this the Jews confirm'd by declaring it was all fact.

or let these now declare, if they could convict me of any misdemeanor, when I was brought before the Sanhedrim:

but as he was treating of justice, temperance, and a future judgment, Felix greatly alarm'd, said, "withdraw for the present; and when I am at leisure, I will send for you."

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.

Festus answer'd, that Paul was in custody at Cesarea, where he design'd to be himself e'er long:

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

I told them, it was not the custom of the Romans to deliver up any man, till he was accus'd and confronted by his accusers, and had an opportunity of pleading to the charge.

they objected certain articles that related only to their superstition, and to one Jesus that was dead, but Paul asserted he was alive.

On the morrow Agrippa and Bernice came in great state, and being introduc'd into the court attended by the officers and the principal men of the city, Festus gave the word, and Paul was brought to the Bar.

what course of life I led at Jerusalem, where I was brought up from my youth among those of my own nation, is known to all the Jews.

where numbers of converts I threw into jail, by warrant from the high priests: and when they were put to death, I myself was an accomplice.

it was I that persecuted them from synagogue to synagogue, and tortured them even to blaspheme: and in the transport of my rage I pursued them to foreign cities.

with such views, authorized by commission from the high priests, I was on the road to Damascus:

that he should be the first that was to rise from the dead: and that he should enlighten both the Jews and the Gentiles."

As he was thus making his defence, Festus broke out into this exclamation, "Paul, you are mad: much study has turn'd your brain."

When it was resolv'd, that we should sail for Italy, Paul and other prisoners were delivered to the custody of one Julius, a centurion of

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.

having lost a good deal of time, and sailing being now dangerous, for the fast was now over, Paul gave them this warning,

It was the fourteenth night that we had been driving up and down in the Adriatick sea, when the ship's crew about midnight suspected they were making to land:

when falling into the confluence of two currents, they ran the ship a-ground: where the fore-castle stuck fast and would not give, but her stern was shatter'd by the violence of the waves.

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.

the brethren there having had news of us, came as far as Appiiforum, and the Three inns to meet us: whom when Paul saw, he gave thanks to God, and was greatly encourag'd.

Upon our arrival at Rome, the centurion deliver'd the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was allow'd to be at private lodgings, under the custody of a soldier.

three days after, Paul sent for the chief of the Jews: and when they were assembled, he said to them, "my brethren, tho' I have done nothing against the Jews, or against the customs of our fathers, I was made a prisoner at Jerusalem, and put into the hands of the Romans:

who, after my examination, would have discharg'd me, as having done nothing that was capital.

but the Jews opposing it, I was oblig'd to appeal to the emperor: not having however any design to accuse them.

with relation to his son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was of the lineage of David as to his body,

and the men unnaturally leaving the sex, were inflamed with mutual passions, which they shamefully indulged, and received in their own persons, the retribution that was justly due to such enormities.

for if Abraham was justified by works, he had matter of pretension, whereas he had no such claim from God.

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

Is this happiness then for the circumcised only, or for the uncircumcised also? for we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.

how was it then accounted? whilst he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? he was not then circumcised, but uncircumcised:

Besides, the promise that he should possess the world, was not made to Abraham, or to his posterity in consideration of the law, but with regard to the righteousness by faith.

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:"

he was not incredulously diffident of the divine promise; but was strong in faith, and did honour to God,

by the full persuasion he had, that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

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,

who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

sin indeed was in the world all the time before the law: but then sin is not punished when there is no law.

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.

neither is the gift, as was the fall by one sin: for the sentence of condemnation, was for one offence; but the divine favour extends to justification from a multitude of sins.

the law was introduc'd, that the greatness of the fall might fully appear; but the more sin display'd its enormity, the divine favour was so much the more transcendent.

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.

Do we then conclude, that the law is the cause of sin? by no means; but I should not have had such a notion of sin, had it not been for the law: for I should not have known concupiscence was a sin, unless the law had said, "thou shalt not covet."

then it was I once liv'd secure; but when the prohibition came, sin exerted it self, and I was in a dying condition:

and the commandment which leads to life was instrumental to my ruin.

was it then good that brought death upon me? no, but it was sin, that sin might show it self by being able to bring death upon me by means of that which is good; that sin, I say, by the commandment might appear to be exceedingly destructive.

for whom he before approv'd, he predispos'd to follow the example of his son, who was to conduct them all as their elder brother;

it was said to her, "the elder shall serve the younger."

as he saith himself in Osee, "I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her, beloved, which was not beloved.

and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, ye are not my people; there shall they be called, the children of the living God."

for the end of the law was to bring men to Christ, that every one who believeth, might be justified.

