As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said,
Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called
them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on
them, they sent them away." Acts xiii. a.

HE original destination of Saul of Tarsus, when
jfa he was called to the apostleship, was to the
Gentiles, or the heathen, — or, as we should now
say, to a missionary life. Thus the Saviour
said to Ananias at Damascus, " Go thy way :
for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my
name before the Gentiles, and kings" (Acts ix. 15).
There can be little doubt that Ananias would in some
form communicate this to Saul, and that thus the idea
would take early possession of his mind.1 The same
idea had been communicated to the mind of Saul at
Jerusalem, and in a manner which could not be forgotten.
In a vision or " trance" the Lord Jesus appeared to him,
and said, " Make haste, and get thee quickly out of

1 Comp. Acts xxvi. 17.

136 Life of the Apostle Paul.
Jerusalem ; for they will not receive thy testimony con
cerning me," — and added, " Depart ; for I will send thee
far hence unto the Gentiles" — unto the nations — dg sflvrj,
the heathen nations (Acts xxii. 17 — 21). Subsequently
referring to that which distinguished him peculiarly from
the other apostles, that which constituted the idea of the
apostleship in his own case, he more than once alludes
to this, glorying in the fact that he was " the apostle of
the Gentiles," and rejoicing in the honour of the com
mission (Gal. ii. 8 ; Rom. xi. 13 ; Gal. i. 16 ; Eph. iii. 8).
The early Christian church, as we have seen, was
gradually, but slowly learning to admit, as an element
in its interpretation of the last command of the Saviour
— " Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to
every creature" — the idea that thef message of salvation
was to be sent, without distinction of nationality, of rank,
of lineage, of colour, of political organizations, or of
religion, to all the dwellers on the earth. Saul and
Barnabas were now set apart, by special designation of
the Holy Ghost, to labour in carrying out that idea.
The appointment of Saul and Barnabas to this work
among the heathen was an important event in each of
their lives, determining their own future course. It was
important as the manifestation of a more just view of
Christianity itself ; it was the first developement of the
idea which has since gone so essentially and so far into
the civilization of the world : viz., that ENLIGHTENED
AND CIVILIZED NATIONS SHOULD SEND TO THOSE
WHICH ARE BARBAROUS AND UNCIVILIZED A KNOW
LEDGE OF THAT TO WHICH THEY OWE THEIR OWN

Saul and Barnabas sent forth. i$j
ELEVATION. It is the idea of light radiating from a
centre on regions of surrounding darkness ; and it will
justify, to the end of the world, or to the time when
all nations shall be evangelized, the arrangements and
organizations which distinctly contemplate the spread of
the Gospel by missionary efforts.
Paul and Barnabas started from Antioch with the idea,
then fresh and new, that a religion fitted to be universal
had been revealed ; and that a period had arrived when
there was to be "neither Jew nor Greek, neither bond nor
free, neither male nor female," but when all should be
"one in Christ Jesus" (Gal. iii. 28) ; when there was to be
"neither circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian,
Scythian, bond nor free," but Christ was to be " all, and
in all" (Col. iii. 1 1).
The following points here occur as proper to be illlus-
trated : the barriers which exist among the nations as
hindrances to all effort to spread a new religion ; the
difficulty of overcoming those barriers ; and the manner
in which Christianity overcomes that difficulty, and lays
the foundation for the spread of a universal religion.
I. The barriers which exist among the nations as hin
drances to all effort to spread a new religion. We have
to consider these as obstacles which the Christian religion
at first encountered, and which exist still as hindrances in
the attempt to diffuse it among the nations of the earth.
(1.) There is that, then, which springs from a different
nationality, no matter what it may be that constitutes
the nationality, — no matter what has been the history

138 Life of the Apostle Paul.
of the nation, — and no matter how its boundaries have
been determined, whether by natural limits of rivers,
seas, and mountains, or whether as the result of con
quest, conventions, or treaties.
" Mountains interposed make enemies of nations,
Which else like kindred drops had mingled into one."
Where nations belong to different races, and have sprung
from different ancestors, — where their independence of
other nations has been established as the result of bloody
wars, — where they speak diverse languages, — where they
have different religions, — where they have peculiar man
ners and customs, — where the interests of commerce,
industry, and the arts are different, — where they are
rivals in trade, — where one is warlike and another
peaceful, — all these, and kindred things, constitute barriers
not easy to overcome. Thus to the ancient Jews, the
whole world was divided, not improperly so far as the
terms employed to designate them were concerned, into
two great classes, "Jews and Gentiles," — yet in fact pro
ducing in their minds the feeling that they were the
peculiar favourites of heaven, and that all others were
outcasts. Thus, in a similar manner, the Greeks divided
the world into " Greeks and Barbarians," — using a term,
indeed, as applied to others, less respectful than the Jews
used (for the Jews employed no such term in applica
tion to others as " Barbarian"), but producing among the
Greeks a feeling much less exclusive than that entertained
by the Jews. In modern times, a similar instance occurs
among the Chinese, who regard themselves as the children
of heaven, the " Celestials," — and all others, as "outside

Saul and Barnabas sent forth. 1 39
Barbarians." In a world thus divided into distinct nation
alities, any new religion that is sought to be conveyed
from one land to another, and that claims to be a uni
versal religion, must find serious obstructions to its
reception and diffusion.
(2.) The distinctions in social life — of rank and "caste" —
constitute everywhere a barrier to the propagation of a
new religion. These exist within a nation — in its own
bosom ; dividing a community (itself separated from
other communities or nations) into distinctions of its own.
These distinctions are found between the rich and the
poor, — the learned and the ignorant, — the bond and the
free ; or they are distinctions based on a derivation from
royal blood, an aristocracy, or a priesthood. In all lands,
there has been a struggle of one class to climb to some
eminence whence they might look down on the rest of
mankind, and to create in their own minds, and in the
minds of others, the impression that they are the
favourites of heaven, and that others are aliens or out
casts. Part endeavour to persuade themselves that they
were born to occupy thrones, and that the millions are
born to be their subjects. Part seek to cherish the
thought that they were born to be rich ; that this fact
was designed by heaven to exalt them over the humbler
poor, and that those beneath them were born to be
menials and vassals. Part strive to believe that they
were born to live in indolence and affluence, sustained
by an inferior class or race who were created to be their
slaves. Part lay claim to the sacredness and inviolability
of a priestly office, regard themselves as by birth and

140 Life of the Apostle Paul.
rank more holy than other men, and claim to be the
channels through which grace is conveyed to mankind.
For these favoured ones, the world stands ; the sun shines ;
the winds blow ; the heavens and the earth were made.
Rank, liberty, property, salvation, is theirs ; penury,
vassalage, ignorance, debasement, bondage, is the in
heritance of the rest The prince, heaven-appointed, is
to reign ; the mass are to lie at his feet.
(3.) In an eminent degree this distinction is made in
regard to colour and complexion, — constituting, in many
cases, a barrier in society which the highest forms of
civilization, culture, and religion have not been able
entirely to overcome. It has been among the most
cherished opinions of the class favoured with what they
deem a fairer complexion, that this fact elevates them
nearer to heaven, and constitutes, even in the eye of
the Eternal Father, a distinction between them and
the dark and dusky portions of mankind. They have,
therefore, not only sought to enslave those of a different
colour, but they have been slow to believe that, even in
the eye of Him who looks upon the heart rather than
the outward appearance, a dark skin is not an emblem
of a darker and more dreadful debasement than is found
under a white one, and seem to imagine that even if
the blood of the atonement is sprinkled on them as on
themselves, it fails to efface the distinction, and to place
them in any manner on a level. Far more formidable,
in some respects, than the barrier which separated the
Jews from the Gentiles, — than that which alienates
nation from nation, — than that which divides princes

Saul and Barnabas sent forth. 141
and people, nobles and serfs, — than that which separates
the different castes in India, — is the prejudice which
arises from colour, connected as that prejudice is with
the degrading practice of slavery.
(4) Still more difficult is it to overcome the barrier
which exists among nations as caused by a difference
of religion. The idea has prevailed extensively in the
world, and still prevails, that the existing religion of
each nation is, by the purpose of the Creator, their own,
— designed like their laws, their manners, their customs,
their climate, their rivers, lakes, and mountains, to
separate them from other people, — a religion good for
them ; adapted to them ; intended for them ; and not
to be changed for the religion of another country.
Their religion is not, indeed, claimed to be a religion
for the world ; it is for them ; — it is not to be carried
abroad to other lands, but it is to be cultivated and
sustained in their own ; — it is not to be conveyed by
conquest to supplant the religion of another nation, but
it is to be protected by law in their own. And as it is
not to be propagated in other lands, so the religions of
other lands are not to be propagated there.
Such are some of the barriers which exist among the
nations, and which have to be encountered by all who
go forth to carry the Gospel into heathen lands.
II. The second point which I proposed to illustrate
was the difficulty of overcoming these barriers.
This difficulty exists substantially in two forms :
(1.) In leading those who regard themselves as of

142 Life of the Apostle Paul.
the more favoured class, and who look with contempt and
disdain on those of a different rank, colour, or condition,
to offer to others the same privileges as themselves, or
to admit the idea that others are to be addressed as on
the same level. To counteract the narrow feeling in the
minds of His own apostles required all the skill of the
Saviour Himself. He taught His disciples, indeed, that
the Gospel was designed for all men, and was to be
preached to all the world ; but He taught this truth
even to them in such a way as not to alarm their Jewish
prejudices, — and, when He declared it to the Jews, He
did it always by parables, in such a manner that it
might be gradually and insensibly insinuated into their
minds, as one of the least palatable truths which he had
to communicate to them. To do good to the Syro-
Phenician woman as a Gentile, it was necessary to brave
all the established sentiments of the nation, who
regarded such as " dogs," and as entitled to none of the
favours provided for the "children" of God (Matt.
xv. 26). Strange as it may seem in the case of one
who had been three years under the direct teaching of
the Saviour, it required a special revelation to convince
Peter that he should go and carry the Gospel to a
Gentile, — though a man of rank, and though belonging to
a nation which had conquered the world, and to which
even the country of the Jews was subject (Acts x. 14, 15).
(2.) A still more serious difficulty is found in men's
unwillingness to receive a communication or a message,
in favour of a new religion, from one of inferior rank
or condition. This would occur in the time of ±he

Saul and Barnabas sent forth. 143
apostles ; and it occurs in all ages. Who is ignorant of
the scorn with which the Athenian sage and Roman
philosopher looked upon all that emanated from Judaea ?
Who knows not what a mighty obstacle this was when
the Gospel was preached at Athens, at Ephesus, at An
tioch, at Rome? The Jew was indeed known in most
lands ; — for to most lands he had gdne as a captive and
a slave. But he was regarded with a singular mixture
of hatred and contempt. He was hated on account of
his religion ; for his bigotry, his narrow-mindedness, and
because he was supposed to be a " hater of mankind."1
As destitute of science, literature, philosophy, and the
arts, — and as a slave, — he was despised. How natural
was it that Greeks and Romans should turn away from
those who came out of Judsea to instruct the nations in
the knowledge of God, the nature of the human soul,
the doctrine of the resurrection, the way of salvation !
How hard it is for a master to be willing to receive the
lessons of religion from one who has been or is his slave,
— a prince, from one of his own subjects, — a rich man,
clothed in purple and fine linen, from the beggar at his
gate ; a philosopher, from one learned in no science,
occupied in the humbler arts of life, acquainted only
with the plough, or the anvil, or the loom, or the shoe
maker's bench ! With what contempt would a Brahmin
1 So Tacitus says of the Christians who were put to death in the time of
Nero, and who were in the public estimation identified with Jews; — "There
fore they were first seized who made confession [who professed to be
Christians], and then a great multitude who were pointed out by them,
who were convicted not so much for the crime of burning the city, as
because they were enemies of ihe human race." — Tac. Ann. xv. 44.

144 Life of the Apostle Paul.
turn away from one of humbler "caste" who should
undertake to teach him the nature of true religion ; of
a priest ministering in gorgeous robes at a Pagan
altar, from one of the lowest of the people ! How
slow would be an Englishman, a Frenchman, an Ameri
can, trained in the schools of learning, to listen on
the subject of religion to one sent from the Fiji Islands,
or from Caffraria. In respect to social position, to
science, to literature, to the arts, the apostles could
never claim to be on a level with the nations to whom
they were sent ; everywhere they had to encounter and
surmount this difficulty, that while they professed to
come to elevate the people of other lands in respect to
religion, they were far below them in things which those
nations most valued, and on which they most prided
themselves. The relative condition of nations has changed in our
times, and the missionary goes out under better auspices.
He goes now from a land of civilization, and science,
and art, to those lands where such things are unknown;
he carries with him the printing-press, the quadrant, the
telescope; he goes from nations which, under the in
fluence in a great measure of the religion which he pro
claims, have risen high in wealth, in manufactures, in
commerce, and in refinement, to lands still sunk in
barbarism. Yet still this difficulty exists. Take, for
illustration, the Chinese. Proud of their numbers, their
antiquity, their laws, their imagined central position,
their arts, — secluded from the rest of the world by their
customs and their institutions, — fancying that the whole

Saul and Barnabas sent forth. 145
world is dependent on them for their agricultural and
mechanical productions, — they have disdained alike the
arts, the science, and the religion of foreigners. An
obstacle exists in their case to a great extent quite as
stern in its nature as was the proud philosophy of
Athens or Rome, and far more formidable in the
numbers of those who are influenced by it. When
it shall be said, as it will be, that that barrier is sur
mounted, and when the Gospel is preached throughout
the territories occupied by those hundreds of millions,
and when they welcome the religion of the Cross as
they once did the foreign religion of the Buddhists,
then there will be furnished another demonstration (not
less impressive than that which occurred in the early
ages of the Church) of the power of that religion which
subdued the pride of Greek philosophers, and sat down
triumphantly " on the throne of the Caesars."
III. The way in which these obstacles are surmounted.
This will lead us to notice the truths by which the dif
ferent barriers between nations and classes have been
broken down, and by which Christianity has shown
itself worthy the attention of the most enlightened
nations of the earth.
(1.) There is, first, the distinct revelation of the truth
that mankind are one race; the children of a common
parent; on a level before God. No truth more vital,
more far-reaching, more powerful in its bearing on
human rights and human liberty, more potent in ele
vating man, has ever been proclaimed to the world.
L

146 Life of the Apostle Paul.
The belief of this has had a very imperfect hold on the
human mind; and the disbelief of it has led to some of
the most tyrannous acts in ancient or modern times.
But Christianity admits of no doubt on that subject.
The doctrine of the unity and the equality of the race
lies at the foundation of all its revelations, its claims,
its promises; nor does it ever admit the idea that dif
ferences of climate, of complexion, of temperament, or
of habits and customs, constitute any argument for an
essential diversity of races. Revelation describes the
creation of man as the creation of a single pair. It
follows down the history of the descendants of that
one pair alone. It records the scattering of their de
scendants over the world. It declares that " God hath
made of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on
all the face of the earth " (Acts xvii. 26). The doctrine
of depravity which it urges, is a doctrine which pertains
to men everywhere, as derived from the fall of that one
pair; and it makes no exception when it says that "all
have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." As
it was on that one pair that sentence of death was
passed on account of sin, so no one, prince or potentate,
high or ignoble, learned or ignorant, can show that he
is exempted from death as belonging to another race —
for the graves of such men are scattered all over the
earth, — and no one of the race lives always. The Re
deemer gloried in the title "SON OF MAN," for He came
not to take on Him the nature of the Mongolian, the
Caucasian, the Ethiopian, or the American, as such, —
but the nature of man. In whatever respect the incar-

Saul and Barnabas sent forth. 147
nation of Christ bears on the destiny of those who dwell
on the earth, it has respect to them as men — to each
man — to every man ; — and it is as proper for one human
being as for another to say that when God was " mani
fest in the flesh" it was his nature that was honoured
by being taken into permanent union with the Deity.
(2.) So, secondly, the work of Christ had respect to all
men; and whatever there was in the atonement, as
such, was designed for one as much as for another: —
" One died for all." " He, by the grace of God, tasted
death for every man." Whatever there is in the blood
of Christ to secure the pardon of past sins, to deliver
from death and hell, and' to sanctify the human soul,
is as applicable to one as another — to the peasant as
to the prince; to the man of lowest "caste" as to the
highest; to the slave as to his master; — to the Jew, to
the Chinese, to the African, — to the Mongolian, the
Caucasian, the Ethiopian, the aboriginal American.
All have been atoned for alike ; all have the offers
salvation made to them alike; all are placed by the
Gospel on the same level here ; all may occupy the
same rank in heaven. There is no higher argument
that can be addressed to men to prove their equality,
than to say to them that they all have been redeemed
by the same blood — the blood of the Son pf God.
(3.) So, thirdly, the hopes inspired by the Gospel are
the same for every human being. When the Gospel
reveals the doctrine of immortality to one man, it
reveals it to all. When it makes known a heaven for
one, it unfolds it for all. And it is a great thing to go

148 Life of the Apostle Paul.
forth to the world — to a world where men are broken
into ranks, and separated from each other by other
wise impassable barriers, — a world where nations and
tribes are waging war with each other, — a world where
one class seems hopelessly degraded, and another hope
lessly arrogant, — and to say to them that, in the hope of
immortality, they are all placed on the same level before
their Maker.
(4.) So, fourthly, the way of salvation is the same for
all. No one has any priority of claim by his rank, or
enjoys any peculiar facilities for salvation by his titles or
his wealth; and no one is excluded, or placed in less
favourable circumstances, by his poverty, his ignorance,
his servile condition. Neither ignorance, nor humble
birth, nor complexion, shuts any man out of the king
dom of God. As all, no matter how high in rank, are
to be saved, if saved at all, by faith in Christ Jesus, so
all, no matter how humble in rank, may be saved by
the same faith. As no one can adventure nearer the
throne of God in virtue of his rank, his wealth, or his
talent, so no one is kept farther from that throne by his
low condition, or by his poverty of wealth, of learning,
or of intellect. The prince and the sage are not more
welcome to heaven than the poor and ignorant.
(5.) And so, fifthly, the gospel advances with the
truth that all men are invested with the same natural
rights ; — the same right to the light of the sun, to cheer
them and to guide their footsteps ; — the same right to
the tides, and the winds, and the stars, to conduct them
and their cargoes across the ocean ; — the same right to

Saul aud Barnabas sent forth. 149
limb, and liberty, and life;1 — the same right to the air,
and to the productions of the teeming earth, and to a
spot wherein to sleep the long sleep when they are
dead. The Gospel cannot be preached in its purity
without leaving this impression on the minds of men, and
without sooner or later breaking down every custom and
law that is opposed to it, for these rights grow out of the
facts which have just been enumerated. You cannot
preach the Gospel in its purity over the world, with
out proclaiming the doctrine of civil and religious
liberty, — without overthrowing the barriers reared
between nations and clans and classes of men, — without
ultimately undermining the thrones of despots, and
breaking off the shackles of slavery, — without making
men everywhere free!
These remarks may illustrate the truth which I sug
gested at the commencement of this chapter, that the
idea of preaching the Gospel to all nations alike,
regardless of nationality, of internal divisions as to rank,
and colour, complexion, and religion, constituted the
beginning of a new era in history. Nothing has occurred
in times past, so fitted to change the condition of the
world as this truth viewed in all its bearings. And
there is now no other element of power which will work
so important changes in overturning thrones of tyranny,
loosening the fetters of bondmen, opening prisons,
1 " We hold these truths to be self-evident ; that all men are created
equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable
rights; that among these are life, and liberty, and the pursuit of hap
piness." — Declaration of American Independence.

150 Life of the Apostle Paul.
putting an end to war, annihilating caste, and scattering
abroad the blessings of freedom. We, as Christians,
have that in our possession, which, without impoverish
ing us, would diffuse over the world prosperity and
peace; which would elevate the race, enlighten the
ignorant, comfort the afflicted, release the captive ;
which would make the wilderness and the solitary place
glad, and the desert bud and blossom as the rose.
Christians, admire and adore the goodness of that
Universal Father who has broken down every barrier,
and sent the messages of grace to you, so that you are
" no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens
with the saints, and of the household of God." Our
ancestors were Gentiles, heathens, savages. They wor
shipped idols of wood or stone, and groaned under
debasing superstition. To them the Gospel was preached ;
the Gospel raised them from their low condition ;
wherein we differ from them, the Gospel has made us
what we are ; and as long as we hold the doctrines of
that Gospel in their purity, no man can wrest our
liberties from us. Be it ours to spread the religion to
which we owe so much. Other nations have a right to
it ; and it would elevate them as it has done our fathers
and ourselves.

VIII.
PAUL AND SILAS AT PHILIPPI.
The Assertion of our Rights.
The demand made by Paul. — The wrong done to him could not he undone.
— But it could be openly acknowledged. — The rights which Paul had as
a Roman citizen. — The advantages thus secured to him by law. — The
violation of these rights.-— Philippi, a Roman colony. — Christian Church
formed. — The possessed woman. — Results of her cure. — Paul had thereby
done no wrong. -r-The unjust treatment he endured. — The propriety oj
his demand. — How to be reconciled with the teachings of Christianity? —
(i.) By the example of Christ Himself. — (2.) By the value of good
laws ; the struggle it has cost to establish them ; and the duty of striving
to maintain them.- — (3.) By the important influence of character, as
bearing on the claims of Christianity itself.

" But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly, uncondcmned,
being Romans, and have cast us into prison ; and now do they thrust us
out privily ? nay, verily; but let them come themselves, and fetch us out"
Acts xvi. 37.

fgtim\ i j fjh

s§*^i

v

RUINS AT fHILU'I'I.

*^T is my purpose now to consider an assertion.
on the part of the apostle Paul, that his rights
as a Roman citizen had been violated by those
who pretended to act under Roman authority,
and a demand on his part for a public acknow
ledgment of that wrong.
Made sensible by reflection, and by the remarkable
events which had occurred during the night when Paul
and Silas were imprisoned, that injustice had been done
to these men, the magistrates— ot' «n-pari,7oi— the Roman
prcetors— those entrusted with the civil administration at
Philippi, "sent the Serjeants"— ro^e paf3Boi,Xovc— literally,
the " rod-holders," the lictors— or, as we should say, the
constables,— directing that the prisoners should be dis
charged (ver. 35). This was done " privily"— \66pa,
secretly,— without any public proclamation ; with no open

154 Life of the Apostle Paul.
avowal that wrong had been done. If Paul had accepted
this, and had been discharged in such a manner, he
would have gone forth safely indeed, but under the pre
judice against him produced by the fact that he had
been condemned by the magistrates ; that he had
been scourged for crime ; that he had been imprisoned
on a charge of violating the laws of the empire ; and,
consequently, with all the presumption against him that
this was a just sentence, and that he had been actually
guilty. So far as the judicial sentence of a Roman
magistrate could operate (and it might affect him wherever
he went — even in Rome itself, — for the sentence of a
magistrate was presumed to be in accordance with
justice), he might suffer from the effect of this condem
nation, scourging, and imprisonment. He resolved,
therefore, not to accept of a discharge on these condi
tions, but to demand a public assertion, on the part of
the magistrates, that an act of injustice had been com
mitted. He wished that the influence of their retraction
should go as far as the influence of the condemnation
had done ; in other words, that the one should counteract
the other. The wrong could not, indeed, be undone.
The truth that he had been condemned could not cease to
be a truth. The fact that from him and Silas their clothes
had been "rent off;" that "many stripes" had been laid
on them; that they had been "thrust into the inner
prison;" that their feet had been "made fast in the
stocks ;" that they had been treated in a harsh and un
feeling manner by a jailor in the service of the Roman
magistrates ; that (thus suffering) they had been left un-

Paul and Silas at Philippi. 155
pitied in a dark and gloomy dungeon, could not cease to
be a fact in their history. But Paul and Silas, as Roman
citizens, could demand as a right that the magistrates
who had injured them should publicly confess the wrong,
that they themselves might be publicly acquitted, and
allowed to go to their work without any prejudice
against them in the public mind from what had occurred
at Philippi. This was done. The magistrates feared
when they heard that they were Romans ; and they came
and "besought them" — TrapiKaXtaav — entreated them —
begged them — " and brought them out," (vers. 38, 39.)
The subject which is suggested for our consideration
by this portion of the history of the apostle Paul, viz.
THE ASSERTION OR VINDICATION OF OUR RIGHTS, is
not without practical importance, though it is not with
out difficulty. The questions arise, how far is this proper?
when is it proper? with what motives should it be done?
how can this be reconciled with the requirements of
meekness and a spirit of forgiveness ? For a proper
illustration of these points, it will be necessary to
consider —
I. The rights which Paul had as a Roman citizen.
In what way Paul had become possessed of these rights,
whether in virtue of his birth at Tarsus as a "free
city," or in consequence of some service rendered by his
father to the Roman government, is not of importance.
He did not hesitate to avail himself of it ; and the appeal
in each case, when he made it, was recognized and
allowed. To Paul this right was invaluable. It was in

156 Life of the Apostle Paul.
itself an honour, and would be everywhere so regarded.
It gave to him who enjoyed it, the protection of the best
system of laws known among men, — for there can be no
doubt that the Romans had advanced far beyond other
nations in their jurisprudence. In any part of the world,
moreover, where the Roman power extended, it conceded
that right Thus Cicero says {against Verres, v. 57)
" That declaration and appeal, ' I am a Roman citizen}
has often brought aid and safety even among the bar
barians in most distant lands." There were also special
rights conferred by this. A Roman citizen might not
be crucified ; a Roman citizen might not be scourged.
The laws especially protected a Roman citizen from being
beaten.1 Some ofthe most powerful appeals of Cicero
in his orations Were in cases where the laws, which pro
tected Roman citizens from such insult, had been dis
regarded by Roman praetors {Orations against Verres, v.
62, 66). The privilege of Roman citizenship also secured
the right of a public triaL No man could be legally con
demned, even for the slightest offence, without the for
mality of such a trial {Cicero, as above, i. 9). This
tended, in an eminent degree, to maintain justice. Of all
the ancient nations the Romans were most eminent for
the sternness with which justice was administered. Brutus,
with the approval and applause of the whole nation,
condemned his own son to death for crime, — on the
general principle that all private and personal feelings
were to be sacrificed to justice in any and every case.
1 The Valerian law, and the Porcian law. — Livy, ii. 8, and iv. 5.

Paul and Silas at Philippi. 157
II. We have to notice the manner in which these rights
had been violated in the case of Paul and Silas at Philippi.
The consideration of this will make it necessary to describe
the causes which gave offence on the part of Paul and
Silas; the opposition which was aroused ; and the counte
nance lent to an excited mob by the Roman magistrates.
It is proper to remark, first, that Philippi was a place
where Paul might have presumed on the protection of
the R man laws, no less than in Rome itself. The author
of the Acts of the Apostles describes it as "the chief
city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony"— KoXwvia
(Acts xvi. 12). The term was used in this instance with
the strictest propriety, and it implied much more than
the term "colony" does now with us.1 In such a place,
Paul and his fellow traveller, as possessing the rights
of citizenship — and even, as strangers, — might have
looked for security from wrong. Either the fact that
they were Roman citizens had not before been made
known to the magistrates, or, if it had been made known,
it had been disregarded.
Paul and Silas commenced their work in Philippi as
1 " A Roman colony was no mere mercantile factory, such as those
which the Phoenicians established in Spain, or on those very shores of
Macedonia with which we are now engaged ; or such as modern nations
have founded in the Hudson's Bay territory, or on the coast of India. Still
less was it like those incoherent aggregates of human beings which we
have thrown, without care or system, on distant islands and continents.
It did not even go forth, as a young Greek republic left its parent state,
carrying with it, indeed, the respect of a daughter for a mother, but
entering upon a new and independent existence. . . . The colonists went
out with all the pride of Roman citizens, to represent and reproduce the
city in the midst of an alien population. They proceeded to their destina-

158 Life of the Apostle Paul.
quietly as possible. There were Jews in the city, but the
number was small, and (unlike most other places, in
heathen countries, where there were Jews) no synagogue
was found in it. There was, however, on the banks
of the river which flowed near the city, one of those
humble and temporary structures which the Jews fre
quently erected, when too poor or too few to erect a
synagogue, called proseucha; — places of prayer. These
were slight structures — mere enclosures — open usually
to the sky. To that place, Paul and his companion
resorted, and addressed the few — mostly women — who
were accustomed to resort thither. The heart of one of
them, Lydia, a native of Thyatira, a seller of purple,
the Lord ' opened, and she was converted ; her house
became the home of the travellers; and a church was
gradually formed. A bitter persecution, however, un
expectedly arose.
The circumstance that gave rise to it, was one in
which Christianity came in contact with heathenism, in
one of its prevalent forms, and in a form in which
(as afterwards at Ephesus, Acts xix. 23 — 34), the
tion like an army with its standards ; and the limits of the new city were
marked out by the plough. Their names were still enrolled in one of the
Roman tribes. Every traveller who passed through a colonia saw there the
insignia of Rome. He heard the Latin language, and was amenable, in
the strictest sense, to the Roman law. The coinage of the city, even if it
were in a Greek province, had Latin inscriptions. . . . The colonists were
entirely free from any intrusion by the governor of the province. Their
affairs were regulated by their own magistrates. These officers were
named Duumviri; and they took a pride in calling themselves by the
Roman title of Prtetors (orparijyoi)." — Conybeare and Howson, vol. i.
pp. 269, 270.

Paul and Silas at Philippi. 159
contact would be likely to produce most excitement
and opposition. It was an instance in which pecuniary
interest was involved, or in which Christianity came
into conflict with the means by which men obtained a
subsistence. The case here was that of a female, perhaps partially
insane, and partly an impostor, whose ravings were
taken advantage of by certain persons, represented as
her "masters."1 For several days she followed Paul
and his companions, exclaiming, "These men are the
servants of the most High God, which show unto us
the way of salvation." Fearing, no doubt, lest the
cause of truth should suffer through testimony from
such a source, and touched with pity for the poor
woman herself, Paul " being grieved," turned and said
to the evil spirit which possessed her, " I command thee
in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her."
The effect, which followed the casting out of the.»
spirit, was such as might have been anticipated. The
" masters " whose gains were " gone," appealed to the
passions and prejudices of the people. They charged
Paul and Silas with troubling the city, and with intro
ducing " customs " contrary to the Roman laws. The
popular feeling against the strangers was too strong for
1 " She was the property of more than one master, who kept her for the
purpose of practising on the credulity of the Philippians, and realised
' much profit ' in this way. We all know the kind of sacredness with
which the ravings of common insanity are apt to be invested by the igno
rant ; and we can easily understand the notoriety which the gestures and
words of this demoniac would obtain in Philippi." — Conybeare and Howson,
voL i. p. 277.

160 Life of the Apostle Paul.
the magistrates to resist ; and, perhaps, they did not
care to resist it. The Jews were objects of hatred
everywhere ; and it could not be supposed that such
consequences would follow from anything that might be
done to these two strangers as to affect the position of
those in power. Regardless, therefore, of their duty as
Roman magistrates, — without inquiry into the real
nature of the offence, — and without affording them any
opportunity of defence, — the praetors acted at once on
the demands of the mob, and commanded them to be
beaten and thrown into prison.
In forming an estimate of the wrong done to Paul
and Silas, it is not necessary to make any inquiry as
to the reality of demoniacal possessions. Such " pos
sessions " are assumed everywhere in the New Testa
ment to have been real ; and they would, if real, be not
less likely to be found in heathen nations than in Judaea,
and not less likely in Greece than elsewhere.1 What
ever might be true on this point, Paul had done no
wrong in healing a much-afflicted woman; in prevent
ing what would be likely to discredit the Gospel, as if
it derived its success from such influences, and was
identified with the impositions of " soothsaying ;" in
breaking up a scheme by which the people were deluded,
1 " If in any region of heathendom the evil spirits had pre-eminent sway,
it was in the mythological system of Greece, which, with all its beautiful
imagery and all its ministrations to poetry and art, left man powerless
against his passions, and only amused him while it helped him to be
unholy. In the lively imagination of the Greeks, the whole visible and
invisible world was peopled with spiritual powers." — Conybeare and Howson,
vol. i. p. 275.

Paul and Silas at Philippi. 161
and by which bad men obtained a livelihood by
imposing on the credulity of the weak. He does no
wrong to the world who breaks up schemes of fraud ;
who exposes the arts and tricks of imposture ; who, by
the presentation of truth, or by a Divine influence
attending his preaching, cuts off the gains of wicked
men, and throws out of employment those who live by
deluding their fellow-men. However it may affect the
interests of individuals, he is a public benefactor who
contributes anything to the abolition of gaming ; who
closes the houses of licentiousness ; who checks the
manufacture and sale of intoxicating drinks ; who
makes any business that leads to the corruption of
morals, or to the destruction of the bodies and souls of
men, unpopular or hateful. Paul and Silas, therefore,
were merely doing that which all the friends of religion
and morality must be allowed to do.
The wrong done to them, therefore, was a palpable
injustice. The treatment which they received, was, in
all respects, at variance with the requirements of the
Roman law. They were condemned unheard ; they
were condemned under the excitement, and at the
demand of a mob ; they were publicly whipped, though
Roman citizens ; they were cast into prison, untried.
Every one of these things was contrary to Roman law.
They were committed, moreover, to the charge of a
hard, harsh, severe, unfeeling, cruel man, who at once
" thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet
fast in the stocks ;" — a man who had not sympathy
enough to provide them food, or to wash their stripes, —
M

1 62 Life of the Apostle Paul.
but left them to lie unpitied, in a dark dungeon, on the
cold earth, not knowing when, if ever, they would be
released ; not knowing whether they would not be left
there to die.
Such were the wrongs which they were called to
endure ; such were the circumstances in view of which
they now demanded that justice should be done them.
This leads us, then, to consider —
III. The propriety of the demand thus urged. I have
already adverted to the apparent difficulty of reconciling
this with those requirements of the Gospel which enjoin
meekness in the reception of injuries, and a spirit of
forgiveness towards those by whom we have been
wronged. The principles of the Gospel seem to require
that we should bear injuries not only with no malice, no
spirit of retaliation or revenge, no returning of evil for
evil, but even with no resistance, no attempt to assert
our rights in any form, or to bring in the authority of
the law for our protection. " Resist not evil ; but
whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to
him the other also ; and if any man will sue thee at the
law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke
also ; and whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go
with him twain " (Matt. v. 39 — 41). " Brother goeth to
law with brother, and that before the unbelievers ; now
therefore, there is utterly a fault among you, because ye
go to law one with another ; why do ye not rather
take wrong ? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to
be defrauded ?" (1 Cor. vi. 6 — 8).

Paul and Silas at Philippi. 163
In examining now the just principles of interpreting
these passages, and stating the proper rules of Christian
conduct, as illustrating and vindicating the conduct of
Paul, I have three remarks to make.
(1.) The conduct of the Saviour, as has been often
remarked, may be allowed to interpret His own words.
As a matter of fact, in the numerous injuries which He
suffered at the hands of individuals, He offered no
resistance. He never returned injury for injury ; blow
for blow ; taunt for taunt ; violence for violence. He
never cherished the memory of an offence, or sought an
opportunity for revenge. He never allowed ill-treatment
received from others to prevent His doing them good
at any future time. When betrayed, when arrested,
when bound, when clothed with a mock robe of royalty,
when made a subject of sport by the soldiers of Herod,
when scourged, when spit upon, when derided and
mocked on the cross, He uttered no language of
reproach. Yet, in entire consistency with all this, when
He came in contact with the law, and when, under the
forms of law, injustice was about to be done, He
demanded that the provisions of the law should not be
violated ; He insisted on a just and proper trial. Thus,
when standing before the Sanhedrim, and when "one
of the officers which stood by struck Him with the
palm of his hand," — and did this not only unrebuked by
the high priest, but evidently with his approval, — Jesus
calmly yet firmly said, " If I have spoken evil, bear
witness of the evil ; but if well, why smitest thou me ?"
(John xviii. 23).

164 Life of the Apostle Paul.
(2.) This leads us to notice, then, the value of law for
the protection of rights. That value was recognized by
Paul, not only on this occasion at Philippi, but also in
his solemn rebuke of the high priest Ananias, who had
" commanded them that stood by him to smite him on
the mouth," and when he said to him, " God shall smite
thee, thou whited wall; for sittest thou to judge me
according to the law, and commandest me to be smitten
contrary to the law?" (Acts xxiii. 2, 3); and again, when,
from the violence of a mob, and the injustice of an
inferior court, he carried his cause up to the highest
tribunal, and, as a last resort, brought it before that
higher power, from whence all the laws of the Empire
emanated (Acts xxv. n).
The history of the world, in regard to law, has been
little more than a succession of efforts or struggles
to secure the rights of individuals against arbitrary
power; and the points gained in that respect, each
one the result of a single conflict, or of a series of
conflicts, and often the result of bloody wars and
revolutions, have been the beginning of new eras in
the history of the world, each of these epochs sending
its influence far into the future. All the guarantees
which we now have for our personal liberty and rights
can be traced back to some important period in the
history of mankind, and have given its character to the
age in which they were secured. Law itself, as we now
have it, carefully defining crime, and specifying the
proper punishment of crime, has been the slow growth
of ages ; and is the result of effort to save from arbitrary

Paul and Silas at Philippi. 165
punishment. Under wise provisions, in favour of general
liberty and individual rights, we in this land are per
mitted to live. The law which demands that the accuser
shall be known, and shall be confronted with the
accused, — the law which demands the presence of wit
nesses in open court, and subjects them (under the
solemnity of an oath) to a rigid and free examination, —
the law which demands that the judgment in regard to
the fact shall be submitted to a jury consisting of impar
tial men, — the law which forbids unreasonable searches
and seizures, — the law which secures from arbitrary
arrests and imprisonments, and which secures a speedy
trial, — these have gone into the constitution of the
United States, and have each, in their history in this
land and in other lands, been connected with some great
struggle for freedom. These and kindred things, which
are securities for personal liberty and rights in our
time, are the growth of ages. They are the result of
conflicts and wars. Few of them were known in the
early periods of the world, — few at the time when Paul
and Silas made their appeal to the Roman magistrates
at Philippi, — few, comparatively, in Greece, in Egypt,
in Babylon, in Rome, — few in the early periods of the
English history; but, as society has seized upon one
after another of these principles, it has held it with a
tenacity such that no despotic power has been able to
wrest it away.
Beyond these, there is now almost nothing to be
desired for general liberty, or for securing the individual
rights of men ; and the business of the world now is to

1 66 Life of the Apostle Paul.
protect and defend these principles, as the ground of
security in all time to come. They are of inestimable
worth, and it is every man's privilege and duty to appeal
to them, and to demand (when his rights are invaded,
as were those of Paul), that they shall be observed and
enforced. No man can perform a more important duty
to society than to demand, when his own rights are
violated, that these great principles shall not be disre
garded, and that under no plea whatever shall they
in his own case be set aside. A nation has no higher
interests than those which are involved in these prin
ciples ; no man can do a more important service to his
country than to see, as far as may be in his power, that
they are not endangered. They are indispensable to
liberty, to justice, to the rights of man, and to individual
and public peace. All attempts to infringe them,
therefore, are to be resisted ; and he, who, in a conflict
with arbitrary power, secures their observance when
they are menaced, is to be reckoned among his
country's greatest benefactors, and his name should go
down to distant times, associated with those who have
struggled and bled that they might be securely esta
blished. The names, not only of those who have
striven to establish these principles, but also of the
men who have been associated with them by wrongs
threatened or done to themselves, obscure and unknown
as these men might otherwise be, have acquired immor
tality. The name of Somerset, a coloured man — a
slave — has thus become immortal, as leading to the
great decision of Lord Mansfield in regard to freedom

Paul and Silas at Philippi. 167
under the British constitution ; the name of Dred Scott,
a coloured man — a slave — has become immortal, also,
as the result of an unrighteous decision in our own
country, and as having been among the means by which
this nation has been aroused to see the intrinsic evil of
slavery. Pym and Hampden are immortal as having
defended the great principles of liberty ; and Paul
stands thus among the great benefactors of mankind
for having asserted and maintained the right of an
appeal to the law.
(3.) It remains only to remark, in vindication of the
conduct of Paul, that the character of a good man
belongs to the public, to virtue, to truth, to religion.
As that character is the result of good principles, it
belongs to a nation no less than the principles them
selves, and is of equal value. The character which is
formed by Christianity is a part of Christianity itself.
It is formed by it ; it pertains to it ; it is that on which
Christianity itself depends as a means of its own per
petuity, propagation, influence in the world. Paul had
not only his own individual rights to maintain, but he
was a representative man, entrusted with the rights
pertaining to the Christian religion. All that he had
endured in his imprisonment, he could privately and
personally bear and forgive. But the public wrong which
had been done was a wrong to justice; and not only so,
but a wrong also to religion : — a wrong to him as the
minister of religion ; a wrong, which, if unacknowledged,
might greatly hinder the success of his future labours.
He was the ambassador and defender of Christianity.

168 Life of the Apostle Paul.
His character was of inestimable worth to mankind, and
as he went forth on his high message to the world, that
character was a material part of that on which the
success of religion itself depended. In demanding, then,
that his character should be protected by law, — that
justice should be publicly done him, as wrong had
been publicly done him, — that they, who, sustaining an
official position as representatives of the Roman power,
had done him this wrong, should officially retract it, —
he was urging one of the claims of Christianity itself,
and demanding for his Master and Saviour what pro
perly belonged to Him and His cause.

IX.
PAUL AT A THENS.
Christianity in contact with cultivated mind.
Mars' Hill. — Paul's audience. — Was his discourse on a subject worthy their
attention ? — They considered it so. — Some regard religious truth as no
concern of theirs. — Some only come near it. — Some have a distaste for
it — All truth ought to be investigated. — Religious truth is as important
as any. — It is of personal importance. — Human scholarship exempts no
man from its claim. — Socrates and Alcibiades. — Was PauPs discourse in
advance of what Greek philosophers knew? — Prudence evinced in it; — he
made no attack on their views ; commended their zeal ; referred to their
perplexity ; offered the knowledge they sought ; argued from their own
admitted principles. — His teachings, twofold: (i) those derivable from
their own principles; (2) those peculiar to the Christian religion. — Chris
tianity does not shrink from investigation. — It is still in advance of
human philosophy. — It will always be so. — Argument for its Divine
origin. — The Brahmin and the microscope.

" And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we
know what this new doctrine, which thou speakest, is ? For thou brmgest
certain strange things to our ears : we would kn .w, therefore, what these
things mean." Acts xvii. 19, 20.

"HERE is, in history, scarcely any more inte
resting object of contemplation than Paul at
Athens : — the man ; the place ; the religion
? which he came to announce; the persons by
whom he was surrounded ; the address which
he delivered. It may be regarded as, in a
manner, the contact of the Asiatic with the European
mind; it was the contact of a Christian mind with the
most cultivated heathen mind of the world, and was, if
not the first, yet among the most striking instances in
which Christianity has been brought into collision with
highly cultivated intellect. Paul had often come in
contact with Jewish mind, and with the forms of
Jewish belief; he had travelled much in Arabia, in
Syria, in Asia Minor, and had not unfrequently en
countered heathen mind under various forms of idolatry;

172 Life of the Apostle Paul.
he had recently passed into Europe, to convey the
knowledge of Christianity, — the first to preach it in that
quarter of the globe; and he was now in Greece, — at
Athens — on Mars' Hill.
On no other spot on the earth could such an audience
have been gathered around the apOstle, as at the
Areopagus.1 In that place there could have been as
sembled, on such an occasion (and, for any thing that ap
pears to the contrary, there were actually assembled there
at that time), the mostly highly-cultivated minds of the
world. The Greek mind was eminently acute and subtle;
it had been profoundly engaged in examining the great
questions pertaining to philosophy, morality, and religion;
it had pushed these inquiries farther than any other class
of minds had ever done, and probably as far as it would
be possible for the human mind ever to do, without the
assistance of revelation. They whom Paul here addressed
belonged also to a people who were in possession of a
language better fitted to the purposes of philosophy,
oratory, history, dialetics, poetry, than any then spoken ;
a language better fitted than any other to convey abstract
ideas, and to express subtle discriminations of thought.
Surrounded by such minds, it is a matter of interest
to inquire what such a minister of Christ could say
that would be in advance of the knowledge which
his hearers themselves possessed, — in advance of the
truths which the cultivated mind of Greece had been
able to discover respecting God, and His government,
1 On the place and the scene, see the remarks of Conybeare and
Howson, vol. i. pp. 346 — 348.

Paul at Athens. 173
and the conditions of His favour ; or, which is the same
thing, what Christianity has to say in advance of what
the mind of man can reach by its own independent in
quiries. It is a claim which Christianity necessarily
makes, that on a certain class of subjects, and those of
more importance to man than any other, it is always
able to give instruction to the minds of men, however
highly cultivated and refined ; that it is always able to
communicate that which " the world by wisdom" cannot
find out. Not undervaluing what man can himself
secure, — not rebuking him for applying his mind to those
great subjects, — and not setting aside the results of
human wisdom on the practical affairs of this life, — it yet
claims the ability to impart to men, at any period of the
world, new and higher views of truth than they can
otherwise obtain, and to carry the mind upward to a
region of thought lying wholly beyond the natural grasp
of the human powers.
What, therefore, would the minister and representative
of the Christian religion have to say on Mars' Hill ? We
can readily conceive what he would have to say to the
ignorant and down-trodden slaves in Attica ; we can
readily understand what Christianity has to say to
Caffrarians, and to the inhabitants of the Fiji Islands ;
but what had its ambassador to communicate to philoso
phers at Athens ? what had he to say to a people
among whom Plato, and Aristotle, and Socrates, and
Zeno, and Pythagoras, had lived and taught ? what had
he to reply when Stoics and Epicureans summoned him
to the Areopagus, saying, " May we know what this new

174 Life of the Apostle Paul.
doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is ? we would know what
these things mean."
There are two things implied when a preacher stands,
as Paul did, before such classes of men. One is, that the
subject on which he proposes to address them is worthy
of their attention ; the other is, that he is in possession
of knowledge beyond what they possess, so that what he
has to communicate will instruct them. On these two
thoughts I propose here to dwell. The object before
us, will be Paul at Athens ; the general subject,
CHRISTIANITY IN CONTACT WITH CULTIVATED MIND.
I. The first point to be illustrated is, that the subject on
which the minister of the Gospel addresses men is worthy
of the attention of cultivated minds.
There ought to be no occasion for arguing this point,
for it should be apparent at once that the subject of
religion is in itself of sufficient importance to claim the
attention of such an audience as Paul had. It is im
portant, however, to remark that it is more necessary to
do this now than it was for Paul when he addressed the
Athenians. In this respect there is a remarkable differ
ence between heathen Athens and the communities
where Christianity prevails. Paul felt himself under no
necessity of showing to his hearers that the subject was
worthy of their attention. They had already expressed
their sense of the importance of the inquiry by inviting
him to come to the most public place in their city: — the
place where he could best address the people ; the place
where the people had been addressed a thousand times.

