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brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which

14 And

14 As the ox kicketh against the goad to his hurt, so man cannot oppose the will of God without in

juring his soul.

Saul, why persecutest thou me? 15 Hear this, thou who plottest secretly against the usefulness, or the influence, or the peace of God's servants. Thou offendest not the disciple, but his Lord; not man, but servant, but his Master; not the God. "It is Jesus whom thou persecutest." (See ix. 4.)

16 Blessed hour! when conviction of sin and unworthiness bends the

guilty soul to earth in deep humi-
liation. Thence may it hope to rise,
and through Christ stand at last
complete in righteousness.
thee from the people, and from

18 What an encouragement to search the Scriptures, and look therein for

our inheritance !

journeyed with me. when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; delivering the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, 18 to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: but shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judæa, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went 22 Every sincere Christian has help about to kill me. Having from God. therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. 26 For the 26 St. Paul perceived the effect of king knoweth of these things, his eloquence upon the king, and before whom also I speak pressed it most skilfully.

22

27 Agrippa, as a Jew, might justly be supposed familiar with the prophetical writings.

28 Art thou a Christian in deed and in truth-or, art thou only almost a Christian? What saith conscience! 29 The apostle is eminently courteous *.

freely for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. 28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. 29 And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds. And when be had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them: and when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds. S2 Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at unto Cæsar.

32 A striking instance of the force of truth! The observation of Agrippa virtually pronounced the apostle free. liberty, if he had not appealed

CHAPTER XXVII.
APRIL 30, AUGUST 29, DEC. 30.

1 St. Luke was an eye witness upon this occasion. Hence the fidelity and vivid description of the scenes he describes.

1 1 AND when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band. And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with 3 In so great respect was held the us. 3 And the next day we apostle's high character! Virtue touched at Sidon. And Ju- ever carries with it true dignity, and wins for itself esteem. lius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself. And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.

* True courtesy is founded upon the principle laid down by our blessed Lord, and carried out by his apostles-" Do unto others, as you would they should do unto you," were each to exchange situations with the

other.

And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone; and, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea. 9 The Jewish fast of expiation. It 9 Now when much time was was held about the end of Septemspent, and when sailing was ber. (Lev. xvi. 29.) now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, and said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul. And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west. 13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat: which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; and the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. 20 And when 20 The mariner's compass was then not known. A ship's course was steered by the stars.

neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small

13 So in the voyage of life, when the gentle gale of prosperity blows upon us, we think not that storm and tempest may be nigh at hand. Happy, if, like St. Paul, we have secured the favour of God.

tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Cæsar: and, lo, God hath

:

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25 Faith assures us, even when troubled and tempest-tossed, that we are never out of the divine protection.

31 Their services were required to work the ship for though God's providence saved their lives, they

given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country; and sounded, and found it twenty fathoms and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms. Then fearing lest they should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship. 31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. 32 Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off. 33 And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. 35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in pre

36

34

sence of them all and when
he had broken it, he began
to eat. Then were they all
of good cheer, and they also
took some meat. And we were
threescore and sixteen souls.

And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea. And when it

were themselves to take all available means for their own safety. So in spiritual concerns - God's grace

saves us, but man's holiness must be exercised.

32 In times of imminent danger

there is a ready deference paid to superior minds.

33 They had taken very little.

34 Thus complete was St. Paul's faith in the particular providence of God. A greater than St. Paul hath assured us, that "not a hair of our head perisheth, but God knoweth it altogether." (Matt. x. 30.)

35 What a dignified calmness and serenity! In the prospect of death, he takes not food without first pray

ing divine blessing on it.

36 The example of a good and great man, calm in danger and adversity, is a powerful support to weaker minds in their trials.

in all in the ship two hundred 38 Is life so precious, that in the hope of saving it we cast away 23 worthless, in comparison, the very means of life? What shall not a man lose," rather than lose his own soul?

solved and holy faith!
40 A noble instance this, of a re-

AUGUST 30, Dec. 31. was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship. 10 And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoisted up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which

43

43 Even one righteous-how is he blessing and blest! God blessing him, and others in him—for Jesus'

sake.

could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to

44 The good Providence of God fulfilled his servant's word. (Ver. 22.) And so it came to pass, that they

land: "and the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. escaped all safe to land.

The best of men are liable to the storms and tempests of life. Nay, we are all baptized thereto-launched upon the waves of this troublesome world. But we have hope, sure and stedfast, that through Him, in whom we are baptized, those waves may so be passed, that we at last 66 come to the land of everlasting life," in safety and in joy.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

MAY 2, AUGUST 30, Dec. 31.

And

AND when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita *. 2 The Romans termed all foreigners barbarians.

the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they

A feeling that there will be some retribution to the wicked, is natural

to all mankind +.

said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer,

Melita, or Malta, is an island between Africa and Sicily. Being a colony of Carthaginians, an African people, their language was of a mixed character, and themselves held to be barbarians-the term "barbarian" implying here not fierceness of spirit, but strangeness of nation. +Jesus has told us how to regulate this feeling. (Luke xiii. 4.) Our

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