in relation to all those who know not the true God, that "esteeming themselves to be wise they became fools." We need not wonder that Paul was disturbed, when we consider, that they worshipped in Athens, as it is said, 30,000 gods. Paul, of course, could not be silent in the midst of such a state of things, but he did not proceed rashly. He was wise and prudent, and he made use only of all the lawful opportunities which presented themselves. In the first place, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue of his own coun trymen, the Jews, his "kinsmen after the flesh," as he delights to call them; and there he calmly reasoned with them about the truth of the Christian religion. We are told also of "devout persons" being present at these times. By these devout persons is meant, those individuals, from among the heathen, who had become proselytes to the Jewish religion, who had abandoned the worship of their dumb idols, and worshipped the true God of Israel with the Jews; but who, like the Jews, knew nothing of Jesus Christ, and the way of salvation through him. But besides this, Paul went every day to the market-place, a place of gene

ral assemblage in that city, because there a great number of people were always collected, some on business, and many merely because they had not much to do, but were fond of going where they would find a multitude of others to talk to. As he continued doing this, for several days in succession, it, of course, made a considerable stir and noise in that city, and at last, some of the philosophers, or wise men, thought they would come and hear what he had to say. These philosophers belonged to two different parties, one called Epicureans, and the other Stoics. But before we go on with the history of Paul, our young readers, especially, would like to know something about these two sects of philosophers. The Epicureans were so called from a man by the name of Epicurus, who was born 342 years before our Saviour, and taught philosophy at Athens in his own delightful garden. Among the false and absurd notions which he taught, and his followers believed, was, that the world was not made by any Deity, but all came by chance, jumbled together in some strange way, they knew not how; that God did not govern the world by his providence; that every thing was

left to take care of itself; that the soul did not live after the body was dead; that there were no future rewards or punishments, and that the chief happiness of man lies in pleasure. The Stoics did not take their name from that of their founder. His name was Zeno. They took their name from the Greek word stoa, which signifies a portico, or a piazza, because it was under a portico that Zeno used to walk, and teach his disciples, by conversing with them. The Stoics did profess to believe in the being of a God, but they supposed him to be corporeal, that is, to be somewhat like a man, with body, and hands, and feet; they did not believe that this God could do as he pleased, but that he was bound by what they called fate or necessity. They professed to practise morality, but were beyond all measure proud and haughty, actuated by principles inconsistent with the meek and humble religion of our blessed Saviour. These were the mighty wise men in their own conceits, who thought they would come and hear what Paul had to say for himself and cause. We are told that they "encountered him;" that is, they attacked him, and disputed with him on some points which

were contrary to their philosophy. Nothing in the world could have shown greater contempt than the name which they bestowed on Paul. "What will this babbler say?" We understand by the word babbler, one who talks a great deal, to little or no purpose. But the Greeks meant a great deal more by it than this. The word babbler, in their language, means a gatherer of seeds, and was applied to those idle people who were in the habit of attending markets and fairs, for the purpose of picking up the seeds of corn which happened to fall out of the bags, and upon these they lived; and so the word came to be used for an idle, goodfor-nothing fellow, who picked up stories and lies, and carried them about to tell, for a livelihood. This is what some of these wise men called Paul. There were others among them, who said, "He seems to be a setter forth of strange gods," that is, different gods from what are worshipped at Athens; and they judged this, because he preached to them Jesus, and the resurrection. They probably supposed that Paul wanted to add the name of Jesus to the list of their 30,000 gods, so that they might have another object of worship. It was on

this account, probably, that they wished him to go to what was called Areopagus, that, they said, they might know what those things meant. With this wish he very cheerfully complied, as it would give him the opportunity of preaching the Gospel before the very greatest men in Athens.

CHAPTER X.

Paul before the Areopagus at Athens. THE Areopagus was the oldest of the Athenian courts of justice; and it was, at the same time, one of the most distinguished for its respectability, purity, and love of justice. It derived its name from the place where its members assembled, called the "Hill of Mars," which is a translation of the Greek word "Areopagus." This hill was a rocky eminence, in the centre of the city, very near the celebrated Temple of Minerva. The causes which were tried before this court, were murder, poison, robbery, arson, bad morals, and innovations in the state, and in religion. Because this court had the juris