proconsul) from the faith which was beginning to take possession of his heart. He withstood Barnabas and Saul.

Sergius Paulus is justly called a prudent man. Hearing that ministers of religion were in his island, he neither opposed nor despised their doctrine, but desired to hear them. He had wisdom to see that the subject was important, and ought not to be treated with neglect. And it is a favourable sign, one which Satan sees with jealousy, when inquiry is made upon the subject of religion, when those who teach it are allowed to explain their views, and show on what ground they rest, instead of being rejected with indignity, as unworthy of a hearing. Elymas therefore, as Satan's instrument, endeavoured to prevent the effect which he feared from the word of truth, and he withstood Barnabas and Saul.

9. Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,)5 filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him.

10. And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

11. And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and

5 More familiar, as a Roman name, to those with whom he was hereafter to be chiefly concerned.

a darkness; and he went about, seeking some to lead him by the hand.

12. Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord

Such power was given to the apostles, and used as the Holy Spirit suggested, to support the gospel cause. Many might be disposed to say, Here was a sentence of severity. Thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. But, in truth, it was an act of mercy.

It was an act of mercy to Sergius the governor, because it confirmed his wavering mind. The deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. It was an act of mercy, to bring him from the worship of idols to the knowledge of the true and living God: to change his condition from the death of sin to the life of righteousness: to bestow on him "the unsearchable riches of Christ:" to make him heir of the inheritance above. From all this Elymas would have excluded him; seeking to turn him aside from the faith, and to pervert the right ways of the Lord. The hand of the Lord was exerted to show on which side was truth, and on which side was falsehood. And the blindness brought on Elymas, was a light to Sergius, to "guide his feet into the way of peace."

But further, the same sentence might prove an act of mercy to Elymas himself. We hear no more of him. But if it led him to repentance, it

was the greatest mercy he could have received. Thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. It was not therefore a hopeless calamity; it was but for a season: he might yet feel that he had sinned against the Lord, while speaking against the words of life; and the Lord might put away his sin. The Lord of hosts had said concerning his rebellious people, while bringing upon them desolation and captivity, "Behold, I will melt them, and try them." 6 And the "fiery indignation" which was heaped upon the head of Elymas may have been the means of melting his hard heart, and giving it a better mould.

It is the business of faith to look on earthly things, whether prosperous or adverse, as they bear on everlasting interests. Calamity, disease, privation, may be blessings, if they awaken from lethargy, reclaim from sin, and detach the heart from worldly vanities. He who loved us, and proved his love to us as love was never proved before, has left us an assurance: "It is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell." 7 And so "the destruction of the flesh" is profitable," that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” 8

6 Jer. ix. 7.

7 Matt. v .30.

81 Cor. v. 5.

The same apostle, however, who called down upon Elymas this judgment, has instructed us, that such judgments are the "strange work,"9 and can only be regarded as belonging to peculiar times and cases. The common and universal rule is, that "the servant of the Lord must not strive: (2 Tim. ii. 24:) but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."

LECTURE XXXIX.

PAUL REASONS WITH THE JEWS AT ANTIOCH IN PISIDIA.-A. D. 45.

ACTS xiii. 13-25.

13. Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.

Why John, or Mark, departed from Paul and his company, is not related here. But in a suc

9 Is. xxviii. 21.

VOL. I.

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ceeding chapter the subject occurs again. And there it appears that there had been in Mark a want of zeal, with which Paul was dissatisfied. He did not approve the receiving one again as an assistant, "who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work." 1

Slowly, if at all, is the mind weaned from earthly affections, and enabled to give itself wholly and unreservedly to God's service. There were then, as there are now, some stations more unfavourable than others, some employments more exposed to danger. And then, as now, there was reason to complain, that too many "seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's." Some desired ease. Others shunned apparent danger. Others preferred the neighbourhood of their near connexions. This probably was the case with Mark. He was from Jerusalem, and desired to return to Jerusalem again. Those may justly be accounted blessed, whose minds are so regulated that the path of duty is the path of choice; whose will is bound up in the providence of God concerning them.

14. But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia,3 and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.

1 Ch. xv. 37.

2 See Phil. ii. 21.

3 An important town in Asia Minor, very distant from the other Antioch, and on the road towards the more civilized and commercial parts of Asia, towards which they were now travelling.