532

season.” The Bible tells us that| the day of salvation.”

PAUL BEFORE AGRIPPA.

2 Cor,

the best season is the present: | vi. 2.

“Now is the accepted time; now is

CCCLVII.

PAUL PEFORE preRi PPA.

eXIFTER two years, a new
“| governor came to Cesa-
rea, named Festus; and
Felix went away, leaving
Paul bound. ‘Then the
Jews told Festus all about Paul; and
Festus commanded that he should
be brought before his judgment-seat.
Paul again answered for himself, that
he had done nothing against the
Jews, nor against their law, nor their
temple; and then he said that he
wished to be judged by Cesar, the
Roman emperor. Paul bore all his
sufferings patiently, but he wished
for justice; he had a right, as a Ro-
man citizen, to be judged by Cesar;
and he thought this the best way of
saving himself from his cruel ene-
mies, the Jews. Festus was willing
that it should be so. He said,
“Hast thou appealed unto Cesar ?
unto Cesar shalt thou go.” But
after some days, king Agrippa came
to Cesarea, with his sister Bernice,
to see Festus. This Agrippa was
son of the wicked Herod who put

 
 

Peter into prison. He was king of.

Judea, Galilee, Samaria,
other places.

Festus told Agrippa a great-deal
about the prisoner Paul, and Agrip-

and some

pa became very anxious to see him;
so the next day, when Agrippa, and
Bernice, and the chief captains, and
the nobles of the city, were come
into the place of hearing, Festus
commanded that Paul should be
brought before them; and then
Agrippa said to him, “Thou art
permitted to speak for thyself.” So
Paul stretched out his hand, and
answered for himself.

He told them all: his history ;
how he was brought up, how he at
first hated and persecuted the Chris-
tians ; and how, at last, he was con-
verted, and became a Christian him-
self, and a preacher of the Gospel.
And then he told them what it was
he preached. It was about the
Lord Jesus Christ, of whom Moses
and the prophets wrote, who died
for sinners, and rose again the third
day. When Paul said this, Festus
cried out. with a loud voice, “ Paul,
thou art beside thyself; much learn-
ing doth make thee mad.” For
Festus did not believe what Paul
said, so he thought it all folly and
madness. But Paul answered calm-
ly, “I am not mad, most noble
Festus, but speak the words of
truth and soberness.” And then