him in a judicial way. Finding they chiefly confifted of questions against him of their own fuperftition; and of one Jefus, which was dead, and whom Paul affirmed to be alive;' and wanting more information relative perhaps to fedition, afked Paul- Wilt thou go up to 'Jerufalem, and there be judged of thefe 'things before me?' Paul, knowing that the Jews had more influence in Jerufalem than in any other place, refused; and, to avoid compulfion, faid-I appeal unto Cæfar. Nothing is faid by or to this governor or the laft, relative to the plot of destroying Paul privately; nor do I think it probable that the high priests, chief priests, and elders of the people, fhould countenance, much lefs promote or encourage fo infamous a bufinefs. And here likewife it occurs-If one of the questions against Paul, and which Feftus proposed to have determined before him at Jerufalem, was of one Jefus, which was dead, and

whom Paul affirmed to be alive;' Why refuse going to a place where, notwithstanding the influence of the Jewish chiefs fo many witnesses Christian and Pagan *, could have been produced before a Roman tribunal in fupport of the fact?

* About four years before this tranfaction, Paul in his First Epistle to the Ephefians, roundly afferted that Jefus, after his refurrection was feen of above five hundred men, the greater part of whom were then alive. Vide page

The

The wonderful things which must have come out in this examination, would certainly have excited the curiofity at leaft of Feftus; this would have ftimulated him to a strict enquiry; and if that produced a conviction of their truth; could he have been otherwife than a friend to Paul? fome of those proofs; fuch as the darkness, the earthquakes and their effects; could no where be proved fo easily and demonftrably as at Jerufafem and as thefe and other fupernatural things appertaining to this great affair, were not at all likely to be proved at Rome; why did Paul prefer an examination at the latter? He was wife, and no doubt had his reasons for this preference which he wifely hath kept from us; and perhaps it was to stop the audacity of fuch enquiry, that he introduced the Lord faying- Be of good cheer

Paul for as thou had teftified of me in Jerufalem: fo muft thou bear witnefs alfo at Rome *? After Paul had refufed to go to Jerufalem, and while Feftus waited an opportunity of fending him to Rome; King Agrippa, with his Queen Berenice, came to Cæfarea upon à vifit to the governor, who, after many days, mentioned the affair of Paul, to his vifitants in a way which excited their curiofity and a requeft that it might be fatisfied by hearing what Paul could fay for himfelf. The following day was appointed; and this being the

* Vide page 263.

brightest

brighteft fcene of Paul's adventures, he gives it in pompous terms-viz. And on the morrow when Agrippa was come, and Berenice with

great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, &c,' Here Paul, avail. ing himself of the example given by Tertullus the orator, his accufer in a former examination, preface's his defence by fome very flattering compliments to Felix: After which, he again recounts his miraculous converfion; and improves the story by fome ufeful additions relative to the Gentiles. The governor telling him he was infane; he modeftly denied the charge, and artfully appealed to the better judgment of the King, Upon which, we are told, Agrippa said unto Paul, Almoft thou perfuadeft me to be a Chriftian. Upon this fpeech, Paul made a fhort comment, and the court broke up. It is observable, that though we are told Paul's preaching made Felix tremble, and almoft converted Agrippa, Yet we are not told of any good effects produced by it in either. After this Paul, with other prifoners, in the cuftody of a centurion embarks for Rame; meets with tempeftuous weather, in which 276 men fafted 14 days in great terror, and are at length fhip-wrecked on the Ifle of Malta. This Paul fore-told; but to encourage the men, and perhaps to fhew his own confequence, he faid to them There ftood by me this night the angel

'of

6

of God, whofe I am, and whom I ferve, faying-Fear not Paul: thou must be brought before Cæfar and lo, God hath given thee all them that fail with thee. Paul, enumerating his fufferings to the Corinthians 2 Epiftle ch. xi. fays Of the Jews five times received I forty ftripes fave one, thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I ftoned, thrice I fuffered ship-wreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep. Two of these ship-wrecks, we have loft and where he was a night and a day in the deep; or how he found himself after it, I know not. This miracle would have better fuited St. Peter, or any of the apoftles who were fisher-men, than Paul a tentmaker: but as he only, had an adventure above * fo he only, had an adventure below. I do not understand what is meant by the angel's faying to Paul God hath given thee all them that fail with thee. It could not be the prefervation of their fouls in the Chriftian way; for in 270 we read not of one converted; if it meant the prefervation of their lives, and they believed it; how is it that we hear of no acknowledgments for so fingular a favor? It is plain the foldiers did not believe Paul when he told the ftory of the angel, as they were for destroying him when the thip grounded, to prevent his escape. When they were all fafe on fhore, had feen the miracle of the

• Vide page

viper, for which the iflanders called him a God: after witneffing the cures performed by him, and the honors he received; ftill were they unbelievers? Had they, or any of them, been otherwife; Paul, who upon all occafions carefully recounts his fucceffes; would furely have informed us of the change. Paul at length arrives at the capital of the Roman empire (about the year 61) where, I imagine he expected to become a man of confequence. After three days, he affembled the Jews; told them his adventures, and why he was there; taking care, at the fame time, to inform them that he brought no accufation to Cafar against their nation. Their reply was a little mortifying We neither received letters out of

Judea concerning thee, neither any of the bre thren that came, fhewed or spake any harm of thee.' St. Paul, it feems, was in Rome, a man of little confequence. The Jews told him they would hear what he had to fay on the fcore of religion, adding- For as concerning this (the

Chriftian) fect, we know that every where it is ⚫ spoken against. They accordingly appointed a day. And Paul expounded and teftified the kingdom of God; perfuading them concerning Jefus, both out of the law of Mofes, and out of the prophcts. And this he did from morning till evening,' I apprehend to very little purpose; though it is faid Some believed the things which were spoken, and fonie believed not,' he ap

pears