ascetic practices. He was taught that hate of the Gentile was a religious duty; that righteousness consisted in obedience to a rigid ceremonial; that he must pray three times every day; fast twice a week; give tithes of all he possessed; wash ceremonially with scrupulous care before every meal. He held these tenets and practices of his religion with so unyielding a faith, that no cruelty of punishment seemed to him too great for the new sect of Nazarenes who denied them. He became after his conversion the exponent of all that was broad and catholic and progressive in the primitive church; preached that righteousness consists not in obedience to law but in love to God and trust in him; that days and weeks and ceremonies, even the most sacred ceremonial of Judaism,circumcision, are insignificant; and gave his life to the propagation of those principles which before he had hated, and which to this day the Christian Church is hardly able to comprehend or to accept in their fulness. That this change took place. . . is the essential fact in the conversion of Paul. What were the external circumstances is a matter of secondary importance."

HINTS TO TEACHERS. (1.) Make it clear to the class what kind of a city Tarsus was and what influences surrounded Paul in his childhood; (2.) Speak of the trade he learned and of what he would be taught at the Jewish schools in his native city; (3.) of Gamaliel, and of Paul's student life in Jerusalem; (4.) of Paul, the persecutor; (5.) of the conversion of Paul.

REFERENCES. Conybeare and Howson's "Life and Epistles of St. Paul" (Chs. I.-III.); Farrar's "Life and Work of St. Paul " (Chs. I.-X.); Neander's "Planting and Training of the Christian Church" (Bk. III., Ch. I.); Macduff's "Footsteps of St. Paul" (Chs. I.-IV.); Knox's "A Year with St. Paul" (Sundays I.-IV.); Renan's "Apostles" (Ch. X.); "Bible for Learners" (Vol. III., Bk. II., Ch. IV.); Bible Dictionaries, Encyclopædias, Commentaries, and Translations.

In addition to the above-named works, the following can be consulted to advantage in connection with this Lesson and others on the apostle Paul that are to follow: Lewin's "Life and Epistles of St. Paul; " Milman's "History of Christianity; "Schaff's "History of the Primitive Church;' Smith's "New Testament History;" "Paul of Tarsus; " Baur's "Paul ;" Renan's "St. Paul" Stanley's "Sermons and Essays on the Apostolic Age;" Paley's "Hora Paulinæ;" Smith's "Dictionary of Ancient Geography."

The best works on the subject are those by Cony beare and Howson, and Farrar. There is an edition of Farrar's work, belonging to the "Standard Library Series," in two volumes, at 20 cents a volume. The type is good. A map of St. Paul's travels is indispensable to the successful study of these Lessons. Collins's "Atlas of Scripture Geography" (38 cents), Philip's "Scripture Atlas" (25 cents), and "Four Bible Maps " (10 cents), contain each a map of St. Paul's travels. A small but good map illustrating the "Travels of St. Paul" is sold in packages of ten, at 40 cents a package.

THE RETIREMENT OF PAUL.

Acts IX. 19-31; Gal. I. 15-24.

Father, lead me day by day,
Ever in thine own sweet way;
Teach me to be pure and true,

Show me what I ought to do.

GOLDEN TEXT: Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. — ECCL. xii. 1.

1. What did you learn about Paul in the last Lesson? 2. Near what city was he when he became a Christian? 3. Where did he go when he had been in Damascus a short time?

He went into Arabia.

4. Why did Paul go to a desert country like Arabia?

That he might have a chance to study and think before he began to preach.

5. After he had been some time in Arabia where did he go? He went back to Damascus.

6. What did the Jews at length do?

They tried to kill Paul, and watched at the gates of the city that he might not get away.

7. What did some of Paul's friends do one night, that he might get out of the city?

They let him down in a basket from a window in the wall.

8. Where did Paul then go?

He went to Jerusalem.

9. With whom did he stay in Jerusalem?

With the apostle Peter.

10. Where did Paul go when he had been in Jerusalem fifteen days?

He went to Tarsus.

1. Will you give a brief account of Paul's life to the time of his conversion?

2. What can you say of the city of Damascus?

3. Where did Paul go after remaining in Damascus a short time? Gal. i. 17.

4. For what purpose did he go into Arabia?

5. To what place did he return after remaining some time in Arabia? Gal. i. 17.

6. What account have we of Paul's preaching in Damascus ? Acts ix. 20-22.

7. What did the Jews after a while seek to do? 23, 24.

8. Why were they so offended at his preaching?

9. In what way did he escape from the city? 25.

10. What account does Paul himself give of his escape? 2 Cor. xi. 32, 33.

11. Where did he now go? Acts ix. 26.

12. What account does Paul give of his visit to Jerusalem at this time? Gal. i. 18-20.

13. Does "three years" here refer to the time since his conversion, or the time since his return to Damascus from Arabia?

