cient univerfalprafcice, Jews,
Trojans, and Greeks got
drunk. Noah and Lot got
drunk — The Greeks publifh-
ed encomiums on intoxica-
tion — The Romans loved
tipling. Tiberius and Lu-
cius Pifo ufed to fit at their
cups three days and nights
together Egyptians, Sax-
ons, and almoft all people
got drunk— As fur the
Monks, they could not pof-
fibly go through the hard
fervices of their feveral or-
ders without plenty of liquor
Cefide, liquor makes
mirth, and mirth is life •
Drinking alfo fets men 3
talking about religion, and
our farmers never difpute fo
clearly for Luther againfl
Eccius as when they are ani-
mated with ftrong liquor —
N 2 Poe:s
( 100 )
ftonid know them : but they are 'not principal
articles. (6)
Poets and preachers can do
rothing without plenty of
drink, and with it what can
they not do ! — Bat, you will
cbjca, Chrift fays, Be not
O'verchargeci njuith drunkcnnefs.
Luke xxi. 34. Obferve, he
does not fay. Be not drunk,
but Be not o%)ercharged \M\i^
drunkennefs. Can't you get
drunk without getting dead
drunk ! ButSt. Paul fays.
Be not drunk iKiith nx-'ine - ujbere'
in is excefs ! Eph. v. i8.
True. But obferve, St. Paul
does not fay. Do not get
drunk, he only fays, Don't get
excejfi-vely drunk ! "&c. I trull
I fhall be forgiven for this
tranfcript, when it is remem-
bered, that I infert this in-
ilead of the grave reveries of
fome modern divines, whofe
(erinons and fyftems naually
fuppofe articles as illogical,
unfcriptural, and unnatural
as theie. Amphitheat. Sapient.
Socratica Joco-ferite. Cn/p.
Dornai'ii. torn. ii. Hegendor-
fhini Declam.
(6) Do not enlarge on im-
plitd truths. That is to fay,
whether you fpeak briefly or
diffufively on implied arti-
cles, do not lay any great
ftrefs on them, they fhould
rather adorn than fupport
your realbning. A fingle
epithet properly placed may
contain weighty argument;
and, on the contrary, no
wordy coverings of a fuppo-
fuion can turn probable im-
plication into clear demon-
flration. " Epithets, fays
one, muft be varied accord-
ing to a fubjeft. In follicit-
ing a king for an office, or
in thanking him for a nomi-
nation, it would be abfurd
to begin an addrefs to him
with, mod ponjuerful and in-
•vincible prince ; it fhould run
moft bountiful and munificent.
Jgnofces primo errori dux
mitijjime — Patere te exorari
clementijfune Csefar — Turca-
rum vim a chrillianorum hu-
meris depelle Rex invite.
Reilitue per calumniam op-
preflum ^equijjime Judex — fn
bonam partem accipias vir
humanijjirne — Non meum eft
tibi conftlium impertiri vir
prudentifpif/ie. In hujufmodi
orationis genere non funt fpe-
ciofa epitheta : fed argumenti
pondus obtinent. Johnn.
Defpauterii Com. Gram, De
Epithet. 15:37.
The transforming of Epi-
thets into fubflantives, which
the laft-quoted writer recom-
mends, was very falhionable,
when he wrote: but, except
in a very few inftances, it is
out of vogue now — Mo^
dread, that is dreadful fo^e-
reign — an addrefs fitforPluto,
and an affront to a Britilh
prince. I commit myfelf to
your fatherhood — I congratu-
late yovit fortitude — I befeech
your re'verence — My folly
fubmits to the wii*dom of
your grace. Thefe are nei-
ther
( loi )
And thirdly, take care alfo that thefe fuppofed
things be important, either for inltriiflion in ge-
neral, or for cafting light particularly on the text,
or for confolation, or for the correction of vice, or
practice of piety, or fome ufcful purpofe, other-
wife
ther rhyme nor reafon now.
If no great rtrefs fhould be
laid on probable fuppofitions,
what fenfible man would lay
any ftrefs on improbable
ones? It is curious to trace
the dodlrineof improbabilit}",
and to obferve, all fand as it
is, what ponderous edifices
have been eredled on it. The
papal infallibility — the doc-
trine of tranfubliantiation — â–
the divine right of anglican
epifcopacy — and the divine
right of kings over the reli-
gion of their fubjefts — were
never proved, nor ever can
be made to appear again even
probable: but what won-
drous things have been faid,
and what wondrous adlions
have been done on fuppofi-
tion that they were true? The
two following anecdotes will
exemplify this article.
