40 XX. Acts He declares the service for which he designed him. name before the Gen SECT. Sovereign determinations; Go thy way, and ex- for he is a chosen vessel ecute immediately that message of mercy with unto me, to bear my which I have charged thee, for how great and tiles, and kings, and IX. 15. aggravated soever his former transgressions may the children of Israel. have been, I assure thee that this very man is to me a chosen vessel, whom I have by my free and sovereign grace ordained to bear my name as an apostle, and to preach my gospel; the truth of which he shall maintain with the greatest fidelity and courage before the Gentile nations and their kings, and before the children of Israel, and shali be made an instrument of eminent ser16 vice: For I will immediately introduce him into a scene of action quite different from what him, how great things he hath hitherto known, and will shew him how many things he who has done so much to oppose and injure my cause must at length suffer for my name; and he shall undergo them all with such cheerfulness, as shall render him an example to my saints in all the remotest ages of my church. 16 For I will shew he must suffer for my name's sake. 17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; 17 And upon this Ananias presumed not to object any farther, but with all readiness and joy undertook the message: He went therefore, and and putting his hands entered into the house to which he had been so on him, said, Brother particularly directed; and being introduced to Saul, the Lord (even Je us that appeared the person whom he was sent to visit, and laying unto thee in the way his hands upon him, he said, My dear brother as thou camest) hath Saul, for I most readily own thee under that sent relation, the Lord, [even] Jesus who appeared to thee on the way as thou camest hither to Damascus, hath sent me that thou mightest receive thy c A chosen vessel.] Beza justly observes, that an instrument of building, agriculture, &c. is often in Greek called ox; and the word may very probably have that signification here. One would think, none who knew Saul's character before his conversion could imagine, there was so much merit and excellence in it, as that he should on this account be spoken of by Christ, as a choice or singular valuable person: (Compare 1 Tim. i. 13-15.) Yet this has been hinted of late, though the apostle speaks of himself as separated from his mother's womb, Gal. i. 15, which, in concurrence with many other Scriptures, shews, how much more natural and reasonable it is, to acquiesce in the obvious and common interpretation we have given. d Before the Gentile nations, &c.] Ananias could not infer from hence, that the gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles, while they continued uncircumcised, and so sight, me that thou mightest receive thy sight, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, &c. (a mystery, which Peter did not yet know;) for Christ might have used these expressions, had Paul been brought before Heathen kings for preaching him as the Messiah to the Jews and proselytes. e I will shew him how many things he must suffer, &c.] If (as Grotius seems to think,) this intimates that Saul should presently have a revelation, and perhaps a visionary representation of all his sufferings among Jews and Gentiles, by land and sea, in tumults and imprisonments, of which this book and his epistles give so large a description: it must appear a most heroic instance of courage and zeal, that with such a view he should offer himself to baptism, and go on so Never steadily in his ministerial work. sure was there, on that supposition, an exacter image of Jesus, who so resolutely persevered in his work, though he knew all things that were to come upon him. Something ACTS XXII. 14. hath chosen thee, that Saul recovers his sight, and is baptized. XX. 41 sight, and be filled with sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit, which SECT. the Holy Ghost. shall be poured out upon thee in a miraculous wav, before I leave this place. "For the God Acts The God of our fathers of our fathers hath, in his secret and mysterious XXII.14 thou shouldst know his counsels, fore-ordained thee to know his will, will, and see that Just and to see that righteous person whom our unOne, and shouldst hear grateful nation hath crucified, and to hear as the voice of his mouth. thou hast done the voice from his own mouth, though he be now returned to the celestial 15 For thou shalt be glory: For thou shalt be his faithful and success- 15 his witness unto all ful witness, and shalt be employed to testify unto men, of whatahou hast all men the truth of those things which thou hast already seen and heard, and of those which he shall hereafter reveal unto thee. And now, why 16 dost thou delay a moment longer? Arise, and be baptized, and thereby express thy desire to wash away thy sins, invoking the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that illustrious and div.ne name, which thou hast formerly opposed and blasphemed." seen and heard. 16 And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. ACTS IX. 18. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had ceived sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. ben scales; and he re Acts And immediately, as soon as Ananias had entered the place and laid his hands upon him, IX. 18. there fell from his eyes [something] like scales'; and he presently recovered his sight, and upon this arose, and was baptized: And presently after this, he received the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirits, by which he was much more particularly instructed in the contents of the gospel, and fitted to communicate it with the greatest 19 And when he had advantage to others. And having received 19 food, after a long abstinence, he was quickiv strengthened received t Something like scales.] Perhaps the outward coat of his eyes might be scorched with the lightning; and what fell from them might have some resemblance to the small scales of fishes.Grotius thinks, this was an emblem of the darkness and prejudice, which before veiled his eyes; and their falling off intimated the clearer views of divine things, which he should for the future enjoy. He received the Holy Spirit ] We are sure from ver. 12, that the laying on of Ananins' hands was introductory to Saul's receiving his sight; and, as this is connected with his receiving the Holy Spirit in ver. 17. it is reasonable to conclude, that they were both conferred at this time. Yet it seems evident, that the recovery of his sight preceded, and the effusion of the Spirit followed, his baptism; so that Ananias must have laid hands on him twice, if that action of his attended the descent of the Spirit on Saul: and it is the more probable it did not, as we do not elsewhere find, that any but the Immediately 42 XX. He immediately preaches Christ at Damascus. -Then was Saul cer ciples which were at Damascus. 20 And straightway he preached Christ in 21 But all that heard him were amazed, and SECT. strengthened, and recovered his former health received meat, he was and vigour; which it was his immediate care to strengthened.— Acts employ in the service of his new master. IX. 19. And as things now appeared to Saul in quite another light than they had done before, his tain days with the disdisposition was entirely changed: and he associated with those whom he had come to persecute, and was for several days with the disciples 20 at Damascus. And immediately after his conversion, he preached Christ in the Synagogues", the Synagogues, that with great freedom and zeal, and proved by in- he is the Son of God. contestable arguments that he is the Son of God, 21 And all that heard him were astonished, and said, Is not this he who in Jerusalem was so exceeding sid, Is not this he that zealous in his opposition to this way, as to spread destroyed them which desolation among them who called on this very called on this name in name? and who came hither also to this end, Jerusalem, and came that he might seize on all the followers of Jesus, that he might bring whom he could find, and carry them bound to them bound unto the the chief priests? Whence then proceeds such chief priests? 22 an unaccountable change? But Saul, per- 22 But Saul inceiving there was such particular notice taken creased the more in of the matter, and hoping that his testimony ed the Jews which might have so much the more weight, in conse- dwelt at Damascus, quence of the knowledge which they had of proving that this is the his former character, was strengthened and ani- very Christ. mated so much the more in his zeal and activity; and confounded the unbelieving Jews that dwelt at Damascus, confirming and evincing with the fullest evidence, that this Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Messiah. 23 And when many days were fulfilled, in which several events happened which are elsewhere hinted at; and particularly, after he had made an excursion into Arabia to spread the gospel there, and returned to Damascus again, (Gal. i. 16-18,) the Jews, finding it was impossible to answer his arguments, or to damp his zeal, resolved to attempt another way to silence him, and, that they might effectually accomplish it conspired h Immediately he preached Christ, &c.] Dr. Welis (Script. Geog. Vol. III. p. 375, & in loc./ says, that, as soon as Saul had strength to go any where abroad, he retired into the desart of Arabia, where he supposes him to have been favoured with the full revelation of Christianity, and to have spent some considerable time in devotion; after which he returned to Damascus, and preached; which he argues from Gal. i. 16, 17. But that scems inconsistent with what hither for that intent, strength,and confound 23 And after that many days were fulcounsel to kill him: filled, the Jews took is here said of his preaching immediately. I therefore imagine, his going into Arabia (to which Damascus now belonged,) was his making excursions from that city into the neighbouring parts of the country, and perhaps taking a large circuit about it, which might be his employment between the time in which he began to preach in Damascus, and his quitting it after repeated labours there to go to Jerusalem. i The The Jews conspire to kill him, but he escapes. k XX. 43 24 But their laying conspired to kill him3. But Providence so or- SECT. await was known of dered it, that their designwas happily discovered Saul: and they watched the gates day and and made known to Saul, who therefore kept Acts night to kill him. himself concealed, and would not give them IX. 24. any opportunity to execute their purpose; and though they watched all the gates of the city continually and some assassin or other was waiting at each of them day and night, to attack and murder him if he should offer to retire from thence, yet they could not compass their cruel design. But as his present situation was 25 still judged unsafe, and it was no way proper he should be thus confined, the other disciples of Jesus, anxious to preserve a life of so much value, took him by night, and let him down by the side of the wall in a basket, and so dismissed him; heartily committing him to the divine protection, by the assistance of which he escaped the hands of those blood-thirsty Jews that were lurking about the gates. (2 Cor. xi. 25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. 