If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

For I know that in me (that is in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that do I.

Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

I find then a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man.

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

He

He was probably absent from Jerusalem during our Lord's teaching, and as a member of the Sanhedrim, could not be less than thirty years old, and must have been a married man. It seems likely that after his studies he had lived at Tarsus, and there married and lost his wife as well as his father. He was evidently a man of rank and consideration, who had only learnt his trade of tent making because every Jew was obliged to be taught some handicraft. was thus doubly valuable to the Pharisee party, because men of power and influence were much more apt to be Sadducees, and when he showed himself indignant at their laxity towards the new sect, they willingly seconded his zeal, and let him hunt down the disciples wherever he could trace them. So indeed were Jacob's words fulfilled "Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf." (Gen. xlix. 27).

Damascus had contained a large settlement of Israelites ever since that treaty by which Benhadad had permitted Ahab to make streets in Damascus (1 Kings xx. 34), and finding that some of his victims had taken refuge there, he obtained letters from the High Priest to the elders of the synagogue empowering him to carry any of the professors of "that way" to be punished at Jerusalem. It was a six days' journey along the road still existing, and at noon on the last day, just as the lovely, shaded, grassy, well-watered city rose a welcome sight before the travellers, there shone on him a light beyond the brightness of the mid-day sun, striking all, dazzled and confounded, to the earth.

We have two accounts of his own of the wonderful scene besides St. Luke's narrative (in Acts xxii. and xxvi.), and from these we understand that while Saul's companions were merely overpowered by the insufferable light, and heard a sound but distinguished no words, he heard a voice saying "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?" Then looking up, and asking “Who art Thou, Lord?" he actually saw (Acts xxii. 14; 1 Cor. xv. 8) Him Who spake the Human Body with the Wounds; and he was answered, I am JESUS, Whom thou persecutest ;" then in pity, "it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks -a proverb taken from an ox kicking against the goad; forced to go on, and only hurting itself by its resistance. What must not that moment have been to Saul! The Messiah, the Hope of his heart and of all his fathers, the desire of all nations had come! It was all over. He had lived at the same time, had not known Him, and was taking part with His persecutors, nay persecuting Him by persecuting those who had acknowledged Him. He could only say, "What wouldst Thou have me to do?" What could he do now, convinced by sight, not faith-convinced too late. A hope was held out to him in the words that bade him go into the city where he should be told what he was to do but crushed, blinded, fainting like one stricken by a thunderbolt, he was helped into the city by his attendants, who had been hearing a voice but seeing no man."

Overwhelmed and sightless, Saul lay for three days without tasting food or drink, utterly prostrated by the sense that he had taken part in the slaying of the Redeemer for Whom he had looked--yea, and that he had killed Stephen for declaring that he beheld the very Face that had unmistakably shone, in pleading from Heaven, on himself. The Crucified was indeed the Redeemer and King, and Saul had been among those who had pierced Him. No wonder he mourned as a man mourneth for his only son (Zech. xii. 10), and remained speechless in his dark death-like agony of shame and grief.

LESSON XX.

THE MESSAGE OF ANANIAS.

A.D. 36.-ACTS ix. 10-18; xxii. 14—16; ix. 18–22.

And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.

And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,

And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.

Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem :

And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.

But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel :

For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales:.... And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.

For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord..... And he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.

And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

But all that heard him were amazed, and said, Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?

But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.

COMMENT.-The brethren at Damascus must have heard of the condition of their enemy with relief and thankfulness, believing

that a stroke from Heaven had been sent on him to shew the anger of God and to protect them. Greatly then was this good disciple Ananias amazed by the vision that bade him seek out the persecutor and restore his sight. Ananias even ventured to remonstrate. Saul had done much evil to the saints at Jerusalem, and his recovery was dreaded by those at Damascus as the signal of their danger and death. But the Lord deigned to explain that Saul was to be restored, not merely as an act of forgiveness to a determined enemy, but to become a "chosen vessel," i.e. one who was to bear forth the treasure of the Word-the treasure in earthen vessels, to both Gentiles and kings, adding as his great privilege, "I will show him how great things he shall suffer for My Name's sake." Not what he shall do, but what he shall suffer: thus above all making him follow in the track of the Cross.

Ananias hesitated no longer. He went to the street called Straight, which still exists, and is so called because it runs, not indeed in a straight line, but directly through the city, and to a house which tradition still marks; and standing over the blind, exhausted, apparently almost insensible form that lay on the ground, he laid his hand on him saying "Brother Saul, receive thy sight. The Lord, even JESUS that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost" (Acts xxii. 13). Therewith Saul felt something like scales drop from his eyes, and looked up into the face of the man who called him brother, but whom he had been intending to denounce and hunt down, while Ananias added the rest of his message to the new believer, calling him at once to receive Baptism, and wash away those sins that in these last days had crushed him so intolerably. His question was answered indeed "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Henceforth he could say "I thank God through JESUS Christ our Lord!" (Romans vii. 25).

Repentance and Faith alike were his. He was baptized, probably in the clear fountain in the court, such as is found in almost every house in Damascus, and then taking food, he recovered his strength.

He went forth among the Jews to retract all he had said against the brethren, and as an eye witness to declare that JESUS of

Nazareth is the Lord Christ, risen and glorified in Heaven, and fulfilling all the prophecies!

There was great amazement at first, as he went from synagogue to synagogue at Damascus, proving that the life of JESUS satisfied all the promises of the Messiah, arguing as one well trained in the Law and Prophets, and at first silencing all his opponents by the force of his conviction, and the power of his words.

LESSON XXI.

SAUL'S PREPARATION.

A.D. 37—40.—ACTS ix. 23—25; 2 Cor. xi. 32—33; GAL. i. 15—19, 21-22; ACTS xxii. 17—21.

And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him :

But their lying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.

Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.

We must add from St. Paul's own words :

In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me.

And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,

To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me ; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.

But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.

St. Luke continues :

And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.

But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.