M. With the exception of the Jews, who were scattered even then throughout the world, the Europeans were involved at this time in all the gloom of Paganism, sitting in the darkness of the shadow of death, unable, even the wisest of them, to say any thing of man's hopes beyond the grave, or to direct their steps with clearness in the path of duty. Yet many of the Europeans, especially, as you know, among the Greeks and Romans, were not only powerful but polished and learned. Famous for their progress in the fine arts, they esteemed themselves wiser than all the rest of mankind together, whilst at the same time they utterly despised the wisdom, the imcomparable wisdom of Divine Revelation, which had so long had its habitation in Palestine, and which now, gathering fresh strength and brightness, had begun to travel out of Palestine in a glorious "cloud of witnesses" with the Church of Christ. It was coming like light from the East to illuminate our western world; or, if I might again allude to Gideon, I would say, it was more like the torches, which he and his three hundred men carried in their earthen pitchers, with the sound of their three hundred trumpets, and the light of their torches, flashing forth from their broken pitchers upon their astonished enemies in the camp of Midian.

E. But that was altogether a miracle.

M. It was very wonderful, and to be ascribed only to God's directing Providence, that the trumpets, the torches, and the broken pitchers should cause the Midianitish host to fall in a panic by each others' swords. But greater wonders far accompanied the preaching of the Gospel, which in the eyes of the

worldly wise and powerful was a far weaker and more foolish thing than the stratagem of Gideon. Compared with the heathen, the Christian preachers were at first even fewer still than Gideon's company, when set against Midian: and their preaching, what was it, the philosopher would say, but the sound of a trumpet? True it was, they had the light amongst them, the light of everlasting truth, whilst the heathen host lay in darkness; but then they carried it in earthen vessels, which were liable to be destroyed; and which were, indeed, continually broken in the attempt to diffuse the light. Still if the vessels were broken, the light was shed abroad, and threw the heathen into confusion and dismay; and then the sound of that trumpet, which proclaimed the Gospel, waxed louder and louder, and was as it were some preternatural voice calling them from earth to heaven. It had also the effect of setting the errors of the Pagans one against another, and so leading to their mutual de

struction.

With such arms, and in such a spirit, did St. Paul and his few companions attack, as it were, the heathen camp undismayed, or commence, if we may so speak, the invasion of Europe, determined to conquer or to die; or rather, in dying, to conquer for their blessed Lord and Master the realms which were now held under the dominion of the wicked one, in the bondage of numberless superstitions and the most awful vices. E. And was it at Philippi that the Apostle began his preaching?

M. Yes, the first town to which he came on the continent of Europe was Philippi, or Philipstown, as we should say in English, so called from its founder

Philip of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. Perhaps you can tell me in what way this place waș celebrated in profane history?

E. I think for the victory of Augustus and Antony over the forces of Brutus and Cassius.

M. Which victory put an end in effect to the Roman republic. All Greece and Macedonia were at this time a part of the Roman empire: but Philippi was more, it was a Roman colony, not inhabited by Romans, but enjoying the rights of Roman citizenship.

At Philippi St. Paul spent some time, employing the Sabbaths chiefly in preaching the Gospel.

E. The Sabbaths, Mamma! Did the people of Philippi keep the Sabbath?

M. Not the heathen part of them; but the Jews, whom we spoke of as scattered throughout the world, were very particular in observing the Sabbath, and were accustomed in heathen countries to build or set apart for themselves oratories, or houses of public prayer near the water side, that they might have an opportunity of performing their ablutions before they began to pray. At Philippi they had one near the river Strymon, whither St. Paul, with his companions Silas, Timothy, and Luke, went out on the Sabbathday in company with their Jewish brethren. Here sitting down the Christians began to speak of the glad tidings of the Gospel to the women who had come together to prayer. Amongst these sincere worshippers of the true God after the Jewish manner was a woman named Lydia, who not only heard, but "whose heart the Lord opened" by the secret and gentle influences of his grace, so "that she attended to the

things spoken by Paul, and was baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus;" and not herself alone, but her whole household with her. We may, indeed, observe repeatedly, that not only individuals, but whole families were admitted at once into our Lord's kingdom by baptism, realizing St. Peter's words, "the promise is unto you, and to your children," and fulfilling the gracious words addressed ages before to Abraham, that in Christ "all the families of the earth should be blessed."

Thus Lydia, by her diligent use of the means of grace already given to her, brought down a blessing upon herself, and her whole household. So true is God to His promise: "Whosoever shall do his will, shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God1." She had worshipped God to the best of the knowledge which she already possessed, and God sent an Apostle to instruct her more clearly in the way of life; and because even an Apostle's teaching would be merely "a tinkling cymbal" unaccompanied by the Spirit of God, "the Lord opened her heart to attend to the things" which he spoke. For we cannot attend seriously to the things of God, without the help of His Spirit. Let us pray that His gentle influences may visit our hearts also whilst employed in studying His holy word, and make them like "the honest and good ground 2," to bring forth fruit "an hundredfold.”

With Lydia, the Apostle and his companions found a home; for when she was baptized, she earnestly entreated them to come and abide in her house, requesting it of them as a proof that they believed her faith

1 John vii. 17.

2 Matt. xiii. 8.

ful to the Lord Jesus in the profession which she had made; and so pressing was she in this request, that they could not refuse her; for she esteemed it an honour to have the Apostles under her roof, and would entertain them not as strangers only, but as angels or messengers of God.

E. Was Lydia a rich woman, Mamma?

M. This we are not told; but she was "a seller of purple," who had originally belonged to Thyatira. This city, as a modern traveller', tells us, is even at present famous for dyeing; so much so, that he was informed that the cloths dyed and sold there, are superior to any others furnished by Asia Minor, and that large quantities are sent weekly to Smyrna for purposes of commerce.

See Acts xvi. 1-15.

NINETEENTH SUNDAY EVENING.

ST. PAUL IMPRISONED AT PHILIPPI.

M. You were interested, Edward, in the case of Lydia who was converted at the Jewish place of prayer by the water-side. I have another circumstance to relate to you to-night, which occurred during St. Paul's stay at Philippi, when he was going to the same sacred spot, which he seems to have visited continually. On one of these occasions, he was met by a young woman, who had been employed by certain im