Paul at Athens. 175
by the most celebrated orators of Greece, on occasions
of deepest interest to liberty and law ; and the place
whence the opinions given by magistrates of highest
rank and learning had gone forth to influence Greece and
the world. We, on the contrary, are obliged to awaken
inquiry in the minds of this class of men, and to show
why it is worthy of their profound thought. Some of
the reasons which make this especially proper and
necessary are the following.
First. Among the class of persons that, in other re
spects, would be represented by the philosophers of
Athens, religion does not come within the range of sub
jects to which they propose to direct their inquiries. The
questions respecting religion, or theology, lie beyond or
aside from the investigations which they design to pursue.
They regard these as belonging to a separate depart
ment of knowledge, and as appertaining, in a great
measure, to a distinct profession — the clergy. Despairing
of being able to know everything, men have learned to
think not only that there is to be a " division of labour,"
but that this is to extend to the investigations of truth
as well as to other kinds of toil ; and, instead of regarding
the great inquiries about religion as of common interest
to all men, they have set them by themselves as apper
taining only to those who feel themselves called to pursue
such studies as a matter of professional interest. Their
lives are devoted to other things. They are chemists,
geologists, jurists, surgeons, critics, editors, philosophers,
mathematicians, orators, poets, historians, not theologians.
Nature, in the particular department which they have

176 Life of the Apostle Paul.
selected, is to be their study, not the Bible ; the working
of physical forces, not the plan of salvation ; the laws
which rule in the material world, not the revealed laws
of God. Extensively it is felt, by these classes of men,
that one who is engaged in these pursuits need no more
trouble himself about the subtleties of religion, than for
example, a geologist should about the rules of Greek
prosody, or the poetry of Homer, or the works of Rubens
or Raphael. Every thing in its place, they say, and
every man for his own chosen pursuit. So thought not
the Athenians. By them the subject of religion was
regarded as a matter in which they were as much in
terested as any others. Paul found this state of mind ;
it was not necessary for him to create it.
Second. From some cause, the great mass of men,
when they are pursuing other inquiries, slop short when
they approach the subject of religion in their investiga
tions, even when it would appear impossible that they
should not be led to see and to embrace its truths. In
the history of the sciences and of the arts, it is often pain
fully affecting to see how near men have come to some
brilliant discovery or invention that would have changed
the aspect of the world, and that would have made their
own names immortal; — but either they died just as the
great result was about to be reached ; or, for some un
known reason, their zeal died away, and they lost their
interest in the matter. They approached it, and yet missed
it ; and we wonder that they could have been so near,
and not have found it. Thus we often see how near
some bold navigator has come to an undiscovered

Paul at Athens. 177
country, and has just turned the prow of his vessel
back, when, if he had kept on his way a little longer, he
would have made his name immortal. Thus the Chinese
longpossessedthe art of printing from solid wooden blocks,
and all that was needed, in order to discover the art of
printing as that term is used now, was to cut up their
wooden blocks into separate and moveable letters ; — yet
they never took this simple step. In like manner, they
long understood the properties of the loadstone or the
magnet, but it never occurred to them to apply these to
the purposes of navigation. The Arabians, under the
Caliphate at Bagdad, were on the verge of the most
splendid discoveries in chemistry, but they paused just
before they had attained them. So it has been in
religion. Nothing can be more painful than to see
how near to God men come in the pursuit of science,
and then pause or turn away. One can hardly under
stand how it is possible that they should go so far, and
not take the one step further, by which they would be led
to the recognition of a Divine Being. In astronomy, for
example, such men seem almost to look upon the throne
of God ; but they will not allow their minds to take
what would seem obviously to be the next step, and
many an astronomer remains ignorant of Him who
made the worlds. In anatomy, one can hardly imagine
how it is that he who studies the human frame can fail
to learn that there is a God, and yet many an one in that
study comes up to the point where it seems impossible
that he should not be convinced of this truth, and then ,
pauses and turns aside. N

178 Life of the Apostle Paul.
Third. When men do come up to the point, and when
the demonstration of the existence of a God, and of a
moral government, and of the need of a revelation is
forced upon them, they find the subject in an eminent
degree distasteful to them. They see no beauty in what
is disclosed to them, and perceive in it nothing to induce
them to pursue the inquiry farther. They, in fact, see
much that is repellent in these disclosures. They have
come into a region where the ideas of obligation and
duty, — the thoughts of eternity and retribution, — the
subjects of prayer and repentance, of death and the
judgment, — are likely to be predominant ; — and they are
not attracted by these themes. They reach that point
referred to by the apostle Paul, when on another oc
casion, addressing Greeks, as he was now, he said, "The
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of
God ; for they are foolishness unto him ; neither can he
know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
Some of those very philosophers who had invited Paul to
address them on Mars' Hill, evinced this spirit when
in his discourse he advanced to the higher truths of
religion; — part openly "mocked," and part, probably
cherishing the same feeling, but designing to carry out
the idea of Grecian courtesy, and not to give needless
offence, though really showing how distasteful the sub
ject had become, said, "We will hear thee again of this
matter." It is proper, therefore, to show that the subject of
religion is worthy the attention of this class of minds.
In endeavouring to do so, we may observe —

Paul at Athens. 179
(1.) That it is an avowed principle with such persons,
that all subjects are to be investigated; that all truth is
of importance, and has a claim to attention. In other
words, it is a just maxim in philosophy, that truth is to
be followed wherever it may lead us, and is to be
yielded to in its proper influence, disclose what it
may on any subject whatsoever. No man can be a
philosopher in the true sense of the word, — no man can
pursue science in the true spirit of science, who does
not most strictly and rigidly act on this principle, that
we are never to start back from the disclosures of truth,
— that we are never to be deterred in our inquiries
because what is disclosed may be distasteful to us, or
because it may cross the path of our preconceived
opinions, and even require of us the sacrifice of former
views, or because it may demand of us the performance
of painful duty, or because it may expose us to ridicule,
or because it may interfere with our pleasures. Every
man who has any pretensions to science, would condemn
himself as destitute of the true spirit of a philosopher,
if he should detect in himself a disposition to pause
in his inquiries when he found himself approaching a
conclusion that would overthrow a favourite theory
which he had cherished, or even confirm the opinions of
a rival. And why should the astronomer, whose glass
penetrates the fields of ether, revealing new worlds and
systems, refuse to follow out the revelation when the
throne of God seems to stand before him, and admit that
there is a God? Why should he who studies and
admires the skill and wisdom displayed in the human

180 Life of the Apostle Paul.
frame shrink back from the conclusion that it had an
intelligent Contriver and Maker ? Why should he hesi
tate to allow these disclosures to lead him up to that
Great and Holy One, in whose being and perfections
there is infinitely more to admire ? Why should he
always talk about " Nature" and never about " God ?"
(2.) As mere abstract matters, the subjects of religion
are as worthy of attention as any that can come before
the minds of men. I do not now say, more worthy;
but I content myself with saying that, in the range of
human inquiries, the matters pertaining to religion are
of as much importance as any other subjects of inquiry,
and of as much importance to cultivated minds as to
others. The Greeks, as a people, had evinced their own
convictions of this truth, for more than most other
nations they had turned their attention to these great
inquiries. When the Athenians asked Paul to come to
Mars' Hill, they were acting in accordance with all
that had occurred in their own history. Stranger though
he was, Jew though he was, a follower of the "Nazarene"
though he was, yet the very subject of his discourses
had, in their view, such an importance as to justify all
attempts to learn from him something more about the
nature of religion. When Grecian sages were thus
leading a foreign Jew to the Areopagus to ask him
what he had to say on this subject, no man in Athens
would feel that this was an unworthy act in the city
where Socrates, Zeno, Pythagoras, and Plato had
taught ; no one would feel that this was a departure
from the national character. Wherever else such an

Paul at Athens. 181
act, or such an inquiry, might excite contempt or
ridicule, it would not be in Athens. No man, no people,
no class of people, however learned, exalted, or advanced
in civilization and in the arts of life, act contrary to
the dictates of the highest wisdom, when they give
themselves to earnest thought about the Creator of the
world ; the origin of man ; the methods of the Divine
administration ; the redemption and immortality of the
soul ; the question about the resurrection of the dead,
and the future state. And when men, weary with their
inquiries into nature, and saddened with the few intel
ligent answers which nature gives to the questions
that agitate their souls, return to their homes from
the laboratory or the dissecting-room, and, in the
presence of their families, or alone in their closets, take
the Bible to ascertain what it says, or kneel before the
Father of lights, and ask guidance on these great
subjects from on high, they are doing nothing of which
any man should be ashamed. If these great subjects
are not important for man, what subjects can be?
(3.) The subject of religion pertains, as a personal
matter, as really to cultivated men as to the rest of
mankind. It is not merely a thing abstractly of
interest and importance. It does not merely open
great questions relating to the welfare of society, to
refinement of manners, to the happiness of domestic
life ; but it is a subject of personal importance to each
individual. Every one of the Athenian philosophers
who invited and accompanied Paul to Mars' Hill, whether
Stoic or Epicurean, and whether he realized it or not,

1 82 Life of the Apostle Paul.
had personally as deep an interest in the matters which
were to be discussed as Paul himself had, — as deep as
any member of the human family could ever have.
That interest, moreover, was not at all lessened, but
rather augmented, by any claims to profound talent, to
metaphysical acuteness, to exalted rank, to rich and
varied learning, or to refined and polished manners,
which any of them might have, or might suppose they
had. It is greatly to be wished that the class of persons
now referred to, would disabuse themselves, or allow
others to disabuse them, of a deception — almost a
hallucination — into which they seem unconsciously to
fall, as founded on the idea that they are somehow
exempt from the claims and requirements of religion.
It would be much — very much — if they could be
brought to feel that great talents are not, before God,
a substitute for love to Himself ; that the possession of
a profound intellect does not free any man from the
obligations resting on the heart for purity and holiness ;
that a reputation for attainments in science does not settle
the question whether he is righteous before^ his Maker;
that refined manners are not, in the sight of God, a
substitute for the graces of the Spirit ; that God does
not justify men on the ground of human learning ;
and that attainments in chemistry, anatomy, geology,
botany, astronomy, — or skill in sculpture and painting,-^-
do not prepare a man to die. Paul would have said to
Epicurus or Zeno, that dialectical skill does not neces
sarily commend a man to the favour of God ; — to Phidias

Paul at Athens. 183
and Praxiteles, that the productions of the chisel,
though they may secure immortal fame on earth, do
not make immortal blessedness certain beyond the
grave ; — to Leonidas and his brave Spartans, that great
military bravery, and great services rendered to one's
native land, though these may secure the plaudits of
men, even in remote futurity, do not necessarily secure
the approbation of Him who shall judge the quick and
the dead, and that laurels won on the battle-field are
not always followed by an " incorruptible crown."
No more lamentable delusion has ever settled down
on the misguided human mind than the notion that a man
can be placed by the fortune of birth or talents, or by
his own efforts, in a situation where he is released from
the obligation to be, in the most thorough sense of the
term, a religious man. Did not the same God make
him, that has made others ? Is not the law of God
binding on him, as it is on others ? Is he not to die, as
well as others ? Will not the grave be the same to him,
as to the humblest of the race ? Is he not to stand at
the judgment-bar, as they are ? Is he not equally with
them, responsible to his Maker ? Can any one prove —
can any one seriously imagine — that by wealth, or rank,
or learning, or accomplishments, he can place himself
beyond the reach of moral obligation, or that in the
sight of his Maker, these things can be a substitute for
obedience to Him ? To ask these questions is enough.
There can be but one answer, — that in proportion as
men raise themselves up by their talents and acquire
ments, in that proportion do they augment their

184 Life of the Apostle Paul.
responsibility, and in that proportion also make it
equally criminal and dangerous to live without God.
In this connexion it may not be improper to venture
a remark, of a speculative character, on what might
have occurred if it had been the lot of Socrates to meet
with Jesus of Nazareth. With the known character of
Socrates as an inquirer after truth, — with his earnest
searchings after what was true, wherever he found it, —
with his love for the pure in morals and the true in
religion, — with the acknowledged perplexity of his own
mind in regard to the great questions which pertain to
God, and to the human soul, and to the future state, —
and with his thorough conviction that the system of
religion in his ov/n country was false, and the worship
of the gods of Greece a vain service, — is it too much to
believe that in the presence of such a Teacher as Jesus
was, so humble, so pure, so wise, so familiar with these
great questions, and uttering truths so far in advance of
all that the world had known, the Grecian sage would
have seated himself at His feet as a learner ? Socrates is
represented by Plato, in his Dialogue on Prayer, as
telling Alcibiades that we do not know what we ought
to pray for, and adding "We must, therefore, wait till
such time as we may learn how to behave towards the
gods, and towards men." — "But when will that time
come ?" says Alcibiades, " and "who is it that will
instruct us ? for I would see this man, who he is." — " It
is one," replies Socrates, " who takes care of you ; but
. . . the darkness that hangs over your mind must be
removed before you are able to discern what is good

Paul at Athens. 185
and what is evil." — "Let him remove from my mind,
the darkness, and what else he pleases," rejoins Alci
biades ; " I am determined to refuse nothing he shall
order me, whoever he is, so that I may become the
better for it"1 With what profound respect (may we
suppose) such a man would have listened to the teach
ings of Him who spake as never man spake.
II. We are to illustrate the fact that Paul was in
possession of knowledge on these subjects which was in
advance of what these philosophers possessed ; or that
the religion which he came to communicate was of a
nature to impart instruction to them. It taught truths
which they knew not ; it answered questions which the
unaided human mind is not able to answer. In consi
dering this, we may notice,
1. The manner in which Paul approached the sub
ject of his peculiar doctrines.8 The wisdom which the
apostle evinced, in circumstances of so much difficulty,
1 Addison's "Spectator," No. 207.
a In our common Version, there are, in the rendering of Paul's discourse
at Athens, a few infelicities of expression. For language more exactly
expressing the sense, I would refer to the translation by Conybeare and
Howson ("Life of St. Paul," vol. i. pp. 350, 351). Of this discourse, in
general, as bearing on the manner in which Paul introduced his subject, I
may extract the following remarks from the same volume : — " We observe,
also, how the whole course of the oration was regulated by his own peculiar
prudence. He was brought into a position, when he might easily have
been ensnared into the use of words, which would have brought down upon
him the indignation of all the city. Had he begun by attacking the national
gods in the midst of their sanctuaries, and with the Areopagites on the
seats near him, he would have been in almost as great danger as Socrates
before him. Yet he not only avoids the snare, but uses the very difficulty

1 86 Life of the Apostle Paul.
and on an occasion of so much importance, deserve a
somewhat particular notice. The following points are
worthy of attention : —
{a.) He made no direct attack on their religion. He
did not even advert to the evil of idolatry, or to its
necessary influence. He did not awaken their prejudices,
and alarm their fears, as if his mission among them was
to overturn their altars, to destroy their temples, to
disrobe their priests, or to effect sudden and violent
changes in their social organization.
{b.) He commended their zeal in religion as real
zeal in a great cause ; and he referred, without any
unkind reflections, to the evidence of that zeal exhi
bited on every hand. The city was full of altars and
temples, on which all the skill of sculpture had been
lavished, and which won the admiration of all travellers
— illustrating an uncommon zeal in the cause of religion,
and showing how the public mind estimated the value
of his position to make a road to the convictions of those who heard him.
He becomes a heathen to the heathen. He does not say that he is intro
ducing new divinities. He rather implies the contrary, and gently draws
his hearers away from polytheism, by telling them that he was making
known the God whom they themselves were ignorantly endeavouring to
worship. And if the speech is characterised by St. Paul's prudence, it is
marked by that wisdom of his Divine Master, which is the pattern of all
Christian teaching. As our blessed Lord used the tribute-money for the
instruction of his disciples, and drew living lessons from the water in the
well of Samaria, so the apostle of the Gentiles employed the familiar
objects of Athenian life to tell them of what was close to them, and yet
they knew not. He had carefully observed the outward appearance ol
the city. He had seen an altar with an expressive, though humiliating
inscription. And, using this inscription as a text, he spoke to them . . .
the words of Eternal Wisdom.'' — Ibid. p. 349.

Paul at Athens. 187
and importance of Divine worship. He found a city
evincing that very interest in the general subject, which
he regarded as appropriate for man, and which he
therefore desired to secure everywhere.
{c.) He referred to their acknowledged difficulties, — •
to the avowal of their own ignorance or uncertainty, as
recorded on an altar which they had themselves reared
in so prominent a place as to attract the attention (even
among the multitude of altars and temples) of a passing
stranger : — To the Unknown God. Such an altar in
fact existed. It was reared on an occasion when the city
had been suddenly delivered from pestilence. That the
deliverance was the work of divinity — of a " God " — all
their rational convictions led them to believe ; and their
ideas of propriety led them to believe, also, that the
act should be recorded and commemorated on some
appropriate monument, or by some appropriate me
morial. As they had avowed openly that they knew
not what God it was, it could not be uncourteous for
a stranger to refer to the doubts of which they made no
concealment. {d.) He proposed to reveal the God whom they thus
unconsciously adored ; to lead them up to the real
source of every blessing. It could offend none of their
prejudices to do this ; it would be doing no dishonour,
in their view, to the claims of any other God. Here
was a field wholly vacant, in respect to which, if Paul
had any knowledge, it could not but be supposed that
it would be acceptable to them. It was, moreover,
taking no unfair advantage. It was no mere art of a

1 88 Life of the Apostle Paul.
rhetorician. It was true in all the senses in which he
urged it, that the God whom he proclaimed was that
God who had interposed in the time of the pestilence.
{e.) Paul agreed, as far as possible, with the philo
sophers who heard him ; and he reasoned from their
own admitted principles. In fact what he stated in
this discourse is little more than what they would
readily see must be fair conclusions from the doctrines
which they themselves held. As he availed himself on
other occasions of the principles held by those with
whom he was reasoning, — as, according to his own
statement elsewhere (i Cor. ix. 20 — 23), and in accord
ance with what is allowed everywhere, he sought to win
men by every proper concession, and every proper
compliance with their habits and views, — so, here, he
makes use of the principles held by his hearers, as a
ground of appeal. He argues as they argued. He
agrees with them as far as he can. He avails himself
of admitted truths to prepare the way for the statement
of truths from which he might apprehend that they
would recoil. He, therefore, quotes their own poets, —
thus showing that he was not averse to what they so
much prided themselves on, and that he was familiar
with the writings which had made them illustrious. A
truth found in their poetry, though it was heathen
poetry, was not the less a truth because it had had such
an origin, and because it was not found in the inspired
writings of the Jews.
So far he was successful. He did not excite their
fears. He did not expose himself to contempt. He

Paul at Athens. 189
secured, as he had hoped to do, their profound atten
tion. 2. We are prepared, then, to consider the doctrines
which he made known to them.
These were of two kinds : — those which were based
on principles that they themselves held, or which might
be urged as derived from those principles ; and those
which were peculiar to the Christian system.
{a.) Those which were based on principles that they
themselves held, — though in advance of their views.
These were such as the following : —
(1.) The existence of a God : — to them the "unknown
God." By rearing the altar in their city with this
inscription, they admitted the fact that there was
such a Being. Paul affirmed that it was so, and pro
ceeded to disclose to them His character, attributes,
and claims. The statement, that there was a "God,"
though "unknown" to them, was, in fact, though not
in form, a denial of the whole doctrine of idolatry, and
was doubtless designed by Paul to be such, though he
meant to present it in such a manner as not needlessly
to shock them. The inference was suggested more
directly and clearly in the subsequent part of the dis
course, when he declared that this was the Maker of
the world, who had made of one blood all the nations of
men. This assertion, then, though founded on principles
admitted by them, went far beyond the doctrines held
in Greece, or in any part of the heathen world ; for the
belief of the Greeks, as of other nations, had been, not
that there was one God, but that there were many gods.

190 Life of the Apostle Paul.
(2.) The fact that this "unknown" God was the
Creator of the world : "God that made the world, and all
things therein." This, too, was a statement in advance
of all that was held on the subject of the existence and
origin of the universe by the men who had invited him
to state his views, though here again the statement was
so made as not to shock their prejudices. Part among
them — the Stoics — held that all things were originated
and controlled by " Fate ;" part — the Epicureans — that
all things were originated and controlled by cliance; —
part resolved the origin of the world into a " fortuitous
concourse of atoms ;" part acknowledged nothing higher
than physical laws ; part supposed that the universe had
its origin in the creative power of subordinate divinities.
None of the gods that were worshipped in Greece
corresponded with the idea of One Infinite and Eternal
Being, as Creator of the universe.
(3.) The immensity of God : He " dwelleth not in
temples made with hands." He is too great, too exalted,
too unlimited in His being and perfections, to have His
abode in a temple of human structure. This, too, was
an idea in advance of any that was held in Athens, and
would vitally affect all their notions of religion. The
gods which they worshipped, did, in their apprehension,
dwell in the temples which human hands had reared.
In each of those temples, there was a sacred recess — a
dark, retired, solitary room — where the god was sup
posed to reside, and which was his abode. This was
the idea which made the temples sacred, and clothed
with sanctity those who officiated at their altars. The

Paul at Athens. 191
idea of Paul, if embraced by these Athenians, would at
once have changed their conceptions in regard to the
numerous temples which surrounded him, and which
adorned the city on every side.
(4.) The independence of God : " Neither is worshipped
with men's hands, as though He needed any thing,
seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things."
This, too, struck at a favourite doctrine of idolatry, and
was quite in advance of the views which prevailed even
in Greece. It was a doctrine, nearly universal in the
heathen world, that the gods were sustained by the food
offered in sacrifice ; that that food was actually con
sumed by them ; that they were thus dependent on
their worshippers, and " needed " the service thus
rendered by mortals, — being not less dependent on men
than men were dependent on them.
(5.) The unity of the human race : " And hath made
of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all
the face of the earth." No more far-reaching principle,
perhaps, could have been stated than this ; none more
in advance of the prevalent belief of those whom Paul
addressed ; none more deeply affecting the faith and
the conduct of mankind ; none that would ultimately do
more to promote liberty, to break the bonds of slavery,
to dethrone tyrants, and to lay the foundation for just
views of government — a truth in advance of any held
even in Greece. It was a truth far in advance of that
age, — for then, as too often now, the disposition pre
vailed to divide the world into races, castes, and clans,
and to regard one portion accordingly as inferior and

192 Life of the Apostle Paul.
subordinate to another. Eighteen hundred years have
passed away, and it is, in many respects, a truth still in
advance of the age in which we live.
(6.) The grand purpose for which certain arrangements
had been made in respect to the human race: "And
ordained to each the appointed seasons of their existence,
and the bounds of their habitation ; that they should
seek God, if haply they might feel after Him and find
Him." He has so fixed the boundaries of the nations,
— so assigned and arranged their nationality, — so broken
up the one great family into different communities, — so
separated them from each other, by their lineage, their
languages, and their manners, or by lakes, mountains,
seas, rivers, and deserts, — that the whole race should be in
the best circumstances to seek and to find their Maker, and
that all separate and independent inquiries among the
nations might tend to the one result, leading them to
find out God. In this arrangement there may be a
depth of wisdom which we, even now, are little able to
comprehend ; and Paul may have stated a principle here,
not only far in advance of any view as to the origin of
nations which prevailed in Greece, but far beyond any
which we are yet able to fathom in regard to the
arrangements by which the one great race is broken up
into nations, tribes, clans, > and families. Perverted as
the arrangement may have been, and seems to have
been, by having been made the occasion of war among
rival nations, or by having been made the pretext by
which one nation has reduced another to slavery, yet (if
it had not been thus perverted) it might have been the

Paul at Athens. 193
wisest and best arrangement to lead men up to God.
We can see an illustration of its wisdom, on a small
scale, as manifested in the smallest of those divisions, —
that of the family. Is there any arrangement conceivable
which could be made more conducive to the great
purposes of religion than this ? On a larger scale, may
there not have been some similar advantage as derived
from the division into tribes and nations ?¦
(7.) The spirituality of God and of religion : " For
asmuch as we are the offspring of God, we ought not
to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver,
or stone, graven by art and man's device." Paul, in
Athens, saw around him gods that were made of gold,
and silver, and stone, graven with the highest perfection
of art, as if the divinity could be represented by molten
and graven images. Greece, too, in this respect, repre
sented and reflected the universal sentiment of mankind.
How far in advance of that sentiment was the declara
tion thus made by a Christian apostle on Mars' Hill,
and in the very presence of these idolaters !
Thus far Paul had advanced sentiments founded on
their own principles, or fairly derived from principles
held by them. We turn then to the second class of
truths advanced by him.
{b.) The doctrines which were peculiar to the Christian
system ; those which might be regarded as among the
"strange things" which (they said) had been brought "to
their ears," and in reference to which particularly they
1 This is a mere suggestion. It would, I think, if carried out, furnish
material for an entire treatise in illustrating the wisdom of God,
O

194 Life of the Apostle Paul.
had asked an explanation from his own lips. We are
to remember here that Paul was interrupted — rudely
interrupted— in his discourse, even in Athens (ver. 32,
33), — and that we have but a fragment of what he in
tended to say, and for which he had been preparing the
way, so that he could say it in a manner which would
give the least offence. Yet we have a statement which
he was permitted to make before he was interrupted, — a
statement of the utmost importance to the class of men
gathered on Mars' Hill, and to all other men. That
statement consists of the following particulars.
(1.) God now commands and requires universal re
pentance. This was the great doctrine with which John
the Baptist and the Saviour of the world had both com
menced their ministry, — a doctrine not new in the sense
that men do not understand the nature of repentance,
or that they never feel its obligation — (for these things
are laid in the very nature of man), — but new in the
sense that, being now proclaimed by God as a matter of
obligation, it is implied that the penitent may find pardon.
Of this, man can never be assured by the mere light of
nature, for repentance does not repair the evils of the
past, or make atonement for sin ; it does not bring back
health ruined by dissipation, or property wasted in vice,
or reputation lost by crime ; nor does it heal the broken
heart of a parent, crushed by the folly and sin of a son
or a daughter ; nor restore innocence to the seduced ;
nor recall the murdered from the grave. How, then,
can man by the light of nature know that the favour of
God may be secured, and past sins forgiven ?

Paul at Athens. 195
(2.) That God will judge the world. This doctrine
was not absolutely new to the world, for all men have,
in a certain sense, apprehended it, — but new in the
assurance that a particular "day" had been appointed
for the purpose ; and in the statement — a statement which
would be so startling to an Athenian philosopher, — that
it was to be done by a " mari' — by one in human form ;
— a statement suggesting the inquiry who he could be,
and what would be the extraordinary character and rank
on account of which he would be elevated to that high
office. (3.) The doctrine that there would be a resurrection of
the dead ; — as derived from the fact that God had raised
from the dead Him who was to judge the world, — im
plying that He had been laid in the grave, and opening
the way for a statement of the reasons why He had been
put to death. All this would be new to the Athenians ;
it would be deemed by them to be incredible and absurd.
Yet it suggested a great truth in advance of all that they
had learned, and it disclosed what by their philosophy they
could never have learned. In all their speculations —
(and their minds had been more given to that point than
the minds of any other people) — they had never been
able to satisfy themselves that even the soul would con
tinue to exist after death ; and it seems never to have
occurred to them, as a subject even demanding inquiry,
that the body would be raised from the grave. Even,
those among them who had dared to hope that the soul
might be immortal, had never been able to suggest
arguments in proof of it which convinced either them-

196 Life of the Apostle Paul.
selves or others. Cicero said that when he read the
arguments of Plato on the subject, they seemed for the
time to make some impression on him, but as soon as
he laid down the book, the impression wholly glided
away. It may be safely affirmed that the arguments
of Plato — the profoundest that the world has ever dis
covered — on the immortality of the soul, would convince
no man now. We are not to be surprised, therefore,
that when Paul stated it as a fact that this had actually
occurred, — that one who had been dead had been
restored to life again, — part turned away in disgust, and
part politely left him, saying that they would hear him
again of that matter.
What Paul would have said, if he had been allowed
to proceed, we can have no difficulty in ascertaining, for
we have abundant evidence in his writings of what his
faith was. We have only, therefore, to take the system
which he has at leisure disclosed to us in the Epistles to
the Romans, to the Corinthians, to the Ephesians, and
to the Hebrews, in order to understand what must have
been the substance of those " strange things" which he
brought to the people of Athens; — the great plan of
redemption by the sacrifice on the Cross ; the incarna
tion of the Son of God ; the atonement made for sin ;
the doctrine of justification by faith; the Divine pur
poses or decrees ; the native and universal depravity of
man ; the necessity of regeneration by the Holy Ghost ;
and the offer to all mankind of a free and full pardon.
These doctrines were immeasurably in advance of all
that Greek philosophy had discovered. On these great

Paul at Athens. 197
themes Christian apostles claimed to be able to instruct
the wisest of men.
The lessons which are suggested by the view which
has been taken of Paul's discourse on Mars' Hill, are the
following : —
First. Christianity does not shrink from investigation.
Paul manifested no reluctance to accede to the request
when invited to go to a place so conspicuous and so
celebrated, and where he was certain to be surrounded
by the most eminent philosophers in the world, but
evidently rejoiced in the opportunity thus furnished of
proclaiming the truths of the Gospel where they would
be most likely to be subjected to a thorough examination.
If there was any place in the world which an impostor
might have dreaded, it was Athens ; if there was any
spot in Athens where he would be most likely to be
appalled, it would be that to which Paul was conducted.
Yet we have in this case an illustration of a very marked
feature in the character of those to whom the Saviour
had entrusted the business of propagating His religion.
Their Master had said that "repentance and remission
of sins" should be "preached among all nations, be
ginning at Jerusalem ;" and they understood it to be
fairly implied in this that while they were to visit places
and people the most obscure and uncivilized, they
should, also, seek to make His Gospel known in the
chief seats of influence, of learning, and of power, where
its claims would undergo the strictest scrutiny.
Second. The history of the world, since Paul stood on

198 Life of the Apostle Paul.
Mars' Hill, has made no difference in the relation of
Christianity to the world in the matter under consi
deration. It claimed then to be in advance of the world
on subjects of the highest interest to mankind ; on
these same subjects, it claims to be now not less in
advance of the world than it was then. The world has,
indeed, made great progress in these eighteen hundred
years. In civilization, in arts, in science, in all that
promotes comfort as pertaining to this life, it is immea
surably in advance of what Corinth, Athens, and Rome,
at that time were. But the world has made no ma
terial advances in the knowledge of the great truths
of religion by the aid of science or philosophy. There
are truths which science and philosophy do not disclose.
The astronomer through his telescope sees millions of
distant worlds that could not be discovered by the
naked eye, — but he does not see God. The electrical
machine throws out vivid sparks — a blaze of light, — but
it does not reveal God. The chemist analyzes nature,
resolves the world around into primitive elements,
combines and compounds those elements anew, but he
does not see God. From none of these things do we
obtain an answer to the great questions which man asks
about the moral character of his Maker ; about the soul
and its immortality ; about the future state ; about re
demption from sin ; about the way of pardon. On these
subjects the world has made no progress. Science and
philosophy have made no new disclosures ; and even
now, a man desirous of learning all that he can learn
without revelation — would not direct his steps to the

Paul at Athens. 199
observatory of the astronomer, or the laboratory of the
modern chemist, but would set himself to the study of
what was taught in the Academy, the Lyceum, and the
Porch at Athens. It is true, therefore, that on these
points, of so much interest to man, Christianity is still
as much in advance of what the human mind can
discover by its own unaided efforts, as it was when Paul
stood on Mars' Hill.
Third. If Christianity was then, and is now, ahead of
the world on these subjects, it may be presumed that it
will ever retain this advanced position. If it stood in
advance of human wisdom in Greece, and if the dis
coveries of eighteen hundred years have not, in this
respect, changed the relations of the two, it may be
presumed that Christianity will ever onward maintain
this advanced position, and be fitted still, in the remotest
ages, to instruct mankind about God, and the human
soul, and the way of salvation. Progress will still
doubtless be made in science, civilization, and the arts.
Nature has doubtless many more things to reveal to
mankind. It would be presumption to deny that dis
coveries may yet be made, as much in advance of the
mariner's compass, the art of printing, the telescope,
and the microscope, or the marvels of the magnetic
telegraph, as these were in advance of what was known
in Greece or in the middle ages. But as these things,
so wonderful, have not superseded Christianity in its
proper sphere, or shed such light on the unsolved ques
tions of religion as to supersede the Bible and the Cross,
it may be presumed that Christianity, in its own proper

200 Life of the Apostle Paul.
sphere, will still remain in advance of all the discoveries
of man.
Fourth. This furnishes a strong proof of the Divine
origin of Christianity. System after system of philo
sophy and religion has disappeared. Not a vestige now
remains of what Mr. Gibbon calls " the elegant mytho
logy of Greece ;" not a vestige of the religion of ancient
Rome. The Ptolemaic system of astronomy has passed
away, never to be revived. The philosophy of the
Stoics and Epicureans has to a great extent perished.
But Christianity survives. It has lived through all these
changes; and, in its original structure, had evidently
anticipated all the discoveries which man could make,
so that it would not interfere essentially with those
discoveries, but readily combine with them. In Pagan
systems the religion and the science are blended; and
the one is as sacred as the other. The assertions re
specting science in the religious books of the Hindus
are held to be as sacred as the assertions about the
gods; and the overthrow of the former would be the
overthrow of the latter. The Brahmin reasoned cor
rectly when he threw the microscope to the ground, and
exclaimed that if its revelations were true, his religion
was false. But after all the discoveries and develope-
ments of the last eighteen centuries, — after all that has
seemed to conflict with the Bible (or in reference to
which it has been affirmed that it is in conflict with the
Bible), — the hold of Christianity on the world is stronger
now, and the belief that the Bible is true is more wide
spread and deep, than in any past age.

X.
PAUL AT CORINTH.
Christianity in contact with gaiety, luxury, and refined sensuality.
Athens and Corinth contrasted. — Character of the Corinthians. — The
Apostle's purpose. — The theme he selected. — Unlikely to be received. —
The speaker a Jew. — The Saviour, also, a Jew. — The truth, about a
cross. — That cross made known for men's salvation. — To the Greeks,
"folly." — The adaptedness of this theme to secure the end sought. — The
Gospel claims this power. — Difficulty of making the claim understood. —
Impossibility of denying that the Gospel, and that alone, has such power.
— Explanations of the fact — (I.) The gift of a Saviour, the highest
proof of love. —(2. ) The sufferings of the Saviour, the clearest exhibition
of the evil of sin. — (3.) Necessity for His sufferings, the strongest
evidence of the sinner's danger.

" Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid,
but speak, and hold not thy peace : for I am with thee, and no man shall
set on thee to hurt thee : for I have much people in this city. And he
continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among
them." Acts xviii. 9 — 1 1.

C0R1NTU.

NTIRELY successful in delivering an address
that was worthy of the place and the au
dience, but unsuccessful in convincing many
of his hearers of the Divine origin of Chris
tianity, or bringing them to the knowledge
of the true God, — and not seeing sufficient
encouragement to attempt to found a church in Athens,
— Paul turned his steps to the neighbouring city, Corinth.
Here it was the Greek mind still that was to be encoun
tered, but under a new phase; not, as in Athens, devoted
to science, to eloquence, to literature, but given to gaiety
and effeminate luxury. Paul, standing on Mars' Hill,
saw one class of objects, — the altars, the temples, the
Lyceum, the Porch, the Academy, all indicative of the
prevailing intellectual and religious tendencies of the
Athenians; — approaching Corinth, the most conspicuous

204 Life of the Apostle Paul.
object was not, as in Athens, the Parthenon, dedicated
to the goddess of wisdom, but the temple of Venus
erected on its acropolis, and towering high above the
city, as illustrative of the taste and the character of the
Corinthians. Theirs was indeed (as just remarked) the
Greek mind — active, quick, penetrating, powerful —
needing only proper objects to enable it to do all that
mind can be made to do, capable of producing the
wonderful beauties of thought, poetry, eloquence, and
wisdom displayed by Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Phidias,
Homer, Demosthenes, Pericles, — just as the French mind
has been developed in the powers of Massillon, Laplace,
Cuvier, and Lavoisier, — but in this case (as too exten
sively with the French mind) turned to purposes of
pleasure and gaiety. The great names of Greece are
associated with Athens, not with Corinth. The warriors,
the orators, the poets, the statesmen, the sages, found a
home in the former; we do not associate their names
with the latter.
Hence, in Athens, we contemplated Christianity in
contact with cultivated intellect, with proud philosophy,
with idolatry in its most mature, intellectual, artistic,
and refined developements ; — in Corinth we are to con
template it in contact with all that art could devise for
the amusement of life ; with all that was adapted to
nourish the habits of voluptuousness ; with all, refined
or gross, that could be made to minister to the pleasures
of sense. In Athens, we saw the Christian apostle in
contact with men devoted to abstract dialectics and
subtle argumentation ; — in Corinth, we are to see the

Paul at Corinth. 205
same apostle in contact with the pleasure-seeking and
the gay. If not the first instance (as it certainly was
not the last) in which Christianity encountered this
class of persons, it was at least one of the most strongly-
marked cases of what it has to encounter in a world
where men are " lovers of pleasure more than lovers of
God." It may not be unprofitable, therefore, to con
template the aim, and the purpose, and the preaching of
the great representative of the Christian religion, when
he stood amidst the people of such a city. Our subject
for the present is, accordingly, Paul AT CORINTH ; or,
Christianity in contact with gaiety, luxury,
and refined sensuality.
Corinth, unlike Athens, was a commercial city, and
derived its principal importance, its wealth, and its
characteristics, from trade. It was the capital of Achaia ;
and, being situated on the isthmus which divided the
Peloponnesus from Attica, it was the highway between
Northern and Southern Greece. The merchandize of
Italy, Sicily, and the Western nations generally, was
landed at one of its ports ; that from the islands of the
^Egean Sea, from the coasts of Asia Minor, from Phenicia,
and from the nations of the East, at the other. It
became the mart of Asia and of Europe, bringing thither
a multitude of strangers, increasing the wealth of the
state, and leading to the habits of luxury consequent
on wealth. We must add, also, to the fact of its being
so favourably situated for commerce, that, on the very
isthmus on which the city was built, were celebrated the
games which derived their name from that fact — the

206 Life of the Apostle Paul.
Isthmian Games, — and which drew together vast num
bers of people from the other parts of Greece, and from
foreign lands.
Corinth became thus not only one of the most populous
and wealthy cities of Greece, but one of the most luxu
rious, effeminate, ostentatious, and dissolute cities of the
world. It was one of the few cities where licentiousness
has been sanctioned and sustained by law and religion,
having been not only practised and allowed, but con
secrated by the worship of Venus ; and no small part of
the wealth of the city having been derived from the
offerings made in the very temple of this goddess. No
city of ancient times, perhaps none of modern times, has
been or is more profligate. In the art of refining upon
the pleasures of sense, Corinth was in the ancient world
what Paris is in the modern, — the seat of splendour,
gaiety, magnificence, sensuality.1
What were the feelings with which a Christian apostle
approached such a city, what was the purpose which he
sought to accomplish there, and what were the means
by which he proposed to secure his object, are most
1 On this point it would not be proper to go into the details which the
subject would admit of, and which, indeed, would be necessary in order to
a /^//understanding of the difficulties which the Gospel had to encounter
in that city. It may be sufficient to give the following statement from
Anarcharsis (vol. iii. p. 378) : — " The women of Corinth are distirguished
by their beauty; the men, by their love of gain and of pleasure. They
ruin their health by convivial debauches; and love, with them, is only
licentious passion. Far from blushing at their sensuality, they attempt to
justify it by an institution which seems to prescribe it as their duty. Venus
is their principal deity ; to her they have consecrated a. number of cour
tezans for the purpose of interceding in their behalf; in time of public

Paul at Corinth. 207
interesting questions. It is not difficult to imagine the
emotions of such a man, when looking for the first time
on that beautiful city, remembering the purpose of his
high mission, recalling his want of success in Athens,
and asking what there was in his message which could
be made to interest that gay and profligate people, and
secure their conversion to the Saviour. » That he should
feel solicitude and anxiety would not be unnatural ;
and we know that he did experience these feelings.
Writing to the Corinthians afterwards, he says ofthe time
when he first came among them, '' I was with you in
weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling" (1 Cor.
ii. 3). It was to relieve this solicitude that the Lord
said to Paul in the night by a vision, " Be not afraid, but
speak, and hold not thy peace," etc.
The purpose of the apostle was deliberately formed.
He resolved what to do ; what to aim at ; what to rely
on as the ground of success. His fixed resolution, then
formed, was stated afterwards in an epistle addressed to
them : " I determined not to know any thing among
calamity and imminent danger, these women attend at the sacrifices, and
walk in the procession with other citizens, singing sacred hymns. When
Xerxes invaded Greece, recourse was had to their intercession ; and I have
seen the picture in which they are represented, addressing their prayer to
the goddess, — and some verses of Simonides, at the bottom of the painting,
which ascribe to them the glory of having preserved the Greeks. A triumph
so illustrious multiplied the number of these priestesses. Individuals, to
ensure the success of their undertakings, vow to present to Venus a
certain number of courtezans, whom they send for to different countries.
They attract hither the foreign merchants, and in » few days ruin them
and their whole retinue : — hence the proverb, ' It is not for every one to go
to Corinth.'"

208 Life of the Apostle Paul.
you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" (i Cor. ii. 1, 2).
His purpose was to have but one object of interest and
of thought as pertaining to himself, and to endeavour to
secure but one object in reference to them. Amidst the
works of art and beauty which might be supposed to be
interesting to a stranger visiting Corinth, he resolved to
show that there was something more attractive in his
view ; and even among that gay and pleasure -loving
people, he would seek to introduce it as an object which
would become more attractive to them than all the
splendours and all the vanities around them. That
object was a crucified Saviour, as able to impart more
genuine happiness to the mind than all the pleasures of
earth, however varied, multiplied, and refined ; as more
efficacious in turning men from sin than all the rules of
morality and philosophy ; as the only thing that would
secure reconciliation with God.
To understand the Apostle's purpose, as thus declared,
and to elucidate our subject — Christianity in contact
with gaiety, luxury, and sensuality — it will be necessary
to consider how the new topic of thought which Paul
determined to introduce there, would be likely to be
received ; and then, the adaptedness of this theme to
secure his object. These points suggest inquiry as to
the purpose of the gospel in respect to the salvation of
the world, and will bring before us more important, and,
in some respects, more difficult questions than any
which elsewhere come before the minds of men. It
seems strange to many that Paul should have selected
such a theme; it seems absurd to them that he should

Paul at Corinth. 209
have hoped for any success in dwelling on such a theme
in such a place ; it is difficult for them now to see how
the " cross" can become attractive to the gay and the
worldly, or how it can change the entire purpose of
their lives.
I. The new topic of thought which Paul proposed to in
troduce into Corinth, and on which alone he proposed to
dwell, — Christ, and Him crucified.
In attempting now to show how this would be likely to
strike the Corinthian mind, we shall have an illustration
of a general fact in regard to the manner in which such a
topic appears to the gay and the voluptuous ; to those
intent on pleasure ; and to the great mass of men, what
ever may be their pursuits, in every age, and in every
land. To see this, it is necessary, as far as possible, to
put ourselves in the situation of the Corinthians, and
then to ask how they would be likely to regard this
foreign Jew and his message.
Either as the result of experience, or of inspiration,
this same apostle, in a letter subsequently sent to the
Corinthians, has stated how the cross of Christ is
naturally regarded by that class of minds. " The
preaching of the cross," he says, "is to them that perish,
foolishness" (1 Cor. i. 18). "We preach Christ crucified,
unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks
foolishness" (1 Cor. i. 23). " After that, in the wisdom
of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased
God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that
believe" (1 Cor. i. 21.) P

210 Life of the Apostle Paul.
The circumstances of the case were such as the
following ; —
(i.) He who came to them to preach this doctrine
was a Jew; and, as such, would be able to advance but
feeble claims to a hearing from an assembly of Greeks.
The Jew had almost no science, and no literature, except
his sacred books. His country had produced no philo
sophers celebrated like those of Greece. To this subject
allusion has already been made, and it is a circumstance
important to be borne in mind.
(2.) He of whom Paul came to speak — " Christ" — was
a Jew also. He was of lowly origin ; had lived mostly
in an obscure part of his own country; had enjoyed
almost no advantages of education ; had laboured at a
humble mechanical employment ; had been associated
mainly with fishermen ; had been rejected as an im
postor by his own countrymen. What claims had He
to the attention of foreign nations ? His fame had not
reached Corinth before Paul went there; but at every
step an interest was to be created for Him, if it was to
exist at all. Why should an inhabitant of Corinth feel
any interest in a poor and unknown man, who had dwelt
in Nazareth, and been crucified at Jerusalem ?
(3.) The theme was one that was little likely to be at
tractive to those who lived in Corinth, {a.) Paul could not
have hoped that the mere fact that one had been thus
crucified would interest and arouse them, for occurrences
of that kind were not uncommon, and why (among the
hundreds who had been crucified in Judaea under the
Roman government) should this particular case be

Paul at Corinth. 211
selected as having a claim to universal attention ? {b.) It
could not have been supposed that this would interest
them because a great wrong had been done to Him as a
Roman citizen, for Jesus was not a Roman citizen, and
did not claim to be such, {c.) It could not have been
hoped that an interest would be awakened in Him as a
martyr, for there had been others in Judaea, who, it
might be said, were not less eminent as martyrs than He
was ; and there had been martyrs in Greece, in the cause
of liberty, justice, and truth, whom the Corinthians would
be likely to regard as not less worthy of honour than
any who had suffered martyrdom in other lands.
The " cross," moreover, little as it has now to make it
attractive to the gay and the worldly, had then every
thing that could make the mention of it repulsive.
Even in our day, there is almost nothing more incon
gruous and uncongenial to the prevailing tastes and
feelings of that class of persons than the topics con
nected with a crucified Saviour. In the social inter
course of those whose feelings and condition of life
would be represented by the Corinthians, there is
almost no subject so seldom introduced in conversation,
and none whose introduction would be regarded as more
out of place, or more offensive, than a reference to
Christ and His cross. By common consent the subject
is banished from such circles. Who will venture to
make an allusion to it in a ball-room ? Who, at the
opera ? Who, in the theatre ? No one could introduce
a topic that would be regarded 'as more out of place ;
more repellent ; more certain to give offence.

212 Life of the Apostle Paul.
And this topic would have been much more unat
tractive — much more repellent — in Corinth, than it would
be in such circles among us. The human heart has not,
indeed, been changed in its aversion to the cross, nor
will it ever be except by the grace of God ; but there
has been a change, in some respects, in regard to the
way in which it is contemplated by the world at large.
It is impossible to put ourselves, even in imagination,
in the condition of those to whom the Gospel was first
preached. There has been such a sacredness thrown
around the cross, — there are such hallowed associations
connected with it, — the world has learned to regard the
very name, " the cross," as so identified with all that
is sacred, with all that is self-denying, that even the
votaries of gaiety and vanity might be shocked by such
a statement as would place the reality before their
minds. The cross, even in popular estimation, has
become the symbol of honour, of glory, of goodness,
and of mercy. We have read of it as a standard in war,
under which armies have marched to victory; it is
embalmed in the sweetest poetry ; it is found in mag
nificent cathedrals ; it is a sacred emblem on the altars
pf churches ; it is engraven on the marble which affec
tion rears to mark the graves of those we loved ; it is
often worn by beauty and piety as an ornament near the
heart ; it is associated with all that is pure in love, great
in self-sacrifice, and sacred in religion. As a mode of
punishment, it is now unknown ; and when we think of
the cross, it is not of the multitude of slaves, and thieves,
and robbers, and vagabonds, who have died on it, but

Paul at Corinth. 213
of the one great Victim whose death has ennobled even
this instrument of torture, and encircled it with a halo
of glory. But at the time when Paul resolved to know
nothing but "Christ crucified," — at the time when he
said, " God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ " (Gal. vi. 14), the word had but
one idea attached to it, and was regarded as more dis
honourable than are now the words, "guillotine,"
"block," "gallows," "gibbet." To say among such
people as were found in Corinth that he thought of
nothing else, and desired them to think of nothing else, —
that he would mention nothing else, and glory in
nothing else, — had more in it to shock, and repel, and
offend, and disgust than there would be now in saying
to a similar assembly that he resolved to think of
nothing, to know nothing, to commend to them nothing
but the gibbet — the gallows, — the unknown foreigner,
of a despised race, who had been put to death as slaves,
and thieves, and robbers, and vagabonds were, — as actu
ally dying between two such men, put to death in the
same way at the same time, — and as dying there because
it was believed, even by his own countrymen, that by
eminence of guilt He deserved the central place. How
could it be hoped by Paul that the gay citizens of
Corinth could be made to overcome this revulsion of
feeling, and to find an object of attraction in a cross ?
(4) The cross was to be made known to them as a
method of salvation; as an instrument in turning the
wicked from their ways ; as a means of inducing the
gay and the worldly to forsake their vanities and follies.

214 Life of the Apostle Paul.
It was this alone which it was Paul's object to proclaim.
It was not that He who had been crucified had a
claim to glory that might be compared with the fame
of Grecian warriors on a battle field ; it was not that
He had been, like many of their own countrymen, a
sufferer in the cause of liberty, and that His name on
that account was worthy to be enrolled with theirs ; it
was not that He had suggested new truths in philosophy
which might interest a Greek mind ; it was not the
announcement that new sources of pleasure had been
opened to vary the scenes of sensual enjoyment, and to
give new attractiveness to social life ; it was not the disco
very of new methods to prolong the gratifications of sense,
or to repair the wasted vigour of those who had been
enervated by carnal indulgences. Any or all of these
things might have been matters of interest to the
inhabitants of Corinth. But it was solely with reference
to religion — to salvation — to a method of securing the
favour of God, — that Paul sought to make the cross
attractive to those whom he purposed to address. And
it was on this alone that he relied for success. It was
not grace of manner, or attractive rhetoric, or balanced
periods and rounded sentences ; it was not philosophy,
or argument, or dialectical skill ; it was the theme itself,
however presented — the truth — the fact of the cruci
fixion — the " power " that there was in the cross, — and
that alone. "My speech and my preaching," said he
to them, afterwards, "was not with enticing words of
man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and
of power " (i Cor. ii. 4). " Christ sent me to preach

Paul at Corinth. 215
the Gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of
Christ should be made of none effect" (1 Cor. i. 17).
It was easy to see (and Paul has not left us to doubt
that he saw) how this would be likely to appear to
dwellers in Greece. He has, in writing to the Corin
thians, stated with philosophical accuracy, precisely how
this would strike their mind. " We preach Christ cru
cified," said he, — " unto the Greeks foolishness" — fiwpiav,
— folly ; in their estimation, absolute unqualified folly.
This word expresses exactly the- idea ; it describes
precisely the impression which the attempt would make
on the mind of a Greek. The word " folly " is thus
defined : " weakness of intellect ; imbecility of mind ;
want of understanding ; — a weak or absurd act ; an act
inconsistent with the dictates of reason, or the ordinary
rules of prudence" {Webster). All this would to a
Greek appear to be true of the Gospel. To his appre
hension, there would be, there could be, no adaptedness
in the idea of a " cross " to the work of salvation ; to
the elevation of the race; to the reformation of man
kind. He would see no connexion between the one
and the other; no fitness in the means for the end.
The Greeks had their own ideas of what was necessary
to raise, to civilize, to reform, to save men. It was to
be done by truth ; by philosophy ; by teaching ; by
knowledge. Between these things and the end proposed,
they saw, or thought they saw, a close connexion. If
men were instructed, if pure morality were inculcated,
if there were just and equal laws, if right principles of
philosophy prevailed, they hoped — they believed — that

216 Life of the Apostle Paul.
the world might be elevated, that prevailing evils might
be removed, that the debased might be exalted ; that
the corrupt might be reformed. To attempt this was
wise, — was wisdom. But what connexion could there be
between the idea of a cross, or a crucified man, and the
attainment of such an end ? What relation could the
one have to the other ? What element of power, which
would be apparent to a Greek mind, could there be
connected with that instrument of cruelty and death, to
reclaim the intemperate, to render the gay serious, to
make the corrupt pure, or elevate the degraded? A
Greek philosopher would ask these questions, as philo
sophers do now ; the gay and the voluptuous of Corinth,
if their attention could be arrested at all, would ask this
question, just as the frivolous and worldly-minded do
now. II. This leads us to notice the adaptedness of this topic
to arrest the minds of the gay, the refined, and the
worldly ; to secure the conversion and salvation of those
who live for pleasure, or who are sunk in gross sen
suality. (i.) I begin this part of my subject by remarking
that the Gospel claims this to be the only effectual mode
of reforming and recovering sinners of all grades and
classes. Thus Paul afterwards says to the Corinthians,
" We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-
block, and unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them
which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the
power of God, and the wisdom of God (i Cor. i. 23, 24);

Paul at Corinth. 217
—and to the Romans, he says (i. 16), "For I am not
ashamed of the Gospel of Christ ; for it is the power of
God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the
Jew first, and also to the Greek." This claim lies at
the very foundation of the Gospel, for it is based on the
idea that all other schemes of reforming and saving men
have failed, and that this is the last hope of man.
(2.) Yet it is to be remarked that there is not in the
whole compass of the Christian theology any one point
more difficult of explanation than this ; one which is
less understood by unconverted men; one which it is
more difficult to make them comprehend. It is probable
that even Paul, while he resolved to know only this theme
among the Corinthians, — while he relied on this alone
as the means of the renovation and conversion of the
inhabitants of that gay and guilty city, — while he ex
pected to be able to arrest their attention by this, and to
lead them, like himself, to glory only in the cross of Christ,
— would have despaired of being able to state to them (so
that they would have comprehended it) how this was to be
done, or to show them (so that they could appreciate it)
what was the real power of that cross, or what was the
source of that power. It is certain that a gay and
thoughtless world sees no such wisdom in that Gospel
now, and equally certain that we cannot so explain it to
them that they will perceive it. As a means to an end,
as adapted to convert and save, as having any inherent
power, as fitted for the salvation of mankind, they now
regard it, as the Greek philosophers of Athens and as
the gay inhabitants of Corinth did, — as "foolishness;"-^

218 Life of the Apostle Paul.
foolishness, in the sense that, in their apprehension, it
has no adaptedness to such a result. And there is no
"wisdom of words" which we can employ that will so
explain it to unconverted men that they will under
stand it, until they are led to see it, as these Corin
thians did, by the result of experience, and then it will
become to them, as it did to the Corinthians, "the
wisdom of God, and the power of God" "unto salva
tion." (3.) While, however, there is this difficulty, or this im
possibility of explaining it, there cannot be any real doubt
of the fact. Nothing is better established in history
than that the Gospel of Christ — the preaching of the
cross — is an effectual means of leading the sinner to
abandon his sins and to turn to God. No fact, more
over, is better established than that this is the only
means on which reliance can be placed for producing
a permanent reformation, and for saving sinners. For {a)
Law, as such, cannot effect this. It checks; it restrains;
it rebukes; it punishes; but it does not melt the heart;
it does not reform and save. If a condemned and
punished man is reformed, it is not by the sentence
of the law, or by imprisonment, pr by stripes. It is
by a side influence introduced into his dungeon; by
some visitation of mercy, of kindness, of compassion.
It is by the minister or teacher of religion, not by the
officer of the law. {b.) The Greek philosophy saved and
reformed none. It failed to raise up the abject; to
change the corrupt heart; to call back the trifler and
the wanderer to seriousness and truth; to lead any up to

Paul at Corinth. 219
God. When Paul was at Athens and at Corinth, all had
been done which philosophy could accomplish, and the
result was seen in the universal idolatry of the one, and
the universal profligacy of the other, {c.) It is equally
true that science, literature, and art, are insufficient.
The lessons of morality are feeble in the attempt to
restrain men from sin, — else such a man as Chalmers
(in his early ministry before conversion) would not have
found them powerless; and the rewards which virtue
has to offer to men are ineffectual in overcoming
the power of temptation, and recovering the intem
perate, the dissolute, and the profane. The realms of
science have no truths or revelations in answer to the
great questions which men ask about themselves, about
God, about a fallen world. Who goes into the labo
ratory of the chemist to find an answer to the ques
tion, " What must I do to be saved ?" Who goes into
the dissecting-room of the anatomist to learn how an
atonement may be made for sin ? Who looks through a
telescope with any hope that he may see God ? Who
studies the "safety-lamp" of the miner to learn how he
may escape from hell ?
As a matter of fact, therefore, while all other things
have failed, the Gospel of Christ has proved the effectual
means of the conversion and the salvation of sinners.
By its effects in Antioch, in Ephesus, in Philippi, in
Corinth, in Rome, — by its influence on the world now
for eighteen hundred years, — it has shown that there is
power, whether it can be explained or not, in the preach
ing of Christ crucified, to restrain, to reform, to save.

220 Life of the Apostle Paul.
This power was illustrated, in the case of the Corin
thians themselves, by an appeal which could not be
called in question, — " Know ye not that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God ? Be not deceived :
neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor "abusers of themselves with mankind,
nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers,
nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God ; and
such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of the Lord
Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (I Cor. vi. 9 — 11).
In Corinth Paul did what he could not do in Athens;
he founded a church; he won the hearts of many to the
love of Christ. His preaching in Athens and in Corinth
illustrated what has indeed been illustrated everywhere,
that there is more in a proud philosophy to oppose the
Gospel than there is in even the love of pleasure. To
such a class of men, substantially, as Paul found in
Athens, the Saviour said, "Verily, I say unto you that
publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of Gcd before
you ;" and it is true everywhere that while the Gospel
may be preached before Epicureans and Stoics in vain,
there may be hope even in such a place as Corinth, and
that amidst the gay and dissipated some may listen to
the history of the cross, and turn to God.
(4) With all that is discouraging, and apparently
hopeless, in endeavouring to explain this so that it will
be appreciated by an unrenewed heart, there are things
which are in fact really explanatory of this power.
(#) The gift of a Saviour was the highest possible

Paul at Corinth. 221
expression of love — of the love of the universal Father
for man. There is no higher love than that which gives
up a son to die. No man evinces a higher love for his
country than that, for he has no higher sacrifice which
he could make. Even God Himself could manifest no
higher love for the world than to give His own Son to
die. That fact conveys to men the deepest possible
expression of His sense of the danger of the sinner; of
the worth of the soul; of the necessity of religion; of
the vanity of worldly pursuits. Nothing could be better
fitted to arrest the attention of mankind than this ;
nothing more adapted to cause the wicked, the gay,
and the worldly to pause in their career, and to fix their
thoughts on higher things than those which pertain to
this fleeting world of shadows. It could be for no
trifling object that the Son of God became incarnate;
that the Incarnate One was subjected to poverty and
sorrow; that He lived on earth a wanderer; that He
died on a cross; that He was laid in a tomb. Ad
mitting these things to be true, what expression of love
higher than this could even the Eternal Father make ?
what is there which even God could do, that would,
when appreciated, be more likely to arrest the attention
of mankind ?
{b) The evil of sin is most clearly seen, and most
deeply felt when it is viewed in connexion with the
cross of Christ, and with the fact that this was the
cause, the sole cause of His death, and that His un
speakable sufferings were the proper expression and
measure of its ill-desert. For (i.) He suffered (as far as

222 Life of the Apostle Paul.
the nature of the case would allow) what sin deserves,
and what the sinner would himself suffer if he were to
endure in his own person the penalty of God's violated
law. (2.) We feel the evil of a wrong course of life
more deeply when it brings calamity on the innocent,
than when it brings woe upon ourselves. An intem
perate man will be more likely to be affected by the
sufferings which he brings on his family than by the
consequences which he brings on himself. To the loss
of property, of health, of reputation, — to sickness and
disgrace, — he may be insensible. He can bear all this.
But not so with the tears and pleadings of those whose
hearts are crushed by his misconduct, — the aged parent,
sad and sorrowful; the weeping, broken-hearted wife;
the pale and drooping daughter or sister; the sorrow
and desolation of what was once his cheerful and happy
home. In like manner, if the heart of man ever feels
the evil of sin, if the eyes ever weep over the conse
quences of depravity, it is when the sinner contemplates
the Saviour enduring the sorrows of Gethsemane and of
the cross, as the effect of his iniquity; as made necessary
by the fact that he is a sinner.
{c.) The deepest sense of the danger of the sinner is
produced by the contemplation of the cross of Christ.
" If these things were done in the green tree, what shall
be done in the dry ?" If these sufferings came on the
innocent Son of God as a substitute for the guilty, then
the sinner, if his sin is not pardoned, must endure in his
own person what will be a proper expression of the
Divine sense of the evil of the transgression. If, when

Paul at Corinth. 223
the innocent Redeemer approached the last scenes, — if
when in the garden of Gethsemane He besought so
earnestly that the cup might pass away, — if, when He
shrank back from the horrors of death as an expiation
for sin, — the Eternal Father did not interpose and rescue
His own Son, His innocent and spotless Son, when
about to die for human guilt, — theh how shall the
sinner escape when the wrath of God is coming on his
own soul ? No man can be safe in sin, in a life of
gaiety, vanity, sensuality, pollution, when it was neces
sary that the Son of God should bleed and die to save
the lost ; and just in proportion as the sinner contem
plates the sufferings of the Redeemer, just in that
proportion will he see his own danger.
I have been speaking of Corinth, a city of pleasure,
of gaiety, of fashion. Its inhabitants lived for these
objects, and had no other aim. How many, in like
manner, are now living for no other end,— the sum total
of whose present existence, and modes of living, would
all be comprised in the single word pleasure. In show
and splendour, in amusements and pastimes, or in more
ignoble forms, this word would comprehend all that they
think of as making up "life." Here is their end of
being. Here their morning, their mid-day, their evening
thought O, ye triflers, who live only for pleasure and
vanity, what think you of Christ ? What think you of
His cross ? Is the soul so precious that it demanded
such a sacrifice, — is eternity so important that it made
proper such an incarnation, — is hell so fearful that it

224 L ife of the Apostle Paul.
demanded such tears and blood to redeem us from it,—
and have you nothing else to do but to live for vanity,
and spend your days in mirthfulness and folly ? When
a Saviour bleeds and groans and dies, can you pass by
His sorrows unheeded, and live and die as if there were
no Saviour, and no hell, and no heaven? I entreat you
to devote one solemn hour of thought to a crucified
Saviour — a Saviour expiring in the bitterest agony.
Think of the cross, the nails, the open wounds, the
anguish of His soul. Think how the Son of God became
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, that you
might live for ever. Think, as you lie down upon your
beds to rest, how your Saviour was lifted up from the
earth to die. Think, amid your plans and anticipations
of future gaiety, what the redemption of your soul has
cost, and how the dying Saviour would wish you to act
His wounds plead that you will live for better things.

