and oh! how often does our merciful God, "stay his rough wind, in the day of his East wind,” that his people may be able to carry their cross with comparative ease, through the sustaining power of his Holy Spirit, till they all meet around his throne, wearing the crown of glory, and ascribing all their salvation to Him who washed them from their sins in his own blood, and made them Kings and Priests unto God.

"He that hath made his refuge God,
Shall find a most secure abode;

Shall walk all day beneath his shade,
And there, at night, shall rest his head.

"Just as a hen protects her brood

From birds of prey that seek their blood,
Under her feathers: so the Lord
Makes his own arm his people's guard.

"But if the fire, or plague, or sword,
Receive commission from the Lord
To strike his saints among the rest,
Their very pains, and deaths are blest.

"The sword, the pestilence, or fire
Shall but fulfil their best desire,
From sins and sorrows set them free,

And bring thy children, Lord, to thee."

CHAPTER V.

A SHORT HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE APOSTLE'S TRIALS.

LET us now trace the Apostle's journey of mercy, as recorded by his fellow-labourer and historian St. Luke.

While we travel with him from city to city we shall find that everywhere bonds and afflictions awaited him.

He was a flame, kept alive in the midst of raging waters. By the preserving care of his Saviour, he was immortal, till his work was done.

At JERUSALEM, the theatre of his bloody persecutions, he no sooner began to preach salvation through the cross of Christ, than the unbelieving Jews went about to kill him.

At ANTIOCH, the people flocked in such numbers to hear the Gospel, that the Jews, filled with envy, spake against those things which were spoken of Paul, contradicting and blaspheming, till they succeeded in raising a persecution against him, and in expelling him out of their coast. But he shook off the dust of his feet against them, and came unto Iconium, being filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

At ICONIUM, the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against Paul and Barnabas, so that an assault was made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their Rulers, to use them despitefully, and stone them.

At LYSTRA, certain Jews who came from Antioch and Iconium persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, they drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead; but whilst the disciples stood round about him, he was miraculously restored.

At this place the Apostle gave a striking proof of the purity of his principles. Having performed a miracle upon a cripple who had never walked, being lame from his birth, the astonished multitude cried out: "The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men." It was with much difficulty that Paul restrained them from doing sacrifice unto him, saying: "Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God."

How different was the spirit and end of Herod, who drank in the poison of popular adulation. Being arrayed in royal apparel, and seated upon his throne, he made an oration unto the people. They gave a shout, saying "It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory; and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost."

At PHILIPPI, when travelling with Silas, the

multitude rose up together against them. The magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them; and when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely, who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

Here, the Almighty appeared in behalf of his suffering servants, for, while they were singing praises to God during the hour of midnight,. suddenly there was a great earthquake; so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.

Through the wonder-working power of grace, the jailor was made to cry for mercy, to believe in Jesus, to show kindness to the Apostle; and to rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

At THESSALONICA, Paul reasoned with the. Jews three Sabbath days out of the Scriptures, opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that Jesus whom he preached unto them is Christ. And some believed and consorted with him and Silas. But, the Jews who believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar.

At BEREA, Paul had no rest, for when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached by him at this place, they came hither and stirred up the people. Yet his visit was not without some fruit; for the Jews at

Berea, were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so. And the happy consequence was, that many of them believed: also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

At ATHENS, he had to endure the strife of tongues. In the Synagogue he disputed with the Jews, and in the market daily with them that met with him. Certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks encountered him; while others, mocking said: "What will this babbler say? Thou bringest strange things to our ears. The opposition which St. Paul met with from these philosophers, most strikingly shows the holy and humbling nature of the Gospel.

The Epicureans derided him, because the pure and self-denying precepts of Christ, condemned and controlled their loose and exorbitant course of life. The Stoicks assailed him, because the meek and lowly spirit of the Gospel was directly opposed to their immoderate pride and love of praise.

All, both philosophers and plebeans, ridiculed him, because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection, and exposed, by arguments drawn from Creation and Providence, the folly of idolatry, and their gross superstition in worshipping an unknown God.

At CORINTH, when Gallio was deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judg