to commemorate the first considerable conversion which was made through his instrumentality, viz.: that of Sergius Paulus. Whatever might have been the reason, we shall hereafter, following the history, call him Paul.

We do not know how long Paul and Barnabas remained in the island of Cyprus. When they left Paphos, they went over to that part of the coast of Asia Minor called Pamphylia, and journeyed to an inland city, called Perga. This was one of the largest cities in that province, and stood on a river called Caystrus. There is nothing remarkable related of Paul here; and the only circumstance in the history, at all necessary to mention, is, that Paul and Barnabas were here deserted by one of their fellow-labourers, John Mark, who returned to Jerusalem. He did not renounce the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, but he seems to have grown tired of the missionary work. We hope that he was soon convinced of his error, and

commenced the work again.

From Perga, Paul and Barnabas went to Antioch, in Pisidia. This was a different place from the Antioch mentioned before, and not a place of so much consequence. But

some very important particulars here occurred, for here Paul and Barnabas attended the worship of the Jewish synagogue; and after the usual service, Paul, being invited by the rulers of the synagogue to address the congregation, rose up and preached a most faithful Gospel sermon, some account of which will, we trust, be interesting to our readers. To impress their minds in favour of the glorious doctrine which he was about to preach, he began with a history and explanation of some of the merciful dispensations of God towards their ancestors, particularly in having given them the promise of a Saviour, and by slow degrees preparing them for his reception. He then went on to tell them, that Jesus Christ was the very one who had been all along predicted. That John the Baptist acknowledged him as the Messiah-that by the inhabitants of Jerusalem and their rulers, he was put to death, even against the will of Pilate the governor, no fault being found in him. And," he continues, "when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in the sepulchre. But God raised him from the dead: and he

was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as is also written in the second Psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." What ought to have had a great effect on them was, that the apostle argued the whole matter as agreeable to their own scriptures, that is the Old Testament; and that, according to their own prophecies, of which they were proud, Jesus had been raised from the dead, and therefore was the very Saviour whom they professed to look for. He most solemnly entreated them to accept that full and free redemption which was offered in Christ, and warned them, in the awful language of the prophet, not to reject the gracious terms of salvation. This was the substance of that discourse of Paul, which is contained in the thirteenth chapter of the Acts. It is a melancholy fact, however, that none of the audience appear to have been properly impressed. Some of the Gentiles seem to

have been interested, and requested that the next Sabbath-day he would preach to them.

Paul and Barnabas spent the week in going about visiting the pious persons, and exhorting them to maintain an active state of religion in their own souls. On the next Sabbath there came together almost the whole city to hear the word of God preached by Paul and Barnabas. We are not, however, to suppose from this, that they all came from a good motive. We know that, in these days, great crowds will go to hear even those men and women who are opposers to the truth as it is in Jesus. There is always in the unconverted heart an opposition to religion, although their curiosity may lead them to church. However, almost all the people went, and the Jews, who saw that they were all apparently anxious to know ⚫ something about the Gospel, became angry; they openly contradicted what Paul said, and at last began to abuse him and to blaspheme, their passions became so heated. Paul went on, however, and preached more and more boldly, till at last he was compelled to tell them, that though in God's goodness it was necessary that the first offer of the Gospel should be

made to them, still, if they would not have it, but chose to ruin their own souls, he would go and preach to the Gentiles, and that they would hear it, and accept God's mercy. When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad to find that the Gospel was offered to them, and they glorified the word of the Lord, accepting pardon through Christ. The Gospel was preached through all that neighbourhood, and there were many converted souls who joined themselves to the disciples.

The wicked Jews, however, could not let the matter rest. They raised a great noise and outcry, and at last Paul and Barnabas were driven out of the city. One curious circumstance occurred. In this persecution, we are told, the devout and honourable women were engaged. By devout and honourable, the writer means, those who were very strict in the Jewish religion, so far as form goes, and that they were respectable persons. No really devout persons could have been engaged in so wicked a business. It often happens, that those who make a great show of religion, get offended when there is any remarkable attention to the subject, and that which ought to be a matter of great rejoic