XI.
PAUL AT EPHESUS.
Christianity in contact with idolatry and with unlawful gain.
Paul at Ephesus. — Difficulties encountered. — Judaism fixed, but Paganism
variable. — Religion itself a power ; and receives augmented power from
other sources. — Ephesian idolatry. — Ephesian magic. — Temple of Diana.
— Traffic in shrines. — Preparation made for Christianity.— Disciples of
John. — Preaching of Apollos. — Gift of the Holy Ghost. — Manner of
Paul 's labours. — Tender. — Faithful. — Public. — Domestic. — Evangelical.
Success of his work. — A church formed. — Its number. — Its government
— Its piety, as evinced in a sacrifice which was voluntary ; conscientious ;
costly; unreserved; and proper to be imitated. — Its advanced doctrinal
belief. — Opposition aroused. — Based on personal interest ; and on national
religion. — Christianity promotes the welfare of the world. — In so doing,
it condemns wrong sources of gain. — Commotions may ensue, but society
is a gainer in the end.

Q

" And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of
three months, disputing, and persuading the things concerning the kingdom
of God. But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil
of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the
disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. And this con
tinued by the space of two years ; so that all they which dwelt in Asia
heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks." Acts xix. 8 — io.

E r H E b u s.

HE subject now before us is Paul at Ephesus.
The peculiar aspect in which we shall be led
to contemplate this part of his history will
be the contact of Christianity with idolatry,
particularly as sustained by superstition, by
national pride, and by the love of gain. At
the same time, the subject will illustrate similar diffi
culties everywhere to be overcome in spreading the
Gospel, and the power of true religion in making men
willing to sacrifice their gains, and to abandon a lucrative
calling when seen to be contrary to the will of God.
The points which it will be necessary to consider, will
be the difficulties which Paul encountered in Ephesus as
arising from the peculiar form of the idolatry there ; the
preparation which had been made for the introduction of
the Gospel there, before his arrival ; Paul's own labours

228 Life of the Apostle Paul.
in that city ; the results of his preaching ; and the effect
of Christianity in its bearing on an important source
of gain.
I. The difficulties encountered in Ephesus, arising from
the peculiar form of idolatry tliere.
In the prosecution of his purpose, Ephesus, as a centre
of influence and power, could not fail to attract the at
tention of Paul. As the capital of the province in Asia
Minor called "Asia;" as the capital of Asia Minor itself;
as one ofthe cities of beautiful Ionia, embracing much of
the civilization and cultivation of the Ionian colonies,
and developing the best form of theGreek mind; as favour
ably situated for commerce, and as visited for purposes of
commerce by strangers from all parts ofthe world; as a
city of wealth and power; and, above all, as the seat of
the most magnificent form of idolatrous worship then
existing, it could not but demand the labours of the
apostles. Its wealth, its splendour, its power, its temple, and its
church, have long since passed away, and it is a scene of
ruin. Travellers search in vain for the certain site of its
most celebrated public or private edifices, even the
temple of Diana itself ; but, in the time of Paul, it was
among the most distinguished cities of the world.
The two obstacles which the apostles everywhere
encountered in the spread of the Gospel were, of course,
Judaism and Paganism. In perhaps all the countries
which they visited, they found Jews ; and, in almost
every great city, Jewish synagogues. Everywhere out

Paul in Ephesus. 229
of Judaea they found idolators, and temples devoted to
the worship of idols.
The Jewish religion was a fixed religion. Everywhere
it presented the same front as opposed to Christianity, was
sustained by the same prejudices, and was characterized
by the same bitter spirit. No form of philosophy ever
modified it ; nor had contact with the prevailing forms of
the Pagan religion, or with Pagan civilization, rendered it
more charitable or more mild, or made those who were
devoted to it more disposed to abandon it, and to
embrace a new religion. What Paul himself had been
before his conversion, he found every Jew to be that he
encountered; and what he had meted out to others in
the days when he dragged men and women to prison, or
when he " persecuted that way unto the death," he was
prepared to expect would be meted out to him at the
hands of his countrymen everywhere. As far, also, as
the Jews had any philosophy, tliat would be likely to be
a hindrance to the reception of the Gospel. They con
formed as little to the philosophy of the Gentiles as they
did to their religion. In Jerusalem, in Antioch, in
Philippi, in Thessalonica, at Lystra, at Derbe, and in
Ephesus, the opposition to the Gospel was of the same
type ; the arguments to be used in overcoming that
opposition were everywhere the same.
But, while Judaism was thus fixed and unchanging,
the heathen systems were variable ; and the form of their
opposition to Christianity varied with the character of
the gods that were worshipped ; with the philosophy
which prevailed ; with the intelligence or barbarism of the

230 Life of the Apostle Paul.
people. It is only by a correct understanding of these
that we can appreciate the nature of the difficulties to be
overcome in any particular place, or the nature of the
opposition which the Gospel encountered there. At one
time, and in one place, heathenism was connected with
the most gross profligacy of morals, and with the deepest
degradation and debasement of manners ; at another, it
was connected with the most subtle and profound philo
sophy, so that all the arguments in support of that philo
sophy had to be met and refuted before Christianity
could secure assent to its distinctive doctrines. At
one place, it was blended with all that was beautiful in
architecture, in sculpture, in painting, in poetry ; at
another, with all that could make life gay or voluptuous;
at another, with the severest forms of superstition ; at
another, with national pride ; at another, with the callings
which men pursued in life; at another, with the power
of the state. All these, in their varied forms, were to be
overcome, before Christianity could displace the false
religions of the world, and secure its own ascendancy
over the minds of men.
In all countries, religion itself, in any and every form,
is the most powerful principle that controls the human
mind, {a ) In its very nature it is supreme as a principle
in governing men. In all true forms of religion, this
ascendancy is always maintained ; in all false forms, this
tribute is paid to its original design and power, as being,
though in a false form, the supreme affection of the
soul. Whether true or false, religion is a power. There
is power in attachment to one's country, to friends, to

Paul in Ephesus. 231
property, to liberty, to life ; but the power of religion, as
such, is superior to all these, for men are willing to
sacrifice them all in honour of their religion. There
have been martyrs to false religions, as well as to the
true religion ; and he who can control the religious
principles of men can control everything, {b.) In addi
tion to this, there is a power derived from the fact that
religion is incorporated with the customs, the opinions,
the traditions, the employments, the professions, the
lucrative pursuits of men, as well as with laws, with
vested rights, with caste and rank, with civil and sacred
offices. Both these sources of power in religion existed
at Ephesus, in forms most difficult to overcome.
(1.) The religious principle itself existed there in a
form as mighty as in any other part of the world. All
the religious affections of the people were absorbed in
the worship of one divinity. There was one temple;
one goddess; one altar; one supreme divine power,
All over the world, as far as the names of Ephesus and
Diana were known at all, they were known as united.
The one suggested the other. The Ephesians faithfully
kept the trust committed to them — "the image which
fell down from Jupiter;" they enshrined it in the most
magnificent temple of religion in the ancient world,
reared by the gifts of princes and kings, and more costly,
if not more beautiful in its architectural proportions,
than even the Parthenon at Athens.
(2.) The natural power of religion was, in their case,
combined with all that could add to its hold upon the
mind.

232 Life of the Apostle Paul.
{a.) It was closely combined with the practice of
magic (Acts xix. 19). The following is the account
given by Messrs. Conybeare and Howson : " Though
Ephesus was a Greek city, like Athens or Corinth, the
manners of its inhabitants were half oriental  The
worship of Diana and the practice of magic were closely
connected together. Eustathius says, that the myste
rious symbols, called ' Ephesian Letters,' were engraved
on the crown, the girdle, and the feet of the goddess.
These Ephesian letters or monograms have been com
pared to the Runic characters of the north. When pro
nounced, they were regarded as a charm ; and were
directed to be used especially by those who were in
the power of evil spirits. When written, they were
carried about as amulets. Curious stories are told ol
their influence. Crcesus is related to have repeated the
mystic syllables when on his funeral pile ; and an
Ephesian wrestler is said to have always struggled
successfully against an antagonist from Miletus until he
lost the scroll, which before had been like a talisman.
The study of these symbols was an elaborate science ;
and books, both numerous and costly, were compiled by
its professors."1
{b.) At the same time, the religion of Ephesus was
closely combined with national pride; with all that made
the city itself distinguished in the ancient world. The
temple of Diana constituted the chief glory of the city ;
and, around that, all that there was of patriotism and of
1 Vol. ii. p. 13.

Paul in Ephesus. 233
pride would be concentrated. The sumptuousness of that
temple, than which "the sun is his course is said to have
seen nothing more magnificent," has been often described;
and a recollection of its antiquity, its vast extent, its
graceful columns, its costly decorations, is necessary in
order to understand the events which occurred there in
the attempt to displace idolatry, and to substitute the
worship of the true God.1
{c.) The worship of Diana was closely connected with
the wealth of the city, and furnished employment to a
considerable portion of its inhabitants. " One of the
idolatrous customs of the ancient world," say Conybeare
and Howson (vol. ii. pp. 78, 79), "was the use of portable
images or shrines, which were little models of the more
celebrated objects of devotion. They were carried in
processions, on journeys and military expeditions, and
sometimes set up as household gods in private houses,
Pliny says that this was the case with the Temple of the
Cnidian Venus ; and other heathen writers make allusion
to the 'shrines' of the Ephesian Diana, which are men
tioned in the Acts (xix. 24). The material might be
wood, or gold, or ' silver.' The latter material was that
which employed the hands of the workmen of Demetrius.
From the expressions used by St. Luke, it is evident that
an extensive and lucrative trade grew up at Ephesus
from the manufacture and sale of these shrines. Few of
those who came to Ephesus would willingly go away
without a memorial of the goddess, and a model of her
1 Perhaps no better description can be given of that temple than the
one furnished by Conybeare and Howson, vol. ii. pp. 75 — 77-

234 Life of the Apostle Paul.
temple ; and from the wide circulation of these works of
art over the shores of the Mediterranean, and far into
the interior, it might be said, with little exaggeration,
that her worship was recognised by the 'whole world.'"
II. We have now to inquire what preparation, if any,
had been made for introducing the Gospel into this idol
atrous city ; or, what there was that in any way might
facilitate the labours of the apostle.
It is a remarkable circumstance, that, unlike most
other places which Paul visited, Ephesus had had a kind
of preparation for the introduction of the Gospel; and
the nature of that preparation was as remarkable as
the fact itself. It had a striking resemblance to
that which was made for the manifestation of the Re
deemer Himself, by the preaching of the forerunner;
and was, in fact, if the phrase may be allowed, a " John
the Baptist" preparation for the preaching of the Gospel.1
The doctrines of John had been brought to Ephesus;
they had been enforced by the eloquence of Apollos ;
1 " Many Jews from other countries received from the Baptist their
knowledge of the Messiah, and carried with them this knowledge on their
return from Palestine. We read of a heretical sect, at a much later period,
who held John the Baptist to have been himself the Messiah. But in a
position intermediate between this deluded party, and those who were
travelling as teachers of the full and perfect Gospel, there were doubtless
many, among the floating Jewish population of the empire, whose know
ledge of Christ extended only to that which had been preached on the
banks of the Jordan. That such persons should be found at Ephesus, the
natural meeting-place of all religious sects and opinions, is what we might
have supposed a priori. Their own connection with Judaea, or the con
nection of their teachers with Judaea, had been broken before the day of
Pontecost Thus their Christianity was at the same point at which it had

Paul in Ephesus. 235
they were commended by the fact that they came from
Alexandria, a city then eminent in learning, and of vast in
fluence. A little band of disciples — twelve in number —
instructed only in the knowledge which John the Baptist
had communicated, were apparently waiting for the
coming of the Messiah, and for the announcement of
His appearing. Of His advent they had not yet heard ;
of His work they were ignorant ; the wonders of the
day of Pentecost had never reached their ears ; of the
very existence of the Holy Ghost, as distinct from the
Eternal Father, and of His agency in the work of human
salvation, they had no knowledge.
Yet it illustrates their sincerity of character, their
desire of serving God, their purpose to welcome the truth
from whatever quarter it might come, their wish to re
ceive the full knowledge of that which John came to in
troduce into the world, (and, at the same time, it demon
strates the fitness of the teaching of John to prepare
men to welcome the Messiah,) that when these twelve
stood at the commencement of our Lord's ministry. . . . Whether from
the Baptist himself, or from some of those who travelled into other lands
with his teaching as their possession, Apollos had received full and
accurate instruction in the 'way of the Lord.' We are further told that
his character was marked by a fervent zeal for spreading the truth. Thus
we may conceive of him as travelling, like a second Baptist, beyond the
frontiers of Judaea, — expounding the prophecies of the Old Testament,
announcing that the times of the Messiah were come, and calling the
Jews to repentance in the spirit of Elias. Hence he was, like his great
teacher, diligently * preparing the way of the Lord. ' Though ignorant oi
the momentous facts which had succeeded the Resurrection and Ascension,
he was turning the hearts of the ' disobedient to the wisdom of the just, '
and 'making ready a people for the Lord,' whom he was soon to know
' more perfectly. ' " — Conybeare and Howson, vol. ii. p. 6, "J.

236 Life of the Apostle Paul.
disciples were told by Paul what was the real purport of
the doctrines of John — viz., that men should " believe on
Him who should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus"
(Acts xix. 4), they welcomed the announcement, they
" were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus" (ver. 5) ;
and they embraced at once the doctrine respecting the
Holy Spirit. On them as on the apostles at Jerusalem,
on the day of Pentecost, " the Holy Ghost" now " came,
and they spake with tongues, and prophesied" (ver. 6).
God had thus, in a remarkable manner, prepared the
way for the preaching of Paul in Ephesus, so that he
came there with all the advantage which could be derived
from the labours of the eloquent Apollos, and from
the preparation in the heart of these disciples to
welcome the doctrine of Christ as a Saviour; and he
entered on his work in that great city with the assistance
of believers equal in number to the original apostles,
and endowed with the like power of speaking languages.
In no other city or country had such a preparation been
made for the introduction of the Gospel.
III. We now proceed to consider the manner of PauTs
labours at Ephesus. In respect to this, we have a
most interesting fragment of his history in the account
which he subsequently gave to the elders of the church
at Ephesus, whom he summoned to meet him at Miletus.
" Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia,
after what manner I have been with you at all seasons,
serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with
many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the

Paul in Ephesus. 237
lying in wait of the Jews ; and how I kept back nothing
that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and
have taught you publicly, and from house to house,
testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks,
repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord
Jesus Christ" (Acts xx. 18 — 21).
Here is the secret of his power ; and here is revealed
the source of his success.
(1.) Paul had a tender heart ; a heart made for love;
a heart warmed with love. He wept much ; for he
saw the condition of lost men,— their guilt ; their danger;
their insensibility ; their folly. So his Master wept
over Jerusalem. So David said, " Rivers of waters run
down mine eyes because they keep not thy law." So
Jeremiah said, "O that my head were waters, and mine
eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and
night for the slain of the daughter of my people." And
so Paul elsewhere said, " I have great heaviness, and
continual sorrow in my heart, for I could wish that
myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my
kinsmen according to the flesh " (Rom. ix. 2, 3).
(2.) He kept back nothing that was "profitable" to
them, — none of the things which would conduce to
their welfare; which would contribute to their happiness;
which would promote their salvation. The word used
by the apostle {o-vuftpovTaiv) would be applicable to
anything which was for their good ; their profit ; their
advantage. It was their benefit — their good — not his
own advantage, fame, or ease, that was the aim of his
labours. The means of securing that object was not

238 Life of the Apostle Paul.
that which might please and gratify them, not that which
would be in accordance with their natural tastes or their
feelings, but that which ^judged would conduce to their
welfare. Painful it might be to them, contrary it might
be to their prejudices, unlike it might be to what they
would expect to find in a plan of salvation, — demanding
sacrifices difficult to make, or requiring them to abandon
employments on which their very livelihood may have
depended, — yet the truth was delivered, the command
of God was urged, the sacrifice was demanded.
(3.) He did this " publicly." In the synagogue ; in
the place of public concourse, in the markets, in the
streets, in the open air, — wherever men were accustomed
to be assembled, he gave utterance to these truths,
regardless of personal danger, and anxious only that
they might be made to reach as many of the population
of the city as possible.
(4.) He taught these truths "from house to house."
He went from family to family. In the free and familiar
intercourse of the domestic circle, — in times of prosperity
and of adversity, — when a member of the family was
sick (for there was sickness there as well as elsewhere),
— when a member of the family was dead (for death
reigned there as it does everywhere else), — to each
member ofthe family, father and mother, husband and
wife, parent and child, brother and sister, he proclaimed
these truths. By all the tender ties which united the
family, by all that made them weep together or rejoice
together, by the fact that they were all travellers to the
grave, by the hope that they might live together in

Paul in Ephesus. 239
another world, he urged on them the duties of religion,
suggested its consolations, and sought to persuade them.
(5.) In reference to Ephesus, as to Corinth, we are
made acquainted with the secret of Paul's success.
That on which he relied, as the means of men's con
version, was not philosophy; it was not human learning ;
nor did he preach good works as the ground of reliance
for salvation. What he did was to testify " both to the
Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God,
and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts xx. 21).
Whatever result was produced in Ephesus, whether in
the conversion of men, or in exciting opposition, was to
be traced to this alone. He came armed with no other
power than what was derived from this doctrine, to
detach them from their idolatry ; he advanced nothing
else that would tend to disturb the peace of the city.
It could not be pretended that he was a violator of their
laws ; that he had made an assault on their temple ;
that he had interfered directly with the labours of
Demetrius and his fellowcraftsmen ; that he had moved
the people to deeds of violence and disorder. The only
explanation of what occurred in Ephesus was to be found
in the fact that this stranger called on men to repent of
their sins, and to believe in a crucified Saviour.
IV. We can trace the results which followed ihe
Apostle's labours in this place.
A church was established in Ephesus, among the most
interesting of those whose history is recorded in the New
Testament, — a church to which the Sav \our subsequently

240 Life of the Apostle Paul.
said, " I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy
patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are
evil ; and thou hast tried them which say they are
apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars, and
hast borne, and hast patience, and for My name's sake
hast laboured, and hast not fainted " (Rev. ii. 2, 3J.
In reference to this church, however, it is to be ob
served that we have no epistle which gives us informa
tion in regard to its internal character, to its numbers,
or to its troubles, as in the case of the churches at
Thessalonica and Corinth ; for the " Epistle to the
Ephesians" contains no special allusions, no reference
by name to the members of the church, and no saluta
tion addressed to individual members, as in the Epistle
to the Romans, Colossians, 2 Timothy, and Philemon;
nor does it supply any personal or local details. But
from the above-mentioned address of Paul at Miletus,
from the narrative in the Acts of the Apostles, from
general statements in Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians,
and from the epistle addressed by the Saviour to the
church at Ephesus, as recorded in the Book of the Reve
lation, we can learn much in regard to its character.
(t.) It was not a small church. This may be inferred
from the number of the elders of that church who met
Paul at Miletus. The precise number, indeed, is not
specified, but the entire scope of the narrative is such
as to lead us to believe that the number was not small;
and, consequently, it is fair to infer that the church was
a large one. The same thing is rendered probable from
the fact stated by Demetrius, that Paul had "turned

Paul in Ephesus. 241
away much people" from the worship of Diana, not
only in Ephesus, but in the province of "Asia," and
that this was expressly alleged as a ground of appre
hension that the worship of Diana would be broken up
altogether; "so that not only this our craft," he said,
"is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the
temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised,
and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all
Asia and the world worshippeth" (Acts xix. 26, 27).
(2.) I think it is fairly to be inferred that the church
in Ephesus was Presbyterian in its form. Those who
were to meet him at Miletus as officers of the church,
were summoned as Elders or Presbyters — tovq wptofiv-
rioovc;. The term thus used would apply equally to
those who were "ruling" elders, or "teaching" elders;
and the fair inference is, that the church had been
organized with such a body of men, and that the in
struction and discipline of the church were entrusted
to them. It is remarkable, also, that there is no men
tion of " a bishop " in relation to that church, either in
Paul's address delivered at Miletus, or in his Epistle to
the Ephesians — a fact which cannot be explained on the
supposition that a "bishop" had been appointed either
over the church in Ephesus, or in the province of Asia.
And it is equally remarkable that the very term bishops
is given to the "elders" assembled at Miletus: "Take
heed, therefore, unto yourselves, and to all the flock over
the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers," —
iirKTKOTrovg, bishops, — " to feed the church of God, which
He hath purchased with His own blood (Acts xx. 28).
R

242 Life of the Apostle Paul.
Whatever, therefore, in the primitive church pertained to
the episcopal office, or to bishops, belonged to the " elders"
or "presbyters" in the church at Ephesus; nor is it
possible to explain the narrative in the Acts of the
Apostles in regard to that church on the supposition
that it was prelatical. If there had been a "prelate" or
"bishop" in the church, it is inconceivable that on so
solemn an occasion there should have been no allusion
to him; and it is inconceivable also that Paul, in the
copious statements which he made to the "elders" as to
their duty to the church (Acts xx. 28 — 32), should have
made no reference to their duty towards a " bishop," or
to the proper subordination among the ranks of the
clergy. The church at Ephesus furnishes at least one
instance in which a church was organized by an apostle
on the principles of government by presbyters; and if
that church was so organized, may it not be presumed
that the same principles existed in regard to others ?
(3.) The religion which existed in the church at
Ephesus was eminently a religion of principle. It was
not a thing of mere feeling. It was not the result of
temporary excitement. It led to such voluntary sacri
fices as to show that it must have been founded on
principle. A piety which leads to a voluntary sacri
fice oi property, and to the abandonment of a lucra
tive calling, even when such a step involves in fact a
reduction to poverty, must be based on a firm con
viction of the truth of religion, and not on mere feeling
or excitement. In this respect there was no instance, in
the early establishment of the church, more remarkable

ST. PAUL AT EPHESUS

Paul in Ephesus. 243
than that which occurred at Ephesus. The narrative is
in these words : " Many of them also which used curious
arts brought their books together, and burned them
before all men: and they counted the price of them,
and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily
grew the word of God, and prevailed " (Acts xix. 19, 20).
The fact that "books" so celebrated, and so much
valued, were thus publicly burned, is of use to us now,
as illustrating the nature of religion; and it is with
reference to this, doubtless, that the record is preserved.
The features of the case which furnish such illustration
were these : — {a) It was evidently a voluntary act ; not
done at the command of the Apostle Paul, or even at
his suggestion. There was not in the case even that
which occurred when the apostles, at the sea of Tiberias,
abandoned their employments and "left their nets," —
for they did so by the express command of the Saviour.
{b) The sacrifice of this property must have been made
solely under the deep conviction that the employment
was wrong, and that its continuance could not be recon
ciled with a good conscience, {c) The sacrifice was not
small. " Such books from their very nature would be
costly; and all books in that age bore a value which
was far above any standard with which we are familiar."
The amount sacrificed was large in itself,1 and especially
for men in their circumstances, — men who had no other
1 If the Jewish shekel is meant, as Grotius supposes, the amount was
not far from 25,000 dollars, or ^5,420. If, as is more likely, it was the
Greek drachma (about ninepence sterling, or not far from seventeen cents
of our money), then the amount — much less, but still considerable —
would be about 8,500 dollars, or ^1,875.

244 Life of the Apostle Paul.
employment, {d) It is to be observed, also, that they
did not propose or attempt to sell this property. They
did not allow it to pass into other hands to be used for
the same end. It was of value only for the purposes of
magic and imposture ; to have passed it into other hands
would have been to perpetuate the fraud, or to provide
for its continuance, while they would have reaped the
avails of the property, and would have suffered no loss.
They evidently now regarded the business as wrong;
as immoral ; as contrary to all just views of religion ;
and, therefore, as bad in other hands as in their own.
{e) The same principle is doubtless to be applied to all
similar cases. If property, now applied to a wicked
purpose, can be used for a good end, — if a house once
rented for an immoral employment can be occupied for
a business that is moral, — if a piece of machinery which
has been employed for evil can be used in a lawful avo
cation, — if a vessel used before for piracy or in the slave
trade, can be employed in legitimate commerce, — if a
sword can be beaten into a ploughshare, or a spear into
a pruning-hook, then principle would not require that
these should be destroyed; but if no such lawful use
of property can be made, then the principles of Chris
tianity do not allow that it should be transferred to
other hands, but that it should be destroyed at once.
Christian honesty demands the sacrifice; a Christian
conscience would prompt to it.
(4.) The church in Ephesus was characterized by the
doctrines which were prominent in their belief. So far
as we have any intimation in the New Testament, it

Paul in Ephesus. 245
was — beyond any other founded by the apostles, except
that at Rome — a church in whose creed the doctrines
of grace (as they have been called) — the doctrine of
predestination, of decrees, and of election — were promi
nent. A church must have been thoroughly imbued
with these truths, beyond even most churches in our
times, to have made such sentiments as those with
which the apostle commences his address to them in the
Epistle, palatable. From such expressions as the fol
lowing, not a few churches in our day, even of those
called "Calvinistic," would have turned away; — "accord
ing as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation
of the world ;" " having predestinated us unto the adop
tion of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to
the good pleasure of His will ;" — " being predestinated
according to the purpose of Him who worketh all
things after the counsel of His own will " (Eph. i. 4, 5, 1 1).
What there had been in the instruction of Paul that
made this doctrine prominent in the church, or what
there was, if anything, in their mental character or
training that led to it, we do not now know. It may be
remarked, however, that this form of their faith may
have been very closely connected with the fact that
their religion was (as we have seen) a religion of prin
ciple, and led to the prompt sacrifice of all that was con
trary to the sternest requirements of the will of God.
V. One other thing remains to be noticed : the effect
produced on the people of the city ; the tumult, the riot,
the disorder, caused by Christianity in destroying the

246 Life of the Apostle Paul.
business of a lucrative calling, — that of making the silver
shrines of the goddess Diana.
The two grounds of appeal on which Demetrius
relied, in the opposition made to Paul, were (1) the
interest of the persons employed in the manufacture of
the shrines ; and (2) the national reverence for the
goddess whom they worshipped. Both of these were
of an inflammatory character, and it is not difficult to
account, therefore, for the scenes which followed.
In reference to this excitement, without going into
details, two remarks may be made: —
(1.) Christianity, as it moves along in the world, is
the patron of whatever will really promote the interests
of society; of all that, in its fair results, would add to
the comfort, the wealth, and the prosperity of a people.
Every branch of industry that really has such a ten
dency, every occupation that is consistent with good
morals, every pursuit that would tend ultimately to
increase the wealth of a people, it fosters and pro
motes. Thus it favours the interests of agriculture,
ofthe mechanic arts, and of commerce between nations ; it
looks benignantly on those domestic arrangements which
would be most conducive to the comfort of a family,
and on the efforts made to provide food and raiment
for a household ; it promotes temperance, industry, eco
nomy, prudence, — virtues eminently necessary to public
or private prosperity ; it saves from those extravagances
in living, and those habits of vice which exhaust a
nation's wealth, or which tend to produce effeminacy
and idleness ; it opens new sources of employment,

Paul in Ephesus. 247
favourable to prosperity and wealth. The world would
still have enough to do, if it were at once converted
to Christ; and what would then be done would tend
much more to its welfare than what is now done.
(2.) The other remark is, that, from the necessity of
the case, Christianity must come into conflict with many
of the business arrangements of men, and with many
things which are regarded as sources of gain. The pre
valence of universal virtue at any time would throw mul
titudes out of employment, as men are now actually
employed, for their "occupation" would be "gone." All
the arrangements now existing for the prosecution of
such employments would become useless, and all the
capital invested in them would be worthless, unless it
could be, without injury to society, transferred to other
purposes. Thus, if universal temperance should prevail,
it would at once destroy the business of multitudes of
men, would throw out of employment all those who are
engaged in the manufacture and sale of intoxicating
drinks, and would render useless all the arrangements
now based on such manufacture and sale. If gambling
or card-playing should at once cease, multitudes of
persons would be thrown out of work ; if war should
cease, and universal peace should prevail, the armies of
the world might be disbanded ; the ships of war be dis
mantled ; and armories and arsenals would be rendered
useless, or might be converted to other purposes.
It is unavoidable, therefore, that Christianity, should
produce change, commotion, and tumult. It interferes
with the existing institutions of society ; it denounces

248 Life of the Apostle Paul.
the objects at which many men aim ; it seeks to turn
away multitudes of men from the avocations in which it
finds them engaged. Nothing more, therefore, occurred
at Ephesus than may be expected to occur anywhere,
when the principles of a just morality or a holy religion
are suddenly applied to the occupations of mankind.
In such excitements and tumults, however, virtue and
religion are not responsible ; for virtue and religion
originate none of those employments, and they do
nothing to foster the passions which prompt to them.
The world is a gainer by these changes. Sweeping
away idolatry, as Christianity would, with all the sacrifices,
altars, and temples of heathenism, it would plant, in its
stead, a purer, a cheaper, a better religion. Putting a
stop to war, it would change battle-ships to vessels of
commerce ; and would release, for the employments of
peace, the millions of men now constituting the armies of
the world, — thus changing them from consumers to pro
ducers. Putting an end to intemperance, it would, dis
charge from an evil employment the men now sustained
by it, to engage them in the honest arts of life, adding to
the wealth of the nation, instead of destroying it, — and
changing the scenes of desolation, the homes made
wretched by the traffic, to abodes of virtue, contentment,
and peace. Christianity may produce agitation, anger,
tumult, as at Ephesus ; but the diffusion of the pure
Gospel of Christ, and the establishment of the institu
tions of honesty and virtue, at whatever cost, is a bless
ing to mankind.

XII.
PAUL AT MILE TUS.
A Pastor's review of his ministry.
Parting address to the elders from Ephesus. — Conscious fidelity in pastoral
life. — Life reviewed from a turning-point — The pastoral work as a work
of life. — Self-questionings as to the wisdom of having chosen the work.
— Remembrance of the hopes relinquished. — The choice not regretted.
— Paul's review of his pastoral work. — He had done all he could for
men's souls ; — had suppressed no Divine truth ; — had set an example of
industry. — Claim of the ministry to support — This claim may be fore
gone. — Good effects of ministerial diligence. — Paul's calm contemplation
of the future. — Of that which might happen. — Of that which would
happen.

" And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone
preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. Wherefore I
take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men.
For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God."
Acts xx. 25 — 27.

RUINS ON THE SITE OF EPHESUS.

HEN the Apostle Paul addressed the elders
of Ephesus, assembled by his request at
Miletus, he was on his way to Jerusalem.
It was his purpose, if possible, to be there
on the day of Pentecost. In order not to
lose time, he had determined "to sail by
Ephesus" — TrapcnrXivoai tt)v "E^eo-ov, — that is, to pass it
without stopping there.
The discourse which Paul delivered to them is one of
the most tender, affecting, solemn, and instructive in the
New Testament. It may be regarded as especially
valuable, not only as describing his labours in Ephesus,
and as, we may presume, giving a fair account of his usual
modes of labour elsewhere ; but, at the same time, as
furnishing the most touching and beautiful delineation to
be found anywhere of the true method of labour for a

252 Life of the Apostle Paul.
Christian minister. It presents a more impressive view,
not only of his own fidelity, but of the nature of the
ministerial work, than any other connected portion of the
New Testament ; and with this now in our possession,
we cannot but feel that the Volume of inspiration would
have been incomplete if such a discourse had not been
delivered and recorded.
We are to remember, that Paul laboured longer at
Ephesus than at any other place ; and this description
will, therefore, furnish the best illustration which can be
found in his own life of the design and nature of the
pastoral relation. The discourse was not conceived or
uttered in a spirit of vain-glorying or boasting, but it
bears throughout marks of the deepest humility ; yet, at
the same time, it evinces a consciousness of great fidelity
on the part of the speaker, and is proof of the fact that
he had been eminently faithful. A man must have lived
in accordance with this representation; he must have
had a character to which no suspicion could be attached;
he must have been pure, industrious, and upright, to
have been able tb make such an appeal in the presence
of those with whom he had been in familiar intercourse
for three years, and who had had an abundant oppor
tunity to know what his manner of life was, and what
was the estimate entertained of him by the church and
the surrounding world. Every minister — every Christian
— ought to have a character so stainless and pure, to have
a reputation so unmistakable for fidelity and uprightness,
and to be so certain that his life is without just cause of
reproach, as to be able to make such an appeal, with

Paul at Miletus. 253
the assurance that it will meet a response in the hearts
of those who know him best ; and any man may thus live,
even in a world which is so unfavourable towards religion
as ours is, and where there is so extensively a willingness
to find in the lives of professed Christians that which
is irreconcilable with the truth or the claims of their
religion. As Paul had been, in fact, to all intents and purposes,
the pastor of the church in Ephesus for about three
years— a longer time than had been spent by him in
any other particular church — it may not be improper to
take occasion for proposing as a subject for consideration,
A PASTOR'S REVIEW OF HIS MINISTRY.
This was not, indeed, the close of the life and ministry
ofthe Apostle; nor is there reason to suppose that he
so regarded it. But a review of the past is as proper in
the middle of life as at its close ; and it would be wise
for Christian ministers, and for all men, to pause often
in the midst of their way, and to consider what life has
been thus far. It may be desirable to change our plans,
or our manner of life ; it may be that in the course which
we are pursuing, we are not making the most of life ; it
may be that the remainder could be better spent than
the past has been ; it may be well, as far as possible, to
" settle up the account" thus far ; it may be well to go
over the past in anticipation of that day when all must
be reviewed in the presence of God. Besides, in any
such review of life, whether at the end of a day, a week,
a month, or a year, or whether in those crises or turning-
points of life in which we pass from youth to manhood,

254 Life of the Apostle Paul.
or from manhood to approaching age, it would be well
to remember that we may be near the close, and that the
review which we then take, may be, in fact, the final one.
In reference to a pastor's review of life, the points
which naturally occur for consideration, are such as the
following : — The work itself, as a work of life ; the
proper duties of a pastor, as indicated by this address of
Paul ; and the calm contemplation of the future, in view
of a faithful performance of these duties.
I. The work itself, as a work of life.
This is not, indeed, in so many words, referred to in
the address to the elders at Miletus ; but it is manifest
in that address that Paul looked back upon his life in
the ministry with approbation ; he felt that his own
life in that " profession " had been well employed ; he
had no painful recollections in having given up for that
profession the bright hopes of his early years ; and he
had now no longings for the honours which he might
have secured from the world if he had pursued the
career on which he had early embarked. It is on the
basis of these facts, that I shall make a few remarks on
the work of the ministry as it appears to a man, either
when mid-way he pauses to contemplate it, or when he
contemplates it at the close of life. In such a review,
a comparison will naturally occur to a man between the
ministry which he has chosen, and the course of life
which he might have pursued, and the honours and
emoluments which he might have obtained, in some
other calling.

Paul at Miletus. 255
To all men there will be times of reflection on the
wisdom of the course of life which they are pursuing ;
to all men there are moments of discouragement and
despondency in regard to the profession which they
have chosen ; and to all men there are times when they
will compare the reality in their actual course of life
with the brilliant hopes which they cherished in their
earlier days. In those dark moments, they cannot but
ask themselves whether they might not have been
happier in some other calling ; and, if they have changed
an early purpose of life, whether they might not have
done better to have pursued it.
There are moments in the life of a minister of the
Gospel, when he cannot but ask himself whether he
would not have done better to have been a lawyer, or
a physician, or a merchant, or a banker, or a teacher,
or a farmer. What might not John Wesley have been
in wealth and fame and rank, if he had been a statesman
instead of a Methodist preacher ! Could such a man,
on the review of his life, doubt that he had given up
much, very much of what the world calls great, for the
privilege of preaching the Gospel and making the
Saviour known to men ? It is but expressing the idea
that Paul was a man, to suppose that to a mind like his
even under the influence of the Gospel, a recollection
must at times have occurred to him of what he had given
up, and an inquiry as to what he had gained by the
change. It is not from a want of religion, and is not a proof
that a man has no religion, when this inquiry crosses his

256 Life of the Apostle Paul.
mind : for it need not be accompanied with any longings
for that which has been abandoned, but, on the contrary,
the result may be to augment his sense of the wisdom
of the change, and of the value of that which has been
obtained as compared with that which has been relin
quished. In his lonely journeys in India or Persia, with
no brilliant earthly prospects, far away from home and
friends, sick and feeble, travelling often through the
entire night, we cannot but think that to Henry Martyn
there would recur the memory of past years ; the
honours which gathered around him as "senior wrangler"
at the University ; his reputation for scholarship, and
his early aspirings. We cannot but suppose that he
would compare what he might have been in that honour
able career, with what he was as a missionary of the
cross in a heathen land. Yet this may not have been,
and we have every, assurance that it was not, attended
with any regret that he had forsaken all this, or with any
desire that this might now be his, or with any feeling
that he had made a wrong choice. The effect of all
such reflections taight have been only to increase his
sense of the goodness of God to him, and to make him
value more the life which he had chosen.
There can be no doubt on the question how Paul, in
this review of life, regarded his work. He speaks as a
man who was conscious that the work in which he had
been engaged was a noble work, and one which might
properly task the best powers of man ; that it furnished
no occasion for regret either in regard to its nature and
object, or in view of what had been abandoned in order

Paul at Miletus. 257
that it might be pursued, or in view of what had been
suffered in endeavouring to carry out its great design.
Neither in this discourse, nor in any of his epistles, is
there the remotest suggestion that he repented the
choice which he had made, or that he sighed for the
honours or the wealth which he might have secured in
a secular calling. The language which he subsequently
used in reference to himself was as applicable to the
voluntary surrender of these things, as it was to his
early views of religion, " I count all things but loss for
the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my
Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things "
(Phil. iii. 8). Not when men take a true estimate of the
value of things to be gained or lost, — not when, casting
their eyes over the past and looking out on the future,
they ask what life is, and what is its design, and what
is the value of the human soul, — not then do they pour
forth tears of regret that they have resigned even the
most brilliant of earthly prospects that they might
become ministers of the Gospel, or feel that they have
given up the greater to embrace the less when they
have turned from the bar, or the senate, or the gains
of commerce, or the attractions of science, and have left
the ranks of the rich, the worldly, and the gay, in order
to spend their lives in telling the tale of redemption even
to the humblest dwellers on the earth.
II. The second point to which I referred is the
character of a pastor, or the nature of the pastoral office,
as indicated by this address of Paul.
S

258 Life of the Apostle Paul.
In the last chapter I had occasion to refer to the
proper aims and efforts and manner of ministerial work
as illustrated in Paul's address to the elders of the
church in Ephesus. But there are other aspects in
which his example, as bearing on the particular subject
now before us, calls for attention.
(1.) The first is, that he could say, appealing to them
as witnesses of the truth of what he affirmed, " I am
pure from the blood of all men " (ver. 26).
The meaning of this language is plain. It is derived
from such expressions as occur in Ezekiel, where the
" watchman," by whose neglect or unfaithfulness men
are left to perish unwarned, is declared to be guilty
of their " blood " (their ruin), and where the faithful
watchman, though men reject his message, and perish in
their sins, is declared to be innocent (Ezek. iii. 18, 19).
A declaration of similar import we have from the
Apostle Paul himself : " We are unto God a sweet
savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them
that perish" (2 Cor. ii. 15).
The statement of the apostle, as made to the
Ephesian elders, implies two things ; — his conscious
ness {a) that he had stated nothing in his ministry
which was fitted to lead them away from God, or to
ruin their souls ; and {b) that he had done all he
could do to save them. He had brought before them
such truth, and had urged it so constantly, and plainly,
and faithfully, and_ perseveringly, in private and in
public, that he was now certain that if they perished the
fault would not be his, but would be their own. With

Paul at Miletus. 259
the same consciousness he said to the Jews at Corinth,
" Your blood be upon your own heads ; I am clean "
(Acts xviii. 6).
It is much, very much, for a man in the ministry, on
a review of his life at any period, to be able to say this.
There are, in fact, few men, even with the low views of
the design of the ministry which prevail among such as
are engaged in that work, who are able to say this in
sincerity. Few men could make such a statement with
out a fear that it might be denied by those to whom it
was addressed. Few have been the men, few are now
the Christian men, in any walk in life, who can feel that
they have done all they could have done to present
the truths of salvation to their fellow-sinners, or who
have any degree of assurance that they might not have
been the means of saving more souls if they had
laboured more faithfully, more sincerely, more con
stantly, in the cause of their Master.
(2.) The second thing to be noticed in regard to
Paul's work as a pastor is, that he had "not shunned
to declare all the counsel of God " — iraoav rrjv /3ouA?)v
tov Qtvv {ver. 27). This word counsel — jiovXrj — means
properly counsel as given, thatis, advice (Acts xxvii. 12);
then, counsel as taken by any one, — determination,
purpose, decree (Luke vii. 30 ; Acts ii. 23 ; iv. 28 ; xiii.
36; Eph. i. 11 ; Heb. vi. 17). Here it means all the
purposes, determinations, plans, decrees of God, so far
as made known, and so far as bearing on men. It would
include His general plan in regard to the method of
salvation, and His particular purposes in regard to the

260 Life of the Apostle Paul.
application of that plan to individuals — either as affect
ing their salvation, or as determining their duty. The
word used by Paul in the original, {nriaTitXanriv, — and
rendered " I have not shunned" has reference to a sail, as
meaning to send or draw under; to contract; to furl.
Hence it means to draw back, under cover or out of
sight, as one does when he hides himself; and then, to
draw back anything in the sense of keeping it back, or
suppressing it. The language used by the apostle might
imply that there is some danger of doing this, or some
temptation to do it ; but if there was any such danger or
temptation in the case of Paul, he had been able to over
come it, and had not withheld, concealed, or suppressed
any part of the truth of God as made known for the
salvation of men.
Of the danger of doing this, all men in the ministry
must be conscious ; few, in the review of life, could say
that they had never done it. Many of the doctrines of
religion are very repugnant to the feelings of the natural
heart ; many of those doctrines come in conflict with the
maxims of the world, many are such as make it neces
sary for the minister of religion to advert with apparent
severity to the methods of gain, the follies, the vices, the
amusements of mankind; many come in conflict with
the views of philosophy which prevail among men ;
many are imagined to represent God as harsh, stern,
severe; many are easily perverted by wicked men as
arguments against the Bible, or as excuses for remain
ing in sin. It requires much moral courage to present
these doctrines steadily to a world lying in sin; to

Paul at Miletus. 261
urge them upon the wicked and the abandoned; to
introduce them to circles of gaiety and vanity; to vindi
cate them before sceptics or philosophers, eminent in
politics, in learning, or in science. It is to be remem
bered, also, that in the early periods of Christianity
those who declared these doctrines were often exposed
thereby to fiery persecution, and declared them at the
peril of life.
Especially are these remarks applicable to those
higher doctrines of religion which are now called " doc
trines of grace," and which bring into view that which
would be most naturally suggested by the word " coun
sel" here — j3ouAr) — the .sovereignty of God. These
great doctrines of the Divine counsel — or will, — com
prising under the general idea the doctrine of decrees,
of predestination, of election, etc., as in accordance with
a purpose, — are, as we well know, among the most un
palatable that can be presented to mankind. They
are those which men are most reluctant to hear, and
which are most easily perverted. They seem, too, to
many, to have so little practical bearing on the salvation
of sinners or on the Christian life, (while the plainer and
more practical duties of repentance, faith, and holy
living, seem to have so much more decided claims to
attention,) that preachers of the Gospel often " shun to
declare" them.
It is implied, however, that Paul in his preaching at
Ephesus had not hesitated to avow his belief in those
doctrines, and that he had, in fact, made them prominent
in his ministry. What he understood by " the counsel

262 Life of the Apostle Paul.
of God," and what were the doctrines which he actually
preached, we may learn from the Epistle to the Ephe
sians, where these doctrines enter into the very essence
of the epistle, and constitute its very substance. No
man can read that epistle, and have any doubt that " the
whole counsel of God" comprised in the view of Paul
the doctrines of sovereignty, of decrees, of eternal pur
poses. That these doctrines might be unpopular, that
they might be abused, that men might turn away from
them, was, in his apprehension, no reason why they
should not be " declared," and he had declared them.
In reviewing the life which he had led at Ephesus, it
was to him now no cause of regret that he had pro
claimed them ; and when, now, in a review of the past,
a minister of the Gospel looks out on the eternal world,
and contemplates appearing before his final Judge, it
will be to him no cause of regret that he has made God
prominent in his teachings, and that his great aim has
been to exalt Him as the Sovereign Ruler over all
worlds. (3.) A third thing not improper to be noticed is, that
he had set before them an example of industry; that
he had been willing to forego his claim on them for
support, and had showed them that he was not in
fluenced by a love of gain : — " I have coveted no man's
silver, or gold, or apparel; yea, ye yourselves know,
that these hands have ministered unto my necessities,
and to them that were with me" (vers. 33, 34).
Paul, on proper occasions, was strenuous in urging
the right of the ministry to support That great prin-

Paul at Miletus. 263
ciple had been incorporated into the Jewish religion,
and had been adopted in the Christian system. " Who
goeth a warfare," says he, "at any time at his own
charges ? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of
the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth
not of the milk of the flock ? It is written in the
law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of
the ox that treadeth out the corn. If we have sown
unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall
reap your carnal things ? — Do ye not know that they
which minister about holy things live of the things
of the temple ? Even so hath the Lord ordained
that they which preach the Gospel should live of
the Gospel" (1 Cor. ix. 7 — 14). As a principle of
religion, this is everywhere recognized in the Bible;
as a matter of equity, it commends itself to all men.
The teacher of the young, the physician, the man
who advocates the cause of violated rights, and de
fends the widow, the fatherless, the wronged, the falsely
accused, confers benefits that are more than equivalent
for what he receives, and has, like other men, a full
claim to compensation for the time, and talent, and
study, and skill employed in behalf of others; and,
in like manner, even laying out of view the bearing of
the ministry on another world, the faithful Christian
pastor confers benefits which are more than equivalent
to the amount he receives. In the promotion of intelli
gence, industry, honesty, temperance, domestic order,
peace, and happiness, he renders back to society more in
regard to its real prosperity than is required for his support.

264 Life of the Apostle Paul.
Yet, while this is a right to which the minister of the
Gospel is entitled, there are not unfrequently circum
stances in which it is proper to forego the right. It
was often so with Paul. "I," says he, "have used
none of these things : neither have I written these
things, that it should be so done unto me" (1 Cor.
ix. 15). When the urging of the claim might lead
to the charge of covetousness; when it might be op
pressive and burdensome ; when a people were very
poor; when the fair interpretation of the act might
be that he was acting merely from the principles and
motives of a profession, it might be better for a
minister to labour for his own support. Paul, in con
nection with Aquila, "ofthe same craft," so laboured
in Corinth (Acts xviii. 3); and for the same reason, and
doubtless in the same occupation, he had laboured at
Ephesus. Whatever special reason there might have
been for this in Ephesus, the example could not but
have had an important influence on those to whom he
ministered. An example of industry is always of great advantage
in a community. Whether it be in manual labour,
or in study; whether it be in the regular line of a
man's calling, or in something not immediately de
manded by his profession, whether it be in an employ
ment different from that in which other men are engaged,
or whether it be in the same, the example itself is always
of great value. The example of an industrious farmer
is of advantage not only to other farmers, but to pro
fessional men; the example of an industrious minister

Paul at Miletus. 26$
of the Gospel in his studies, his preaching, his visiting,
though he never touches a plough or a hoe, is of itself of
immense value even to those whose bread is gained by
" the sweat of the brow." He who can, at the close of
his ministry, honestly say that he has himself been
industrious; that he has toiled early and late; that he
has not eaten " the bread of idleness ;" that he has em
ployed in his profession at least as many hours of his
life as the merchant in his counting-room, or the clerk
in a bank, or the weaver at his loom, or the blacksmith
at his forge, is a man who, in respect to the interests of
this life, has not lived in vain.
III. In the third place, I propose to consider the
calmness with which Paul, in view of the past, contem
plated the future; and the illustration thus furnished of
the confidence with which one who has faithfully per
formed his duty can look forzuard to whatever may
happen. Paul's feelings are expressed in the follow
ing language: — "And now, behold, I go bound in
the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that
shall befall me there: save that the Holy Ghost wit-
nesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions
abide me. But none of these things move me, neither
count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish
my course with joy, and the ministry which I have
received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the Gospel of the
grace of God" (vers. 22 — 24). His trials and perse
cutions in the past had made it probable that he would
experience similar trials and persecutions in the future;

266 Life of tlie Apostle Paul.
and he had the assurance from Him who saw all that
was to come — the Holy Ghost — that he had nothing but
this to expect wherever he went He was going now
into new dangers. He was taking leave of a people
greatly endeared to him, among whom he had laboured
happily and successfully for three years, and was going
where he had reason to anticipate new and severe forms
of trial.
In looking into the future, there are two things for us
to contemplate : — {a) Those events which may happen
to any of us; and (b) That which we know certainly
will happen.
{a) Those which may happen. Paul knew that there
was no form of persecution which he might not be called
to experience. As a man, too, he knew that there might
be sickness, disappointment, poverty, or reproach, in his
path. So it is with us. We are in a world where these
things do occur, and they may occur to us as well as to
others. Any man may contemplate it as a possible
case that any one of these things may befall him.
There is no way in which he can secure himself against
any one of these; there are some of them which will, in
all probability, come upon him. Present exemption is
no evidence that he will always or will long be exempt ;
and, at any moment, he may be plunged into any one
of these forms of sorrow.
{b) That which we know must happen. Whatever
may be uncertain in the future, one thing is certain —
death. To Paul this was certain ; it is certain to us all.
The time, the manner, the circumstances, are wisely and

Paul at Miletus. 267
benevolently concealed from us ; but the fact is certain,
and is the only thing in all the future that to us is
certain. And death is essentially the same thing to all.
What it has been to the countless millions who have
gone before us, it will be to us. We look upon a dying
man ; such we shall be. We view the mortal paleness
on his cheek, and the cold drops which stand on the
brow; so it will be with us. We look upon the body
when the vital spark is extinct, and when it becomes
cold and rigid ; such ours shall be. We look on the eye,
now deprived of all lustre and brilliancy; such ours will
be. We look on the body, clad in the habiliments of
the grave, placed in the narrow coffin, borne from the
late dwelling to the new habitation — the grave; let
down into the lowly resting-place, covered with earth,
left alone in that narrow, cold, still, damp, chilly abode,
to remain there, day and night, summer and winter,
until all shall be lost in undistinguished dust. Such we
shall be. We look on the company of mourners, as they
turn away from that grave, to look on that pale face no
more for ever. So will the mourners turn away from
our graves. We look on the gay and busy world now
forgetful of the sleeper there, and sporting in folly, or
immersed in cares; and so will the world be gay and
busy while we lie low in the grave, and moulder slowly
back to dust.
Yet in the prospect of all that, Paul was calm. " None
of these things move me." The thought that he had
been faithful to his God and Saviour, and the hope that
he would be blessed for ever, made him calm ; and so it

268 Life of the Apostle Paul.
will make us calm. There is nothing in all the future,
known to us or unknown, which, if we have been thus
faithful, and if we have such a hope, should move or
disturb us. When life has been well spent; when there
is a conscience withdut reproach; when there is faith in
the Saviour, when there is a well-founded hope of
heaven, there can be nothing that should disquiet us.
From any point in our journey where we pause to con
template the past, if we have this consciousness, we may
look calmly on to the future; and on the outer limit
of life, when death has come, if we have this con
sciousness, we may look calmly into the dark valley
which we are entering, and say, " I will fear no evil,
for Thou art with me."

