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ciples recently acknowledged at Jerusalem, and publicly rebuked S. Peter for his inconsistency. It was not an error in doctrine, but one in practice, which would have formed a most dangerous precedent. S. Peter does not appear to have made any opposition, or to have set any value on himself on account of his seniority to S. Paul both in years and in the Church, but at once to have acknowledged that he was wrong, and to have acted in conformity with the precept of our LORD, "He that is greatest among you, let him be as the that is chief, as he that doth serve.

S. Paul's se

Journey. The

Philippi.

ניי

younger; and he

Some time after this, S. Paul proposed to XI. S. Barnabas to visit the Christians in every cond Apostolical city where they had preached. S. Barnabas Gospel in Greece. Wished to take Mark, which S. Paul refused to do on account of his previous shrinking Acts xv. xvi. from the work. Not being able to agree on this point, S. Barnabas went with Mark to Cyprus; and S. Paul chose Silas as his companion, and passed through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the Churches.

At Lystra, he found a young man well reported of by the Christians of that city and Iconium. His father was a Greek, but his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois, were both devout Jewish converts; his name was Timothy. S. Paul chose him as his companion in travel, and circumcised him because of the Jews, who would not otherwise have listened to his preaching. It is instructive to remark the readiness with which the Apostle yielded to Jewish prejudices whenever they did not, as in the case of Titus, infringe Christian liberty. Either now or at a later period, knowing by the spirit of prophecy that Timothy was chosen of GOD for the sacred ministry, S. Paul together with the presbyters laid his hands on him, and divine grace was thus communicated to him.3

The Apostle with Silas and Timothy continued their visitation of the Churches, carrying with them the decrees of the Council of Jerusalem, and delivering them to the Church in every city to keep. The condition of these Churches seems to have been most flourishing. The

1 S. Luke xxii. 26.

31 Tim. iv. 14; 2 Tim. i. 6.

2 See 1 Tim. i. 18, and iv. 4.

course of the heralds of the Gospel was now by the special interference of the HOLY GHOST1 directed through Phrygia, Galatia, and Mysia, to Troas. Here at midnight S. Paul had a vision of a Macedonian who said: "Come over into Macedonia, and help us." This decided their conduct, and accordingly they set sail. It is on this occasion that S. Luke the Evangelist first mentions himself as the companion of S. Paul. He was a Christian of Antioch, probably a Gentile convert, by profession a physician, and after this we find him sharing all the labours and sufferings of the Apostle of the Gentiles. In two days the four missionaries arrived at Neapolis, and proceeded at once to Philippi, a Roman colony, and the chief city of that part of Macedonia.

The Gospel was now entering the most refined and civilised country in the world. The Greeks, though conquered by the iron courage and endurance of the Romans, were still regarded as the instructors of the world in science and philosophy. The Greek language was the polite language of nearly the whole Roman empire. Greek learning and poetry took the lead, and found imitators and disciples among the finest intellects of Rome. But the pride of reason when unilluminated with divine light has always been the most formidable opponent of the Gospel. The Greeks were unwilling to listen to it unless it were connected with some system of philosophy. The Romans were very jealous of the introduction of any new religion, and were opposed to any kind of proselytising. It may well be supposed, therefore, that the Gospel would be soon subjected to most severe trials when it came in contact with both these prejudices in combination as they were at Philippi.

So it came to pass. At first the preaching of S. Paul in an oratory at the river side was attended with some

1 It is exceedingly instructive to trace on the map the course of this part of their journey recorded in Acts xvi. 6, 7. When we reflect that the abrupt turn which their route takes was caused by the direct inspiration of the SPIRIT, we see something of that close and intimate communion with GOD which could make His inspirations so unmistakeably clear, even as to the direction in which they were to walk. This is the key to such expressions as "walking with GOD," and "in all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths," &c.

success among the women who resorted thither. The name of Lydia, a dealer in purple, is specially mentioned as one whose heart the LORD opened to receive the word spoken by Paul: and after her baptism and that of her household, she prevailed on the Apostles to lodge with her. But soon the enemy of souls threw obstacles in their way. The evil spirit, by whom a poor girl was possessed whose masters made much money by her calamity, recog nised the heralds of the Gospel, and the girl cried after them: "These men are the servants of the most high GOD, who show unto us the way of salvation." S. Paul cast out the evil spirit, who obeyed at the Name of JESUS. But the masters of the girl seeing the hope of their gain was gone seized Paul and Silas, and accused them in the magistrate's court of being troublesome Jews who taught customs unlawful for Romans to practise. The magistrates yielded to the popular clamour, caused them to be beaten with rods, rent their clothes, and cast them into prison, where their feet were put in the stocks. But no suffering can take away the joy which JESUS gives to them who suffer for Him, and at midnight the praises of GOD were heard sounding through the dungeons of Philippi. An earthquake shook the foundations of the prison, the doors were burst open, and the chains were broken. The jailor would have killed himself in despair, thinking the prisoners must have escaped, but S. Paul cried out, "Do thyself no harm, for we are all here." He called for a light, and now the HOLY SPIRIT darted a ray of divine light into his soul, he felt himself in the presence of the living God whose servants were here calm in the midst of all this confusion, and trembling he cast himself at their feet, saying, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved ?" It was a heart-broken cry of a lost sinner, and the answer came back, meeting him on his own ground, satisfying every want of his terrified conscience: Believe on the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and thou shalt be

