longed to the Church. And he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. And, seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after the passover + to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison; but prayer was made without ceasing by the church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains,§ and the keepers before the door were guarding the prison.

And, behold, an angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shone in the prison: and smiting Peter's side, he roused him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals: and he did so. And he

* Four quaternions.-Four times four soldiers, who were to guard him in rotation by four at a time.

The Passover.-The days of unleavened bread were immediately connected with the passover, Exod. xii. 15-20. Herod might be afraid of putting Peter to death when Jerusalem was crowded with people from the country, especially from Galilee, of which Peter was a native, and where he was well known; or the days of the feast having already begun, and being attentive to the Jewish ceremo nies, he would not desecrate the solemn days of the feast by a public execution.

Prayer was made.-It had been promised to Peter, that he should live to old age, John xxi. 18. This did not pre

vent, but encourage, the prayers of the Church.

Bound with two chains.-That is, bound to each soldier by a chain, so that he could not have moved without awaking them, and the two others guarding the door of the prison. This was the manner in which the quaternions of soldiers were disposed, for the safe-keeping of the prisoner.

D

PSALM XXXIV.*

I WILL bless the LORD at all times;
Continually shall his praise be in my mouth.
My soul shall glory in the Lord;
The lowly shall hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord and he heard me,
And from all my fears he delivered me.
They looked to him and were enlightened,
And their faces were not ashamed.

This poor man cried, and the Lord heard,
And from all his trouble he saved him.
The angel of the Lord pitches his camp
Round them that fear him, and delivers them.
O taste and see that the Lord is good!

Blessed is the man who seeks safety in him.
Fear the Lord, ye his saints;

For there is no want to those who fear him.
The rich are made poor, and suffer hunger,
But they that seek the Lord shall want no good
thing.

Come, ye children, hearken to me,

I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Who is the man that desires life,
That wishes to see days of prosperity?
Keep thy tongue from evil,

And thy lips from speaking guile.
Burn away from evil, and do good!
Seek peace and follow after it.

* Psalm xxxiii. Douay Version.

+ The rich are made poor, &c. The young lions do lack.— Auth. Trans. A single letter (the two letters being very like one another) makes the difference. The ancient Greek, Latin, and Syriac, read as in the text, which reading is preferred by Bishop Horsley. The word rendered made poor,' is never used of any inferior animal, to express its want of food; but always of men, to express poverty.

The eyes of the Lord are upon the just,
And his ears are open to their cry.

The face of the Lord is against evil doers,
To cut off the remembrance of them from the
earth.

The righteous cry, and the Lord hears them,
And from all their troubles delivers them.
The Lord draws near to the broken-hearted,
And the bruised in spirit he saves.
Many are the afflictions of the just,

But out of them all will the Lord deliver him.
He preserves all his bones,

Not one of them shall be broken.

Mischief shall utterly slay the wicked,

And they that hate the just shall be condemned. The Lord redeems the soul of his servant,

And no one that seeks safety in him shall be condemned.

WORDS, &c. TO BE EXPLAINED IN LESSON X.

QUESTIONS ON LESSON X.

WHO was king of Judea at this time?
How was he related to the first Herod?
What did he do to the church?

Whom did he kill?

Whom did he take and put in prison?

What did he intend to do to him? and at what time?

What did the church do?

What encouragement had they to pray?

How was Peter guarded?

How was he set at liberty?

Where did he go to ?

Who came to the gate ?

What did she do?

Relate the particulars ?

What did the people within say to her?

And when she affirmed that it was so, what did they say?

What did Peter do when he was let in?

What happened to the soldiers who guarded him?
Where did Herod now go to?

With whom was he at variance?

What did they do?

How did Herod behave at the assembly?
What happened to him? and why?
Where had Barnabas and Saul been?
And where did they now return to?
Whom did they take with them?

LESSON XI.

Saul and Barnabas sent forth on their mission— they pass over to Cyprus-visit Salamis and Paphos-Elymas struck blind, and Sergius Paulus, the deputy, converted-they pass over to Perga in Pamphylia-and proceed to Antioch in Pisidia, where Saul, now named Paul, delivers an address in the synagogue-they proceed to Iconium.

FROM ACTS XIII.

Now, there were in the church that was at Antioch, certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, * and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch,+ and Saul. As they were ministering to the Lord, and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the work to which I have called them. Then having fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

So they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit,

* Many of the Jews and Proselytes seem to have had a Gentile as well as a Jewish name. Simeon is Jewish, Niger is Roman. So John and Mark, Saul and Paul, &c.

+Tetrarch.-Ruler of a fourth part. Herod had this title because he had succeeded to a fourth part of the first Herod's, his grandfather's dominions.

went down to Seleucia;* and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. And having arrived at Salamis, they began to preach the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John as their assistant. And when they had gone through the whole isle, even to Paphos, they found a certain magician, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus: who was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man. He, having called for Barnabas and Saul, begged to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for thus his name is interpreted,) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from he faith. Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Spirit, looked steadfastly at him, and said, O full of all deceit and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a time. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

Now Paul, and those that were with him, sailed

* Seleucia. A sea-port town on the coast of Syria, near Antioch, so named from Seleucus, one of the successors of Alexander the Great, to a part of his empire.

† Cyprus.-A large island in the Mediterranean Sea, lying opposite to Seleucia, at the distance of about 100 miles. It is about 200 miles long.

Salamis. One of the four chief towns in Cyprus lying on the eastern end, opposite to Seleucia?

$ Paphos lay on the other, or western end of the isle. It was a town celebrated for its profligacy.

Deputy or Proconsul.-The governor under the Roman Emperor.