A Paraphrase on the New Testament, Acts · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
MEn, brethren, and fathers hear ye my defence which I make now unto you. 2. (And when they heard that he ſpeak in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more ſilence: and he ſaith,) 3. I am, verily a man which 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, and was Zelous towards God, as ye all are this day.
1. I am a Jew brought up a Diſciple of Gamaliel, under the ſame Laws and cuſtoms, and as zealous for God in your way, as you now are.
4. And I perſecuted this way unto the death, binding and dilivering into priſons both men and women.
4 And as you are affected with zealous cruelty now againſt Chriſtians, ſo was I then, and perſecuted them even to death, binding and delivering them into Priſon, both Men and Women.
5. As alſo the high prieſt doth bear me witneſs, and all the eſtate of the elders: from whom alſo I received letters unto the bretheren▪ and went to Damaſcus, to bring them which were there, bound unto Jeruſalem, for to be puniſhed.
5. The High Prieſt and all the Council of Elders (called rhe Sanedrim) know this) from whom I had Letters authorizing me to bring them Priſoners to Jeruſalem to be puniſhed.
6. And it came to paſs, that as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damaſcus about noon, ſuddenly there ſhone from heaven a great light round about me. 7. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice ſaying unto me, Saul, Saul, why perſecuteſt thou me?
6, 7. I ſaw a Light, and h…ard a Voice, &c.
Note, When Chriſt will ſpeak in Power and Terror, he will caſt down the proudeſt Perſecutor. 2. Chriſt taketh the perſecuting of his Servants, and ſtriving againſt his Goſpel, as perſecuting himſelf, it being againſt his Friends and for his Cauſe.
8. And I anſwered, Who art thou, Lord? And he ſaid unto me, I am Jeſus of Nazareth whom thou Perſecuteſt.
8. Note, Did Perſecutors know Chriſt aright, and know that it is him in his ſervants whom they perſecute, they durſt not, they would not do it.
9. And they that were with me, ſaw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that ſpeak to me.
9. They ſaw the Light, and heard the ſound (like Thunder) but ſaw no man, nor heard the voice and words that were ſpoken to me, and which I heard.
10 And I ſaid, What ſhall I do, Lord? And the Lord ſaid unto me, Ariſe, and go into Damaſcus, and there it ſhall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
10. I will not this way by voice from heaven, tell thee thy duty, I have ſtabliſhed the way of notifying it by my Miniſters and Spirit: Go to Damaſcus, and I will ſend thee a Teacher.
Note, Souls duely humbled are ready to do any thing that God would have them do.
11. And when I could not ſee for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damaſcus.
11. Note, God made the Light it ſelf to blind him, as an Emblem of his perſecuting blindneſs.
12. And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, 13. Came unto me, and ſtood, and ſaid unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy ſight. And the ſame hour I looked up upon him.
12. Ananias a zealous Jew, tho a Chriſtian, well ſpoken of by the Jews themſelves, was ſent to reſtore my ſight, &c.
14. And he ſaid, The God of our fathers hath choſen thee, that thou ſhouldeſt know his will, and ſee that Juſt one, and ſhouldeſt here the voice of his mouth. 15. For thou ſhalt be his witneſs unto all men, of what thou haſt ſeen and heard.
14, 15. It is the free grace and will of God that hath choſen thee to ſee Chriſt (whom thou perſecuteſt) and to hear his voice from Heaven, and to be his witneſs of what thou haſt ſeen and heard.
Note, Paul is a full inſtance of Gods ſpecial electing grace.
16. And now why tarrieſt thou? ariſe and be baptized, and waſh away thy ſins, calling on the name of the Lord.
16. Delay not, but preſently repent and believe in Chriſt, and give up thy ſelf to him in his baptiſmal Covenant, and as the Water waſheth this body, his pardoning grace through the merits of his blood and righteouſneſs, ſhall waſh away the guilt of thy ſins; and call on the Lord for Mercy and for his Spirit.
17. And it came to paſs▪ that when I was come again to Jeruſalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; 18. And ſaw him ſaying unto me, Make haſte, and get thee quickly out of Jeruſalem: for they will not receive thy teſtimony concerning me.
17. Note, God that foreknew that the Jews would obſtinately reject Paul, directed his Miniſtry from them elſewhere.
19. And I ſaid, Lord, they know that I impriſoned, and beat in every ſynagogue them that believed on thee. 20. And when the bloud of thy martyr Stephen was ſhed, I alſo was ſtanding by, and conſenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that ſlew him.
19, 20. Lord, Sure they will hear me without prejudice, who have ſo hotly perſecuted they Servants as they do.
21. And he ſaid unto me, Depart: for I will ſend thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
21. I have other work for thee to do elſewhere with more ſucceſs.
22. And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lift up their voices, and ſaid, Away with ſuch a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he ſhould live.
22. Note, 1. Of how little credit is the judgment of blinded wicked Men, of Gods Servants? when they judge them unfit to live on earth, it ſignifyeth no guilt in them, but their own madneſs.
23. And as they cried out, and caſt of their cloathes, and threw duſt into the air. 24. The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the caſtle, and bad that he ſhould be examined by ſcourging: that he might know wherefore they cryed ſo againſt him.
23, 24. Note What uſage Gods Servants muſt look for in the world: The Legaliſts rage as the Devills Bedlams, and the Heathen judge who was juſt, and preſerved him, yet would ſcourge him on preſumption before he heard his cauſe, but there is at hand a final judgment, where all theſe Bedlams and Tyrants ſhall be caſt.
25. And as they bound him with thongs, Paul ſaid unto the centurion that ſtood by, Is it lawful for you to ſcourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
25. As they prepared his Body to be ſcourged, he ſaid, Is it not againſt your Law to ſcourge a Man uncondemned, who is a Denizon of the Roman priviledges.
26. When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, ſaying, Take heed what thou doeſt; for this man is a Roman. 27. Then the chief captain came, and ſaid unto him, Tell me art thou a Roman? He ſaid, Yea. 28. And the chief captain anſwered, with a great ſum obtained I this freedom. And Paul ſaid, But I was Free-Born.
26. Art thou a Roman Denizon. Note, Tarſus was a City that was enfranchiſed with the Roman priviledges.
29. Then ſtraightway they departed from him which ſhould have examined him: and the chief captain alſo was afraid after he knew that he was a Roman, and becauſe he had bound him.
29. Note, The fear of Mans Laws hath more power with worldly Men, than the fear of God.
30. On the morrow, becauſe he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accuſed of the Jews, he looſed him from his bands, and commanded the chief prieſts and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and ſet him before them
30. He would hear him and them together.