When the bible was laft
tranflated into Englifh,
James I. as head of the
church, appointed tranflators,
and gave them certain rules
of tranflation. One of thefe
was, "you fhall retain the
old ECCLESIASTICAL words,
not changing the word church
for congregation," and fo
on. Something is here fup-
fo/ed, either that an unbiaf-
ied tranflation would endan-
ger the hierarchy, or that
the oracles of God were given
to ferve the views of a party.
Regal influence is too plain
to be denied. Were it pofli-
ble to fuppofe that the de-
dication of this tranflation
to his majefty was written
by the tranflators, we fliould
foon find out how they un-
derftood the rule ; for the
fpirit of the dedication was
imbibed far from leats of
learning, and fomewhere
near the throne !
In 1538, Henry VIII. wrote
a letter to his bifhops direft-
ing them how to inilrufl the
people. " Firll, we il:ridlly
charge and command you,
that plainly and dillinftly,
without any additions, ye
fliall every holyday, vvherefo-
ever ye fliall be within your
diocefe, when ye may fo do
with your health and conve-
nient commodity, openly in
your cathedral church, or the
parifli church of the place
where ye fliall for time be,
read and declare our ar-
ticles ; and in no wife, in
the reft of your words which
ye fliall then fpeak of your-
felf, if you fpeak any thing,
utter any word that fliall
make the fame, or any word
in the fame doubtful to the peo-
ple." Bp. Burnet's Hijl, Ref.
fvol. i. Addenda. /. 361. zdEd,
( 102 )
wife you would deliver trifling impertinencics un-
der tiie name of implied truths. (7)
VI.
- Reflect on the Person speaking or
ACTING. (8)
For an example, let us take the laft mentioned
tfxt of St. Paul, recoinpenfe to no man evil for evil.
Here
(7) ImperiinencUs for im-
plications. TertuUian begins
his book on baptii'm thus.
" FceHx facramentum aquae
noftrce quia ablutis deliftis
priftinae caecitatis in vitam
aeternam liberamur. Non
erit otiofum digellum iftud,
inftruens tarn eos qui cum
maximc formantur, quam et
iilos qui fimplicitcr credi-
difle contenti, non exploratis
rationibus traditionum in-
tentatam probabilem fidem
per imperitiam portant : at-
que adeo nuper converfata
illic quacdam de Caiana h^-
refi vipera venenatiilima doc-
trina fua plerofque rapuit,
impiiinis baptifmum de-
ftruens plane fecundum na-
turam: nam feras vipers, et
afpides, ipfique reguli fer-
pt-ntis arida et inaquofa fec-
tantur. Sed nos pifciculi fe-
cundum // ^vv noftrum lefum
Chriltum in aqua nafcimur,
iiec aliter quam in aqua per-
manendo falvifumus." Upon
this paflage his learned editor
gives us this explanatory
note, " Sed 7ios pifciculi fe-
fundum I'/J^^v nojlrim, facit
ad intelleclum hujus loci B.
Optatus Afer. lib. 3. adv.
Parmenian (uti etiam ante
me adnotarunt Latinius et
Francifcus Baldvinus) Hie
(de Chrillo loquens inquit)
eft pi/cisf qui in baptifmate
per invocationem fontalibus
undis inferitur, ut quae aqiiu
fuerat, a pifce etiam pifcina
vocitetur. Cujus pi/ds no-
men fecundum appellationem
Graecam, in uno nomine per
fingulas literas turbam fanc-
torum nominum coiTtinet»
ly^^vi enim (fic lego) Latine
eft lefus, Chriftus, Deifilius,
falvator. Quod ipfum repetit
B. Auguft. 1. 18, de civit.
dei, cap. 23. voces autem
gra;caj, qua: fingulis vocis
i/j^\t- Uteris indicantur, hac
funt, iwom^ XP'^^^ ^iou vioi
(j-cor\\t,"
Who would have thought
that baptizing them in the
name of the fat her ^ and of the
Jon, and of the holy ghofl im-
plied all this ? Tertull. torn. in.
de baptifmo, cap. I.
