lay at the root of the trouble ; he knew it, and it helped him w be etron" in faith, Cbrist would protect his own ambassador. "' II. Tim ORAllGEB AGAINST HUI WERE UTTERLY FALSE. He raised no opposition to tbc Law. He never defiled the temple. Trophimus the Gentile had not been brought there. The enemies of truth always depend on lies. False accusation has been always t.be resort of fanaticism and bigotry when it is afraid for itself. Ill. RonAN DIBOIPLINE, as before, is ::ailed in to suppress MOB VIOLENCE, and thus help the gospel. So in after times Roman law prepared the way for the spread of Christianity. (See Maurice's 'Lectures on the Religion of Rome,' delivered at Edin- burgh 1864, published 1855.) IV. THE SPEEDY BESULT OF THE WEAK ADVICE of the Jewish believers is seen in the apostle within seven days, in imprisonment. The brave policy always the safest, Compromise is danger.-R. Vera. 37--40.-The Roman solilur faa to face with the (Jhristian apostle, The heathen, notwithstanding bis ignorance, was more open to reason than the Jew, blinded by fanaticism and bigotry. Religion corrupted by priestcra.ft is worse than scepticism. Courtesy and chivalry mny be made to serve higher purposes. The providential appointment of the history of Judaism opened the way for a free gospel. Jews were filling up their cup.-R. Ver. 5.- Widening streams of Ohristian, lot1e. The contents of this verse are almost unique for the day to which they belong. And at the same time they seem to link together some of the best of their own time with some of the best of modern time. The scene is familiar to us, which was once strange enough, and Tyre will be held in remembrance, wheresoever the gospel shall be preached, for one bright, redeeming trait. For we have here a significant token of what Christianity will avail to do, without any direct aim at it for the time being, in nnd with family life. L lT HAS BAISED WOMEN TO SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE WITH MEN THE BENEFITS, THE JOYS, THE BPOh""TAh"EOUS OFFICES OF FB.IE..~SHIP OF WHICH CHRISTIAN LIFE AND CHA· RACTEB A.RE THE SUBJECT. lI. IT HAS YET MORE SIGNIFICANTLY BROUGHT INTO A NEW KIND OF PROMINENCE A VERY OLD PRECEPT AS TO THE TB.AINING UP OF OHILDBEN, liL IT RAS HALLOWED THE COMDTh'ED EFFECT OF THE UNITED LIFE OF THE FAMILY, Nature itself does not make a whole fa.cnily so really one as Christianity does. Many a time we read of a whole family being baptized, when presumably not only the wife but little children were embraced in the number. And now wives and children of the "disciples," in helpful company, cheer the steps of the departing Paul and his special fellow-labonrers. True as we feel this was to nature, it is true to a nature that had long become disaccustomed to its better self, in those days of Tyre. And Christianity and Christian occasion have now begun to enable nature to" lift its head a.gain," IV. IT HAB FOUND A h"EW WAY OF LTh'lUNG FAMILY WITH FAMILY, How often is the family unit a wonderfully Eelfish unit! It is truly something larger than tho individual, and so is the selfishness somewhat larger also-larger in its sphere of exposure, and larger in its spreading mischief, and larger in its shame. There are not a few who would be astonished to think they could be taxed with selfishness as individuals, who nevertheless may be powerful factors in making, sanctioning, keeping, the selfishness of the family. This latter covers itself also under many a more sacred name. And because the family should be the very shrine of one affection, those who compose it "do this," but mournfully" leave the other undone." But now family with :'&Dlily attended the departing steps of Paul And had they never caught the idea ,efore, now they see or begin to see that it takes many a family of men to number up the one family -0f the "Father," " from whom every family in heaven and earth is named" (Eph. iii. 14, 15, see Revised Version). V. :iT FINns TI1E GENUTh'E LABGER FAMILY cmCLE IN PRAYED, They all "kneeled down on the 11hore, and prayed." It was a prayer of pilgrim apostles, pilgrim fathers and mothen,, and young pilgrim children. 1, Well did they kneel on the sands, 2. Well did they pray in sight of life's sea. 3. Well did all lift tbeir eyes and thoughts from u.nd and sea to heaven in prayer; hut meantime forgot selves awhile, OH. xxr. 1-40.) TliE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. 185
that all might prny for others. Paul prayed for them of Tyre, fathers and mothers and children, that they might love and do and keep the faith. And if no tongue spoke it, w~o can doubt that the loving, regr~t_ful group, who so grudged losing Paul iuto the midst of the dangers that were wa1t1ng for him at Jerusalem, commended him also to God and the Word of his grace? and commended that Word itself to Godf-B.
Ver. 13.-A tender heart to a strong conscience. It might be thought that Paul bad already sufficiently run the gauntlet of warnings touching the consequences of going to Jerusalem (eh. xix. 21; xx. 16, 22, 23; xxi. 4, 11). If his resolution could have been aitered, or his conscience stilled an hour, this was the hour. But, instead of showing nny symptom of being "in a strait betwixt two," even in an hour of such tenderness, it is now that "his heart is fixed." The needle points unerriugly and without a. quivering deflection, and moral resolution touches the point of moral sublimity. And we may justly sound here the praise of conscience; for in advancing degree8, we see- I. THE PRAISE OF CONSCIENCE, IN ITS ATTITUDE IN THE PRESENCE OF DANGER, JI. THE GREATER l;"BAISE OF 0ONSCIENCE, IN ITS ATTITUDE IN THE PRESENCE OF AFFECTION, Ill. THE GREATEST PRAISE OF CONSCIENCE, IN ITS ATTITUDE OF COMPLETE SUR- RENDER TO THE SPIRIT OF PERFECT TRt'TB A.ND PERFECT GUIDANCE, IV, THE PERFECTION OF THE CONSCIENCE IN ITSELF, WHEN IT OWNS TO NO TREM- BLING, NO w AVERING, There was no coldness, no hardness, no unrelentingness of heart, in that grand hour, when Paul's heart was ready to break for human affec- tion's sake, but was a very tower of strength toward Christ as in hi.m.-B.