hast acquitted thyself nobly and faithfully, well done. Another thing in Christ's words suited to cheer Paul's heart, was (2) Information. "So thou must bear witness also at Rome." Paul had long been intensely anxious to visit Rome. "After I had been there" (Jerusalem), says he, "I must also see Rome." (Acts xix. 21.) In his epistles, too, his longings to visit Rome are strongly expressed. (Rom. i. 10; Rom. xv. 23, 24.) Rome, the mistress of the world, the home of poets, heroes, sages, artists, &c., how strongly he desired to be there, to preach Jesus, and the resurrection. Perhaps he had just been thinking that there was no probability of his ever visiting Rome. Perhaps he had given up this longcherished purpose, and had wept bitter tears of disappointment on the wreck of the loved hope. Christ's words assured him, however, that he should yet visit Rome. "For as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome." This advent of Christ to Paul on this night, suggests three general truths :

First: That great trials in duty are no evidence of unfaithfulness. Paul was faithful, yet he was in a dungeon.

Secondly: That trials in duty are contemplated by Christ. The trials of his people are not unforeseen casualties or misfortunes; they are according to his arrangement. He knows where the sufferer is, He approaches him, He speaks to him.

Thirdly That trials in duty do not release us from the obligation to persevere. Paul was now told that he must bear witness also at Rome.

Another thing worthy of our special attention in this record of Paul's departure from Jerusalem for Cæsarea is—

“And when it was day,

II. A CONSPIRACY OF ENEMIES. certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy. And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have

slain Paul. Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain, that he bring him down unto you to-morrow, as though ye would enquire something more perfectly concerning him and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him." Who these "certain of the Jews" were which now banded themselves together against Paul does not appear. Some suppose that they were of the "Sicarii," or cutthroats," with which Judea then abounded. Desperadoes and banditti about this time overran the city, perpetrating deeds of plunder and blood. (Acts xxiii.) The conspiracy formed against Paul was

First: Malignant. Their avowed object was to "kill" him. The sufferings to which he was already subject did not satisfy them. Like wild beasts they thirsted for his blood. The conspiracy was—

Secondly: Determined. "They bound themselves under a curse." In Greek, anathematized themselves; that is, pronounced themselves anathema or cursed of God unless they executed this vow. It means, Let God curse us if we eat or drink before we murder this man. Nothing could express a more invincible resolve. The conspiracy was—

Thirdly Strong. "More than forty" of these sanguinary desperadoes banded themselves together for this purpose. The escape of Paul from the murderous hands of such a combination seemed all but impossible. The conspiracy was

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Fourthly: Cunning. Paul was in the custody of the chief captain, the Roman officer, well guarded. How could they get him into their hands? Only through the Sanhedrim. Hence they applied to the chief priests and elders for the purpose. They inform these Jewish officers of their bloody intent, and they request them that they "signify to the chief captain, that he bring him down to them to-morrow," as though he would have heard something more concerning him. What they meant in their application to these Jewish authorities was this: "We are determined to kill Paul, but being in the charge of the Roman officer, we can get at him only

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through your aid. The Roman officer will deliver him you on the plea that you want to make further judicial inquiries into his case. We ask you, therefore, to do this, and on his way from the castle to the council chamber, we will assassinate him." Whether the chief priests and elders agreed to this or not, one thing is certain, that the very fact that these wretches were emboldened to make such a request to them demonstrates the horrible injustice and immorality that prevailed amongst the rulers of the Jews.

Another thing worthy of our special attention in this record of Paul's departure from Jerusalem for Cæsarea is―

III. THE INTERPOSITION OF PROVIDENCE. In the verses that follow, 16-35, narrating the rescue of Paul, and his safe arrival in Cæsarea, we find Divine Providence doing the two great things which it is ever doing in this worldthwarting the evil and delivering the good.

First We find Providence thwarting the evil. The discovery and the defeat of this malignant plot is told with remarkable minuteness and inartistic simplicity in the following verses: "And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul. Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him. So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee. Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me? And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to-morrow into the council, as though they would enquire somewhat of him more perfectly. But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him and now are they

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ready, looking for a promise from thee. So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See thou tell no man that thou has shewed these things to me."

In the method here recorded by which the purposes of evil men were thwarted, we find four things which generally characterise the procedure of Providence. (1) Simplicity. What was the agency employed? "Paul's sister's son." This is all we know of the family of Paul. Here is a young man probably uninfluential and obscure who does the work. It has ever been Heaven's plan to employ apparently insignificant means for the accomplishment of great ends. (2) Unexpectedness. Little did the conspirators expect that their plan would be defeated by an obscure youth; little did Paul expect that deliverance would come for him from such a quarter. Yet so it is, means often most unlikely are employed to accomplish important results. The waters of heavenly mercy often come to men from rocky Horebs. (3) Naturalness. The whole is beautifully natural. It was natural for Paul's nephew, having heard of the malignant plot, to seek access, to his uncle and to warn him of it. It was natural for his uncle to dispatch him to the chief captain to impart the intelligence to him. It was natural for the chief captain, as a man of justice and honour, to feel and act as he did. Thus God acts, as a rule, in all his procedure with men. Here

Secondly: We find Providence delivering the good. Here is a history of Paul's deliverance :-" And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Cæsarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night; and provide. them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor. And he wrote a letter after this manner Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting. This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them: then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman. And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council;

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whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds. And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell. Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris. On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle: who, when they came to Cæsarea, and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him. And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia; I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment-hall." These verses show

First: That he secured a safe journey to Cæsarea. It was night when they started; the road was intricate and perilousa distance of upwards of sixty miles, but he was well guarded. A detachment of four hundred and seventy brave and wellarmed soldiers were appointed as an escort, to protect him against murderous plots, and all manner of violence. God's resources are greater than the devil's. There were forty murderers in quest of Paul's life, but God raised nearly five hundred brave soldiers to protect him. are for us than they that are against us.

of the Lord encamps round about them delivers them. These verses show

More are they that Truly, "the angel that fear him," and

Secondly: That he secured a good introduction to the Roman judge. The letter that was written by Claudius Lysias to Felix, whilst complimenting the governor, expressed the unrighteous persecutions to which Paul had been subject, and the dangers to which he had been exposed, and by implication indicated his own belief as to the apostle's innocence as to the charges that were brought against him. The result of the letter on the mind of the governor was this:"I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come.