say to them: "Thus far shall ye go, and no further." One of their own council, now a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, a person held in great reputation among all the people, stood up in the midst of the council, desiring that the Apostles might be removed a little way, whilst he spoke and reasoned with the High Priest, and the rest of the assembly, upon the subject which had excited them so much: and by his arguments he succeeded in allaying the storm for a time, and in persuading them to let the Apostles alone.

E. I should like to know how he managed this; it must have been rather a difficult matter, I think?

M. He entreated them to be careful what they did to these men, declaring his conviction that if the work they were engaged in was of men, it would certainly come to nothing; whereas, if it were of God, all their efforts to overthrow it would be in vain; for then they would only be fighting against God. And to impress this advice the better upon their minds, he reminded them of an impostor who had risen up amongst them but a short time before, of the name of Theudas, pretending to be king of the Jews, who had been slain, and all his followers scattered; also of a person called Judas of Galilee, who stirred up an insurrection among the people respecting the Roman taxes, about ten years after the taxing which took place at the time when our Saviour was born, persuading the people not to pay tribute to the Romans, because God alone was their Master. But he also perished; and as many as obeyed him had been dispersed. This argument would naturally have great weight, especially from the lips of Gamaliel.

E. But I wonder why Gamaliel took the part of the Christians so decidedly.

M. Partly perhaps from conviction, for he was the son of that aged Simeon who had taken the infant Saviour in his arms; and partly perhaps to oppose the ruling sect of the Sadducees. But whatever might be his motive, the countenance given to the Christians by a person held in such high respect and repute as Gamaliel was a happy circumstance for the Church. The rest of the council yielded to his opinion, and gave up their murderous intentions against the Apostles, for the present; so, when they had called them and beaten them, they commanded them again that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and then set them at liberty.

E. The Apostles must have been rather indignant though, I should think, at being punished in so public and disgraceful a manner?

M. Scourging was certainly a very severe and ignominious punishment; but the only feeling produced by it on the minds of these faithful men, was joy and thankfulness for the honour which God had put upon them, in allowing them to suffer in so glorious a cause. "They departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name of the Lord Jesus." Nor did they consider, as many would have done, how they could in future preach Christ with less offence to the rulers of this world, and thus avoid such treatment for the time to come. No; "daily in the temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus Christ;" understanding now the full meaning

and the full value of those words which had once, no doubt, sounded very strange to them: "Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven1."

See Acts v. 11-42.

SIXTH SUNDAY EVENING.

THE FIRST MARTYR.

M. It is melancholy to think, Edward, that, as the numbers of believers increased, disputes arose,-disputes (alas! for human nature) even amongst those who gave up so much, and braved so much, for Christ, -disputes in the immediate communion of the Apostles!

E. But what could occasion these disputes, Mamma? for you know they had all things in common.

M. And this circumstance, which arose from goodwill to one another, became the very occasion of these disputes. The murmurs, which were now heard in the Church, sprang out of Charity; so necessary is it to the last, and after the greatest sacrifices, to "watch and pray lest we fall into temptation."

E. But how did this happen, Mamma?

M. I have already told you that a common stock was furnished by the almsgivings of the disciples for the relief of the poor and needy, and more especially,

1 Matt. v. 10.

it would seem, of the desolate widows. And the dispute we are now speaking of, sprang from a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, for having, as they thought, neglected their widows in the daily distribution which took place among them.

E. But I do not quite understand what is meant here by the Grecians and the Hebrews: were they not all Jews or Hebrews?

M. Those who had as yet embraced the Gospel, though all Jews, were not all Jews of Palestine, or Hebrews, but Greek Jews as they are called; that is, Jews of the twelve tribes, who had been scattered abroad among the Gentile nations; and these, whether with or without reason, began to suspect that undue favour was shown to those of the Hebrew party, and that their own widows were neglected. This was an important question; but it was impossible that the Apostles themselves should abandon their own more immediate duties, for the purpose of settling such questions as these. They accordingly directed the people to choose seven men, qualified by their gifts and wisdom, whom they might appoint over this matter; whilst they gave themselves up to their own proper duties, prayer and the Ministry of the Word. And this proposal of the Apostles pleased the whole multitude; "and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch; and they set these men before the Apostles ;" who, after they had prayed to God for his blessing and guidance," laid their hands on them," and thus ordained them to their sacred office.

E. And what was that office, Mamma? Was it only to attend to the wants of the poor?

M. That was one of their duties, as it still is one of the peculiar duties of Deacons to attend to the poor. What a striking proof of the tender pity and love with which our Lord regards the poor, that in the very first formation of His Church upon earth, an office should have been especially created in it, for the express purpose of watching over their interests, and relieving their distresses. Surely this circumstance commends them strongly to our pity and care! What a proof too is this of the importance of Charity in the Christian religion, and of the necessity of making almsgiving a religious service, a sacrifice to God, as St. Paul calls it', and not a mere exercise of social liberality! St. Paul says expressly that "Charity out of a pure heart and faith unfeigned, is the end of the commandment," and the Apostles at Jerusalem appointed deacons to assist them in the ministry, in order that the poor widows, hitherto under their own direct care, may not be neglected.

E. I have often observed that Clergymen give a great deal of their time to the poor, though I did not know that our blessed Lord had made it so expressly one of their duties.

M. But only one. They were to be "men full of the Holy God, and of wisdom," qualifications, you see, of a far higher kind than were necessary merely to serve tables, and attend to the temporal wants of the destitute. Again, they were solemnly ordained

1 Heb. xiii. 16.