being altogether independent of human instruction, he did not go up to Jerusalem to communicate with those who were Apostles before him, respecting the course he should pursue, or the doctrine he should teach. A distinct field had been assigned him; they were employed in preaching to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, he was sent to the Gentiles; and no doubt, under Divine direction-he went into Arabia and returned to Damascus. Of his journey and residence there, we have no other account than that before us. We know, that as soon as he recovered his sight, he was certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus, and straightway preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. How he was engaged in Arabia it is vain to conjecture. Perhaps he was employed in preaching the Gospel, or more probably-as the Lord prepared the other Apostles for the important office which they were to fill by attending upon his personal ministry-during Paul's residence in Arabia, by visions and revelations, with fasting and prayer, the Lord, we may suppose, trained his servant for the bright course marked out for him by Infinite Wisdom. He returned to Damascus, and having increased in strength, he confounded the Jews, proving that Jesus was the very Christ to whom all the prophets bare witness. They, however, took counsel to kill him; and Luke tells us this happened "after many days were fulfilled"—from the time, no doubt, of his first preaching Christ in the synagogues of Damascus. The Jews watched the gates day and night to prevent his escape, but the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. This circumstance is also mentioned by the Apostle: "In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me; and through a window in a basket 2 1 Acts ix. 23. 2 Acts ix. 25. 1 was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands." Thus was he who set out from Jerusalem with authority and commission from the chief priests-under the necessity of escaping from Damascus as a fugitive for preaching Christ. Thus, too, he suffered the loss of all things for Christ, but they were in his estimation loss and dung. The prospect of human grandeur, ease, and prosperity, had for ever faded from his view, but their place was amply supplied by the prospect of the glory which should be revealed in the despised followers of Jesus. Ver. 18. Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. Three years after his conversion he went to Jerusalem to see Peter. At first the disciples were afraid of him; he had been long absent, and the means of communication were then much less perfect than with us. At first, they did not believe that he was a disciple; but Barnabas informed them of his conversion, and of his boldness in preaching Christ at Damascus. With equal boldness he preached at Jerusalem; but this was not the sphere for which the Lord intended him, so that he only remained fifteen days, after which, to avoid the malice of the Jews, he went to Tarsus, his native city. It was probably at this time that the Lord appeared to him in the temple, and commanded him to get out of Jerusalem quickly.* He had been sent to the Gentiles; he was in great danger at Jerusalem, but his attachment to his nation was so strong, that an express commandment to leave it was necessary. Humanly speaking, Judea was the field for which he was best qualified; besides his Jewish learning, he had been a noted opposer of the Gospel at Jerusalem, and there appeared every prospect of his testimony being received 1 Cor. xi. 32, 33. 4 Acts xxii. 17, 18. 5 Acts xxvi. 17. by those who had witnessed his opposition to the name of Jesus; but the Gentiles were the object of his mission.' He obeyed, and departed from Jerusalem; but there seems still to have remained in his mind a strong desire to preach to the Jews; and the Lord afterwards granted him the opportunity he so much wished. For some time, the people listened with the deepest attention, but no sooner did he mention that he was sent to the Gentiles than he was rudely interrupted, and was only rescued from the fury of the multitude by the interposition of the chief captain. Ver. 19. But other of the Apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. It appears that, excepting Peter and James, the son of Alpheus-called the Lord's brother, because related to him according to the flesh-none of the Apostles were then at Jerusalem. The object of Paul's journey, we have seen, was to see Peter, with whom he abode fifteen days. Ver. 20. Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not. The Apostle solemnly affirms the truth of his narrative, appealing to God for its truth, which proves the importance of his statement, and his anxiety to impress it on the mind of the Galatians. It appears very extraordinary that Christians should be found who deny the lawfulness of an oath. Oaths were sanctioned by the law of Moses, and the Lord confirmed this ordinance by his example. He gave the high priest no answer till put upon his oath. He heard the voice of swearing." "I adjure thee," said the high priest, "by the living God;" and Jesus immediately declared that he was the Son of God. An oath is an appeal to God for the truth of an assertion, and such appeals are frequent in the 1 Acts xxii. 21. 2 Acts xxii. 23, 24 3 Mark vi. 3. 1 apostolic epistles, and not only so, but Paul tells us, an oath for confirmation is to men an end of all strife," and that God," willing to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath. Surely, then, the evidence of the propriety of an oath upon suitable occasions is overwhelming. But there are two passages which are considered by some as an absolute prohibition of the practice; the first is, Matt. v. 33-37. "Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths but I say unto you, Swear not at all: neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil." Here the Lord is treating of vows or oaths made to the Lord. Such vows are sanctioned by the law, but a caution is given respecting them: "Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. In the passage under consideration, the Lord commands us to go no further than a simple affirmation, of which we have an example in Jacob's vow. A vow is addressed to God who searches the heart, and there is no occasion to prove to Him our sincerity in the engagement into which we enter, and therefore our Lord commands that our communication should be yea and nay, without any additional confirmation. The second passage considered as a prohibition of oaths is James v. 12. "But above all things, my brethren, swear I Heb. vi. 16, 17. 2 Eccl. v. 2. 3 Gen. xxviii, 20-22. not; neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath; but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation." Here, also, the Apostle is evidently treating of vows, and not of a transaction with our neighbour. He had been recommending patience under affliction, by the example of Job, but particularly warns his brethren against vows confirmed by an oath, with the view of getting rid of suffering. He recommends prayer under affliction, and commands the disciples to send for the elders of the church, to pray with them in the time of sickness. Thus it appears, that neither the passage in the sermon on the mount, nor in the epistle of James, condemns oaths upon proper occasions. It is, indeed, impossible that such should have been the case. God repeatedly swears by himself, and solemn appeals are made to God by the Apostles when writing under Divine inspiration; and, above all, He who hath left us an example that we should follow his steps, and whose practice always exactly corresponded with his doctrine, conformed to what Moses had enjoined, and therefore it is impossible that He should prohibit swearing, and afterwards comply with what he had condemned: Hence, we have the most conclusive proof that, upon proper occasions, oaths are sanctioned by Divine authority. Ver. 21. Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. After his short stay at Jerusalem, Paul went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, his native province, no doubt preaching the Gospel, as he did at Jerusalem. Ver. 22. And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judea, which were in Christ. Hence it appears that he had not preached on his way from Damascus to Jerusalem. The distance was not great, the object of his journey was to see Peter, (ver 18.) and he |