and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST, and his APOSTLES, &C. 317 zeal for God. This rendered him impa- tient of all oppofition to the doctrine and tenets he had imbibed, and a vehement blafphemer and perfecutor of the Chrifliarïs, who were commonly reputed the enemies and deflroyers of the Jewifh ceconomy. We muff not however confider our apofle as guilty of the pride and hypocrify of the Pharifees ; for he declares, that he had ever been careful to act in conformity to the diaates of his confcience, by which he thought himfelf bound to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. It was therefore the prejudice of his education, and the natural warmth of his temper, that excited him to thofe violent perfecutions of the Chriflians, for which he became fo famous, in the infancy of the church. We find that the firf anion he engaged in, was the difputation he and his coun- trymen had with the martyr Stephen, concerning the Meffiah. The Chrifian was too hard for them in the difpute ; but theywere too powerful for him in their civil interefls ; for being enraged at his convincing arguments, they carried him before the high-priefl, who, by falfe accu- fations, condemned him to death. How far Saul was concerned in this cruel action, is impoflible to fay ; all we know is, that he kept the raiment of them that flew him, and, confequently, was acceffary to his death. The enemies of the church having thus railed a form of perfecution againft it, it increafed prodigioufly, and the poor Chrif- tians ofJerufalemwere miferably haraffed' and difperfed. In this perfecution, . our apofle was a principal agent, fearching all the adjacent parts for the affliaed faints, beating fome in the fynagogue, compelling fome to blafpheme, confining fome in prifon, and procuring others to be put to death for their profeffion : nor could Je- rufalem and the adjacent parts confine his fiery zeal ; he applied to the Sanhedrim, and procured a commifflon from that court, to extend his perfecution to Damafcus. .No. 27. How eternally infatiable is the fury of a mifguided zeal ! how rentef., and unwearied in it's defigns of cruelty! It had already fufliciently haraffed the poor Chriflians at Jerufalem, but not content with that, it perfecuted them to frange cities, even to Damafcus itfelf, whither many of them had fled for fhelter, refolving tobring them back to Jerufalem, in order to their punifh- ment and execution there. We think it neccffary to obferve here, that the'Jewilh Sanhedrim had not only the power offeizing and fcourging offenders againft their law within the bounds of their own country, but, by the connivance and favour of the Romans, might fend into other countries, where there were any fynagogues that acknowledged a depend- ence in religious affairs upon the council of Jerufalem, to apprehend them ; and, accordingly, Saul was fent to Damafcus; to apprehend what Chriflians he could find in that city, and bring them bound to Jerufalem, to be tried and punifhed. It was, however, Saul's peculiar happi- nefs, that the Almighty defigned to employ him in a work of a very different nature, and, accordingly flopped him in his jour- ney : for as he was travelling between Je- rufalem and Damafcus, to execute the commiffion of the Jewifh Sanhedrim, a refulgent light, far exceeding the brightnefs of the fun, darted upon him ; at which both he and his companions were terribly amazed and confounded, falling, together with their horfes, profrate on the ground. Amidfl this confufon, a voice was heard in the Hebrew language, raying, Saul, Saul, why /serfecute thou me? To which Saul replied, Who art thou, Lord? And was immediately anfwered, I am Jefus of Nazareth whom thouper/ècutè : it is hard for thee to kick againft the pricks. As ifthe bleffed Jesus had Paid, « All thy attempts to extirpate the faith in me, will prove abortive, and, like kicking againft the fpikes, wound and torment thyfelf the more." Being now fufficiently convinced of his folly in sling againft Jesus, whom he was 4H now
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