immediately two hundred soldiers.' Each centurion had a hundred under his command. But that will not be enough,' thought the captain. 'Get ready besides seventy horsemen and two hundred men, with spears and pikes. Be ready at nine o'clock,' said the captain. 'Take care that there are horses for Paul to ride on, and take him safe to the governor Felix at Cæsarea.' Having given these orders the captain sat down to write a letter to the governor. He began his letter thus: 'Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting.' He went on to say that Paul had done nothing deserving of death, or even of imprisonment, but that the Jews had accused him of disobeying their law. He ended his letter nearly in these words: When it was told me that the Jews meant to lie in wait for the man, I sent him to thee; and I commanded the Jews to go down to tell thee what he had done. Farewell.' This letter the captain gave to the centurions to take to the governor. At nine o'clock that evening, when it was dark, Paul mounted a horse, and a man chained to him rode on each side of Paul. Thus Paul left Jerusalem, accompanied by four hundred and seventy soldiers. This was a little army, and this army was to guard one weak man. But that weak man had so many enemies that it was necessary to guard him well. Softly and silently the little army departed from Jerusalem, and took the road to Cæsarea. During that night they went eighteen miles, and then they came to a town that lay on the way, where to rest. After resting during the day the four hundred foot-soldiers returned to Jerusalem, leaving only the seventy horsemen to guard Paul. The next day Paul set out again on horseback, and in a few hours arrived at Cæsarea, by the sea-coast. He was taken by a centurion to the governor's palace-a magnificent palace, built of white marble. Paul was led into the grand room, where the governor, Felix, was sitting. This Felix was indeed a wicked old man. He was once a slave, but had been set free and made great. Why? Because he was ready to do any wicked thing that great men asked him to do. This old man was clothed in purple, and seated on a throne. Before him stood the holy prisoner, with chains on his hands. The centurion presented the captain's letter to Felix. When the governor had read it, he asked where Paul came from. When he was told it was from Tarsus in Cilicia he looked towards Paul, and said, 'I will hear thee when thine accusers come down.' Then he commanded him to be kept in the judgment-hall. He did not put him in a prison, but in a fine room close to the palace. In that room Paul slept that night. 'If any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.' -1 Pet. iv. 16. LIV. THE PRISON AT CÆSAREA. Acts, xxiv. 1-23. PAUL was again in Cæsarea. He had stayed there a little while ago in the house of Philip the deacon, with his four holy daughters; and he had seen Agabus the prophet. Did Paul now remember how Agabus had tied the girdle round his hands and feet, and P shown that Paul would be chained in the same manner? O yes! Paul remembered it well; for it was only ten days ago, since Agabus had done this. Now Paul found himself with the real chains around his wrists and his ankles. But though he was in chains, he was in a pleasant prison-for it was a fine, handsome, airy room-and kept cool by the sea-breezes. He waited there* three days before his enemies arrived. Ananias, the high-priest, came, and the elders of the Sanhedrim. There must have been a grand train of horses and servants, when such honourable men travelled. One morning Paul in his chains was called to appear before Felix, to be judged. * In the text five days are mentioned, but they are counted from Paul's leaving Jerusalem, not from his arriving at Cæsarea. |