and the Scribes taking part with the Pharisees, grew warm in the debate, and said, "we find no harm in this man; perhaps a spirit or an angel has spoke to him."

but the tumult growing worse, the tribune apprehensive that Paul might be torn to pieces among them, order'd detachment to secure him by force of arms, and bring him to the castle.

The night following, the Lord appear'd to him, and said, Paul, take courage; for the same remonstrances that you have made concerning me at Jerusalem, you must likewise make at Rome.

if you will move it then to the tribune in the name of the Sanhedrim, to send him here to-morrow, under colour of examining his affair with more solemnity, we shall take care to dispatch him, and make a short end of his journey."

who having sent for one of the centurions, said, introduce this young man to the tribune, for he has something to communicate to him.

accordingly he went along with him, and having introduc'd him to the tribune, he said, Paul, who is in custody sent for me, and desired me to introduce this young man, who has something to tell you.

then the tribune taking him by the hand, retir'd with him in private, and ask'd, what he had to say.

the Jews, said he, have agreed to desire you would send Paul down to-morrow to the council, under the pretext of examining him more strictly.

but don't believe them: for above forty of them lie in ambush, having bound themselves by oath not to eat or drink till they have kill'd him: they are already prepar'd, and only wait your answer.

let them take care to see Paul mounted, and convoy him safe to governour Felix.

The Jews having seiz'd this man, were just upon the point to dispatch him, when I march'd with a body to his rescue;

having been informed he was a Roman, I had him brought before their Sanhedrim, to hear what crime they laid to his charge.

and having intelligence that the Jews had form'd a conspiracy against him, I immediately sent him to you, directing his accusers to lay their charge before you. farewel.

The soldiers pursuant to order took Paul, and conducted him by night to Antipatris.

on the morrow they march'd back to the castle, having left him to the custody of the horse:

who upon their arrival at Cesarea, delivered the letter to the governour, and presented Paul to him.

said he, when your accusers are come: and then order'd him to the guard-room at Herod's palace.

and has attempted to prophane the temple: we secur'd him, and would have try'd him by our law:

but general Lysias interpos'd, and with open force took him out of our hands,

ordering his accusers to appear before you. if you please to interrogate him yourself, you will find the whole charge to be truly laid."

Felix then order'd a centurion to take Paul into his custody, without confining him so as to hinder his friends from waiting upon him.

some time after he came to Cesarea with his wife Drusilla, a Jewess, when sending for Paul, he heard him discourse about the Christian faith.

this he frequently did, and convers'd with him upon the presumption that Paul would have

offer'd him mony in order to obtain his discharge. but two years after he was succeeded by Porcius Festus, who to oblige the Jews left Paul under confinement.

when the high priest and the chief of the Jews waited upon him with an information against Paul,

"desiring the favour he might be sent for to Jerusalem." they having prepar'd measures to assassinate him upon the road.

Having staid above eight, nay ten days, he went to Cesarea, and on the morrow mounting the tribunal, he order'd Paul to be brought before him.

but Festus willing to oblige the Jews ask'd him, will you consent to go to Jerusalem, and take your trial before me there?

and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and senators of the Jews made their appearance, and demanded to have justice against him.

when his accusers appear'd, they did not charge him with any such crimes as I imagined they would.

being at a loss how to determine such an affair, I ask'd him if he would go to Jerusalem, and take his tryal there.

but Paul having made his appeal, insisting to have his cause refer'd to the cognizance of the emperor, I order'd him into custody, till I could send him to Cesar.

thereupon Agrippa told Festus, he himself should be glad to hear the man. to-morrow, said Festus, you shall hear him.

but finding he had done nothing that deserv'd death, I have resolved to send him to the emperor, to whom he had appealed.

as I have no certain account to communicate to the emperor my master, I caus'd him to appear before this assembly, and before you, king Agrippa, in particular, that after he is examin'd, I may know how to represent the affair;

the next day we touch'd at Sidon, where the centurion, who was very civil to Paul, gave him leave to go, and refresh himself at his friends.

the barbarians seeing the venomous creature hang fast to his hand, said to one another, this man is a murderer, no doubt; for, escaped from the wreck, the divine justice still pursues him to death.

however, they expected to have seen him swell, or suddenly die away. but when they had waited a good while, and saw no harm come to him, they were of another opinion, and said he was a God.

Publius's father happening then to lie sick of a fever, and a dysentery, Paul made him a visit, pray'd by him, gave him imposition of hands, and cur'd him.

Having therefore set him a day, they came in great numbers to his lodgings; where he explain'd and confirm'd the reality of the gospel-dispensation, from morning to night, enforcing what the writings of Moses and the prophets had affirm'd concerning Jesus.

After this, Paul staid two whole years in a house he had hired, and gave access to all that visited him,

because when they knew God, they did not with gratitude glorify him as God, but their reasoning became extravagance, and their minds, void of judgment, were involv'd in darkness.

