Now Saul had done much harm to the good cause, and was in a great rage with those who were friends of Je-sus and taught his truths. So he went to the high priest at Je-ru-sa-lem and asked to be sent to Da-mas-cus, that if he found friends of Je-sus there he might bind them with cords and bring them back to Je-ru-sa-lem. And the high priest gave him notes to those who had charge of the church-es in Da-mas-cus, and he set out for that place. But when he came near the town there shone round him a great light, and he was in such fear that he fell to the ground. And a voice said to him, Saul, Saul, why dost thou hate me and hunt me down?
THE COM-ING OF THE HO-LY GHOST.
Saul said, Who art thou, Lord? The voice said, I am Je-sus, whom thou dost use so ill.
Then Saul shook with fear and said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? The Lord said, Rise, and go in-to the town, and it shall be shown thee what thou must do. And the men who were with him stood dazed and dumb, for they heard the voice, but could see no man.
When Saul rose from the earth he could not see, for the light had made him blind; and those who were with him led him by the hand in-to Da-mas-cus. And for three days he had no sight; and he could not eat nor drink.
But God sent An-a-ni-as, a good man, to touch his eyes, and his sight and his strength came back. And his heart was changed, and there was no man who could preach as Paul did, by which name he was now known.
For a while he went with Bar-na-bas. Then he took Si-las with him, and they made both friends and foes. The Jews at Phil-ip-pi found fault with them, beat them and put them in jail, and bade the jail-er keep them safe. So he made their feet fast in the stocks—which were great blocks of wood with holes in them.
At mid-night Paul and Si-las prayed, and those in the jail heard them. Then all at once there came a great earth-quake which shook the jail, and the doors flew o-pen, and the chains fell from those who were bound. The jail-er woke from his sleep, and when he saw that not a door was shut, he feared he would be put to death if those in the jail had fled. So he drew his sword to kill him-self. But Paul cried to him with a loud voice, Do thy-self no harm, for we are all here.
