But if Baptism is the sign and instrument of a new birth, if it does confer grace, and admit us to the Kingdom of Christ, then it was as necessary for Saul as for the humblest believer; and in being baptized he was not submitting to a mere external ordinance; but humbly and thankfully receiving a Sacrament of God's grace.

CHAPTER IV.

S. PAUL'S CALL TO THE APOSTOLATE.

N our last chapter we saw how Saul, converted as he was to Christ by a miracle of God's grace, was received into the Body of Christ's Church by Holy Baptism.

His

Saul was now not only by inward conviction, and the direct call of Christ, but also formally by the washing of the new birth, a Christian. Old things had passed away, all things were become new. former life was a thing of the past, his old self was dead. He was a new man, with new hopes, new interests, with new friends.

It was indeed a passing from darkness into light, and that, not from abstract darkness to abstract light; but from an actual darkness to actual light. From the darkness of hatred to the light of love, real human love; from the darkness of a religion of proud self-righteousness and bitter exclusiveness, to the light of a religion of sweet reasonableness and universal love; from the company of bigots and persecutors to the disciples of the meek and lowly Jesus.

We can easily imagine how Saul would enjoy the friendly sympathy which the Christian believers at Antioch, assured as they would be by the testimony of Ananias, would show during the certain days that he remained with them.

We know from his writings that Saul was a man of a warm and affectionate nature, that he yearned for love and sympathy. He would welcome as a foretaste of friendship and Christian fellowship in years to come, the thankful wondering joy with which the disciples at Antioch would show their delight at the Conversion of their expected persecutor. What his own joy and thankfulness were we may gather from what, many years later, he wrote to his friend and disciple Timothy.

1 Tim. i. 12: I thank Him that enabled me, even Christ Jesus our Lord, for that He counted me faithful, appointing me to His service; though I was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor and injurious: howbeit I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief . . . . that in me, as chief, might Jesus Christ show forth all His long-suffering, for an ensample of them which should hereafter believe on Him unto eternal life.

At this point we must read the account which S. Paul gives in his Epistle to the Galatians of this period of his life.

Gal. i. 13: Ye have heard of my manner of life in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God, and made havock of it: and I advanced in the Jews' religion beyond many of mine own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me, even from my mother's womb, and called me through his grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned unto Damascus.

In this passage you see S. Paul speaks of a journey to Arabia immediately after his conversion: but

there is no trace of this journey in the history as given by S. Luke in the Acts. And the difficulty arises as to where in the narrative we are to insert it. Was it before or after what we read in the 20th verse of the 9th chapter-that straightway in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus that He is the Son of God? In other words, which came first, the preaching, or the visit to Arabia ?

Different people will always take different views about this. It seems to me far more likely-though this view is by no means universally taken-that a man, such as Saul was, would have felt the necessity of a period of quiet before he began to proclaim the truth against which, up to a few days previously, he had been so fiercely fighting.

It was a very different case from a man who, before his conscious conversion to Christ, held the truth implicitly. There would seem almost something unbecoming in a man one day furiously inveighing against some system, and almost the next day fervently supporting it.

Besides, though Saul was convinced at once and for ever that Jesus was the Son of God; yet he needed time for thought and prayer and self-converse before he could grasp the whole bearings of the truth that had been flashed upon his mind, before he could arrange and harmonize his convictions.

It was, then, if this view be correct, to obtain this quiet time for study, for thought, for prayer, rather than to preach the Gospel, that Saul took his journey to Arabia. The expression "Arabia" was used very vaguely but it is open to us to believe that he bent his steps to Mount Sinai, the Mount of God, the spot where the Law, to the study of which his whole. previous life had been devoted, was given; the spot where Elijah in the crisis of his stormy life betook

:

himself, and where he heard the still small voice of God.

Wherever the scene of his retreat was, doubtless Saul also heard the same still small voice speaking in his heart: just as each one of us may hear it, if we only listen. Here, too, perhaps it was that he "was caught up into Paradise and heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter." Here it was, we may suppose, that the Gospel which he afterwards preached "came to him through revelation of Jesus Christ."

It is not necessary to suppose that he remained three whole years in Arabia. One whole year and parts of two others would quite satisfy the expression according to Jewish usage.

Strengthened, then, by this period of quiet thought and prayer, and equipped for his work by "visions and revelations of the Lord," Saul returned to Damascus, and, to continue in the words of the sacred historian,—

Acts ix. 20: Straightway in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus, that He is the Son of God, and all that heard him were amazed, and said, Is not this he that in Jerusalem made havock of them which called on this name? and he had come hither for this intent, that he might bring them bound before the chief priests. But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ. And when many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel together to kill him; but their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates also day and night that they might kill him: but his disciples took him by night, and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket. And when he was come to Jerusalem he assayed to join himself to the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles .... And