Page images
PDF
EPUB

In the hour when he was betrayed into the hands of his persecutors, his disciples, as foretold in the third verse, "hid their faces from him," for they all "forsook him and fled." The fourth and fifth verses, as we have already shown in a former chapter, accurately describe the sufferings of our gracious Redeemer from the malice of his persecutors, and in the seventh verse we find a faithful picture of his conduct before the Sanhedrim, where, though many false witnesses rose up against him, "he answered not a word." The eighth and ninth verses foretel not merely the crucifixion, but also the minute circumstance that he was crucified between two thieves, while the second clause of the ninth verse predicts the extraordinary, and, to human probability, the almost incredible, fact that, though his death was with the transgressors, his grave should be with the rich, which, as we have seen, was fulfilled when Joseph of Arimathea deposited the body of our Lord in his own family sepulchre. The eleventh verse was fulfilled by Christ's glorious resurrection and ascension, previous to which he saw "his seed," the disciples, his children in the gospel, renewed in hope and confirmed in faith. He saw "of the travail of his soul," when his followers declared their readiness

to undertake their glorious mission, the conversion of mankind. And the prophetic declaration of the last verse is in the course of being realized by the gradual spread of Christ's kingdom over all the nations of the earth.

"Waft, waft, ye winds, his story,
And you, ye oceans, roll,
Till, like a sea of glory,

It spreads from pole to pole;
Till o'er our conquer'd nature
The Lamb for sinners slain-
Redeemer, King, Creator-

In bliss returns to reign."

The Ethiopian was so convinced by the reasoning of Philip that he immediately asked to be baptized; after which he returned into his own country, rejoicing.

CHAPTER XXII.

THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL.

Preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles.

WE saw in the account of the martyrdom of St. Stephen that the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul, who thus gave his assent to the murder of the first martyr. Saul, who is more commonly known by the name of Paul, was a very jealous Pharisee, and had been instructed by Gamaliel in all the learning of the Jewish law. Animated by a furious hatred of the Christians, he resolved to follow those who had fled to Damascus to escape the persecutions at Jerusalem, and procured letters from the Chief Priest to the synagogue at that city, authorizing him to bring the Christians in fetters to Jerusalem. On his road, a bright emanation of heavenly light struck him to the earth, while a celestial voice was heard, saying, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" In great awe and terror he asked, "Who art thou, Lord ?" and the same voice replied,

"I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest; it is hard for thee to resist the compunctions of conscience." He was then directed to proceed into the city, where he should receive further commands. The dazzling effect of the heavenly light deprived him of sight; he was led to Damascus by his attendants, where he continued three days in darkness without eating or drinking. At the end of that time, God sent a Christian disciple named Ananias, who restored him to sight and received him into the church.

Saul, or, as he began henceforth to be called, Paul, began to preach the Gospel boldly to the great amazement and confusion of the Jews, who were so enraged at his desertion that they resolved to kill him. The disciples however conveyed him out of Damascus in a basket at night; he came to Jerusalem, but was for a long time viewed with suspicion by the Christians there, who remembered that he had been among the most virulent of their persecutors. His perseverance and manifest sincerity finally overcame these prejudices; he was not only received into the community, but finally elevated to the dignity of an apostle. His own account of his extraordinary conversion, contained in his Epistle to the Corinthians, is very interesting. "I certify you, brethren, that the Gospel which was

preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not. Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; and was unknown by face unto the churches of Judea which were in Christ: but they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. And they glorified God in me.”

« PreviousContinue »