kingdom of God as a little child." It was nature at Lystra "feeling after the Lord"-it was Sadducean philosophy in the spiritual court of Jerusalem. The one was open to proof, the other was shut up in cold and supercilious negation. The one might blunder in its eagerness, but the other was wrapped in continuous and immovable falsehood. The one deified two men for a momentmen who had displayed the mercy and power of God, and the error was soon rectified; but the other humanized divinity, looked upon the "healing"-God's own work and witness, simply as done by man; and, instead of adoring God in it, were only annoyed at the craft and success of a Galilean fisherman.

But a reaction soon occurred at Lystra. The enemies of the apostle pursued him; "certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium" maligned and misrepresented him, and, gaining the people over to their views, proceeded to wreak their vengeance on him. These Jews seem to have been both instigators, and also principal actors-they stoned the apostle, as their law enjoined for crimes of impiety. In the city itself, they fell upon him; a heathen country town could not be, as they thought, polluted by such a murder. It was not like holy Jerusalem, out of which Stephen must be hurried before he was put to death; but they dragged Paul out of Lystra, "supposing he had been dead." He who had been taken for a god was stoned as a malefactor -apotheosis followed by martyrdom. The Lystrians must have been sorely affronted at their mistake, and they hated him who had so honestly undeceived them. The Jews must have told them too, that so far from being a god, Paul was

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the foe of the gods and detested by them, that he was in league with the dark powers, and deserved not to live. Such revulsions are not uncommon with uneducated and impulsive people. The islanders of Crete took Paul, first for a murderer, and then for a deity. When the Gauls, nigh four hundred years before Christ, invaded Italy, and entered Rome, they found the city deserted; but as they entered the forum, they were met with the strange spectacle of fourscore aged and white-bearded priests and patricians ranged in order, each in his robes of state and seated on his curule chair of ivory. At first they were awed, as if the sires had been gods; but no sooner did one of them resent an act of familiarity, than the spell was · suddenly broken, and the whole body were at once set upon and dispatched. It is said, too, that it was not till the natives of that South Sea island where Captain Cook was slain, discovered, by his wincing under an accidental blow, that he was a man "of like passions" with themselves, that they ventured to surround and stab him.

"As the disciples stood round him" in grief and consternation, the apostle was resuscitated; a miracle was wrought upon him, for at once he rose up and came into the city." His enemies, terrified at seeing him whom they had stoned, drawn along the street, and left for dead, would not venture again to assault him: their labour was fruitless, stones were hurled at him in vain, he could not as yet be killed. Once was I stoned," says the apostle, referring to this outrage; and he reminds Timothy, who, as a native of Lystra, may have witnessed the scene of "persecutions and afflictions which came unto me at

Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra," adding-" Out of them all the Lord delivered me." Next day the apostle "departed with Barnabas for Derbe." Barnabas, as being less prominent in speech and action, had escaped injury. This was the farthest point of the journey, and, having preached there and taught many-made many converts or disciples -they retraced their steps to Lystra, to Iconium, and Antioch, preaching words of comfort and confirmation, organizing the churches by ordaining elders over them, and fortifying them against coming persecutions. Then แ "they passed throughout Pisidia" and came to Pamphylia, and preaching in Perga, descended to Attalia, where they embarked, and sailed to the Syrian Antioch. From that city had they commenced their travels-" being recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled;" and, to the assembled church which had sent them out, they gave a report of their labours, "rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how He had opened the door of faith unto the gentiles." They rested now for a season in Antioch-"abode long time with the disciples." And thus ends the first great missionary tour of the apostle—probably in A.D. 47 or the following year.

VIII.-PAUL AT PHILIPPI.

ACTS xvi. 6-40. 1 THESS. ii. 2. PHIL. i. 30; iv. 15.

THE peace of the church at Antioch was soon disturbed by Judaists, who taught the pernicious dogma-"Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved."

To quell the controversy, Paul and Barnabas were sent as deputies to Jerusalem, and Paul "went up by revelation." A circular was issued from the assembly which discussed the question, and carried to Antioch by special delegates. The deputies returned also to that city, and "continued in it, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord." Prior to their departure from Jerusalem, the mission of Paul and Barnabas to the heathen was specially recognized "by James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars." But Paul soon longed to revisit the scenes of his previous tour, and "see the brethren in every city." Such anxiety uniformly characterized him-"the care of all the churches came upon him. To live and labour in Antioch was not his vocation. Barnabas on this occasion wished his relation Mark to accompany them, as he had previously done to Cyprus. Paul opposed such a resolution, for the young man had deserted the enterprise, "departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work." The contention was sharp, and keen feelings sprang up. Perhaps the tergiversation of Barnabas

when he had been carried away with the dissimulation of Peter and the other Jews, was not forgotten. Probably Paul judged by too high a standard, was too resolute in carrying every point, and allowed not for the inexperience of Mark—a mother-sick youth, who, however, had now returned, and was ready to undertake what he had previously shrunk from. Alas, for human frailty! Strange is the record that Paul and Barnabas, who had toiled, travelled, taught, and suffered in company, should "depart asunder one from the other "-twin stars, that had revolved round each other, shooting off at once and for ever into different orbits. The first journey had begun with Cyprus, and Barnabas for obvious reasons chose it-it was his native island. It rejoices us to hear afterwards from Paul that Barnabas was still prosecuting the missionary enterprise, "or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?" He who had been the cause of the dispute had also fully redeemed his character, nay, had risen high in the apostle's favour, for he says of Mark, "he is profitable to me for the ministry." Paul chose as a new partner, Silas, a prophet who had come to Antioch with the decree. Shall we say that the church sympathized with Paul rather than Barnabas, when we read of him on his departure "being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God," or did this recommendation happen only because he was formally leaving Antioch for a prolonged period?

Thus commenced the preacher's second missionary journey.

From Antioch "he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches." In these regions he had preached