tles were delivered by an earthquake in the night bursting open the doors of their prison, while their jailor was so impressed by the miracle, that he was ready with all his household to be "baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus." At Athens, in Greece, a city remarkable for the learning and refinement of its inhabitants, and yet much given to the worship of idols, Paul made many efforts to plant in the minds of the people the doctrine of one God. And here, although Minerva the goddess of wisdom was considered the founder of their city, it was not alone to her that the inhabitants did honour, but the whole city was crowded with statues, altars, and temples to all the gods and goddesses, and all that poetry, philosophy, sculpture, painting, and architecture could contribute, was employed to give splendour and solemnity to their worship and ceremonials. Not only, therefore, in the synagogue of the Jews, but openly in the market place, Paul took daily opportunities of conversing on the subject of religion with seriously disposed persons. He argued even with philosophers who belonged to the two principal sects-the Epicurean and Stoics; men who though they loved virtue, had not wisdom enough to reject the worship of idols. These men called Paul a "babbler," and "setter forth of strange gods," because he preached to them of Jesus Christ and the resurrection. And yet, so anxious were the people of Athens to hear anything strange or new, that they would fain listen to all that Paul had to say: therefore taking him to Mars' Hill, an elevated part of their city, where public addresses were delivered, and where stone seats were around on which an audience could sit-they placed him in the midst, and begged him to tell them what was the new doctrine he preached. "For." said they, "thou bringest strange things to our ears, and we would know therefore what these things mean." Now Paul, who had seen in their city the numerous statues, altars, and temples with which it was filled, each dedicated to some well known heathen deity, had also in one of his walks observed an altar with the inscription To the unknown God," and he commenced his discourse by saying "the God whom they thus ignorantly worshipped" was the God he would teach them to know. Rebuking their custom of worshipping "images of gold and silver, or stone engraven by art and man's device,”. he said that God who made the world and all things therein, (seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth,) dwelleth not in temples made with hands, nor is worshipped with men's hands as though he needed anything, seeing that he giveth to all life and breath and all things:" then passed on to show how God had in ages past suffered mankind to continue in error and wickedness; he told how 66 that he had now appointed a day when the world should be judged by Christ, whom he had raised from the dead. But when the people heard Paul speak of the resurrection of the dead, which was a doctrine difficult for them to understand, while it was greatly at variance with the opinions of their philosophers, some mocked his words, others said "we will hear thee again about this matter; others there were, however, who even out of this idolatrous crowd, followed the apostles to hear more of their teaching, and finallybelieved. And thus it was on many occasions, that whilst the many would treat his words with mockery or indifference, the seed of that which he sowed would yet fall where it took root and ripened. Among the crowd there would be some who yearned for a purer religion, and whose minds rejected the foolish fables upon which the worship of idols was based; and instead of continuing to believe that there was one god of the heavens, and another goddess of the earth, a god of the sea, and another goddess of the moon-with gods and goddesses for every vice and virtue, and human passion, it became to them a comforting belief, and one that was in accordance with every natural feeling and emotion, that there was, as Paul preached, one God, the father of mankind, in whom they lived and moved, and had their being. In It was perhaps owing to the numbers who in the city of Ephesus, in Asia Minor, were known to have joined the Christian church founded there by Paul, that others among the townspeople took alarm; not so much because they believed idolatry to be true, as because the decrease of it might injure their own interests. this city was a temple in honour of the goddess Diana, so remarkable for its exceeding magnificence and beauty, that it was considered one of the wonders of the world; while the worship of the statue of the goddess which it contained, was conducted with the greatest solemnity and splendour. Now it happened that a certain man, named Demetrius, who was a silversmith, was, with others of the same craft, in the habit of making small silver shrines, or models of the temple of Diana, by which they gained great profit, selling them probably not only to the people of Ephesus, but to strangers who came from all parts of the world then known, to worship the goddess Diana at Ephesus, and who would perhaps take away these silver models to wear as charms or amulets. This silversmith Demetrius, therefore, called together the workmen of like occupation with himself, and said, "Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth: moreover ye see and hear that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, That they be no gods, which are made with hands,' so that not only our own craft is in danger to be set at nought; but that also the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth." These words of Demetrius excited greatly the anger of the men to whom they were addressed, who cried out "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" and the whole city was roused by them into tumult. Having seized some of Paul's companions, the people rushed to the theatre of the city, which, besides being used for plays and spectacles, was also the gathering place of the people for holding meetings of all kindsbeing an open space surrounded by seats sloping up on every side, so that a vast multitude could hear and see at the same time. Here Paul would fain have come to address the people, had not his friends and disciples, seeing what would be his danger, dissuaded him from venturing. The