It

THREE things are worthy of notice. "Who, when he came." Who is the person referred to here? It was Barnabas, a man described in verse 24 as a "good man, full of the Holy Ghost and of faith." First: The scene from which Barnabas is sent. was Jerusalem, the metropolis of Judæa, arrayed in the Jewish mind with the religious association of ages. Here the Gospel had been preached, thousands had been converted, and a Church was formed the grand motherchurch. Secondly: The scene to which he was sent. Antioch, at that time one of the most powerful cities of the East, the centre of immense influence. Thirdly The reason why he was sent. The Gospel had been preached in Antioch, "and a great number there believed and turned to the Lord." This glorious fact reaches the mother-church at Jerusalem, thrills its heart with interest, and Barnabas is sent forth to sanction, nourish, and direct the new life. The

It was

text suggests four thoughts in relation to personal Christianity.

I. That personal Christianity IS ESSENTIALLY IDENTIFIED WITH DIVINE GRACE. "The grace of God." He saw Divine grace in the conversion of the Gentiles, and the new life developed through the preaching of the Gospel. First: Personal Christanity originates in Divine grace. "Of his own will begat he us, &c." Secondly: Personal Christianity is sustained by Divine grace. It is nourished, strengthened and perfected in the soul by grace. Thirdly: Personal Christianity is a reflection of Divine grace. Wherever there is true personal Christianity, there is the highest display of the loving heart of God.

II. That personal Christianity, WHEREVER IT EXISTS,

IS AN OBSERVABLE FACT.

"Barnabas saw it at Antioch." Personal Christianity is not an inoperative sentiment, not a candle that can be concealed under a bushel. It must reveal itself. First: The ruling spirit of life is new. There is a new heart. Old things are passed away. Secondly: The master-purpose

of life is new. The aim is, not to serve sense or self, or the world, but to glorify God in everything. Thirdly: The prevailing conduct of life is new. It is the characteristic of converted men that they are about their Father's business.

These forces can only be counteracted by the most strenuous efforts,-"purpose of heart." There must be watching, praying, running, &c.

Brother, though thy Christianity is of the " grace of God," that grace has made its growth and continuance

DELIGHTS THE HEART OF THE

GOOD. "Barnabas was glad." There is nothing so adapted to gladden the heart of a truly devout and philanthropic spirit, as the extension of Christianity in the world. They know that as that spreadsFirst: The world's happiness will be promoted. It is the only power that works off evils-social, political, and moral. Secondly: God's character will be revealed. It clears away from the mind the cloud that conceals the moral beauty of the great God of the universe.

IV. That personal Christianity REQUIRES ON BEHALF

OF ITS SUBJECTS THE MOST PERSEVERING EFFORT. He "exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord." (1) There are many forces to separate us from the Lord; remnants of corrupt feeling within us, corrupt social influence around us, &c. (2)

With an invincible purpose, adhere to the Lord; hold on with the tenacity of thy being to the truths of His Word, and the promises of His love.

PHASES OF THE GOSPEL.

"Then Paul and Barnabas waxed

bold, and said, it was necessary that

the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles."Acts xiii. 46.

THE preceding verses of this chapter contain a long discourse, full of historic truth and practical point, delivered by Paul to the Jews at Antioch. The immense excitement which his ministry caused in this city, filled the Jews with envy, "And they spoke against those things, which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming." Opposition never intimidates great natures in a good cause. On the contrary, it brings out their manhood in defiant attitudes. Hence we

are told that Paul and Barnabas waxed bold. In the text we have three things.

I. THE GOSPEL OFFERED BY A DIVINE PLAN. "It was necessary," said the apostles to those unbelieving and persecuting Jews, "that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you." Necessary? What made it necessary? The purpose of Christ. He commanded "that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." The Jews were to have the first offer. There were good and wise reasons for this. Their offer to the Jew " first," wasFirst The strongest proof of the sincerity of their own faith. The Jew lived on the very scenes where the great facts of Christianity occurred. They were eye-witnesses of the whole. Their offer to the Jew "first," was Secondly; The strongest proof of the mercifulness of their system. The loving germs of their religion came out in this. The Jew was the greatest sinner; the Jews crucified the Lord of life and glory. Christ's true ministers, in offering the provisions of the Gospel to man, are directed by Divine plan. There is no caprice or accident in their movements. In the text we have

VOL. XV.

II. THE GOSPEL REJECTED

BY AN UNBELIEVING PEOPLE.

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Seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life." Judge yourselves unworthy! Is not this withering irony? The Jew think himself unworthy of eternal life! Proud spirits; they considered nothing too good in heaven or earth for them; they felt themselves worthy of heaven's choicest gifts. First: Man's conduct is his true verdict upon himself. A man is not what he may think he is, or say he is, or what others may judge he is, but is what his conduct is. His every-day life pronounces the true sentence upon himself; the only sentence that conscience will accept. Secondly: By rejecting the Gospel, a man's sentence upon himself is terribly awful. Unworthy of

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"We turn to the Gentiles." Two things are suggested here. First A lamentable condition for a people. These unbelieving Jews are left; the apostles turn from them. The Gospel is withdrawn. A greater calamity this to a people, than if the sun went down and left their heavens in sackcloth. Mercy will not always continue with the people. "My spirit shall not always strive with man." Secondly: An obvious duty for a ministry. It was right It was right for these Gospel-laborers to leave a rocky, sterile and unproductive soil, and try elsewhere. Their field is the world. Ministers are not only justified, but often bound to leave their sphere of labor. That ministry which is unsuccessful in one sphere, is often gloriously prosperous in another. These apostles wrought wonders amongst the Gentiles.

MORAL RELAPSE AND MORAL ADVANCE.

Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God."Acts xiv. 22.

THIS verse states a portion of the work which Paul and Barnabas did on their return to Lystra, Iconium, and

things.

The

I. THE DANGER OF MORAL RELAPSE. Why else did they return to those who had accepted the Gospel? "I confirm," &c. Confirming means strengthening. (ETηpilovTES.) The word has no reference whatever to the religious rite, which is now called confirmation in some churches. Wherever the scriptural authority for such a rite is found, it is not here. The work here done by the apostles was not ceremonial, but moral, the infusing of new energy into the faith of the disciples. The word "and" is not in the original, and should be omitted. meaning of the sentence isthe apostles confirmed the souls of the Gentiles by exhorting them to continue in the faith. This work of the apostles indicated the liability of the disciples to relapse. Such a liability, alas, exists. First: Good men are subject to influences inducing a relapse. Secondly: There are instances of good men in all ages who have relapsed. Hence the importance of the work of strengthening men's souls by exhortation. There is a ministry required, not only to bring men into the faith, but to keep them in it. The verse suggests