How anxiously should we inquire whether we be made alive by Him! Hunger and thirst, the faculties of seeing, hearing, tasting, feeling, and the power of motion, are, corporeally or spiritually, symptoms and evidences of life. Can we adduce proof that we are quickened to

newness of life?

Now we pray in our collect that we may perfectly know the Son of God Jesus Christ in these views which are given of Him, that we may accurately understand the doctrine of the gospel, that we may cordially embrace it, firmly rely on it, uniformly adorn it, and at length be conducted by it to everlasting life. It is not enough to have heard of Christ, nor to understand the theory of the Gospel. The conscious mind cannot be satisfied without an experimental and growing acquaintance with Him. (Phil. iii. 7—14.)

The end proposed in our petition for the knowledge of Christ is, "that, following the "steps of the holy Apostles St. Philip and St. James, we may steadfastly walk in the way "that leadeth to everlasting life, through the "same Jesus Christ our Lord."

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These holy men, like their brother St. Paul, "determined to know nothing," as the foundation of their hope, the source of their comfort, or the subject of their preaching, "but Jesus "Christ and Him crucified." Christ was their "all and in all." They walked in Him as the way to everlasting life; and by steadfastly persevering therein, attained the object of their devout desire. They now enjoy everlasting life, and have "set us an example that we "should follow their steps." No holiness as the means, and no happiness as the end, is to

be attained without walking in the same way in which they walked, and that way is Christ.

But if we are treading in their steps, we shall be assailed by many temptations to deviate from their path. The allurements of the world, and the self-righteousness of our own bosoms, will try our fidelity to the utmost. In prosperity, outward or inward; in adversity, corporeal or spiritual, our steadfastness will be brought to the test. It is highly needful therefore that we should pray for persevering grace. He is unacquainted with the spiritual warfare, who doth not feel the propriety of our collect. O let us be "followers of them, who through faith and "patience inherit the promises!" Let us walk in the same way, and lean on the same support, praying earnestly to God that He would enable us to follow their steps, and make us co-heirs with them of everlasting life.

ST. BARNABAS THE APOSTLE.

O Lord God Almighty, who didst endue thy holy Apostle Barnabas with singular gifts of the Holy Ghost; Leave us not, we beseech thee, destitute of thy manifold gifts, nor yet of grace to use them alway to thy honour and glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

TH

HE proper and primary name of that excellent man whom we now commemorate was Joses, which is the same as Joseph with a milder Greek termination. This was the name given him at his circumcision; to which after his conversion was added that of Barnabas by the Apostles, probably with a reference to those high qualifications for the ministerial office which he possessed and which are spoken of in our collect. He was born in Cyprus, a celebrated island in the Mediterranean Sea, more memorable on account of our Apostle's nativity than of all its other advantages of soil and climate,

St. Barnabas was a descendant of the tribe of Levi in the line of the priesthood; which renders his conversion the more remarkable, since very few of the priests, comparatively, were, during our Lord's personal ministry, obedient to the faith, their prejudices in favour of Judaism being peculiarly strong. But nothing is impossible to the grace of God. The parents of our Apostle were both wealthy and pious, and at a proper age he was placed under the care of

Gamaliel at Jerusalem to be instructed in the knowledge of the Divine law. He is supposed to have been a contemporary with St. Paul in his studies; which circumstance might lay the foundation of that intimacy between these two Apostles which afterwards prevailed. We are further informed that St. Barnabas, being a frequent spectator of our Lord's miracles, was thereby convinced of His Divinity and induced to become His disciple, and that he was the means of persuading his sister Mary, the mother of Mark, to attend on the ministry of Christ. At her house He and His disciples often afterwards assembled, and there the last passover is said to have been celebrated, (Mark xiv. 13.)

He was one of the seventy disciples chosen by our Lord. And when the necessities of the church required pecuniary aid, he sold his patrimonial possessions in Cyprus, and laid the money at the Apostles' feet.*

What became of our Apostle immediately after the dispersion of the church on occasion of St. Stephen's martyrdom, we have no account. But we hear of him again after the conversion of St. Paul, whom he was the instrument of introducing to the Apostles, satisfying their minds respecting the reality of the Divine change which the late bitter persecutor professed to have experienced. (Acts ix. 27.)

Shortly afterwards, when some Cyprian and Cyrenian converts, who had been driven from Jerusalem by the violence of persecution, had

* Dr. Cave seems to think, on the authority of St. Chrysostom, that Joseph called Barsabas, the fellow-candidate of Matthias for the Apostolate, was a different person from St. Barnabas.

successfully preached the gospel in Antioch, St. Barnabas was sent by the college of Apostles to confirm this infant church in the faith and profession of Christianity. This service he performed with great zeal, fidelity and delight; for when he "saw the grace of God, he was glad, and "exhorted them all that with purpose of heart "they would cleave to the Lord. For he was "a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and "of faith." (Acts xi. 23, 24.) The effect of his labours was great, for "much people was "added unto the Lord." But the work soon became too extensive for the conduct of a single individual. For the purpose therefore of furnishing himself with suitable assistance, our Apostle went to Tarsus to inquire for St. Paul who was lately come thither. Him he carried to Antioch, where both of them continued industriously ministering to the increase and establishment of the church for a whole year together. Here it was that the followers of Christ first received the honourable name of Christians.*

The faith of the Antiochians was signally ope rative. Warmed with the love of Christ and rejoicing in the prospect of heavenly treasures, they chearfully contributed to the relief of the poor Christians in Judea who were distressed by a famine. Our Apostle, with his coadjutor Saul, was intrusted with the communication of this pious and charitable relief. Having discharged their

* Whether this name were assumed by the disciples, or imposed on them by others, is a question, on which learned men are at issue. Bishops Pearson, Benson, and Dr. Doddridge, are of the former opinion, which ecclesiastial history