(8) Rffuci on the perfon f. tak-
ing. Erafmus enlarges on this
article, which includes — fa-
mily
C 103 )
Here you may very pertinently remark, that this
precept is more beautiful in the mouth of Si, Pauly
than
■mily — country— fex — age —
education — body, as beauti-
ful or deformed, ftrong or
weak — fortune— condition —
mental abilities — particular
Itudies — connexions — con-
duft — name — &c. " Profue-
rit igitur quid cuique perfonas
proprium lit, et quid qusequae
res efficiat in primis habere
cognitum. ad utrumque con-
ducet comicorum et hiftori-
corum le&io, philofophi^
cognitio, et rerum plurima-
rum experientia. Et hi loci
vocantur rhetoribus, &c."
De ratio/ie concionandi, lib. II.
Family. John viii. 37.
/ kno^w that ye are Ahra.hatns
feed: but ye feek to kill mc-—
39' Ify^ luere Abrahani s chil-
dren, ye 'would do the 'works of
Abraham — 40. Ye feek to kill
a man, that hath -told you the
truth, this did not Abraham —
42 . If God 'were your father,
ye 'would lo've me — 44. Te are
of your father the denjil.
Country. Deut. iv. 7.
What nation is there fo great,
nvho hath God fo nigh unto
them ? 8 . What nation is
there fo great-, that hath Jia-
tutes and judgments fo righte-
ous ? — Col . iii. 11. In the neiv
man, there is neither Greek nor
jfe-VJ, barbarian, Scythian,
bond nor free : but Chriji is all
and in all — Phil. ii. 15. Be
blamelfs and har?filefs, the Sons
cf God, v:!thrjut rebuke, in the
mid ft of a crooked and per o) erf e
nation.
Sex. Gal. iii. 27, 2S. As
many of you as ha've been bap-
tized into Chriji, have put on
ChriJl, there is neither male nor
female; for ye are all one in
Chriji Jefus.
Age. Titus ii. 2. Aged
men tnujl be fober, grave, tefn-
pcrate, found in faith, in cha-
rity, in patience. — 3. Aged
ivomen muji be teachers of good
things — 5. Young 'wo-mcn muJi
be difcreet, chafe, keepers at
home — 6. Young men muJi be
fobcr-min:kd — I Pet. v. 5. Ye
younger, fubmit yourfehes unto
the elder — i Tim. iv. 12. Let
no man defpife thy youth.
It would be cafy to enlarge
this lift by alTorting texts
with topicks : but it may be
more ufeful to obferve that
each article is fubjeft to use
and ABUSE, that is to fay,
arguments drawn from perfon
are fometimes proper, and in
fome cafes abfurd.
For example of ufe.
Monlieur Saurin takes this
topick in a Sermon on our
Lord's prayer on the crofs
for his executioners. Luke
xxiii. 34. F ather forgi'VJ th(m',
for they k?ionjij not ivhat tk.y do.
" The fi{ll: pretext, with
which you colour your hatred
and vengeance, is the Dignity
of the offended, and the little-
nefs of the offender. 1 am
the
( I04 )
than it could have been in that of any other man.
The reafon is this, he of all the men in the world
had
the offended perfon! I who
am a perfon of diftinftion !
I who have fuch an equipage !
I who poffefs a very large
eftate! I who have fuch an
extenfive influence ! I who
have fo many pompous titles !
I am the offended perfon ! —
but, when we come to exa-
mine this SUPERB I, we fre-
quently find, it is nothing at
all; it is a man, who is only
duft and afhes hoifting his
haughty head in the world
on account of the good for-
tune of a few days, and who
by a lucky chance (or rather
by an adorable providence,
which often puts even fcep-
ters into hands the moft un-
worthy to hold them, to fliew
us how little we ought to ac-
count of all the earth calls
glorious.) this creature by ca-
price lives in a great houfe,
though a few years ago his
anceltors begged their bread.
Well ! — Yo o are offended !
You grand! You superb!
You illustrious! Voii
are offended ! One of thefe
inferior 7neji, or rather in your
account one of thefe contemp-
tible /«/f'i?j, on which you have
the condefcenfion to tread,
has raflily prefumed to look
in your face, yea even to
oppofe an infolent obftacle
afrainft your fupreme will I
this is the firft pretext of in-
fenfible pride big with re-
venge. But this muft not
only be propofed before this
pulpit, it muft be ftated on
Calvary, in the prefence of
that Jelus, whom we juit now
heard faying, Father forgi'ue
them, they knouu not iiihat they
do. Who is this pardoning
Jefus ? who are the tnen
whom he pardons, and whom
he prays his father to pardon ?
