The church of God celebrates this day in honour of the great Apostle PAUL,
for he is called the teacher of all nations: though his martyrdom, for true
doctrine, was accomplished with the blessed Peter's. He had from childhood
been bred up in the old law, and by great diligence was therein deeply
imbued. After Christ's passion, when the true faith had sprung up through
the preaching of the apostles, he persecuted christian men through his
ignorance, and set them in prison, and was also consenting to the slaying
of the first {387} martyr Stephen: it is not, however, read of him that he
killed any man with his own hands.
"He took then letters of the high priests for the city of Damascus, that he
might bind the christians that he found in the city, and lead them to
Jerusalem. Then it happened on the journey that a great light came suddenly
on him, and prostrated him on the earth, and he heard a voice from above
thus saying, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Evil will it be to thee
to spurn against the goad. He then in great fright answered the voice, Who
art thou, dear Lord? The calling of the divine voice answered him, I am
Jesus whom thou persecutest: but arise now, and go forth to the city; there
shall it be said unto thee what it befitteth thee to do. He arose then with
blinded eyes, and his companions led him thus blind to the city. And there
abiding he tasted neither meat nor drink for a space of three days."
"There was then a servant of God within the city, his name was Ananias, to
whom the Lord spake in these words, Ananias, arise, and go to my servant
Saul, who is praying for my mercy with earnest mind. He answered the divine
voice, My Saviour, how may I speak to him who is the persecutor of thy
saints, through the power of the chief priests? The Lord said, Go as I have
said to thee, for he is to me a chosen vessel, to bear my name to nations,
and to kings, and to the children of Israel; and he shall suffer much for
my name. Ananias went then to the chosen champion, and set his hands upon
him with this greeting, Saul, my brother, Jesus, who spake to thee on the
way, hath sent me to thee, that thou mayest see, and be filled with the
Holy Ghost. Then with these words there fell as it were films from his
eyes, and he straightways received sight, and submitted to baptism. He
continued then some few days with the servants of God within the city, and
with great boldness preached to the Jews, that Christ, whom they had
denied, is the Son of Almighty God. They were greatly astonished, and said,
What! is not this {389} the cruel persecutor of christian men: how
preacheth he the faith of Christ? But Saul increased much in strength, and
shamed the Jews, with steadfastness verifying that Christ is the Son of
God."
"Then after many days the Jews deliberated how they might kill the champion
of God, and set wards at every gate of the city. Paul got knowledge of
their machination, and the christians took him, and let him down over the
wall in a basket. And he went again to Jerusalem, and announced himself to
the holy fellowship of Christ's family, and made known to them how Jesus
had spoken to him from heaven. After some time a voice came from the Holy
Ghost, to the faithful company, thus saying, Send Paul and Barnabas to the
work for which I have chosen them. The holy fellowship then, by God's
command and election, sent them to teach all countries concerning the
coming of Christ for the redemption of the world."
"Thus was Barnabas Paul's companion in preaching for a long time, when at
last it seemed good to them to go apart, and they did so. Paul was then
filled and comforted with the grace of the Holy Ghost, and went to many
countries, sowing God's seed. In one city he was twelve months, in one two
years, in one three, and appointed bishops, and mass-priests, and servants
of God; he went afterwards to another country, and did in like manner. But
he sent back letters to those whom he before had taught, and so by those
letters stimulated and confirmed them in the way of life."
We will now run over this reading with a short exposition, and explain any
obscurity there may be contained in it. Paul persecuted christian men, not
with hate, as the Jews did, but he was a partizan and defender of the old
law with great steadfastness: he thought that the faith of Christ was an
adversary to the old covenant: but Jesus who had established the old law by
divers miracles, the same afterwards by his {391} presence changed it to
truth, according to its ghostly signification. Now Paul knew not the
ghostly signification of that law, and was therefore its advocate, and a
persecutor of the faith of Christ. God Almighty, who knows all things, saw
his thoughts, that he did not persecute faithful men from rancour, but for
the defence of the old law, and spake to him from heaven, thus saying,
"Saul, why persecutest thou me? I am the Truth which thou defendest; cease
from persecution: hurtful will it be to thee to spurn against the goad. If
the ox spurneth against the goad, it hurteth himself; so also harmeth thee
thy warfare against me." He said, "Why persecutest thou me?" because he is
the head of christian men, and bewails whatsoever his limbs suffer on
earth, as he said through his prophet, "He who toucheth you, it shall be to
me as painful as if he touched the sight of my eye." He was prostrated,
thus saying, "Who art thou, Lord?" His pride was prostrated, and true
humility was raised up in him. He fell unrighteous, and was raised
righteous. Falling he lost bodily sight, rising he received his mind's
enlightening. Three days he continued without sight, because he had denied
the resurrection of Christ on the third day.
Ananias signifies in the Hebrew tongue, _sheep_. The gentle sheep then
baptized the impious Saul, and made him the pious Paul. He baptized the
wolf and made him a lamb. He changed his name with his character; and he
was then a true proclaimer of God's church, who had before afflicted it
with fierce persecution. He would flee from the machination of the Jewish
people, and consented to be let down in a basket over the wall: not because
he would not suffer death for the faith of Christ, but because he would
flee from immature death; for he had first to gain many a man to God by his
great wisdom, and afterwards with great honour stretch out his neck to
martyrdom. Much greater torments he suffered afterwards for Christ's name,
than he had ordered for {393} christian men before his conversion. Saul the
impious scourged the christians, but after his conversion the pious Paul
for the name of Christ was often scourged. Once he was stoned almost to
death, so that his persecutors left him for dead, but in the morning he
arose and went about his preaching. He was frequently in great peril, both
by sea and by land, in the waste, among thieves, from hunger and from
thirst, and from many watchings, from cold, and from nakedness, and from
many prisons: he so hastened with his preaching, as though he would bring
all mankind to God's kingdom: as well with precepts as with prayers and
with letters, he ever stimulated to the will of God. He was led to heaven
as far as the third flooring, and there he saw and heard God's secret,
which he might not make known to any man. He bewailed with weeping the sins
of other men, and to all the faithful he showed fatherly love. By his
handicraft he toiled for his own and his companions' support, and in
addition thereto there was nothing known in true piety which his
instruction did not confirm. The other apostles lived, by God's command, by
their teaching, free from danger; but, nevertheless, Paul alone, who by
worldly craft was a tent-wright, would not receive the sustenance allowed,
but by his own toil provided for his own and his companions' need. His
precepts and his acts are to us inscrutable, but happy will he be who obeys
his admonitions with diligence.