by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:

10 for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. And he continued there a year and six

10 What but a conviction of this blessed truth-that God "is with" his servants - sustains, in their anxious labours the preachers of the Gospel now ?

months, teaching the word of God among them. And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, 13 saying, This fel- 13 The Christians worshipped in the low persuadeth men to wor- name of Christ, and honoured Him ship God contrary to the law. as God.

that I should bear with you:

And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would 15 but if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters. And he drave them from the judgment seat. Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the

15 Though, after their subjugation by the Romans, the Jews lost the privilege of jurisdiction in civil cases, their religious laws and privileges were left unchanged. Such was always the policy of Rome with respect to the conquered.

him as a Nazarite.

18 Probably he had a vow upon

And

chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things. 18 And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow. he came to Ephesus, and left them there but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented 21 but bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus t. And when he had

not;

When

21 If God will!" This uniform dependence upon God is a not less salutary than becoming feeling *.

It is this feeling which tempers both our anticipations of the blessings of life, and our prospect of its trials. Evil happens not without God's permission; good befalleth us not without his ordering; and life itself, which enables us either to bear the one or enjoy the other, is his gift, from one moment to another.

This was St. Paul's fourth journey to Jerusalem-twenty-one years after his conversion,

23 How much benefit may Christians derive from sympathy and matual encouragement! (See xi. 29.)

landed at Cæsarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch. 23 And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples. And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.

25 John baptized unto repentancepreparatory to receiving the full blessing of reconciliation in the baptism of Jesus. (Acts xix. 4.)

25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace: for he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.

CHAPTER XIX.

APRIL 22, AUGUST 21, DEC. 19.

WHIT-SUNDAY, evening, to ver 21.

2 St. Paul's inquiry is, as to the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit: not as to his essential existence. Their answer is framed accordingly.

AND it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper coasts, came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this they were baptized in the name of the

This is explained by St. Paul in the 4th verse. By their confirmation in the laying on of the Apostles' hands, and by the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, it was shown very satisfactorily, that their baptism had been complete as to the rite itself, though its special gifts had not been vouchsafed till now.

Lord Jesus. And, when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve. And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. "And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and

Hence

11 In every age of the Church, great difficulties are met by proportionate aid and support. miraculous powers were vouchsafed to the first preachers of the Gospel.

the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. 13 Then certain of

the vagabond Jews, exorcists,

13 These exorcists pretended to cure the sick by magic.

took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one

Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed 19 It is a sure proof of sincerity which they give, who are ready to sacrifice their worldly interests for their religious principle.

19

their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burnt them before all men and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

Ver. 21. After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed though Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome. So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season. 23 About the way" of christian 23 And the same time there doctrine and christian practice.

24 “ The craftsmen”—meaning, the workmen.

More

arose no small stir about that 24 For a certain man way. named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen; whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. over ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying, that they be no gods, which are made with hands: 27 so that not 27 Learn we from their zeal for only this our craft is in dan- their idols, to be zealous for the name and honour of our God! ger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth. And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians *. And the whole city was filled with confusion and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre. And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. 31 And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre. 32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for

:

31 Certain of the chief rulers in

the province seem so highly to have admired the noble character of the Apostle, that they became his friends.

32 What a faithful picture of the reckless enemies of the Gospel +!

the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together. And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people. But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter? Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do

* The theatre was a large place used for all public shows and meetings. + How pathetically did our blessed Lord lament this ignorance as to their real good; when "he beheld the city" of his ungrateful country"and wept over it!" (Luke xix. 41.)

men,

nothing rashly. For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. 38 Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies let them implead one another. But if ye enquire anything concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly. For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse. And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.

38 The Roman law was, generally speaking, administered sternly but justly. The proconsuls and their deputies sat on certain days in court, to hear all appeals, and remedy all wrongs.

This address of the town clerk, or chief magistrate, is very skilfully adapted to the tone of mind which the people shewed. It was an appeal at once to their sense of justice for others, and their fears for themselves.

CHAPTER XX.

APRIL 23, August 22, Dec. 20.

AND after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia. And when he had gone over those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece, and there abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia. And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus, 5 St. Luke, who wrote the Acts of These going before tarried the Apostles, was St. Paul's comfor us at Troas. And we panion upon this occasion. sailed away from Philippi after and came unto them to Troas seven days. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. And there sat in a win

7

the days of unleavened bread, in five days; where we abode

authority for keeping our Sabbath upon the first day of the weekSunday-the Lord's day. Then, too, the holy sacrament was regularly and solemnly administered. (See Acts ii. 46.)

7 Thus early we have the highest