This Jefus is the firji-born of
e'very creature, it is he, whom
God hath made both Lord
and Chriji, it is he, in whofe
prefence e-vcry knee muji bonv.
And who are thefe whom he
pardons, and for whom he
prays? they are men, it is
needlefs to employ any other
words or images to exprefs
all that is little and mean ;
yet all this real dignity on
one part, and all imaginable
meannefs on the other did not
appear to Jefus Chrift fufiici-
ent reafons for with-holding
his love, his ideas of mag-
nanimity were altogether dif-
ferent from yours." &:c. Ser-
mon torn. i. fur la priere de
Jejus ChriJI pour fes bourreaux.
Example of abufe.
There was a book publiflied
in the reign of Charles II. by
a Mr. Fowler, entitled the
Difgn of Chriflianity. This
book was thought by many
divines to confound the doc-
trine of j unification with that
of fanftification, and fo to
render the attonement of
Chrilt ufelefs. JohnBunyan ^
wrote â– â–
( 105 )
had the greateft reafon for refentment upon worldly
principles ; for never was there a man more per-
fecuted, never a man more unjuftly perfecuted
than
wrote againft the book, and,
among other things, faid, " the
minifters of the church of
England are a gang of rab-
ling counterfeit clergy, who
like apes blow up the glory
of trumpery, and cover the
filthy parts with their tails."
This was committing the
VNPARDONABLE SIN, and
a namelefs prielt, not confi-
dering how twelve years and
fix months imprifonment,
with various other cruel per-
lecutions had chagrined and
foured the good man, pub-
lifhed by way of anfwer, a
quarto of 78 pages, entitled
*' Dirt wip't off— or, A
jnanifeft difcovery of the
grofs ignorance, erroneouf-
nefs, and mod unchriftian
and wicked fpirit of one
John Bunyan, Lay-preacher,
in Bedford, which he hath
ihewed in a vile pamphlet
publilh't by him againft the
defign of Chriftianity. - - -
2 Pet. ii. 12. Theje as natural
brute beajis, made to ke taken
and dejiroyed (or to catch and
corrupt) fpeak evil of the
things that they underftand
not."
The prieft apologizes in
the preface for " his conde-
scending to defile his fingers
with fo very dirty a creature
as this John Bunyan," How-
ever as he had " been near 20
Vol. II.
years or longer, moft Infa-
mous in the town and coun-
ty of Bedford, for a very pef-
tilent fchifmatick, he ap-
pealed to authority whether
this brutilh, black-mouthed
Rabfhakeh ought to enjoy any
intereft in his majefty's tole-
ration, and whether the let-
ting fuch firebands as fall
upon the jninijlers, the difci-
pline, and rites ellablifli't,
fuch moft impudent malici-
ous fchifmaticks go unpu-
nifh't doth not tend to the
fubverfion of all govern-
ment." The modeft prieft,
having transferred work too
dirty for himfelf 10 his moft
facred majefty, his drc-ad fo-
vereign Lord king Charles;
and having got behind the
throne, claps his hands and
defies, John " Do thy worft,
thou fierce and fiery Bedlam,
Perfift in treafuring up to
thyfelf wrath againft the day
of wrath, and revelation of
the righteous judgment of
God."
All through the book. De-
vil and Damnation, two
bound-bailifi^s retained to
ferve the church, are out
after one John Bunyan. At
length they feize him, and
br'ng him before his fove-
reicrn lord the prieft, who
thus condefcends to fay to him.
" Mr. Fowler fays, that Cal-
O vin
( io6 )
than he ; he was perfecutcd by his own countrymen
the Jews, perfecuted by the gentiles, perfecuted by
falfe brethren, perfecuted by falfe apoftles, perfe-
cuted when he preached the gofpel, perfecuted
even by thofe, for whofe falvation he was hibour-
ing, perfecuted to prifon, to banifliment, to bonds,
to blood •, how amiable then is fuch a precept in
the mouth of fuch a man! (9)
How
vin, Peter Martyr, Mufcu-
lus, Zanchy, and others did
not queflion, but that God
could have pardoned fin,
without any other fatisfac-
tion than the repentance of
the finner. "It matters not,"
replies John, *' I have nei-
ther made my creed out of
them, nor any other than the
holy fcripturcs." What John!''
rejoined the prreft, " becaufe
you have not made v'o«r creed
out of them, do the judg-
ment of fo many men famous
for learning and godlinefs
fignifie nothing with you!
