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3. It was the hindering of the gains of those who profited by the Pythoness which drew forth the violence of opposition to the gospel in the city of Philippi; and there was a readiness amongst the people to carry forward that flame of violence as soon as it was once lighted. Thus it ever is; the unconverted are indifferent to the subject of religion, and take little or no notice concerning the preaching of the gospel, until it is found to interfere with the enjoyments or the benefits which they value; but as soon as some few worldly hearts are quickened to angry opposition, there are always many more at hand, who catch the feeling, and increase the excitement against the doctrine and the people of Christ, towards whom the most unjust and injurious conduct is often practised. Such opposers are occasionally under the necessity of altering their course, and making some kind of apology for unchristian violence; but this only leads to a more earnest desire to get rid of the influence of spiritual truth; just as the magistrates, when they were forced to soothe Paul and his companion, besought them that they would depart from the city.

QUESTION.

Am I careless concerning the progress of spiritual truth? Am I vexed at its influence? Am I angry at finding that the gospel requires me to give up something that I think a gain? Do I ever help on the excitement of opposition against any of the spiritual people of God?

4. Paul and Silas were suffering and in prison, but their hearts rejoiced in the Lord; they were in a dark dungeon, but they passed the hours of darkness in singing praises to God. This alteration of the natural effect of such suffering was as surely miraculous, as the alteration of the laws of nature by which the foundation of the prison was shaken, the doors cast open, and the bands of the prisoners loosed. That spiritual miracle takes place daily, by the supernatural influence of the Holy Ghost on the hearts of christians, turning their sorrow into joy. It was the miracle of the earthquake which alarmed the jailer, but it was the spiritual miracle that directed him to those two pri

soners rather than to any others; and made him ask them "what he should do to be saved." This drew forth the statement of that secret power by which the spiritual miracle is always worked-" Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." This is the source of the miracle, the power that can change sorrow into joy,—and make the suffering christians sing praises unto the Lord, even in the very midnight of their troubles. Its effect upon the jailer was immediate; he would have killed himself before, but now he saw the value of life, that he might make his calling and election sure. To lay hold of Christ by faith is the one thing which contains the whole gospel. Such a faith transforms the heart that receives it into the very image of Christ, who is the object of our faith; it works salvation from the dominion of sin in this life; and it enables us to realize the glory that is reserved for them that believe, in the life to come.

QUESTION.

How do I bear the privations to which I am exposed in consequence of my christian profession? Is it as one who rejoices in the Lord alway? Do I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, in the sense in which such faith saves from the power, as well as from the condemnation of sin?

THE PRAYER.

God of all power and might, without whom nothing is strong, mercifully grant that I may ever feel that thy power alone can open the heart to attend to the things of salvation. Thou orderest the preparations in the heart of man; thou breakest the resistance of his pride; I beseech thee to do this great work for those whom I love, and who may not yet be of the faithful in the Lord. Keep me, O God, from the self-deception of professing outwardly to approve the preaching of the gospel, while inwardly my heart goes after the ruler of the course of this world, the spirit that. now worketh in the children of disobedience. Teach me how to search the motives of my profession, and cast out from me every evil thing while I speak of thy servants, as those who shew the way of salvation. O Lord, enable me so to feel the right value of earthly things, and of heavenly things, that whatever may seem to me to be a gain, I may

count but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; check every rising thought that would grow into anger or opposition against thy word, or thy people; and enable me to help in checking such in others, rather than do anything that tends to fan the flame in their hearts. Lord I believe, help thou mine unbelief; teach me so to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that I

may have peace with thee, O Father; and that all my sorrow may be turned into joy in the contemplation of that glory that shall be revealed, and which is reserved in heaven for those who are kept, by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation. AMEN.

THIRTY-SECOND PORTION.
Progress of the Missionaries.

PLACE.-Thessalonica and Berea.

TIME.-A.D. 49.

May God, for the sake of Jesus Christ, give me the Holy Spirit, that I may understand this portion of His Holy Word, and profit by it. AMEN.

THE SCRIPTURE.

PHIL. IV. 15, 16.

ACTs, chap. XVII. verses 1 to 15.
I THESS. II. 9. 2 THESS. III. 7, 8.

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: and Paul, as 2 his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, opening and alledging, that Christ must 3 needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach [or, whom, said he, I preach] unto you, is Christ. And 4 some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. But 5 the Jews which 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, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. And when they found them not, they drew 6 Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, "These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; whom 7 Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus." And they troubled the 8

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9 people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things. And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.

And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, 12 whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also 13 of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they cane thither also, and stirred up the 14 people. And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it 15 were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still. And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.

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PHIL. IV. 15, 16.

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Now, ye Philippians, know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as 16 concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.

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1 THESS. II. 9.

For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.

2 THESS. III. 7, 8.

For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not 8 ourselves disorderly among you; neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you.

EXPLANATION.

From Philippi, Paul, with Silas and Timothy, proceeded to Amphipolis; but it is supposed that Luke remained for the present at Philippi. Amphipolis was the capital city of one part of Macedonia; but we hear of nothing which occurred there, or at the next city called Apollonia; though that was also a very populous place, and the missionaries seem to have travelled some distance out of their direct way, in order to pass through it. From Apollonia they went to Thessalonica, a very important seaport town, where a great deal of commerce was carried on; and where

Upon arriving at Berea, Paul, undaunted by the treatment he had received from the Jews at Thessalonica, went as usual to attend the synagogue. The Jews of Berea were in a different state of mind from their brethren at Thessalonica. God had prepared their hearts, and disposed them readily to receive the word of truth. When Paul referred them to the books of the law and the prophets, for proof that Jesus is indeed the Messiah, they paid attention and sought to find out the truth by examining the scriptures, and this with an interest which made them turn to their Bibles day by day. The consequence was that many received the truth and were converted, as well Jews, as Grecian men and women of the same class, as those who had principally joined the church at Thessalonica.

It was not long before the Jews who had opposed the gospel at Thessalonica, were informed that Paul was preaching the same gospel at Berea; and they went thither, and began to raise the same sort of violent attack upon the missionaries there, as they had done in their own city. The christians however at Berea followed the example of those at Thessalonica, and constrained Paul to leave the place in such a manner as should prevent the danger of a pursuit after him. Leaving Silas and Timothy in Berea, some of the christians went with Paul in the direction eastward, as if they intended to travel to the sea-coast, but they presently altered their course and journeyed southward to Athens. Here they left Paul, who charged them with instructions to send Silas and Timothy to him with as much dispatch as possible.

APPLICATION.

1. The manner in which the church of Christ was first planted in Thessalonica is one of the most interesting features of the first missionary history. Though Paul could not have been there more than a month, yet he refers to his ministry during that time, in the two letters he afterwards wrote to the christians there, in such a manner as proves, that he must have employed himself most diligently, in explaining to them every part of christian doctrine. The interest of the two epistles to the Thessalonians is greatly heightened by considering them in this point of view; and when it is remembered that the

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