338 P A 
laboured in propagating the Gofpel. Having received 
very large contributions from the Greek churches, for 
the relief of the poor Chriftians in Judea, at Paul’s parti¬ 
cular requeft deputies were chofen to accompany him to 
Jerufalem, that they might be witnefles of their beingap- 
plied to the objedls intended. With thefe deputies, and 
accompanied by Luke, Paul came from Corinth to Phi¬ 
lippi, where they embarked for Troas. Here Paul (laid 
fome days, in order to confirm in the faith the numerous 
Chriftian converts in that city and neighbourhood: and 
in this interval he miraculoufly reftored to life a young 
man who was accidentally killed by falling from the third 
ftory of the houfe where the apoftle was-preaching. In 
the twentieth and twenty-firft chapters of the A6ts, we 
are prefented with the particulars of Paul’s progrefs from 
Troas to Jerufalem, which it is not neceflary to detail ; a 
record of his very important and pathetic difcourfe upon 
his taking final leave of the elders of Ephefus at Miletus; 
and an account of his courageous refolution in perfifting 
to proceed on his journey, notwithftanding repeated pre- 
didlions of the troubles in which he would be involved 
by his unbelieving countryman. 
Paul arrived at Jerufalem in the year 58, in time to ob- 
ferve the feaft of Pentecoft. On. the next day after his 
arrival, he had a meeting with the apoftle James, and 
the elders of the church, to whom he introduced the com¬ 
panions of his journey, in whofe prefence, no doubt, he 
delivered up the charitable contributions which he had 
brought with him for the relief of the poor Chriftians in 
Tuden. He then gave them a particular account of his great 
fuccefs in planting the Gofpel among the Gentiles ; which 
was received by them with the higheft fatifaftion. As, 
however, a falfe report had been propagated at Jerufalem 
and in Judea concerning Paul, that he taught the Jews 
in Gentile countries to forbear circumcifing their chil¬ 
dren, and entirely to renounce the law of Mofes, the 
apoftle James and the elders advifed him ontheprefent oc- 
cafion, when there was fuch a confluence of the Jews from 
all parts at the feaft, to fatisfy them that it was udthout 
foundation, by aflifting four of the brethren who were 
under a vow, while discharging the fame in conformity 
to the Jewifti ritual. To this advice Paul readily afiented; 
and on the next day, after purifying himfelf with thefe 
Nazarites, he entered with them into the temple, to fig- 
nify to the priefts their refolution to accomplifh the days 
of purification, as the law required, till an offering fliould 
be offered for each of them. Before the days of purifica¬ 
tion were completed, fome Jews, who had violently op- 
pofed Paul while he was propagating the Gofpel in the 
province of Afia, perceiving him and his companions in 
the temple, raifed a loud outcry againft the apoftle, ac- 
cufing him of teaching every-W'here principles fubverfive 
of the law of Mofes, and even of polluting the temple by 
bringing uncircumcifed Greeks into it. Thefe charges 
having highly enraged the affembled multitude, they laid 
hold on Paul, and dragged him tuinultuoufly out of the 
temple, with the defign of beating or ftoning him to 
death. In the mean time intelligence of the tumult had 
been brought to Lyfias, the commander of the Roman 
garrifon in the adjoining caftle of Antonia, who, know- 
j,no- well the importance of checking fuch commotions at 
their firft appearance, came to the place with a band of 
foldiers, and, having refcued Paul from the fury of the 
crowd, commanded that he fliould be kept in chains at 
the caftle, till he had made enquiry into his character 
and behaviour. He was pleafed, however, at Paul’s re¬ 
queft, to permit him to fpeak to the people from the flairs 
leading to the caftle, before he was placed in confine¬ 
ment A Of this indulgence Paul availed himfelf to refute 
the accufations of his enemies, and to lay before them a 
Ihort account of his life and converfion. This he did in 
the Hebrew tongue, which procured him filence and at¬ 
tention, till he mentioned the commiflion which he had 
received from Chrift to preach to the Gentiles; when the 
Jews broke out into a frefh tranfport of rage againft him, 
U L. 
and united in the loud cry, “Away with fuch a fellow 
from the earth, for it is not fit that he fhould live.” 
