IN THE SECOND NOCTURN. From the Commentary of St. John Chrysostom on the Acts of the Apostles. LECTIO IV. Barnabas and Saul, being ordained, went forth together; and when they had come to Salamis, they preached the word of God in that chief city of Cyprus. They had been at Antioch for a year; and great teachers being now required, it was necessary that they should not longer continue there. And it may be remarked, that they did not stay long in Šeleucia, since it had received much benefit from the neighbouring city, but hastened to objects which were more urgent. And now, when they had come to the chief city of the island, they were anxious to convert the Proconsul. He was a prudent man, it is said, and of his own accord desirous to hear. To the sorcerer nothing is said, till he himself gives occasion for it; for when he saw that others were well inclined, he makes it his great object to prevent the chief ruler from being persuaded. And why did they not shew some other sign? Because none was so efficacious to gain the adversary. And the deputy immediately believes, and that with astonishment; for he perceived that there was no delusion here, and no trifling. And thus he embraces the love of truth. LECTIO V. After coming to Perga, they pass by other cities, and hasten to Antioch, the chief city of Pisidia. There followed them many of the Jews and religious proselytes, whom they persuaded to continue in the grace of God. But when the Jews saw it, they were filled with envy, contradicting and blaspheming. And this their contradiction made the apostles the better known. But Barnabas and Paul said with boldness," It was necessary to speak the word of God first to you; but since ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, we turn to the Gentiles." They say not, ye are unworthy; but ye judge yourselves unworthy, not to speak harshly to them. Nor do they say, since ye put us away; for it is not us that ye despise, but the word of God. ،، We turn to the Gentiles : " and this, too, is an expression of great gentleness; for they do not say we leave you, and give you up, implying that they might return. And this we do not from any insult offered to ourselves, but because such is the command. It is you that occasion it, not we who are bound to do it ; for so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light to the Gentiles, that thou shouldst be for salvation-that is, for that knowledge which bringeth salvation, not to some nations only, but to all nations. LECTIO VI. Being aware of an assault which the Jews were designing, they fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and the region that lyeth round about, where also their enemies shewed their fury. Behold the simplicity of the Gentiles, and the malice of the Jews. The Gentiles shewed themselves worthy to hear the gospel, and honoured them for their miracles alone. The one honoured them as Gods; the other drove them out as pestilent persons. The Jews were offended; but the others not only did not resist their preaching, but said the gods have come down to us in the likeness of men. They called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius. I suppose that there was something venerable in the aspect of Barnabas. This immoderate zeal in their behalf might have been a temptation to the apostles; but it only shewed their fidelity for you may observe how they refer all things to God. Let us imitate their example, and consider nothing as our own; for not even is our faith ours, but God's. IN THE THIRD NOCTURN. From the holy Gospel according to Matthew. LECTIO VII. Cap. x. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Et reliqua. Homily of St. John Chrysostom.. After that the Lord had expelled all anxiety from the minds of his disciples, and had fortified them by the sight of his miracles, the consideration of which might be to them like a defence of iron or of adamant, had rendered them superior to all worldly interests, and free from temporal cares; then at length it is that he foretells the ills that will assail them; not only those of immediate occurrence, but those which should ensue after a considerable lapse of time, preparing them long beforehand for the conflict, and for enduring the assault of the devil. And in this many advantages are apparent. In the first place, that they might thereby perceive the power of his foreknowledge; secondly, that no one might suspect that such things happened for any want of ability in their master to prevent them; thirdly, that in suffering these things they might not be overcome by surprise at meeting with things contrary to their hopes; and, fourthly, lest if they had first heard of such things at the time of the crucifixion, they might have been too much disturbed by them. LECTIO VIII. And now that they might understand that this was a new mode of warfare, as yet unknown to the world, when he sends them unarmed, with but one coat apiece, without sandals, or staff, or scrip, or purse, and commands that they should be supported by those that receive them, he does not end his directions here; but he sets forth his unspeakable power, and tells them, that going forth thus they are to shew the gentleness of sheep, though going against wolves, and to be amongst wolves. And not only are they to be gentle as lambs, but harmless as doves; for thus it is that I will shew my strength, when sheep shall not only overcome wolves, but that, being in the midst of wolves, and torn by their innumerable attacks, they should not only not be destroyed, but should even convert the wolves themselves. LECTIO IX. It is certainly a greater and more wonderful power to change the will of one's adversaries, and transform their minds, than to slay them. And these things were they to do, when they were but twelve in number, and the whole world was full of wolves. We, therefore, had well need to be ashamed, who, on the contrary, take upon us the nature of wolves, and attack our enemies; for as long as we are as sheep, we are victorious; and though encompassed by innumerable wolves, we overcome them. But if we ourselves become wolves, then are we overcome, because we lose the assistance of the shepherd. It is not wolves, but sheep, which are the flock which he feeds. If thou art thus changed, then he leaves thee, and departs; for thou sufferest him not to display his power. (The Responsories at the end of each of the Lectios are omitted.) After the Te Deum. v. They went forth and wept, bearing good seed.r. They shall doubtless come again with joy, bringing their sheaves with them.