As they did not seek the favour of God, by worshipping him, God gave them over to a depraved sense, to act unworthy of human nature;

I say, his goodness at this time: that he might appear to be just, and the justifier of him who believes in Jesus.

for what saith the scripture? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness."

the reward is not counted as a favour to him that has done good actions, but as a debt:

he it was who against hope believed in hope, that he should become the father of many nations, according to what was told him, "so shall thy posterity be:"

and therefore it was accounted to him for righteousness.

now this saying, "that it was accounted to him," was not written for his sake alone,

but for us also, to whom it shall be accounted, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,

much more then being now justified by his blood, shall we thro' him be delivered from the wrath to come.

the type of him that was to come: but yet the damage of the fall does not exactly correspond to the advantages of the divine favour: for tho' through the fall of one, mankind became mortal, yet this is greatly over-ballanced by the favour and bounty of God, in the benevolence of one man, Jesus Christ, to all mankind.

therefore we are buried with him by being plunged into a sort of death: that as Christ was raised up from the dead into a state of glory with the father, even so we also should proceed to a new state of life.

for if we resembled him with regard to death, certainly we shall likewise do so with regard to his resurrection:

considering this, that our vicious passions were crucified with him, that the body of sin being destroyed, we might not any longer be vassals to sin.

since then we died with Christ, we are persuaded that we shall also live with him:

knowing that Christ being raised from the dead, is to die no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

thus, my brethren, the law is become dead with respect to you by the body of Christ; that you might be subject to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

for if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead, dwell in you; he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall likewise restore your mortal bodies to life, by his spirit that dwelleth in you.

and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; although we now suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.

who were not, by their own choice, expos'd to this uncertain state, but by virtue of him, who subjected them thereto:

he that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, will he not with him likewise freely give us all things?

yet after all we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us.

so that this is a matter not dependent on him that wills or runs, but on God, who shews mercy.

nay, but, O man, who art thou, to raise a dust against heaven? shall the pitcher say to him that formed it, "why hast thou made me thus?"

as it is written, "behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone, and a rock of offence: and whosoever believeth in him, shall not be ashamed."

for if you openly confess, that Jesus is the Lord, and sincerely believe, that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.

for the scripture saith, "whosoever believeth on him, shall not be ashamed."

In reality there is no difference between the Jew and the Gentile: they have all the same Lord, who is bountiful to all that call upon him.

But how, say you, shall they call on him on whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?

but what said the oracle to him? "I have reserved to my self seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal."

who hath given any thing to him, and he will repay it?

for of him, and through him, and in him are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

having then different gifts, according to the respective favour bestowed upon us; if it be prophecy, let him prophesy according to the proportion of his gift.

if it be the ministry, let him attend on that ministry; and he that teacheth, on teaching; he that exhorteth,

on exhortation: he that giveth, let him be disinterested; he that presideth, let him be diligent; he that sheweth mercy, let him do it with cheerfulness.

therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing, you will heap coals of fire on his head .

let not him that eateth, despise him that does not; and let not him that refrains, pass censure on him that eateth: for God hath received him.

who art thou that judgest the domestick of another? his staying or removal depends solely upon his master: yea, he shall be fixed: for God is able to establish him.

let us not judge one another any more: but rather come to this determination, not to put a stumbling-block, or any thing in a brother's way, that may make him fall.

I know, being fully assured by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: it is only so to him that thinks it is unclean.

do not for such a thing as meat, pull down what God has been raising. all things indeed are pure; but they become evil to him who by eating giveth offence.

and elsewhere, praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles, and laud him, all ye people."

besides Esaias saith, "there shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles hope."

Now to him that is able to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, conformable to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret from antient times, but now is laid open,

in your being enriched by him in every gift, with all that light and knowledge,

for from him it is that ye believe in Christ Jesus, whom God has made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that,

but, as it is written, "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entred into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

for who knows the thoughts of a man, but the spirit of man which is in him? even so the thoughts of God no one can know, but the spirit of God.

but the animal man does not receive the effusions of the spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him; neither can he understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

if any man divide the temple of God, him shall God destroy: for you, who are the temple of God, are consecrated to him.

let no man deceive himself: if any among you pretends to worldly wisdom, let him commence fool, in order to be truly wise.

this you have made a matter of levity, instead of being concern'd in discarding him that has done such an action.

as for me, though I am absent in person, yet being present by my authority, with regard to him that has committed this fact, I am come to the same resolution, as if I was present,

to deliver him up to satan, to suffer corporal punishment, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ.

but he that is attach'd to the Lord, is united to him by one and the same spirit.

But as to the other cases, which were not decided by the Lord; I say, if any brother has a pagan wife, who likes to live with him, let him not put her away.

and if a woman has a pagan husband, who likes to live with her, let her not leave him.

but if the infidel will separate, let him go: a brother or a sister is not inslaved in such cases. but God has called us to peace; for how do you know,

Whatever condition God has allotted to any man, let him go on in the same state he was in when he became a christian: this I give as a standing rule to all churches.