Suffering the most excruciating anguish, he was borne from the scene of revelry and display. A moment before he had been the proud recipient of the praise and worship of that vast throng; now he realized that he was in the hands of a Ruler mightier than himself. Remorse seized him; he remembered his relentless persecution of the followers of Christ; he remembered his cruel command to slay the innocent James, and his design to put to death the apostle Peter; he remembered how in his mortification and disappointed rage he had wreaked an unreasoning vengeance upon the prison guards. He felt that God was now dealing with him, the relentless persecutor. He found no relief from pain of body or anguish of mind, and he expected none.

I den frygteligste kval blev han båret bort fra skuepladsen for svir og pragtudfoldelse. For et øjeblik siden havde han med stolthed taget imod den store skares pris og tilbedelse; nu forstod han, at han var i en endnu mægtigere herskers hånd. Han blev grebet af samvittighedsnag: han huskede sin ubarmhjertige forfølgelse af Kristi disciple; han huskede sin grusomme befaling om at dræbe den uskyldige Jakob og sine planer om at lade apostlen Peter henrette; han huskede også, hvordan han i sin krænkelse og sit skuffede raseri havde ladet en uretfærdig hævn ramme fangevogterne. Han forstod, at det nu var Gud, som handlede med ham, den ubarmhjertige forfølger. Intet lindrede de legemlige smerter eller den sjælelige lidelse, og han ventede det heller ikke.