duties of a domestic servant. In ancient scriptural times, and in modern Asia still, the relations of Preceptor and Scholar, of elder and younger, always carried with them the idea of principal and helper ; of one who is served, and of one who ministers to the other; in the whole of which is preserved a spirit of reciprocal affection and kind efforts, united to promote the good of both, in the pursuit of some common end. It is not the relation of lord and slave, or of a tyrannical master and an oppressed servant; but still of one who directs, and of another who is directed.

The spirit of modern Missionaries have so generally spurned at this sort of relation, although so perfectly scriptural, and so evidently rational, and honourable to both parties; they have robbed themselves of the comfort, and advantage to the cause, which its adoption would have ensured; and strifes, and divisions, have been the consequence of its rejection; and, thereby, consecutive labours being intermitted, the good cause has been injured.

IV. The manner in which Barnabas and Saul, with Mark for their minister, executed the mission, or fulfilled the work to which they were appointed, is stated at considerable length, and affords example and instruction, to all persons who have similar duties to perform, and to all churches who send forth Missionaries.

With such qualifications, and such powers as they possessed, and with such an express warrant from heaven to undertake the mission, many, now-a-days, would anticipate that he who sent them would smooth down every rugged difficulty, and incline all hearts to give them a ready reception. But this was not the case. At Paphos, on the island of Cyprus, a fellow-countryman of their's, a false prophet, opposed them, and used all his influence with the Roman Pro-consul against them. At Perga, their assistant, John Mark, abandoned them. At Antioch, in Pisidia, their countrymen, the Jews, stirred up the religious ladies, (the devout and honourable women,) and the rulers of the city, and raised a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. At Iconium,

the Gentiles and the Jews also, with their rulers, made an assault upon them, to use them despitefully and to stone them. Not content with this degree of enmity, these Jews followed Paul and Barnabas as far as the region about Lystra and Derbe, probably a hundred miles from Iconium, and persuaded the people to attempt the murder of the Apostles; and they actually stoned Paul, and dragged his body out of the city, supposing he had been dead. Paul, indeed, from the time that he became a Christian, was not only in labours abundant; but was also, at different times, in stripes above measure, scourged severely; was frequently imprisoned, and often exposed to death; in perils from robbers, from his own countrymen, from heathens, from false Christians; and he met difficulties in all places, by land and by sea, in the city and in the wilderness. He suffered not only from men, but also from the elementsthrice shipwrecked; exposed to hunger and thirst, to cold and nakedness. One inference from these things is, that opposition, and manifold sufferings endured by any servant of God, do not indicate that it is the will of Providence that he should desist from preaching the Gospel.

However, although Paul persevered in his work, he did not always remain in the same place, nor did he always address the same people. When the Jews contradicted and blasphemed, he and Barnabas gave them a solemn warning; and thenceforth, at that place, turned their attention to the Gentiles. And from Iconium, when he found out the design of the Gentiles and Jews, to unite together and murder him, he fled, and went elsewhere. Although a perfect stranger to the fear of man, he did not think it right to throw away his life; but obeyed the precept, "When they persecute you in one city, flee to another," and continue still to publish the Gospel.

We see that Paul could not be intimidated by ill usage; nor could he be flattered by the admiration and adulation of the populace and pagan priests. When the Apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of the intention to honour them as the gods Jupiter and Mercury, they were more earnest than ever in testifying against the vanity of idols. Chris

G

tian Ministers and Missionaries have not in every age imitated these eminent servants of God; but have sometimes been silenced by the attentions, flatteries, and favours of immoral men possessing wealth or power; they have entered into a sort of compromise with the world: The church shall receive contributions, and external respect, and reverence, and dignity; but on condition that the patrons of the church must not be offended by uncourteous censures for their vices, their vanities, and their idols. The world is very willing to have a religion, if it may have its vicious indulgences passed over in silence. It will idolize for a while even Christ's Ministers, whether Bishops, or Presbyters, or Apostles, on these terms..

But neither fear, nor flattery, nor ridicule, could silence Paul. The scoffing philosophists of Athens might call him "a babbler," and "mock" him and his doctrine; he bore his testimony against them, and for the truth faithfully; and then left them that he might go and address others on the same grand and awful subjects. May all Ministers and Missionaries be enabled to follow his example when assailed in these several ways.

On this Mission Barnabas and Paul addressed all classes of people, and used a variety of means, exhortations, and arguments. They went first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel who were scattered abroad. In the Jewish Synagogue at Antioch, Paul reasoned out of the Scriptures, proving that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, who had in his death and resurrection perfected the work of redemption, and had sent the word of salvation to them; and he declared that through Christ they now had preached to them the forgiveness of sins, but they who despised the work of God should perish.

At Lystra he reasoned against hero-worship and idolatry, from the principles of natural religion, and exhorted the people to turn from these vanities unto the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, all things that are therein.

At Thessalonica Paul's manner was to go every Sabbath day into a Synagogue of the Jews, and reason with them out of the Scriptures, opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead, and he declared that this Jesus whom he preached was the Christ.

At Athens he disputed in the Synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout or religious people; and he disputed in the market-place daily with those that met him, which roused the attention of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers, who led him to Areopagus, where, in the midst of Mars' hill, he declared to them the God that made the world, who was to them unknown. He insisted on the doctrines of Providence, man's accountableness, repentance, and a future judgment, to be executed by Christ Jesus, whom God raised from the dead.

At Corinth, during the week-days, Paul worked at a mechanical trade in Aquila's house*, and reasoned in the Synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks-and subsequently in a private house he remained a year and six months teaching the word of God.

At Ephesus, he spake boldly in the Synagogue for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. And here also he disputed daily in the school of one Tyrannus.

These labours were not always efficacious, for many op.. posed and blasphemed, and divers were hardened and believed not; but his efforts were not wholly in vain, for in almost every place there were some who believed and turned to the Lord.

From the example here exhibited to us, it may be fairly inferred that the Scriptures warrant a variety of means to be employed in propagating the Gospel. One means should

* The duties of a Minister or Missionary are generally more than enough for any man's qualifications and strength; but if Paul worked at a trade, he might with equal propriety have traded for his support; and if such secular employments were lawful in him, I know not why a Missionary may not attend to secular affairs for his own support; nor can I see the principle on which the Jesuits' trading for the support of their missions is censured, provided they traded honestly.

the inhabitants shutting every door and window to keep out the clouds of dust and sand, was, to people from the high seas, perfectly intolerable. Capt. Alsager and the writer of this were, on one occasion, shewn into a room to await the appearance of the master of the house, where they could scarcely breathe, and consequently retreated to the door-way and there took their stand till some external air was admitted into the chamber.]

MISSION OF BARNABAS AND SAUL.

ACTS, XIII. 1, 2, 3.

"Now there were in the church that was at Antioch, certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”

WHEN it is remembered, that the prophets declared the Messiah should be for a light to the Gentiles, and for salvation to the ends of the earth, Is. xlix. 6; that the angels at the Saviour's birth declared the Saviour's advent was good tidings to all people, Luke ii. 10; and that Jesus, when ascending to Heaven, commanded his Gospel to be taught to all nations—it is surprising how slow of apprehending this essential truth the first Jewish Christians were. Eight years elapsed before any of the Africans attended to this command to preach to the Gentiles-and then Peter required an express revelation from heaven to induce him to go to a Roman military officer, Cornelius-and when he did. do so, the Apostles and brethren at Jerusalem censured him for it; and still no Church was formed amongst the Gentiles