The soldiers were binding Paul with straps of leather to the whipping-post, before they beat him with rods, and the centurion was standing near; when Paul said to the centurion, ‘Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and who has not been condemned?'

When the centurion heard this, he told the soldiers not to go on with their work, and he went to the captain and said, 'You must take care what you do, for this man is a Roman.'

Then the captain was quite frightened at having bound him with straps or thongs, and he went quickly to Paul, and said, 'Tell me, art thou a Roman?'

The captain said, 'I paid a great deal of money to be made a Roman.'

But I,' said Paul, was free-born.' He meant that his father had the privilege, and so he, his son, inherited it from him.

The captain then sent away the

soldiers, and made them put away their straps and their rods.

But he thought it best to let Paul sleep in the castle that night, for had he sent him back, the Jews might have torn him in pieces.

So Paul slept that night in the castle. But he was not treated as a common prisoner, because he was a Roman. Yet he still wore his chains, for even a Roman might wear chains.*

But what a night his friends must have passed in the city beneath! How sorrowful Trophimus must have felt, and Timothy and Luke,-not knowing what their dear friend and father might be suffering!

'And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work.'-2 Tim.

iv. 18.

A Roman might be bound with a chain, and beaten with a staff; but he might not be bound with thongs, and beaten with rods.

LI.

A JOYFUL NIGHT IN THE CASTLE.

Acts, xxii. 30; xxiii. 1–11.

THE captain was very anxious to do what was right, to Paul as a Roman citizen. He thought it would be best to let his own nation judge him. So he sent a message to the counsellors of the Sanhedrim to come to their hall in the morning.

The seventy-two judges assembled early in their judgment-hall.

The soldiers took off Paul's chains, and brought him down and placed him before the judgment-seat. The Sanhedrim had left off meeting in the Temple court; they now met in another place outside the court. The Roman soldiers were allowed to enter that place, as it was not sacred.

Paul stood before the council, and looked at them earnestly. He knew

many of them, for he himself had once belonged to the council, and had helped in condemning Stephen.

His first words were-' Men and brethren, I have lived before God as my conscience showed me was right.' The high-priest, Ananias, was very angry at this speech, as it seemed as if Paul felt he was in the right. The wicked judge desired the men around to give Paul blows upon his mouth.

Then said Paul, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall!' He called him a whited wall; for the highpriest was righteous outside when he sat to judge. People who stood near said to Paul, 'Why dost thou speak against the high-priest?' Paul replied, 'I did not know he was the high-priest; for it is written (in the Bible), Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler.'*

God did indeed smite this high-priest long afterwards, for he was forced to flee from his enemies into a hiding-place; and being found, he was cut to pieces by the soldiers who found him.

Paul was ready to own when he was in fault; for he was not, like Jesus, without sin.

The next thing that Paul said made his seventy judges quarrel together. Some of Paul's judges were Pharisees, and some were Sadducees. The Pharisees believed there would be a resurrection of the dead. The Sadducees believed scarcely anything they could not

see.

So Paul cried out, I am a Pharisee, and the son of a Pharisee; and I am judged here because I hope that there will be a resurrection of the dead.' The Pharisees were pleased with Paul for saying this, but the Sadducees were angry; and they all began to speak so fiercely, that the captain feared they would soon fight, and tear Paul to pieces between them. There

fore he sent to the castle for more soldiers, and he desired them to take Paul away, and to bring him back to his prison in the castle.