Agrippa was not ready to live a life of self-denial, and therefore he could only say, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds."
St. Paul could not offer a better prayer for his hearers, nor for all mankind who have ever lived upon earth, than that they should be true and sincere Christians, like him in every respect, except in that of being prisoners. The "bonds" here spoken of were the light chains upon his hands, by which, as we have said, prisoners amongst the Romans were usually bound to the soldier who had charge of them. St. Paul bore no ill-will to those who had unjustly kept him so long a prisoner; he only desired their good, expressing, in the words we have just read, his solemn wish that they might become true Christians.
Chapter XXVIII.—ST. PAUL BEGINS HIS FOURTH VOYAGE.
St. Paul's solemn prayer for all who had listened to his words closed the examination. "And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them: and when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds." All who had heard St. Paul speak, saw at once that he had been guilty of no offence against the Roman Government: and Agrippa, who understood the Jewish law, pronounced that there was no reason on that account either, to keep him a prisoner. "Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Cæsar." Having done so, no prisoner could be set at liberty, without the express command of the Emperor.
Agrippa's opinion would incline the unprejudiced Jews not to believe all that the priests and elders had said against St. Paul; and it would make Festus write a favourable report of his case to Rome. Probably it was owing to what Agrippa now said, that St. Paul met with kind treatment, both on the voyage to Italy and after his arrival in Rome.
Nothing now remained but to send St. Paul to Cæsar; and of this voyage, St. Luke, who appears never to have quitted him, gives us a full account, saying, "And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band." Although the garrison of Cæsarea was at this time composed of Syrian soldiers, there was also a small body of Roman soldiers, called the Augustan Band, as belonging particularly to the Emperor. Under a centurion of this band, St. Paul was now to begin his fourth and last journey, a.d. 60.
This journey differed from the three former, inasmuch as they had been undertaken voluntarily, (by direction of the Holy Spirit,) for the accomplishment of the work given him to do. This fourth journey, though it would equally serve to the great work of spreading the Gospel, was to be made as a prisoner.
In those days, a voyage was a more serious affair than it is now. It was not easy to find a ship sailing direct from any port in Asia to Italy, and accordingly we read, "And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us." Adramyttium was a sea-port of Mysia, quite out of the way of any person wishing to go to Italy; but, as the ship was to touch at many ports in Asia Minor on her way home, it was probable that at one of these ports some vessel might be found which was going into Italy, and could take Julius and his company on board. The Aristarchus here mentioned had become a Christian when St. Paul preached the Gospel in Macedonia, and had then gone with the Apostle to Jerusalem, and helped him in his great work. Why he was now a prisoner, we are not told; but it was no doubt for preaching the Gospel that he was now a fellow prisoner of St. Paul. St. Luke, after mentioning the launching at Cæsarea, says, "And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul," (that is, treated him kindly,) "and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself." There were at this time many Christians in Phœnicia; and it must have been a great comfort both to them and to St. Paul, to meet and talk and pray together.