This is like a laying of your
tiivn, that is, of one com-
pofed of pride and igno-
jance ! how came fuch a piece
of nothing as thou art to be
fo highly conceited of thine
oiMti judgment ! out of the
fcripcures ! who are belt ac-
complilh't for the under-
Handing of them r the learn-
ed or ideots !"
1 was going a while ago
to apologize for the tails of
]ohn"s apes : but it is need-
iefs, for fome apes have long
tails, I fee. Cal'vin, Zanchy y
a*d OTHER* faid fo and-fo.
Very well. What then ?
Why then I, the parifli prieft,
1 ape thefe great men, and
chatter after them ! Very
well. What then t Why
then ynu, John Bunyan, you
very dirty creature, you
fierce and fiery bedlam, yoa
peflilent infamous fchifma-
tical layman, you mull fay
after me, as 1 do after others I
No, fays John, this would
buckle a tail of confequence
on the poileriors of an ape!
(9) Ho'^'j c'jniable are ex~
hortations to patience in the
mouth of a perfecuted man!
The beauty of a great num-
ber of paflages of fcripture
is highly fet off by reflefting
on the pcrfons, whofe words
they are. Thus,— y^// is 'va-
nity, and 'vexation of fpirit,
Eccl. ii. II. Who fays fo,
a monk } No, I, the wifeft,
the richeft, and the moft in-
duftrious prince in the world,
I, who had genius to invent,
fortune to purchafe, and in-
duftry to execute, I, who
hvilt houfes, planted 'vitieyards,
and fo on, I declare all the
world is 'vanity in itfelf, and
fvex-
( 107 )
How forcible is fuch a precept lupported by
one of the greateft examples we can conceive ! by
the example of a man whofe intereft fc^ems to dic-
tate a quite contrary practice ! When we give
fuch precepts to the worldly, they never fail to fay
to us. Yes, yes! you talk finely! you have never
been infulted as we have ! had you met with whac
we have you would talk otherwife ! But there is
no reafon to fay lb to St. Paul, any more than to
Jefus Chrifl, his mafter, the author of this divine
morality •, for who was ever fo perfecuted as Jellis
Chrift?
vexation to him, who places
his felicity in it.
Prov. xxi. It is hater to
d<well in a coriier of the houfe-
top than - with a bran.^Ung wjo-
man in a ivide houfe. Who
fays fo, a fellow of a college ?
No, a prince, whofe feraglio
contained a thoujand 'wotni?!.
I Kings xi. 3.
Exod. V. Mc/es told Pha-
raoh, l^hus faith the Lord.
Who prefumes to give lan-
guage to God? A man to
whom the Lord had fpoken,
iv. I. &c. and a man em-
powered to prove bis miffion
by miracles, iv. 30. Fie ga-
thered the elders — fpoks the
ijjords — and did the fgns.
Job xxxvii. 23. We can-
tisit find the Almighty out. The
uttering of this exprefhon
would be a difgrace to thofe,
who never Ihidy : but how
beautiful in the mouth of a
man of foul, and of foul in-
f^ired too ! See Job xxxii. 8.
2 Cor. xii, 10. 1 take pka-
fure in perf cations. Who are
you, a rich, reputable, \>i-
neficed gentleman ? No, I,
who have been beaten ivitb
reds — I, who have fi%'e timet
recei'ved forty fripes, fa<ve one,
1 glory in being perfecuted.
2 Cor. xi. 24, 25.
2 Cor. xii. II. I ought to
he c:?nmended of you — I who
gladly fp':nd, and am fp.nt for
you, ver. ij:
Solomon refers to this to-
pick, when he fays, Excellent
fpeech hecometh not a fool, tmtch
iefs do lying lips a prince.
Prov. xvii. 7..— And Nehe-
raiah adcd on it, v/hen he
faid. Should fuch a 7nan as
I flee ? Who is there that, br-
ing as I am, n/jould go into the
temple to fa-ue his life? Neh.
vi. II. — So Chrift fpoke to
Saul, Ads ix. 4. Saul! Saul!
why perfecuteft thou me F —
So the patriarch to his bre-
thren. Gen. xlv. 3. I am
Jofeph !
