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Updated: May 26, 2025
Then suddenly the childish miracle, which no doubt had been preparing silently within my nature, wrought itself out; for from the distant forest trees, from the old orchard, from thicket and fence, from the wide green meadows, and down out of the depths of the blue sky itself, a vast chorus of innocent creatures sang to my newly opened ears the same words: "Why persecutest thou me?"
Thy brethren have doubtless related the story to thee how in my journey from Jerusalem to Damascus, full of wrath to kill and to punish the saints, I was blinded by a great light from the skies, and out of a cloud Jesus Christ our Lord spoke to me: Paul! Paul! he cried, why persecutest thou me?
And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
Thou callest thyself a Christian, yet the book of Christ thou persecutest; thou huntest it even to the sea- shore, compelling it to seek refuge upon the billows of the sea.
So advancing on his journey, he was drawing nigh to Damascus: and suddenly there shone around him a light from heaven: and falling on the ground, he heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Then said he, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou art persecuting: It is difficult for thee to kick against the goads.
"And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: "And he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying unto him, 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? "And when he knew that it was Jesus that spoke to him he trembled, and was astonished, and said, 'Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"
That is to say, you believe, as a piece of historical fact, that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into this world and died for men. And, believing that, you turn your back on Him, and neither love nor serve nor trust Him nor turn away from your iniquity. Is there anything outside a lunatic asylum more madlike than that? 'Why persecutest thou? 'And he was speechless, for no answer was possible.
Seizing the wrist of Charles with his hand, he clutched it so tightly as to almost make him cry out in pain. "Charles, Charles, why persecutest thou me? Have not the scales of infidelity fallen from your eyes? Would you deny the power of God?" Charles Stevens, by an effort, freed his hand and, with a boldness which increased as he spoke, answered: "It is not God whom I deny, but man.
'I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision'; then the possibility of disobedience was open after he had heard Christ ask, 'Why persecutest thou Me? and had received commands from His mouth. Then, too, the essential character of the charge against him was that, instead of kicking against the owner's goad, he had bowed his neck to his yoke, and that his obstinate will had melted.
Thus whipped by the monarch, that best of Rishis, the son of Vasishtha, was deprived of his senses by anger, and speedily cursed that first of monarchs, saying, 'O worst of kings, since thou persecutest like a Rakshasa an ascetic, thou shalt from this day, became a Rakshasa subsisting on human flesh!
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