And there they preached the gospel.

And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked.

The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,

Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.

And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lift up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.

And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.

Then the priest of Jupiter which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.

Which when the Apostles, Barnabas and Paul heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,

that

And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you, ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea: and all things that are therein :

Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.

Nevertheless, he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

K. VOL. II.

And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.

They

THE resistance which his cause would meet with in the world was anticipated by our Lord, and frequently alluded to in his conversation with his disciples. He forewarned them to expect opposition, and he instructed them how to endure it. were to be meek, yet firm-withdrawing their bodily presence when necessary, but making no compromise of their principles. When they were persecuted in one city, they were to flee into another; but not without first protesting solemnly against the guilt which its inhabitants incurred by rejecting and opposing the testimony of the gospel. This they were to do not in words only, but, agreeably to the usages of the ancient prophets, by the visible sign of "shaking the dust from their feet." This outward token, so significant and expressive, was, (as we have already seen) observed by the Apostles Paul and Barnabas, when expelled from Antioch, in

Pisidia. "They shook off the dust of their feet against them." The city to which they fled was Iconium, a place which lay to the north-east of Antioch. Here, according to their usual custom, they went first into the synagogue of the Jews, offering the blessed privileges of the gospel to that favoured people, and "so spake that a great multitude believed."

Oh blessed preaching, when this is its glorious and happy result-when the minister of God is so accompanied in his addresses to his fellow-creatures with the effectual aid of God's holy Spirit, as that they received the word with confiding meekness to the saving of their souls. All other results of preaching and hearing are of small value. So to speak as to compel a captivated audience to admire and extol the learning, the genius, the eloquence of the preacher, whilst their hearts and lives are unaffected and unimproved, is indeed "sowing to the wind," and reaping vanity. But so to speak as seriously to arrest at

tention, awaken thought, call up recollections, produce conviction, penetrate the deepest recesses of the soul, excite contrition, elevate the desires, reform the habits, spiritualize the affections, and reform the whole man-this is indeed to preach to good effect-and this is to work together with God.

That every faithful and laborious minister of the gospel is thus blessed in his preaching to a certain extent, who can doubt? God's word, though too frequently and effectually resisted, will not return unto him altogether void, but shall accomplish the thing whereunto he hath sent it. Still how limited is the extent of a minister's usefulness, even under the most favourable circumstances, compared with the multitudes who are placed under the influence of his ministrations! seldom can it be said with truth respecting any ministry in any place, as it was justly said of the ministry of Barnabas and Paul at Iconium, "and a great multitude believed."

How

But though the labours of the Apostles at Iconium met with considerable success both among the Jewish and Gentile inhabitants, yet persecution soon arose because of the word. "The unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren." For a considerable period indeed the rancorous hatred which they had to encounter was held in restraint, and as their lives were not then endangered, they felt it their duty to persevere in their work and labour of love. And in this they were encouraged and assisted by special manifestations of divine power in their behalf. "Long time, therefore," remarks the historian, "abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands." It is thus that opposition is sometimes even now overruled for good to the ministers and Church of Christ. In our own, and a sister country, how manifestly has an