Q z (i) Wha
( io8 )
Chrift? and after him who fuffered more than
his fervant St. Paul ? (i)
2. You may aho very properly remark, that to
take a different view of the apoftle Paul, no man
was more obliged to teach and love fuch a mora-
lity than himfelf. Why? Becaufe of all thofe,
whom God in his ineffable mercy had called to
the
( I ) Who fuffered more than'
St. P.iul ? Perfecution has
generally been on the pro-
fane fide, and piety on that
of fufFerers. An excellent
foreign divine takes occafion
from St. Paul's inflidling
blindnefs on ^lymas, Ads
xiii. to enquire whether per-
fons called hereticks ought
to be punifhed by minifters
of the gnfpel, and civil ma-
giflrates. " No, fays he,
they may not — for their er-
rors may be involuntary —
erroneous opinions rray be
held by men of upright lives
— If they cannot believe
fome doctrines, it is becaufe
they cannot harmonize them
with their own ideas, and if
they cannot be perfuaded to
profefs they do believe them,
while they do not believe
them, it is becaufe they can-
not perfuade thcmfelves to
tell a lie — Men, who dare
not difgui!e their fentiments,
deferve praife for their fln-
cerity rather th::n blame for
their zeal- — The firll defenders
of chriflianity forbore to per-
fecut.', pleaded for liberty,
and promotrd religion by
pcrfuafion — Tertullian fays.
Religion is a work of choice,
it cannot be forced, nothing
is more oppofitc to it than
force. [Sponte fufcipi debeat,
non vi, &c. ad Scap. cap. 2.)
Laftantius, and Auguftine in
his wifeft days, fpoke the
fame language — But why
quote the fathers ? A greater
mailer, Jefus Chrift decides
the controverfy. He even
left his own apoftles at li-
berty. Will ye alfo go a-way ?
John vi. 67. — He did more,
he laid before them the fuf-
ferings, that they mull en-
dure if they efpoufed his
caufe, If any man ivill come
after me, he mujl take up his
crofs. Mat. xvi. 24. Confi-
der each of you, if you will
go back, you may — If you
follow me, it muft be by
choice — It would degrade
the gofpel to ufe force to
fupport it, by fuch a con-
dud religion would feem to
be deftitute of fufficient rea-
fon and argument, and this
would put it on a level with
error and vice." Difcour. dc
Monfeur du Beaufobre. Paji.
de I'Eglife, Franc, de Berlin.
Difc. xxxii. Elymas.
(2) Saul!
{ 109 )
the knowledge of the truth, he had been the
moft concerned in cruel effons of rage againft God
and his church -, all inflamed with fury he went
from Jerufalem to Damafcus to ravage the flock
of Jefus Chrift. In this raging violence of his
hatred, God made him feel his love, pardoned his
fins, foftened his heart, and from heaven cried to
him SaulySauli why perfecutejt thou me? (2) Who
' then
(2) Saul! Saul/, ijuhy per-
fecutejl thou me ? This is,
aflfuredly, one of the fined
exprefiions, that ever fell
from the mouth of man.
There is a fimilar paffage in
Micah vi. 3. O my people !
What ha<ve I done unto thee ?
IV herein have I 'wearied thee ?
Tejiify againji me — What ha've
I not done for thee? I brought
thee out of the' land of Egypt —
I f ?it before thee Mofes and
Aaron — Remember noiv 'what
Balak afked — and 'what Ba-
laam anfnvered, ver, 4, J. Our
divines are grcatlv divided
concerning the circumftances
attending St. Pnul's conver-
fion. The moft probable ac-
count is thus Hated by the
judicious writer laft quoted.
— The converted Jews, be-
ing perfecuted at Jerufalem,
fome of them fled to Damaf-
cus, the capital of Syria,
about ten or twelve miles
from. Jerufalem (fome fay
feventy.) — Aretas reigned in
Damafcus, and allowed the
Jewilh high-prieft at Jeru-
filem to exercife his jurif-
diftion in religious matters
ever the Jews who dwelt in
his city — Thither, properly
authorized, Saul was going
on the priefts perfecuting
bufinefs — near the city he
and all his company heard,
feveral thunder-claps, at-
tended with feveral flafhes
of lightning — one of thefe
ftruck Saul blind, and he
fell flat on the ground, his
face being toward the earth
— In this ftate he lay, and
had a hea'venly vision, A6ls
xxvi. 19. He was in an
ecftacy, and forgetting for a
while his body and fenfible
objefts held a converfe with
Jefus Chrift — none of his
companions heard any otlier
founds than thofe of thunder,
Aftsxxii. 9. — This idea does