political greatness, they vented their malignity in putting him to an open shame. The Jews still expect the Messiah to sway the sceptre of an earthly sovereign, and our friends—the disciples of the personal reign-have the whole nation, "whose hearts are veiled,” agreeing with them in sentiment. The first disciples of our Lord wandered sometimes, from the feelings and motives proper to simple-hearted piety, through love of “the literal key." Even on their way to a solemn feast we find them disputing who of them should be greatest. The mother and her sons-even James and John, fresh from the unearthly glories of the transfiguration-approach their Lord to ask a boon: and this one favour which they ask is not a spiritual blessing, but a worldly honour-that one of them should sit on his right hand, and the other on his left, in his kingdom! They longed to become ministers of the crown! With a similar feeling another of the disciples said: “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom unto Israel ?" Peter too expected to fight. He was prepared for the secular reign He drew his sword, and, in the spirit of earthly ambition and strife, he used it. And although the Prince of Peace had said to them, in language whose clearness no other words could exceed, "My kingdom is not of this world;" yet were the disciples so enamoured with the fond idea, that, even after his resurrection, they were perplexed about the fact of his having yielded his life to the Roman power. That their expected deliverer should submit himself to the secular authority of that very nation beneath whose iron rule his own people were crushed, was a thing inexplicable according to their literal interpretation of a few favourite prophecies. "We trusted," said they, in the language of disappointment, "that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel." Yes, the first disciples had ideas of this kind, but they were ideas which our Lord corrected-degrading notions which his purity repelled, and which his wisdom thus severely rebuked: “O fools! and slow of heart to believe, &c."—and again: “Ye know not what ye ask.” We hope that this is sufficient to show that a literal interpretation of prophecy is not always the right one, and that it is often directly opposed to the truth, and worthy of strong reprobation. We shall have frequent occasion to expose this unsound method of reasoning. We will only illustrate it briefly here by a reference to one passage. Let us look at Zechariah xii. 10. "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications, and they shall look upon me, whom they have pierced, and mourn for him." This passage is brought forward by some of our friends to prove the personal appearance of our Lord, and the repentance of the Jews at his coming. It is mingled up with their theory in some such way as this: "When the Jews have been gathered together unconverted to their own land, the Saviour will, presently, make his bodily appearance in the air, and the Jews, with their eyes of flesh, shall look upon him, and be converted at that sight." This they regard as the literal and the correct interpretation of the text. But when their minds were bent on being so literal, it surely became them to remember that the Jews did not literally pierce the Saviour. It is only by a figure that they can be said to have done so. It was the Roman soldiers who platted the thorns. It was the Roman hammer that drove the nails. It was the Roman spear that pierced his side. When, in a literal sense, did the Jews pierce him? How unfortunate is this literal interpretation! If it be said that the Jews consented, and urged his death, then is the ground of "literal interpretation" forsaken, and the gentiles also must be included, for they did the same. But let us not smile at these mental wanderings. They are deeply humiliating. Too much of the carnal heart is in them. Let us turn to a more consistent and refreshing view of this delightful text. "That Jerusalem,' exclaims some simple-minded man, whose heart is imbued with the spiritual nature and design of the Saviour's kingdom, ‘is the "Jerusalem from above, the mother of us all"-that to which the apostle refers, when he says: "We ARE come to the heavenly Jerusalem." That spectacle surely is the man of sorrows, the bleeding lamb. Yes, and his grief springs from our sins; for he was wounded for our transgressions. Oh! let us not, by unbelief, crucify him afresh, and by contempt put him to an open shame. That look-it is the look of faith, which fastens the soul on him, and affects the heart with mourning and bitterness.' Thus shall both Jew and gentile look on him whom they have pierced, and mourn. We should not have dwelt so long on this delusive scheme for misinterpreting, did not our Millenarian brethren so pertinaciously adhere to it. In the next article we shall propose to our readers, and briefly illustrate, a few guiding principles, to aid in the reverential study of scripture prophecy. HISTORY OF ST. PAUL. CHAPTER I. FROM THE BIRTH OF PAUL ΤΟ HIS FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY. Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles, and the author of most of the epistles in the New Testament, was born at Tarsus, in Cilicia,' a district of Asia Minor, and then forming part of the widely extended Roman empire. The exact time of his birth is not known; but we may with probability reckon that the time of our Lord's coming into the world and it, were not more than about ten years apart. He was an Israelite by both parents," yet inherited the privileges of a Roman citizen. Roman citizenship was not confined to the dwellers in Rome, but was sometimes granted to inhabitants of the provinces. 