previous lengths in their obstinacy and ignorance: their subsequent change is hereby more noticed; the riches of his grace are more remarkably exemplified for the encouragement of others; and such persons, from a lively sense of their past wickedness, and the undeserved favour they have received, are usually more strongly impressed with a sense of divine love, and more warmly devoted to his service. Some such there have been in every period of the church, and especially whenever there has been a remarkable revival of the power of godliness. of godliness. When Saul was drawing near to Damascus, perhaps within sight of the city, anticipating his bloody designs, and exulting in thought over the defence'ss sheep of Christ, whom he had been taught to consider as schismatics and heretics, who deserved to be extirpated from the face of the earth, he was suddenly surrounded by a glorious light, exceeding the brightness of the mid-day sun, and heard a voice, not of uncertain application, but expostulating with him, by name, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou "me?" If he was alarmed at the question, he was much more so, when, upon asking, "Who art thou, "Lord?" he was answered, "I am Jesus the Naza

፡፡

rene, whom thou persecutest." So nearly is the Lord interested in his people, and so dangerous is it to injure them: he accounts their cause, their sufferings, their enemies, his own. The Nazarene was an epithet of contempt affixed to the name of Jesus by those who hated him; and it is probable that Saul had often spoke of him in these terms: but now he found him

4 This is the exact import of the Greek, Ιησες ὁ Ναζωραίος, Acts,

xxii. 8.

And for this reason inserted in the title which Pilate put over bis cross.

self in the Nazarene's power, and unable either to escape or to plead; he fell to the earth, trembling and astonished beyond expression; he not only heard his voice, but saw his person; an interview which he could not have sustained a moment, if the glory of Jesus had not been tempered with the milder beams of grace and love. The Lord spared him, accepted his feeble surrender of himself, moderated his fears, and dismissed him to Damascus, as a willing trophy of his victorious grace, and a singular instance how easily he can subdue the hardest hearts to himself. The brightness of the vision had overpowered his bodily eyes, so that he was led by the hand; but the eyes of his mind were opened; his heart, his aims were changed; he was become a new man; and, instead of threatenings and slaughter, he now breathed prayer and devotion to Jesus, and love to his people. He remained at Damascus three days without sight or food; but the Lord remembered his distress, and sent to him a disciple, named Ananias, who, from the character he had heard of him, was at first greatly surprised at the command he received to go to such a person; but the Lord condescended to acquaint him that Saul was a chosen instrument, whom he had appointed to do and suffer great things for his sake. When Ananias laid his hands on him, a thick film, resembling scales, fell from his eyes; his sight was restored, his mind composed, and he was immediately baptized. Saul had several companions with him in his journey, who saw the dazzling light, heard the sound of the voice which spoke to him, and fell to the ground, with surprise, as he did; they knew enough of the circumstances of the case to witness for

Acts, ix. 27.; 1 Cor. xv. 9.

him, that he neither imposed upon others nor himself: but we have no account that any of them were converted; the most extraordinary occurrences being insufficient to change the heart, without the interposition of divine grace.

Thus the late persecuting Saul was numbered with the disciples, and soon distinguished himself among them. He now knew, by experience, the wickedness and danger of opposing the Gospel, and was desirous to repair the mischief of his former rage and ill example. A sense of the mercy he had received, and compassion for the souls of others, made him seek every opportunity to persuade and convince the Jews, his former companions and brethren; but he soon found the same treatment from them which he himself had often offered to the disciples. They opposed and vilified him as an apostate, and at length consulted to kill him his former zeal in their cause was forgot, or, if remembered, it was an argument suited to inflame their resentment. But no counsel can prevail against those whom the Lord protects. Saul had timely notice of their designs, and, because they watched the gates of the city incessantly, he was let down by a basket over the wall; for, though he neither distrusted his cause nor his protector, he was not unmindful to employ prudent means for his preservation. But before this, he had made some excursions from Damascus, and visited Arabia; for his own words assure us, that it was not

2 Cor. xi. 33. "Through a window, in a basket, was I let "down by the wall." The Lord often confounds the pride of his enemies by the manner in which he delivers his servants: he permits violent oppositions and great preparations to be made against them, and then disconcerts the combinations of the many and the mighty, by feeble and unthought-of means.

till the third year after his conversion that he returned to Jerusalem. In this interval the Lord, who had appeared to him in the way, by subsequent revelations, fully instructed him in the knowledge of his will, and qualified him for the apostolical office; so that he could afterwards say, that he received neither his authority nor his information from men. When he came to Jerusalem he would have joined himself to the disciples; but they, remembering his former conduct, and not clearly informed of the manner and reality of his change, were at first afraid of him. They had a right to be satisfied of his sincerity. But, being soon afterwards introduced by Barnabas, he related to them the means of his conversion, and the occasion of his leav ing Damascus. He continued for some time in Jerusalem and the neighbourhood, preaching and disputing in the name of the Lord Jesus. The Jews, who hated all the servants of Christ, could not but be particularly enraged at him, who had forsaken their party : against him, therefore, they chiefly set themselves, and making repeated attempts to kill him, he withdrew again from Judea, and went through Syria to Tarsus, in Cilicia, his native place.

u

CALIGULA, A, d. 38.] Upon his recess, the churches in Judea, Samaria, and Galilee, had an inter

"The churches had rest, and walked in the fear of the Lord and the comforts of the Holy Ghost, and were edified and multiplied;" Acts, ix. 31. Some well-meaning persons seem to forget this passage, when they take it for granted that the work of God cannot flourish, except there is a violent outward opposition against it. The world will dislike the Gospel; but it is possible, in some moasure, to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men by well-doing; and the Lord can, and often does, favour his people with peace, and put their enemies under restraint.

W

val of rest. The Jews about this time were taken up with their own affairs. Caligula, who had lately succeeded Tiberius in the empire, presumed to arrogate divine worship to himself, and commanded altars and temples to be erected to his honour. He was readily obeyed in many places; but when he required his statue to be put up in the temple at Jerusalem, the Jewish nation engaged, as one man, to prevent it. They had rejected the Holy One and the True, and the troubles were now beginning to take place, which ended at length in their total ruin and extirpation. Against this first affront and profanation intended to their temple, they united in earnest supplications to Petronius, the governor of Syria, and, with much entreaty, obtained permission to send their deputies to the emperor, who was, though with great difficulty, prevailed on to desist from his purpose as to the temple; but, at the same time, he forbade them, under the severest penalties, to oppose the erection or dedication of temples to him in any place without the city of Jerusalem. This injunction encouraged their enemies to affront their religion whereever they pleased, and laid a foundation for innumerable disturbances and dissensions, in which the Jews, whether aggressors or not, were always the greatest sufferers. While they were thus distracted among themselves, the believers enjoyed a favourable respite; and, walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost, were edified and increased.

A. D. 39.] As Peter had formerly seconded the labours of Philip the deacon at Samaria, he now visited those places where he had preached on his way to Cæsarea, and strengthened the disciples he found there