PAUL. 
894 
mencement of his preaching in Gentile countries, he was 
generally called Paul , either, as fome think, out of com¬ 
pliment to Sergius Paulus, proconful of Cyprus, whom 
he converted to Chriftianity, or becaufe it was more fa¬ 
miliar to the Greeks and Romans. He inherited from 
his anceftors the privileges of a Roman citizen ; and it is 
probable that he was initiated' in the knowledge which 
he afterwards difcovered of the learning, religion, man¬ 
ners, and cuftoms,of the Greeks, in his native place, wdiich 
was at that time diftinguifhed by eminent feminaries of 
education. From Tarfus, his father, who was a Pharifee, 
lent him to Jerufalem, where he was placed under the 
tuition of Gamaliel, a celebrated rabbi of that feet, in 
whofe fchool he made a great proficiency in the ftudy of 
the law, and of the traditions pretended to be handed 
down from Mofes and the prophets. In compliance, 
likewife, with the Jewifh ctiftom of teaching the youth, 
even of the higheft birth, fome mechanical employment, 
that they might be enabled, in cafes of neceffity, to main¬ 
tain themfelves without being obliged to depend upon 
the liberality of others, he was inftru6ted in the art of 
“ a maker of mechanical instruments;” for that fuch is 
the true meaning of the word which has been commonly 
rendered atent-maker, is fatisfaftorily Ihovvn by Michaelis. 
He poffefied excellent natural abilities, quicknefs of ap- 
prehenfion, Itrong paflions, and firm refolution. He ap¬ 
pears.alfo, from his early years, to have been remarkable 
for an unblemifhed life ; faithful to the didates of his 
confcience, according to the knowledge which he had 
acquired j and zealous for the interelts of truth and vir¬ 
tue. It is true that, in the exercife of his zeal, he w'as 
led by the prejudices of his education, and the example 
of his brethren of the fed of the Pharifees, to unwarrant¬ 
able lengths in oppofing Chriftianity on its firft appear¬ 
ance in the world. Believing Jefus to be an impoftor, he 
became the bitter enemy of all who made a profeffion of 
his faith, and even thought himfelf bound in duty to per- 
fecute and put them to death. Hence he was led to be 
prefent at the cruel murder of the protomartyr Stephen, 
and to fliow his approbation of it by taking care of the 
upper garments of the falfe witneffes who took the lead 
in ftoning him to death. Hence he became an active in- 
ftrument of the malice of the Jewifti rulers againft the 
believers in Chrift, after Stephen’s death; and, having re¬ 
ceived a commifiion from the chief priefts, “ made havock 
of the church,” entering into the houfes where the difci- 
pies met for the worfliip of God, and dragging men and 
women to prifon that they might be punilhed. In confe- 
quence of the feverity with which he thus harafted them, 
many of the believing brethren fled from Jerufalem, and 
were difperfed throughout Judea and Samaria, while 
others took flielter in foreign cities. 