26 And when Saul was come to Jerusajoin himself to the disciples: but they were lem, he assayed to all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. 32, 33.) And when Saul was come from Damascus to 26 Jerusalem. he immediately attempted to associate with the disciples; but they all feared him, not believing that he, who had signalized himself so much by his rage against the church, was indeed a disciple; but suspecting that the change he professed was an artifice to work himself into their confidence", and by that means death by this indirect method. See Misell. 1 When Saul was come to Jerusalem] The Jews conspired to kill him.] What an amazing instance is this of the malignity of these wretched creatures, that, when so great a persecutor was by a voice and appearance from heaven, converted to Christianity, they should be so far from following his example, that they should attempt to take away his life. In this design they were assisted by the governor of the city under Aretas king of Arabia, (2 Cor. xi. 32, 33,) by whatever revolution it had come into his hands, after having been conquered by the Romans under Pompey: (Jos Antiq. lib. xiv, cap. 2. [al. 4.] 3.) See Dr. Ben-ed with him. son's Hist. Vol. I. p. 196. k They watched all the gates of the city.] This shews, there were great numbers engaged in this bloody design; for Damascus was a large city, and had many gates. It seems that the Jews had not now so much power there, as they had when Saul was dispatched from the Sanhedrim ; otherwise he might have been seized, and carried to Jerusalem, by some such commission as he himself had borne. But they had some interest in Aretas' deputy, and therefore endeavoured to compass his VOL. VIII. F m Suspecting that the change he professed was an artifice, &c.] It may secin strange, that so remarkable an event as Saul's conversion should be concealed so long from the Christians at Jerusalem : But it is to be considered, that there were not then such conveniences of correspondence between one place and another, as we now have; and the war then subsisting between Herod Antipas and Aretas, (Joseph. Antiq. lib. xviii. cap. 5, [al, 7.]§ 1.) might have interrupted that be. tween Damascus and Jerusalem: not to 44 SECT. XX. Acts 27 But Barnabás took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had He comes to Jerusalem, and joins the disciples. means to have it in his power to detect and ruin a greater number of persons. But Barnabas, whose information had been more exIX. 27. press and particular, taking him by the hand with an endearing friendship ", brought him to the apostles Peter and James, the rest being then absent from Jerusalem o; and he related to them how he had seen the Lord Jesus Christ in the preached boldly at way to Damascus, and that he had spoken to him Damascus in the name of Jesus. in a manner which had sweetly conquered all his former prejudices against the gospel; and how, in consequence of that change which was then made in his views and in his heart, he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus even at the apparent hazard of his life. 28 29 28 And he was with On this they gladly received him into their number, and into their most intimate friend- them coming in, and ship, and he was with them, coming in and going going out at Jerusalem. out at Jerusalem, for a little more than a fortnight, (Gal. i. 18.) and with the greatest freedom he there bore his testimony to the gospel, preaching as boldly and as publicly in the name of the Lord Jesus as he had done before at Da mascus. And he spake and disputed, not only with the natives of Judea, but also with the Hellenists, or with those foreign Jews who used the Greek language P, and came out of other parts to to urge, that the unbelieving Jews, in n Barnabas taking him, &c.] Some have o To the apostles Peter and James, &c. Paul himself tells us, that on his going up to Jerusalem he saw no other of the apostles, Gal. i. 19. Beza well observes, we are quite uncertain on what occasion the rest were then absent from Jerusalem. Had they been there, though Saul stayed worship but about a fortnight, he would no doubt have seen them. p Jews who used the Greek language.] So the Syriac version with great propriety explains the word Hellenists: of whom see note a on Acts vi. 1. § 12. Vol. VII. p. 564. I know not on what authority Epiphanius (as quoted by Beza on this text) asserts, that these Hellenists endeavoured to revenge themselves on Saul, by reporting every where, that his conversion to Christianity was the result of a disappointment in his addresses to the daughter of Caiaphas the high-priest, as her father would not accept him for a sonin-law. If they told such an idle story, it must however imply, that they thought Saul a person of some rank, to have been capable of forming any such pretension. q Conducted him to Cæsaren.] I should have concluded, this had been the celebrated city of that name on the Mediterranean Sea, so often mentioned afterwards and from whence he might so easily have passed by ship to Tarsus, had not Paul himself told us, he went through the regions of Syria and Cilicia, (Gal. i. 21.) which |