fomewhat to write. 27. For it feemeth to me unreasonable to fend a prifoner, and not withal to fignifie the crimes laid against him. CHA P. XXVI. HEN Agrippa faid unto Paul, Thou art permitted to fpeak for thy felf. Then Paul ftretched forth the hand, and anfwered for himself. 2. I think my felf happy, king Agrippa, because I fhall anfwer for my felf this day before thee, touching all the things whereof I am accufed of the Jews: 3. Efpecially, because I know thee to be expert in all cuftoms and queftions which are among the Jews: wherefore I befeech thee to hear me patiently: 4. My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerufalem, know all the Jews, 5. Which knew me from the beginning, (if they would teftifie) thất after the moft ftraiteft fect of our religion, I lived a Pharifee. 6. And now I ftand and am judged for the hope of thepromife made of God unto our fathers 7. Unto which promife our, (1) twelve tribes inftantly ferving God a day and night [Gr. night and day], hope to come: för which hopes fake, king Agrippa, I am acculed of the Jews. 8. Why thould it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God fhould raife the dead? 9. I verily thought with my felf, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jefus of Nazareth. 10. 10. Which thing I also did 2 See on A&s 23. 6. See the Note on Acts 20.31; Joh. 16. 2. The Time cometh, that whofoever killerh you will 2. 5 † Pfal. 132. 11. † Ifa. 4.2. † Isa, 7. 14. † Ifa. 9. 6. † Ifa. 40. 10.think that he doth God fervice, +Jer.23. 5. Jer 33.14. † Ez 34.23. See on Acts 8. 3. Ez.37.24. Dan. 9.24. t Mic.7. wered into (1) The Apostle here Speaks of the Twelve Tribes as prefent, and St. James, Chap. 1. 1. directs his Epistle to the Twelve Tribes. If therefore it be asked how this could be, fince but two of them returned from the Babylonish Captivity? It may be anfwered, that though the much greater Part of the Ifraelites were Babylon, yet fome, namely, the Poorest of every Tribe, were left behind to be Vine-dreffers and Husbandmen: See a Kings 24 14,17. and a Kings 25. 12. And that many came back with the two Tribes, we may collect from the Sin-offering which was made at the Dedication of the Temple, Ezra 6. 17. To wit, Twelve He-goats, according to the Number of the Tribes of Ifrael. Jerufalem: and many of the Saints did I shut up in prion, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. 1. And I punished them oft in every fynagogue, and comelled them to blafpheme; and being exceedingly mad aainst them, I perfecuted them even unto ftrange cities. Whereupon as I went to Damafcus, with authority and commiffion from the chief priests; 13. At midday, O king, faw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the fun, thining round about me, and them which journeyed with me. 14. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice fpeaking unto me, and faying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why perfecuteft thou me? It is hard for thee to kick againft the pricks. And I faid, Who art thou, Lord? And he faid, I am Jefus whom thou perfecuteft. 16: But rife, and ftand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpofe, to make thee a minifter and a witness both of thefe things which thou haft feen, and of thofe things in the which I will appear unto thee; 17. Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I fend thee. 18. To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, PP 4 h 2 Tim. 4. 17, 18. Notwithftanding, the Lord ftood with me and ftrengthned 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 fhall deliver me from tc every evil Work, and will preServe me unto his heavenly kingdom. and heal the broken hearted-and recovering Sight to the Blind. Joh. 9.5.-I am the Light ofthe World. 2 Cor. 4. 4. The God of this s World hath blinded the Minds of them which believe not, left the Light of the glorious Gofpel of Chrift, who is the Image of God, fhould shine unto them. Eph. 1. 18. The Eyes of your Understanding being enlightned; that ye may know what is the Hope of his Calling, and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints. 2 Tim. 1, 10. Our Saviour Jefus Chrift, who hath abolifhed Death, and hath brought Life and Immortality to Light thro' the Gospel. . it Ifa. 35.5. Then the Eyes of the Blind fhall be opened, and the Ears of the Deaf fhall be unftopped. † Ifa. 42. 6, 7. I the Lord have called thee in Righteoufnefs, and give thee for a Covenant to the People, for Light of the Gen-202 Cor. 6. 14. tiles; To open the blind Eyes. Luk. 1.79. To give Light to them that fit in Darkness Luk. 4. 18. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath fent me to 25 What Communion hath Light with Darkness? Eph. . 8. Yes were fometimes Darkness, but now are ye Light in the Lord walk as Children of Light. and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of fins, and inheritance among them which are fanctified by faith that is in me. 19. Whereupon, O king Agrippa, 1 was not m difobedient unto the heavenly vifion 20. But fhewed firft unto them of Damafcus, and at Jerufalem, and throughout all the coafts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they fhould repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance, 21. For thefe caufes the Jews P caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. 22. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witneffing both to fmall and great, faying none o ther things than those which the prophets and Modes did fay thould come: 23. That Chrift fhould fuffer, and that he faid unto me, Depart: for I will fend thee far hence to the Gentiles. • See on Mat. 4. 17. PActs 21.30. All the City was moved, and the People ran to gether, and they took Paul, and drew him out of the Temple. ン Acts 28. 23:To whom he expounded and teftified the Kingdom of God, perfwading them concerning Jefus, both out of the Law of Mofes, and out of the Prophets, from Morning till Evening. 15. Rom. 3. 21. The Righteoufnels me,15 of God without the Law is manifefted, being wineffed by the Law and the Prophets? Gal. 1. 15,16. When it pleafed God, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Heathen, immediately I conferred not with Flesh and Blood. " "+ Ads 9. 19,029, 33. Then Joh. 5. 46. Had ye believed was Saul certain Days with the 20 Mofes, ye would have believed me: Difciples which were at Damafcus. for he wrote of me. See on Luk. And ftraightway he preached Chrift 24, 27. and on Job. 1.45. in the Synagogues, that he is the Son of God Saul increased the more in Strength, and confounded 25 the Jews which dwelt at Damafcus, proving that this is very Christ. Pfal. 22.6, 7, 15, 16: I am a Worm, and no Man; a reproach of Men, and deftifed of the People. All they that fee me laugh me to fcorn they hot out the Lip, they shake the Head. Thou haft Acts 13 and 14 Chapters. Acts 18.4 [Paul] reafoned in the Syna-brought me into the Duft of Death. gogue every Sabbath, and perfwa-3 ded the Jews and the Greeks. Acts 22. 17, +21. It came to pafs that when. I was come again to Jerufa olem, Leven while I prayed in the Temple, I was in a Trance And They pierced my Handr and my Feer. Ila. 53.3, &e. He is defpifed and rejected of Men, a Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with Grief, &c. He was wounded for our Tranfgreff35. a thot deal od--sty b e fhould be the first that fhould rife from the and fhould fhew light unto the people, and to entiles. 24. And as he thus fpake for himself, faid with a loud voice, Paul, thou art befide elf: much learning doth make thee mad, 25. But d, I am not mad, most noble Feftus; but fpeak the words of truth and fobernefs, 26. For the <noweth of these things, before whom alfo Ifpeak : for I am perfwaded that none of thefe, things dden from him; for this thing was not done in a 27. King Agrippa, believeft thou the prophets? w that thou believeft. 28. Then, Agrippa faid unul, Almoft thou perfwadeft me to be a Christian. And Paul faid, I would to God, that not only but alfo all that hear me this day, were both aland altogether fuch as I am, except thefe bonds. And when he had thus fpoken, the king role he governour, and Bernice, and they that fat with 31. And when they were gone afide, they talktween themselves, faying, This man doth nothing rthy of death, or of Bonds. 32. Then faid Agrippa Feftus, This man might have been fet at liberty, if ad not appealed unto Cefar. CHAP. f 1 Cor. 15. 20. + Col. I. 18. Rev. 1. s. See on Roin. 8. 29. b See on Luk. 2. 32. C 2 King. 9. 11. -Wherefore came this mad Fellow to thee? He faid unto them, Ye know the Man and his Communication. Joh. ro. 20. Many of them faid, He hath a Devil, and is Mad. Acts 17.18. -What will this Babler fay? † 1 Cor. 4. 10. We are Fools for Chrift's fake. I + 1 Cor. 7. 7. I would that all Men were even as f my felfSee on A&s 23. 9.. • Acts 25. 11. e a ND when it was determined that we fhould fail into Italy, they delivered Paul, and certain o ther Prifoners, unto one named Julius, a centurion of Auguftus band. 2. And entring into a fhip of Adrámy trium, we lanched, meaning to fail by the coafts of Áfa, one Ariftarchus a Macedonian, of Theffalonica, be ing with us. 3. And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himfelf.4 And when we had lanched from thence, we failed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. 5. And when we had failed over the fea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. 6. And there the centa fion found a fhip of Alexandria failing into Italy; and he put us therein. 7. And when we had failed flowly many days, and fearce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not fuffering us, we failed under Crete (Or, Candy], overagainft Salmone: 8. And hardly paffing it, came unto a place which is called the fair havens, nigh whereunto was the city of Lafea. 9. Now when much time was fpent, and when failing was now dangerous, because the (1) faft was now already paft, Paul admonished them, 10. And faid unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt [Or, injury] and much damage, not only of the lading and fhip, but also of our lives. 11. Nevertheless, the centurion believed the mafter and the owner of the fhip, more than those things which were fpoken by Paul. 12. And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence alfo, it by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the fouth-weft and northweft. 13. And when the fouth-wind blew foftly, fuppofing that they had obtained their purpofe, loofing thence, they voliat bie thou go. b See on Acts 19. 29. (1) This Faft was on the tenth Day of the feventh Month, Lev, 23. 27, 29. |