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Deacons mentioned Acts, ch. vi. v. 5.) he, no doubt, was well entertained: we read that Philip had four daughters, virgins, which did prophecy. And that Paul (notwithstanding his hafte to be at Jerufalem) tarried there many days. During this time there came down from Judea, a certain prophet named Agabus, who took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and fidThus faith the Holy Ghoft-So fhall the Jews at Jerufalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and fhall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.' If the four virgins prophefied with as little truth, their purity would be more than fufpected. Paul at Jerufalem was not bound by the Jews and delivered to the Gentiles: but was bound by the Gentiles after they had rescued him from the outrage of the Jews. Being in the temple, he was by the Afiatic Jews accufed of prophaning it, and with endeavouring to destroy the law upon which the Jews dragged him from thence, beat him in the ftreets, and were about to kill him. Claudius Lyfias, the Roman ChiefCaptain, being informed that all Jerufalem was in an uproar; took fome foldiers, ran to the place and refcued Paul from the hands of the Jews; ordered him to be bound and brought into the caftle. Upon the stairs which afcended thereto; he, at his own requeft, was fuffered to harangue the people. Here he again recounts his miraculous converfion, &c. Irritated by this oration,

the Jews cried out- Away with fuch a fellow 'from the earth: for it is not fit that he should

live. Upon this Claudius ordered him to be brought into the caftle, and that he fhould be examined by fcourging: to avoid this, Paul declares himself a Roman; and upon this declaration the Chief Captain alters his measures: he, the next day, commanded the chief priests and their counsel to appear; loofed Paul, and fet him before them; ordered the Jews to bring their accufation, and Paul to make his defence, that by these he might determine his own conduct in the bufinefs. Paul'earneftly beholding the counsel,

faid, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good 'confcience before God until this day.' The high priest irritated, I fuppofe, that Paul should endeavour to justify himself, before the accusation was made; commanded them who stood by, to finite him upon the mouth: upon which Pau] faid to him- God fhall fmite thee, thou whited

wall: for fitteft thou to judge me after the law; ' and commandeft me to be fmitten contrary to the law?' Some afking him-' Revileft thou • God's high prieft?' He answered—“ I wist not,

brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is ' written-Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler

of thy people.' Paul, by his address in calling himself a Roman, had the preceding day escaped a flogging; he now tries the effects of another manœuvre. Perceiving the Jews his accufers

were

were of two fects: Sadducees, who fay there is no refurrection, angel, or spirit and Pharifees, who confefs both; availed himself of this circumftance; and to divide them cried out Men

and brethren, I am a Pharifee, the fon of a 'Pharifee of the hope, and refurrection of the dead, I am called in queftion.' Upon which the Pharifees, in oppofition to the Sadducees, would have acquitted him. A tumult enfued; and Paul, in all probability would have been pulled to pieces between the contending parties; had not the Roman Captain ordered the foldiers to take him by force from among them, and bring him again into the caftle. This last manoeuvre of the faint's, of which he had nearly been the victim; was an impofition upon the Pharifees; if the refurrection they held was, as it is faid to be, of the foul in another body according to the fyftem of Pythagoras. The following night, Paul tells us, The Lord ftood by him, and faid -Be of good cheer Paul: for as thou haft teftified of me in Jerufalem; fo muft thou bear ⚫ witnefs alfo at Rome.' (It must be remarked, that this prophecy was recorded after it was fulfilled.) The next day, Paul's fifter's fon, by his order, tells Claudius, that more than forty Jews had bound themselves by an oath, to kill Paul : upon which he fent him away by night to Cæfarea, and at the fame time a letter to Felix the

paffed in Jerufalem relative to Paul, whofe accufers he had ordered to appear before Felix at Cæfarea. This, in a few days, they did, accompanied by Tertullus, an orator, who first addreffing fome high compliments to the governor; opens the accufation against the faint faying, that he was a peftilent fellow; a mover of fedition among all the Jews throughout the world; and a ringleader of the fect of the Nazarenes; who alfo had gone about to prophane the temple: for which they would have judged him in Jerufalem according to their law, but that he was taken from them in a violent manner by Lyfias. Paul, knowing the governor would take cognizance of the tumult only, denies his having caufed it; and afferts his peaceable behaviour at Jerufalem, faying "They neither found me in the Temple difputing with any man, neither raifing up the people, neither in the fynagogues, nor in the city. He very wifely fuppreffed his adventures at Antioch, Iconium, Lyftra, Thyatira, Theffalonica, Berea, and Ephefus these were too flagrant and recent, I think, to be omitted by his accufers; and though Paul, or his fcribe Luke, doth not tell us they were urged against him, yet we find Felix kept Paul in cuftody for further examination, Some time after this, for the entertainment, it feems, of Drufilla, a Jewefs, Paul was brought before them: when, it is faid, as he reafoned

of righteoufnefs, temperance, and judgment

to

to come, Felix trembled.' This I am inclined to think is a mistake; Drufilla who had quitted her husband Azizus to live with Felix; hearing Paul describe the confequences; might, and it is natural to think he did, experience a momentary fit of trembling: but of Felix, it is faid he hoped alfo that money fhould have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he fent for him the oftener, and communed with him, But after two years, Porcius Feftus came into Felix' room, and Felix willing to fhew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.' Poor Paul, it is certain, could not preach himself out of bonds: but it is not, I think, quite so certain that a Roman governor; the gallant Felix who kept the gay Drufilla, fhould expect a bribe from a poor tent-maker. But, upon recollection; this poor tent-maker had, by the agency of his pupil, meffenger, companion and friend Titus; collected from the Macedonians, Corinthians, &c. confiderable fums for the poor brethren at Jerufalem, from whence he was hurried fo fuddenly, that poffibly he had not time to diftribute the money, and in courfe his pockets were well lined; this fortunate circumftance, probably ohtained the favour of the centurion his guard; and enabled him, during two years, to live at Rome in his own hired house. The new governor Feftus, likewife fummonfed Paul's accufers, and examined the charges against

him