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fied in the temple, yet neither with a multitude, nor with tumult. These men ought to be here before thee, and to object if they have aught against me. Or else let these men, who are here, say whether they found any crime in me, when I stood before the council; unless it be for this one thing that I said, when I stood among them, Concerning the resurrection of the dead, I am called in question by you this day.'

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And when Felix heard these things, though he had a more perfect knowledge of that way, yet he put them off, saying, "When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter." And he commanded

* See Acts xxi. 18-30. Paul was performing the rites of purification along with four men, who had made a vow. They who purified themselves, abstained from certain meats and from certain actions, and were particularly careful not to touch any thing dead, or any thing which was considered in the Jewish law as unclean.

a centurion to keep Paul, but to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him.

And after some time, when Felix returned with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. And as he discoursed concerning justice, temperance, and the judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, "Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee." He hoped also that money would be given him by Paul, that he might let him go; therefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.

PAUL'S VOYAGE FROM CÆSAREA TO

ROME.

(Acts xvi. 37, 38, xxv.-xxviii.)

ALTHOUGH Paul was a Jew, he had the rights of a Roman citizen; and one of these rights was, that a man who had been accused of any crime might demand that he should be taken to Rome, and tried before the Emperor himself. When, therefore, Paul saw that he had no chance of a fair hearing from his own countrymen the Jews, he appealed to Cæsar the Roman Emperor, and accordingly he was sent off in a ship along with some other prisoners, and a centurion to take charge of them. They sailed from Cæsarea, and after touching at Sidon, and passing by Cyprus, they landed at Myra in Mysia. Thence they sailed in another ship to the Fair Havens in Crete, and soon afterwards, as they were trying to reach Phoenice, another town in the same island, where there was a better

harbour to winter in, they were overtaken by a violent storm. When they had lost all hope of being saved, Paul comforted them by saying, "Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete; then ye would have avoided this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer; for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but only of the ship. For there stood by me this night an angel of that God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Cæsar; and lo God hath given thee* all those that sail with thee.' Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer; for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Yet we must be cast upon a certain island."

This means that God had, in favour to Paul, granted that the lives of none of those who were in the ship should be lost. Probably the Apostle had prayed to God for this.

Accordingly they were cast upon the island of Malta, and Luke, who accompanied the Apostle Paul, gives us an account of the manner in which they were there received, and of the rest of the voyage, and the journey to Rome.

"The barbarous people," he says, "shewed us no little kindness, for they kindled a fire, and received us, every one, because of the present rain and the cold. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves,

No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.' But he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. Howbeit they looked, expecting that he would soon swell, or fall down dead; but after they had waited a

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