(17) 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.

(25) Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.

(123) These are only his blows and strokes, whereby the mustard seed is overwhelmed, covered and obscured: Concerning which also the holy Apostle Paul saith, [Cor. xii. 79] that a great thorn was given him in his flesh, and he besought the Lord earnestly to take it from him, whereupon the Lord answered, Let my grace be sufficient for thee.

(4) St Paul felt such love when he said, "I would that I were cut off from God for my friends' sake." Now to be cut off from God is equivalent to suffering the pains of hell. Some ask whether St Paul was on the way to perfection or was perfect. I answer, he was perfect, or he would have spoken otherwise.

(5) I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

(14) Thus we have got a Prince of the eternal Life, and we need do no more but to press into him with a firm Trust and strong Belief, and then our Soul receives his Love, and springs forth with him through Death, and stands upon that which is earthly, viz. upon Flesh and Blood, and is a Fruit in the Kingdom of God, in the Body of Jesus Christ, and triumphs over the Fierceness; for the Love holds that captive, and that is a Reproach to Death; as Paul says, O Death! where is thy Sting? O Hell! where is thy Victory? Thanks be to God, who has given us Victory.

(2) When they were come, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all times, serving the Lord with humility, with temptations which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews.

(13) Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

(19) I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: and when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consented unto his death.

(6) Paul said, I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God. I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

(7) When Paul had thus spoken, he prayed with them all. They all wept, sorrowing for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship.

(22) THERE was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

(34) Then said Paul, I stand at Cesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Cesar.

(15) Paul said, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.

(14) ¶As Paul thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.

(1) AGRIPPA said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak. Then Paul answered: I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee: especially, because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

(1) I salute thee, the holy soul! O beloved one! and this for me is more appropriate than for most. Hail! O truly beloved! And to the truly Loveable and Desired, very beloved! Why should it be a marvel, if Christ speaks truly, and the unjust banish His disciples from their cities, themselves bringing upon themselves their due, and the accursed severing themselves, and departing from the holy. Truly things seen are manifest images of things unseen. For, neither in the ages which are approaching, will Almighty God be Cause of the just separations from Himself, but they by having separated themselves entirely from Almighty God; even as we observe the others, becoming here already with Almighty God, since being lovers of truth, they depart from the proclivities of things material, and love peace in a complete freedom from all things evil, and a Divine love of all things good; and start their purification, even from the present life, by living, in the midst of mankind, the life which is to come, in a manner suitable to angels, with complete cessation of passion, and deification and goodness, and the other good attributes. As for you then, I would never be so crazy as to imagine that you feel any suffering; but I am persuaded that you ate sensible of the bodily sufferings merely to appraise them. But, as for those who are unjustly treating you, and fancying to imprison, not correctly, the sun of the Gospel, whilst fairly blaming them, I pray that by separating themselves from those things which they are bringing upon themselves they may be turned to the good, and may draw you to themselves, and may participate in the light. But for ourselves, the contrary will not deprive us of the all-luminous ray of John, who are even now about to read the record, and the renewal of this, thy true theology: but shortly after (for I will say it, even though it be rash), about to be united to you yourself. For, I am altogether trustworthy, from having learned, and reading the things made foreknown to you by God, that you will both be liberated from your imprisonment in Patmos, and will return to the Asiatic coast, and will perform there imitations of the good God, and will transmit them to those after you.