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1 Called here a "spirit of Python,” being the same spirit by which those who uttered the enigmatical sentences of the heathen oracles were moved. Python was the name of a serpent said to have been slain by Apollo, and hence the name became attached to those supposed to be under his influence.

saved." He was baptized, together with all his family the same night, and before the morning they were rejoicing in the possession of the peace of GOD which passeth all understanding, and delighting to honour the ambassadors of the LORD.

The next day the magistrates probably feeling they had overstretched their power, sent their lictors with an order for their release; but S. Paul replied that they had publicly beaten Roman citizens with rods, (which might only be done in the case of condemned criminals,) and now they would turn them out privately;-" No," said he, "let them come themselves, and fetch us out." The magistrates being frightened at this, came to excuse themselves, and to beg them to go away from the city; which after visiting Lydia, and comforting the Christians, they did. The Epistle to the Philippians shows how deep was the love thus sorely tried in the furnace of affliction between S. Paul and the converts there, for even long after he had left them, they supplied him more than once with necessaries. We shall hear of this again.

XII. Thessalonica.

at Athens.

Acts xvii.

The Apostles, undeterred by the treatment they had received at Philippi, peneBerea. S. Paul trated still further into Greece. Passing Preaches before through Amphipolis and Apollonia they ar the Areopagus. rived at Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. As usual, they first made the offer of salvation to them, and for three successive sabbath-days S. Paul reasoned with them out of the Scriptures, showing how the promised MESSIAH was to suffer, to die, and to rise from the dead; and then proving that this JESUS whom he preached had fulfilled all these prophecies and types, and therefore was the MESSIAH. Some were converted, and so were many devout Greeks, and some women of high rank. The unbelieving

1 It is probable that one of the Apostle's ancestors had been presented with the privileges of a Roman citizen, for Tarsus, though made a free city for its services to Augustus, did not necessarily make its inhabitants Roman citizens, as appears from a comparison of Acts xxi. 39, with xxii. 27, 28. The punishment for offering such indignities to Roman citizens was very severe.

Phil. iv. 16.

Jews, however, made an uproar, seized Jason the host of the apostles, and accused him before the rulers of the city of entertaining seditious persons, who served another king in place of the Roman emperor. The Christians, however, sent away Paul and Silas by night to a neighbouring city, Berea. Here again they entered the synagogue, but the Jews here' were much less narrow-minded than at Thessalonica, for instead of obstinately refusing the truth, and persecuting the preachers of it, they calmly and candidly searched the Scriptures daily to see if these things were indeed as S. Paul affirmed. Truth when allowed to have its full liberty will invariably prevail, and therefore many of them believed, and so also did many Gentiles. The Jews at Thessalonica, however, hearing of the Word of GOD being preached at Berea, came thither, and stirred up the people. The brethren on this sent away Paul in the direction of the sea coast, while Silas and Timothy remained at Berea.

S. Paul's guides brought him to Athens, and thence he sent them to bring his two companions to join him, while he waited for them.

One of the best descriptions of this celebrated place is given by Milton in his Paradise Regained, (Bk. iv.)

"On the Egean shore a city stands,

Built nobly, pure the air, and light the soil,
Athens, the eye of Greece, mother of arts
And eloquence, native to famous wits

Or hospitable, in her sweet recess,

City or suburban, studious walks and shades.”

This was the city where the greatest of all heathen philosophers, the one who has entered more deeply into the mysteries of GOD than any ancient or modern reasoner,-whose works S. Augustine acknowledges led him nearer to GOD than any other writings, until he opened

1 The slightest examination of the passage clearly shows that this commendation pronounced by the inspired historian applies only to the Jews of Berea. And yet it is not uncommon to hear this passage alleged as a proof that the Bereans "were more noble than" the Thessalonians, because they refused to receive the word of S. Paul until they were convinced by their own judgment that it was according to Scripture. Such a perverted comment is quite contradicted by 1 Thess. ii. 13.

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