Claudius, he gave shining proofs that he was not one of the least. Afterwards he continued his labours all over Galatia, Bithynia, and Macedonia, and went to the city of Athens, at that time famous for literature. Here he put all the philosophers to a stand. His doctrines were such, as they had never heard before. They stood amazed at what they could not refute. Corinth, another celebrated city, also felt the force of his wisdom, showing that in reality their sages were fools. Many acknowledged themselves such, and closed with his reasonings, becoming fools in the eyes of the world. At Ephesus, which had a great trade for silver models of the temple of Diana there, one of the seven wonders of the world, a violent tumult was raised against him; as, should his doctrine get footing, their lucre would be at an end. All Greece was moved at the miracles and doctrines of Paul. Italy, Spain, Dalmatia, Illyricum, and many parts of Germany, were witnesses of them. The churches he founded, the souls he converted, and especially the miracles he performed, arc beyond number. At one place they were going to sacrifice to him, as to a god in a human figure, till he undeceived them in a speech; and then their veneration turned to insult. Were I to tell you of his colleagues or assistants, as Barnabas, Timothy, Titus, Silas, Apollos, Lucas, Epaphras, Aristarchus, Clemens, Tychicus, Epaphroditus, Aquila, Priscilla, and many others, time would fail us. It gives me pleasure to think on their zeal, their tenderness, their sweet conversation and heavenly discourse. how many nights did they spend in prayer, in sweet consolatory discourse on the conduct of their lives, the riches of grace, and the expectation of things eternal; prelibations of the heavenly felicity! from which no worldly concerns diverted them, nor relish of earthly fruitions adulterated their inward solacements. Often was he detained by the entreaties of their love; and tears and embraces always attended his departure. Are you desirous of fuller infor

Ob,

A DIALOGUE BETWEEN

A.D. 42.

mation? Then peruse his letters, which at this time he wrote to several churches, and are carefully read by us in our meetings. These bear witness to his zeal for the glory of God, his concern for souls, and to the holiness of his life. I must add, that the island of Melita will ever be a monument of his miraculous power. Being shipwrecked there, and coming to a fire which the hospitable people kindled, a viper leaped out and fastened on his hand; but he shook it off without the least hurt: and, ever since, the vipers of that island, as is well known to this day, are without any venom, and they are handled as safely as eels.

Pilgrim. On my word, these are no small- tokens of a man sent by God, and who made it his meat and drink to do the will of his great Master.

Cleophas. During the thirty-six years of his apostleship be travelled above nine thousand miles, in the several countries above-mentioned; sometimes by water, sometimes by land; but the latter was more agreeable to him, on account of seeing those for whom he had a particular friendship, and likewise being more at liberty: for in passage vessels we are exposed to a great deal of idle talk; every one bas his tale, and goes through with it, whether listened to or not. Now this is a grievous disturbance to a devout man, who would be raising his mind to God, and conversing with spiritual things. Therefore a person of a religious cast and speculative turn would prefer walking through the country to sailing in a noisy ship, as there his eyes are filled with the more pleasing works of the Creator; herbage, flowers, fruits, grain, covering the lofty hill and bollow vale; objects which prompt us to praise the benign God, of whose goodness the whole earth is full. Here, free from the intrusions and ribaldry of strangers, the mind calmly reads the instructive Book of nature, and sweetly loses itself in ravishing contemplations.

Pilgrim. That is very justly observed: But let us now, I pray, return to the Jews, How have they since behaved towards the Christians?

Cleophas. With the utmost malice and cruelty: for, besides their treatment of Paul, who, on all occasions, showed a most tender concern for them, they left no stone unturned to rouse the secular arm against the Christians. At their instigation it was, that king Herod threw James the elder into a prison, with orders for his execution; and though the patience and mildness of this apostle melted his very accusers, whom he kissed in token of his cordial forgiveness, yet the relentless king and priests would not be satisfied till his head was off: another heavy charge against that wretched city, and soon retaliated on Herod, in a manner which plainly spoke the hand of divine vengeance; for when seated on a throne, in all the pomp of regality, giving audience to some ambassadors, he was suddenly struck with a distemper which none of the court physicians knew how to treat. After five days of horrible pains in his entrails he died, a miserable spectacle, eaten up by worms; and this had been foretold to him when at Rome, by a German of some rank, who was a prisoner there.

Pilgrim. The Jews must have been hardened indeed to be insensible to such tokens.

Cleophas. There was also another a little before the death of that tyrant, and not less declarative of a divine interposition. He had caused Peter to be apprehended, with an intent that he should undergo the same fate as his fellow-labourer James. The fatal day came; but when the officers came to fetch Peter, all they found in the cell, where he had been secured, were the handcuffs and chains. Imagine their astonishment. Every thing looked safe; the several doors were shut; and the keepers broad awake; yet Peter was gone. This threw them all into an extreme panic, as they were to account for the escape of their prisoner, yet none knew any thing of the matter. The nature of his escape was such as stirred up a strong suspicion of bribery in the case; whereas, in reality, it was effected by an

angel. But neither Herod's dreadful end, nor this deliverance of Peter, which nobody could account for, produced any amendment; and the Pharisees continued to molest believers with all their former animosity.

Pilgrim. But how was it with the other apostles? I suppose they did not all keep within Jerusalem.

1

Cleophas. No, no. One of Christ's last injunctions to them was to go through all the world, preaching the gospel; and accordingly they did. Paul visited the western countries; Matthew went into the south; Bartholomew into India; Thomas among the Parthians; Andrew northward, among the Scythians; John in several parts of Asia. In like manner the others dispersed themselves several ways, every where diligently sowing the precious seed of the gospel, and confirming their words by such signs and miracles as opportunity offered: and as, in several places, the worship of idols began to wear off through their preaching, this success exposed them to more violent persecutions, in which they lost their lives. But this was no more than their Master had foretold to them.

Pilgrim. One would naturally think, that the persecutious must soon have put an end to them. And did their doctrine get footing in those strange countries?

Cleophas. Yes, beyond any doctrine ever promulgated; that it was amazing to see the force proceeding from what, in the world's account, was weakness in the abstract: for all the books of philosophy were not able in four hundred years, nor the law of Moses in fifteen hundred, to compass what this doctrine did within forty, and this amidst the severest persecutions which the others had not to grapple with. For when was Lycurgus persecuted? when was Solon? when Pythagoras, Aristotle, or Plato? When were the Stoics and Epicureans imprisoned, scourged, aud put to death? On the contrary, they had always good times, were countenanced and honoured; and the Jews, for a long time, had the