For Moses describes the justice that was to be had by the law, thus : "the man who performeth the things here required, shall have life thereby."

but Esaias is more express, and says, "I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest to them that asked not after me.

for if you were taken from the wild olive, which was natural to you, to be grafted into a good olive-stock of a different nature, with how much greater reason shall these who are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive-tree?

now whatever was heretofore writ, was writ for our instruction; that we through patience and the comfortable promises of the scriptures might have hope.

wherefore be kindly affected to one another, as Christ was to you, that you might glorify God.

for I tell you, that Jesus Christ was a minister to the Jews, to manifest the veracity of God in fulfilling the promises made to the fathers:

I have effectually preached the gospel of Christ: yet so as studiously to avoid preaching it where Christ was owned, lest I should build upon another man's foundation; for,

as it is written, "they to whom he was not mentioned, shall see: and they that have not heard, shall understand."

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,

whereby the testimony we gave concerning Christ was confirmed among you.

and I of Christ." is the school of Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were you baptized into the name of Paul?

As for me, my brethren, when I appear'd among you, it was not to represent to you the divine mystery in sublime language, and with human literature.

for I did not think I was to have any other knowledge among you, than that of Christ, a crucified saviour.

I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in great agony:

for though you may have ten thousand christian preceptors, you cannot have many fathers; since it was I that first instructed you in the gospel of Christ Jesus:

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,

but my meaning was, not to keep company with any christian known to be vicious, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or rapacious, no not even to eat with such a one.

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.

let every man continue in the same state he was in when he turn'd christian.

brethren, let every man conscientiously continue in the state he was in when he was converted.

and all drank the same spiritual drink: (for they drank of what flowed from the spiritual rock: and that rock was Christ.)

but with the greater part God was not well pleased: for their carcasses were strown in the wilderness.

or prophesies with her head uncovered, dishonoureth the man who is her head: for it is the same thing as if her head was shav'd.

for the man was not taken from the woman: but the woman from the man.

nor was the man copied from the woman: but the woman from the man.

for as the woman was taken from the man, so man is born of the woman: and all are from God.

on the contrary, such is an ornament to a woman: because it was given her as a sort of veil.

For I received it from the Lord, and I inform'd you of it: that the Lord Jesus, the night in which he was betrayed, took bread:

when I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I reasoned as a child: but when I became a man, I laid aside my childish ways.

What, did the gospel take its rise from you? or was it communicated to you alone?

that he was buried, and rose again the third day, as the scriptures foretold:

that he was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve:

after that, he was seen by above five hundred brethren at once: of whom the greater part remain alive to this day, but some are now dead.

after that he was seen by James; then by all the apostles.

and last of all, he was seen by me too, who am as it were an abortive;

it is by the divine favour that I am what I am: and his favour to me was not in vain; no, I laboured more than they all: yet it was not I, it was the divine favour which assisted me.

for if the dead are not raised, then was not Christ raised:

and if Christ was not raised, your faith is meer illusion, your sins are not yet forgiven.

besides, my engaging with those monsters, as I may say, at Ephesus, what advantage was it to me? if the dead don't rise, "let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die."

and so it is written, the first man Adam was made an animating soul, the last Adam was made a vivifying spirit.

but the spiritual body was not first, but the animal; and afterwards the spiritual.

the first man was formed from the dust of the earth: the second man was from heaven.

as was the terrestrial, such are they also that are terrestrial: and as is the celestial, such also shall they be who are to be celestial.

the sting of death was sin; and the strength of sin was the law.

I am glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus are come: for what was wanting on your side, they have supplied.

was this design therefore the effect of levity? or do I design first one thing, and then another, as it best suits my worldly interest?

I call God to witness, and may I die if it is not true, that the reason of my not coming yet to Corinth, was to avoid using any severity towards you.