XIII.
PAUL IN THE TEMPLE AT JERUSALEM.
Tlie question how far it is proper for the sake of doing good, to yield to the
prejudices of others, or to conform to the customs ofthe world.
Danger incurred at Jerusalem. — Warnings of friends. — Advice given. —
Justification of the course pursued. — Prevalent extremes; unyielding
rigidness, and culpable laxness. — Principles applicable to this question. —
Vows not in themselves wrong. — Many things in life optional. — Some
things not inherently wrong, forbidden because injurious. — Some things
intrinsically wrong. — Some things not sinful, but inconsistent. — How
the world views the inconsistent compliances of professors. — How such
compliances differ from that of Paul.— Application of these principles as a
rule of life. — The good-will of the world not to be despised. — Yet not to
be secured by compromise. — Compromise to be refused only as duty.
— Up to that point, concession to be made. — Motive of such concession.

" And unto the Jews, I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews;
to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them
that are under the law; to them that are without law, as without law
(being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ), that I might
gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I
might gain the weak ; I am made all things to all men, that I might by all
means save some." I Cor. ix. 20—22.

A STREET IN JERUSALEM.
; AUL, after having travelled through Greece
and Asia Minor, had gone up to Jerusalem.
It was the first visit which he had made in
a public manner to Jerusalem since his con
version, and it could not be otherwise than
that his public appearance in that city, or
his presence there at all, if known, would be likely to
produce a riot among the Jews. He seems himself to
have anticipated that something of this nature might
occur. In his parting address to the elders who met
him at Miletus, he had said, " And now, behold, I go
bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the
.things that shall befall me there''

272 Life of the Apostle Paul.
After leaving Miletus, Paul sailed to Tyre ; and there
the first definite apprehension of his danger was ex
pressed : " Finding certain disciples, we tarried there
seven days ; who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he
should not go up to Jerusalem." Their fear may have
been caused by a knowledge of the feelings which pre
vailed at Jerusalem in regard to him, and the moral
certainty that his presence there would call forth the mani
festation of those feelings in some form of persecution.
This apprehension became more definite when Paul
reached Caesarea. A certain "prophet" named Agabus,
who had come down from Judaea, "took Paul's girdle,
and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith
the Holy Ghost, so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind
the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him
into the hands ofthe Gentiles" (Acts xxi. 10, 11). It
is not necessary to inquire whether this man was actually
inspired, or whether the word "prophet," as applied
to him, is used in the large sense in which it is often
employed in the New Testament as denoting a religious
teacher or a minister of religion. His own knowledge
of the actual state of feeling in Jerusalem might have
been sufficient to assure him that those consequences
would follow if Paul should venture to approach the
city. Agabus had just come from Jerusalem. He
knew the temper of the nation. He was aware of the
intense and bitter hatred with which they regarded Paul,
as an apostate from their religion, and as one of the
most prominent and dangerous apostates ; as a man of
eminent talents, and most active in propagating his

Paul in the Temple at Jerusalem. 273
own sentiments, in overthrowing the national religion,
and in counteracting the institutions of Moses. More
than any other man they regarded him as an enemy of
their faith.
When he came to Jerusalem, the same apprehension
existed among the leading disciples of the Saviour there.
They themselves received Paul gladly. They recognized
him as a true apostle, and as a man who had been
eminently blessed of Gpd in spreading the knowledge ol
the way of salvation among the Gentiles (Acts xxi. 17 —
20). But they knew well that there were large numbers
— " many thousands," said they — of those who believed,
who were still " zealous of the law," whose prejudices
could be aroused, and whose passions could be inflamed,
by the charge that he had taught "all the Jews which
were among the Gentiles to forsake Moses" (Acts xxi.
21). It was unavoidable that they should be informed
of his arrival ; that they should come together ; that
there would be commotion and excitement ; and that,
unless something were done to calm down the feeling,
his life would be in peril. J
In these circumstances, it was proposed that he should
at once do something of such a nature, and in such a
public manner, as to show that he had no hostility to
the laws of Moses, and that it was not his design to
make war on the religion of his fathers. A method was
suggested which it was supposed would show this in a
satisfactory manner. There were with them, or of their
own number, four men who had made a " vow," in ac
cordance with what was usual among the Jews ; the

274 Life of the Apostle Paul.
conditions of the vow were already partly accomplished ;
Paul could unite himself with them without loss of time
in what remained to be performed ; and, as the consum
mation of this must be in the temple, it would show in
the most public manner that he did not regard these
ceremonial arrangements as unlawful in themselves, or as
improper to be observed, in certain circumstances, by
those who had been converted from Judaism to
Christianity. In justification ofthe course proposed, and ofthe con
duct of Paul, it is to be observed that this was not a
mere trick ; that it was not doing in Jerusalem, under
the influence of fear, what he would not do elsewhere ;
that it was not designed to "throw dust in their eyes ;"
that it was not an act of " trimming," or of compliance
with a custom which he elsewhere opposed. Similar
instances had in fact occurred when travelling abroad,
where no such cause could be alleged for his conduct.
Thus, in one instance, he had performed an act of the
Jewish religion in relation to Timothy, because there
were many Jews in the region where it was proposed
that he should labour (Acts xvi. 3) ; in another, and
that when entering on this very journey to Jerusalem
(Acts xviii. 18), he had fulfilled the conditions of a "vow"
which he had made, — though when made, or for what
purpose, is now unknown. It may be added, also,
that he made no secret of all this. It was done publicly;
and, in an epistle which he addressed to one of the
churches which he had founded among the Gentiles, he
avowed it as a fixed principle of conduct : — " Unto the

Paul in the Temple at Jerusalem. 275
Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews"
(1 Cor. ix. 20).
The question which is suggested for consideration by
this case, is, How far is it proper to comply with the
customs, or to yield to the prejudices of the world around
us, in order to do good, promote religion, and win others to
love the Saviour ?
That this is an important practical question, no one
can doubt ; that it is a question attended with some
serious difficulties is equally clear. Very much of the
honour of religion, and of the usefulness of Christians,
depends on this ; very much of the injury done to the
cause of religion by its professed friends is to be traced
to a want of correct views on subjects that come pro
perly within the range of this inquiry.
In order to a just determination of the question, it
will be proper to notice at the outset the extremes which
prevail on the subject These are two : —
{a.) A rigid, unbending, and stern application of
religious principles to all cases that occur, and to all
questions that pertain to conduct. No one can doubt
that the Christian religion is a religion of principle, and
not of sentiment, form, or feeling ; that there are to be
fixed and regular laws in religion, and that our conduct
is to be regulated by those laws ; that those laws, for
Christians, are to be found in the Bible, and are not to
be modified by the philosophy, the maxims, or the customs
of the world ; and that the highest exercise of conscience
is to be applied to our conduct in relation to those laws.
But it is assuming more than any one has a right to

276 Life of the Apostle Paul.
assume, when a man affirms that those laws are
designed to regulate all that pertains to society and
conduct, or that there is no room for a diversity in
social manners and customs ; in dress and modes of
living ; in intercourse between man and man ; in the ways
and habits of doing things ; or in customs that spring
from different modes of education, climate, or pursuits.
He who endeavours to bring under the domain of con
science and religion what does not properly belong to it,
commits an offence, not less than he who endeavours to
remove from the province of religion to a regulation of
mere social custom what the Bible has made a matter
of religious obligation. He who originates a rite, a
custom, or an ordinance as pertaining to religion, and
insists on it as a matter of conscience, is guilty of legis
lating where God alone can legislate ; and he who at-
tempts'to apply the maxims of religion to customs, to
habits of life, to modes of dress or of intercourse, which
God has designed should be free, invades no less the
province of God in matters of religion, than he who at
tempts to remove from their proper place those things
which God has ordained, and to make them matters of
expediency, of fashion, of custom, or of discretion. There
are other things to guide us in life, than the direct and
particular specifications of religion (Phil. iv. 8); and,
within proper limits, religion is as much honoured by
complying with those things as it is by obeying its
direct and explicit ordinances. It may be said, indeed,
with truth, that the error of the Church at large has not
been that of a too rigid adherence to principle, or a too

Paul in the Temple at Jerusalem. 277
stern application ofthe laws of Christianity to thecommon
transactions of life ; but it is also to be said that there
have been those in every age, the characteristic of whose
piety has been the stern application of religious prin
ciples to every transaction of life, even so far as to bring
under the domain of religion things which God has left
to be matters of custom, of expediency, of taste, or of
convenience. Extremes meet here. The Puritan on
the one hand, and the Ritualist on the other (much as
they differ in 'Other respects), — he who insists that all
things (dress, social customs, amusements) shall be regu
lated by the principles of religion, and he who exalts a
humanly-appointed rite of religion (the mode of baptism,
or a clerical dress, or the manner of administering a
religious ordinance, or the observance of certain days) as
a matter of stern obligation, however much they may
differ in other respects, — agree in endeavouring to carry
the domain of religious principle into regions which God
never intended. Hence originates the denial of just
liberty in the Church; hence, the spirit of persecution,
of exclusiveness, of bigotry.
{b.) The other extreme is laxness, or an abandonment
of the proper principles of religion, by conformity to the
customs of the world. It need not be said that this has
been, rather than the former, the prevailing danger in
the Church, and that the principal dishonour which has
been done to religion has sprung from this source. The
rule which has been practically acted on in the Church,
to an extent which no one can vindicate, has been to
conform to the world in all things which are not morally

278 Life of the Apostle Paul.
wrong, — while what is morally wrong has been deter
mined by other things than the laws and principles of
the New Testament. Hence the most worldly forms of
fashion, the theatre, the opera, the ball-room, the splendid
party, have not been regarded as so different from the
communion-table that both may not be alike participated
in and enjoyed ; and it has been believed that a transi
tion from the one to the other involves no evidence of a
want of true love to the Saviour, or of zeal for the
honour of His religion.
The question now is, What, in reference to these ex
tremes, are the true principles of religion ? and particu
larly, What, on this subject, is authorized by the example
of the Apostle Paul in the case before us? In the
solution of these questions, it will be proper, first, to lay
down some principles which, it may be presumed, will
secure the assent of all ; and, secondly, to consider the
application of those principles to the point in hand.
I. There are certain principles, as bearing on the
subject, which are likely to command universal assent
(1.) Vows, or voluntary promises and pledges, are not,
in themselves, immoral or improper. They were allowed
freely under the Jewish system of religion ; they are
not forbidden in the New Testament ; and they have
been made by men most eminent for holiness and purity
in all ages of the Church. They cannot, indeed, impose
an obligation to the performance of that which is in
itself wrong ; but where an act is in itself right, they
may be an important aid in securing its performance. In

Paul in the Temple at Jerusalem. 279
the general course of life, a purpose to do right is closely
connected with the act of doing right, and goes far
towards securing such an act ; and a pledge, a promise,
or a vow, whether in relation to God or man, may be
an important means of securing upright conduct. The
promises which we make in the ordinary transactions of
business, and the professions which we make in religion,
are valuable means of securing fidelity to any trust.
That Paul should have made a vow at Cenchrea, or
should unite with others in carrying out a vow already
made by them in Jerusalem, was in no way a departure
from the principles in which he had been trained ; or
from the spirit of the Old or the New Testament ; or
from the general sense of mankind in regard to the
propriety of the principle) in religion ; or from the
practice of men in regard to it, in the ordinary transac
tions of life. Whatever, therefore, may be charged on
the apostle in reference to this transaction, it cannot be
alleged that, in taking upon himself a share in this vow,
he was doing that which was morally wrong.
(2.) There are numerous things that pertain to human
conduct which, in themselves, are neither moral nor
immoral, but which are indifferent in their nature.
These things are not regulated by the Bible, nor do
they conflict with the precepts of the Bible. Dress*
manners, modes of living, — methods of salutation, of
address, and of intercourse, — social habits and customs,
— domestic arrangements, — such things as these, pertain
to the organization of families and societies as such,
and must in the main be regulated by things quite

280 Life of the Apostle Paul.
independent of religion. Education, long-established
usages, the tastes of individuals, difference of climate,
diversities of pursuit, varieties in the ranks and con
ditions of life, — all these enter into the formation of
such habits and customs. We do not expect the same
formalities of intercourse in the cottage and in the
palace ; we need not require, and we could not secure,
the same modes of salutation in China, in Persia, in
Arabia, — among Turks, among Frenchmen, or among
savage tribes.
Further ; some of these things may pertain to religion.
It remains yet to be proved that, according to the tastes,
the education, and the individual characteristics of men,
different modes may not be adopted in the worship of
God, or that prayer may not be acceptable to God
when offered either kneeling or standing ; from a pre-
composed form, or from extemporary utterance ; in
audible expression, or in the silent breathing of the
heart ; when lying on the bed at night, or when in the
hurry of business, in the counting-room, at the work
bench, or at the plough, as well as amid the solemnities
of public worship in the most gorgeous temple. It
remains yet to be shown that in respect to the worship
of an Episcopalian, a Presbyterian, a Methodist, a
Lutheran, a Moravian, though offered in different modes,
there is not, as in respect to the social customs of life,
a wide range of choice allowed according to the customs
of nations, or according to the characteristics of indi
vidual men.
(3.) There may be things, not improper or wrong in

Paul in the Temple at Jerusalem. 281
themselves, that may be made improper and wrong by
the positive commands of religion ; — that is, from which
religion would restrain us for our own good, and in
order to secure the highest degree of spirituality.
There may be a pursuit of wealth which would be
attended with no positively immoral act, but which
would be perilous to a man's soul ; there may be a
desire of distinction in the world, in science, in political
life, or a desire of remembrance after death, which would
be connected with nothing immoral, but which might
endanger the soul ; there may be a love of dress, of
pleasure, of amusement, of commendation and flattery,
in a world gay and godless, which, though it might not
lead to any acts of dishonesty, fraud, falsehood, licen
tiousness, or intemperance, and though it might be
connected with all that is refined in intercourse and
attractive in manners, might nevertheless lead to the
neglect of the highest interests of the soul, and to its
ultimate ruin.
(4) There are things which are intrinsically and
always wrong, — forbidden alike by the rules of a just
morality, and by the principles of revealed religion. No
possible circumstances can make them right ; no sanc
tions or commands could change their essential nature,
or invest them with innocence. No contingencies, no
dangers, no hope of good, no fear of evil, could justify
them or make them proper. Nothing could excuse or
palliate them. In the nature of things, and apart from
all positive commands, and all legislation, there are such
things as right and wrong ; good and evil ; true and

282 Life of the Apostle Paul.
false ; benevolent and malignant. These are not made
right or wrong, good or evil, by a mere exercise of will ;
and the excellence of the Divine nature itself is not that
God declares that to be right which He does, but that
His doings are eternally and invariably conformed to
that which is right, and are unchangeably opposed to
that which is evil and wrong. Nothing can justify a
man in violating those eternal principles of right as
existing in the nature of things, and as confirmed by
the nature and the law of God ; and if Paul's becoming
"all things to all men," had gone to the extent of
violating those principles, it would be impossible to
vindicate him. What those things are has been declared
by God himself in the volume of revealed truth, and has
been engraved largely on the very consciences of men
(Rom. ii. 14, 15).
(5.) There are things which are not regarded by the
world as sinful or improper, but which are condemned
by religion, and which, if practised by the professed
friends of religion, that very world would consider to be
wrong. The people of the world, while they see nothing
in such things absolutely wrong, or inconsistent with
any principles which they hold, profess to be able to see
that such things are inconsistent with the professions
which Christians make. In their estimation such things
are not in themselves evil, and would not be improper
for them, but if professed Christians carry out the prin
ciple of " becoming all things to all men," to such an
extent as to lead to a compliance with those customs, it
would be set down against the latter as an abandonment

Paul in the Temple at Jerusalem. 283
of their profession, and as a proof that the principles of
religion have no true and firm hold on their hearts. In
the time of Paul there were many things freely indulged
in by both Jews and Pagans, which while they would
not have been regarded by Jews or Pagans as incon
sistent with any principles which they held, would have
been regarded as scandalous in a Christian apostle.
What Pagan, who knew anything of the nature of
Christianity, could have looked otherwise than with
scorn on an apostle enjoying the conflicts in the amphi
theatre, and joining the shouts of exultation as one
gladiator plunged his sword in the heart of a less
powerful or skilful antagonist ?
There are many, very many, such things in the world
now. Without pretending to know exactly how the
world regards the question of morality as applicable
to the amusements of society, — the theatre, the opera,
the ball-room, the social " glass," — to late hours, to gay
and splendid apparel, to a life frivolous and vain, to the
love of flattery, — it must be apparent to themselves, as
it is to others, that they make a broad distinction
between these things and ingratitude towards a parent,
or a wrong done to a neighbour, or a flagrant breach of
promise, or an act of dishonesty in business, or crime as
defined by the laws of the land. They never, in respect
to themselves, place such things in the same category
with falsehood, theft, dishonesty, murder. Yet, what
ever be the exact degree in which the world attaches
the idea of morality to such things, it is not difficult to
ascertain how they regard the question whether the

284 Life of the Apostle Paul.
professed friends of religion can consistently mingle in
such scenes. On this point there is probably but one
opinion among the people of the world. In their esti
mation, the communion-table and the theatre, the ball
room, and the opera, are separated by wide and im
passable distances. There is no affinity between them.
They cannot be rendered harmonious. The spirit of
the one is not the spirit of the other. The transition
from one to the other is not a natural and easy transi
tion, — of the same nature as the transition among them
selves from the employments to the amusements of
life (all in the same line, and pursued with the same
general aim), — but a transition to a new region — a tran
sition for Christians from light to darkness, from right
to wrong, from stern and fixed principles to a loose, and
easy, and unjustifiable compliance with the customs of
the world. Well do the people of the world, whatever
may be true of many professed Christians, understand
the force of the apostle's appeal, despise it though they
may, when he says, " What fellowship hath righteous
ness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath
light with darkness ? and what concord hath Christ with
Belial?" (2 Cor. vi. 14, 15). "Ye cannot drink the cup
of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be par
takers of the Lord's table, and the table of devils"
(1 Cor. x. 21).
If, in these respects, a professed Christian now be
comes "all things to all men," it is impossible not to
see that his conduct differs wholly from that of Paul.
The fact that he had a "vow," and that, by complying

Paul in the Temple at Jerusalem. 285
with the requirements of such a vow, he showed respect
to the religion of his fathers, and even yielded to the
prejudices of his countrymen, would not, and could not,
interfere with his purpose to impress on their minds the
reality and importance of religion, and the momentous
nature of the interests of the soul. It would be seen
that his conduct was in tliat line, and was designed to
secure that end. But when a professed Christian is seen
now in the theatre, or the opera, or the ball-room, is this
in the line of doing good to the souls of others ? Is it
designed or adapted to impress on them the importance
of personal religion ? Can the people of the world
regard it as having this tendency ? Can they by any
ingenuity of interpretation bring this mode of becoming
"all things to all men" under the rule of Paul, " that 1
might by all means save some?"
II. Assuming now that these principles are correct,
it will not be difficult to apply them as a rule of life, —
and, in doing this, to show that the conduct of Paul was
in no way chargeable with a want of firmness or of prin
ciple, and that it was not the offspring of timidity or fear.
(1.) In the effort to do good to others, and in all our
intercourse with our fellow-men, the friendship of the
world is better than its hatred. That man is more
likely to do good to others who does not needlessly
make war on their prejudices; who does not excite
angry passions by a denunciation of customs that are
innocent; who is not, of design, singular and eccentric
in his speech and manners; who, in common matters,

286 Life of the Apostle Paul.
lives as other men live, and dresses as other men dress,
and talks as other men talk, than he who begins his work
by an assumption of universal singularity. To the in
trinsic difficulty, always great, of doing men good in
religion, in such a case we add the difficulty arising from
the fact of disgusting them ; of alienating them from us.
The good-will of any man is better than his ill-will;
and it cannot be desirable to run against the prejudices
of the world where no principle is involved. As has
been already remarked, there are numberless things in
life which it is not the province of religion, any more
than of civil law, to control. Every man has his own
way of doing things. He has his habits formed. His
peculiarity is of no importance to the community, it
may be, but it is of importance to himself — to his
comfort, to his views of propriety. We insensibly learn
to adjust ourselves to the habits of others, showing
respect to their peculiarities, and allowing them to do
things in their own way. It may require months for
a husband and wife to learn to live together without
pain caused undesignedly in respect to some innocent
habit or mode of doing things ; but individuals brought
to live together, do so adjust themselves to each other
that peace and harmony prevail in families and commu
nities. Now up to the point where such peculiarities —
such habits or customs — cease to be innocent, it cannot
be wrong to conform ourselves, as Paul did, to the state
of things around, or to become " all things to all men."
(2.) In our intercourse with the world, in our transac
tions of business, in our efforts to do good, no principle

Paul in the Temple at Jerusalem. 287
— no truth — should be sacrificed or compromised. In
the case now under consideration, Paul sacrificed no
principle, and compromised no truth ; we shall see
hereafter that when principle was involved, or when
truth was imperilled, nothing, not even the pros
pect of death, could move him from the performance
of duty. At all hazards, in the face of all opposition,
when threatened with the loss of all things, or with
death itself, — or when there seems to be a prospect of
doing good by the temporary abandonment of prin
ciple, — we are to adhere to that which is just and right;
to all that our religion requires. Not by the allure
ments of fashion, of gaiety, and of worldliness, are we
to be drawn aside from our duty ; and not by the hope
of doing good to the fashionable, the gay, or the worldly,
are we to compromise the principles of religion, and to
conform to customs that are wrong. If the principles
of the Gospel are opposed to the theatre or the opera,
he does no good to those who indulge in those amuse
ments by being found with them in such places ; if the
principles of the Gospel are opposed to the use of in
toxicating drinks, he does no good to those who indulge
in the use of those drinks by partaking with them; if
religion requires the observance of the Sabbath, he does
no good to others who complies with their views, and
travels with them on that day; if religion asserts the
doctrine of human depravity, of the necessity for rege
neration, of the necessity and the fact of an atonement,
of the duty of a holy life, and of the certainty of eternal
retribution, he can do no good to others who attempts

288 Life of the Apostle Paul.
to modify those doctrines so as to suit their views. Not
thus are we to seek to do good; not thus are we to
become "all things to all men." Not thus did Paul.
Not with one thing in itself wrong, or forbidden by his
religion, did he ever comply ; not in one habit incon
sistent with the purpose to serve God his Saviour, did
he ever indulge, that he might better commend himself
to those whom he would save.
(3.) It should be observed, however, that the things
referred to should be matters of principle, things required
by religion, and not things of whim, or fancy, or
imagination. One of the great evils of the Church — of
religious men everywhere — is that of which the Pharisee
was an illustrious type, making " broad the phylacteries,
enlarging the borders of the garments, loving the chief
seats in the synagogues, desiring to be called of men
'Rabbi, Rabbi,'" and calling this — religion. In all those
things which prescribe rites and ceremonies, genuflexions
and crossings, and confound a conformity to these with
obedience to a moral precept ; — in all those things which
exalt forms above religion itself, and which base
exclusiveness upon those forms; — in all those things
which insist on a mode rather than the reality, or on a
mode as essential to reality, there the spirit of the
Pharisee is perpetuated. It was otherwise with Paul.
What he insisted on, was principle and truth, not
shadow and form. In principle, he was firm as the
everlasting hills ; in reference to the mere forms of re
ligion, to the innocent customs of the world, to the
harmless prejudices of his fellow-men, even of religionists,

Paul in the Temple at Jerusalem. 289
as gentle and yielding as the osier when moved by the
breathing of the zephyr.
(4) The conclusion, then, to which we have arrived,
alike in vindication of the conduct of Paul, and as a
rule of Christian life, is, that up to .the point where prin
ciple is involved, it is right to mingle with the world
around us, and to conform to the ordinary customs of
life; — to talk as others talk; to dress as others dress;
to live as others live; to practise the rules which they
practise in social intercourse, and to be interested in
things pertaining to the good of a neighbourhood or
of the country. Mere oddity, eccentricity, or want of
civility in manners, converts no one; nor do these things
recommend religion to others; certainly they do not
make religion more attractive to the human heart. To
set at defiance the laws of social life does nothing to
commend the rules of the Gospel. To each individual
in society every other individual will readily concede
such peculiarity of manner as to mark and preserve his
individuality; and, in like manner, the world around
should concede such peculiarities of manner, deport
ment, and expression, as properly characterize the true
Christian; — seriousness, earnestness, devoutness, dead-
ness to the world, and the manifestation of a spirit
which shows that he does not regard this world as his
home. With all there was in Paul that was yielding,
all his readiness to comply with the ways of doing
things in the world, there was enough in his character
that was peculiar to distinguish him from every other
apostle; enough, in his spirit and aim, to distinguish
W

290 Life of the Apostle Paul.
him in the most marked manner from the Jew and the
Gentile, from the world around him, from the gay, the
ambitious, the covetous, and the proud.
In view of the train of thought thus submitted, we
may dwell a moment on the grand and noble purpose
held up for our imitation in the language of the apostle,
"that I might by all means save some" Such a purpose,
pursued in such a manner, implies that the salvation of
a soul is a great matter; that it towers above all other
things; that it is worth every sacrifice that can be made;
that all other objects — fame, wealth, ease, reputation,
life itself should be made subordinate to it; that it
should control all the faculties; that it should con
centrate and combine all the powers of the soul. On
this principle Paul acted, for he did not count his life
dear unto himself so that he might finish his course
with joy, and the ministry which he had received (Acts
xx. 24) ; and on this principle the Saviour of the world
acted, who endured the agonies of Gethsemane, and the
bitter pains of death on the cross, that he might redeem
the souls of men. And can any one doubt that the
salvation of an immortal soul is worth even such sacri
fices as these ? Can any one doubt that it is worth
more than all the sacrifices which he himself can make,
" if by any means" he " may save some ?"

XIV.
PAUL BEFORE THE SANHEDRIM.
How far it is proper to avail ourselves of differences and dissensions amon*
others in defending ourselves.
Question to be solved. — Circumstances of the case. — The tumult. — Th»
rescue. — Address to the people. — Renewed excitement. — Convening oi
Jhe Sanhedrim. — No hope of justice. — Course pursued by Paul. — Obja
tions to hi! conduct. — He was not literally a Pharisee. — Not actually on
trial about the resurrection. — This was not a fair defence, therefore, but
a trick. — Vindication of his conduct. — (i.) The Sanhedrim had no reai
authority; were not investigating impartially; and there was but on»
course by which a hearing could be obtained. — (2.) The difference o'
which Paul availed himself was already existing. — (3.) On this one
doctrine, Paul did agree with the Pharisees. — (4.) Of this doctrine h»
had a proof more convincing than tradition ; or analogy ; or Old Testa
ment Scripture (in which the Sadducees denied it ; from which Chris*
did not quote ; and in which we but dimly perceive it) ; — more con
vincing because a fact. — (5.) It was this doctrine, thus held, for whicj
Paul suffered.

" Bat when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the. oths1
Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisw
the son of a Pharisee : of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am callei
in question. And when he had so said, there arose a dissension betwee:
the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the multitude was divided."
Acts xxiii. 6, J.

JERUSALEM.
HE particular point suggested by the case
which is now to come under consideration,
relates to a question respecting the man
liness, the candour, the nobleness, the fair
ness, the straightforwardness of the apostlej
in availing himself of a difference of opinion
among his accusers and judges; in seeking to produce
dissension in the Sanhedrim ; in claiming to be a Pha
risee; in stating that that for which he was now on
trial was the doctrine which distinguished the Pharisees
from the Sadducees, — the doctrine of the resurrection of
the dead. The objection would be that this was a mere
trick on his part, unworthy of a great orator, of a great
apostle, and of an honest man ; that it indicated a small
species of adroitness or cunning fitted to a "pettifogger"
or a special pleader; that it bordered very nearly on the

294 Life of the Apostle Paul.
arts of a "trimmer;" that he sought to confound his
adversaries and secure his own safety, rather than to
defend the truth; and that the position which he took
— namely, that he was a Pharisee (in the sense in which
they would understand it), and that the actual thing
for which he was called in question was the doctrine of
the resurrection of the dead — was irreconcilable with
the truth of the case.
In connexion with this it is to be observed that it
may become a question of importance for us, how far
we may avail ourselves of the peculiar opinions of
others, and of their differences or dissensions, in car
rying a point in argument, or in securing our safety
when accused, or in vindicating our character when
assailed, or in defending the truth. In other words,
the, question would be, "What is manly, dignified, fair,
honourable in such circumstances ?" This may be de
termined by a full understanding of the apostle's case,
to which, therefore, we may limit our attention.
To illustrate the subject, it will be necessary to con
sider the circumstances of the apostle at this time; to
examine, more at length, the nature of the objections
which could be urged against his conduct ; and to
ascertain whether that conduct can be vindicated, as
being consistent with fairness, truth, and honour.
I. The circumstances preceding and attending the case.
In the previous chapter we considered the proposal
made to Paul, and adopted by him, that he should take
part in a vow which had been made by some members

Paul before the Sanhedrim. 295
of the church in Jerusalem, and should thus show in a
public manner that he was not hostile to the institutions
of Moses. The hope of thus preventing an excitement
among the Jews, however, proved to be vain. Certain
"Jews which were of Asia," that, is, of Asia Minor,
where he had laboured so long and so effectually, saw
him in the courts of the temple, and " stirred up all the
people," laying hands on him as an enemy of their
religion, and accusing him of having polluted the temple.
This was sufficient to produce the deepest excitement.
The multitude rushed upon him with fury, hurried him
out ofthe holy place, and "went about to kill him." From
this danger Paul was rescued by the chief captain of the
Roman guard, stationed in the Tower of Antonia. This
was but a short distance from the spot where this scene
of violence was occurring, and it is probable that the
tumult had been witnessed by the sentries on duty.
Intelligence was at once sent to the chief captain that
"all Jerusalem was in an uproar," and forthwith he came
with a band of soldiers, and rescued Paul from the
hands of his murderers. Failing to learn the cause of
this disturbance from the multitude, among whom "some
cried one thing, some another," and supposing him to
be the Egyptian concerned in a recent rebellion, he
secured him with chains, and carried him into the tower
(Acts xxi. 27 — 34).
To the surprise of the chief captain Paul respectfully
addressed him in Greek, and requested permission to
address the people. " I am a man," he said, " which
am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no

296 Life of the Apostle Paul.
mean city; and, I beesech thee, suffer me to speak unto
the people" (ver. 39). The fact that he was a Jew
identified him with the people who cried "away with
him;" the fact that he was of Tarsus explained the
reason why he was able to "speak Greek," for Tarsus
(as we have seen) was, in the celebrity of its schools,
second only to Athens ; the fact that he was a " citizen
of no mean city" — ovk. aartfiov iroXiwq, not a city undis
tinguished, unknown, uncultivated, and rude — was a
reason why he was entitled to respectful treatment, and
why it might be presumed that he would do nothing
against the rules of propriety. Lysias, the chief cap
tain, willing to adopt any mild measures by which he
might ascertain the cause of the tumult, and by which
he might hope that the passions of the people would be
calmed down, readily granted his request (Acts xxi.
35—40). Standing on the stairs, Paul then delivered one of the
most beautiful of all his addresses. Speaking to the mul
titude in their own native language, not as a foreigner,
but as an educated Hebrew, he at once secured their
attention. He told them of his early life, and informed
them that, though born in Tarsus, he had been brought
up in Jerusalem and at the feet of Gamaliel, a Rabbi
known to them all. He referred to his zeal for God;
his persecution of the Christians; the confidence placed
in him by the high priest and elders ; and the com
mission which they gave him. He narrated the circum
stances of his conversion ; the announcement brought
to him by Ananias, as to the purpose for which he had

Paul before the Sanhedrim. 297
been thus arrested; and the marvellous vision which
he subsequently had, in the temple itself, commanding
him to bear to the Gentiles the message of salvation
(Acts xxii. 1 — 21).
Up to this point they heard him patiently. But
when he spoke of his mission to the Gentiles, he was
interrupted by a burst of indignation. The violent
words and furious gestures of the multitude led Lysias,
who evidently had not understood what the apostle
was saying in the Hebrew tongue, to conclude that he
must have committed some great crime. To ascertain
what this was, he proposed now to subject him to the
torture, — to examine him by scourging.1 In danger of
this enormous wrong, helpless and defenceless, Paul
now, to the amazement of the Roman chiliarch, availed
himself of his right as a Roman citizen, as he had done
on a former occasion at Philippi. But one thing now
remained for the Roman military commander to try.
It occurred to him that by a form of trial before the
Jewish Sanhedrim itself, he might ascertain the true
source of all this disturbance; that perhaps the case
might, without further trouble, be disposed of as a
Jewish matter before that tribunal; or that, at any
rate, he might obtain light to direct him in his duty.
On the following day, therefore, the Sanhedrim was
convened, and Paul was brought before them that the
cause might be heard and determined (Acts xxii.
22—30). 1 Greek; to inquire strictly; then, to "put to the question;'' to force
confession by scourging — fidari^iv aviraZeaBai.

298 Life of the Apostle Paul.
It was then and there that the scene occurred, which
we have now under consideration. Paul having begun,
as usual, in the most respectful manner, — " Men and
brethren," — calmly asserted that he had endeavoured
always to live a life of integrity ; — " I have lived in all
good conscience before God until this day" (Acts xxiii.
1). This was a solemn affirmation that he had done
only what every good man ought to do. He had
acted in accordance with the demands of conscience.
The manner in which this was received showed that
he had nothing to hope from the council in regard to
justice ; — " the high priest Ananias commanded them
that stood by to smite him on the mouth " (Acts xxiii.
2). This act on the part of him who occupied the place
of high priest, was so contrary to all the rules of justice,
and indicated so settled a determination to condemn
him, as to change the whole course of things. After
an indignant rebuke for an act so uncalled for, after a
solemn declaration that God would smite a man who
was merely a " whited wall," — a man who was like a
wall painted or whitewashed, and who was not what he
pretended to be, or appeared to be; — a man who "had
the semblance of the high priest's office without the
reality" {Lightfoot)} — Paul, for his own safety, resorted
to the course which now claims our notice. Seeing that
1 " If we consider these words as an outburst of natural indignation, we
cannot severely blame them, when we remember St. Paul's temperament,
and how they were provoked. If we regard them as a prophetic denun
ciation, they were terribly fulfilled, when this hypocritical president of the
Sanhedrim was murdered by the assassins in the Jewish war." (Josephus,
Bell. Jud. ii. 17, 9). — Conybeare and Howson, vol. ii. p. 282.

Paul before the Sanhedrim. 299
there were two parties in the Sanhedrim, he resolved
to divide and distract their counsels, and to trust for
his own safety to the protection of the Roman power.
II. This brings us, in the second place, to the state
ment of tlie objections which might be urged against his
conduct. These have already been adverted to in a
general manner, but they are such as to demand a
more particular specification. They involve the whole
question of honesty and fairness in this transaction ;
and they suggest the inquiry, how far such a course is
allowable and proper for a Christian.
The objections to the course pursued by Paul, might
be such as the following : —
(1.) That when he said he was a " Pharisee," it was
not true in the sense which the term would naturally
convey, and in which they would understand it. It
would be alleged that in the sense in which they were
Pharisees, he was not a Pharisee. He was not associated
with them ; he was not identified with them ; he was
not reckoned as one of them. He was not now of
their party. Long since, on becoming a Christian, he
had renounced all connexion with them, and had every
where opposed their characteristic opinions, their doc
trines, their practice, their respect for tradition, their
regard for show, parade, and ostentation, for broad
phylacteries, and for the chief places in the synagogues,
and their public prayers and charities. Eminently and
entirely, also, he was opposed to their views of justifi
cation before God, — their system of self-righteousness,—

300 Life of the Apostle Paul.
and had preached a doctrine diametrically and totally
contrary to theirs in respect to the way of salvation.
Nothing could be more unlike than the view which he
held, that a man can be saved only by faith, and the
view which they held that good works, an outwardly
blameless life, and conformity to the rites and cere
monies of the law, can constitute the ground of hope
towards God. Wherever he went, he had done more
than any other man to hold up their religion as false
and ruinous, and to turn mankind from it. In what
sense, then, could he claim to be one of their number ?
(2.) It might be alleged that what he affirmed to be
the main point involved in his present troubles, "the
hope and resurrection of the dead," was not really the
point for which he was "called in question," but for
setting aside the laws and institutions of Moses ; for
undervaluing the Hebrew institutions ; for apostasy
from the faith in which he was trained ; and specifically
and directly, as charged upon him, for polluting the
temple by bringing Greeks into it. - Going back to the
source of the present difficulty, and the immediate
matter before the council, these were the only offences
charged on him, — and no allusion whatever, not even
the most remote, had been made to what he here
affirms to have been the chief thing — the doctrine of
the resurrection of the dead. How then could he
honestly say that it was "for the hope and resurrection
of the dead" that he was being judged {iyw Kpivo/iai) ?
How could he say that this was the point for which he
stood before that august tribunal i

Paul before the Sanhedrim. 301
(3.) It may be urged, therefore, that this was the
trick of an orator rather than the act of a noble-minded
man ; that it was a cunning attempt to turn the mind
from the main point at issue in order that he might
save himself; that it was designed to embarrass, and
divide, and confuse, but that it constituted no defence
in regard to the charges which had been brought against
him ; and that it had no tendency to enlighten the
mind of Lysias respecting the cause of the trouble, or
to aid him in the performance of his duty.
It cannot be denied that there is much plausibility
in these objections, and it cannot be doubted that there
are candid minds that are troubled by them, and that
would be glad to have the difficulties suggested by the«i
removed. III. This leads us then, thirdly, to consider the
question whether the conduct of Paul can be vindicated
as consistent with fairness, honour, manliness, and truth.
(1.) We are to bear in mind that the Sanhedrim had
no real authority in the matter ; that they had no right
to pronounce a sentence of acquittal or condemnation;
that they had properly no jurisdiction over the case
whatever, and that the matter had not been submitted
to them at all with that view. They had, indeed,
a certain jurisdiction over questions pertaining to their
law and their religion; but this was not one of those
questions. It was solely a matter which had been re
ferred to them by a Roman magistrate in order te
ascertain the cause of the riot, the tumult, the disorder,

302 Life of the Apostle Paul.
which had endangered the life of the apostle, and which
constituted "a breach of the peace." That was a
matter which pertained to the Roman authority, ex
clusively, and of which the chief captain, as entrusted
with the military command in Jerusalem, was bound to
take cognizance. Lysias of his own accord, determined
to bring the matter before this council, to ascertain one
point alone, — " wherefore he was accused of the Jews"
(Acts xxii. 30). That one thing discovered, if it could
be, the case would then be entirely in the hands of the
Roman authorities.
But even in regard to this point, it was manifest at
the very opening of the trial, that there was no hope
of justice; no likelihood of securing the expression of a
candid opinion. There was evidence that they would
not hear his explanations, and that their minds were
already made up to condemn him as the cause of the
disorder. The command given by the high priest at the
the very commencement of the investigation, so contrary
to every principle of justice, and so clearly indicating
a determined purpose to condemn the accused, — took
away all prospect of obtaining a fair hearing, and of
securing a just opinion of the case. The members of
the Sanhedrim were prejudiced and passionate men;
they were resolved on Paul's condemnation ; their minds
had been already made up in the matter.
If now, in this state of things, Paul could prove that,
in condemning him, as it was manifest they were deter
mined to do, the majority in the council would condemn
themselves, and must deny their own peculiar doctrines

Paul before the Sanhedrim. 303
— doctrines for which they had always been contending,
could it be regarded as unfair or unmanly to show them
that this must be so ? If, without perverting the truth
in any way, he could convince them that he had been
suffering for what he and they held in common, and
for what was a vital principle in their religion, would
it be improper for him to endeavour to add their testi
mony to the truth of the doctrine, and at the. same
time to secure their influence in his favour ? If this
could be done, it seems difficult to see why it might not
be done. It is certain that this was his aim. Whether
this could be done, consistently with truth and candour,
it must be admitted is a fair question. That question
it is my object, in the following remarks, to examine.
(2.) There was, in fact, an important difference of
opinion in the Sanhedrim on the most vital subjects of
religion. That difference of opinion Paul did not make,
nor did he increase it. He found it already existing.
They all knew that there was such a difference. That
difference pertained, among other things, to the doctrine
of the resurrection of the dead ; to the separate exis
tence of the soul after death ; to the future state ; to
the hope of a future life ; and, consequently, to the
judgment, and to the world of retribution,— for, if the
soul has no existence after death, and there is no
resurrection of the dead, there can be neither a judg
ment, a heaven, nor a hell. It embraced the entire
question respecting the existence of angels and spirits,
and consequently affected all the views which were held
as to the unseen and the future world.

304 Life of the Apostle Paul.
The difference of opinion on these subjects led to a
complete difference of views and practice on the subject
of religion, — a difference in worship, in hope, in prac
tical life ; for what is, and must be, the religion of a
man who has no belief in a resurrection and in the
future state ? What is his sense of responsibility ?
What hope can he cherish ? .What apprehension of
the future will deter him from sin ? What effort will
he make to save men ? " Let us eat and drink, for to
morrow we die," must and will be the controlling
maxim of his life. The problem to be solved by him
will be, how to multiply, increase, and prolong the
pleasures of sense, so as to make the most of life ; and
the practical life will be that of the voluptuary.1
It was impossible for Paul to magnify this difference
beyond the reality, and he had a right to assume that
this was a material and vital .difference, and to act
accordingly. (3.) It was a matter of fact, also, that, so far as these
two parties were concerned, Paul was wholly with the
Pharisees. He had been educated in the strictest
manner in the doctrine of the Pharisees, as distinguished
from the Sadducees. His own father was a Pharisee ;
and, in the education of his son, had removed him
from the place of his birth, and put him under the
instruction of the most eminent Pharisee of his age.
1 Of the practical effect of the view of life here adverted to, history has
furnished numerous illustrations. I would refer the reader to a collection^
of facts given by Dr. McCosh in his work oa "The Divine Government,
physical and moral" (pp. 245 — 247).

Paul before the Sanhedrim. 305
Paul had no sympathy with the Sadducees in the pecu
liarity of their views ; and there was not a man living,
not even the most rigid of the Pharisees, who had a
deeper abhorrence of the doctrine of the Sadducees, or
a deeper sense of the danger of that doctrine, than he
had. He had done more to propagate tho doctrine of
the Pharisees on these subjects than any Pharisee then
living, even than Gamaliel himself. ^
The doctrines here adverted to, and on which Paul
claimed to be united in opinion with the Pharisees,
were the peculiar doctrines of the sect. That he might
hold many other opinions in which he differed from the
Pharisees was true ; but he did hold these, and he held
none that were inconsistent with these. Moreover, he
attached all the importance to the doctrine of the resur
rection of the dead which the Pharisees had ever done.
It had lost none of its value in his estimation by his
having become a Christian. On the contrary, its
importance had become intensified in his view by what
he believed had actually occurred, — the resurrection
of the crucified Messiah from the grave, — and by all
the hopes of eternal life which he now cherished through
Him. Let any one look into Paul's recorded addresses
and into his writings, and he will see how prominent he
made this truth. It lies at the foundation of all his
preaching, and of all his arguments and appeals. On
Mars' Hill, it was the very point which he sought to
establish, and the very thing which repelled from him
the Epicurean and the Stoic philosophers. We may
see how prominent he made this subject elsewhere, if
X

306 Life of the Apostle Paul.
we read the noblest chapter that even Paul ever wrote,
— the fifteenth chapter of the first Epistle to the Corin
thians : — " If there be," says he, " no resurrection of
the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not
raised your faith is vain ; ye are yet in your sins. Then
they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all
men most miserable," — tXmvortpoi, most the objects of
compassion, most to be pitied, — since we have cherished
more exalted hopes than any other men, only to be
disappointed (i Cor. xv. 13 — 19).
With this full conviction of the truth of the great
doctrine in which he had been trained, Paul now stood
before the Sanhedrim. In the view of the Pharisees,
it was the great doctrine of religion, — the line of division
between them and the Sadducees ; and as it had this
importance in their view, so it had in his. It was not
strange, therefore, that he sought to give it this im
portance, as he stood before the Sanhedrim.
(4) Paul held that doctrine now in a form which was
to him most convincing, — which furnished to his mind
the most certain confirmation of its truth (if not the
only proof of its truth) in the fact that one had actually
been raised from the dead. He had formerly held the
doctrine on the same ground on which it was held by
all the Pharisees — the ground of tradition ; the ground
of their interpretation of the Scriptures. We must bear
in mind the different degrees of force between such
arguments as these, and an argument derived iromfact.
We may easily suppose that as he stood before the San-

Paul before the Sanhedrim. 307
hedrim, he had the consciousness that he was now able
to confirm the views in which he and they who agreed
with him had been educated, by an argument vastly
superior in strength to that in which they had been
trained, — an argument which, in his view, removed all
difficulties, silenced all objections, arid put the question
for ever at rest.
To see the full force of this, it may be necessary to
advert to a few considerations such as we may suppose
influenced the mind of Paul.
{a.) We are to remember how feeble and weak to a
man who has arrived at an age to think for himself, is
the proof of any doctrine considered merely as derived
from education or tradition. Such evidence may indeed
secure a belief of the doctrine, or prevent its utter
abandonment, but still the mind asks for stronger
evidence ; and such traditionary and educational evi
dence cannot save a thinking mind from deep solicitude,
or from many of the agitations of scepticism.
{b.) We are to remember how feeble and weak is the
evidence of the resurrection of the dead, as derived from
nature ; how restless the human heart has been on the
subject ; how vague, fanciful, contradictory, and absurd
have been the views which men have entertained of the
future state ; how unsatisfactory the reasonings of the
most able minds on the whole matter. Even now the
profoundest argument from nature for the immortality
of the human soul is that of Plato in the Gorgias, — an
argument, which would convince no man of the truth
of the doctrine. Can we doubt that Paul, early instructed

308 Life of the Apostle Paul.
in the Greek philosophy, had become deeply impressed
with the weakness of all arguments for the future state
as derived from human reasoning?
(c.) We are to remember how comparatively slender
is the proof of the doctrine of the resurrection ofthe
dead as derived from the Old Testament, — the only
proof except that derived from tradition on which the
Pharisees could rely. It is not to be denied that the
fact of the future state, and of the resurrection of the
dead, is to be found there ; but it must not be forgotten,
that we contemplate this with the New Testament in our
hands, and with the light which that throws on the
meaning of the sacred writers under the old dispensa
tion, and not as men would interpret it before the
coming of the Saviour. To those who lived under that
dispensation, and before the clearer light of the Gospel
was revealed, the argument for the resurrection of the
dead, might not have been, and could not have been, as
plain as it is to us. A large party, and that the most
learned party in the nation — the Sadducees — did not
find the doctrine of the resurrection and the future state
in the Old Testament. When the Saviour argued the
question of the resurrection with the Sadducees, He did
not claim that there was any explicit statement on the
subject, but relied on an inference, — an argument which,
though strong and conclusive in itself, was nevertheless
not obvious, and was one which might not occur to
others: — "Now that the dead are raised, even Moses
showed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God
of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of

Paul before the Sanhedrim. 309
Jacob, for He is not a God of the dead, but of the living"
(Luke xx. 37, 38). Assuredly, if there had been in the
Jewish Scriptures any direct and clear proofs of the
doctrine, He would not have relied on a mere inference
in this form. Again there is much obscurity in the
doctrine, as found in the Old Testament, even with
all the light thrown upon the subject by the disclosures
in the New Testament; so much so, that Bishop War-
burton founded the entire argument for his "Divine
Legation of Moses," on the fact, as he alleged, that
Moses had entirely omitted all reference to the doctrine
of the resurrection and the future state in his legislation.
This argument is, indeed, paradoxical; but the fact that
so plausible an argument could be made shows, at least,
that the doctrine was not very prominent in the institu
tions of Moses, and may serve in some degree to explain
the fact that the Sadducees did not find it there.
{d.) We have now to contrast with this, that, in the
view of the apostle, a fact — an undoubted fact — had
occurred in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the
grave. This fact made absolutely certain the faith in
which he and the Pharisees had been trained. Instead
ofthe uncertain argument from tradition; instead of the
doubtful arguments derived from nature ; instead of the
argument derived from the disputed interpretation of
obscure passages of the Old Testament, — there was now
a fact which put all doubts to rest. The actual resurrec
tion of the Saviour from the grave must settle the pos
sibility and the certainty of the resurrection (comp.
I Cor. xv. 20 — 23). It was in this form that the apostle

310 Life of the Apostle Paul.
now held the doctrine, and this was the reason why he
made it so prominent in the presence of the Sanhedrim.
(5.) It was this doctrine, as thus held, which was the
real cause' of all that Paul had suffered at home or
abroad ; and it was, in fact, this for which he had been
"called in question." He had asserted, on all occasions,
that Christ had risen from the dead, and had appeared
to him after His resurrection. He had laid this doctrine
at the very foundation of all his arguments for the truth
of the Christian religion. This was vital to all his
views of religion, and to all his personal hopes of sal
vation. For this he had endured persecution; and in
order to diffuse a knowledge of this he had gone over
the world, enduring all forms of privation and suffering.
Thus holding the great doctrine in which he and the
Pharisees around him had been trained, and which they
held in common. — thus believing that he held it in a form
which made it absolutely certain, — and thus regarding it
as lying at the very foundation of all true religion, and of
all his own hopes, and of the hopes of a dying world in
regard to a future state, it was not a mere piece of cunning
and adroitness in argument ; it was not an evasion of the
main point at issue; it was not taking an unfair ad
vantage of a mere prejudice; it was not acting an un
manly and disingenuous part, when " he cried out in the
council, Men, brethren, — / am a Pharisee, the son of a
Pharisee : of the hope and resurrection of ihe dead I am
called in question."

XV.
PAUL IN THE CASTLE AT JERUSALEM.
Divine encouragement amidst ihe difficulties, struggles, and perils of life.
Instances of special encouragement. — Seasonableness of it — Difficultiet
md dangers. — (I.) Secret conspiracy. — Character of its agents. — Pro
bability of its success. — Facility of its execution. — Means of its defeat.
— (2.) Impending trials. — Before Felix. — Before Festus. — (3.) Ap
proaching peril at sea. — Assurance of safely. — Hope of success needed
oy all men. — Cherished by all men. — Founded on the history of the
past. — On God's promises, general and absolute. — On innate hope
fulness. — This hopefulness, a natural endowment. — This endowment,
a proof of Divine benevolence. — Workings of this hopeful spirit, illus
trated. — In the young. — In the mariner. — In the merchant. — In the
farmer; the soldier; the philanthropist. — In the sufferer; and in the
penitent.

" And the night following, the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good
cheer, Paul : for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou
bear witness also at Rome." Acts xxiii. ii.

-J,

"^™

NIGHT-JOURNEY IN JUDEA.