-Ps. cxxvi. AT THE LAUDS. The Hymn from the Commune Apostolorum. He whom the Father sent to die, The Lamb, which by the wolves was slain, But they aside their nature laid, The earth look'd to the offended skies, New fruits her genial face renew, If thou, who dost the increase give, (The Doxology as before.) VOL. IX.-June, 1836. 4 M The Prayer. O God, who didst call thy blessed apostle, Barnabas, being full of faith and the spirit, to the conversion of the Gentiles, mercifully grant that we, baving his labour and charity in remembrance, may have our conversation worthy of the gospel of Christ, which he preached, through our Lord. " SACRED POETRY. THE COUNTRY PASTOR. By patriarch seen-key leading to a fell II. We cannot pray-strange mystery! Here is known Lyra Apostolica. Γνοῖεν δ', ὡς δὴ δηρὸν ἐγὼ πολέμοιο πέπαυμαι. NO. XXXVII. QUOD SEMPER, QUOD UBIQUE, QUOD AB OMNIBUS. Truth through the sacred Volume hidden lies, And Text to Text the full accordance bears, From East unto the West the Son of Man appears. Thus when she made the Church her hallowed shrine, With Prophets and Apostles and the line Of ordered Ministers, Truth ever one Not here or there but in the whole hath shone. Whilst Heresies arise of varying clime And varying form and colour, the true Sun, One and the same through all advancing time, The Whole his Mansion makes, vast, uniform, sublime. Mark, how each Creed stands in that Test reveal'd, As in the light of Spenser's magic shield,* Falsehood lets fall her poisoned cup and flies, Rome's seven-headed monster sees and dies! In darkness bold bright-shining arms they spy, And down their Parent's mouth the Imps of Error hie !† The Church her ample bosom may expand, Oft faint, ne'er lost, the Lamp by Heaven supplied, Oft dim'd by envious mists ne'er undiscern'd; God's Witness thro' all time hath in His Temple burn'd. O holy Truth, whene'er thy voice is heard, A thousand echoes answer to the call; Tho' oft inaudible thy gentle word While we regard not. Take me from the thrall Into thine inner shrine and secret hall. Thence hath thy voice gone forth o'er Sea and Land, Save the obedient. From both love and hate, And controversial leanings and debate, My dull heart understand, and I obey, Following where'er the Church hath mark'd the antient way. The Faery Queen, b. i. c. viii. 21. + B. i. c. i. 15. 632 CORRESPONDENCE. The Editor begs to remind his readers that he is not responsible for the opinions FIRST CHAPTER OF GENESIS. I SIR,-In the correspondence of the last Number of your Magazine, there appears a letter on the "First Chapter of Genesis," of which, I think, all amateurs of geology have some reason to complain. mean with regard to the statements contained in it, that those who differ from the writer's opinions on geological questions, "put the case in a most unchristianlike point of view," and "that our popular works of geology teach us that Moses tells us what is not true, and that the Bible is not to be believed." Now these, sir, are grave charges, and should neither be lightly made, nor flippantly maintained. Both the accusations, I conceive, rest upon the same groundnamely, upon the opinion of geologists, that the Mosaic account of the creation is not intended to be understood in the literal acceptation of the words. But I must utterly deny that such inferences as those above quoted can fairly be deduced from this position. It is notorious that the facts which have been brought to light by geological investigation have caused a belief, that a vast and immeasurable period of time was employed in the gradual formation of the earth's crust, to be held by almost every one of the many eminent philosophers who have studied the science in this and other countries; and it will require something more than a short and hasty letter to disprove the evidence which has been brought forward to support and warrant their opinion. From my own very limited and superficial knowledge of the subject, I am unable to do justice to the arguments on which the geological theory of the present day is founded; nor is this the place for attempting to do so. Your correspondent has, doubtless, before pronouncing an unqualified condemnation on them, attentively studied and considered them. However, as he brings forward no theory of his own to supersede, nor any tangible objection to destroy, the one now generally received, I will only observe, before noticing two or three passages in the letter, that the cause of true religion can be little benefited by shutting our eyes to the difficulties which may lie in our way, or by refusing to admit the fair interpretations of science, when they appear (for it can be only in appearance that they are so) to be inconsistent with the revealed word of God. I am ready to admit, that any facts which militate against the literal acceptation of any part of the holy Scriptures, even when they merely relate to matters of scientific information, are too likely to afford a stumbling-block to many; and, upon that account, their existence is to be lamented; but we cannot get rid of them by denying that they do exist. We must take warning by the often-quoted case of Galileo, and remember that the same outcry which is now raised by well-intentioned |