With the Christians at Damascus, that projected junction was actually effected by him: but, in this state of things, to return to Jerusalem was not, at that time, to be thought of. In the eyes of the ruling powers, he would have been a trust-breaker-a traitor to their cause in the eyes of the Christians, he would have been a murderer, with the blood of the innocent still reeking on his hands: no one would he have found so much as to lend an ear to his story, much less to endure it. In Damascus, after making his agreement with his new brethren, there remained little for him to do. Much had he to inform himself of concerning Jesus. Damascus-where Jesus had already so many followers-Damascus was a place for him to learn in: not to teach in-at any rate, at that time.

Arabia, a promising field of enterprise-Arabia, a virgin soil, opened to his view. There he would find none to abhor his person-none to contradict his assertions: there his eloquence-and, under the direction of his judgment, his invention-would find free scope in that country the reproach of inconsistency could not attach upon him: in that foreign land he beheld his place of quarantine-his school of probation-the scene of his novitiate. By a few years employed in the exercise of his new callingwith that spirit and activity which would accompany him of course in every occupation to which he could betake himself-he would initiate himself in, and familiarize himself with, the connected exercises of preaching and spiritual rule. At the end of that period, whatsoever might be his success in that country, such a portion of time, passed in innocence, would at any rate allay enmity: such a portion of time, manifestly passed, in the endeavour at any rate to render service to the common cause, might even establish confidence.

At the end of that time, he might, nor altogether

without hope of success, present himself to the rulers of the church, in the metropolis of their spiritual empire: "Behold (he might say) in me no longer a persecutor, but a friend. The persecutor has long vanished: he has given place to the friend. Too true it is, that I was so once your persecutor. Years spent in unison with you-years spent in the service of the common cause-have proved me. You see before you, a tried man-an ally of tried fidelity: present me as such to your disciples: take me into your councils all my talent, all my faculties, shall be yours. The land of Israel will continue, as it has been, the field of your holy labours; the land of the Gentiles shall be mine: we will carry on our operations in concert; innumerable are the ways in which each of us will derive from the other-information, assistance, and support."

To Arabia he accordingly repaired: so, in his Epistle to the Galatians (Gal. i. 17,) he himself informs us: in that little-known country, he continued three whole years-so also, in the samne place, he informs us. There it was, that he experienced that success, whatever it was, that went to constitute the ground, of the recommendation given of him by Barnabas to the Apostles. From thence he returned to Damascus : and, in that city, presenting himself in his regenerated character, and having realized by his subsequent conduct the expectations raised by his promises at the outset of his career*; he planned, and as will be seen, executed his expedition to Jerusalem: the expedition, the object of which has just been brought to view.

* Yet, for even at the outset, after certain " days spent with "the disciples," and employed of course in receiving from them the necessary instructions, he preached Jesus with such energy and success as not only to "confound" (Acts ix. 19 to 24) the unbelieving among the Jews, but to provoke them to "take coun"sel to kill him."

"Then (says Paul himself,) I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days There, says the author of the Acts †, "Barnabas took him and brought him to the Apostles....and he was with them coming in and going out of Jerusalem."

SECTION 2.

AT DAMASCUS, NO SUCH ANANIAS PROBABLY.

THIS Same Ananias-of whom so much has been seen in the last chapter-Paul's own imagination excepted, had he any where any existence ? existence? The probability seems to be on the negative side: and, in the next section, as to whether Paul's companions on the road are not in a similar predicament, the reader will have to judge. But let us begin with Ananias.

At Damascus, at any rate-with such power in his hands, for securing obsequiousness at the hands of those to whom he was addressing himself—with such power in his hands, Paul could not have had much need of any thing in the shape of a vision:-he could not have had any need of any such person as the seer of the correspondent vision-Ananias.

For the purpose of aiding the operation of those considerations of worldly prudence, which these powers of his enabled him to present, to those whom it concerned, there might be some perhaps, who, for yielding to those considerations, and thus putting themselves under the command of this formidable potentate, might look for an authority from the Lord Jesus. But, forasmuch as, in this very case, even at this time of day, visions, two in name, but, in respect of probative force, reducible to one-are so generally received as ↑ Acts ix. 27, 28.

* Gal. i. 18.

conclusive evidence,—no wonder if, at that time of day, by persons so circumstanced, that one vision should be received in that same character. At Damascus, therefore, on his first arrival, there could not be any occasion for any such corroborating story as the story of the vision of Ananias. At Damascus-unless he had already obtained, and instructed as his confederate, a man of that name-no such story could, with any prospect of success, have been circulated: for the purpose of learning the particulars of an occurrence of such high importance, the residence of this Ananias would have been inquired after: and, by supposition, no satisfactory answer being capable of being given to any such inquiries,-no such story could be ventured to be told.

Such was the case, at that place and at that time. As to any such evidence, as that afforded by the principal vision, viz. Paul's own,-perhaps no such evidence was found necessary: but, if it was found necessary, nothing could be easier than the furnishing it. As to the secondary vision, viz. that ascribed afterwards to a man of the name of Ananias,—at that time scarcely could there have been any need of it-any demand for it; and, had there been any such demand, scarcely, unless previously provided, could any such correspondent supply have been afforded.

In other places and posterior times alone, could this supplemental vision, therefore, have been put into circulation: accordingly, not till a great many years after, was mention made of it by the author of the Acts :mention made by him, either in his own person, or as having been related, or alluded to, by Paul himself. Even the author of the Acts,-though in this same chapter he has been relating the story of Ananias's vision,—yet, when he comes to speak, of the way, in which, according to him, Paul, by means of his protector and benefactor Barnabas, obtained an introduc

tion to the Apostles (viz. all the Apostles, in which, however, he is so pointedly contradicted by Paul himself), yet speaks not of Barnabas, as including, in the recommendatory account he gave them, of Paul-his vision, and his merits-any mention of this supplemental vision:-any mention of any Ananias *.

At Damascus, howsoever it might be in regard to the Christians--neither to Jews, nor to Gentiles, could the production, of any such letters as those in question, have availed him any thing. Such as had embraced Christianity excepted, neither over Gentiles nor over Jews did those letters give him any power: and, as to Jews, the character in which-after any declaration made of his conversion-he would have presented himself, would have been no better than that of an apostate, and betrayer of a highly important public trust. To men of both these descriptions, a plea of some sort or other, such as, if believed, would be capable of accounting for so extraordinary a step, as that he should change, from the condition of a most cruel and inveterate persecutor of the new religion, to that of a most zealous supporter and leader,—could not, therefore, but be altogether necessary. No sooner was he arrived at Damascus, than (if the author of the Acts is to be believed,) he began pleading, with all his energy, the cause of that religion, which, almost to that moment, he had with so much cruelty opposed. As to the story of his vision,-what is certain is that, sooner or later, for the purpose of rendering to men of all descriptions a reason for a change so pre-eminently extraordinary, he employed this story. But, forasmuch as of no other account of it, as given by him, is any trace to be found;-nor can any reason be found, why that which was certainly employed afterwards might not as well be employed at and from the first;-hence

*Acts ix. 27..