1817 Sept. 18

Not Paul

Argument Miracles &c

Ch Paul’s Visions

1 [… ?] Damascene conversion

2 at Troas [… ?]

Chap. /Genus/ I. Paul’s Visions as reported in the Acts.

I. Paul’s vision experienced in the road between Jerusalem and Damascus (about 120 miles) on the occasion on which he was converted. See above Ch. | | the Chapter on Paul’s conversion. Seen /Person seen/ nobody: but by Paul a vision heard, which by the said Paul /him/, he having never either seen or heard Jesus, was by some means not specified discovered to be Jesus. Places in which /Persons by whom/ this is reported: 1. Paul speaking to the Jerusalem Mob. Acts XXII. 2. Paul speaking to King Agrippa Acts XXVI[?]. 3. Paul writing to the Galatians: Gal. I. 12. 15. 16 4. Paul writing to the Corinthians. I. Cor. XV. 8. 5 Author of the Acts Acts IX 3 to 9

Though an unseen one /sight/ this vision was a direct /directly stated/ one.

II. Another vision of Paul’s experienced /enjoyed/ Paul’s vision at a place not mentioned and at a time not discoverable. Paul’s vision of /Person seen/ Ananias as reported to Ananias time and place also unspecified by Jesus to the said Ananias. a See above Ch. | | This is the vision within a vision, as there spoken of. This vision is also a direct /directly-stated/ one. Pencil notes: ‘To the next page’; ‘From the bottom of the next page’.

a Acts IX. 12.

IV. Paul’s vision at Troas. Person seen a man of Macedonia, name not mentioned. Person by whom reported, the author of the Acts. Acts XVI. 8. 9. 10

8. ‘And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.

10. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia &c

Vision in this case too a directly-stated one.

Of this vision the natural interpretation seems to have been this. For reasons which he had not thought fit to explain to his attendants, or which having been explained to them had not proved quite so satisfactory as he could have wished, Paul chose to take this voyage to Macedonia. He accordingly determined to have had this vision. At this time /On this occasion/ he was so seldom alone, that it became necessary to experience it - to have experienced it either in a trance, or at night. In a trance there would have been the trouble of acting the part, and all eyes would be upon him: the night time was therefore chosen, by which /his choice, and by it/ all that trouble was saved.