N two other occasions in the life of Paul, a
special Divine encouragement was given to
him similar to the one which forms the sub
ject of this chapter. One, as we have already
seen, was when he was approaching Corinth,
and when, for some cause not fully known to
us, he seems to have been filled with deep apprehension
of danger, or to have been discouraged by the difficul
ties before him, or by his want of success in Athens:
" Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision,
Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace : for I
am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt
thee: for I have much people in this city" (Acts xviii. '
9, 10). The other occasion, which we shall have to
notice hereafter, was on the dangerous voyage to Rome:
"For there stood by me," said he to the desponding

314 Life of the Apostle Paul.
crew, "this night the angel of God, whom I serve,
saying, Fear not, Paul ; thou must be brought before
Csesar" (Acts xxvii. 23, 24). At other times he seems
to have gone to his work under the general promises
which God had made to him, and which He makes to all
His people; but in these instances, the difficulties which
environed him were such as to make a special promise
appropriate. In the case before us, the special promise
was that he should see Rome, implying that he would
be permitted to preach the Gospel there.
As one of the incidents in the life of Paul, and as
giving occasion to illustrate what may occur in the lives
of others, this special assurance of protection is worthy
of consideration. The point suggested is THE DIVINE
ENCOURAGEMENT GIVEN TO US IN THE ACCOMPLISH
MENT OF THE GREAT PURPOSES OF LIFE, especially
when surrounded with difficulties and embarrassments.
In considering this, with the case before us in view,
it will be proper to notice — I. The difficulties and
dangers which then surrounded Paul ; and, II. What
we may learn from the assurance that he would be
protected, and would be permitted to carry the Gospel
to the capital of the world.
I. The difficulties and dangers which surrounded Paul.
Under this head we may embrace all those which
were then apparent, and all those which he would en
counter, and which would tend to thwart his purpose,
before he should see Rome. The promise made to
him would cover all these, for it made it certain that

Paul in the Castle at Jerusalem. 315
he would pass safely through all, till the object was
secured. (1.) The conspiracy which had been secretly formed
against his life. At no time probably had he been in
greater peril; at no time had there been a greater pro
bability that the malice of his enemies would secure
a triumph in his death ; at no time could an assurance
of Divine protection be more appropriate or desirable.
Of this conspiracy (Acts xxiii. 12 — 15), it may be
remarked, {a.) That it was made sufficiently strong to render the
accomplishment of the scheme morally certain. More
than forty men were united in it. It may be presumed
that it was composed of men who were ready to face any
danger in order to accomplish the object, and of men
the most resolute and determined among the enemies
of Paul. The fulfilment of this design was secured also,
as far as possible, by a solemn oath. They "bound
themselves under a curse" — aviOifidrio-av iavrovg, more
literally, "anathematized themselves," or "bound them
selves with an oath of execration ;" 'AvaOifiari aviOtfta-
Tiaafi&v kavTovQ, "with an anathema we have anathe
matized ourselves." That is, we have cursed ourselves
with a curse ; we have bound ourselves over to death —
to destruction — to the wrath of God ; we have separated
ourselves from God's favour, and devoted ourselves to
eternal destruction (comp. Rob. Lex^ if we do not suc
ceed. The peril could not be small when such desperate
men had bound themselves to the accomplishment of
their purpose by such a solemn anathema.

316 Life of the Apostle Paul.
{b.) It was not in itself improbable that they would
be successful in persuading Lysias to grant this. The in
fluence of the Sanhedrim would be supposed to be great
with him. It was proposed to urge the plea that they de
sired to " inquire something more perfectly concerning"
Paul (ver. 15) — aicp<j3to-rEpov — "more accurately or pre
cisely" {Rob. Lex); to obtain more minute information
as to his principles, and as to what he had done. In
support of this request, it might be urged that the
former trial had been suddenly and unexpectedly inter
rupted ; that in the excitement they had learned really
nothing of his views and of his manner of life; and
that now in a calmer manner they might pursue the
investigation, and ascertain what was the real ground
of the disturbance. It might be presumed, also, that
Lysias would be quite willing to grant a request which
promised to relieve him of his embarrassment.
{c.) We may suppose that, if the request had been
granted, it would have been an easy matter to have
carried their purpose into execution. It is not pro
bable that a strong guard would have been sent to
accompany him on an errand apparently so peaceful,
and it would not have been difficult for forty men fully
armed to strike the fatal blow before protection could
be given, whatever the consequences to themselves.
In the vision Paul was assured of protection from this
danger; and he was rescued in a most remarkable
manner. In some way unknown to us a nephew of
Paul received intimation of the conspiracy, and having
communicated it to Paul, was dispatched by him with

Paul in the Castle at Jerusalem. 317
the intelligence to Lysias, who at once made ample
arrangements for his removal to Csesarea, and with such
a guard that he would be safe from the conspirators
(vers. 16 — 24).
(2.) The trials before the Roman governors, through
which Paul was to pass before he could arrive in Rome.
When brought to Caesarea, indeed, he was safe from
those who had conspired against his life; but it was not
yet altogether certain that he would not be delivered
into the hands of the Jews, or that he might not be
doomed to a long imprisonment which would prevent his
reaching Rome. We may conclude that the address in
the vision, " Be of good cheer, for as thou hast testified
of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at
Rome," was designed to sustain and comfort him with
the assurance that from these dangers also he would be
safe. The trials here referred to were those before Felix
and Festus. There will be occasion to consider them
more fully hereafter. At present it is necessary to allude
to them only so far as they involved the danger that
Paul might again be delivered into the hands of the
Jews, or that he might be prevented, as the result of
those trials, from going to Rome.
The character of Felix (Acts xxiv.) was not such as to
afford any very confident expectation that justice would
be done. A man corrupt at heart and in his life (ver. 25) ;
a man ready to be bribed (ver. 26) ; a man unacquainted
with Jewish customs and opinions (ver. 22) ; a man dis
posed to do anything to gratify the Jews which would
not directly affect the Roman authority (ver. 27) ; from

318 Life of tlie Apostle Paul.
such a man there was little reason to hope for a decision
in accordance with justice.
The probability that Paul would be delivered up to
the Jews, and that his life would be again endangered,
was not less in the trial before Festus than in that before
Felix. Festus (Acts xxv.) was equally disposed to con
ciliate the Jews (ver. 9) ; and he therefore proposed that
Paul should go again to Jerusalem, and be tried there.
Paul saw that this might endanger his life, by his being
again placed in the power of his enemies ; and therefore
he made appeal to Caesar — an appeal which admitted of
no evasion, and which secured for him what had been
promised him in the vision, that he should see Rome,
and have an opportunity of testifying there in behalf of
the Gospel.
It is easy to see how, when brought before Felix and
before Festus, the promise that he should "bear witness"
to the cause of the Saviour " at Rome " was necessary to
sustain him ; and it is easy to imagine how often he
might refer to this promise in the apparent uncertainty
as to the result of the trial.
(3.) He would again be placed in circumstances where
the recollection of the promise would come to him. On
the voyage to Rome, his life would be in danger. In
the storm, and in the shipwreck which followed, all
human probability of reaching Rome would fail entirely.
Amidst these scenes, Paul could not but fall back on the
assurance made to him, that as in Jerusalem so also in
Rome he must testify of Christ

Paul in tlie Castle at Jerusalem. 319
II. We are now prepared to consider the assurance
given in the vision, as an illustration of what may occur
in our lives; of the arrangements which God has made
to keep us from despondency and despair, and to set
before us, amidst the dangers and uncertainties of life,
such a hope of success as to call into proper exercise our
active powers, and confirm our faith in Him. We shall
not find, indeed, that this is an arrangement of miracle,
or that it is by a heavenly " vision ;" but we may find
that for this purpose there is an arrangement which
bears all the marks of a Divine origin as really as a
miracle or a direct "vision," and that it is a striking
proof of Divine forethought, wisdom, and benevolence.
It will prepare us to consider this, if we bear in
remembrance that there is need of such an arrangement ;
and that we are secretly conscious to ourselves that
there is such an arrangement
{a.) There is need of such an arrangement. Life is
a struggle of uncertain issue. We are often surrounded
with perils. We are embarrassed in our way. We are
disappointed and foiled in our plans. We are beset
with enemies, artful, powerful, malignant. We see no
egress from our difficulties ; no way of escape from our
danger. We cannot throw off the burden under which
we seem ready to sink; and if we emerge from one
difficulty, new ones thicken in our path. We cannot
but ask, in these circumstances, whether there is not
something to buoy up the soul; to support us; to
comfort us. Obviously we need some arrangement that
will inspire hope ; obviously our world would not be

320 Life of the Apostle Paul.
complete if there were not such an arrangement; for,
without this, men would settle down in despair.
{b.) We are secretly conscious to ourselves that there
is such an arrangement. The world, though full of dis
appointment and trouble, is not inactive, or despairing.
The powers of man do not droop and flag. The shuttle
is not still; the plough is not suffered to stand idle
in the furrow ; the anvil does not cease to ring; the
spindles are not motionless ; the ship is not suffered to
lie at anchor until it rots at the wharf. The world is a
busy world. All men have their own plans ; and all are
cheered with hope, and the great and constant move
ments on sea and land are carried forward under the
stimulus of the Divine arrangements, the promises of
God, the hopes which He inspires. There is something
— a conscious something — which inspirits the mariner,
the warrior, the farmer, the merchant, the traveller, the
Christian. What is this arrangement ? How does it
appear from the arrangement that it is of Divine origin,
and marked by Divine benevolence ?
In reply to these questions I shall advert to three
things, which, in a world so full of conflict and toil,
serve to give assurance or hope to men.
(i.) I refer, first, to the records of the past, or the
experience of the world. We have unconsciously before
us, in our struggles and difficulties, the memory of the
struggles of the past, and of the general prosperity and
success which crown the conflicts of life. We may not,
indeed, have this distinctly and definitely before our
minds, and perhaps we are scarcely conscious that it has

Paul in the Castle at Jerusalem. 321
any influence on us ; and yet, in our seasons of fear and
perplexity, we secretly summon to our recollection all
that we have observed, or all that we have been told, or
all that we have read of a successful issue to efforts and
perils like our own. Life is a battle. That is the record;
that is the history of the world. The great lessons of
the past come to aid us in our conflicts, and to en
courage us with hopes of victory.
Thus we have in our minds the memory of those who
have been made immortal in the endeavour to break the
yoke of oppression, and to secure freedom for themselves
and for their children. Thus we have^ before our minds
the memory of those who in early life have striven
against the evils of poverty and dependence, but have
surmounted those difficulties, and have been successful,
honoured, and respected in their lives. Thus we have
before us the memory of the farmers who labour hard,
who cut down forests, who fence their fields, who plough
and sow, uncertain what may be the result, but who
gather in the golden grain, and fill their granaries with
the fruits of their toil. Thus we have before our minds
the memory of the mariners who have braved the
dangers of the deep, who have penetrated distant seas,
who have encountered storms and tempests, and who
have returned from far distant lands in ships laden with
corn, or oil, or silks, or spices, or gold, or ivory. Thus,
also, in the effort to obtain the friendship of God, and
the pardon of sin, we have before our minds the memory
of those who have prayed, and wept, and pleaded for
mercy, and who have found peace. Every soldier who
Y

322 Life of the Apostle Paul.
has fought for liberty, every farmer who has cultivated
his fields, every seaman who has made successful voyages,
every merchant who has overcome the difficulties in his
path, and every sinner who has struggled to find salva
tion, has been contributing his part in furnishing the
lessons which are to guide us, and in imparting an in
spiration which is to animate, to cheer, and to sustain us.
These are the arrangements of God for the encourage
ment of struggling men ; they show what is the general
tendency of things in our world — a tendency favourable
to -effort and to virtue; they preserve the world from
idleness and despair; and the result is seen in each new
generation as it comes upon the stage.
(2.) I refer, in the second place, to the general pro
mises of the Bible in regard to success in our efforts, and
to safety amid our dangers ; especially to the promises
of ultimate success in the great interest of life — the
salvation of the soul.
In reference to temporal matters, these promises are
not indeed absolute and specific; in reference to the great
end of life, they are. Success in our efforts in regard to
this world may not be necessary to our highest welfare ;
success in our efforts to be saved, is. In the one case
it was desirable that there should be such general pro
mises of success as would stimulate us to effort; in
the other case, it was indispensable that there should be
an absolute promise of success in every instance where
there was a desire to be saved, and where efforts should
be put forth in accordance with that desire.
Thus we find, in fact, that the promises of the Bible

Paul in the Castle at Jerusalem. 323
in regard to success in this life are of a general character
(see Isa. xxxiii. 15, 16 ; Psa. xxxvii. 25 ; 1 Tim. iv. 8;
Psa. lxxxiv. 1 1 ; Phil. iv. 19 ; Psa. xxiii. 1 ; Heb. xiii. 5).
Of this nature are all those promises of temporal good
addressed to the righteous, with which the Scriptures
abound, and which constituted so large a part of the
assurances of His favour which God made to His
ancient people (comp. Lev. xix. 25 ; xxvi. 4; Deut. vii.
13; xvi. 15; xxviii. 4; Ps lxvii. 6). The old Jewish
dispensation was founded, to a large extent, on these
promises, but the spirit of those promises is found in
every dispensation; and, as a great rule in the Divine
administration, they are not disregarded. There actually
is such a general measure of success in life as to corre
spond with these general promises.
In reference to the future life, however, we find that
the promises of success are absolute. These, in all cases
when there is a sincere desire to be saved, — when there
is corresponding effort or striving to "enter in at the
strait gate," — when there istrue repentance, — and when
there is genuine faith, — are without any contingency or
doubt. There are no such failures and disappointments
in regard to salvation as there are in the things per
taining to this life; nor for the purpose of discipline is it
required that there should be any possibility of failure.
Accordingly all the promises in the Bible in regard to
salvation are ofthe most absolute nature; and we have
the positive assurance that, if we seek it aright, salvation
will certainly be ours (Matt. vii. 7, 8; Mark xvi. 16;
John vi. 37; Rev. xxii. 17). That there are dangers and

324 Life of ihe Apostle Paul.
enemies in the way of our salvation, and that it requires
a struggle, is certain. There are foes without, and foes
within. There are the corruptions of our own hearts
to be contended with. There are the temptations of
the world to be met. There are the arts of the great
enemy of souls to be overcome. But the promise of
victory in regard to all these is positive ; and any man
may engage in the work of seeking after salvation
under a promise as absolute and certain as was the
special revelation of safety which was made to Paul.
(3.) I refer, thirdly, to what may be designated an
internal confidence of success, of safety, of protection,
even when we have no direct promise, and when we
could not secure the same confidence of mind by the
exercise of reason or by any ground of probability
which would be apparent to us, This is a more diffi
cult point than those which we have been considering ;
and yet it constitutes a Divine arrangement as definite
as those, and is one of the numerous things not often
adverted to, which show that there is a God, and which
express His benevolence.
This is not revelation. It is not of the nature of a
vision. It is not a direct Divine promise made to the
soul. It is not the result of reasoning ; — perhaps, as
we shall see, it would neither be suggested by reasoning,
nor sustained by reason. It is something with which
God has endowed us in our nature, over and beyond
our reason, and which was designed for the very purpose
of encouraging us. Perhaps, in ordinary language, it
would be called buoyancy or elasticity of spirit. It is

Paul in the Castle at Jerusalem. 325
hope ever springing up in the breast. It is a belief that
we may be successful. It lives even when we have been
disappointed, and spreads over the future a mild and
pure light, that attracts us and leads us on. It is the
prospect of a safe harbour, after being tossed in a tem
pest ; of an oasis, or a fountain of waters, when we have
been wandering long in a desert ; of health, when we are
sick ; of safety, when we are in danger ; of success,
when all seems dark.
Perhaps what is here intended can be best understood
by supposing that God had made man, as He might
have done (and as a very few of the race seem to have
been made, apparently to show how all might have been
made), with the opposite temperament or constitution.
Obviously, He might have fashioned all men so that
everything in the future would have looked discouraging,
dark, and gloomy ; and in this manner a malignant God
would have formed the race. Instead ofthe buoyancy of
spirit, and the inspiration of hope, and the elasticity
and recuperative energy under which we rally from
disappointment, and instead of the bright imagination
which gilds and brightens the future, man might have
been so created as to act on the mere reality of things
as they actually occur, — or so that a morbid fancy
would darken all surrounding objects, and cover all the
future with a pall. Under such a form of creation, only
the most absolute necessity would have prompted to
exertion ; and in the gloom of disappointment, the
race would have sunk in despair. But God has not so
made man. He has made him capable of being stimu-

326 Life of the Apostle Paul.
lated by hope; of looking forward to brighter things.
The past is fixed, whether gloomy or bright ; — the future,
imagination makes bright ; — and thus man is perpetually
incited to new exertions. In all this we may see a
great law of our nature designed to encourage the world,
and to keep it from despondency, inaction, and despair.
Could there be a more decided proof of Divine bene
volence ?
{a.) How much of hope there is in the young man!
What would there have been to stimulate him to effort,
if he had been created with a gloomy instead of a
hopeful temperament, and if his imagination had been
so made as to darken instead of throwing a cheerful
light on the future? Under what a discouraging cloud
would he begin his way, if he had been so formed as
to look only on the things of sorrow and sadness which
may be in his future course, — or, when looking at actual
life, to bring into prominence, and keep before his
mind, the real sadnesses of life ; if he had been made
to reflect constantly on such subjects as the following, —
How many fail in their plans ! how many are cut down
in the beginning of their way ! how soon may I be cut
down ! But the imagination of the young does not
dwell on these things. It fixes on the hope of success ;
on health, happiness, prosperity ; on things that cheer
and animate.
{b.) How much of this there is in the mariner! If,
when he thinks of embarking on a voyage, his imagina
tion should dwell only on storms and quicksands and
shipwrecks, — if he should think only of the lives that

Paul in the Castle at ferusalem. 327
have been lost on the coast to which he goes, — or if he
should think only of the bottom of the ocean, over
which he is to sail, as covered with the remains of vessels
and the bodies of those who have perished in the tem
pest, — if he should conjure up all that has been real in
navigating distant seas, who would venture to sail on
the great deep ? But the fancy of the seaman is on
other things. He thinks of favourable winds, and pros
perous voyages, and rich returns ; and hence it is that
the sails of commerce whiten every sea.
{c.) How much of this there is in the case of the
merchant! On entering into business, he does not think
only of the number that fail, and of the hazards of trade,
and of the uncertainty of the result, and of the condition
of bankruptcy ; but he places before his mind the image
and the hope of success. His mind rests on that ; and
by that he is stimulated.
{d.) How much of this there is also in the case of the
farmer, of the soldier, of the man endeavouring to do
good! If the first of these should dwell only on the
hardships of his mode of life, — on the toil of clearing
and cultivating the ground, — on late frosts in spring
and early frosts in autumn, — on rust and mildew, — on
the ravages of the Hessian fly, the weavel, the canker-
worm, and the caterpillar ; or if the second should think
only of hard fare and hard marches, — of cold and hunger
and thirst and danger, — of sickness in the camp, — of
wounds on the battle-field, and of the groans and cries
of anguish of dying men ; or if the third should think
only of the discouragements in the way of doing good

328 Life of the Apostle Paul.
in a world like this, — of the indifference of men to their
best interests, — of their opposition to well-intentioned
plans of benevolence, — and of their ingratitude, — how
few would engage in the work of agriculture, how few
would go forth in defence of their country, how few
would preach the Gospel in Christian lands, or carry
it to the heathen world.
{e.) How much of this is there also in the sufferer on
his bed, or the sinner seeking the salvation of his soul !
If the one should look forward only to pain, — his ima
gination picturing to him all the future as only a prolon
gation of present endurance, aggravating every symptom
of disease, and dwelling only on the numbers who under
similar forms of disease have died, what gloom would
settle down on every sick bed! and if the other should
think only of his sins, and of the sorrows of the ever
lasting burnings, and never advert to the promises of
God, to the cross of Christ, to the gracious terms of
salvation, and to the number who have been saved,
what sinner would hope for salvation ? But God has
created the mind buoyant, elastic, hopeful. He leads
men to think of recovery and success, rather than to
anticipate disaster and defeat. He has thus said to every
man, not in distinct vision, as he did to Paul, yet really
in language like that addressed to the apostle, "BE OF
GOOD CHEER 1"

XVI.
PAUL BEFORE FELIX.
Christianity in contact with u corrupt heart.
Value of historic characters. — Representative men. — Special value of Scrip
ture characters. — History of Felix. — His characteristics. — Paul brought
before him more than once. — First, on trial. — Paul's defence. — Second
interview. — Paul's discourse. — The truths enforced. — Righteousness. —
Temperance. — Future judgment — Suitability of such subjects in all
preaching. — Teachings of Christianity as to the judgment-day. — Natural
effect of such truths. — Signs of conscious guilt. — They prove God's moral
government — They disclose sin when committed. — They may restrain
from its commission. — They tend to the reformation of the wicked. —
Manner in which the impression of truth is often warded off. — The jailor
and Felix contrasted. — Men are prone to delay. — Such delay always
dangerous, and possibly fatal.

" And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which
was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in
Christ. And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to
come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I
have a convenient season, I will call for thee. " Acts xxiv. 24, 25.

CESAREA.

. ISTORICAL persons have an importance not
only as persons in history, and by reason of
the interest attached to their lives, their
opinions, their adventures, their exploits, their
UT valour, or their ambition, but as representing
- certain classes of minds. In dramatic writings,
this historical value and this representative value are
sometimes combined; but the latter is that which, is
principally aimed at, when the character is the mere
creation of genius, or when, if historical, the facts of
the narrative are made quite subservient to the repre
sentative purpose— the purpose of furnishing some illus
tration of human character and conduct. Thus, as
almost entire fiction, we have the character of Macbeth,
Lear, Othello, Hamlet; as historical, with no studied
exactness as to the facts of history, the character of

332 Life of the Apostle Paul.
Julius Caesar, Henry V., Richard III., Cardinal Riche
lieu; in real secular history, the character of Nero,
Cyrus, Augustus; in sacred history, Abraham, David,
Absalom, Ahithophel, Joab, Judas. In like manner
there are historical characters introduced into the sacred
narrative, not as characters developed under the in
fluence of religion, nor as a part of the history of the
Church, but which have a value as representations of
the way in which the Gospel, in various forms, comes
in contact with the human heart It is thus that we
have notices of Pontius Pilate; Gamaliel; Gallio; Fes
tus; Agrippa; Felix; Drusilla.
The Scripture narratives, as inspired, have this ad
vantage over, all other narratives, whether historical or
fictitious, that we know the real motives which influenced
the conduct. We are not left to a conjectural statement,
as is often the case in Hume and Gibbon, and even in
Tacitus, in explaining the motives of men long after
events had occurred, and when there was no personal
acquaintance with the actors ; nor are we left to study
imaginary motives of conduct, as in dramatic characters.
We deal not only with a real character, but (if we believe
in the inspiration of the sacred writers) we understand
the exact character. We feel assured that it is accurately
drawn. We know that no false motives are ascribed.
We understand what influenced David, Joab, Abraham,
Ahithophel, Judas, Peter, Paul, Pilate; we know what
it was that made them what they appeared to be.
Felix, whose case now comes before us, was a remark
able, but not a very uncommon instance, of one raised

Paul before Felix. 333
to a distinguished station, who had been born and reared
in the lowest condition of life. He was by birth a slave,
but he rose to little less than regal power. For some
unknown cause, he was manumitted, — probably by Clau
dius Csesar (Suet. Claudius, 28, Tacit. Hist. v. 9); and
on this account he is said to have assumed the name of
Claudius. His brother Pallas, also a slave, was set free
by Antonia, the emperor's mother.
Felix was loaded by the emperor with military honours ;
and, among other marks of favour and distinction, was
made governor of Judaea. In that capacity, as well as
of his character in general, Tacitus {Hist. v. 9), says
that " in the practice of all kinds of lust and cruelty he
exercised the power of a king, with the temrier of a
slave." In another place {Annals, xii. 56) Tacitus repre
sents Felix as considering himself licensed to commit
any crime with impunity, owing to the influence which
he possessed at court. Josephus says that under his
administration the affairs of the Jewish people became
worse and worse.1
Felix was three times married. His first wife was a
niece of Cleopatra. Of one of these wives nothing is
known. Drusilla, mentioned in the narrative in the
1 An instance which occurred in relation to the Jewish high priest, will
illustrate his general character. Wishing to compass the death of Jonathan
the high priest, who had remonstrated with him on account of his misrule,
he persuaded Doras, an intimate friend of Jonathan, to get him assassinated
by a gang of robbers, who, with weapons concealed under their garments,
joined the crowds that were going up to the temple, — a crime which
(Josephus says) led subsequently to countless evils, by the encouragement
which it gave to the Sicarii or leagued assassins of the day. — Ant. xx. 8, 5.

334 Life of the Apostle Paul.
Acts, was a daughter of King Herod Agrippa, and was
married to Azizus, king of Emesa. Felix employed a
magician named Simon, to induce her to forsake her
husband ; and Drusilla, partly to avoid the envy of her
sister Berenice, consented to the union with Felix. The
fact of this adulterous connexion will illustrate the
manner in Which Paul spoke when brought before
Felix in the presence of Drusilla.
The character of this governor, as drawn by Tacitus,
Suetonius, and Josephus, as well as by Luke in the Acts
of the Apostles (for they all coincide in the description)
was this: — He was a man of great energy, ambition, and
power. He was admirable in some respects as a civil
ruler, for he did much to put down disorder and anarchy
in Judaea, and to maintain authority and law. But he
was a man unprincipled in the manner in which he ac
complished his objects; ready alike for his personal
ambition, and in his civil rule, to employ any agents,
and to make use of any means to secure his end, —
bribery, corruption, falsehood, assassination, or any form
of cruelty. He was a sensualist, a profligate, a libertine.
He was venal and mean; — a man willing to be bribed,
and coveting a bribe. He was timid and fearful, know
ing that he was living in guilt, and that he had reason
to apprehend the Divine vengeance. He was not in
sensible to the rebukes of conscience. He trembled at
the preaching of Paul; yet was unwilling to repent. He
was regardless of justice, for though evidently satisfied
of the innocence of Paul, he unjustly retained him in
prison. He had no love for religion, no respect for

Paul before Felix. 335
Christianity, no purpose to abandon his sins ; yet,
though he despised Christianity, and though he was
alarmed at the prospect of the judgment to come, so
superior to all these considerations was his love of gold,
that he was willing to hear Paul, and to send for him
often, with the hope that ultimately a bribe would be
offered by him to secure his release. He succeeded in
driving away his convictions. He so disciplined himself,
probably, as to hear what the apostle said without trem
bling; and he continued to live in sin, even when subject
to the rebukes of conscience, and with the apprehension
of judgment before him. He loved gold more than he
feared the compunctions of guilt and the wrath of God.
He was a man who sought to postpone present attention
to religion, not with an intention of attending to it after
wards, but to make a professed interest in it an occasion
for serving his own covetousness.
Paul was brought before Felix on two different public
occasions, besides the frequent interviews which he had
with him in a more private and less formal manner.
{a.) We have seen that, in order to secure his safety,
and to ensure a fair hearing, he had been sent to
Caesarea The trial came on. The case was managed
on the part of the Jews by Tertullus ; and Paul defended
his own cause in a speech every way worthy of the
occasion and himself, against the charges brought by
his accusers (Acts xxiv. 1 — 21). Felix, having heard
the matter argued, professed not to be fully informed
on the subject, and deferred his decision until Lysias,

336" Life of the Apostle Paul.
who had had better opportunities of understanding the
affair, should come to Caesarea (ver. 22). Meanwhile,
he placed Paul under the custody of the centurion who
had brought him thither, and gave him every reasonable
indulgence in regard to free intercourse with his friends.
{b.) It was in this interval, while Felix was professedly
waiting for the arrival of Lysias, that Paul was brought
the second time before him. Drusilla, it would seem,
had been informed by Felix of the case, and being a
Jewess, she, as Agrippa did afterwards (Acts xxv. 22),
expressed a desire to hear more of what Paul alleged in
relation to a subject of common interest to all the Jewish
people. Felix "sent for Paul, and heard him concerning
the faith of Christ ;" — the faith in Christ ; or, the faith in
the Messiah. A Jewish princess, though corrupt, could
hardly be supposed to be indifferent to anything which
claimed to be a fulfilment of the prophecies respecting
the Messiah. On this occasion all the circumstances
were changed. Paul was not on his public trial now;
he was not pleading with the hope of acquittal ; he was
not there to advance legal argument in defence of him
self. He had an opportunity, therefore, of preaching
the Gospel in circumstances which might never occur
again. "His audience consisted of a Roman libertine
and a profligate Jewish princess." It was mere curiosity
on the part of one of his hearers, at least; but it was
not to Paul a case to be approached with the mere
desire of gratifying curiosity. He had before him two
guilty wretches, living in violation of the laws of God,
and travelling unpardoned to the judgment-seat He

Paul before Felix. 337
was, indeed, a prisoner; but he felt now that he was a
man; a preacher; an apostle. He had a solemn respon
sibility ; a most difficult duty to discharge, — to reach the
consciences of his guilty auditors, and to make their pro
fessed desire to hear him "concerning the faith in Christ"
an occasion of showing them their guilt, their danger,
and their need of a Saviour.
Who can fail to admire the tact — the wisdom — the
skill with, which this was done ? Paul did not offend
Felix by rude and severe invective. He made use of
no disrespectful or uncourteous language. He did not
even address Felix personally ; sinner, corrupt, profligate
as he was. He selected subjects which seemed to be
abstract — " righteousness, temperance, retribution," —
subjects momentous at all times, and which ought to
be interesting to all men, and yet of such obvious fitness
and applicability to the occasion and to the character
of Felix, as might afford the hope that Felix would
apply them to his own conduct and life.
The result was what Paul hoped ; what he anticipated.
Not by denunciation ; not by invective ; not by the
threatening of wrath, but as "he reasoned " — Siaktyontvov
avroii, as he calmly discoursed, on these subjects — the
attention of Felix was arrested ; the truth found its
way to his conscience, and he "trembled" in view of
his guilt, and of coming wrath.
The subject before us, therefore, is THE CONTACT OF
CHRISTIANITY WITH A HEART OF CORRUPTION, AND A
LIFE OF GUILT. Three inquiries have to be made —
I. What are the truths which Christianity has to

338 Life of the Apostle Paul.
address to such a man as Felix ? II. What would be the
natural and proper effect of such truths on the mind ?
III. What is the manner in which those truths are
commonly met ?
I. The truths which Christianity has to address to suck
a man. As presented by Paul, they are the following: —
(1.) Righteousness; — a topic eminently proper to be
dwelt upon by Paul, as bearing on the object which he
had in view, and on the character of the man before
whom he stood. Nothing could be more appropriate
in respectfully addressing one appointed to administer
justice ; nothing would be more likely to arrest the
attention of one so venal as Felix. The subject was
in itself so abstract as to be proper to be dwelt on at
any time without any necessary suspicion of a personal
reference ; it was so related to God and His government,
and would so naturally suggest the subject of retri
bution, and the method of justification before God, that
it was among the most suitable of all subjects in speaking
on the truths of religion. It would embrace the nature
and the requirements of justice in the relations which
man sustains to his fellow-men ; and it would, at the
same time, lead the mind up to justice or righteousness
in the higher sense, — in that which pertains to God
and to His administration. It would be (even without
making a direct personal application), eminently appro
priate to one whose life was steeped in crime ; and yet
it could not be regarded as discourteous to call on any
one, no matter what his character, or what his rank,

Paul before Felix. 339
to inquire how man can be "just with God," for that
subject occupied the attention of philosophers every
where, and was the foundation of the whole religion of
the heathen world.
(2.) Temperance ; — lyicparEia ; — " continence, temper
ance, self-control" {Rob. Lex) The power of self-
restraint, self-government. The word properly refers
to the control of the powers and propensities of the
soul ; keeping them in their due place ; securing their
healthful and harmonious action ; restraining every
unholy propensity, and giving to those powers ol our
nature which ought to rule the actual dominion. We
now use the word in a very restricted and narrow sense
as referring to moderation in eating and drinking —
particularly the latter. The true idea of " temperance "
as the word would be employed in the Greek language
would be larger, for it would refer to dominion over
every sensual passion or propensity, — pride, selfishness,
lust, avarice, ambition, envy, covetousness, irritability,
anger, wrath, revenge, — as well as to proper restraint in
eating and drinking.
This topic, too, was eminently appropriate in ad
dressing Felix. Not characterized indeed as an intem
perate man in the sense in which that word is now com
monly used, it was appropriate to him in the sense that he
disregarded, in his own case, the restraints imposed by
the rules of a rigid morality; that he had not the
corrupt propensities of his nature under control ; that
he gave free indulgence to carnal appetites ; that he
was a licentious and an unprincipled man. This topic,

340 Life of the Apostle Paul.
moreover, could not give any reasonable offence ; for
"temperance," or the proper control of the passions,
was a subject which was freely discussed in all the
schools of philosophy, and the duty was urged every
where as essential to length of days and happiness.
However the subject might in fact bear on Felix him
self, or might have been designed to bear on him by
Paul, yet no just objection could be taken to his intro
ducing it in connexion with the " faith in Christ " (on
which he had been requested to speak), as illustrating
the claims and the nature of the Christian religion ;
and Felix does not seem to have taken offence at the
introduction of the topic.
(3.) Judgment to come. The account which all men
must render to God; the subject of human responsi
bility ; the connexion of the conduct of men with the
future world ; the fact that human actions strike into
the future, and must affect the future ; the fact that all
men are answerable to God for their deeds, and that
there will be a day of final reckoning.
This subject, also, was one that was peculiarly appro
priate in discoursing before a man whose life had been
like that of Felix. Addressing a corrupt, a licentious, a
wicked man, — a man then living in open sin, — a guilty
man who must, like other men, soon appear before the
bar of his Maker, it was eminently proper that this
should be a prominent topic. Fidelity to his trust
fidelity to God, fidelity to his own soul, fidelity to the
soul of the distinguished man to whom he spoke,
demanded of Paul that he should not shrink from this

Paul before Felix. 341
subject, and that he should not fail to warn a corrupt
and profligate man of what must be the consequences
of his course of life. At the same time, the introduction
of such a topic could not properly be regarded as an
adequate ground of offence. This pertained to the
whole question relating to the Messiah, and the claims
of Jesus of Nazareth to that office. A prominent sub
ject, in fact, in the teachings of Jesus was the doctrine
of the future judgment. To ho other topic did the
Saviour more frequently advert ; on none were his
addresses and appeals more plain, direct, peculiar, and
solemn. So important did Paul regard it, that to the
philosophers of Athens, as we have already seen, he
Ideclared the Christian doctrine on this point; and told
them that God "hath appointed a day, in the which
He will judge the world in righteousness, by that man
whom He hath ordained ; whereof He hath given as
surance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from
the dead" (Acts xvii. 31).
These are proper topics for preaching anywhere, and
everywhere. These must enter essentially into all
preaching and explanation of religion, and of man's
condition. These are the topics which God employs
in arousing the human mind, awakening it from a
state of lethargy, securing a sense of guilt, and leading
men to feel their need of a Saviour ; these are topics
which lie at the foundation of all the success which
attends the preaching of the Gospel.
Righteousness. The great inquiry as to what con
stitutes right ; the obligations of justice ; the character

342 Life of the Apostle Paul.
of God as righteous ; the character of man with reference
to the question whether he is or is not righteous ; the
problem how a sinner may become righteous ; the
modes of maintaining right conduct in the relations and
duties of life ; the ways in which the obligations of
right are violated; the injustice, the fraud, the dishonesty,
which prevail in the world, — these and similar topics are
always proper in addressing men. All right views of
religion begin here ; for no man can hope to be saved
unless he has just views of the righteousness of God,
and of the way in which the guilty may become righteous
in His sight.
Temperance. The proper restraint and government
of the passions ; the modes in which they break over
all control ; the consequences of indulgence in sensual
and profligate habits ; the destruction which such in
dulgence brings upon body and soul ; the customs which
encourage such violation ; the methods in which multi
tudes pander to the guilty appetites of others ; — the
distress of families, the poverty, the disease, the "bab
bling," the " woe," the hearts broken, the fortunes ruined,
the hopes blasted, the bodies consigned to an early grave,
and the souls lost for ever by intemperance, — all these
are proper topics in preaching ; all are fitted to stir the
conscience to a sense of guilt, all are essential for the
good of man here or hereafter.
Judgment to come. The fact that there will be a
judgment; the nature of that judgment; the results of
it; the solemnity of the transaction; the interests at
stake; the things to be judged; the Judge Himself, —

Paul before Felix. 343
His rank, His dignity, and His qualifications to judge
mankind; the fact that the judgment will be final and
irreversible, — all these are proper subjects on which to
address man as he travels on to the retribution of that
great day.
What has Christianity made known in respect to the
judgment ? What would one appointed to speak of the
" faith in Christ" have to say on this subject ?
{a.) Christianity has confirmed the natural appre
hension of mankind in regard to the judgment. It
admits the reality; it deepens the impression of that
reality. It has affirmed that all which man ever appre
hended in the judgment was well-founded ; it has added
many things to make it more fearful and solemn.
{b.) It has stated that there will be a judgment of all
men; of all that have lived; of all that now live; of all
who will ever live (Rev. xx. 12 — 14).
{c.) It has revealed the Judge who is to pronounce the
final sentence on mankind — Jesus Christ, the Son of
God; the Incarnate Deity; the brightness of the Father's
glory; the Crucified One, who rose from the dead, and
ascended into heaven, and is now seated at the right
hand of the Father Almighty (John v. 22, 23).
{d.) It has stated the consequences or results of the
final judgment; the fearful sentence which shall be
passed on mankind (Matt. xxv. 31 — 46).
Assuredly, if there are any truths, if there is any
ground of appeal, that would be likely to arouse a
thoughtless race to reflection ; if there is anything that
is adapted to fill the mind with alarm, it would be found

344 Life of the Apostle Paul.
in considerations such as these, and we are not surprised,
therefore, that in view of these topics, as presented by
Paul, "Felix trembled."
II. What, then, is the natural and proper effect of such
truths on the mind ? This is, in other words, an inquiry
whether the effect produced on the mind of Felix was
natural and proper.
The consideration of this will bring before us an im
portant law of our nature, or an important Divine
arrangement, in regard to guilt. I shall refer to it,
not merely as a proof of conscious criminality, but as
a proof that there is a moral government over men;
that God is a friend of virtue, and an enemy of vice.
(i.) All men are aware that, when nature acts freely,
and when there is no restraint imposed by purpose or
acquired by discipline, there are certain marks of con
scious guilt which convey to those around us, without
the use of words, and by signs which even contradict
the words which may be used, the knowledge of that
which is passing within, or that of which we are con
scious. The blush, the paleness of the cheek, the averted
eye; a trembling and agitated frame; a restless, suspicious,
fearful look, are marks of what is within. These belong,
too, to a certain class of emotions or feelings, or to a
certain kind of conduct, and are confined to these.
They cannot be transferred to another kind of conduct,
— to the consciousness of a noble deed; to purity of
purpose; to a feeling of gratitude; to self-approbation.
They are not the result of education, or indicative of a

Paul before Felix. 345
certain stage of civilization, or confined to any position
or rank in life. They are not local, for they are found in
every land ; they are not the effect of climate, for they
exist among all nations. They are so universal as to
demonstrate that they belong to man as man.
(2.) The design of this arrangement, as a part of our
constitution, it is not difficult to understand. It is at
once a proof that there is a moral government over
mankind, and a benevolent arrangement adapted to
secure the good of mankind in great and important
respects. {a.) No one can explain it except on the supposition
that there is a God, and that He rules over mankind.
It is one of the original principles of our nature ; and as
it is always connected with a certain course of conduct,
and cannot be transferred to the opposite course, its
existence proves that God designed it to be an indi
cation of His sense of human actions. The arrange
ment must have had its origin in the purposes of our
Maker, and it is of such a nature as to show that He
intends to control mankind.
{b.) It is an arrangement designed, when it operates
freely, to reveal or disclose the knowledge of our sin
to others. It is not susceptible of misinterpretation.
The trembling of Felix under the preaching of " righte
ousness, temperance, and judgment to come," could not
be misunderstood. He would not have trembled, he
could not have been alarmed under such preaching,
if he had not been conscious that he had lived, and
was living, in violation of " righteousness " and " tem-

346 Life of the Apostle Paul.
perance," and had reason to look with apprehension
to a "judgment to come." The natural, and the only
interpretation which could be put on his trembling,
either by Paul, by Drusilla, or by himself, must have
been that he was a guilty man.
{c.) The arrangement is designed, not only to put
others on their guard, but also to restrain us from the
commission of sin. This is done by the very fact of the
admonition of guilt in the feeling itself; by the fact
that the guilty purpose must thus be known to others;
and by the conscious shame and confusion which is
thus produced in the soul. By all that is painful in
such a consciousness of guilt and in the fear of wrath;
by all that there is to expose us to shame and disgrace
before the world, it is designed to act as a check on
criminal purposes and conduct, and to hold men back
from cherishing the purposes of crime.
{d.) This arrangement is designed to be among the
means of securing the reformation of the guilty; an
arrangement of Divine wisdom to lead men to see in
this dreadful anticipation — this trembling — what must be
the consequences of the course which they are pursuing,
and to lead them to " flee from the wrath to come."
Thus the jailor at Philippi trembled; thus Felix trem
bled ; and thus the sinner now — under the consciousness
of guilt — trembles, turns pale, and is alarmed at the pros
pect of impending judgment. Among the most effective
means of recovering and reforming the wicked, is this
power which God has of alarming the consciences of
men, and overwhelming them with the remembrance of

Paul before Felix. 347
past guilt, and the apprehension of future wrath. He is
the most successful preacher who is most able, under
the Divine blessing, to produce this consciousness of
guilt in the soul, and the work of such a preacher is
nearest to its accomplishment, when his hearers turn
pale, — when the wicked, and the gay, and the thought
less, and the corrupt, and the sensual, and the profane,
are made to tremble in view of a coming judgment.
III. The remaining inquiry is, In what manner are
these impressions often met and warded off?
The conduct of Felix will be our guide in illustrating
this point. He "trembled;" but he did not yield. The
jailor at Philippi " trembled," and yielded ; fell down
before Paul and Silas, his prisoners, and brought them
out, and said, " Sirs, what must I do to be saved ?"
(Acts xvi. 29, 30). He acted as God meant that men
should act ; and he was true, in this respect, to the nature
with which God had endowed him. But Felix "trem
bled," and then said, " Go thy way for this time ; when
I have a convenient season, I will call for thee." He
resisted his nature ; he violated a great law of his being,
and perilled his everlasting welfare. The jailor, in
humbler life, — perhaps not living in any known form
of sin, — and having nothing as derived from rank, po
sition, and associations, to prevent his acting out the
inward promptings of his nature, yielded to his con
victions, and was saved; Felix, living in known sin,
bound and fettered by a guilty tie, — in a position in
which a confession of guilt might have exposed him to

348 Life of the Apostle Paul.
the ridicule of those in elevated life, or to a loss of place
and position, — refused to yield to the suggestions of
conscience, and sought relief from present alarm by de
ferring all to a future time. He banished his serious
impressions ; he calmed down the apprehensions of
guilt; he put himself on his guard against any danger
of being overcome in the future by such sudden and un
expected emotions ; and, as far as we know, gained the
victory over the finer feelings of his nature, — and lost
his soul.
The great difficulty always is to induce men to attend
personally and practically to religion now. In many
cases we have their understandings already with us on
the side of religion ; they are convinced of the truth of
Christianity; we either meet them when they are already
conscious of guilt, or by a course of reasoning on "righte
ousness, temperance, and judgment to come," we can,
by the help of God, produce such a consciousness of
guilt; we find them already cherishing a general pur
pose to attend to religion at some future time, or we can
easily persuade them to adopt such a resolution. The
difficulty is to prevail on them to attend to the subject
vow; to do it at once; to make it the first thing.
Could we do this, our work would be accomplished ; for
Ihen religion would become easy, and the difficulties in
regard to it would vanish.
There are, it need scarcely be said, many reasons why
men, even trembling under the conviction of guilt, plead
for delay. The original Greek, in which the words of
Felix are given us, is "Taking time, I will call for

Paul before Felix. 349
thee;" that is, I have it not now; I will secure it; at
some future period I will "take" the time needful to
pursue the subject further. So men, engaged in the
world, — in a bank, in a custom-house, in a counting-
room, on a farm, in the workshop, — plead that they
have not time to attend to the matter now. So the
young delay the subject to a future period, when it will
be more suitable than at present. So the gay and
thoughtless ask that they may be allowed to engage
for the present in the festive scenes of life, with a
promise or a hope that the time will come when religion
will be more appropriate, and when — the pleasures of
life past — they may find leisure to prepare to die. So
the wicked of all classes ask for present indulgence, with
a purpose to repent at a future time.
Thus, as we pass along the journey of life, a thousand
things — business, pleasure, ambition, sin, the love of
ease, the desire of indulgence — plead for delay, on that
which must be to all men the most momentous of all
mbjects ; and the soul is lost. The mind is calmed
down, the subject of religion is banished from the
thoughts, and the troubled heart is set free from alarm.
I do not say that time is never found to attend to
religion, or that the purpose to attend to it is never
carried out. Felix found time to consider the subject,
for he "sent for Paul often," — the oftener because he
hoped that a bribe would be offered, — " and communed
with him." It is not for us to say that a man who has
neglected a present opportunity of salvation, and post
poned it when his mind had been awakened to the

350 Life of the Apostle Paul.
subject, will never have another serious thought, and
that he certainly seals his own condemnation for ever.
I do not say that a man, thus disregarding the present,
never is, or can be saved. Not thus do I understand
the arrangements of God in regard to the salvation of
men. But that it may be the last opportunity, no one
can doubt ; for death may be near. That a man will
be less likely to be aroused and awakened at another
time, as the result of having refused to yield, no one
can doubt ; for this is in accordance with a great law
of our nature. That it does not, in all respects,
depend on our own will when the mind shall be serious,
— when it shall be disposed to attend to the subject, —
when it shall find leisure, — is equally clear. That it
may not be as easy to attend to the subject on a bed
of sickness, or on the approach of death, as in health,
and when the mind is calm, is no less plain. That
when a man who has been convinced of his sin, has
secured such a triumph as to say to the heavenly
Messenger, "Go thy way for this time," the heavenly
Messenger may not take a final departure, and that such
a man may not by that act determine the destiny of
his soul for ever, no man can deny. This hour — this
very moment — you may so resolve to reject the invita
tion of mercy, as to settle the question of your salvation
for ever and ever. To-morrow — nay, the next moment
of your life — you may be BEYOND HOPE 1

XVII.
PAUL BEFORE FESTUS.
Christianity in contact with a mind that regards religion as pertaining
to others, and to questions of a trivial nature.
Festus, a representative character. — Manner in which he regarded religious
questions. — As a governor, he was just and honourable ; would not yield
up a prisoner untried; gave the case a prompt hearing; conceded the
right of appeal; maintained important principles of law. — In reference to
religion, he deemed its questions foreign to his own interests ; trivial in
their nature; and not requiring his investigation. — Reasons why religion
should not be so regarded. — Man has a. real interest in it. — Is bound to
meet its requirements. — Needs its provisions. — Must perish, if destitute
of it. — Inferences. — (i.) Men are not mere lookers-on. — (2.) Men cannot
escape religious obligation. — (3.) No man should wish to evade it.

" Without any delay on the morrow, I sat on the judgment seat, and
commanded the man to be brought forth ; against whom when the accusers
stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed : but
had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one
Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive." Acts xxv. 17 — 19.

AN ORIENTAL HOUSE.

HE history of Festus, like that of Felix, is
important, not merely as a record in history,
and as bearing on the early propagation
of the Gospel, but as illustrating the con
tact of Christianity with minds of a certain
class or order, to be found in every age and
land; a class of minds with which Christianity was to
come in contact often in the attempt to bring men under
its influence, and to spread itself through the world.
As such, it becomes a proper subject of consideration
in illustrating the scenes and incidents in the life of
the Apostle Paul.
The point before us will be, CHRISTIANITY IN CON
TACT WITH MINDS THAT REGARD IT AS PERTAINING
TO QUESTIONS OF A TRIVIAL NATURE, AND IN WHTCH
THEY THEMSELVES HAVE NO CONCERN. This may be
2 A

354 Life of the Apostle Paul.
viewed under two aspects : — I. As showing how a
certain class of minds regard the subject of religion ;
and II. as leading to the inquiry whether this be a
proper manner in which religion should be regarded
and treated.
I. The case of Festus may be considered as representing
a certain class of minds. This will lead me to make a few
remarks, (i.) In reference to his general character. That
character was strongly marked. When Felix, his pre
decessor, had been removed from office on charges of
maladministration, Festus had been appointed to succeed
him for two reasons ; — because he was a more just,
honourable, pure, and incorruptible man ; and because
he would be more likely to be popular among the Jews.
His general character, as honourable and upright, was
evinced, in accordance with his general reputation, in
the transactions which came so early under his notice
in the case of the Apostle Paul.
(a) He was firm in his purpose not to grant the re
quest of the Jews in regard to the removal of Paul to
Jerusalem. One of the first duties of a newly-appointed
governor would of course be to make himself acquainted
with the condition of the country over which he was to
preside, and especially with the state of affairs in re
gard to the administration of justice. Festus, therefore,
though the seat of the Roman power was at that time
at Caesarea, would take the earliest opportunity, to
visit the Jewish capital, the ancient seat of power and

Paul before Festus. 355
influence. Accordingly, within three days after his
arrival at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem (Acts
xxv. 1). There he was immediately met by the chief
priests, and the leading men among the Jews (ver. 2) ;
and they, in harmony, as it would seem, with a desire
of the people (ver. 24), presented a request that he
would allow Paul, whom Felix had left "bound" at
Caesarea, to be summoned to Jerusalem, that he might
be tried there (ver. 3). They hoped that the new
governor would grant them the seemingly not unreason
able claim, tha£ Paul might be tried where the Jews
had been accustomed in former years to have such
cases determined, and where, moreover, the alleged
offence had been committed. He had been, they might
allege, taken forcibly from their custody by the Roman
captain Lysias ; and they asked as a favour that the
case might be remanded to them, and might take the
usual course. Their real purpose was that they might
waylay him on the road, and assassinate him (ver. 3).
There was some plausibility in the request, and it
might have occurred to Festus that in this way he could
more easily and readily dispose of the case than in any
other, and that his compliance might contribute not a
little to his own popularity. It was a simple request,
and it seemed to involve nothing improper or wrong. But
his answer was every way becoming one who represented
the majesty of the Roman law. Paul, he said, was in
safe custody, and would not be suffered to escape. He
himself would shortly return to Caesarea, where the
utmost fairness should be allowed in the trial (ver. 4).

356 Life of the Apostle Paul.
He stated to them at that time, as he afterwards in
formed Agrippa (ver. 16), that it was a great principle
of Roman law, that no man should be condemned to
death before he had his " accusers face to face;" but any
persons among the Jews who were "able" to manage
the cause, should, he said, have ample opportunity to
substantiate the charges against the prisoner (ver. 5).
{b.) His promptness in bringing the case of Paul to a
trial, with no unnecessary delay, was also an indication
of his justness of character, and was remarkably in con
trast with the conduct of his predecessor. Felix had,
with most manifest injustice, kept Paul as a prisoner for
two whole years, with the hope that he might secure
from him a bribe; Festus promised to try the cause
himself, and to make it his first business after his return
to Caesarea. In the course of eight or ten days (Acts
xxv. 6, margin), he went thither ; and the very day
after his return, he took his seat on the bench of justice,
and commanded that Paul should be brought before
him. Nothing could be more fair and honourable than
this disposition to render speedy justice to one who had
been so long kept in custody.
{c.) His ready concession of the right of Paul to carry
the case before the Roman emperor was another indi
cation of his character as a man of justice and uprightness.
He was surprised to find that the accusation against
Paul was not, as he had supposed, for crime against
the government and laws, but was connected with the
religious opinions of the Jews, and did not, therefore,
properly pertain to a Roman tribunal. In his perplexity,

Paul before Festus. 357
therefore, and disposed as he was to ingratiate himself
as far as possible with the Jews, he proposed to Paul
that he should go up to Jerusalem, and be judged there,
before himself, in regard to the charges of heresy and
sacrilege which had been laid against him. Paul under
stood at once the dangers which this would involve ; he
well knew what were his own privileges as a Roman
citizen ; and he knew what a Roman governor would
feel himself compelled to grant, if an appeal were made
to the Roman emperor. Standing before the tribunal
of the governor, and in the presence of his accusers, —
and manifestly to the surprise and dismay of both, —
he uttered the noble declaration and appeal : " I stand
before Caesar's tribunal, and there ought my trial to be.
To the Jews I have done no wrong, as thou knowest
full well. If I am guilty of breaking the law, and have
done anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die :
but if the things whereof these men accuse me are
nought, no man can give me up to them. I APPEAL
UNTO CAESAR " (Acts xxv. IO, 1 1).1
Festus could not, indeed, as a Roman magistrate,
deny that right of appeal to one who was a Roman
citizen ; but it would have been easy to raise the
question whether Paul had any claim to the right ; and
with a purpose such as Felix had, the cause could easily
have been continued for two weary years more, or
perhaps, protracted to an indefinite period. Paul had
no occasion, however, to complain of Festus as to the
manner in which his appeal to Rome was received.
» Conybeare and Howson's translation.

358 Life of the Apostle Paul.
It was at once allowed, and arrangements were made
to have the matter brought as speedily as possible
before the emperor.
{d.) The noble sentiment which Festus uttered in
stating a great principle of Roman law, showed also
what was the character of the man. That principle
was, as we have already seen, that no man should be
condemned to death "before that he which is accused
should have the accusers face to face, and have licence
to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against
him." No principle is more essential in the administra
tion of justice than this ; none has gone more deeply
into the defence of the rights of man. The trials in
the Inquisition and in the Star-chamber derived their
enormity mainly from a violation of this principle ; and
the chief progress which society has made in the ad
ministration of justice has consisted in little more than
in securing, by proper sanctions and provisions, the law
here enunciated by Festus.
In him, then, we have the example of a man upright
and honourable ; just, true, firm, faithful to the obliga
tions of his office ; prompt to do what was his duty, and
not to be turned, by any personal considerations, from
a purpose to do right. Yet, so far as appears, his mind
was now, for the first time, brought into contact with
the subject of revealed religion, and with questions which
grow out of that. It is natural to inquire how those
questions would strike such a man, and in what light, or
with what interest, he would regard them.
I need not say that, in this respect, Festus repre-

Paul before Festus. 359
sented a large class, — men of integrity, honesty, upright
ness; prompt in the execution of duties entrusted to
them; men who are above a bribe; who act from a sense
of obligation ; who adhere to great principles of justice
and law in all their official and personal relations.
There are such men in large numbers in every profession,
and in all positions of life. You confide in them, and
are not disappointed ; you commit to them great in
terests of property, reputation, justice, liberty, charity,
and those interests are safe.
(2.) We have to consider Festus more particularly in
reference to the sentiments which he entertained on
the subject of religion. It is here that we meet him
in his contact with Christianity, and it is in this respect
that his views and feelings become so important to us.
We find these expressed, in the account which he gave
of the matter to Agrippa : " They brought none accusa
tion of such things as I supposed; but had certain
questions against him of their own superstition, and of
one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be
alive" This will bring before us the views which men like
Festus take of the subject of religion. We shall not
have before us the views which the profligate, the
profane, and the vulgar, — which atheists, blasphemers,
and sceptics, — which the uneducated, the low, the vile,
— which scoffers and sensualists take of the subject;
but the views of men who are, like Festus, upright, just,
and faithful in their private character, and who sustain
elevated and honourable social positions.

