the Holy Spirit as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they requested him to stay with them some days.

WORDS, &C. TO BE EXPLAINED IN LESSON VIII.

WHAT was the state of the Churches of Judea at this

time?

Where did Peter go to?

What remarkable thing did he do there?
Where was Lydda? How far from Jerusalem?
Whither did he go from Lydda?

How far was Joppa from Lydda?

On whose invitation, and for what purpose?

What remarkable thing did he do at Joppa? State the particulars?

With whom did Peter lodge at Joppa?

When he was at Joppa, from whence did he receive a message, and from whom?

Where did Cesarea lie, in what direction from Joppa?
What valley lay between them?

Who was Cornelius?

What remarkable thing happened to him?

What was the purport of his message to Peter ?

How was Peter prepared to comply with the message ? What obstacle would there have been to Peter's going, if

that vision had not been sent to him?

Who were the persons whom Cornelius sent?

How did Peter treat them?

Did any others accompany Peter to Cesarea?

When Peter arrived, how did Cornelius receive him, and what did Peter do?

When they had entered into the house, whom did Peter find assembled?

What did Peter say, and what reply did Cornelius make? What did Peter then say?

What remarkable thing happened while he was speaking? What outward evidences were there of this?

What did Peter command to be done?

Did he leave Cesarea immediately?

LESSON IX.

Peter being questioned by the brethren at Jerusalem respecting his going to Cornelius, gives an account of the whole transaction-the brethren glorify God-the word of God is preached at Antioch-the brethren send Barnabas thitherBarnabas goes to Tarsus for Saul-Agabus predicts a great dearth.

FROM ACTS XI.

Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea, heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. And when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those believers who were of the circumcision began to dispute with him, saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and did eat with them. But Peter began and explained [the transaction] to them in order: saying,

I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, a certain vessel descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came close to me: upon which I looked attentively, and considered, and saw fourfooted animals of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the heaven. And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; kill and eat. But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath ever entered into my mouth. But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, call not thou common. And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven. And, behold, immediately three men stood before the house where I was, sent from Cesarea to me. And the Spirit directed me to go with them, nothing doubting. Then went also with me these six brethren, and we entered into the

house of the man [who sent for me.] And he declared to us how he had seen the angel in his house, standing and saying to him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; who will speak to thee words, by which thou and all thy house shall be saved. And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as on us as at the beginning. Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Since, then, God gave to them, being believers on the Lord Jesus Christ, the same gift as he gave to us; who was I, to be able to withstand God? these things, they were silent, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

When they heard

Now they who were scattered abroad by the persecution that arose respecting Stephen, travelled as far as Phoenicia,* and Cyprus,+ and Antioch,+ speaking the word to none but the Jews only. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene,§ who, when they were come to Antioch, spoke to the Greeks, declaring the glad tidings of the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.

*Phoenicia.-The sea coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Northward of Palestine, was known by this name in the times of the New Testament. It was called also the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.

+ Cyprus.-A large island lying off the coast of Phoenicia or Phenice. Barnabas was a native of this island.

Antioch.-A great city of Syria on the river Orontes, about twelve miles from the shore of the Mediterranean sea, nearly opposite to the island of Cyprus. This Antioch must not be confounded with another Antioch in Pisidia, to be mentioned afterwards.

Cyrene. A city on the north coast of Africa, westward of Egypt, in the country of Lybia.

Then tidings of these things came to the ears of the Church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, to go as far as Antioch. And he, when he arrived, and saw the grace of God, rejoiced, and exhorted them all, to adhere with purpose of heart to the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit, and of faith: and a great multitude was added to the Lord.

Then Barnabas went away to Tarsus, to seek Saul and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came to pass, that, a whole year, they came together in the assembly [of believers] and taught a great multitude. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

And, in those days, prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them, named Agabus, stood up, and signified, by the Spirit, that there should be a great famine throughout the whole world:* which came to pass in the days of Claudius Cæsar. Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren who dwelt in Judea: which also they did, and sent to the elders, by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

WORDS, &C. TO BE EXPLAINED ON LESSON IX.

WHEN the brethren at Jerusalem heard that Peter had gone to Cornelius, what did they do?

How did he answer them?

How did the brethren receive Peter's explanation ? What happened to the believers in Jerusalem, in consequence of the distress that arose respecting Stephen?

* Whole world-i. e. the Roman Empire: see Luke ii. 1. The word is used in that sense by Greek writers of the same period.

To what place did they go?

Where were Phoenicia, Cyprus, Antioch, and Cyrene?
Who else came to Antioch?

To whom did they declare the glad tidings of Jesus Christ?

What was the effect?

What did the apostles and brethren at Jerusalem do in consequence?

What did Barnabas do when he came ?

What was the character of Barnabas?

Whom did he go to seek, and to what place?

Where was Tarsus? (See former Lesson.)

Where were believers in Christ first called Christians?
Who came from Jerusalem to Antioch in these days?
What was the name of one of them?

What did he foretel?

When did the famine take place?

What did the disciples do on that occasion ?
Who brought the contributions to Jerusalem ?

LESSON X.

Herod persecutes the Church-puts to death James the brother of John-imprisons Peter, who is delivered by an angel-Herod makes a vainglorious speech-is smitten by an angel and dies -Barnabas and Saul return to Antioch.

FROM ACTS XII.

Now, about that time, Herod* the king stretched forth his hands to injure some of those who be

* Herod, grandson of the first Herod, who reigned at the birth of the Saviour. He had been at Rome, and acquired the friendship of Caligula, who, on his accession to the Empire, gave him part of his grandfather's dominions, with the title of king. When Caligula was assassinated, and Claudius obtained the Empire, he granted to Herod the remainder of his grandfather's dominions, including Judea. He enjoyed this honour for about three years, and this was the only period, after Judea was made a Roman province, governed by a Roman governor, that it had a king. The sacred history here most accurately corresponds to authentic profane history.