name.

how much evil he hath done to the saints at Jerusalem, and that he is come here, with authority from the chief priests, to bind all that call upon thy But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way; for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the gentiles; and I will shew him what great things he must suffer for my name's sake. Ananias immediately repaired to the house, and, laying his hands upon Saul, called him brother, and declared to him, that the Lord Jesus, the same who appeared to him in his journey, had sent him, that he might recover his sight, and be filled with the gifts of the Holy Ghost. And immediately he received sight, and arose, and was baptised; and when he had taken meat he was strengthened.

Maria. Did he preach at Damascus ?

Aunt. He hesitated not, but straightway preached in the synagogues; delaring, with all boldness, that Christ was the Son of God.

Lucy. How surprised the people must be!

Aunt. They were; and said, Is not this he who destroyed them that called on this name at Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent? But Saul confounded the Jews at Damascus, proving Jesus to be very Christ.

It appears, by the epistle of Paul to the Galatians, chap. i. 17, 18, that he went almost immediately after his conversion into Arabia, where he continued two or three years, preaching the gospel; after which, he came again to Damascus.

George. How did the Jews treat him on his return?

Aunt. Their enmity to him was unabated. Upon hearing him preach again in the synagogues, they resolved upon his death, and accordingly lay in wait for him, watching the gates day and night, that he should not escape. But Saul had knowledge of their designs; and the disciples, who were as solicitous to preserve him, as his enemies were to destroy him, let him down in a basket from one of their houses over the city wall. Having thus escaped, he went to Jerusalem, to visit Peter and the church there.

George. No doubt but he was received with joy. Aunt. Knowing his former temper and principles, they all shunned him, not believing him to be a disciple.

Maria. This must grieve him very much.

Aunt. A man of such keen sensibility must be sure to feel it. But this was soon removed by Barnabas, an eminent disciple, who brought him to Peter and James, acquainting them with his miraculous conversion, and his zealous preaching of Christ at Damascus, which removed all their doubts; and they admitted him to intimate communion with them. His sermons were so powerful, and his disputations with the Grecians so unanswerable, that here, as in Damascus, he met with many enemies, who eagerly sought his life.

Maria. What course did he pursue?

Aunt. Departing from Jerusalem, he set sail for his own city, Tarsus, in Cilicia, and did not return till several years after. The churches had rest for some time, and increased and flourished, to the great comfort of the disciples.

Maria. Where did the other apostles go?

Aunt. It appears that Peter took a progress through Judea, and visited the saints which were at Lydda; where he found a man who had been afflicted with the palsy eight years. And he said unto him, Eneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise and take thy bed. And he arose immediately. The knowledge of this miracle soon spread, and brought the inhabitants of Lydda, and Saron, a neighbouring town, to believe in Jesus.

George. Did Peter continue long there?

Aunt. No; he was intreated by the brethren at Joppa to come to them without delay, as they had sustained a great loss by the death of a pious and venerable woman, who was renowned for her good deeds. Peter immediately complied with their request. As soon as he arrived, they took him to the chamber of mourning, shewing him the clothing that Tabitha, which, by interpretation, is called Dorcas, had provided for the poor with her own hands, while she was with them. They durst not expressly petition him to raise her from the dead, but, by their lamentations, they testified their desires. Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down and prayed; then, turning to the body, he said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes; and when she saw Peter, she sat up; and he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and presented her alive to the saints and widows. This was known throughout all Joppa: and many believed in the Lord.

Lucy. The character of Tabitha appears very amiable!

Aunt. I would recommend her conduct to your

imitation. To spend your money and time in working for the poor, will afford you far greater pleasure than the vain amusements that many ladies follow to kill time, which hangs heavy on their hands, from their want of knowing how to employ it properly. Peter abode a considerable time at Joppa, probably a year, lodging in the house of one Simon, a tanner. Lucy. I think the apostles continued to preach to the Jews only?

Aunt. It was now seven years since the ascension of our Lord, and they had not yet fully understood the commission, Go, preach to all nations. They had been in the provinces and remote countries, wherever the Jews resided, and met with great success; but now God thought fit to open a door to the Gentiles, and to make the Jews sensible that the partition wall was thrown down, and that they were no longer a peculiar people.

Cæsarea was a city inhabited both by Jews and Gentiles, and the most frequent residence of the Roman governors of Judea: at this time the Italian band kept garrison in the city. The centurion, or captain, was a Roman, named Cornelius. This man. was devout, and feared God with all his house. He was one that communicated of his substance to the poor, and prayed to God always. While he was praying, he saw in a vision an angel of God coming to him, and saying, Cornelius! and he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God: send now to Joppa, to Simon Peter, and he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. The angel farther directed him to the very house

where Peter lodged. He accordingly called two servants and a devout soldier that waited on him: and, when he had related to them what he had seen, he sent them to Joppa.

In the mean time, God was preparing the mind of Peter for their reception. Peter retired about the sixth hour unto the house-top to pray. And he became very hungry, and would have eaten, but, while they made ready, he fell into a trance. And he saw heaven opened, and a vessel let down, in which were all sorts of beasts, birds, and reptiles, both clean and unclean, And there came a voice, saying, Rise, Peter, kill and eat. He startled at this, and replied, Not So, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing common or unclean. And the voice spake again, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice, and the vessel was received up again into heaven.

Lucy. What could Peter understand by this vision? Aunt. While he was revolving in his mind what this could mean, the three men arrived, and inquired for him. And the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee: arise therefore, get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them. Then Peter went down to them, and said, I am he whom ye seek; wherefore are ye come? Upon this, they gave a full relation of what had happened to Cornelius. Peter courteously lodged them that night, and the next day set off with them, being accompanied by some of the brethren.

George. No doubt but Cornelius waited with eager expectation for Peter's arrival.