360 Life of the Apostle Paul.
In order to understand this subject fully, there are
two or three subordinate remarks to be made : —
{a.) Festus regarded the "questions" or disputes in
the case as pertaining to the Jews themselves, and in
no manner as pertaining to him; — "certain questions of
their own superstition." The word "superstition" is
not here to be regarded as necessarily reproachful or
contemptuous. It is the same word which Paul used in
addressing the Athenian philosophers on Mars' Hill
(Acts xvii. 22). The Greek word, however, — SttatSaiftovia
— properly means the " fear of the gods ;" and then,
religiousness, or religion ; and though sometimes used
by Greek writers, to denote superstition, or bigotry, yet
it is such a word as would commonly be employed by
a Greek to describe religion in general, even when
speaking of it in the most respectful manner. We
are not, therefore, to suppose that Festus meant by
this language to express contempt for the Jewish faith ;
and we cannot _ believe that in entering on his office
among the Jews, he would designedly make use of a
word which would irritate and provoke them.
The feelings of Festus are indicated rather by the
expression that it was " their own" — iripl rfc ISiag: — that
is, that it pertained to them, to their nation ; — not to him,
not to his nation. The dispute was about their own
religion. It was to be settled by themselves. It was
a matter in which he had no concern. It did not
pertain to him either as a man or as a magistrate. He
regarded all the controversies which they had started
among themselves about the death and the resurrection

Paul before Festus. 361
of Jesus, as he would have regarded the controversies
of the Greeks, the Persians, the Babylonians, or the
Egyptians, about the religion of their own country.
Those subjects of controversy might seem important
to them ; they were none of his.
I need not say that, in this respect, Festus is a
representative of a very large and a very respectable
portion of mankind. They are men who would not
revile religion, or speak of it with contempt. If they
have no personal interest in it, they are willing that
others should discuss its questions freely among them
selves. They would not disturb others in the quiet
enjoyment of their own opinions, or of their rights in
religion ; and, in numerous cases, their disposition to
show respect for religion is increased by the fact that
it is the religion of a friend ; a father ; a wife ; a
sister. Yet they regard the subject as not pertaining to
themselves. They do not intermeddle with it, nor
would they interfere with it. The questions which are
raised among Christians, and which are discusssd with
so much warmth, or it may be with so much acerbity,
they do not regard themselves as required to solve.
Their own purpose is to lead an upright, an honest, a
moral life; to do justice to all; to settle questions which
do pertain to themselves as magistrates, as business men,
as patriots, and as philanthropists. Our difficulty in
dealing with such is in persuading them at all to regard
the subjects connected with religion as having any per
sonal claim on them; and in inducing them to change

362 Life of the Apostle Paul.
their position so far as, instead of "questions of their
own," to say "questions of our own."
{b.) Festus considered the "question" which had come
up for discussion between Paul and the Jews as one of
little importance; — "certain questions of their own
superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom
Paul affirmed to be alive."
His sense of the real nature of the dispute is indi
cated by the language which he used respecting him
who was affirmed by the one party to be alive, and by
the other to be dead ; — "and of one Jesus" {irtpl tivoq
'Ijjuou), implying that he was an unknown or obscure
person, and perhaps also that, in his judgment, it was
of little consequence whether he was alive or dead.
Festus could see no great results to be attached to the
inquiry. Why Paul affirmed of this obscure and un
known man, probably some impostor, some vagrant,
some criminal, that he was alive, arid why the Jews
denied it, would seem to him a matter of no practical
value. Does not this state of mind represent, with a melan
choly accuracy, the views and feelings of a very large
portion of every community in regard to the question
whether Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead ? Does
it not give a just representation of the views of such
men in regard to all the questions which are agitated
among Christians on the subjects of religion ? Modes
of belief, they think, are matters of little importance.
If a man is just, true, honest, faithful, — if he meets his
obligations, pays his debts, is kind to the poor, and

Paul before Festus. 363
just to all, — if he is true to his family and to his country,
— it is, in their opinion, of little consequence what he
believes; nor can his conviction respecting the resur
rection of Christ (either for or against it), or his belief
in regard to any of those doctrines of religion which
divide the Christian world, materially affect his cha
racter or his destiny. Our work with such men, is to con
vince them not only that they are as much interested in
these subjects as other men, but that the most important
questions which can come before the minds of men are
those which pertain to religion.
(c.) Festus took no pains to inquire into or to settle
these points. He was intent on other objects; he felt no
interest in these inquiries. It does not appear that, as a
practical matter, they came at all before his own mind.
They did come before the mind of Felix, for he "trem
bled" under the reasoning of Paul. They did come
before the mind of Agrippa, for he was " almost per
suaded to be a Christian." But the subject took no
such hold on the mind of Festus. Cool, sober, upright,
just, he never seems to have regarded the questions of
religion as demanding even the tribute involved in a pur
pose to inquire whether they might not possibly be true.
Need it be said that in this respect, also, he was
a representative of a large class of men ? They are
engaged in other inquiries than these; they investigate,
discuss, and settle points of jurisprudence, history,
science, art. They are interested in determining the
date of a battle, of the birth of a prince, of the ac
cession of a dynasty to empire ; they examine into the

364 Life of the Apostle Paul.
genuineness of an ancient manuscript, or the value of
an ancient coin; but they have no interest in ascer
taining whether Christ rose from the dead, nor can we
persuade them to give to such things even a momentary
attention. Our difficulty in regard to these men is to
get the question before their minds at all. We place
the Bible in their hands ; they will not read it. We set
before them the works of Grotius, Chalmers, Paley,
Lardner, on the evidences of religion, but for them
such works have no attractions. If they have had to
study Butler's "Analogy" as part of their college course,
it now pertains to the memory of their early studies,
and all interest in it is lost amid the active scenes of
life, and the questions which refer to this world alone.
II. My second object was to inquire Whether this is
the proper manner in which to regard and treat the subject
of religion. To those who may be in substantially the
same state of mind as Festus, I shall submit a few
remarks on this point.
(1.) The first is, that every man has in fact an interest
in the great questions which belong to religion. Man is
made to be a religious being ; and he never approaches
the perfection of his nature, or meets the design of his
existence, until the religious principle is developed. It
is the prerogative of his nature that he can be influenced
by motives drawn from religion ; can be guided by the
counsels it suggests ; can be cheered by the prospects
and hopes it presents ; and can be supported in trials
by the consolations it imparts. Man is distinguished by

Paul before Festus. 365
this from every other inhabitant of our world. The
elephant, the lion, the horse is perfect in its nature
without religion ; man never is perfect as a man until
he recognizes the religious principle, and until it enters
into all his motives of action. To deprive him of this
capability, would as essentially alter his nature as to
deprive him of reason or the power of imagination.
Abraham, and David, and Paul, — Edwards and Baxter,
— as religious men, are not merely individuals ; they
are high specimens of the race ; exponents of what man
is made to be ; men complete as God designed all men
to be when developing the noblest principles of their
nature. Look, even for a single moment, at some of the sub
jects pertaining to religion, and it will be seen that this is
a correct account of the matter. In the question whether
there is a God, and what He is, one man is as much
concerned as any other man can be. It is impossible
for any one ever to place himself in such a position
that he has no interest in it. If he could transform him
self into a lion or a gazelle — a swan or a flamingo — a
gilded basilisk or an ephemeron, he could throw himself
beyond the reach of this inquiry ; but not as long as he
is a man.
Whether man is a fallen being, suffering under the
, displeasure of his Maker now, and exposed to His deeper
displeasure in a future world, — whether an atonement has
been made for sin, — whether the Bible was given by
inspiration of God, — whether there is a future state, a
judgment-day, a heaven, a hell, — are things pertaining

366 Life of the Apostle Paul.
to all men in common. There are things in the world
which pertain to ourselves exclusively, with which an
other has no right to intermeddle, and in which
another has no interest ; but the things of religion are
not of that nature. They pertain alike to each and
every one. In the days of Festus, they were not
questions pertaining only to the Jews, and " to tlieir own
superstition;" they were questions which pertained equally
to Festus and all the Romans ; and in these days they
belong not merely to those who voluntarily turn their
attention to them, but they concern equally every human
being, as a man, as a creature of God, as a traveller
to the grave, as about to appear at the bar of God.
(2.) In the second place, every man is bound to per
form the duties which religion requires, and one man as
much as another. Among those who were supposed to
be wrangling about some question of " superstition,"
there was no one more bound to perform the duties of
religion than Festus himself; and of those who now live
on the earth, one man is under as solemn an obligation
to perform those duties as any other can be.
There is a very common, and not wholly an unnatural
mistake on this point. Many men seem to feel that the
obligations of religion are the result of a voluntary
covenant, compact, or promise, like a contract for carrying
the mail, or for excavating so many miles of a canal.
They seem to suppose that there is nothing lying back
of a profession of religion to oblige any one to attend to
its duties, any more than there is to bind a man to enlist
as a soldier, or to enter into a contract for building a

Paul before Festus. 367
bridge. When a profession of religion has been made,
they admit it to be binding. They are disposed to hold
professors to the most rigid fulfilment of the conditions of
that profession ; and they resolve that if they themselves
ever enter into such a covenant with God, they will
be as faithful to that compact as they are to others.
Now, Christians do not object to being held to the
most faithful performance of the duties of religion,
growing out of the voluntary covenant which they
have made with God. They believe that God Himself
will hold them to it, and that a profession of religion,
viewed in this aspect, and in all others, is a most serious
matter. But it is not the profession of religion which
creates the obligation, for that existed before any such
profession was made. The profession of religion only
recognizes the obligation. To make such a profession
is not like making a contract to build a house, or
to perform the duty of a day-labourer; it pertains to
acts similar to the duty which a child owes to a parent,
or a man to his country, or which we all owe to the
poor and the oppressed. With, or without a covenant,
we are bound to the performance of those duties ; and
though there are advantages in such a voluntary
covenant and pledge, as there were in the " times that
tried men's souls" in the American revolution, when
our fathers pledged to their country "their lives and
their fortune," yet the obligation to those duties is not
originated by the covenant, but exists whether any such
compact has been entered into or not. The worship
of God, repentance, faith in the Redeemer, a life of

368 Life of the Apostle Paul.
piety, the grateful acknowledgment of mercies, — can
any plead exemption from these duties? Or look at
the specific duties which may pertain to a man. If
he is a father, is he not as much bound as any other
father to train up his children for God, to instruct them
in the ways and duties of religion, to pray with them
and for them, to walk before them so that they may be
prepared for heaven ? If he is a husband, is he not
as much bound to be a Christian, and to serve his
Maker in his family, as his wife is ? is he more at liberty
to neglect the religious duties of a husband and father,
than she is to neglect the duties of a Christian wife and
mother ? If he is a man of influence and property,
is he not as much bound as any other man to devote
his influence and property to the cause of God ? has he
any more right than another man to employ them for
selfish purposes ? If he is capable of doing good, of
relieving suffering, of dispelling ignorance, of helping
the oppressed, of protecting the fatherless, of maintain
ing by eloquence or argument — by the tongue or the
pen — the cause of justice, truth, and mercy, is he not
as much bound to do this as any other man ?
(3.) In the third place, every man needs the provisions
which the Gospel has made for salvation. If Festus
had inquired into that which he regarded as pertaining
only to the " superstition " of a foreign people, a few
questions put to one of the parties in that dispute
would have opened such visions of glory, honour, and
immortality, before his soul, as had never dawned on
the mind of a Roman.

Paul before Festus. 369
There is a very natural mistake which men are prone
to make on this point, similar to the one already
adverted to. It is, that while one class of the human
family may need the provisions made in the Gospel
for salvation, there are other classes for which these
are unnecessary. It is like the feeling which we have
about medicines. They are useful and desirable for
the sick, but not needful for those who are in health ;
they may become necessary for us should we become
ill, but they are not now. So if men feel that they
are sinners, if they are conscious of having transgressed
the law of God, it is proper for them to make appli
cation to the system which proclaims and promises
peace. But where this necessity is not felt, men do
not think that the Gospel pertains to them.
Yet it is a great truth that the Gospel of Christ
pertains to man as such in his fallen condition, and
not merely to the most debased forms of humanity.
It assumes that every one of the race is in circumstances
which make the plan of redemption adapted to him,
and necessary for him. It does all honour to the
human powers; it regards with contempt nothing that
is truly excellent ; it undervalues no real virtue ; but at
the same time it assumes that there is no such virtue
in man as to meet the demands of the law ; that there
is no holiness in the unrenewed human heart such as
God approves and loves ; and that no one enters
heaven who is not interested in the Saviour's death.
It is on this assumption that the atonement was made
for men ; and it is on the same assumption that the
2 B

370 Life of the Apostle Paul.
Redeemer still lives to intercede for the race. It is
this point which the Gospel presents more prominently
than any other, and this conviction it seeks to secure
in the heart. The work of redemption has been accom
plished ; the difficult work of convincing man that he
needs a Redeemer, is the work which remains to be
done. Nothing is more common among men than
blindness to their own character and danger. The
sense of dependence on Christ for salvation, — the
recollection of any guilt which could demand such
expiation as that made on the cross — to these feelings
they are strangers. So it once was with those who
now are Christians. They were strong in their own
righteousness, and confident that they could be saved
without the intervention of the Son of God. But the
hour came when they saw themselves to be poor, and
needy, and blind, and naked, and felt that if it were
not for the Saviour they must perish. Crushed, and
broken-hearted, and penitent, they went and sought
pardon through the blood of Jesus, and through that
blood they found righteousness and peace.
(4.) It is as certain of one man as it is of an
other, that unless he is interested in religion, he will
be lost. If one can be saved without religion, another
can in the same way ; and consequently religion is
unnecessary for any. This seems almost too clear for
argument, and yet here also we encounter the same
feeling more than once adverted to already, that true
as religion may be, and needful for some, there are
others for whom it is unnecessary, and in respect to

Paul before Festus. 37 1
whom a substitute may be found that shall take its
place. This belief indeed is not often formally drawn
out and avowed ; there may be few who would be
willing to place it as a distinct proposition before their
own minds ; but it exerts a more constant influence
than many opinions that are embodied in words.
There is really, however, nothing on which any one
can fall back in order to be saved, if he does not avail
himself of the provisions of the Gospel ; there is nothing
which can be made a substitute for faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ in the matter of salvation, for " there is
none other name under heaven, given among men,"
whereby they can be saved. And if this be so, then
it is clear that men who neglect the religion of Christ
must perish — all perish. It matters not what else they
may have ; this is the only thing that can save them.
From the subject of this chapter, the following things
follow as inferences :
First. Men are not merely lookers-on in the world. The
place which they occupy is not that of mere observers
of what occurs in the Church. Each man that passed
by the cross, though he looked in the most indifferent
or contemptuous manner on what was occurring there,
had the deepest personal interest, if he had known it, in
the great transaction. So Festus, if he had known it,
had the deepest personal interest in the question whether
the unknown man who was affirmed to be dead was
really alive. And so every one that hears the Gospel,
has the deepest interest in the appeals which are made
to men in the name of the Lord Jesus.

372 Life of the Apostle Paul.
Second. The interest which a man has in these things is
not one from which he can escape. It attends him every
where, and at all times. Yesterday he had the deepest
possible interest in all that pertains to religion ; to-day
he has the same; to-morrow he will have it still. When
at home in the bosom of his family, when alone in the
solitude of his retirement, when amid the crowds of men
intent on gain, when in the circles of festivity and gaiety,
his great interest still is religion. From a personal in
terest in religion he can never be released.
Third. No man should desire to drive the subject from
his mind. Why should he ? Why should he not be a
religious man ? Why should he not feel that he has a
God and a Saviour ? Why should he not feel that he
has a better inheritance than perishable gold ? Why
should he not feel that he has a more enduring home
than he now occupies, — a house not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens ? Why should he not have a hope
of future happiness, when all the pleasures of earth shall
have passed away ? Why desire to escape from the
cross of Christ, from prayer, from the love of God, and
from the privilege and honour of doing good? Why
be willing to depart from this world with no bright pros
pect to cheer and sustain him on the bed of death,
leaving to his friends nothing in the memory of his life
that shall wipe away their tears, and comfort their
hearts, when they stand beside his grave ?

XVIII.
PAUL BEFORE AGRIPPA.
Christianity in contact with the mind of a speculative believer.
Perplexity of Festus. — Case laid before Agrippa. — Eloquence of Paul's
speech. — History of Agrippa. — His character. — His religious state. —
Different classes of ipeculative believers. — Some led by religious training.
—Some convinced by argument. — Some distressed by a sense of sin. —
Some aroused by affliction. — Reasons why such men are but almost
Christians.— Love of sin. — Love of the world. — Fear of shame. — Dread
of restraint — Grounds of appeal to speculative believers. — Their own
admission. — The claims of consistency. — The risk of enhanced guilt —
And of increased danger.

"Then Agt.^pa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a
Christian. Anu Paul said; I would to God, that not only thou, but also
all that hear mt this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am,
except these bo., ds." Acts xxvi. 28, 29.

ROMAN OFFICERS.

ESTUS having granted to Paul the right of
appeal, it became his duty to prepare to lay
the case before the emperor. But he was to
a great extent ignorant of Jewish customs
and opinions. The accusations against Paul
had been so vague, and the facts elicited on
the trial had been so indefinite and uncertain, that he
knew not what statement to make of the case. It hap
pened at this time, and in this perplexity, that Agrippa,
with his sister Berenice, came to Caesarea on a visit. It
occurred to Festus that from one well acquainted with
Jewish customs, as Agrippa was, he might obtain such
information as would enable him to state the charge
fairly (Acts xxv. 27). Under these circumstances, he
resolved to lay the matter before Agrippa, and to seek
his advice. Agrippa, that he might more fully under-

376 Life of the Apostle Paul.
stand the case, or because he had heard much of Paul,
or because he had a real desire to know what could be
said in favour of the new religion by its ablest advocate,
felt a wish to hear Paul speak: "I," said he, "would also
hear the man myself" (ver. 22).
A time having been appointed, Agrippa and his sister
Berenice, with great pomp, attended with the chief cap
tains, and the principal men of Caesarea, came into " the
place of hearing ;" and, at the command of Festus, Paul
was brought before them. It was on this occasion that
the remarkable speech, contained in the twenty-sixth
chapter of the Acts, was delivered. It will compare
favourably with the most famous specimens of eloquence
which have come down to us from ancient times, and on
reading it we are not surprised to find that Longinus
classed Paul among the most celebrated Grecian orators.
Agrippa, second of that name, of the family of Herod,
was by birth a Jew. He was a son of Herod Agrippa,
who was himself a grandson of Herod the Great. His
father, son of Aristobulus, who was cruelly put to death
by Herod the Great, had been brought up at Rome, with
Drusus, son of Tiberius, and was placed over the entire
territories governed by Herod Antipas, with the title of
king. On his death, which occurred in a most miserable
manner at Caesarea (as recorded in Act's xii. 20 — 23),
Herod Agrippa, his son, was but seventeen years of
age, and was regarded as too young to be made
a king; and Judaea was again reduced to the condi
tion of a Roman province. Subsequently, Agrippa ob
tained dominion over a part of the territories of his

Paul before Agrippa. 377
father, under the title "King of Chalcis;" was made
superintendent of the temple ; and had conferred on him
the right of naming or appointing the high priest.
Agrippa had grown up, in common with his country
men, with a full belief in the inspiration of the sacred
writings, and under a firm conviction that a Messiah, a
messenger from God, would come to the nation. To
the reasoning of Paul, therefore, he listened with more
respect and deference than a Roman would have done ;
and the arguments which Paul urged had more effect on
his mind than they could be expected to have on the
mind of Festus. Agrippa, moreover, does not appear
to have partaken of the violent passions and prejudices
of those of his countrymen who had accused Paul. His
character, as given by Josephus, is that of a mild,
candid, ingenuous man. He had no special hostility
against Christians; he knew that they were not justly
chargeable with sedition. He saw that the conduct of
Paul could not be explained on the principle on which
Festus proposed to account for this remarkable burst
of eloquence (Acts xxvi. 24), — for these were not the
ravings of insanity. He felt the weight of the argu
ments alleged by Paul from the prophets in favour of
the claim of Jesus to the Messiahship. In Agrippa
the feelings of the man assumed a superiority over the
prejudices of the Jew; and he said, not with a sneer,
but in sincerity, "Almost thou persuadest me to be
a Christian." The argument of the apostle had such
power, his appeal to Agrippa's own faith in the prophets
was so irresistible, that, for the moment, he was on the

$7% Life of the Apostle Paul.
point of surrendering himself to the force of eloquence
and truth.
Yet here he paused. We have no reason to think
that he ever made any further advances towards be
coming a Christian. Certain it is that the New Tes
tament history gives no account of his conversion to
Christianity; and it can hardly be supposed that as.
event so important as that would have been wholly
unnoticed by the sacred historian. We are left to infer
that Agrippa was never quite persuaded to be a Chris
tian. What was included in the " almost," or what
prevented his being altogether persuaded, we are
not informed; but there is every reason to suppose
that in fact this was the crisis or turning-point of his
life and destiny; and, like thousands of others — a re
presentative man in this respect — he refused to yield
to the claims of Christian truth.
The case before us, therefore, is CHRISTIANITY IN
CONTACT WITH THE UNCONVERTED HEART OF ONE
PROFESSING TO BELIEVE IN A REVELATION.
It will be proper, in the first place, to inquire in what
circumstances such cases occur; secondly, to show why
such persons are not wholly persuaded to be Christians ;
and, thirdly, to state the considerations which may bear
upon their consciences as derived from their admission
of the truth of Christianity.
I. In what circumstances do such cases occur ?
(i.) One class of such persons is composed of those
who, as Agrippa perhaps was, have been favoured with

Paul before Agrippa. 379
a religious education, and who have had, and now have,
no serious doubt of the truth or the value of revealed
religion. They have been trained to believe that the
Bible is true; and they have, in the main, always
cherished that belief. If they have had at any time
any doubts on the subject, those doubts have been
temporary; and at any time in their lives, though the
appeal might have been made in circumstances as little
likely to lead them to expect it, and might have been as
sudden as it was when it was "sprung" upon Agrippa,
they would as readily have admitted the force of that
appeal as he did. They have always expected to be
come true Christians. They have been often almost
ready to take the decisive step; almost persuaded to
come out from the world, and to give themselves to God.
(2.) A second class is composed of those who, by
argument, have been convinced of the truths of religion.
I do not affirm that this often occurs. It is not a very
common thing for a sceptic to read a book written
avowedly in defence of the Bible; and it by no means
always happens that one who does read such a book is
convinced by it, and brought to see the force of the
reasoning. Yet this does sometimes occur. Some dis
position of mind which he is unable to account for; or
some book or tract which has been placed in his way,
or on which his eye may have accidentally rested in his
own library, and which may have been long there, yet
heretofore unperused ; or some conversation with a
friend or a stranger; or some sermon which has led
him to doubt the truth of the system he has hereto-

380 Life of the Apostle Paul.
fore followed,^-may call a man's attention, with an
earnestnessi never before experienced, to the great
question; whether the views which he has held are
sufficient. fo constitute a ground of safety or of hope
for One. who is to live in another world.
These examinations sometimes result in decided con
version to the faith of Christ. In more instances,
perhaps, they merely lead to an intellectual conviction
of the truth of the Bible. Yet the mind is no longer
openly hostile to religion. The infidel is disarmed.
Opposition to the Gospel is neutralized ; and there is
a conversion of the intellect, if not of the heart. He
that was a sceptic is now " almost " persuaded to be a
Christian. He may now be appealed to, as Paul
appealed to Agrippa, on the ground of his belief that
the Bible is a revelation from God.
(3.) A third class is composed of those who have
been brought to see their personal sinfulness and their
need of a Saviour. There are few persons in any
community where Christianity is the prevailing belief,
who are not, at some period of their lives, made so
deeply sensible of their sin as to be almost resolved
that they will be Christians. The consciousness of
guilt ; the apprehension of wrath ; the fear of death ;
the sense of obligation ; the hope of heaven, — all press
upon the trembling soul the duty of embracing the
offer of pardon, and of seeking peace through the
Redeemer. (4.) A fourth class is made up of those who are
visited with calamity, and who are then almost per-

Paul before Agrippa. 381
suaded to be Christians. Who is there that in the
sorrows and trials of life, when earthly comforts are
taken away, has not been led to inquire whether
support and consolation might not be found in religion ?
Sorrow, trouble, tears, anguish, sickness, the apparent
approach of death, have done for many what neither
their early training, nor their examination of the truth
of religion, nor the consciousness of sin has done. They
have been brought to feel that the world is dark —
gloomy — hopeless, and have been led to ask with deep
solicitude whether religion will not give them an en
during happiness.1
II. I proposed in the second place, to inquire why
persons in this state of mind, do not carry out their
convictions, and become altogether Christians. Among
those reasons, the following may be noticed as the
most prominent :
(1.) The love of sin. I mean by this, not so much
the love of sin in general, as of some particular sin
which pertains to the individual, and " easily besets
him ;" which he is not willing to abandon ; and which
in his case operates with a power that it would not
have over another man. In Agrippa it may have been
pride of rank and office, or some guilty attachment.
In one it may be pride ; in another, ambition ; in
1 To the "small sneer" of the worldly, that when men are disap
pointed, they turn saints as "a last resource," see the reply made by tlie
Rev. F. W. Robertson, inhis Sermon on the Prodigal and his Brother.—
( Tauchnitz Edition, Leipsic, vol. iii. pp. 268, 269).

382 Life of the Apostle Paul.
another, sensuality ; in another, covetousness. This
particular sin may be concealed from the world. It
may be buried deep in a man's own bosom. It may
be something, also, which he feels he ought to abandon,
and which he is sometimes almost ready to give up
for ever. The love of that sin is, in his mind, stronger
than his conviction of the truth and necessity of religion.
The latter is, with him, the work of the intellect ; the
former, the work of the affections ; — and it is the heart,
not the head, which controls the life of man. Many
a resolution may have been made in regard to this
sin ; many a purpose may have been formed to forsake
it ; many other sins may have been relinquished ; but
this one he has never been quite willing to forsake ; this
one has prevented, still prevents, and may prevent for
ever, his surrendering himself to God.
(2.) Connected with this, and perhaps as generally
constituting the sin which prevents a complete yielding
to the claims of religion, may be the love of the world.
I refer to the love of office, of honour, of distinction,
of fashion, of gaiety; to the employments and amuse
ments which grow out of the pursuit of worldly pleasure.
In our ordinary language, we make 9 distinction be
tween the love of the world, or worldliness, and what
is commonly known as sin or crime. The one may
be, in our apprehension, and in general opinion, dis
graceful ; the othef may be connected with every idea of
respectability. The one we would turn from with utter
loathing; for the other, we have no sense of shame or
dishonour. A charge of fraud, or of falsehood, we

Paul before Agrippa. 383
should deplore most keenly; we have no such feeling
when made aware that the general estimate of our
character is, that we are lovers of the world.
I would not be understood as affirming that these
things are to be placed on a level. But I may say that
the Bible never speaks of one of these as innocent and
of the other as criminal; but it teaches that the one
may, as effectually as the other, keep the mind from
religion, and that we should regard as sin all that
alienates the mind from God, and all that holds it in
alienation from Him. The love of the world is often
avowed as the reason why the heart is not wholly
devoted to religion ; and this is oftener felt than avowed.
The two, it is manifest, cannot be united. That which
is supreme in the heart, of course, has the dominion;
and the world effectually rules the soul.
(3.) I refer, as a third thing, to the fear of shame.
That this was one of the reasons which prevented
Agrippa from becoming altogether a Christian, is more
than possible. He was a king; and though a petty
king, with little more than an empty title, yet it was
a title, and on his mind that fact may have operated
as powerfully in preventing him from embracing a
despised religion like Christianity as though he had
swayed a sceptre over the most extended empire.
With all the honour attached to the word "Christian"
now; with all that there is in the Christian religion to
refine the manners of men, and to purify their hearts ;
with all that it has done for society, for its habits, its
customs, and its laws; with all that it has done for our

$#4 Life of the Apostle Paul.
friends in making a father, a mother, a wife, a child,
more worthy of our affections, — can we be wrong in
supposing still that the feeling of shame may operate
now in preventing multitudes from becoming altogether
Christians ? That young man, — has he no fear of being
made the object of derision by scoffing comrades, if he
becomes religious ? That young woman,— has she no
fear of shame, should it be whispered in the circles of the
gay, that she is becoming serious and prayerful ? That
man, honoured in office, honoured as a financier, honoured
as a merchant, honoured as a professional man, — has he
no fear of shame ? Would he be willing that the men with
whom he has been accustomed to associate, should see
him in a little company of believers assembled for prayer?
Would he be willing to gather his own family around
the altar, and lead them in daily devotion to the throne
of grace ?
In their present condition such persons have no
sense of shame. To be "almost" persuaded to be
Christians involves no sacrifice; commits them to no
change in their plans of life ; comes in conflict with none
ofthe prejudices of the world ; and separates them in no
manner from the society of the worldly and the gay.
It is a position so common, so respectable, so often
found among those in their own rank of life, that they
regard it as in no degree inconsistent with all that they
esteem to be honourable in pursuit, and as affecting in
no way their social position, or the esteem in which
they are held. But their feelings would be altogether
different at the suggestion of an advance from this

Paul before Agrippa. 385
position, and of taking a decided stand in favour of
religion. There they would pause, for such is still " the
offence of the cross," that it might require a degree of
courage, and a power of principle which they do not
possess, to give themselves wholly to God. Nay, there
may be many a man who, in defence of his country,
would face the cannon's mouth, but would not dare to
encounter what he might have to meet in carrying
out the purpose to be entirely a Christian.
(4) I mention a fourth thing as operating to prevent
one who is almost persuaded to be a Christian from
becoming altogether such, — a desire to be free from the
restraints and obligations of religion. Such a man does
not purpose to live in open sin ; he does not intend to
be regarded as an infidel. But he desires to be more
free in his pursuits than if he were bound by the
obligations of church membership ; he desires to be
more free in regard to attendance on public worship,
and the observance of the sabbath, — more free from
any obligation to attend on meetings for prayer, to
labour in sabbath schools, to aid in efforts of Christian
philanthropy, — than he would think it right to be,
if he had joined himself to a Christian church. He
knows, indeed, that if he were to become a member
of a Christian church, he could vindicate himself in
all which, in these respects, he now desires, if he were
to make some professors his standard ; but well does
he know that their mode of life by no means comes up
to what may be properly demanded of such as bear
the Christian name. And he is not prepared for the
2 C

386 Life of the Apostle Paul.
restraints which he knows a Christian profession truly
imposes. He has always felt that he was free ; he
wishes to take on himself no obligation ; he wishes
still to ward off all appeals with the summary statement
that he is not a professor of religion, — not a member
of the church.
III. It remains to notice the proper grounds of appeal
to be made to persons who are in this state of mind.
(i.) The state of mind itself. In the case of Agrippa,
it was not needful for Paul to speak as if he had been
addressing a heathen. Agrippa was a believer in revela
tion. That point was admitted ; that was the very
basis of the appeal : — " King Agrippa, believest thou
the prophets ? I know that thou believest." And
though Agrippa's faith did not extend to the point
that Jesus of Nazareth was the predicted Messiah, yet
the main difficulty was overcome; and it seemed to
Paul, if the fact was admitted that the prophets were
inspired, there was but a step to the conclusion that
Jesus was indeed the Christ
It is hardly necessary to remark that there must be a
great difference between approaching a sceptical mind,
and a mind speculatively convinced of the truth of the
Bible. In the former case, all the work is to be done
from the foundation. The entire question of the posr
sibility of a revelation; of its necessity; and of the
evidence in favour of any particular revelation, is to be
argued. When all this is done, we have but just come
to the point which was assumed by Paul in the appeal

Paul before Agrippa. 387
to Agrippa. In the latter case, as in that of Agrippa,
all this may be assumed at once, and we have only to
ask men to carry out in all honesty the convictions of
their own minds. It is a great advantage in preaching,
where Christianity is known, that even when the full
effect of the Gospel is not secured, it has prepared many
minds for serious appeals; and we are justified in at
once calling upon men to carry out to the proper result
that which they already admit as truth.
(2.) We may appeal on the ground of consistency.
They avow all, in the understanding, which we ask
them to receive in the heart. Admitting the truth of
the Bible, they admit the fact of their own depravity;
the need of regeneration; the necessity of repentance;
the propriety of faith in order to salvation ; the doctrine
of the atonement ; the claims of a Saviour ; the obliga
tions of prayer and of holy living. If they would simply
act out their own admitted principles, all that we seek
to secure would be gained.
To all such we say, — Your reason, your conscience,
your judgment are on the side of religion; and we
merely ask you to carry out these admissions and con
victions. A desire to maintain consistency of character,
if there were no other motive, demands that you should
be altogether Christians. We say that this is a proper
motive to urge. Every man who is careful of his reputa
tion (as every wise man is), — every man who seeks to
carry out his own principles (as every man should), — must
admit the force of this appeal. He owes it to himself,
to these principles themselves, to the cause of virtue, to

388 Life of the Apostle Paul.
society, to his own proper influence while living, to his
memory when dead, to the welfare of his children, to
his friends, to his country, to the world, and to God, to
carry out what he owns to be truth, and to allow it to
produce its fair influence on his life. Thus men feel
and act in other matters. There is no other subject on
which they hold important principles as mere abstract
opinions, and make no effort to apply them in their
conduct. Neither in finance, in commerce, in profes
sional life, in the mechanic arts, nor in domestic arrange
ments, do they hold a set of important truths in
theory which they habitually disregard in practice.
They maintain that it is right to be honest, but they
do not feel justified in holding this as an abstraction,
and disregarding it in their transactions. They give
assent to the principles of chastity, truth, patriotism;
but they also aim to carry out those principles in their
lives. Christianity demands the same thing of those
who admit its Divine origin. It asks no more; no less.
Is this an unreasonable demand ?
You admit that there is a God ; yet you offer Him no
homage; you never worship Him. You admit that you
are a sinner; yet you exercise no repentance; you make
no effort to become holy; you make use of no means to
secure pardon, and to avoid the wrath to come. You
admit that you can be saved only by the merits of the
Lord Jesus Christ; yet you are not seeking to obtain
an interest in His blood. You profess to believe that
/there is a heaven; yet you are making no efforts to
secure it ; a hell, yet you make no efforts to avoid it.

Paul before Agrippa. 389
In the conduct of the atheist, the sceptic, the infidel,
there is a melancholy consistency. The sceptical sen
sualist and voluptuary is only carrying out his prin
ciples when he gives himself to revelry, and says to his
companions, " Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we
die." It is fair for him to say, " Let us make the most
of this present life, for there is no life beyond; let us
multiply, refine, and prolong the pleasures of sense, for
these are all that can be ours." But is this con
sistent for a man who believes that there is a God ;
that he himself has an immortal soul ; that he is made
to be a religious being ; that he must live for ever ; that
a Saviour died to redeem him; and that man's great
interests are beyond the grave ?
(3.) A third consideration as a ground of appeal to
such men is, that their own guilt and danger must be
increased by the fact of their admitting these obligations
while yet practically disregarding them.
{a.) Guilt. That this is increased, is manifest. Guilt
is always augmented by light and knowledge, and by
the fact that a man is neglecting what he knows and
admits to be duty and truth. There is, indeed, guilt
in the heathen world, for there is some degree of light
and knowledge even there ; but amidst all the pollutions
which prevail, there is also pervading ignorance of God
and of His law, — ignorance which must mitigate the
measure of guilt, and modify the sentence of the last
day. No thunders, like those of Sinai, have there
proclaimed the law of God ; no herald of salvation has
told of a bleeding Redeemer ; no teacher has explained

390 Life of the Apostle Paul.
the pure precepts of the Gospel. But, in a Christian
land, the first lessons learned were usually those which
pertained to a God and Saviour ; the earliest recol
lections which you have, may be those of a mother
bending over your cradle in prayer, or a father kneeling
at the family altar. All your life, you may have gone
regularly to the sanctuary ; may have occupied a place
in the courts of God ; may have heard more frequently
than any other lessons, the great truths of religion.
Who shall say that there is not in such a case deeper
guilt and a more solemn account to be rendered, than
in the case of the poor benighted heathen ?
{b.) Danger. Can there be any doubt that this, too,
is augmented by a man's knowing his duty, and his
being unwilling to perform it ? Danger always follows
guilt, and the one is commensurate with the other
(Matt. xi. 23, 24; Luke xiii. 34 35). Why the heavy
doom of Capernaum? Why that judgment impending
over Jerusalem, which drew tears from the eyes of the
Redeemer? The answer is plain. The Son of God
Himself had made known to them the will of God and
the way of salvation. " Because," says God, " I have
called, and ye refused ; I have stretched out My hand,
and no man regarded ; I also will laugh at your
calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh" (Prov.
i. 24 — 26). " He that being often reproved hardeneth
his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without
remedy" (Prov. xxix. 1).

XIX.
THE VOYAGE TO ROME.
The fulfilment of the Divine purposes and promises connected with
human agency.
Ancient navigation. — Dangers of the voyage. — Calmness of the apostle. —
The assurance or promise of salvation. — God has a plan for saving men.
— It was necessary for Him to have such a plan. — Such plan must have
been eternal. — Such plan could not be wrong, if the thing planned was
right — This plan is specific and definite. — All Divine plans are so. —
The nature of the case demands it — Scripture affirms it. — Definite as to
the number saved. — As to the certainty of their salvation. — God 's plan
connected with human agency. — God might work alone. — He did so in
creation. — He can still do so, if He pleases. — But He does not ordinarily
do this. — In secular things He uses human instrumentality. — So in
religion. — Hence we learn a lesson of activity. — Our hope of salvation
is connected with the use of means. — Life a voyage. — The shore of
safety.

" Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Now I exhort you to
be of good cheer : for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you,
but of the ship. . . . And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the
ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though
they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, Paul said to the cen
turion and the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be
saved." Acts xxvii. 21, 22, and 30, 31.

ANCIENT SHIPS.

HE voyage described in Acts xxvii., so
far as the apostle Paul was concerned,
was in consequence of the appeal which he
had made to the Roman emperor, when he
was arraigned before Festus (Acts xxv. io,
ii). Navigation at that time, over those
seas, was very- different from what it is there now.
Then it was long, tedious, dangerous, in vessels ill-fitted
for the voyage, dependent on the changing winds, and
often occupying wearisome months, making it necessary
to secure a safe harbour on the way, till the dangerous
season was past; — whereas now the same voyage is made
in vessels navigated in a manner wholly unknown to
the ancients; not dependent on the winds; and requiring
only a few days to make the voyage which it took Paul
so many weeks to accomplish.

394 [Life of the Apostle Paul.
The narrative of this voyage, as given in the Acts of
the Apostles, has been very carefully studied in modern
times by men eminent in the science of navigation, and
it has been shown that it is a description of a voyage
which actually occurred; and that the narrative was
written by one who was an eye-witness, and a parti
cipator in the scenes, as well as by one who was familiar
with navigation. It is, from the nature of the case,
almost the only event recorded in the Bible where
modern nautical knowledge can be applied to verify the
account of the sacred historian. To those not ac
quainted with ancient navigation, and with nautical
matters, the narrative, as it stands, is encompassed
with many difficulties; and until recently it did not
occur to any expositor of the Bible to apply to it the
knowledge which a seaman has.1
It does not comport with my design to attempt
a minute illustration of the history. The principal
interest in the voyage is that which is derived from
the fact that a Christian apostle was on board ; from
the fact that this was one of the incidents in his
1 "A practical knowledge of seamanship was required for the elucidation
of the whole subject ; and none of the ordinary commentators seem to have
looked on it with the eye of a sailor. The first who examined St. Paul's
voyage in a practical spirit was the late Admiral Sir Charles Penrose. . .
A similar investigation was made subsequently, but independently, and
more minutely and elaborately, by James Smith, Esq., of Jordanhill,
whose published work on the subject (1848) has already obtained an
European reputation." — Conybeare and Howson, vol ii. p. 321, note.
The substance of this examination, illustrating the narrative of the author
of the Acts of the Apostles, may be seen in the twenty-third chapter
of their work (vol. ii. pp. 321 — 374).

The Voyage to Rome. 395
life ; from the nature, of the object which he aimed
to accomplish, the great work in which he was en
gaged, — that of spreading the Gospel among the
nations of the earth. If we take away the apostle
Paul from the scene and the events, the voyage would
not be distinguished from thousands of voyages made
over those waters in Grecian, Roman, or Alexandrian
ships ; the storm and tempest which then occurred
would be in no manner distinguishable from similar
storms and tempests constantly occurring there ; the
efforts to secure a safe harbour, or to ensure the safety
of the vessel by " undergirding," or to fasten it by
anchors cast out of the stern, could be in no way
distinguished from efforts made, of a similar kind, a
hundred times before or since; and the shipwreck would
have ceased long since to be remembered as having
anything to distinguish it from a thousand shipwrecks
which had before occurred in those dangerous seas.
The name of the vessel ; the name of the captain ; the
names of the sailors ; and the names of the other
prisoners, have alike long ago perished.
Perhaps the main point in the history now under
our attention, so far as the Apostle Paul was con
cerned, was his entire calmness in the midst of the
dangers of the deep ; his confidence in God ; his as
surance that he would be brought safely on his way
to Rome. Of this he had had a promise in the night-
vision at Jerusalem (Acts xxiii. 11). Under this as
surance, his mind had been calm amidst the dangers
01 the voyage, until having passed by Crete, they

396 Life of the Apostle Paul.
encountered a more fearful peril than any which they
had experienced — the imminent danger of shipwreck.
Then, in order to reassure the mind of Paul, and in
order that he might inspire confidence in the crew and
prisoners, and might thus be the means of saving all
on board, a new vision was vouchsafed to him : " There
stood by me this night," said he to the alarmed mariners,
" the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
saying, Fear not, Paul ; thou must be brought before
Caesar ; and lo, God hath given thee all them that sail
with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer ; for I
believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me "
(vers. 23 — 25).
Yet, there was something more than the mere assur
ance — the promise — the declared purpose on the part
of God manifested in the vision, that was necessary to
save the crew, and the passengers, and the soldiers.
There was something outside of the mere assurance or
promise, which was needful in order that this might be
done, — something without which it could not be done.
There was that, connected with human agency, without
which the purpose of God, though so plainly declared,
would not, and could not be accomplished. What that
was, is stated in the words of Paul to the centurion and
soldiers, "Except these abide in the ship, YE CANNOT BE
SAVED." In the impending danger, the " shipmen " —
the crew — made arrangements " to flee out of the ship ;"
they let down a boat into the sea for that purpose.
The men, who alone, it is to be presumed, were in any
manner acquainted with the management of a vessel,

ST PAUL SHIPWRECKED

The Voyage to Rome. 397
and who, therefore, alone were qualified to do what
was necessary to be done, were about to withdraw from
the ship ; Paul said that if that were allowed, the
destruction of all on board would be certain. He had
seen much of sea-dangers ; and either by what he had
witnessed, or by natural sagacity, or by Divine inspira
tion, he knew what the danger was now. Confiding in
his advice, the escape of the crew was prevented ; and
the ultimate result was, that all on board — the crew, the
centurion, the soldiers, the prisoners, and Paul among
them — escaped safe to land (ver. 44).
From the circumstances thus detailed, I shall deduce
this proposition : — that the plans and purposes of God
are to be carried out in connexion with human agency ;
or, to put it in stronger language, are dependent on
human agency. The case before us related to salvation
from the dangers of the sea. The same principle is
applicable to a higher salvation, — the final salvation of
men from the danger of eternal ruin, — the salvation of
the soul; and it is with reference to this that I shall
use it. My remarks, however, will mainly be in illus
tration of the general principle, that THE PURPOSES OF
GOD ARE DEPENDENT ON HUMAN AGENCY FOR THEIR
ACCOMPLISHMENT. I shall illustrate this under two general heads : —
I. There is, on the part of God, a definite plan or
purpose in regard to the salvation of men ; and II. The
accomplishment of that purpose is connected with
human agency.

398 Life of the Apostle Paul.
I. The first proposition is that there is, on the part of
God, a definite plan or purpose in regard to the salvation
of men. There was an assurance given to Paul that
he would be brought to Rome ; there is an assurance
equally strong and clear to the people of God that they
will be brought to heaven.
There are two subordinate points to be considered
here : — (i) That there is such a plan ; (2) That this
plan is specific and positive in regard to those who shall
be saved.
(1.) There is such a plan on the part of God. That
is, He has a purpose in regard to the salvation of
men. That plan or purpose is what is commonly
designated by a word that grates harshly on the ears
of most men, — His "decree!' The evidence that there
is such a plan is found in such passages of Scripture
as the following : — " He" — the Messiah — " shall see
of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied" (Isa.
liii. 11). That is, His work — His sacrifice — shall not
be in vain, or void. The purpose contemplated shall
be accomplished ; and there shall be a full equivalent
for all the sufferings of the Messiah in behalf of men.
" All that the Father giveth me shall come to me "
(John vi. 37) ; that is, all whom He has given me by
purpose or by covenant, — all whom He has intended
or promised to give me — shall surely come to me ; the
purpose to give them to me makes the result certain.
" I lay down My life for the sheep ; and other sheep
I have which are not of this fold ; them also I must
bring, and they shall hear My voice ; and there shall

The Voyage to Rome. • 399
be one fold and one shepherd" (John x. 15, 16) ; that
is, there are some given me by the Divine purpose and
promise whom I may call " mine ;" for whom I am
about to lay down my life, with a special purpose that
they should be saved. " He hath chosen us in Him
before the foundation of the world, that we should be
holy and without blame before Him in love ; having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of
His will; ... we have obtained an inheritance, being
predestinated according to the purpose of Him who
worketh all things after the counsel of His own will "
(Eph. 1. 4 — n). It is not possible for language to
express more clearly than this passage does, the fact
that God has a definite design in regard to the salvation
of His people ; that their redemption is the result of that
purpose; and that their being brought into His church is
to be traced solely to that plan. There is no article of any
creed held by any church, however " Calvinistic," that
expresses the doctrine in stronger or more "objection
able" language — if it be right to apply to it a term
which is often used in regard to the doctrine ; and
there is no such church, however firm its belief in the
doctrine of decrees, that is not satisfied with the use
of the language of the Apostle Paul as expressing its
own faith.
The following remarks may be added here : —
{a.) That the success of the plan of salvation was
not left, and could not have been left, to chance, or
to the determination of men themselves whether they

400 Life of the Apostle Paul.
would embrace it or not. It was a matter of too much
importance to be thus left ; it involved too much sacrifice,
suffering, and self-denial. It cannot be believed that
the Son of God would have come into the world to
suffer and die, with any uncertainty as to the result of
His work, or under any such arrangement as that of a
doubtful experiment to see whether man might not be
redeemed. Had it been left to any such contingency
as would be involved in the question whether man
himself would be disposed to accept the salvation so
offered, it is morally certain that the scheme would
have been a failure, and that not one of the race would
have been saved.
{b.) Another remark is, that if this plan existed at
all, it was eternal. God has no new counsels. He has
no succession of purposes. He forms no plans to meet
unexpected and uncertain contingencies. Every plan
which He has, must be, like His own nature, "the same
yesterday, to-day, and for ever." If there is any real
difficulty in regard to the plan, as bearing on human
freedom or responsibility, it exists equally whether
{he plan is eternal, or whether it is of recent formation.
The essential difficulty (so far as there is any difficulty),
is that the plan was formed before the eyent occurred ;
and it matters not, in respect to that, whether it was a
day, or a year, or a million of years, or from eternity.
{c.) A third remark is, that such a purpose on the
part of God cannot be wrong, nor can the fact that He
has formed such an eternal purpose constitute an objec
tion to His character or government, unless it can be

The Voyage to Rome. 401
shown that the thing purposed to be done was wrong.
If that is right in itself, it cannot have been wrong to
resolve to do it. If it be right for a man to pay his
debts, to tell the truth, to do an act of kindness to the
poor, to befriend the prisoner and the fatherless, it
cannot be wrong for him to resolve that he will do it ;
and the more firmly he determines to do this, the more
do we regard him as a man of virtue. And if this
constitutes excellence of character in man, it cannot be
a proof of want of excellence in God.
(2.) The plan of God is specific and particular. It
embraces just what will occur ; exactly as it will occur ;
just the number that shall be saved ; just the individuals
on whom life will be conferred ; and the definite fact
that they will be saved, or that they cannot be lost.
The declaration of the Divine purpose, in the case
of Paul, was definite and specific. It was that he should
stand before Csesar ; that all on board the vessel should
be rescued, and that not a hair of their heads should
perish. Thus it must be in regard to the plan of salva
tion ; to the manner in which individual men will be
saved ; to the fact that no one of those who are
embraced in the plan will be allowed to perish.
{a.) This must be so in regard to all the Divine plans.
In the nature of the case, they must be specific and
definite. They are based on will, where there is power
corresponding with that will, and where there is know
ledge of all that can affect the execution of that will.
They are not formed on conjectural or uncertain
reasoning, as the plans of men often are ; nor in view
2 D

402 Life of tlie Apostle Paul.
of any contingency which is unforeseen and doubtful ;
nor as the result of mere sagacity; nor under the
deceptive influence of mere hope or desire ; nor when
there may be a power, as is often the case in regard to
human schemes, which is unknown to the author of the
plan, and against which he cannot guard. It is impos
sible to conceive that God should form a plan in relation
to which, from these or any other causes, there would
be anything indefinite or uncertain as to the issue.
{b.) The carrying out of the Divine plans demands
that there shall be certainty and definiteness in each
and all of them. One depends on another. The failure
of one would jeopard every other, or render its accom
plishment uncertain. In a machine the failure of one
wheel, pulley, or band, might derange the whole. Thus
it must be in the Divine plans. The revolution of the
earth on its axis, and in its orbit, depends on the
exactness of the movements of the sun, moon, and
stars ; and a want of certainty in the movements of
any one of them would have rendered the formation of
a purpose in regard to the earth, except by miracle,
impossible. If it be admitted that God has any plan,
the admission carries with it of necessity also the idea
that it is definite and certain.
{c.) This idea occurs in the Scriptures everywhere in
regard to the plan of redemption, and the salvation of
men. That plan is never represented as left to uncer
tainty, or as depending on any contingency, or as liable
to be affected and frustrated by that which was not fore
seen, and which could not be provided against. There are

The Voyage to Rome. 403
statements in the Bible {e.g., 1 Pet. i. 2 ; Matt. xxiv. 22, 31 ;
Rom. ix. 11, 12; and 15, 16), which prove that there is
definiteness in the Divine mind as to the number of those
who shall be saved ; that this matter is not left indefinite ;
that the plan is not, in this respect, subject to contin
gencies. Whatever may be the foundation of the "elec
tion" in the case, — whether it is the mere will of God, or
whether it is the foresight of what would be, or whether
it is the fact that no others could have been saved, —
the fact is affirmed everywhere in the word of God, that
there is a portion of the human family designated to
salvation, and that this portion constitutes the part of
the human race which is to be saved, — "the elect
of God" (Col. iii. 12).
The same thing is true in regard to the certainty of
salvation. It was, in the case before us, no uncertain
or contingent matter whether those on board the vessel
should in the end escape safe to land. The Bible is as
clear and definite in its statements with regard to the
salvation of those whom God designs to save, as was
this promise in regard to the safety of the prisoners,
the soldiers, and the crew. "Being confident of this
very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in
you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ " (Phil.
i. 6). "It is not the will of your Father which is in
heaven, tbat one of these little ones should perish "
(Matt, xviii. 14). Father, I will that they also, whom
thou hast given me, be with me where I am" (John
xvii. 24). "No man is able, to pluck them out of my
Father's hand," — ovSti;, no one-man, angel, or devil—

404 Life of the Apostle Paul.
(John x. 27 — 29). " Whom he did foreknow, He also
did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His
Son, that he might be the first-born among many
brethren; moreover, whom He did predestinate, them
He also called : and whom He called, them He also
justified : and whom He justified, them He also glori
fied " (Rom. viii. 29, 30).
There is no mistaking the meaning of such language.
Those whom He did "foreknow" and whom He " glori
fied" are the same. Of these — all those — thus fore
known, it is affirmed that they are "predestinated to
be conformed to the image of His Son ;" that they are
"called;" that they are "justified;" that they are "glori
fied" — that is, saved. There has been no change in the
number, or in the persons, in the process. None thus
foreknown, and predestinated, and called, and justi
fied, have fallen off. No new ones have been added ;
no places have been vacated; no names have been
stricken off; no new enlistment has been gone into, to
fill up the ranks made thin by apostasy. The march
has been an unbroken one; all that started reached
heaven. If any who seemed to start on the way have
wandered off and have been dropped, the fact is else
where accounted for. So it is said of Judas, that from
the apostleship, he " by transgression fell, that he might
go to his own place" (Acts i. 25). So of those who left
the Church in the time of the apostle John: "they went
out from us, but they were not of us ; for if they had
been of us, they would have continued with us; but they
went out, that they might be made manifest that they were

The Voyage to Rome. 405
not all of us" (1 John ii. 19). So of the hearer who was
represented by the seed that fell in stony places ; "yet
liath lie not root in himself" (Matt xiii. 21); — he falls
away because he has no true piety.
Thus we have seen that God has a plan for human
salvation ; and that this plan is definite, both as to the
number of the saved, and as to the certainty of their
being saved.
II. My second proposition was, that the accomplish
ment of the Divine purpose in the salvation of men is
connected with human agency. This is founded on the
statement : " Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot
be saved ;" that is to say, on the fact that it was in the
power of these men to leave the ship, and thus to frus
trate the Divine purpose; and on the declaration that
their remaining there was indispensable to the safety of
all. If they had not stayed in the vessel, the purpose
of God could not have been carried out, except by
miracle. There are two methods by which God can accom
plish His purposes; two to make choice of; two to use.
The one is His own absolute and independent power;
the other is the instrumentality of means. It cannot
be denied that both of these methods are adopted, each
in an appropriate sphere, though we may not be able to
separate and define them, so as to determine always
where the one ends and the other begins, or may not be
able always to understand why the one or the other was
adopted in a particular case.

