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and train, and a number of the principal people, Paul was once more brought forth to speak in public for himself. On this occasion he addressed himself particularly to Agrippa; and, having expressed his satisfaction that he was permitted to speak before one who was so well acquainted with the laws and customs of the Jews, he related the cause of his present confinement. He professed his faith and hope in the Scriptures, and then, as he had done before, he gave him an account of the extraordinary means by which he had been changed from a persecutor to a follower of Jesus, in his journey to Damascus. His defence therefore (as has been formerly observed) was rather experimental than argumentative, and made very different impressions upon his hearers. Festus, who seems to have had a good opinion of his sincerity and intention, yet, supposing no man in his sober senses could believe such a strange story, interrupted him in his narration, and, with an air, rather of pity than indignation, said, Paul, thou art beside thyself! -much learning hath "made thee mad!" A similar judgement is passed, by

Acts, xxvi.

Speaking of his past conduct towards the disciples, he calls it madness; being exceedingly, or (as we express it) raging mad against them. A man in this state will assault any person he meets, he waits for no provocation, listens to no entreaty, regards no consequences. Thus the apostle judged of himself when a persecutor of the church; and the spirit of persecution in every age has been the same. May God restore those to their right minds who are governed by it!

His answer to Festus is expressed with much accuracy and precision. "I am not mad, most noble Festus! but speak forth (awa"pleyyoua) the words of truth and soberness." Madness discovers. itself either in the apprehension of a false object, or in the false apprehension of a true one. The things he spoke of were true in themselves, and his ideas of them just and proportionate.

too many, upon all who profess an acquaintance with the life of faith in an unseen Jesus; but, ordinarily, now the effect is not ascribed to the excess of learning, but to the want of it: as, on the other hand, a man who maintains the wildest absurdities, puts his judgement and understanding to little hazard in the world's esteem, if his chimeras are set off with a competent apparatus of literature. Agrippa, however, was differently affected, especially when Paul made a bold appeal to himself, concerning the notoriety of the facts which had lately happened, and the truth of the prophecies with which they were connected. Here the power of truth triumphed again; and Agrippa was so struck, that, without regarding the numerous assembly, or the displeasure such a declaration might give both to Jews and Romans, particularly to Festus, who had expressed his sentiment just before, he gave way to thẻ emotions of his mind, and said aloud, "Almost thou "persuadest me to be a Christian." Yet this was but an involuntary conviction; it did honour to the apostle, but was of no benefit to himself. And the concession which, at first view, seems to proceed from an ingenuous spirit, when closely examined, amounts but to this, that though Agrippa was, indeed, convinced of the truth, his heart was so attached to the present evil world, that he had neither courage nor will to follow it: as when we say of a picture, It looks almost alive, we do not mean, strictly, that there is any more life in the painting, than in the canvass on which it is drawn, but only that the resemblance is strong; so the almost Christian, however specious in his professions, is still destitute of that living principle which alone can enable him to make them good, and is, in reality, an utter stranger to true Christianity. In the graceful return

the apostle made to the king's acknowledgement, he hinted at this defect, wishing that both Agrippa, and all who heard him, were not only almost, but altogether, as he was himself, with an exception to the chains he wore for the cause of the Gospel. This answer discovers, in one view, the confidence he had in his cause, the happy frame of his mind, the engaging turn of his address, and his unbounded benevolence. He could wish nothing better, than what he himself felt, to his dearest friends, and he wished nothing worse to his greatest enemies; nay, he wished that his enemies might, if possible, experience all his comforts, without any of his trials. When Festus and Agrippa were withdrawn, they agreed in their opinion, that he had done nothing deserving of death, or even of imprisonment, and that he might have been released, if he had not himself prevented it by appealing to Cæsar.

In consequence of the determination to send him to Rome,' he was committed to the custody of a centurion named Julius, with whom he embarked in a vessel that was on a trading voyage to several parts of the Lesser Asia. Aristarchus, and some other of his friends, went with him; and particularly the evangelist Luke, who seems to have been the inseparable companion of his travels from the first time he was at Troas. They touched the following day at Sidon, where the centurion gave him liberty to refresh himself, and visit his friends. At their next port, Myra, in Lycia, a vessel offering which was bound directly for Italy, they went on board her, In the beginning of this passage they were retarded by contrary winds. At length they reached the island of Crete (now called Candia) and having put into a port, called the Fair-Havens, Paul f Acts, xxvii,

would have persuaded them to have staid there, intimating that as the winter was now advancing, they would meet with many inconveniences and dangers, if they ventured to proceed any farther. Long voyages were seldom attempted during the winter in those days, or for many ages after, till the knowledge of the compass made way for those great improvements in navigation, which now embolden the mariner to sail indifferently at any season of the year. But, it is probable, the apostle's precaution was not merely founded upon the obvious disadvantages of the season, but rather upon an extraordinary pre-intimation of what was soon to happen. But his remonstrance was over.. ruled, the centurion preferring the judgement of the master of the ship, who thought it best, if possible, to reach another haven at the west end of the island, which was thought to be more commodious and safe. than the place Paul proposed. A favourable wind springing up from the south determined their resolves, and they set sail with a good confidence of soon reaching their desired port.

There is little doubt but Paul's case and character had, by this time, engaged the notice of many of his fellow-passengers in the ship. Upon a superficial inquiry, they would learn, that he was the follower of one Jesus, who had been crucified; that he was esteemed a setter-forth of strange gods, and charged with having disturbed the public peace wherever he came. He probably took frequent occasions to speak of his Lord and Master to those about him; and, as he had several companions, the manner of their social worship could hardly pass unobserved; but no emergency had as yet occurred to manifest the solidity and force of his principles to full advantage, and to make it evident to all with whom he sailed, that his God was

far unlike the idols of the Heathens; and that the religion which prompted him to do and suffer so much for the sake of Jesus, was founded not in the imaginations and inventions of men, but in reality and truth. In prosperous circumstances, most people are easily satisfied with their own principles, and are ready to take it for granted, that even the notions received from no better source than tradition or custom, cannot be wrong, or, at least, will not be dangerous; but it is in a season of uncommon distress that the truth and efficacy of vital religion appear with the most incontestable authority. The God who alone can deliver when all hope of safety is taken away, and the religion which can inspire a man with confidence and peace when there is nothing but dismay and confusion around him, will then extort some acknowledgement, even from those who had before thought of them with indifference. From these considerations we may collect one general reason why the Lord, who, by his divine providence, adjusts the time and circumstances of every event, and without whose permission not a sparrow can fall to the ground, permits his faithful people to be so often exercised with severe trials. It is to manifest that their hopes are well grounded; that they have not taken up with words and notions, but have a real and sure support, and can hope and rejoice in God under those pressures which deprive others of all their patience and all their courage; and, on the other hand, to evince that his power and faithfulness are surely engaged on their behalf; that he puts an honour upon their prayers, is near to help them in the time of trouble, and can deliver them out of theirgreatest extremities. We are not then to wonder that this favoured servant of the Lord, after having endured so many sufferings and hardships upon the land, was exposed, in the course of this voyage, to