The opinion is nearly unanimous that it refers to the time since his conversion.

14. Where did Paul go after remaining in Jerusalem fifteen days? Gal. i. 21.

DAMASCUS. This city, near which Paul was converted, and into which he went immediately after that event, is one hundred and thirty-six miles north-east of Jerusalem in a fertile district in the midst of a vast desert. It is perhaps the oldest city in the world, and in all ages has been an important one. It is now a place of 150,000 inhabitants. "For miles around it is a wilderness of gardens, — gardens with roses among the tangled shrubberies, and with fruit on the branches overhead. Everywhere among the trees the murmur of unseen rivulets is heard. Even in the city, which is in the midst of the garden, the clear rushing of the current is a perpetual refreshment. Every dwelling has its fountain; and at night, when the sun has set behind Mt. Lebanon, the lights of the city are seen flashing on the waters. It is not to be wondered at that the view of Damascus, when the dim outline of the gardens has become distinct, and the city is seen gleaming white in the midst of them, should be universally famous. All travellers in all ages have paused to feast their eyes with the prospect; and the prospect has been always the same."

PAUL IN RETIREMENT. There is reason to believe that Paul's first stay in Damascus was short; that almost at once after his conversion and before beginning to preach he sought retirement from both Jews and Christians, that he might better prepare himself to preach the gospel. For this purpose he went into Arabia, a part of which is not far from Damascus, and here, it is probable, spent the most of the three years between his conversion and his return to Jerusalem. Says Farrar: Saul was now a 'Nazarene;' but many a year of thought and training had to elapse before he was prepared for the great mission of his life. . . . A multitude of writers have assumed that St. Paul first preached at Damascus, then retired to Arabia, and then returned with increased zeal and power to preach in Damascus once more. Not only is St. Paul's own language unfavorable to such a view, but seems to exclude it. . . . It is never in an instant that the whole nature and character of a man are transformed from what they were before. It is difficult to conceive of any change more total, any rift of difference more deep, than that which separated Saul the persecutor from Paul the apostle; and we are sure that like Moses, like Elijah, like our Lord himself, like almost every great soul in ancient or modern times to whom has been intrusted the task of swaying the destinies, by moulding the convictions, of mankind,—like Sakya Mouni, like Mahomet in the cave of Hira, like St. Francis of Assisi in his sickness, like Luther in the monastery of Erfurdt, he would need a quiet period in which to elaborate his thoughts, to still the tumult of his emotions, to commune in secrecy and in silence with his own soul. . . . To suppose that the truths, of which afterwards he became the appointed teacher, were all revealed to him as by one flash of light in all their fulness, is to suppose that which is alien to God's dealings with the human soul, and which utterly contradicts the phenomena of that long series of Epistles in which we watch the progress of his thoughts."

HINTS TO TEACHERS. Give the class a good idea of what kind of a city Damascus was. Speak of Paul's purpose in going into Arabia; of the special need of a period of retirement in his case and of the need of retirement at times with all of us. Notice how different Paul's work in Damascus was from what he designed when he set out from Jerusalem. Notice, also, how changed his relations to everybody in Jerusalem were on his return after three years' absence, and that this change was due to the change in himself. A change within us changes all around us.

REFERENCES. Conybeare and Howson (Ch. III.); Farrar (Chs. XI.XIII.); Neander (Bk. III. Ch. I.); "Bible for Learners" (Vol. III., Bk. II., Ch. IV.); "Footsteps of St. Paul" (Ch. V.); Renan's "Apostles " (Ch. XI.); "A Year with St. Paul" (Fifth Sunday.) For a fuller list of references see Lesson V.

LESSON VII.

PAUL IN ANTIOCH.

Acts XI. 19-30.

He liveth long who liveth well;
All else is life but flung away;
He liveth longest who can tell

Of true things truly done each day.

GOLDEN TEXT: Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. -JOHN iv. 34.

1. What did you learn about Paul in the last Lesson?

2. In what city did we leave him?

3. Where is it probable that he preached during the next three or four years?

In Syria and Cilicia.

4. Will you point out these places on the map?

5. Where do we next hear of Paul?

In the city of Antioch, in Syria.

6. Will you point out Antioch in Syria on the map?

7. Who was with Paul in this city?

Barnabas.

8. How long did Paul and Barnabas remain in Antioch teaching the people?

They remained there a year.

9. What name was given here to the disciples of Jesus? "The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”

10. What did the Christians in Antioch do when there was a famine in Judea?

They sent relief by Paul and Barnabas to the Christians in Jerusalem.

11. How long a journey was it from Antioch to Jerusalem? About 300 miles.

12. What did Paul and Barnabas do when they had given the Christians in Jerusalem what was sent to them?

They returned to Antioch.