people were violent, some crying one thing and some another, and the assembly was confused, the most part not knowing wherefore they had come together. A man named Alexander, also a worker in metals, made an attempt to speak, but when the people found out that he was a Jew none would hear him, and continued shouting out "Great is Diana of the Ephesians." At length a magistrate called the town clerk, succeeded in appeasing the tumult, and gaining a hearing. He persuaded the people that no one could doubt of the fidelity of the Ephesians to the worship of Diana-especially of the statue or image which their temple contained of the goddess, and which was believed to have fallen from heaven. He advised them to do nothing rashly, since that Paul and his disciples had neither committed sacrilege in their temples nor had uttered blasphemies against their religion, and he ended with reminding Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen, that they could have recourse to the law if they had any accusation to make, and let deputies or lawyers plead their cause in a lawful assembly, for that they were liable to be called in question for the uproar they had occasioned; and when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly. This event took place during the third journey of Paul among the Gentiles, and it was on account of this tumult excited by Demetrius, which prevented him perhaps from preaching any more in public, that Paul soon after took leave of the Christian brethren at Ephesus, and crossing over the Ægean Sea, went again into Macedonia and Greece. Such were some of the difficulties and dangers encountered everywhere by Paul and those who laboured with him in spreading the Gospel, and yet he was far from unsuccessful in the object of his journeys. In nearly every city which he visited, he was able to establish small Christian communities, the members of which were either Jews by birth, such Gentiles as had been in the habit of attending the Jewish synagogues, or those who had hitherto known no religion but that of the Pagan idolatry. Paul never again revisited the city of Ephesus, but on his return from Greece, when he passed through Miletus, a port of Asia Minor, on his way to Jerusalem, he sent for the elders of the Christians at Ephesus to meet him there, and ever after held in affectionate remembrance the converts he had made in that idolatrous city. It was to them that he addressed the earnest and beautiful letter, which is named the "Epistle to the Ephesians," and which, written by Paul when a prisoner at Rome, was sent to them by a favourite disciple called Tychicus, a native of Asia Minor, whom he commissioned also to tell his friends at Ephesus "how he was," and all about his affairs, in the hope that such intelligencewould comfort their hearts. And while, in the course of a few hundred years, that beautiful temple of Diana at Ephesus was utterly destroyed, and the splendour and opulence of the city fallen into decay—that little community of Christians there rose into importance and renown. It formed the principal of those seven Christian churches of Asia Minor, which long after the time of Paul and his fellow-apostles continued not only to preserve and keep alive the doctrines which they taught, but were the sources from which, for many centuries, Christianity was spread abroad to the rest of the world. PROVIDENCE. As the fond mother, when around she sees On her knees; reads all their wishes In their looks and gestures, and gives to them A smile or gentle word; or frowns in seeming anger- So is kind Providence ; He listens to the lightest sigh, Caring for all, protecting all, Dispensing hope and consolation; And if perchance our prayers are denied, It is that we may pray more zealously, Or, that He may send down more precious gifts FELICAJ ANOTHER NARROW ESCAPE. To the Editor. DEAR SIR-On reading the "Narrow Escape," in a late number of the Magazine, I thought the following account might be interesting to your readers, and beg to submit it for your approval. Allow me to observe, that the boy, W. F., whose adventure is given, is just twelve years old, and is one of my day scholars. I had the account first from his father, and afterwards from the boy himself, and I give it as nearly as I can in his own words : "It was on Saturday morning, Feb. 10th, when my father, before leaving home, told me that I should go with him that day to Buxton, to see my mother; that I was to meet him at the London Road Station, Manchester, exactly at a quarter before eleven; that we should go to Stockport by train, and from there to Buxton by coach. I was very much delighted with the thought of this journey, of seeing my mother, and the poor sick baby; and all the better pleased at being allowed to take my little dog with me. At the time appointed, my father was at the station, but I had not arrived, and as the train never waits for those who come late, my father left Manchester without me; thinking that the railway guard had refused to let me take my dog, or that something had happened to prevent me from meeting him. In that, however, he was mistaken. I got to the station too late, the train was gone, and no father could I see. I felt very sorry and much disappointed, and at last thought I would go by the next train, hoping that I should overtake my father. I left Manchester at twelve o'clock, and soon got to Stockport, but could not find my father. I called on a person who knows my mother, and waited at her house till two o'clock, hoping that my father might call there, but as he did not come, I said I would walk on, and perhaps the coach would overtake me. My dog and I trotted on briskly enough for a time, and at length came to Disley. But here I saw no one that I knew; no coach, no father; and began to feel very sad, but kept on my way until, cold and weary, I arrived at Whalley. It was now about six o'clock, and though I was glad to see houses, lights, and people, there was no body knew me, no one spoke to me, and I walked on sorrowful enough. At this place my trouble was increased by mistaking the road, and instead of going towards Buxton, I wandered on to Chapel-en-le-Frith. When I got there I found out my mistake, I cried very much, and turned back to Whalley. It was ten o'clock when I got there, and so very tired and sorrowful was I, that I |