The Newtown bee., 1896-09-25

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 Felix. Felix had been called back to
 Rome
 BECAUSE OF FEARFUL MASSACRE
 he had melted. For two years Paul had
 lain in prison; the Jews had long memo
 rics and had not forgotten him, As Fes-
 tus passed through Jerusaiem on his way
 to Cusarea down by the sea, the official
 residence of the Roman governor, the
 Jlws spoke to him about Paul. The
 Jews wished Paul to be tried again ;they
 wanted him brought to Jerusalem, for
 sooth that they might have chance there
 to kill him. Festus, on taking his office,
 might well be willing to grant the Jews
 A favor and so gain their esteem; but Festus sees through their scheme and he
 will be just, for Festus was pretty good
 sort of man, considering the times.
 Fcstus tells the Jews they must come
 down to C:csarea whera Paul is, if they
 wish another trial. They come down,
 the trial is held, nothing is proved. Paul,
 tired of all this nonsense and fearful
 lest he fall into the hands of the Jews,
 appeals to Cesar. He wishes to be tried
 at Rome, before the highest tribunal :;
 this was his privilege as a Roman citizen.
 But Festus does not know much about
 the Jews and their customs and charges.
 Happy coincidence. Agrippa and Der
 nice have come to pay Festus congrat- ulatorY visit. They know about the
 Jews. FestHs will have private trial
 before them, let Paul state his case and thus help him in making out the count.
 This is the trial. Paul has stated his
 case. He has told how he had lived a fPharisee of the very strictest kind, how
 he was now being tried because he was
 guilty enough to cherish the hope which all Jews had, that Messiah would come
 to them, how once he had been a bitter perseeutor of the -Ghristians, how he had gone down to Damascus with a commits sion to carry out this business of hate, that is, he had started for Damascus but was stopped on the way.
 tR,o rr,o vr ko bo baovaD1yy v,isiC.n A light above the glory of the monday sun overpowered him, smote him to the ground A voice from heaven spoke to him and told him how he had been gO- ing the wrong way, had been kicking 1 against the bricks and was finding it a hard thing. The voice said it was Jesus speaking to him, the very one he had persecuted. The voice said to him, arise for there is work to do. The work was GO open blind eyes, to bring men out of darkness into Hght1to go to the Gentiles, to release the power of Satan that held men down. On the way to Damascus PauI had a heavenly vision. It was a vision of Christ, vision of his glory, & vision of his resurrection, character. IL was an inspiring and uplifting yision4 such as no other man has had. ,...' ."
 And Paul obeyed tt1at~zision. The voice in the.vision said,. arise, and Paul stood upon his feet. The ayoice said, be B minister and witness of these things, and Paul witnes sed for them every i where. The. voice said, go to the Gen tiles, and Paul Fsnsacked the corners of, he great Gentle world. The voice said. ieliver men from bondage, and Paul | doorsy Paul followed his E 1isteny, and you knew what the folloW- z hg did for Paul. He became by com. ( non consent the. great apostle. He be- ! ;uue iu many respects the greatest man 7 i history. He became the inspirer of ! neh's lives in all after ages for we go Y . his letters to, day for a,on s | |s-a-e@1 .ss z HRbP.AsD ENCOURAGEMENT, " l., ' 3t fft E #t '' ~ md we all think him q great man. All. I.o bis came to him because he followed Ia iis vision 3i l,,,.g,, .eg n Paul was common many and yet he la ad a vision. Paul was not an extraor- lli mary man when on that Damascus Q 1ad. He was thera haeauae .he Manted N