When Lyfias perceived that Paul’s fpeecli, which was 
to him unintelligible, had rather exafperated than np» 
peafed the multitude, he gave orders that he fhould be 
brought into the caftle, and put to thequeftion by fcoung- 
ing, that he might know the real caufe of their hatred to 
him. This cruel treatment, however, the apoftle efcaped, 
by declaring himfelf a Roman citizen, and claiming the 
privileges of his birthright. On the following day Lyfias 
releafed Paul from his fetters, and brought him before 
the Jewifti council, that lie might learn with certainty 
what the crimes were of which he was accufed. In this 
council, which confifted of members belonging to both 
the fe£ls of Pharifees and Sadducees, the apoftle, after 
boldly infilling on the unimpeachable innocence of his 
life, avowed himfelf to be a Pliarifee, the fon of a Pha- 
rifee, and maintained that the perfecution which he fuf- 
fered was partly to be attributed to his zeal in propagat¬ 
ing the dodlrine of the refurreftion of the dead. Upon 
this, a warm conteft arofe in the council between the 
parties of the Pharifees and Sadducees: the former, with 
whom the dodlrine of the refurreftion was a fundamental 
tenet, being difpofed to come to a refolution that all 
further proceedings againft the prifoner Ihould be relin- 
quifhed ; while the Sadducees, who denied that dodtrine, 
ftrenuoufly oppofed fuch a meafure. At length they be¬ 
came fo violent in their diftenfion and clamour, that 
Lyfias, fearing left Paul fliould be torn to pieces amidll 
the tumult, fent foldiers to take him by force from the 
midft of them, and to bring him back into the caftle. 
During the fucceeding night Chrift appeared to Paul in 
a vifion, encouraging him with hisapplaufe for the forti¬ 
tude and fidelity which he had difplayed in his fervice, 
and informing him, that as he had maintained his caufe 
at Jerufalem, he was alfo deftined to fupport it at Rome. 
On the following day, more than forty of Paul’s enemies 
entered into a plot to aflaflinate him ; but Lyfias, having- 
been made acquainted with their defign, difappointed 
their malice by fending him away in the night, under 
the fafeguard of a ftrong body of troops, to be condufted 
to Crefarea, the refidence of Felix the governor of Judea, 
to whofe tribunal lie referred the apoftle’s accufers. So 
intent were the enemies of Paul on his ruin, that five 
days after his arrival at Csefarea, Ananias the high-pried 
came to that place, accompanied by fome of the elders 
who were members of the fanhedrim, and an orator, or 
profefied pleader, named Tertullus, in order to profecute 
the prifoner. Accordingly, at a fixed time they appeared 
before the governor ; wheb Tertullus, after an adulatory 
encomium on the adminiftration of Felix, (which it was 
very -far from meriting,) accufed Paul of fedition, of being 
a fedlary, and of profaning the temple; and to thefe charges 
the Jewifti dignitaries gave theiraifent. So ably, however, 
did Paul acquit himfelf in his defence, that he proved the 
accufations of fedition and profaning the Temple to be 
wholly unfupported by evidence. As to the charge of 
his being a feftary, he acknowledged that, after the way 
which they called herefy, he worfliipped the God of his 
fathers; but maintained that by fo doing he was not 
guilty of any crime, fince he believed all things that were 
written in the Law and the Prophets. Upon this, Felix 
deferred giving his judgment upon the matter till he 
fliould have an opportunity of learning further particulars 
from Lyfias; but fo fully convinced was he of Paul’s in¬ 
nocence, that he ordered the centurion who had the care 
of him to allow him every indulgence which was confid¬ 
ent with his fituation as a prifoner, and to admit his 
friends to vifit him without reftridtion. 
Some time after this, Paul was fent for to give a parti¬ 
cular account of his principles as a Chriftian before Felix, 
and his wife DrufiUa who was a Jewefs ; 011 which occa- 
fion he took the opportunity of expatiating with fo much 
energy on the fubjedls of juftice, temperance, and the 
judgment to come, that Felix, who was notorious for his 
oppreftton 