So far was Paul carried by his falfe zeal againft the fol¬ 
lowers of Jefus of Nazareth, that, not contented with 
perfecuting them in Judea, he obtained letters from the 
high prieft to the fynagogues at Damafcus, with which, 
accompanied by afiiftants equally bigotted with himfelf, 
hefetout for that city, with the defign of bringing pri- 
loners to Jerufalem fuch of the Jewifh inhabitants as were 
profelytes to the new faith. When they arrived near to 
Damafcus, a miraculous occurrence took place, which 
defeated their intention, and converted Paul into a 
preacher of that very faith wdiich he had been fo zealous 
rodeftroy. At mid-day, a fupernatural light fuddenly 
fhone around them, inexpreflibly more refplendent than 
the brightnefs of the fun, which filled Paul and his com¬ 
panions with fuch furprife and terror, that they all fell 
proftrate on the earth. While they were in this pofture, 
Paul heard a voice, calling him by name, and mildly re¬ 
proaching him with the enmity which he difcovered to 
his caufe. Upon Paul’s humbly alking wdio it was that 
thus addrefled him ? he received foranfwer, <e I am Jefus, 
whom thou perfecuteft,” At the fame time Paul was or¬ 
dered to ftand up on his feet, that he might have ocular 
demonftration of the actual prefence of him whom the 
chief priefts had crucified at Jerufalem, and of his having 
really rifen from the dead, as his difciples affirmed. This 
direction Paul obeyed, and diftinftly faw Jefus Handing 
before him; but was fo unable to bear the dazzling 
fplendour of his appearance, that he fell to the earth a 
fecond time. Fully convinced that the high pretenf.ons 
claimed for Jefus were fupported by divine power and au¬ 
thority, Paul now yielded himfelf up implicitly to his 
will, declaring his readinefs to do whatfoever he fhould 
command him. He was then informed that Jefus had 
felefted him for one of his apoftles, and commiffioned 
him to preach to the Gentiles in his name, and to turn 
them from darknefs to light; and then direfted him to 
go into the city of Damafcus, where he fhould be in- 
ftrufited what he was to do. Such w'as the effect of the 
fupernatural brightnefs which accompanied this appear¬ 
ance of Jefus, that it had ftruck Paul blind, fo that he 
was obliged to be led by his companions to the houfe of 
a perfon with whom they appear to have been acquainted ; 
and in this condition he remained three days, which he 
fpent in continual faffing, as a proper expreffion of his 
bitter grief for having perfecuted the difciples of Jefus, 
and in offering up fervent prayers to God for the pardon 
of that fin. During this time, among other vifions and 
revelations for his information refpefling what he was to 
do, he faw a man named Ananias coming in, and by put¬ 
ting his hand on him restoring his fight. On the third 
day of his faffing, this Ananias, who was highly efteemed 
by all the Jews at Damafcus for his piety and virtues, 
and had become a difciple of Chrift, being directed by a 
vifion, came to the houfe wdiere Paul was, whofe fight 
w r as reftored in the manner which had been fhown to him ; 
after which he immediately fubmitted to the rite of bap- 
tifm, in token of his faith, repentance, and pardon. This 
ceremony was followed by his reception of the fame ex¬ 
traordinary and miraculous powers which diftinguifhed 
the other apoftles, and was a neceffary qualification for 
the great employment to which he was appointed. 
The converfion of St. Paul, according to the moil pro¬ 
bable evidence which has been collected by the learned, 
took place in the year of Chrift 36, or the beginning of 
37, when he was in the thirty-fourth year of his age. 
After this event he continued only a fhort time with the 
difciples at Damafcus, and then went into Arabia. In 
this country he was inftrudfed by immediate revelation 
in the duties of his office, and the doftrines of the gof- 
pel ; which, fince the afcenfton of Chrift, was the only 
proper method of training an apoftle. He alfo received, 
in the fame mode of communication, a complete know¬ 
ledge of whatever took place during the miniftry of 
Chrift on earth ; of his fayings, miracles, fuftermgs, cru¬ 
cifixion, refurreftion, and afcenfion; ot the defign both 
of the law' and the gofpel, and of the confirmation which 
the latter derives from the writings of Mofes and the pro¬ 
phets ; by which means he was qualified to preach the 
gofpel, to teftiry the refurreftion of Jefus, and to prove 
him to be the Chrift, without receiving either inftruftion 
or gifts through the medium of the other apoftles. Af¬ 
ter continuing in Arabia more than two years, Paul re¬ 
turned to Damafcus, where he preached in the fynagogues, 
proving that Jefus was the Chrift, or promifed Meffiah, 
with fuch eloquence, force, and cogency of argument, 
that the Jews in that place were confounded and lilenced. 
Provoked at their defeat, they formed a defign againft his 
life ; and prevailed upon the governor to guard the city 
fo Itriftly, in order to prevent his efcape, that the difci¬ 
ples were obliged to let him down by the wall, through 
a window, in a baflcet. Having by this means eluded the 
vigilance of his enemies, Paul fet out for Jerufalem, 
whence he had been abfent more than three years, 
preaching that Jefus was the Chrift in the different towns 
through which he parted, as he had done at Damafcus. 
When he came to Jerufalem, he endeavoured to unite 
himfelf with the difciples; but, as it was a time of per¬ 
fection, they were afraid of him, not having received 
3 any 
