'The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle:' the LORD JESUS victorious over sin, death, and hell.

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Therefore we say, and with holy transport we repeat it, Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in.' And if any ask,Who is this King of Glory?' to heaven and earth we proclaim aloud, The LORD of Hosts,' all-conquering Messiah, Head over every creature, the Leader of the armies of JEHOVAH, He is the King of Glory.' Even so, glory be to Thee, O LORD most high! Amen. Hallelujah!"

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S. BARNABAS THE APOSTLE.

JUNE 11.

"Never incense cloud so sweet
As before the Apostles' feet
Rose, majestic seer, from thee,
Type of royal hearts and free,
Son of holiest consolation,

When thou turn'dst thy land to gold,
And thy gold to strong salvation,
Leaving all, by CHRIST to hold:
Type of priest and monarch, casting
All their crowns before the throne,
And the treasure everlasting,

Heaping in the world unknown."

On this day we keep the festival of S. Barnabas the Apostle. The Gospel begins thus our SAVIOUR speaking-" This is My Commandment, That ye love one another.' And this portion of Scripture has most likely been selected by the Church for this day, because it is so peculiarly applicable to S. Barnabas,

he was so kind, so gentle, and so helpful to others. His name itself explains his character, for it means "the son of consolation;" and he was also called the "Comforter." He was a Jew, of the tribe of Levi, and his name, given him at his circumcision, was Joses, or Joseph; but when he was baptized in the name of CHRIST, he was called Barnabas, and was always afterwards known by that title.

You will perhaps remember that the Levites were not allowed to have private property; but probably this Jewish law was not carried out in other countries, for S. Barnabas had an estate (some say a very large one) in the island of Cyprus, where his parents, rich and pious people, lived, and where he was born. He was very carefully educated, probably at Jerusalem, under the care of a learned doctor of law, Gamaliel, the same to whose care S. Paul was entrusted.

As soon as he became a Christian, S. Barnabas sold his estate in Cyprus, and brought the whole of the money and laid it at the Apostles' feet, to be distributed amongst the poor; thus willingly and readily making himself one of the poorest. But at this time of blessing and happiness to the early Church, when the Apostles and loved companions of CHRIST were alive in the world, "the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul: neither said any

of them that aught of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

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For as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold;

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And distribution was made unto every man according as he had need."

S. Barnabas is supposed to have been one of those seventy disciples whom our LORD sent before Him, to go into every town and village to carry tidings of peace, to heal the sick, and to do good. He was afterwards sent by the Church at Jerusalem to Antioch in Syria, a city where several persons had become Christians, and wanted further help and teaching. It was in this city, Antioch, that the followers of our SAVIOUR were first called Christians. Before this time they had been called disciples, or believers, or brethren, by their well-wishers; but by the enemies of the Gospel they were in scorn called Nazarenes," men of the sect," and so on.

This name, Christian, though now common all over the world, is yet the most honourable in the world, and was first bestowed with great solemnity, and only on persons seriously and earnestly following and believing in our SAVIOUR, CHRIST the LORD. On such persons it was first bestowed at Antioch (as I have said,) by the Bishop of that place, about ten years after the Ascension of our

LORD. The Bishop at that time was called Euodius, and he was successor there to the Apostle S. Peter. And this name was given, not secretly, or privately, but in an open assembly, numbers of persons being present to witness the holy rite.

There were great numbers of Jews in Antioch, attracted there not only by its extensive commerce and its proximity to their own country, but by privileges granted to them by successive Greek and Roman kings.

After the great increase of Christianity there, it was called Theopolis, or the divine city. It was the capital of Syria, and a magnificent place: all the cities in Palestine must have seemed mere villages or garrison towns in comparison with this, owing to its size and strength. It was also beautifully situated in a fertile plain on the bank of the river Orontes, and being a very gay city, abounding in luxuries, and pleasures, and festivals, was a favourite abode of many Roman Emperors and other great people.

It is said that in the first ages of the Church Christianity throve in cities rather than in the country, which is probably the reason why Saul, the persecutor, hurried to Damascus, and why Paul, the Christian, and Barnabas came to Antioch.

At Antioch S. Barnabas laboured hard, for