2 Paul (whose Hebrew name was Saul) was brought up in the principles and practices of the Pharisees, who were the most popular sect among the Jews, were strict in the observance of the outward acquirements of their law, and were particularly jealous of the traditions of the fathers. When still young he removed, or perhaps, rather was removed by his friends, to the capital of Judea, where he was farther instructed in Judaism under Gamaliel," a doctor of high repute,' and whose instructions, however beneficial they may have been in other respects, doubtless tended to confirm his pupil's Pharisaic prejudices. The Pharisees, who had hated and persecuted our blessed Lord, still hated and persecuted his followers. With their spirit Paul was imbued, and in their practice, in persecuting the christians, he zealously and conscientiously joined. At the death of the first christian martyr he was present, and by keeping the raiment (1) Acts xxi. 39. (2) Acts vii. 58. (3) Philip. iii. 5. (4) Acts xxii. 28. (5) Acts xxiii. 6; xxvi. 4, 5. (6) Acts xxii. 3. (7) Supposing him to be (8) Acts viii. 1, 3; ix. 1 and following; the same mentioned in Acts v. 34. xxvi. 9; xxiii. 1. of those who stoned him, testified his approbation of what they did. This act he followed by a course of bitter persecution, making havoc of the infant church, beating, imprisoning, or scattering, in his mad zeal, the members of that little society, which had been designed by God to bless the world. Unwilling to be confined to the narrow bounds of the Jewish territories, he obtained' letters from the high priest to the synagogues in Damascus, that by virtue of the power which the Jews were allowed to possess, he might bring bound to Jerusalem those who called on the name of Jesus. This journey, of about 150 miles, (Damascus being 133 miles from Jerusalem,2) he had nearly accomplished, when suddenly a bright light, above the sun's meridian brightness, shone from the heavens around him, and he having fallen to the earth, heard a voice addressing him; "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ?" The voice was heard, but the Hebrew words were not understood,3 by the companions of his journey. Paul inquired of the heavenly being that addressed him, who he was, and was answered: "I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest;"-the Lord Jesus thus reckoning the persecution of his followers as against himself. and astonishment, inquired what he should do; and receiving instructions from heaven he was led, being unable to see, into the city. A good man, Ananias, was commissioned to be the instrument of restoring him to sight, and of imparting to him direction. After being baptized, he remained certain days with the disciples; and straightway preached Christ to the astonishment of the Jews. He went into Arabia, perhaps after he had commenced preaching, where he continued awhile. How he was here employed we are not informed. We may conjecture either in preaching the gospel, or in exercises preparatory to more extensive ministrations. 6 Paul, in fear When he had returned to Damascus, the Jews sought means to destroy this witness for the truth: and having the governor to their aid, they kept the city with a guard,' intending to take him; but the disciples, by stealth, let him down over the city wall, and he escaping, went on his way to Jerusalem. The (1) Acts ix. 1 and following. (2) The distances given are as obtained by measuring on Mimpriss's chart. (3) Acts ix. 7; xxii. 9; xxvi. 14. That may likewise mean to understand, see (5) Gal. i. 17. (6) Acts ix. 23 and fol the Greek verb signifying to hear lowing. brethren there were afraid of him, not believing him to be a disciple; but Barnabas introduced him to the apostles Peter and James. Here he continued awhile, speaking boldly in the name of Jesus; but the Jews here also sought to slay him, and in obedience to a vision, he departed; the brethren conducting him to Cæsarea, a town near the coast of the Mediterranean sea, and about 70 miles from Jerusalem, and then he proceeded, probably by water, to Tarsus. After a few years, Barnabas' went from Jerusalem to Antioch, a city on the river Orontes, and the capital of Syria, a distance of 310 miles; and leaving that city, journeyed to Tarsus, 95 miles, in search of Paul: and having found him, returned with him to Antioch. A time of distress3 to the christians in Judea having come on, the disciples about Antioch sent to their relief, employing Paul and Barnabas as the bearers of their bounty. This charge having been fulfilled, they returned to Antioch, bringing with them John Mark.* D. G. THE ANTHEM AND THE PSALM TUNE. Every christian parent should esteem it a religious duty to have his children taught to sing, in order that they may be able to join with propriety in singing the praises of God. The essential elements of good psalmody are piety, intelligence, musical knowledge, and skill. Whatever tends to spread these through our congregations will have a favourable influence on psalmody. Much of the music which has been obtruded upon our churches is unsuited to the purposes of devotion. The truth is, that many of the tunes in extensive use have been composed by men who have a very slender acquaintance with the principles of harmony, and who have either overlooked or been ignorant of the essential difference between the anthem and psalm tune. The anthem is a piece of music composed expressly for certain words, and its chief excellence consists in its special adaptation to express the meaning of those words, and to awaken in the mind of the hearer suitable thoughts and feelings. When about to prepare an anthem, the skilful composer gives his first attention to the (1) Acts ix. 27; Gal, i. 18, 19. (2) Acts xi. 22-26. (3) Acts xi. 28-30. (4) Acts xii, 25. |