John Wesley

the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to realize as they earnestly serve God day and night.

“Our twelve tribes - For a great part of the ten tribes also had at various times returned from the east to their own country, James i, 1; Worshipping continually night and day - That is, this is what they aim at in all their…”

And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were condemned to death, I…

“I shut up many of the saints - Men not only innocent, but good, just, holy. I gave my vote against them - That is, I joined with those who condemned them.”

I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.

“I compelled them - That is, some of them; to blaspheme - This is the most dreadful of all! Repent, ye enemies of the Gospel.”

About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions.

“O King - Most seasonably, in the height of the narration, does he thus fix the king's attention. Above the brightness of the sun - And no marvel.”

We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?

“In the Hebrew tongue - St. Paul was not now speaking in Hebrew: when he was, chap. xxiii, 7, he did not add, In the Hebrew tongue. Christ used this tongue both on earth and from heaven.”

I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them

“Delivering thee from the people - The Jews and the Gentiles, to whom, both Jews and Gentiles, I now send thee - Paul gives them to know, that the liberty he enjoys even in bonds, was promised to him, as well as his preaching to…”

So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.

“From that time - Having received power to obey, I was not disobedient - I did obey, I used that power, Gal. i, 16. So that even this grace whereby St. Paul was influenced was not irresistible.”

At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!”

“Nay, Festus, it is thou that art beside thyself. That strikest quite wide of the mark. And no wonder: he saw that nature did not act in Paul; but the grace that acted in him he did not see.”

But Paul answered, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and sobriety.

“I am not mad, most excellent Festus - The style properly belonging to a Roman propretor. How inexpressibly beautiful is this reply! How strong! yet how decent and respectful!”

For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak freely to him.

“For the king knoweth of these things - St. Paul having refuted Festus, pursues his purpose, returning naturally, and as it were, step by step, from Festus to Agrippa.”

King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

“King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? - He that believes these, believes Paul, yea, and Christ. The apostle now comes close to his heart. What did Agrippa feel when he heard this?”

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian?”

“Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian! - See here, Festus altogether a heathen, Paul alogether a Christian, Agrippa halting between both.”

“Short time or long,” Paul replied, “I wish to God that not only you but all who hear me this day may become what I am, except for these chains.”

“Paul gently corrects this mistake; intimating, it is the gift and the work of God; that all that hear me - It was modesty in St.”

On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.”

“This man doth nothing worthy of death, or of bonds - They speak of his whole life, not of one action only. And could ye learn nothing more than this from that discourse?”

After we had moved along the coast with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

“The Fair Havens still retain the name. But the city of Lasea is now utterly lost, together with many more of the hundred cities for which Crete was once so renowned.”

By now much time had passed, and the voyage had already become dangerous because it was after the Fast. So Paul advised them,

“The fast, or day of atonement, was kept on the tenth of Tisri, that is, the 25th of September. This was to them an ill time of sailing; not only because winter was approaching, but also because of the sudden storms, which are still common…”

But contrary to Paul’s advice, the centurion was persuaded by the pilot and by the owner of the ship.

“The centurion regarded the master - And indeed it is a general rule, believe an artificer in his own art. Yet when there is the greatest need, a real Christian will often advise even better than him.”

But it was not long before a cyclone called the Northeaster swept down across the island.

“There arose against it - The south wind; a tempestuous wind, called in those parts Euroclydon. This was a kind of hurricane, not carrying them any one way, but tossing them backward and forward.”

and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And look, God has granted you the lives of all who sail with you.’

“And rather will many bad men be preserved with a few good, (so it frequently happens,) than one good man perish with many bad. So it was in this ship: so it is in the world.”

But Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men remain with the ship, you cannot be saved.”

“That they would not have regarded. The soldiers were not careful for the lives of the prisoners: nor was Paul careful for his own.”

When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “Surely this man is a murderer.

“It is with pleasure that we trace among these barbarians the force of conscience, and the belief of a particular providence: which some people of more learning have stupidly thought it philosophy to despise.”

The islanders were expecting him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and…

“They changed their minds, and said he was a God - Such is the stability of human reason! A little before he was a murderer; and presently he is a God: (just as the people of Lystra; one hour sacrificing, and the next stoning:) nay…”

The brothers there had heard about us and traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us.

“The brethren -- that is, the Christians, came out thence to meet us - It is remarkable that there is no certain account by whom Christianity was planted at Rome. Probably some inhabitants of that city were at Jerusalem on the day of pentecost, chap.”

After three days, he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the…

“And after three days - Given to rest and prayer, Paul called the chief of the Jews together - He always sought the Jews first; but being now bound, he could not so conveniently go round to them.”

So for this reason I have called to see you and speak with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”

“The hope of Israel - What Israel hopes for, namely, the Messiah and the resurrection.”