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SECTION XXXVI.

A tumult is excited by the Jews against Paul, who is rescued by the Romans.

ACTS xxi. 27-40.

27. AND when the seven days were almost ended, i. e. the days of Paul's separation as a Nazarite, at the completion of which, several offerings were to be made in the temple, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,

28. Crying out, Men of Israel, help. This is the man that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place; and farther, brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.

29. For they had seen before with him, in the city, Trophimus, an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.

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Paul had spent three years in Asia, and experienced much opposition from the Jews in that quarter. From them, therefore, a persecution against him was most likely to commence at Jerusalem. The apostle's having accused the Jews of rejecting and crucifying the Messiah, was considered by them as speaking against the people; the support of a new dispensation of religion was opposition to the law, especially if he intimated, as he probably did, that that law was soon to be laid aside. He foretold that the temple was to be destroyed, and this laid the foundation of the charge against him, as well as against Stephen, of speaking against that place. It is well known that the outward court of the temple was called the court of the Gentiles, because so far they were allowed to advance in this sacred place but these people could not justly charge Paul with defiling the temple, by bringing them into the inner court or the court of the Israelites, into which none but native Israelites, or proselytes to their religion, were allowed to enter. For a Gentile to be found here was regarded as a sufficient cause for instant death, as we learn from the testimony both of Josephus and Philo; and, therefore, they went about to inflict it upon Paul, whom they supposed to have been instrumental in bringing one hither.

30. And all the city was moved, and the people

ran together, and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple, that that sacred place might not be defiled with his blood, and forthwith the doors were shut.

This precaution might be thought necessary, to prevent Paul from taking refuge at the altar, which was deemed a sacred asylum.

31. And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar;

32.

Who immediately took soldiers, and centurions, and ran down unto them, and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers they left beating of Paul.

Adjoining to the temple, but on higher ground, so as to overlook it, was placed the castle of Antonia. In this place a garrison of Roman soldiers was constantly stationed for the purpose of keeping Jerusalem in awe, and particularly of preserving tranquillity at the temple, where the people assembled in vast numbers to celebrate their festivals. It was to the commanding officer on this station that intelligence was brought of the present tumult, perhaps by one of the centinels who might observe it from his post. The vicinity of the castle will account for the speedy succour which the chief captain brought. Had he been stationed in a distant part of the city, Paul must have been put to death by the mob long before he could have arrived. The beating, now inflicted, is said to have been called by the Jews the beating of rebels, and was frequently so severe, as to terminate in death; and this was, no doubt, their intention in the present instance, had they been suffered to proceed.

33. Then the chief captain came near, and took' him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains, and demanded who he was, and what he had done.

34. And some cried one thing, and some another, among the multitude; and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle.

There he could obtain silence, and ascertain the charges brought against him. We see here how the prophecy of Agabus was fulfilled, who foretold that Paul should be bound at Jerusalem.

35. And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people.

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36. For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him, "kill him."

Although they could no longer offer him violence, they cease not to express their wishes openly that others would do it. The stairs here mentioned were the steps ascending to the castle from the temple. Being in this commanding situation, and guarded from violence by soldiers, it occurred to Paul that it afforded a favourable opportunity of speaking to the multitude. He, therefore, addresses the captain to ask permission for this purpose.

37. And as Paul was to be led, "was about to be led," into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? who said, Canst thou speak Greek?

38. Art thou that Egyptian, who, before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers ?

This Egyptian, according to the account given of him by Josephus, was a pretended prophet, who, coming to Jerusalem, obtained a considerable number of followers, whom he led out into the wilderness, where they increased to thirty thousand. Returning hence to mount Olivet, with a view to attack Jerusalem, he was defeated by Felix, the Roman governor, but escaped with his life. It was not, therefore, an improbable supposition of the chief captain, that as the Jews in Jerusalem did not in general favour his cause, the present tumult might be occasioned by his return.*

39. But Paul said, I am a man who am a Jew, of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city, and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.

Paul in his answer very properly says that he was a Jew, because that proved that he had a right to be in the temple.

Ancient authors tell us that Tarsus was so distinguished for learning, commerce, wealth, and grandeur, that it might dispute the palm with Athens and Alexandria. Paul was justified, therefore, in say

ing that it was no mean city.

40. And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, "on the steps," and beckoned with the hand," waved his hand," unto the people.

* Lardner, Vol. I. p. 414.

REFLECTIONS.

1. FROM this portion of the history, we may observe the deplorable effect of an intemperate zeal for religion: it blinds the understanding, hardens the heart, and converts men into savages thirsting for blood. Such was its effect upon these Jews, who, having charged an innocent and virtuous person with crimes which he had never committed, seek his life, and are so impatient to accomplish their wishes, that they cannot wait for the usual forms of justice. Nothing short of his immediate death will satisfy their fury. Religion, however, disdains the use of all such means for its support: reason and argument are its only weapons of defence: if these fail, it allows us not to have recourse to others. While we view the conduct of these Jewish zealots with horror, let us not forget that we are liable to the same passions, and endeavour to check, at its first appearance, every thing in ourselves or others, which has this tendency. Their violence, as here recorded, serves as a useful warning to all future generations, to avoid a conduct which mankind, in all ages, have been but too much inclined to imitate. It likewise serves to prove, what the history asserts, the eminence which the apostle had attained, and the success of his labours in preaching the gospel. Against a person less illustrious they would not have been so exasperated.

2. From the conduct of the multitude on this occasion, we may learn the danger of tumultuous proceedings, and the necessity of having courts of law, where witnesses may be examined at leisure, and the truth sifted out with deliberation and care. We see, that when the contrary method is employed, when men become judges in their own cause, when an ignorant and heated multitude take the law into their own hands, and administer it according to their own pleasure, nothing but tumult and confusion arise, and while some cry one thing and some another, truth and error, justice and injustice are confounded, and the innocent suffer instead of the guilty. With such proceedings, under whatever specious pretence conducted, let us, my brethren, have no concern.

3. Let us admire the presence of mind which the apostle discovered, in thinking of an address to the multitude from the steps by which he ascended to the castle. He had just been cruelly beaten by an enraged populace; he was still sore with the bruises which he had received; they were pressing upon him with the utmost violence, and uttering the most horrid cries for his life: yet he had no sooner reached an eminence, from which he might be seen and heard, than he feels an irresistible desire to address them in vindication of himself and of his religion. That he experienced some resentment at such unjust usage cannot be doubted, since his feelings were as acute as those of other men; yet he represses his resentment, and forgets the injury, as soon as he has an opportunity of do

ing good. Happy are they who, when placed, like the apostle, in new and extraordinary circumstances, know how to seize every incident and every circumstance, and to apply it to some useful purpose.

SECTION XXXVII.

Paul makes his defence to the Jews in the temple.

ACTS xxi. 40. ; xxii. 1-29.

40. AND when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,

1. BRETHREN and fathers, hear ye my defence, which I now make unto you.

2. And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence :

As this was their native language, they were well pleased to find him make use of it, and not of Greek.

And he saith,

3. I am verily a man who am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, "instructed after the strictness of the law of the fathers," his master being a Pharisee, and was zealous towards God, "very zealous," as ye are all this day.

When the Hebrews express themselves in the superlative degree, they use the name of God. Rom. x. 2.

4. And I persecuted this way, "the professors of this religion," unto death, binding and delivering into prison both men and women.

5. As also the high-priest doth bear me witness, "can bear me witness," and all the estate of the elders from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, i. e. to the Jews, and went to Damascus, to bring them that were there, bound unto Jerusalem, that they might be punished.

6. And it came to pass that as I made my jour

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