synagogue to preach Christ.

The sacred his

torian, Luke, gives a much higher character of the Jews of Berea than of those of Thessalonica; for he says, that they received the word with readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, to ascertain whether what Paul preached to them about Christ as the Messiah was true. In consequence of thus searching the Scriptures, many of them believed, not only Jews, but Greeks of high rank, both men and women.

Searching the Scriptures daily, and with ardent prayer to God for the teaching of the Spirit, is the only true method of becoming acquainted with the contents of the sacred volume. It was the exhortation of our Saviour to the Jews of his time, "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me." We wish that every reader of this book could indeed say, from the bottom of his heart, when he thinks of his Bible,

"O may these heavenly pages be

My ever dear delight;

And still new beauties may I see,

And still increasing light.

"Divine Instructor, gracious Lord,

Be thou for ever near:

Teach me to love thy sacred word,

And view my Saviour there."

But the labours of St. Paul were soon closed at Berea, for he was followed by the storm which had been raised at Thessalonica. The Jews of this latter place, when they found out that Paul was successfully employed at Berea, took the trouble to go there, and stirred up a violent commotion. It was therefore necessary for him, once more, to consult his safety by flight, though Silas and Timothy, as being less obnoxious, ventured to continue there for a time, that they might carry on the work of God. Thus, the opposition, as before, contributed to a more extensive propagation of the Gospel, and Satan defeated his own purposes.

Those who had undertaken to escort Paul, used a stratagem, by which his enemies were prevented from waylaying him. They made as though they would go down to the sea, that is the Egean sea, near which Berea was, and this they did to make their enemies suppose that they meant to put him on board of some vessel, and send him away by water. Instead of doing this, however, they all went

on foot as far as Athens, which was a long journey in those days, hardly less, we suppose, than two hundred miles. As soon as the brethren had seen him safe in Athens, they returned to Berea, being requested by St. Paul to tell Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible. The history of the residence of Paul at Athens contains so many curious and interesting circumstances, that we shall make it the subject of a separate chapter.

CHAPTER IX.

Paul at Athens.

As Athens has always been considered one of the most distinguished cities in the world, our readers will naturally expect that we should give some account of it, before we relate what there occurred to Paul.

Athens lies on the Saronic gulf, opposite to the eastern coast of what is called the Peloponnesus. It was built on a peninsula, formed by the junction of two rivers, one called the Cephissus, and the other the Ilissus. This

city was begun by Cecrops, about 1550 years before the birth of our Saviour, and in the most ancient times it was called Cecropia. Under the government of Erichthonius, the name was changed to Athens, in honour of the heathen goddess Minerva, for in Greek her name is called Athena. The Turks call it Athiniah, and sometimes Sestines. The old city was built on the top of some rocks, which lie in the midst of a wide and beautiful plain. It was about fifteen miles from the sea, but was connected with three fine harbours on the sea, by walls of great extent and strength. What most distinguished it, however, was, that it was the seat of learning; multitudes of the wisest of the old philosophers lived and taught there. Besides this, it was remarkable for its buildings, which for perfection of architecture, and elegance of appearance, have never been rivalled. The buildings which were in and about Athens have been the admiration of every succeeding age, and, though now mostly in ruins, are truly astonishing. These buildings have formed models for other buildings all over the world, and in the city of Philadelphia, the bank of the United States, and the

bank of Pennsylvania, and St. Andrew's church, are built after different Greek models. Athens lately contained 1300 houses, 12,000 inhabit ants, 2000 of whom were Turks. Since the late political changes have taken place, Greece will probably be once more in a measure a free country, after having been four hundred years under the Turkish dominion; and Athens may again become the seat of arts, and sciences, and literature, and, better than them all, the seat of the Christian religion.

Now let us return to Paul. It will be remembered, that after the difficulty at Berea, certain brethren accompanied him to Athens, and when they returned they carried a message from him to Silas and Timothy, for them to come immediately to him. At this place the history of Paul at Athens commences. We are told, that while he waited for these brethren, "his spirit was stirred within him, when he saw the city wholly given up to idolatry;" that is, he was greatly disturbed when he saw into what miserable ignorance and foolishness these people were sunk, though they thought themselves to be wiser than all the world beside. How true is the declaration