406 Life of the Apostle Paul.
(i.) There is a sphere where God works alone; where
He accomplishes His purposes by His own independent
power. Such, undoubtedly, was the case in the creation
of the worlds; such may be the case in keeping the
universe in the form and order in which He has created
it; such may be His control over what are called the
"laws of nature" — gravitation; attraction; repulsion;
electricity ; galvanism ; and the vital forces. In the act
of creation no means could have been used, no instru
mentalities could have been employed, no secondary
causes could have been relied on, nothing could have
entered into the result but the Divine power and will;
for the very idea of creation is that nothing but God
preceded that which was brought into being. There
was a time — if the word "time" may be so employed —
when God was literally alone. There was a period when
He ceased to be alone, for He willed that there should
be worlds where there had been none before ; that there
should be countless beings where all before was void.
That He reserves this power still, no one can doubt or
deny; that He does not make use of it, no one can prove.
He has not exhausted it in the acts of creation. He has
not so bound or committed Himself that He may not
employ it. Whether He does thus employ it in any
case, is a question to be settled, not by assuming that it
is never put forth, but, as in any other case, by appro
priate evidence in regard to a fact.
It may be that this power is reserved in relation to
the establishment of the truth of religion by miracle ;
by some act of His above the powers of nature, and

The Voyage to Rome. 407
where the only antecedents to what is done are His
will and His power — as in raising one from the dead,
or in opening the eyes of the blind. It may be that
this power is reserved in relation to the conversion of
the soul by the special influences of the Spirit of God.
It may be that this power is reserved for vindicating
and defending His people in times of danger. It
may be that this power is reserved in relation to great
changes which are to occur on the earth in the elevation
of the race. It may be that this power is reserved in
relation to the final resurrection of the dead, and the
winding up of the affairs of the world.
(2.) But while all this is in the power of God, and
while no one can prove that this power is not reserved
in relation to important matters in the world's history,
it is also true that this is not the ordinary method by
which God works. It is true that God could have saved
the prisoners and the soldiers, by miracle; but He chose
not to save them in this way. It is certain that He
would not have saved them at all, if the crew had not,
at the suggestion of Paul, remained in the ship.
To work by human agency is God's ordinary method
in the secular affairs of men; this is His ordinary method
in their salvation. It is only on this supposition that we
can form our plans, and found our hopes, in respect
either to our secular or our spiritual interests.
The earth is cultivated in this way. God could create
plants, fruits, and flowers now, as He did in Eden. He
could level the forests, upturn the soil, raise fences around
the fields, gather out the stones, scatter or create the

408 Life of the Apostle Paul.
seed, and gather in the harvest, by His own direct power.
But He does not do this. If man employs not his own
agency, it is not done, and will not be done.
The sea is navigated in the same manner. God could
bring the productions of foreign climes across the waters
— the gold, the diamonds, the pearls — the spices, the
oranges, the bananas — the wheat, the rice, the cotton,
the silks, the woollens, the linens — by His own power,
without the instrumentality of man. But He does not
do it. If man does it not himself, it will not be done ;
and in this sense, the plans of God are dependent on
human agency. If that agency were not put forth, the
nations would have no commercial intercourse, nor the
productions of one climate be transferred to another.
Religion is propagated in like manner. God could,
undoubtedly, reveal His truth individually to any and
every human being on the earth, and make His will
known by miracle and inspiration to each successive
generation. He could give a Bible to every man;
He could at once flood the moral world with truth, as
He did the natural world with light. But He does not
do this. Religion is not spread in any such way. It is
by human effort ; and if that effort is not put forth, the
work is not done ; so that, in this' sense also, the plans
of God are made to depend on the agency of man.
The souls of men are converted and saved in this
same manner. God has the power of converting the
soul by His own direct agency. But He does not do it.
The sinner is promised salvation if he will pray; if he
will repent; if he will believe; if he will forsake his sins;

The Voyage to Rome. 409
if he will turn to God ; if he will live a holy life. He
prays; he repents; he believes; he forsakes his sins;
he turns to God ; he leads a holy life, — and he is saved.
If he did not do this, he would not be saved ; and in
this sense, also, it is true that the plans of God are
inseparably connected with the agency of man. Of any
sinner it is just as true that he will not be saved without
his own efforts, as it was in the case of the tossed and
endangered soldiers and prisoners and mariners in the
ship, that unless all should abide in it, no one on board
could be saved.
In view of the doctrine thus illustrated, I would
remark, (1.) That it has an important bearing on the whole
subject of religion. It is opposed to Antinomianism —
a refuge which men are prone to embrace when the
doctrine of the Divine decrees and purposes is brought
before them. It prompts to activity and energy in a
case where men might otherwise plead that, since the
whole matter of salvation is determined and fixed by
the Divine purpose, their own efforts are needless, and
would be of no avail.
(2.) Our only hope of salvation is connected with the
use of the means which God has appointed. It is only
so far as we employ those means, only so far as in fact
we comply with His commands, only so far as we do
what He requires us to do, that we can have any well-
founded hope of eternal life. God has not authorized
us to hope in anything else; and all other hope is mere

410 Life of the Apostle Paul.
presumption. In the work of salvation, as in everything
else, the means must be proportionate to the end; they
must be such as God has appointed; they must be em
ployed as He has directed.
(3.) Life is a voyage, a perilous voyage, which that of
Paul affectingly illustrates. The delays; the slow pro
gress; the necessity of seeking safe harbours; the storms;
the quicksands; the darkness; the uncertain way; the
leaky ship ; the striking on the shore ; the beating of
the waves ; the failure of the anchors ; the breaking
up of the vessel ; the plunge into the deep ; the
clinging to boards and broken pieces, — what apt em
blems of human life ! From all these dangers there
is a safe refuge — a shore which may be reached — a firm
anchorage — a land where, secure from danger, we shall
be welcomed, and may dwell for ever. How happy
would it be if we could assure all, as Paul did the alarmed
and imperilled mariners, that "there shall be no loss of
any man's life ;" that God hath given us all those that
sail with us ; that " there shall not a hair fall from the
head of any;" that only "the ship" will be lost Our
earthly possessions will, indeed, perish in the final wreck
of all things ; but let the ship perish, let all that we
have sink in the deep, if we may come " safe to land."
From these storms and billows — these dangerous seas —
these tempestuous voyages — may we all be brought, at
last, SAFE TO HEAVEN 1

XX.
PAUL AT MALTA.
The general belief of mankind that the world is under a just proviaential
government.
Malta. — Its inhabitants. — Their reception ofthe shipwrecked. — The viper. —
Supposition respecting Paul. — General sense among men of Divine justice
in the punishment of crime. — The feeling is natural to man. — Is found in
all moral codes. — Is traced in early usages. — Is embodied in all laws. —
General belief in a Divine arrangement for the discovery of crime. —
"Murder will out." — Awakened vigilance. — Difficulty of concealment
— Dr. Webster. — Minute evidences. — Self-betrayal. — General conviction
that punishment ought to follow crime. — Theories of punishment. — Often
morbid. — It is not for reformation. — Nor for mere restraint. — But a
requirement of justice. — And one to which society assents. — The hand
writing of God himself on the heart. — The sinner lives in a world ol
justice. — Justice will follow him wherever he goes. — The universe will
acquiesce in his doom. — But there is a way of escape.

" And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on
the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
And when the barbarians saw the venemous beast hang on his hand, they
said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though
he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live." Acts xxviii. 4.

' HE small island of Melita, or Malta, has a history
of its own, not uninteresting or unimportant
in the annals of the world. The Knights of
Malta, by their exploits, have made its name
celebrated ; the siege of Malta was one of the
most memorable that has occurred in all his
tory. But its principal interest now to us, and to the world
at large, is the fact that it is the island on which the great
Christian apostle was cast, in his voyage to Rome.
It is situated to the south of Sicily, from the nearest
point of which it is about fifty-eight miles distant. Its
greatest length is seventeen and a half miles; its greatest
breadth nine and a quarter. It was well known to the
Romans as "a dependency on the province of Sicily;"
and the principal harbour, Valetta, must have been

414 Life of the Apostle Paul.
familiar to the ancient navigators in the times when
the rich productions of India were conveyed by way of
the Mediterranean to Europe. Its population was ori
ginally of Phenician origin, intermingled at later periods
with Greeks ; and its language was a mixture of Greek,
Phenician, and Latin, having "the same relation to Latin
and Greek which modern Maltese has to English and
Italian." By the Greeks they were called " barbarians,"
f3apj3apoi — the word barbarian (j3ap/3apoe) meaning
properly a foreigner, or one who does not understand
or speak the language of a particular people. The
word was used by the Greeks to denote all who did not
speak Greek (comp. Rom. i. 14; Col. iii. 11). As, how
ever, those nations which did not speak Greek were, in
general, less civilized than the Greeks themselves, the
word came to denote, as it does with us, those who were
rude, uncultivated, and savage in their manners.
It is to be observed, however, that although the name
barbarian is given to the inhabitants of Malta, they were
a people who, in some respects, were an example to
more civilized nations, and their conduct is most favour
ably contrasted with that of many, even in Christian
lands, in regard to such as are driven on their shores.
To these shipwrecked strangers they " showed no little
kindness." They " kindled a fire," and welcomed them
" every one" to its warmth, drenched as they were by
the sea, and shivering with cold. Indeed an illustration
of human nature might be derived from the manifesta
tion of such kindness by these "barbarians," showing
what gentleness, kindness, and compassion may exist in

Paul at Malta. 415
the human bosom though man is fallen, and suggesting
the bearing of these virtues on social order, domestic
peace, and the general happiness of the world.
But I do not propose to consider that point now.
There is another subject presented by the narrative,
equally illustrating what there is in man in his fallen
condition, and important as relating to the government
of God, bearing alike on the course of this world and
the world to come. It is founded on the statement that
" when the barbarians saw the venemous beast" hang on
the hand of Paul, "they said among themselves, 'No
doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath
escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.'"
The word rendered "vengeance" — Sikti — means pro
perly custom, manner; prescription, right; a judicial
process, lawsuit, trial; then, judgment or sentence of
condemnation; then penalty, punishment, vengeance.
Here it is the personification of justice or vengeance,
and probably has reference to the heathen goddess
Vengeance, or Nemesis. The idea is, that there was a
sense ot justice in the case; that, in their apprehension,
such a punishment must have been the consequence
of some remarkable crime ; that there was a belief
among them in an order or course of events on earth
which makes it certain that due punishment will over
take the guilty ; and that such a punishment is, in itself,
proper. Why they supposed that the crime which had
been committed was murder, is not known. It is pro
bable, however, that it was because mankind universally
believe murder to be the most atrocious crime that can

41 6 Life of the Apostle Paul.
be committed, and the most certain to be followed by
deserved punishment.
From the incident as thus explained, I shall deduce
the following propositions: — I. That there is, in the
bosoms of men, a general sense of Divine justice; a
belief that the world is under a moral government, and
that crime is to be punished. II. That, under that
government, there is an arrangement by which it is
believed that crime will be detected. III. That there
is a prevalent conviction among men that it is right and
proper that this should be so.
I. There is a general sense of Divine justice among
men, even among those who are the most barbarous and
uncivilized. Such a belief existed among the people
of Malta, as one of the promptings of their nature;
on this belief they acted without hesitation or doubt;
and they may, without impropriety, be regarded as
representing mankind at large.
(i.) This conviction, with more or less distinctness,
exists in all nations, often imperfect indeed, and often
perverted, but still so manifesting itself, as it did on
this occasion, as to show that it lies deep in the human
mind. Man is, indeed, fallen; and his faculties of mind,
and his views of moral subjects, are sadly deranged.
But still there are things remaining in fallen man — ¦
fragments, so to speak, of what he was — sympathies,
tendencies, aspirations, affections, sensibilities, percep
tions of what is right, and promptings to what is right,
which show what he originally was, and which show, at

Paul at Malta. 417
the same time, what is the character of the government
under which he is placed. There was not probably an
original virtue in the heart of man when he was created,
of which there is not in him something even now that
reminds us of it, and that tells us what he was designed
to be. These things which fallen human nature still
retains, resemble, in some respects, the half-effaced in
scriptions found on ancient tombs and monuments. The
letters of the name have, in part, been worn away by
time; the dates are half-obliterated; the dignity of the
sleeper within can be only imperfectly proven by the
defaced emblems of rank. But skill, and care, and
sagacity, may enable us to fill up the partially-lost
inscription; to put in a letter here, and a letter there,
that shall so completely supply the chasm as to leave
no doubt that the true words are restored. In like
manner, there are in the soul, half-effaced records of
man's original nature and dignity. We cannot read
them perfectly. From them alone we never could know
entirely what man originally was. Yet they are there;
and when they are filled up with the knowledge im
parted by revelation, the record becomes complete.
The knowledge thus imparted _/?£? in to the rest, as the
letters added do to the inscription on the tomb ; and
we have a correct understanding of what man was.
Among these traces left upon the hearts of men,
though fallen, and even though barbarians, I have at
present to mention the following : — {a.) The belief in
some form of a Divinity, or Divine government, as was
indicated in the case of these islanders, {b.) A sense of
2 E

41 8 Life of the Apostle Paul.
justice, and a feeling that the guilty deserve tp be
punished. These are things which tend to illustrate the
nature of the administration under which man lives, and
the character of that great Being who presides over all.
If it should be said, in objection to this remark, that
man is conscious of other tendencies, in an opposite
direction, and that there are things in his nature quite
as universal which seem to indicate the contrary, the
reply is obvious. These things, though they exist, are
not regarded as matters of obligation, or of right. They
are not looked upon with approbation. The nature of
man does not teach him to cherish and cultivate them,
but to overcome, to resist, to destroy them.
(2.) Wherever men have embodied their sentiments in
codes of morals, it has been done in accordance with this
view. These codes of morals among men are remark
ably harmonious in the main points. They differ in
regard to the degree of intelligence, and to the range
of subjects; not in the principles on which they are
founded. Men are' to do certain things because they are
right; they are to abstain from certain things, because
they are wrong. To a great extent, also, those things,
in both respects, are substantially the fame. If they do
not come up to the full measure of the ten command
ments of Moses, or of the Sermon of Christ on the
Mount (as they, in fact, do not), yet they do not, in the
main, violate the principles of either, or enjoin things
which are there forbidden. There are no books on the
subject of morals, in any language, or in any age, which
do not make a distinction between right and wrong;

Paul at Malta. 419
and for the most part, in regard to the same actions.
With most striking coincidences, and with no very pal
pable divergencies, the same things are found on these
subjects in Seneca, in Pliny, in Plato, in Confucius, and in
Lord Herbert; in the laws of the Republics of Greece, in
the Assyrian and Babylonian laws, in the laws of China,
in the laws of the twelve tables of Rome, and in the
New Testament. This fact may, therefore, also be
regarded as an illustration of what mankind considers
the government of the world to be.
(3.) The same views are found in a community before
there are regular laws in regard to the administration of
justice. There never has been a nation or a tribe of
men which had not some notions that the guilty should
be punished, and especially, as on the island of Malta,
that a murderer ought not to escape.
In the earliest ages it was a universal conviction that
the duty of avenging the blood of the slain devolved on
the "nearest of kin" to -the murdered man, and that he
was not only at liberty, but was bound to avenge the
blood thus shed. Among the Hebrews such a person
was known as " the avenger of blood " (Num. xxxv. 19,
seq.; Deut. xix. 6, 12; Josh. xx. 3 ; 2 Sam. xiv. 11).
His business was to see that the offender should not
escape, but that he who slew should himself be slain.
Such a person was recognized in all Oriental nations;
such a person is found everywhere in the rude stages of
society. Among American savages this duty devolved,
as elsewhere, on the nearest kinsman ; and, among these
tribes, it became the business of life to pursue the guilty,

420 Life of the Apostle Paul.
to seek him out, and to accomplish his death, — or if
vengeance could not be wrought by the kinsman himself,
and on the offender, the duty devolved on his descendant
in the next generation to take such revenge on some one
of the tribe to which the offender belonged.
It was not easy to regulate this matter, so as to save
from the outburst of passion an innocent man who might
be suspected. Nor was it easy to abolish the custom,
because the principle was deeply laid in the structure of
ancient society. Moses, therefore, who could not at
once abrogate it among the Hebrews, sought to control
and restrain it, so that the guilty only should suffer.
He appointed " Cities of Refuge" to which the man-
slayer might flee (Num. xxxv. io — 15), and where he
would be safe until the case could be properly deter
mined by the forms of law. Subsequently, also, the
horns of the altar became a place of refuge, from which
even the guilty could not be torn by violence for the
satisfaction of private vengeance (1 Kings ii. 28). Thus,
too, in the middle ages, the altar in the sanctuary was
regarded as a place of safety from popular violence.
It is manifest, from all this, that there is in the bosom
of man a deep conviction of the necessity of punishment,
even when that punishment cannot be regulated by law.
The "avenger of blood" was the minister of justice, — one
who represented what every man felt to be a carrying
out of the Divine purpose in the infliction of vengeance.
(4.) The same thing is true in regard to the laws of
men. As the world advances in civilization, arrange
ments for the punishment of crime enter into all laws,

Paul at Malta. 421
and are essential to the organization of civil society.
No civil government would be complete without courts,
and prisons, and instruments of punishment ; or without
an array of officers whose business it is to ferret out the
guilty, and to bring them to trial. Arrangements for
detecting the guilty, and for punishing them, are as
universal, and as essential, as houses, and barns, and
roads, and bridges, and legislative halls, and grave
yards ; and we should as soon expect to find a civilized
community without the one as the other.
As civilization has made progress in the world, nu
merous arrangements have also been adopted on the
same principle as the appointment of cities of refuge
to be places of safety from the avenger of blood. The
whole matter of punishment has been taken from the
hands of those related to the injured or murdered man,
and placed in the hands of independent and impartial
men, — the appointed officers of the law ; and it is re
quired that those who occupy that position shall be
impartial, upright, incorruptible men, who can be con
fided in alike by the accuser and the accused.
It is material to observe that, while society has made
constant advances, still the same principle is recognized,
that all this is demanded as connected with the Divine
government over the world. The judge, the subordinate
officers of justice, the jurymen, are alike the " ministers
of God." Each one is appointed under the idea of a
general sense of justice implanted in the soul of man;
thus carrying out the sentiment in the minds of these
barbarians, that justice should be done; and that there is,

422 Life of tlie Apostle Paul.
and should be, an arrangement in the world to secure
the punishment of the guilty. This was my first pro
position. II. The second point proposed to be considered was,
that there is a process or arrangement under the Divine
government by which crime will be detected and punished.
This was evidently the belief of these islanders; and it
is my purpose now to show that this belief was founded
on a state of things which was then open to observation,
and which exists everywhere; and that it is not of human
invention, but that it lies in the very structure of society
— in the very nature of man.
This might be proved in reference to all crime; all
forms of guilt. The boy at school who does a wrong to
another boy on the supposition that it will be undis
covered, or the boy who in the same way robs an
orchard at night, is often surprised to find that the act
was known, — that there was some silent observer of what
he was doing, — or that some circumstance of which he
was not aware has brought his deed out to the light of
noonday. I
But it will be more appropriate to illustrate this in
reference to the particular subject referred to in the
narrative, — the commission of an act of murder. These
islanders believed that the " goddess of vengeance"
would not suffer the murderer to go undetected and un
punished ; and that, though the offender had survived one
peril — the danger of the sea — yet that another method
of punishment had been in reserve, making it impos-

Paul at Malta. 423
sible that he should escape. They were in error in sup
posing that this particular thing was proof on the point;
but they were in the right in believing that there is an
arrangement designed to find out the murderer, and to
ensure his punishment. It has passed into a proverb
that " murder will out." The following things may in
few words be referred to, — all of which are to be re
garded as a part of the Divine arrangement for that
purpose; that is, as things which cannot be explained
on any other supposition than that.
(1.) There is the awakened vigilance in every com
munity on the commission of an act of murder, making
every man feel that he has a personal interest and a
personal responsibility in securing, if he can, the detec
tion and punishment of the murderer ; in the fact that
every man is at once — so to speak — turned into a
" detective," to find out the criminal, and to bring him
to justice.
(2.) The difficulty of covering up or concealing the
crime, so that it shall not be discovered, — a difficulty
which is often so palpable, and so wonderful, as to lead
to the belief that there is some special Divine agency in
preventing the obliteration of all the marks and evidences
of guilt. In itself considered, it would not seem to be
difficult to obliterate all traces of a murder; to place
the knife where it could not be found; to cleanse the
axe so that it should not betray the blood upon it;
to burn a garment so that it should not reveal the stain ;
or to consume a body by fire or by some chemical
agency, or to hide it by burial, so that no traces of it

424 Life of the Apostle Paul.
could be found. Yet nothing is more difficult. Dr.
Webster, an accomplished chemist, undertook to hide
the evidence of murder by destroying, by chemical
process, the body of his victim; — yet it was done in
a manner so unskilful and so unscientific as to lead to
detection, and to elicit the profane remark of another
chemist that "he could forgive him for the murder,
but not for the want of chemical skill in disposing of
the body."
(3.) The very slight circumstances through which
detection occurs may be referred to as another illus
tration of this point. A lock of hair; a footprint in
the snow or on the sand; an unguarded remark; the
possession of some article of little or no value; — any
one of a thousand things in themselves apparently
trifling may lead to the discovery.
(4.) We might advert to the madness and folly of
him who has committed the crime, — as if abandoned
by God. Remorse, compelling him to confess the crime;
indications of guilt in sleep, too, — troubled dreams, the
language of a guilty conscience; — the fear of every man
(" I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth,"
said the first murderer; "and it shall come to pass that
every one that findeth me shall slay me"), — such things
as these betray the murderer, and justify the deep feeling
of men everywhere, that, under the Divine government,
such crime is sure to be detected and punished.
III. We are prepare&now to consider the third point
which was to be illustrated, — that there is a general con-

Paul at Malta. 425
viction among men that it is proper and right that this
should be so. Beyond all doubt these barbarian islanders
acquiesced in the arrangement. They not only saw in
the fastening of the viper on the hand of the stranger
what they regarded as proof that he was a guilty man,
but what they regarded as a proof of that which was
just and right in the case. On no subject have the
sentiments of men been more decided and unanimous
than on the conviction that the guilty SHOULD be
punished. It would be necessary that the whole struc
ture of society should be altered, and a universal change
made in the affairs of men, if this should cease to be
the belief of mankind. The belief is equally universal,
(when men express themselves freely), that punishment
should be for crime; that it is designed to be an ex
pression of the evil of the crime as such; and that, as
far as it can be, it is a just measure of the evil of the
crime committed. This point is material to the subject;
and the views entertained on this affect the whole ques
tion of justice and punishment.
There are, indeed, prevailing theories in regard to
punishment, which are directly in conflict with this
view ; but these theories are at variance with human
nature as God has made it. They are the results of
a morbid sensibility ; of false compassion for the guilty;
ofthe aversion ofthe heart to the idea of punishment, —
especially of punishment in the future world. They
proceed on the supposition that all the objects of punish
ment can be accomplished in this life, and that punitive
suffering will not extend beyond the grave.

426 Life of the Apostle Paul.
{a) We may observe here, that punishment is not
primarily for the reformation of the guilty. Whether
it contemplates that at all, or is fitted to secure that,
is a secondary question. It is never the direct and
immediate object. Certainly this is not, and cannot
be, the purpose in inflicting capital punishment ; and
as capital punishment has been practised in all nations,
this fact proves that in the estimation of mankind such
is not the design of punishment. Such punishment
has not in itself a tendency to reform the guilty. There
is no evidence that such result is ever secured by
stripes, and chains, and manacles, and hard fare, and
excessive toil. It is by the introduction of moral
influences ; by the self-sacrifices of Howard, not by the
stern sentence of law, as pronounced by Jeffries.
{b.) In like manner the design of punishment is not
mere restraint ; not the mere securing of a community
against the commission of crime. That this may be
one object of punishment is to be admitted; but itis
not the main purpose. The moral sense of mankind
would not be met and satisfied by this.
{c.) There is, then, a higher idea of punishment than
either of these. It is founded on the fact that it is
deserved ; that justice demands it ; that it would be
wrong not to inflict it, even though there might be the
most abundant security that the crime would not be
repeated if the offender were allowed to go at large.
{d.) When punishment is inflicted, — when the mur
derer dies, the world at large acquiesces in it as right.
Men may have no ill-will toward the murderer ; no

Paul at Malta. 427
desire that he should suffer ; no personal wrong to be
revenged ; no private feelings to be gratified ; no plea
sure in his sufferings as such ; but they would not dare
to interpose to rescue him from the hands of the officers
of the law. They do not feel that these officers haVe
done wrong, or stained their hands with guilt in con
demning him and in putting him to death. Those
officers of the law have done what law appointed ; what
justice demanded. Vengeance, justice, God, and the
sense of right in man, required that it should be done.
In conclusion I remark,
(1.) That these things have been written in the
human heart by the hand of God Himself. They
would not have been implanted in man, they would
not have been found everywhere, if they had not been
founded on truth, — if there were not such a thing as
justice ; if justice did not demand punishment ; if
punishment were not right. The feelings are a counter
part — a transcript of the mind of God. We cannot be
lieve that the Creator has implanted false and delusive
notions in the heart of man ; that He intends to make
use of a falsehood in order to govern the world ; or that
He designs great arrangements in society to be made
and perpetuated on illusion and deception.
(2.) The sinner lives in a world over which a just
Being presides, and where punishment of guilt is a part
of His arrangement as essential as any other thing
that pertains to moral government. This is not a world
of mere mercy. It is not a world of mere benevolence.

428 Life of the Apostle Paul.
It is a world where there is justice, and where justice
demands punishment.
(3.) Wherever the sinner goes, this demand will follow
him. If he escapes one danger, it will follow him still.
If he is rescued from the perils ofthe sea, the demand
follows him when he places his fopt on the land, whether
the land be barbarous or civilized. If he escapes from
this world and flees to another, it will follow him there.
(4.) The universe will assent to the final punishment
of the sinner. " Even so, Lord God Almighty," will be
their language, " true and righteous are Thy judgments"
(Rev. xvi. 7). In the fearful doom of the wicked all
worlds will acquiesce, for all the inhabitants of those
worlds will yet see it to be right.
(5.) Finally. There is a way in which the guilty may
escape from impending judgment. The Son of God —
the Lord Jesus — has died for men, "the just for the
unjust." He "has borne our griefs and carried our
sorrows ; He was wounded for our transgressions, He
was bruised for our iniquities ; the chastisement of our
peace was upon Him ; and with His stripes we are
healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray; and
the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isa.
liii. 4 — 6). In Him the guilty may find pardon and
peace ; through Him the pardoned sinner will be safe
on sea or land ; whoso believeth on Him will be no
more exposed to wrath in this world or in the world
to come.

XXI.
PAUL IN ROME.
Paul a prisoner in Rome. — Fulfilment of his own desire. — That desire long
cherished. — Reason of it. — Centres of influence. — "Beginning at Jeru
salem." — Tendency towards Rome. — Church founded there. — Epistle to
the Romans. — Manner in which Paul's desire was met. — His employ
ments at Rome. — Welcome by the Church. — Interview with the Jews. —
Influence in Rome. — Care of distant churches. — The spirit he manifested
under the delay. — Forbearance toward enemies. — Unselfish joy in the
furtherance Oi the Gospel. — Acknowledgment of God's over-ruling pro
vidence.

" And Paul dwelt two whole years ia his own hired house, and received
all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching
those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no
man forbidding him." Acts xxviii. 30, 31.

ANCIENT ROME (FROM THE CAP1TOLINE HILL).
HE apostle Paul was a prisoner at Rome; —
kept and treated as a prisoner, though in his
own " hired house ;" — a prisoner under military
custody, chained by the right arm both day
and night to the left arm of one of the imperial
body-guard, and not at liberty to go at large
except in company with the soldier (Acts xxviii. 16).1
As an act of indulgence, however, he was permitted to
occupy a dwelling by himself. He had all the liberty
which the Roman laws ever conceded to any one who
was held for trial. The practice of "bailing" one ac
cused of crime is the offspring of a later humanity.

1 Comp. Phil. i. 13, and Col. iv. 18. Also, Eph. vi. 20;. irpta^tvia ev
a\vau, "I am an ambassador in bonds." Possibly two soldiers guarded
him by night, according to the Roman law; "nox custodiam geminat."
On the "Cuslodia Mililaris," see Conybeare and Howson, vol. ii. p. 308.

43 2 Life of the Apostle Paul.
The practical instructions to^ be derived from the
apostle's residence at Rome during the two years in
which he was awaiting trial, may be gathered, I. From
the fact that a long-cherished desire was now fulfilled ;
II. From the nature of his employments at Rome; and
III. From the spirit he manifested under the delay.
I. The first point to be illustrated is, that, in the fact
of his being at Rome, a desire^ and purpose long cherished
had been accomplished. That desire was to reach Rome,
and to preach the Gospel there.
(I.) This had been with Paul a cherished desire for
many years. Thus, in his Epistle to the Romans,
written at least four years before, he says, "Without
ceasing, I make mention of you always in my prayers ;
making request, if by any means now at length I might
have a prosperous journey by the Will of God to come
unto you ; for I long to see you, that I may impart
unto you some spiritual gift," &c. (Rom. i. 9 — 12). It
was in accordance with this wish that, as we have
already seen, he was twice assured, by express vision,
that he would be permitted to bear witness for the
Lord "in Rome also."
(2.) It is not difficult to determine what was the
reason of this desire. It was not mere curiosity that
made him wish to see the capital of the world. It was
not the love of fame, or the prospect of increasing his
reputation by having the opportunity to preach there,
and adding his name to the long list of men, whose
renown for eloquence had gone forth from Rome to

Paul in Rome. 433
the remotest parts of the empire. We know enough of
Paul to be convinced that, whatever were his motives,
these were not the considerations which influenced him.
His desire to reach Rome was in accordance with a
general plan or purpose of the apostles. In His parting
charge to them, the Saviour commanded "that repent
ance and remission of sins should be preached among
all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke xxiv. 46, 47),
because that was the place in which was concentrated
more of learning, wealth, and power than in any other
city of Palestine, and from which, as a centre, most"
important influences extended to all parts of the world.
The apostles acted on this idea. They sought to preach
the Gospel in places from which it might radiate into
surrounding regions. Then, as now, great cities were
centres of influence. From them emanated habits,
opinions, laws, which regulated, to a great degree, the
views and the customs of the world; and, as those
cities, if not purified, would be centres of evil influence,
so it was important that they should be made centres of
light, and not "plague-spots" in the earth.
There was a tendency, therefore, always towards Rome.
Before Paul went there — how long before, we cannot
now ascertain — the Gospel had been carried there, and a
church had been founded. The closing chapter of the
Epistle to the Romans, contains numerous salutations
to members of the church there ;— and it is remarkable
that so large a number consisted of those who had been
in some way connected with Paul ; those whom he had
elsewhere known in his travels ; those who had served
2 F

434 Life of the Apostle Paul.
with him in the gospel ; or those who had been con
verted under his ministry (Rom. xvi. 3 — 15)- Paul had
sent to that church one of the most laboured and most
important of all his epistles. What other writings of
the New Testament they had, we know not ; but it
cannot be doubted that they would lay this epistle,
specifically addressed to them, at the foundation of all
their religious doctrines. That letter stands foremost
in all the doctrinal instructions of the Bible, and has
done more to form the theology of the world than any
treatise in any language. It is to this day the great
theological treatise in the Bible : the most complete
and profound exposition of the doctrinal system of
the Christian religion, the most elaborate defence of
the great doctrine of justification by faith, and the most
thorough guide in the application of Christian doctrine
to Christian duties, that the world is in possession of.
This position, too, it will sustain to the end of time.1
(3.) The accomplishment of this desire, in the case
1 In a far distant age, long, long after Paul himself ceased to be among
the living; after all the members of the church in Rome whom he so
affectionately saluted in the Epistle had passed away ; after the corruptions
and errors of the Papacy had been superinduced on that once pure
church, — a few words in that epistle, called to remembrance in that
very city, were made the means of reforming the church, and of restoring
Christianity to its primitive purity and simplicity of faith. Luther, reared
under the sternest rules of the Papacy, as an Augustinian monk, went
on a pilgrimage to Rome. In common with others, he sought salvation in
the rights and the faith of that corrupt church. Climbing slowly on his
knees up "Pilate's staircase," the declaration of Paul in tlie Epistle to the
Romans, came into his mind, reached his conscience, touched his heart, —
"The just shall live BY faith" (Rom. i. 17); and that single sentence,
impressed on that single mind, has changed the religion ofthe world.'

Paul in Rome. 435
of the apostle Paul, was brought about in a manner
which he did not anticipate, and which was contrary
to what would have been his own arrangement. He
had hoped and purposed to take Rome on his way in
the carrying out of another purpose, — a journey into
Spain (Rom. xv. 24); and he hoped, doubtless, to go
there in the same way as to other places, as an ambas
sador of the Lord Jesus. But he, in fact, went in a very
different manner. He went as an accused man — as a
prisoner — to be tried for his life ; he had no prospect
now of prosecuting his journey into Spain ; but still he
was in Rome, and he had the opportunity which he
had desired, — that of preaching the Gospel in what was
then the capital of the world. In like manner, often,
very often, our wishes and desires are accomplished, and
our prayers heard, in a manner altogether different from
what we should have chosen, and in a way which leads
us through many perils, disappointments, and trials ;
but still the prayer is heard, and the desire is granted.
II. The second point which I proposed to consider
was the nature of Pauls employments in Rome.
Many men, even good men, in such circumstances
would have felt that there was nothing for them to do
but patiently to await their trial, and to prepare them
selves for it. What could Paul now do in regard to
the great purpose of his life ? how could his work as an
apostle be carried on? We are not left in ignorance
as to these questions. The field of usefulness which
he saw open to him pertained {a.) to the church there ;

436 Life of the Apostle Paul.
{b.) to his own countrymen ; {c.) to the people of Rome,
especially to those who were connected with the govern
ment ; and {d.) to the churches abroad.
(i.) The church in Rome. What would be his recep
tion by that church ? What would be his influence on
it ? What could he do for it ?
With not a few members of that church, as above
remarked, he had been elsewhere acquainted. Priscilla
and Aquilla; Epenetus; Mary; Andronicus and Junia;
Amplias; Urbane; Stachys; Apelles; Herodion; Try-
phena and Tryphosa ; Persis and Rufus — honoured
names — are mentioned as those whom he had loved,
who had been fellow-workers with him; who had been
brought to Christ by his labours, or who were his
own kinsmen. Beyond all question, these were lead
ing and influential members of the church; and they
would regard him, though a prisoner, with an interest
which they would feel for no other man. It could not,
then, have been an unnatural desire on their part to see
Paul ; it was the natural prompting of affection which
led them, when they heard of his coming, to go out to
meet him on the Appian Way (Acts xxviii. 15), and to
conduct him to the city. He was approaching Rome
as a prisoner ; as a companion of felons, and was
regarded by many as worthy of death ; — but they were
ready to show him the highest honour; and, however
others might regard him, they were willing to be
identified with him, and to accompany him as on a
triumphal march, to the capital of the world. Paul
found himself at home in their midst ; and could co-

Paul in Rome. 437
operate with them in diffusing the Gospel. " Many of
the brethren in the Lord," said he, "waxing confident
by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word
without fear " (Phil. i. 14).
(2.) His own countrymen. As soon as possible, he
sought to lay before them the whole matter pertaining
to the accusations against him. After the short space
of three days from his arrival at Rome, he invited a
meeting of the principal Jews to his own residence, as
he was not suffered to go among them (Acts xxviii. 16,
17). There were many Jews dwelling in that city.
They occupied then, as the Jews do now, a particular
quarter ; and, as is usual, it was the most wretched and
squalid portion.1 We have no means of ascertaining
the number of Jews then in Rome, but we have reason
to believe that it was not small.
To them, as being his own countrymen, Paul brought
his case. He referred to his former course of life. He
declared that he had been guilty of no wrong against
the nation, and of no violation of the customs of their
fathers ; but that, having been examined by the Roman
authorities before whom he was accused, he would have
been discharged if it had not been for the opposition of
his own countrymen in Jerusalem, which had constrained
him to appeal to the Roman emperor. He reiterated
1 The place which they occupied at that time lay on the low ground
between the river and the base of the Mount Janiculum ; that which the
Jews now inhabit — the Ghetto— is not far from this, though on the other
side of the Tiber, being between the river and the Capitoline Hill. — See, on
theCondition of thejews inRome, Conybeare and Howson, vol. ii., p. 388-390.

438 Life of the Apostle Paul.
the statement he had made before the Sanhedrim, that
it was solely on account of his preaching the doctrine
held by the Pharisees, and which was in fact, "the
hope" of the nation — the doctrine of the resurrection
of the dead — that he had been called in question, and
was bound with that chain (Acts xxviii. 17 — 20).
The Jews at Rome had heard no unfavourable re
ports of him; they entertained no personal prejudice
against him ; they wished to hear what he would say in
respect to the new form of religion which was held, but
which was everywhere spoken against; they were de
sirous to learn the opinion of one who was recently from
Judsea, who had been trained up in their own faith,
and who had been most active in propagating the new
belief. It was certain that he could give them better
information in regard to it than perhaps any other man.
It was possible that he might state reasons for it, which
would remove their difficulties and be satisfactory to
their own minds. Their request seems to have been
made in an eminent spirit of candour.
There is much to admire in all this. The conduct of
Paul in seeking the earliest opportunity to lay the case
before them, and his frank statement that he had
nothing to accuse his own nation of (ver. 19); — their
honest avowal that they had not been prejudiced against
hint by any communication from Judaea, and their wil
lingness to learn his views, though regarded by his
countrymen at home as an apostate, — evince a high
degree of sincerity on both sides, and might have pro
mised the most happy results from the interview. But

Paul in Rome, 439
the result was as elsewhere in preaching to the Jews ; —
a part believed ; a part blasphemed. A few were con
verted ; the mass turned away. To them, therefore,
Paul uttered language such as he had elsewhere used ; —
having discharged his duty to them as the people of
God, he said, " Be it known unto you, that the salvation
of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear
it" (ver. 28); just as at Antioch in Pisidia, Paul and Bar
nabas had before addressed their countrymen, "It was
necessary that the word of God should first have been
spoken to you; but seeing ye put it from you, and
judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we
turn to the Gentiles " (Acts xiii. 46).
(3.) His influence on the Roman people as such; — the
two or three millions of human beings congregated in
the city at that time. His advantages for acting on
such a population were indeed few; and we cannot
suppose that his influence on that great multitude would
be directly felt. He was not suffered to go at large ;
he could not address assembled philosophers in the
Forum, as he had done on Mars' Hill; he had no
direct access to the palace of the Caesars; he had not
yet been brought before the emperor, as he had been
before Felix, Festus, and Agrippa. He could only
preach to those who came to his own hired house (Acts
xxviii. 30, 31). We are not, therefore, to look for any
direct or wide-spread influence on the masses of the
population ; on philosophers and sages ; or on those
connected with the government.
Yet there are one or two very interesting incidental

44° Life of the Apostle Paul.
statements, illustrating and confirming what we should
suppose would have occurred, and showing that his
influence was felt more or less in the very place where
he would most desire that it should be felt. As a
prisoner; as under the charge of the government; as
guarded by those in the employ of the government, and
located, in all probability, not far from the seat of autho
rity — the "palace" of the emperor, — we should most
naturally look for the result of his labours, if there was
any, in that direction. Accordingly, in the Epistle to
the Philippians, written during his residence in Rome,
we find proof of an influence perhaps more largely
connected with the ultimate prevalence of Christianity
in Rome than we can now trace. The one is this : " My
bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace (marg.,
Casar's court), and in all other places" (Phil. i. 12, 13).
The Greek word here, pratorium, means, properly, a
general's tent in a camp; then it is applied to the
palace of Herod at Jerusalem, — the place which became
the head-quarters of the Roman procurators or go
vernors; then, to the palace of Herod at Caesarea ; then,
to the praetorian camp at Rome, — the quarters of the
praetorian cohorts or guards. These were privileged
troops appointed by Augustus to guard his own person,
and to have charge of the city, and they soon became
the most powerful body in the state. {Robinson's Lex
icon). They were, therefore, very closely connected with
the government.
Another passage, bearing on the subject, is found in
the salutations at the close of the same epistle: "All

Paul in Rome. 441
the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's
household" (iv. 22); that is, they who are of the house
or family of Csesar. How nearly they were related to
the emperor, if they were at all, is, of course, to us
unknown. One thing is clear, however, that the Gospel,
apparently in connexion with Paul's labours, had pene
trated the Royal palace, securing converts there, and
that those converts had free communication with the
apostle, and he with them. They are associated with
the "brethren" who were with him (ver. 21); they
joined with those brethren in kind greetings toward
saints in a distant land whom they had not personally
known. (4) Another point-relates to his general labours toward
the Churches which he had established, and which looked
to him for counsel and advice. It was not unnatural
that "the care of all the churches" (2 Cor. xi. 28) should
come upon one who had founded so many of them, and
who was so prominent among the apostles ; and this
toil, anxiety, and care would not wholly cease when he
was a prisoner in Rome. It is probable that their ques
tions of difficulty might be referred to him ; it is certain
that he would feel an undiminished interest in their
welfare, and would be deeply affected by the intelligence
of their prosperity or their adversity ; their unity or their
divisions ; their progress or their decline. We have ample
evidence of this. Four of his letters, that to Philemon,
that to the Colossians, that to the Ephesians, and that
to the Philippians, — were written at Rome, while he was
there awaiting his trial. It may not seem, indeed, to be

442 Life of the Apostle Paul.
a great matter to compose four such epistles in two
years ; and I do not now refer to it as if it were a great
matter in respect of the labour involved, but only as
showing the spirit of the man, — his desire to do good;
his wish to look beyond himself, and beyond his own
circumstances; his interest in the general condition of
the Church and of the world.
III. This leads to a remark or two in reference to the
illustration furnished of his own character^/ his residence
in Rome, and the spirit which he manifested ; the illus
tration of religion as found in these circumstances ; or
the practical lessons conveyed by the facts which have
been adverted to.
(i.) The first point that would attract our attention
would be his forbearance towards those who had wronged
him. He had been falsely accused by his countrymen
in Judaea; he had been subjected by them to an unjust
trial ; his life had been endangered by their conspiracies ;
he had been detained in prison at Caesarea, and had
been called to encounter all the perils and hardships of
the voyage to Rome, and was awaiting all the uncertain
issues which might attend a trial before the emperor,
through their continued opposition to him. Yet when
he met his countrymen in Rome, and stated to them
the reasons why he was there, he spoke as if all this had
been forgotten, — " Not that I had aught to accuse my
nation of," — that is, " I did not come here for that pur
pose ; I have nothing to allege against them before the
emperor; I shall refer to none of the wrongs which I

Paul in Rome. 443
have received from them; and I have summoned you,
not to complain of our Jewish brethren, but to speak
to you of that which they, and you, and I, hold in
common, — ' the hope of Israeli "
We may advert here, also, to his kind feelings towards
those who had perverted his doctrines, and had sought to
propagate their own views, taking advantage of the fact
that, being a prisoner, he could not openly counteract
their statements. While his imprisonment had been the
means of stimulating many to more earnest efforts in the
cause of religion, being " much more bold to speak the
word without fear," some also took the opportunity to
disseminate error; they did it, he says, for the purpose
of adding to his trials : " supposing to add affliction to
my bonds" (Phil. i. 16). Yet even in this, he found
occasion to rejoice. His own feeling — his own hap
piness — was a small matter. The great object of his
life was promoted. Christ was made known, though
it was imperfectly, and with much error intermingled,
and with much that was designed to pain his heart.
"What then?" he says; "notwithstanding every way,
whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is preached; and
I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice" (Phil. i. 18).
(2.) We may notice that Paul turned all that had
occurred to good account ; he saw the hand of God in
it all; he felt assured that events, apparently most
disastrous, had been overruled to the promotion of the
Christian religion. "I would ye should understand,.
brethren," wrote he to the Philippians, "that the things
which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto

444 Life of the Apostle Paul.
the furtherance of the Gospel" (Phil. i. 12). All had
been made use of to serve the good cause which he had
at heart; — and this was enough; this was an ample
compensation for all that he had suffered.
We may here refer to what the Church and the world
owe to that imprisonment of Paul in Rome. We cannot
say, indeed, that the four epistles then written would
not have been written if he had been permitted to pursue
his labours without hindrance or obstruction; but we
know that they were penned during his detention as a
prisoner in Rome. Those epistles are invaluable. The
Church could not do without them. They are to the
Church, and to the cause of religion, more than an
equivalent for all the sufferings of the apostle. The
world could not afford to lose what it has gained by the
oppressions, the wrongs, the trials experienced by the
friends of liberty and truth. Bunyan spent twelve years
in Bedford gaol: the result, among other things, was
the " Pilgrim's Progress." A large part of Baxter's
works, and many of the writings of other noncon
formists in the seventeenth century, originated from
their not being allowed to preach. From gloomy dun
geons, — from dark, chilly, repulsive cells where the
friends of God have been confined, — light has streamed
forth which now illuminates the Christian world, and
has guided millions in the path to glory. God reigns.
God directs the affairs of men; and to His name be
the praise!

XXII.
PAUL'S FIRST TRIAL BEFORE NERO.
Close of Luke's history. — A "first answer" implying a first trial. — The
trial itself. — Before the emperor. — That emperor, Nero. — The charges.
— Treason; heresy; sacrilege. — The defence. — No crime proven. — No
judicial opinion unfavourable. — No case for Roman jurisdiction. — The
acquittal. — Implied in Scripture. — Affirmed by tradition. — Paul forsaken
by his friends. — No uncommon experience. — Some friendships never put
to the proof. — Some false. — Some true and self-sacrificing. — Some, though
true, may seem for a time to fail. — The disciples. — Cranmer. — The few
who have failed, and the many who have been faithful. — Prayer of Paul
for those who forsook him. — A forgiving spirit distinctive of Christianity.
—The one Friend who never forsakes.

" At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me :
I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding the
Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching
might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear : and I was
delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me
from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom."
2 Tim. iv. 16— 18.

MODERN ROME.

UKE tells us, in the Acts of the Apostles
(xxviii. 30), that Paul remained under military
custody in Rome, though "in his own hired
house," and with liberty to receive "all that
came unto him " for " two whole years." Here
he leaves him. He does not say whether he
was then tried, or whether he was discharged, or whether
he was put to death, and the remainder of the history
of Paul is obscure. From this point, in relation to the
life of this great apostle, and the history of the Church
generally, we plunge into darkness.
It is evident that Paul had a trial in Rome, which, in
writing to Timothy (2 Tim. iv. 16), he makes mention
of as his " first answer;" that is, his first " apology" —
airoXoyia; not an excuse for his conduct, as if it had
been wrong, as the word "apology" means now, but a

448 Life of the Apostle Paul.
plea; a defence; an answer to charges against him. It
is manifest, also, that he either had a second trial, or
had reason to look forward to one, for, only in that
case, would he refer to the other as the "first" trial.
Comp. vers. 6 — 8. Whether that which he anticipated
was simply a second hearing, as if the case were "con
tinued" (in the language of lawyers), "to another term,"
or whether he had been discharged, had left Rome, had
been engaged in missionary labours, and was now to
be again brought before the emperor, does not so far
appear from the language. It seems probable, however,
from what follows, that after the "first" trial he had
been released, and that he had been permitted to go
abroad again ; for he says, as to his having been " deli
vered out of the mouth of the lion," that the design or
reason was, that by him " the preaching might be fully
known" (or, that he might have an opportunity of more
fully manifesting the power of " preaching "), and that
"all the Gentiles might hear the Gospel," — intimating
that he had borne it to them.
We have before us, then, for our meditation The
First Trial of Paul before the Roman Emperor,
— a fact of which we cannot doubt, and which is of
sufficient importance to engage our attention, in a review
ofthe "scenes and incidents" in the life of this remark
able man. The points which will bring the case before
us in the best order will be — I. The trial itself; II. The
acquittal ; III. The fact that he was forsaken, in the
trial, by those on whom he supposed he might rely;
and, IV. His prayer for those who forsook him.

Paul's First Trial before Nero 449
I. The trial itself. The statement of Luke that Paul
" dwelt two whole years in his own hired house" would
seem to imply that some important change occurred at
the end of that period; and nothing is more probable
than the supposition that this change was connected
with his trial. Why Luke did not give the history and
the results of that trial, and why he did not refer to the
causes of its delay, are matters on which conjecture
would be useless.
We are not to be surprised, however, at that delay.
Paul had been, for very slight causes, kept as a prisoner
for just that length of time, by Felix, in Caesarea; and
we must bear in remembrance the dilatory steps of
justice everywhere, and the mass of business of this
kind which must have accumulated at the Roman
capital, demanding the attention of the emperor. The
case of a Jew, — a Jew unknown, — apparently not of any
great importance, — would be likely to be postponed
for matters more immediately claiming attention. Nor
should we forget the character of the emperor Nero,
— a man more devoted to amusement and vice than
to the affairs of government.
Trials from the provinces were heard, in criminal cases,
before the emperor himself. " Civil causes or appeals
from the provinces were heard, not by the emperor him
self, but by his delegates, who were persons of consular
rank: Augustus had appointed one such delegate to
hear appeals from each province respectively. But
criminal appeals appear generally to have been heard
by the emperor in person, assisted by his council of
2 G

45° Life of the Apostle Paul.
assessors  These councillors, twenty in number,
were men of the highest rank and greatest influence.
Among them were the two consuls, and selected repre
sentatives of each of the other great magistracies of
Rome. The remainder consisted of senators chosen
by lot. Over this distinguished bench of judges pre
sided the representative of the most powerful monarchy
which has ever existed, — the absolute ruler of the whole
civilized world." 1
The supreme judge in the case before us — the man
who was to decide the question of life or death in
respect to one of the apostles of Christ, — was as little
qualified to determine such a cause as any man who
ever sat on a bench of justice. Hitherto, indeed, " his
cruelty had injured his own family rather than the
state." But we can imagine what must have been the
feelings of Paul when he stood before such a man,
and felt that he was to plead for his life before one
who excited disgust even in Rome by his shameful
licentiousness. We have none of the details of the trial, but we
cannot much err in regard to the charges, or to the
defence and the reasonable grounds of acquittal.
(i.) The main alleged accusations before Felix and
Festus respectively (Acts xxiv. 5, 6 ; xxv. 7, 8), were
doubtless carried up before the Roman emperor; and
these were three in number : — first, that of treason
against the Roman government, by having caused factious
disturbances among the Jews throughout the empire ; —
1 Conybeare and Howson, vol. ii. pp. 465, 466.

Paul's First Trial before Nero. 451
"we found this man a pestilent fellow," Xoj/uov, literally
a pest or plague, " and a mover of sedition among all
the Jews throughout the world." Secondly, that of
heresy, against the law of Moses, in being a "ring
leader of the sect of the Nazarenes." And thirdly,
that of having attempted to profane or defile the temple
at Jerusalem (Acts xxiv. 5), which was an offence not
only against the Jewish, but also against the Roman
law, for the latter protected all persons in the exercise
of their religion. Two years had elapsed, but we have
no evidence, and no reason to believe, that any addition
had been made to the number of these accusations,
or that they had been in any way modified. Heresy,
sacrilege, treason, "against the law, against the temple,
against Caesar,"1 — these were still the charges, and were
all the charges to be made against him.
(2.) We have not the argument of Paul in his own
defence on his first trial at Rome. We have no tradition
in regard to it All that was necessary in the case — all
that the interests of justice demanded — was a simple
denial of these charges, and a statement (as before
Festus), that they had not been proved and could not be
proved. He would urge, we may suppose,
{a.) That no crime, no breach of law, had been proved
against him. This he affirmed before Felix (Acts xxiv.
13) ; and it is affirmed in regard to him when on trial
before Festus (Acts xxv. 7). It could not even be
pretended on the trial at Rome, that he had been proved
1 (1.) tig rov vdjiov; (3.) «'c to upbv; (3.) lis Kaiaapx.

