AT DAMASCUS, NO SUCH ANANIAS PROBABLY. This same Ananias--of whom so much has been seen in the last chapter--Paul's own imagination excepted, had he anywhere any existence? The probability seems to be on the negative side: and, in the next section, as to whether Paul's companions on the road are not in a similar predicament, the reader will have to judge. But let us begin with Ananias. At Damascus, at any rate--with such power in his hands, for securing obsequiousness at the hands of those to whom he was addressing himself--with such power in his hands, Paul could not have had much need of anything in the shape of a vision:--he could not have had any need of any such person as the seer of the correspondent vision--Ananias. For the purpose of aiding the operation of those considerations of worldly prudence, which these powers of his enabled him to present, to those whom it concerned,--there might be some perhaps, who, for yielding to those considerations, and thus putting themselves under the command of this formidable potentate, might look for an authority from the Lord Jesus. But, forasmuch as, in this very case, even at this time of day, visions, _two_ in name, but, in respect of probative force, reducible to _one_--are so generally received as conclusive evidence,--no wonder if, at that time of day, by persons so circumstanced, that _one_ vision should be received in that same character. At Damascus, therefore, on his first arrival, there could not be any occasion for any such corroborating story as the story of the vision of Ananias. At Damascus--unless he had already obtained, and instructed as his confederate, a man of that name--no such story could, with any prospect of success, have been circulated: for the purpose of learning the particulars of an occurrence of such high importance, the residence of this Ananias would have been inquired after: and, by supposition, no satisfactory answer being capable of being given to any such inquiries,--no such story could be ventured to be told. Such was the case, at that place and at that time. As to any such evidence, as that afforded by the _principal_ vision, viz. Paul's own,--perhaps no such evidence was found necessary: but, if it _was_ found necessary, nothing could be easier than the furnishing it. As to the _secondary_ vision, viz. that ascribed afterwards to a man of the name of Ananias,--at that time scarcely could there have been any need of it--any demand for it; and, had there been any such demand, scarcely, unless previously provided, could any such correspondent supply have been afforded.