452 Life of the Apostle Paul.
guilty of any crime. This, before a Roman tribunal—
before any tribunal — would have been a sufficient defence.
In no system of jurisprudence was the principle that
a man is to be regarded as innocent until he is proved
to be guilty, more sternly acted on than at Rome.
{b.) Paul might have urged in his defence the favour
able judgment of the Roman authorities in Judaea, so
far as any judgment had been pronounced. Thus there
was the express judgment of the Chiliarch Lysias, that
there was " nothing laid to his charge worthy of death
or of bonds" (Acts xxiii. 27 — 29). Felix had heard
the accusation and the defence of Paul, but he had not
condemned him. Paul had been before Festus when
alone; he had been before Festus and Agrippa together;
but individually, and by concurrence, they had regarded
Paul as not proved guilty (Acts xxv. 18, 19, 24 25 ;
xxvi. 31). If these things were known at Rome, — if they
were urged by Paul as they might have been, — it is not
difficult to account for the fact that he was acquitted.
Even Nero could, on this occasion, find no cause for
putting him to death. On what grounds he subse
quently condemned him to death, on his second trial,
is a matter that does not pertain to the subject which
is now before us.
{c.) Paul might have alleged that the whole matter
in dispute pertained to the Jews themselves ; and he
might have cited cases which Roman magistrates had
been reluctant, or had refused to notice. Thus Pontius
Pilate had been unwilling to pronounce sentence in the
case of Jesus, and had endeavoured to have the matter

Pauls First Trial before Nero. 453
adjudicated by the Jews themselves (John xviii. 31 ;
xix. 6). The case of Gallio, " deputy of Achaia," repre
senting the Roman authority, would be another instance
in point (Acts xviii. 14, 15).
II. The acquittal of Paul on this his "first trial."
Of that fact we have, indeed, no direct proof; but
we have seen that it is implied in the words of Paul,
and we find that it is uniformly affirmed by tradition.
That he was discharged, is fairly implied in the
language, "I was delivered out of the mouth of the
lion" (ver. 17). These words may either mean that
he was delivered from Nero, compared with a lion, or
that he was saved from being thrown to lions in the
amphitheatre, — a mode of punishment which was not
uncommon in Rome, and to which many Christians
were subjected in times of persecution. Either of these
interpretations would be in accordance with the language
used. It is not uncommon in the Scriptures, to compare
tyrants and persecutors with ravenous beasts ; comp.
Ps. xxii. 13, 21 ; Jer. ii. 30. Nero is called a lion by
Seneca; and it was usual among heathen writers to apply
the term, in various senses, to princes and warriors. Still
it is quite as natural to suppose that the punishment to
which he would have been subjected if found guilty, was
to be thrown to the lions, and that in some way he had
been delivered from it But how or why, must be a
matter of conjecture. Paul attributes his deliverance
entirely to the Lord : — " The Lord stood with me, and
strengthened me ;"— but what instrumental agency there

454 Life of the Apostle Paul.
may have been in his deliverance, he does not specify.
If he had known it to be through the help of a friend —
even of a heathen advocate — it is hardly to be supposed
that he would have failed to mention the name of one
to whom he owed his deliverance. It seems probable
that he had been enabled to plead his own cause with
so much ability, and to show his own innocence of the
charges against him so clearly, that he found favour
with the Roman emperor, and was thus set at liberty.
Corrupt as Nero became, we may believe that at that
period of his life his sense of public right may not have
been wholly extinct ; and that, on the ground of justice,
Paul was on this occasion acquitted.
Tradition is uniform in the statement that he was
acquitted, and that he afterwards took his long-meditated
journey to Spain.1 Against this unanimous testimony
of the primitive church, there is no external evidence
whatever to oppose. At the same time, however, it
should be said that there is no evidence to show how soon
after bis liberation he went into Spain ; how far he
travelled there ; how long he remained ; what success
he met in his labours ; whither he went on his return ;
or why he was again brought to Rome, and subjected
to a second and final trial.
1 Eusebius tells us, "after defending himself successfully it is currently
reported that the Apostle again went forth to proclaim the Gospel, and after
wards came to Rome a second time, and was martyred under Nero" (Hist.
Eccl. ii. 22). So Chrysostom says, that " St. Paul, after his residence in
Rome, departed to Spain" (Chrysost. on 2 Tim. iv. 20). Jerome bears the
same testimony, saying that "Paul was dismissed by Nero, that he might
preach Christ's Gospel in the West (Hieron. Catal. Script). — Conybeare and
Howson, vol. ii. pp. 462, 463.

Paul's First Trial before Nero. 455
It has been supposed that on his liberation he first
fulfilled an intention which he had expressed (Phil. ii.
24, and Philem. 22), of travelling through Macedonia,
and visiting the churches of Asia Minor; that he then
went into Spain; afterwards returned to Ephesus, and
then went to Macedonia and Crete; that, soon after, he
left Ephesus for Rome by way of Corinth ; and that during
these travels he wrote the First Epistle to Timothy, and
the Epistle to Titus, — the one from Macedonia, and the
other from Ephesus.
III. We must go back to notice the fact that Paul
was forsaken, when on trial, by those on whose friendship
lie had a right to rely: — "No man stood with me, but all
men forsook me."
That the apostle had friends in Rome we have already
seen. That these were true and tried friends is apparent
from what he says of one and another ; " who have for
my life laid down their own necks;" "who bestowed
much labour on us ;" " my kinsmen and my fellow-
prisoners ;" " of note among the apostles ;" " my be
loved in theLord;" "our helper in Christ;" "approved
in Christ;" "chosen in Christ" (Rom. xvi. 4 — 10). We
have no reason to doubt, also, that during the two years
in which he was at Rome, with the freedom which he
then had of " receiving all who came unto him," and of
"preaching the kingdom of God with all confidence,
no man forbidding him" (Acts xxviii. 30, 31), he
had made many additional friends. Even if we sup
pose that, during the interval which elapsed from the

45^ Life of the Apostle Paul.
time of writing the Epistle to the Romans till the
time of his trial, some of the friends there mentioned
had died, or had removed to other places, still the
number in Rome at the time of his trial could not have
been few, and from them he might have reasonably
expected such countenance and support as they could
render. He might at least have expected that they
would stand by him, and that if they had no power to
help, they would, as silent lookers-on, give him the en
couragement of their presence and sympathy.
We know not definitely the reasons why they did not
thus stand by him; but the fact that they did not
furnishes an occasion for some remarks on trials of
this kind, and on the nature of true friendship.
(i.) What Paul here refers to has not been uncommon
in the world. Thus Job, in a very pathetic description
of his own trials, shows that he went through a like
experience (xix. 13 — 19). So the Psalmist was forsaken
by his friends in the time of calamity (Ps. xxxv. 11 — 16;
xxxviii. 11; xli. 9; lv. 12 — 14). The same thing occurred in
the case of the Saviour, and this was one of the severest
of His many trials, — for, having taken our nature, He
would feel this as acutely as any man. In the Garden
of Gethsemane, — when He had just passed through the
scene of unutterable agony, — when He was arrested,
and was about to be taken away for trial, — when He
was about to be put to death, — then "all the disciples
forsook Him and fled" (Matt. xxvi. 56). To such a
form of trial as among the most severe that man can
endure, — perhaps to that very scene in the Garden of

Paul's First Trial before Nero. 457
Gethsemane, — there is an allusion in Zechariah (xiii. 6) :
"And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds
in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with
which I was wounded in the house of my friends." If
such things occurred to Job, to the Psalmist, to the
Apostle Paul, and even to the Redeemer Himself, we
are not to be surprised if they occur to us.
(2.) There is much friendship that will bear the
common and ordinary tests or trials to which it may be
subjected, but which would not bear a severer trial.
Such apparent friendship in the ordinary course of life,
requiring little sacrifice, is pleasant rather than other
wise; it is satisfied with small courtesies and kindnesses;
it finds expression rather in words than in any acts re
quiring an expenditure of time or money ; it involves no
loss of reputation ; it perils nothing in regard to cha
racter ; and it does much to promote the general hap
piness of mankind. It is dependent often on the period
of life ; on circumstances of neighbourhood or business ;
on connexion for a time in a college-class, a clerkship,
or a store; or on some temporary object to be accom
plished. But under new circumstances, much of this sort
of friendship fades from the memory. It never has been
put to any strong test. There has been nothing to fix
it deep in the soul. We are not to infer that it was
insincere, or that it would not have borne the test of a
severe trial. But the occasion never occurred, and the
bond was easily broken. The world owes much of its
happiness to intimacies like these, and they are not to
be branded as false and hollow.

458 Life of the Apostle Paul.
(3.) There is, however, much professed friendship that
is false and hollow. So plain is this, that it can hardly
be necessary to illustrate it There is professed friend
ship that is founded on wealth (Prov. xix. 4, 20); and
friendship cherished for those in elevated and fashion
able circles, — but cherished only while they are in such
circles, and no longer. There is that which rests on
beauty of person, or gracefulness of manner, rather than
on the solid virtues of the heart. There is that which
exists in prosperity — in the sunshine of life — the affec
tion of "swallow-friends, who retire in the winter, and
return in the spring." There is that which is based on
some hope of advantage, and which ceases when that
hope is gratified, or when it must be abandoned. There
is that which harbours some evil purpose ; — the friend
ship of him who can "smile, and smile, and be a villain."
Such friendships will not bear the test of adversity ; and
yet so common have they been in the world that we are
sometimes disposed to believe there is more of truth
than fancy in the representation of the poet,
** And what is friendship but a name,
A charm that lulls to sleep ;
A shade that follows wealth or fame,
But leaves the wretch to weep?"
(4.) Yet let us not despair. Let us not come to the
conclusion that there is no true friendship; no love which
will make sacrifices ; no affection that is counted dearer
than life itself. Such friendship existed between Damon
and Pythias ; such friendship was beautifully illustrated
in the case of David and Jonathan. In all the trials of

Paul's First Trial before Nero. 459
David, the son of Saul never forsook him, and never
gave him occasion to suspect the reality or the depth of
his love. With what exquisite beauty David sang of
that attachment when Jonathan was dead ! "lam dis
tressed for thee, my brother Jonathan ; very pleasant
hast thou been unto me ; thy love for me was wonderful,
passing the love of women" (2 Sam. i. 26).
(5.) There may even be, however, real piety and real
friendship which may shrink back for a time from the
pressure of severe trial. We are not to infer that because
it thus shrinks back it is not sincere, and that it can
never rally. It may not yet be disciplined and con
firmed. Thus it was with the disciples of the Saviour.
We must not infer that their professions of attachment
for Him had been insincere. The love they had for
Him soon rose above the sudden shock ; when He had
expired on the cross, they went forth to proclaim His
name in the face of persecution, in the midst of dangers,
and in the prospect of death. So Cranmer had shown
through a long life, in its ordinary duties and trials
that he was a good man, a true friend of the Saviour.
The prospect of death by fire for a moment staggered
him, and shook his faith, and made him put his hand
to the instrument of recantation ; but his faith rallied
again, and he rose to the well-known manifestation of his
real attachment for the Lord Jesus. In like manner, we
are not to conclude that because, on the trial of Paul,
no man stood with him, but all forsook him, there was
no true love for him or for his Master. It was, indeed,
sad and painful, and it could not but be interpreted

460 Life of the Apostle Paul.
unfavourably to religion ; but it is possible that even
these persons might on other and even more trying
occasions, have subsequently shown true attachment
to the Christian cause, and that some of their names
may have been enrolled on the honoured list of martyrs
as suffering with Paul.
(5.) It is remarkable that amid the severe trials to
which the faith of Christians has been subjected, so few
have shrunk from avowing their attachment to the
Saviour. There is no evidence that there has been,
even in the most fiery times, and in the severest forms
of persecution, one real apostate from the faith of
Christ. If there have been seeming apostasies, even
these have been extremely rare, and all such instances
may be accounted for on the supposition that such
individuals had never been truly converted. Beyond
all question, one of the most remarkable facts which
have occurred in the world has been the tenacity with
which Christians have adhered to their faith, — and that,
too, when apostasy was made as easy and as tempting
as it could be, — when the slightest possible concession,
the simple casting of a grain of incense on a heathen
altar, was all that was demanded to save them from
being thrown to wild beasts in the amphitheatre.
IV. The prayer of the Apostle for those who had
forsaken him : — " I pray God that it may not be laid
to their charge."
The language and the spirit thus manifested, have a
strong resemblance to the words uttered and the spirit

Paul's First Trial before Nero. 461
manifested by the Saviour Himself: "Father, forgive
them, for they know not what they do" (Luke xxiii. 34.)
Thus Stephen, the first martyr, kneeled down, and cried
with a loud voice, " Lord, lay not_ this sin to their
charge" (Acts vii. 60). It was also a proper carrying
out of the principles which Paul had enjoined on his
friends in this very church at Rome: "Recompense to
no man evil for evil ; avenge not yourselves, but rather
give place unto wrath; be not overcome of evil, but
overcome evil with good" (chap. xii. 17, 19, 21). It
was the spirit inculcated by the Master, and the spirit
for which He taught men to pray every day (Matt. vi.
12, 14, 15). This is the very spirit of the Gospel; it
is demanded everywhere by our religion ; and it con
stitutes a strong distinction between Christianity and
the spirit cherished by the world.
The strong propensity of the human heart is to the
opposite feeling; and there has been, and there is, a large
growth, so to speak, of customs in society based on the
idea that an offence is not to be forgiven, but is to be
pursued with a spirit of revenge. To some extent
laws are a check upon private vengeance, but there is
an "ample margin" left for its secret indulgence.
Words, looks, gestures, breaches of etiquette, slander,
sudden passion, — these it is difficult or impossible to
reduce under any regular control by human government.
Now it is on these things that the Gospel acts directly;
and it is in respect to them that it has wrought so great
changes, and made social life so different from what it
would otherwise have been. It has taught men not to

462 Life of the Apostle Paul.
be soon angry. It has taught them to restrain their
passions when excited, and not to let the sun go down
on their wrath. It has taught them to bear and forbear.
It has taught them to forgive an offender, not only to
the "seventh time," but until "seventy times seven."
The world at the present time owes more to the Chris
tian religion than it is willing to acknowledge; and
there is no one among us, who, in his domestic and
social- relations, has not felt the benefit of the command
given by the Saviour in regard to the forgiveness of
offences, in securing the blessings of peace and good
fellowship where otherwise there would be malice and
strife. In conclusion. Paul's friends, we have seen, left him.
Not one of them stood by him when they thought he
was about to die. When we come to die, we too shall
be alone. From all our worldly possessions we shall be
about to part. Worldly friends — the friends drawn to
us by our position, our wealth, or our social qualities, —
will leave us as we enter the dark valley. From those
bound to us by stronger ties — our kindred, our loved
ones, children, brothers, sisters, and from those not less
dear to us who have been made our friends because
they and we are the friends of the same Saviour, — from
them also we must part. Yet not all will leave us.
There is One who " sticketh closer than a brother ;"
One who having loved His own which are in the world
loves them to the end.

XXIII.
PAUL'S ANTICIPATION OF DEATH.
Second trial impending. — Unfavourable issue apprehended. — Death by
martyrdom expected. — Death-scenes, why valuable. — Paul 's final review
of life. — A conflict. — A course. — A trust. — Much had been given up. —
Extent of that sacrifice best understood at the close of life. — Much had
been suffered. — But still no expression of regret — Contrast the life of
some, — wasted; — perverted; unsanctified. — Prospect for the future con-
sequent on the review of the past. — Death-bed salvation possible. —
Starting-point in any part of the course. — But no memories of past
service. — No fitness in the result. — The crown is of righteousness, but
not of merit — Nor of partiality. — Last expression of Paul's confidence
and hope.

" For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at
hand. I have fought a good fight ; I have finished my course; I have kept
the faith : henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which
the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day. "
2 Timothy iv. 6 — 8.

ANCIENT ARMOUR.

HE statement of the apostle — "I am ready
to be offered, and the time of my departure
is at hand," — was evidently made when he
was in prospect of his second and final
trial before the emperor, — a trial which re
sulted in his death. For causes now unknown
to us, and in a manner which to us is equally unknown,
he had been, after an interval (as tradition tells us) of
five or six years, brought again as a prisoner to Rome.
We are wholly ignorant of the reasons why he was
again arrested ; of the charges brought against him ;
of the accusers; of the place, the time, and the cir
cumstances of the trial. It is not probable that those
who had failed in securing his condemnation on the first
trial could hope to be more successful a second time
under the same accusations. The charges under the
2H

466 Life of the Apostle Paul.
second trial were, not improbably, somehow connected
with the Roman government, and may have been, as
has been conjectured, to the effect that he had insti
gated the act of incendiarism on which Nero founded
his furious persecution against the Christians. If the
Roman government had a purpose to remove one who
was so active in propagating the religion of Christ, it
would be easy to identify him with the Christians whom
it was determined to destroy; and it would not be
difficult to find persons who would bear witness against
the leader of that sect. Such a charge would, of course,
bring him at once under the cognizance of the Roman
tribunals, and, if it were proved, would make him, even
though he had the rights of a Roman citizen, liable to
the severest penalties of the law. Though years had
passed away since that occurrence, yet it would be very
possible so to present this charge as to secure his certain
condemnation. Whatever the charge was, on this trial he did not
expect to be acquitted. In the former imprisonment,
and in reference to the former trial, his death had
appeared to be by no means an impossible result, but
he had considered an acquittal probable. Thus, in the
epistle addressed at that time to the Philippians (i.
23 — 25), he says, " I am in a strait betwixt two, having
a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far
better ; nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful
for you; and having this confidence, I know that I shall
abide and continue with you all, for your furtherance
and joy of faith." But on the second trial he had no

Paul's Anticipation of Death. 467
such hope ; and his language in his second epistle to
Timothy, which was written during this second impri
sonment, expresses the firm conviction of his mind that
there was no prospect of escape.
He was evidently looking forward to certain death.
The expression " I am now ready to be offered," pro
perly interpreted, can be understood in no other sense.
The word " ready f in the phrase " ready to be offered,"
conveys an idea which, although it corresponded with
the reality, and although it is expressive of the feelings
of a departing believer, is not in the original. That
word, in such a connexion, would properly imply that
he was prepared to die, and that he was willing to die : —
which, however true it may have been in his case, is not
the idea conveyed by the language of the apostle. He
merely states the fact that he was about to die, or that
his work and his life were drawing to a close. The
single word rendered " I am ready to be offered," —
airivBojiai — occurs nowhere else in the New Testament,
except in Philippians ii. 17, where it is rendered "offered,"
and in the margin poured forth, — "Yea, and if I be
offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy
and rejoice with you all." The Greek word means,
properly, to pour out, to make a libation. Then, in the
form here used, it means to pour out oneself; that is, to
pour out one's blood ; to offer up one's strength or life,
as the blood of an animal was poured out in sacrifice, —
or, as Burder supposes, as wine and oil were poured on
the head of a victim about to be presented in sacrifice.
Paul's idea is that he was then in the condition of the

468 Life of the Apostle Paul
sacrificial victim on whose head the wine and the oil
had been poured, and which was about to be put to
death. It is undoubtedly implied, in this language, that
the apostle regarded his life as an offering for the good
of others, and himself as a martyr to truth and to the
cause of Christianity, whose death would do something
to promote the cause of religion. As such, the time had
come for him to be put to death, and it could be no
longer delayed. In that sense he was now " ready 1'
The same thing is implied in the expression imme
diately following in the same verse : " The time of my
departure is at hand." The word rendered "departure,"
means dissolution — avaXvaig — and corresponds literally
to the word "dissolution," which we now apply to death
— the dissolution of soul and body. The word, in classic
writings, is often applied to the act of unloosing or
casting off the fastenings of a ship, preparatory to its
sailing. Thus applied, the idea of the apostle would be,
that he had been bound to the present world, as a ship
is fastened to its moorings ; that death would be a cast
ing off of those fastenings; and that he was about to
spread his sails on the broad ocean of eternity.
The same idea — namely, that he was about to die, —
is expressed in the phrase, " I have finished my course ;
— henceforth" (all that now remains, Xoiirbv) — "there
is laid up for me a crown of righteousness."
It is always interesting to learn the feelings of a man
when he is about to die. We are soon ourselves to be
in that condition ; and it is natural that we should have
a desire to know how he feels, and a wish to know

Paul's Anticipation of Death. 469
how we shall feel, when that event shall be about to
occur to us. This interest pertains to every man who is
about to die, no matter whether his character may have
been good or bad. The dying Christian and the dying
infidel are objects of almost equal interest to us, though
for different reasons. We wish to know how the past
seems to them ; how the future seems to them ; how
the world that is vanishing appears; how the eternal
world, on the verge of which they are then standing,
appears. We wish to know whether earth then seems
valuable ; whether religion appears important ; and
whether the dying man has gained anything, dr has
found anything, which will comfort him in anticipation
of his departure.
I shall make use of Paul's experience to illustrate
some of these thoughts : and the main idea which I
shall endeavour to present, will be that THE REVIEW
OF A WELL-SPENT LIFE HAS A CONNEXION WITH A
BRIGHT AND CHEERFUL PROSPECT IN REGARD TO THE
FUTURE WORLD. " I HAVE fought a good fight ; I
HAVE kept the faith; HENCEFORTH there is laid up
for me a crown."
In dwelling upon this, it will be necessary to consider
two points : — I. The life finally reviewed ; and II. The
prospect of the future life, consequent on that.
I. The life finally reviewed. The case of Paul will be
considered as illustrative of the last review of life in
other cases. This will bring before us several subor
dinate points.

470 Life of the Apostle Paul.
(i.) How he regarded life; or, what his life seemed to
him to have been.
{a.) Life, to his view, had been an " agony " or conflict, —
" I have fought a good fight {tov aywva). The allusion
is to the Grecian games ; to the contest, the struggle,
the strife in those games for the mastery and for the
crown. Such a conflict is often referred to by the
Apostle Paul, as an emblem of the efforts, toils, and
trials ofthe Christian life (Phil. i. 30; Col. ii. 1 ; 1 Thess.
ii. 2 ; 1 Cor. ix. 25). Such an allusion would be easily
understood in those times, and the comparison would
most aptly set forth the struggles of the Christian life.
There was a crown in view ; an appropriate reward.
There was need of effort to secure the crown. There
was danger of failure by indolence, by want of exertion,
by remissness, by inaction. The struggle was not,
indeed, as in the Grecian games, one in which there was
but a single crown to be gained by all the runners or
wrestlers ; or in which, if one man gained the prize, all
the others must lose. But it was as if there were but
one crown; as if there were many competitors and
rivals; as if when one gained it, all others must lose
it. Though there are many crowns to be distributed,
and though the fact that one obtains the reward is
no hindrance to its being obtained also by others, yet
the loss may be as real and the necessity for effort is
as great as though there were but one such prize.
{b.) He regarded life as a "course" to be run. "I
have finished my course" {rov Spojuov). The allusion
here, also, is fr> the Grecian games : — the running, or

Paul's Anticipation of Death. 471
race. Life tr such a course. It has a beginning and
an ending — a starting point, and a goal. It is a short
course ; soon run over. It is not to be repeated ; if the
prize is lost, the course cannot be run over again. In
the Grecian games, if the race was lost, the prize passed
over to others ; in the Christian course, it is as though
the prize, if lost, were to pass into other hands. A new
trial cannot be granted ; a new race cannot be run ; a
new prize cannot be offered. In the Grecian games,
indeed, if the prize was not won in one race, a new trial
might be granted for another prize, and the race might
be run over again : — but not so in respect of life.
Whether it has been marked by failure or success, it
cannot be gone over again ; and this is the meaning
of the apostle, when he says, "I have finished my
course." {c.) Life was, to him, a keeping of the faith ; — fidelity
to his Master, and to his Master's cause ; " I have kept
the faith." He had adhered steadfastly to the great
truths of the Gospel ; and he had been faithful to his
Saviour, who had commissioned him to go and pro
claim those truths to the world.
(2.) What had, in his life, actually occurred ? What
was there that Paul would be likely to call to remem
brance on this review of it ?
{a.) He had, as we have already seen, given up much.
All that was brilliant in his early prospects, he had given
up. Honour in his own country, and honour abroad ;
office in his native land, and office (if it could be secured)
abroad ; wealth, if he inherited it, or wealth that might

472 Life of the Apostle Paul.
have been secured in a lucrative calling; fame, as a
scholar; fame, as a defender of the religion of his country;
fame, as an orator, — all this he had surrendered. He
lived at an age of the world when talent was appreciated,
and when there was as wide a field for ambition as
any which had ever been witnessed ; and there was no
reason why he should not have entered with others
on that field, and been distinguished there. Yet all this
had been abandoned — absolutely and for ever aban
doned — for the sake of Christ. We might suppose,
indeed, that when Paul gave up his worldly prospects,
and became a Christian, he did not know fully what
he was abandoning; but we cannot doubt that he
saw this more clearly — most clearly — when in the prison
at Rome, he again reviewed his own life. He could
not but feel then, without any arrogance on his part,
that a man who had been enabled to make his name
known so far abroad as he had done in the course of
life which he had chosen, — who had influenced so many
minds and hearts, — who had done so much to form the
opinions of men, and to change the religion of the world,
might have been distinguished in other spheres; and
that, if his early plans of ambition had been pursued,
instead of being now a prisoner at Rome, and soon to
die an ignominious death, he might have been in pos
session of wealth, or held a position of honour by the
side of the great orators or statesmen of his age. A
man, at the close of his life, is often in far better
circumstances to judge what he has given up in the
cause of religion than he is in his earlier years, when his

Paul's Anticipation of Death. 473
talents are not developed ; or when, as yet, he has in
fact little to surrender.
{b.) He had been called to suffer much, and he could
not but remember this. Indeed his life from the time
of his conversion to Christ, had been one of sacrifice,
toil, self-denial, peril, persecution, and poverty. He
had accumulated no property ; but had been, and was,
a poor man, dependent often in a great measure on the
scanty earnings produced by labouring at the humble
occupation of making tents (Acts xviii. 3). He had
often been in actual want. He had been without a
home; he had been often alone, a solitary traveller.
He had been in dangers by land and by sea ; he had
suffered shipwreck ; he had been persecuted ; he had
been publicly scourged ; he had been stoned even
until he was supposed to be dead (2 Cor. xi. 23 — 27).
Reports unfavourable to him had gone before him ;
he had been embarrassed in his movements by the
machinations of his enemies ; justice had been denied
him before the tribunals of his own country, and before
those of Rome. He had been held up to reproach as
an apostate from the religion of his fathers, and had
been regarded as everywhere a disturber of the peace.
Speaking of himself and his fellow apostles, he said,
"For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles
last, as it were, appointed to death; for we are made
a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men ;
. . . even unto this present hour we both hunger, and
thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no
certain dwelling-place; and labour, working with our

474 Life of the Apostle Paul.
own hands; being reviled, we bless; being persecuted,
we suffer it; being defamed, we entreat; we are made
as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things,
unto this day," — inpliprifia, the scrapings, the scum, for
so the word means (i Cor. iv. 9 — 13). Such had been
the life which he was reviewing, as he stood near the
grave. (3.) What, now, were his views in regard to that
course? There is no expression of sorrow. There is
no intimation that his life had been a failure. There is
no utterance of a doubt about the truth of that religion
which he had embraced, or about the "crown" which
he had laboured to gain. There is no dark shadow
coming over his mind as if all this were a delusion ; no
intimation that the hopes which he had cherished,
and which had sustained him in his troubles, were now
vanishing away. His conviction of the truth of his
religion became deeper as he approached the end ; and
the prospects of a better life grew brighter and brighter
as he now drew near to the reality. It grieved him not
now that he had identified himself with the despised
followers of the " Nazarene ;" it grieved him not that
he had travelled so much, that he had toiled so hard,
that he had encountered so many dangers.
(4.) We cannot but remark here how different is this
from the review which some men have to take of life.
{a.) The folly of a wasted life. " Alas !" said Grotius,
" I have wasted my life, laboriously doing nothing." 1
1 Proh I vitam perdidi operose nihil agendo.

Paul's Anticipation of Death. 475
But how many utter this exclamation with much more
reason than Grotius did ! A life of wasted time ; of
wasted talents ; of wasted wealth ; of wasted oppor
tunities for doing good ; of wasted privileges ; of wasted
means of grace : a life in which a man might have
gained great knowledge, but has gained none ; in which
he might have been eminently useful, but has done no
good ; in which he might have made great numbers of
the poor and needy happy, but has helped and relieved
none ; in which he might have prepared for an eternity
of blessedness, but has to enter the unseen world with no
preparation for it.
{b.) The wickedness of a life of perverted powers ; a
life employed in corrupting others ; in leading them
into error ; in seducing them from virtue ; in destroying
their religious hopes. How different from the reflections
of the apostle Paul, who spent his life to make men
better, and to fill their lives and their departing hours
with peace, and hope, and joy, are the reflections of a
dying infidel, — a man, endowed (it may be), with talents
adapted to defend the truth, to explain it to others, to
remove their difficulties, and to guide them to God and
to heaven ; but who has, in fact, spent his life in
endeavouring to convince them that there is no God ;
that there is no future state ; that there is no heaven : — •
that the soul dies with the body, and that all the hopes
cherished of a world beyond are mere illusion.
{c.) The misery of a life without religion. The life of
a man who has had no religion in his best days ; who
has none as he lies on a bed of death ; who has no

476 Life of the Apostle Paul.
prospect of happiness beyond the grave ; who has ex
hausted his powers to gain this world, but has put forth
no effort for the world to come ; who is rich in this
world's goods, but has no treasure laid up in heaven;
who has been wise as a counsellor, a statesman, or
a philosopher, but not " wise unto salvation ;" who
has gained much knowledge of the works of creation,
but no knowledge, of Him that created them ; who has
been able to give counsel in the senate-chamber or in
the cabinet, but has never learned how sinners may be
saved ; who lies now on a bed of death — over whose
remains a splendid monument will soon be reared — at
whose burial a nation may weep, but in whose soul there
is no godliness ; no hope of a better life ; no fitness for
heaven ! How unlike to that of the apostle Paul ! Sad
the contrast between the reflections of such a man as he
leaves the world, and those of the Christian apostle.
II. The prospect of the future life consequent on this
review of the past: — " I have fought a good fight; I have
finished my course ; I have kept the faith : henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness."
There are here two points to be noticed : —
(i.) This view of the future life, in its best form, must
spring up from a review of the past life.
I do not deny that there may be a hope of salvation,
and, therefore, of the " crown " of glory, derived from
the feelings and purposes of a man, in the closing scene
of life : — from repentance and faith first exercised on the
bed of death. The merciful spirit of the religion of Christ

Paul's Anticipation of Death. 477
admits this ; God does not exclude from His favour
the penitent sinner, though at the last hour. It cannot
be denied or doubted that the dying malefactor who
said on the cross, "Lord, remember me when Thou
comest into Thy kingdom," was as welcome in heaven
as Lazarus or Mary, or as Paul himself was after the
sacrifices and services of his long, laborious, and faithful
life. Heaven, in this respect, differs essentially from
the " crown " secured at the Grecian games. There, no
one obtained the prize who had not entered at the be
ginning; who did not start when others started; who
did not run over the whole course: — none who came in,
with fresh and unexhausted vigour, when the race had
been partly run, and who, therefore, might outstrip a
wearied rival. Justice and equity demanded that all
should start "fair;" that all should run over the same
extent of ground ; that all should run to the same goal.
Religion would more perfectly resemble this, if it had
required, as it might have done, that no one should
receive the crown who did not begin the course at a
specified time of life — say at twenty years of age, and
who did not run and struggle as long as others, life
being lengthened out for this purpose. But how many,
on that principle, would have been excluded from salva
tion ; how sad would have been the condition of one
who had just passed the period fixed for the starting,
and who would have had a long life before him with no
possibility of entering the course. The crown of life is
offered to any one and every one who will seek it at any
time of life, even in the dying hour.

478 Life of the Apostle Paul.
The prospect of this future crown is seen, however,
most fully and appropriately in connexion with the
review of a life spent in the service of the Redeemer.
Very different must be the reflections of one who has
sought it as the great aim of life — of a long life — from
those of one who seeks it when life is nearly ended. Both
may — both will, if they are true believers — enter into
heaven ; both will wear the " crown." But the one will
wear it with a remembrance that his days have been spent
in the service of the world; in the ways of pleasure,
folly, and ambition; in the indulgence, it may be, of
low and sensual pleasures ; perhaps in corrupting others,
in alienating them from God, in sapping the foundations
of truth in their minds, in leading them into sin and
error, from which he cannot now recall them. In his
case the work of life is, indeed, done, but it is badly
done. There is no part of it on which he can look but
with regret; there is no part of it which he would not
wish to recall that he might live it over again in a better
form. The whole course has been a career of folly,
save the few moments of penitence and faith on the bed
of death. It is too late for the penitent man now to
render active service to his new Master ; too late to
do good in the world ; too late to warn and instruct his
fellow-men ; too late to labour for the spread of the
Gospel. The "crown" is, indeed, before him, for he is
penitent, and has faith in Christ ; but it is a crown which
cannot be worn (even while he adores the grace that
saves him), without the feeling that it is not the appro
priate sequence of a life spent in folly and in sin.

PauPs Anticipation of Death. 479
The other will wear the "crown" not less with the
feeling that it is of " grace," but with the feeling also that
it is the appropriate issue of a life. It fitly follows upon
having run over the entire course ; of having devoted
the best powers to the service of truth ; of having
endeavoured to do good through many years; and of
having nothing to regret in the general aim and purpose
ofthe life.
(2.) The remaining point of inquiry is, On what, in
Paul's case, was this hope of the "crown" founded?
He says it was " a crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous Judge," would give him. We cannot
be in danger of mistake as to what he meant by this.
On no subject has he, in his writings, expressed himself
with more clearness than on the proper ground of hope
for the salvation of man; on no subject more clearly
than on the foundation of his own hope for salvation
(Titus iii. 4 — 7; Eph. ii. 8, 9; Rom. iii. 20 — 24; Phil.
iii. 7 — 9). The "crown," therefore, was, in his appre
hension, a " crown of righteousness," not to be bestowed
on account of his own merit; not because he had de
served it ; not because he had any claim to it, except as
connected with a promise of grace, but as bestowed on
him in accordance with a great plan of salvation — a
scheme by which men, themselves sinners, might be
treated as if they were " righteous ;"— a plan by which
even in saving men, the justice of God would be vindi
cated and the interests of right secured throughout the
universe. It was a " crown " illustrating the righteous
ness of God ; not the righteousness of men.

480 Life of the Apostle Paul.
At the same time, however, it would be bestowed by
a "righteous Judge:" — a Judge not partial ; not bestow
ing his favours by caprice ; not imparting them in virtue
of rank, and station, and position, and wealth, but
conferring the crown equally, and with the same plea
sure, on all who believe in His name, and who serve
Him in a faithful life. No one will wear that crown as
the result of partiality; no one, however, of whom it
will not be seen that it was justly bestowed under the
arrangements of redemption.
The words which we have been considering, are the
last words of Paul which we possess in relation to his
views of death and of another life. If he uttered any
words in his last moments, — if he expressed peace, calm
ness, and joy when he was about to lay his head under
the axe, — those words have not been transmitted to us.
Better are the quiet words spoken in the vigour of life,
and in the fulness of the mental powers, than those which
are uttered amid the excitement and agitation of the
dying scene. Better than any fervid expressions of
rapture and ecstacy, and transport, — any imagined
visions of the Saviour, of God, of " shining ones," of
outstretched arms from the heavens to welcome us there,
— are those calm utterances of faith, which we have
been now contemplating : — " I have fought a good fight,
I have finished my course, I have kept the faith : hence
forth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness."

XXIV.
DEATH OF THE APOSTLE PAUL.
Details almost unknown. — Loss sustained when a great man dies. — Tradi
tional account of Paul's death. — Scene of it. — Death to him u gain.-~
Equally so, to all believers. — Concluding remarks. — The life of Paul a
part of the world's history. — His natural endowments ; as a thinker; an
orator; a worker; a man of high principle ; and a man of tender feeling.
— His religious character; — publicly, — and personally. — His title to the
designation " martyr." — A choice unregretted to all eternity.

21

" As always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whethei
it be by life, or by death. For to me to hve is Christ, and to die is gain."
Phil. l 20, 21.

SOMAN CROWNS.

E know little respecting the death of the
Apostle Paul. We have no record of the
manner in which he met the final stroke.
Yet I wish to make his death the subject
of a few remarks; and to find in it, if
possible (and it certainly ought to be pos
sible), something that may suggest important thoughts
on a subject which must soon be of great personal
interest to us all.
It is a great event when such a man as Paul dies ; —
when a mind sagacious to plan, wise to impart counsel,
vigorous to execute great designs, is withdrawn from
the earth ; when lips, once eloquent in the cause of truth,
become silent ; when he who guided the young, warned
the wicked, strengthened the feeble, comforted the sor
rowful, animated the desponding, is seen no more;
when he who brought the richness of his experience,

484 Life of the Apostle Paul.
and the maturity of his judgment, to aid the great
interests of truth and humanity, has passed away.
Influence is of slow growth, and is of inestimable
value. The world has no wealth to be compared with
this, when employed in the cause of righteousness.
Influence is that in a man's known talents, learning,
character, experience, and position, on which a pre
sumption is based that what he holds is true ; that
what he proposes is wise.
And as there is nothing more valuable in society than
this, so there is nothing more difficult to replace. A city
burned may be built again ; the rubbish will be cleared
away ; the streets will be widened and straightened ;
long lines of private dwellings and public warehouses
will rise from the ruins; and a busy population will
soon again drive on the affairs of commerce, of manu
facture, of trade. Lands which have been visited with
drought are soon fresh and green again ; the hills and
valleys are clothed with verdure and flocks, the yellow
harvest falls before the reaper, and the wains groan
heavily-laden with sheaves. From the fields where armies
have encamped or fought, where the harvest has been
trodden down by the passing and repassing legions,
where the torch of war has made everything desolate, all
traces of conflict are soon removed ; for trees are planted,
and the earth is rendered fertile by blood, and the little
mounds of earth which marked the place where brave
men fell and died are levelled, and the plough passes
over Marathon and Waterloo, as it did before the
battle. But not so, when a great man dies. His

Death of the Apostle Paul. 485
place cannot soon be supplied. The world has never
been able to find one who could fill the place of the
Apostle Paul.
Of the actual manner of his death, we know only what
may be stated in few words. Tradition says that it was
by being beheaded ; and all the circumstances of the
case render that probable. The fact that he was a
Roman citizen would exempt him, under Roman laws,
from death by lingering torture, in the forms in which it
was inflicted on many of his Christian brethren. It
would save him from the ignominy of crucifixion, and
would thus distinguish his death from that of Peter, who
had no claims to Roman citizenship, and who, wherever
he died, was probably put to death, like his Master, on
a cross (comp. John xxi. 18). There were two modes of
beheading among the Romans : — the one by the lictor's
ax ; the other by military execution with the sword. In
the former case, the criminal was tied to a stake, scourged
with rods, and then beheaded;1 in the latter case, the
executioner was commonly one of the Imperial body
guards, and the execution was performed in presence of
a centurion, whose duty it was to see the sentence carried
out. It is every way probable that Paul was executed
in this latter mode.
The place where he was put to death is fixed with
some degree of certainty. " It was not uncommon
to send prisoners, whose death might attract too much
notice in Rome, to some distance beyond the city,
1 Missi lictores ad sumendum supplicium, nudatos virgis caedunt securique
feriunt — Livy ii. 6.

486 Life of the Apostle Paul.
under a military escort, for execution." Tradition
affirms that, in the case of Paul, this occurred beyond
the city walls, on the south-western side of the city, on
the road which led to Ostia, the port of Rome. That road
was a great thoroughfare when Rome had some com
merce ; and though outside of the metropolis, and thus
free from the dangers of popular tumult and excitement,
it would be the most public and conspicuous of all the
places in the vicinity of the great city. The traveller
now as he goes out of Rome in the south-western
quarter, through the gate which opens to the ancient
road leading to Ostia, passes at the gate the tomb of Caius
Cestus. A pyramid to mark that tomb, the only pyramid
in Europe, had been erected in the time of Augustus Caesar,
and . consequently not long before the time when Paul
was beheaded. Around that pyramid is now the Pro
testant burial-ground, — " unconsecrated ground," in the
estimation of the inhabitants of Rome. Outside that
gate, and in sight of that pyramid, — the only thing still
there which it is certain was in existence at that time, —
Paul probably suffered martyrdom. Not far from that
spot now rises a magnificent structure, — the unfinished
church of St. Paul ; and near to it the small and ancient
church of the "Three Fountains," — the church erected on
the spot where tradition says he was beheaded.1 As to
the manner in which his body was disposed of, we have
no knowledge. One legend says that a noble matron
1 S. Paolo alle tre fontane. The head of the apostle, say the monks,
bounded three times, and the three fountains of water sprang up where it
struck the earth.

Death of the Apostle Paul. 487
named Lucina buried it on her own land, beside the
Ostian road ; the more common tradition is that it
was conveyed to the Catacombs under the city — " those
subterranean labyrinths, where, through many ages of
oppression, the persecuted church found refuge for the
living, and sepulchres for the dead."1 Probably no
reliance is to be placed on either of these statements.
We have none of the dying words of the apostle Paul ;
we have no account of the melancholy procession to the
place of death ; we know not whether he was attended by
any of his friends, or whether there were any Christians
present to witness the closing scene, and to sustain him
by their presence and their prayers. It would, indeed, be
interesting if we could know that when the time came,
and he saw the ax about to descend, he repeated his own
triumphant language, " O death, where is thy sting ? O
grave, where is thy victory?" But the importance of
such utterances in the dying hour has been vastly over
rated. Paul, in his own writings, never refers to such
dying expressions as proofs of personal piety. Those
proofs he found in the lives of believers, not in their
feelings or their expressions on a bed of death. To the
apostle Paul, we know that "to die" would be "gain''
(Phil. i. 21). He esteemed it as such, not indeed for all
men, as if the mere fact of dying necessarily introduces
them into a better state ; but for himself he regarded it
as a gain or advantage (icepSoc). He uses the same word
in another place in the same epistle (Phil. iii. 7), in
reierence to what he had " gained," or sought as gain, in

1 Conybeare and Howson, vol. it p. 517.

488 Life of the Apostle Paul.
his early life : " What things were gain to me — (iflpSn)
— those I counted loss for Christ." To die would be,
in respect to his permanent happiness, what he had
supposed that those things would be when he had
sought them, — things which now he had freely sacri
ficed for the sake of obtaining that higher good to
which he was looking forward, and which would be
real gain. It is easy to see that to die would be
a " gain " or benefit to him, if the religion which he
professed, and which he defended, was the true religion
— a religion from God, — and if he was personally inte
rested in it, or was a true believer. If there was such
a heaven as that which he anticipated, a world of perfect
and eternal glory, then it would be better to be there
than to be in a world of sin and sorrow, — of tears and
of death.
What Paul thus affirmed of himself is true, and must be
true, of all who are in the same circumstances ; all who
have the same character ; all who have truly embraced
the same religion. To the martyr, death must be " gain."
To the poor, the persecuted, the down-trodden, it must
be so. To those whose life is, from any cause, a life of
sorrow, it must be so. This is plain. But more than
this is true. It will be " gain " for a rich Christian to
leave his wealth, and go to heaven. It will be "gain" for
the Christian who dwells in a palace to leave his splendid
abode, and enter the mansions above. It will be "gain"
for the monarch on his throne, if a true Christian, to lay
aside his crown, his robe, and his sceptre, and be raised
to the condition where all are kings unto God ; it will be

Death of the Apostle Paul. 489
"gain" for the man who has won the widest reputation, and
"gain" for her who moves in the most attractive circle of
social life, if they are Christians, to die : — yes, to die, and
to leave all. Though there be a coffin, and a shroud, and
a grave, though there be corruption and decay, yet to
die is "gain." We find it indeed difficult to feel that
this is so ; we find it difficult even speculatively to
believe that it is so. It may be doubted whether, for the
most part, our lives are not framed on the feeling that it
is better to live than to die. Yet it is a truth that for a
good man, — honoured, beloved, useful, — with all around
him that God ever gives to His children here ; — nay, with
all that God could give him of earth, it would be " gain "
to die. Heaven is a better, a happier, a more desirable
world than this is or can be.

I have now finished what I designed to bring forward
in illustration of the " Scenes and Incidents in the Life
of the Apostle Paul." I shall close with a few reflections
on his character, and on the sources of his influence and
power. The life of the Apostle Paul is a part of the history of
the world, and cannot be detached from it. We cannot
explain that history without admitting the fact that he
lived, and that he exerted an important influence in
making the jvorld what it has been, and what it is, and

49° Life of the Apostle Paul.
what it is to be. No great mind is ever made which does
not affect and mould the future. Homer still sings ;
Demosthenes still pleads for liberty ; Socrates still
speaks to men ; Solon and Lycurgus still live in the
laws of nations ; and even the ancient warriors still affect
the destiny of mankind. Saul of Tarsus has influenced
more minds than they ; and any one of them would be
less missed in the history of the world than he would be.
If all the results oi his living could be taken into the
account, it would probably be found that no man of
that age — orator, soldier, philosopher, statesman, poet,
or legislator — did as much to affect the permanent con
dition of the world in future times as he did. The
influence of most of those who were his contemporaries
was limited to a particular country ; his influence has
extended far already over the nations of the earth, has
been augmenting constantly since his death, and will
live on to the end of time. When their names shall all
die away, his will remain in fresh and ever-enduring and
ever-enlarging vigour. In eighteen hundred most event
ful years, there has not been a generation which has not
been influenced by him.
It is true, indeed, that he owes much of that per
manent influence to the fact that he was converted
to the Christian religion; and that his influence, vast
as it has been, is the proper influence ot that re
ligion. But still, the fact that he has had an influ
ence so vast in connexion with that religion may be
referred to as showing what his influence might have
been in any other department ol human action. The

Death of the Apostle Paul. 491
memory of most of those who took part in propagating
Christianity has died away ; and not one other engaged
in that work, has so widely spread and perpetuated
that religion as Paul.
1. Looking at Saul of Tarsus, then, in respect to
those natural endowments, which would have made him
great, whatever his religion or calling, the following
things are apparent : —
{a.) He was characterized by profound thinking; and as
a reasoner, he would have had a memorable place among
men who have influenced the world. It is fair to infer
from what he has written though on the subject of
religion, and though directed by inspiration, what his
powers of mind were in this respect. Jonathan Edwards,
who in regard to the mere faculty of reasoning is
admitted to stand at the head of the race, as Newton
does in science, has done but little more than enlarge
and expand the reasoning of the Apostle Paul. Beyond
all question, Christianity possesses in one of its original
propagators and defenders a man who is entitled to stand
by the side of the great reasoners of the world.
{b.) He was endowed with a power of lofty eloquence.
It was not, indeed, eloquence of voice and manner ; for,
like the greatest of secular orators, Demosthenes, he had
some very prominent natural defects as a public speaker.
" I was with you," he says, " in weakness, and in
fear, and in much trembling ; and my speech and my
preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom"
(1 Cor. ii. 3, 4). In respect to grace of language and
manner, he was sensible ot the strong contrast between

492 Life of the Apostle Paul.
himself and the orators whom the Greeks were accus
tomed to hear. It was charged upon him — a charge
which he did not attempt to deny — that " his bodily
presence " was " weak, and his speech contemptible "
(2 Cor. x. 10). But the man who could deliver the
discourse on Mars' Hill, or the defence before Agrippa,
might, as a public speaker, have placed his name by the
side of the most celebrated orators of the world.
{c.) Not less eminent was Paul for native zeal and
ardour. When he set an object before him, no matter
what, it was accomplished if it lay within the power of
man. Whether it was the destruction of the Church by
persecution, or the extension of that Church over the
whole world, the sole questions were, Could it be and
ought it to be done ? Obstacles were no consideration
in the way of his undertaking the task, and no thought
of them was ever allowed for a moment to embarrass
the undertaking. Had he been a warrior, a reformer, a
founder of an empire, this trait would have distinguished
him in all he did.
{d.) Paul was a man who was controlled by a convic
tion of what was right ; by a sense of integrity ; by
elevation above everything mean, grovelling, low. This
is apparent in all that he has left us in his writings ;
this would have been his characteristic, even if he had
not been a Christian. Stern, severe, rigorous, bigoted,
he might have been ; but no plan would have been
accomplished by trickery ; principle would never have
been sacrificed to expediency ; nor would he have owed
his success to cunning, deceit, or fraud. An orator he

Death of the Apostle Paul. 493
was, having great objects to accomplish ; but he was
not a sophist, and he would have disdained to owe his
triumph to false reasoning, or mere appeals to the
passions or prejudices of men. He might have been a
statesman ; he never would have been a mere politician.
(e.) Withal, Paul had a heart as gentle, as tender, and
as confiding as any man that ever lived. His soul was
made for friendship ; and he owed much of his power
as an orator to his tenderness of feeling. Of his kindred
according to the flesh, he could say, in view of their
danger in rejecting the Saviour, that he could wish
himself accursed from Christ for their sakes (Rom.
ix. 3). His was a heart, which could also expand and
embrace the whole human family with a tenderness of
which the benevolence of Howard and Wilberforce was
but a humble and distant imitation.
2. Equally marked was the religious character of
Paul, and equally fitted to affect the destiny of men,
and the condition of the world.
{a.) His religious principle was absorbing and entire,
fixed and immovable. It was with him (whether as
a Pharisee or a Christian) the supreme thing ; every
thing else was made subordinate to it. After his con
version to Christ, he was still the profound thinker, —
having subjects to think upon better fitted to develope
his powers of thought. He was still the profound
reasoner, — having subjects to reason upon more worthy
of his great powers. He was still the man of elo
quence, — having subjects better adapted to call forth

494 Life of the Apostle Paul.
his talent ; for the power of speech is most noble,
and reaches its highest results, when employed in
preaching the gospel. Whitfield at the Collieries, was
greater in the results of his speaking than Burke amid the
splendours of Westminster Hall on the trial of Warren
Hastings, or than Patrick Henry was when summoning
the American colonies to freedom. So Paul, when pro
claiming Christian truth on Mars' Hill, was greater than
Demosthenes when thundering against Philip.
{b.) It is not difficult to characterize the religion and the
religious system of Paul as a Christian. The grand idea
— the central point is the universality of the Gospel.
Every barrier between men is broken down by the fact
that Christ died for all. They are no longer divided into
Jews and Gentiles ; into Greeks, Barbarians, Scythians,
bond, and free. There is one God ; one Saviour ; one
family ; one baptism ; one ground of hope ; one heaven ;
one great scheme of salvation. That is to be made
known to all the world. That is ultimately to triumph
in the earth. In the gospel scheme, according to Paul,
God is all and in all ; supreme and absolute ; having His
own plans to execute, and having formed those plans
before the foundation of the world. Man is fallen and
ruined. He is under the curse of the law in this life,
and he is exposed to its eternal penalty in the life to
come. As a fallen being, he has no germ of goodness ;
no holiness. There is nothing in his nature which can
by cultivation and developement become true religion.
He must, therefore, be regenerated by the Spirit 01 God,
and begin to live anew. He has no merit of his own,

Death of the Apostle Paul. 495
but is to be saved wholly by the merit of his Redeemer.
His own works are of no avail in the matter of salvation ;
but his sole ground of hope is to be found in the
Saviour. The benefits of the work of Christ are bestowed
upon men freely in accordance with an eternal plan, and
so bestowed that the glory is of God and not of man : in
such a manner that God in all things will be honoured,
and His government best established over the world.
{c.) In regard to personal religion, Paul was humble,
earnest, sincere, prayerful. Principle, not feeling — truth,
not emotion, — was at the foundation. Duty, honesty,
integrity, sincerity, characterized the whole. And all
this was connected with an energy that never tired, a
love that never became cold.
3. Paul was a martyr, and one of the most eminent
of the martyrs. He was not the first, but he was one
of the first, for his very life may be considered as a
martyrdom. The simple idea in being a martyr is that
of bearing testimony, or being a witness; and the word
is applied to "the martyrs" as such, because they bore
witness to the truth of the Gospel in the face of all that
was employed to deter them from it. Through suffering,
persecution, poverty, sorrow, Paul thus bore faithful testi
mony to the truth of the gospel ; and when the time
came for him to seal his faith with his blood, he did
not refuse to die.
In conclusion. Paul in heaven has seen more than he
could have seen on earth as to the results of his conver-

496 Life of the Apostle Paul.
sion to Christ, and of his labours in his Master's service.
Can we think that he now regrets the choice which he
made, the change which he underwent, when he identi
fied himself with the cause of the Saviour? No :-^not
now, nor ever will he for one moment in* the long eternity
before him.
And I would say to those especially who are entering
on life with high hopes and brilliant worldly prospects,
that they also, if they would renounce all these for
Christ, would never repent the decision. No : come
poverty ; come disappointment ; come toil ; come care ;
come persecution ; come obloquy, reproach, and scorn ;
come death in its most fearful form, — the time never
would arrive when you for one moment would regret
that you had taken such a step. Living, dying, and for
ever, you would rejoice that you had been able to give
up all for Christ.

THE ENS.