preaching and planting of the Christian religion in the world. For this last he was amply qualified in consequence of his extensive information, derived from actors in the field of labor, and from his travels with the Apostle Paul. The history embraces the first 30 years of the church from Christ's ascension. The first nine chapters are occupied in recording the progress of the gospel among the Jews; and here Peter appears as the chief personage, and his preaching and acts are noticed at some length. The remainder of the book is exclusively devoted to an account of Paul's labors among the Gentiles. It must not be expected, however, that the Acts of the Apostles is a complete record of every thing that took place, even with reference to Peter and Paul. It will be found, upon an examination of Paul's epistles, that he has mentioned many interesting particulars in his history which are entirely omitted by Luke. It is rather an outline of some important facts in the first progress of the Christian religion. As it ends at the second year of Paul's imprisonment at Rome, whither Luke had accompanied him, and as this imprisonment ended in the year 63, it was doubtless written in the latter part of this year, at Rome.

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER III.

1. What was the earliest division of the New Testament? What is the common division at this day? What portions are historical? What is the prophetical portion?

The doctrinal includes what? Whence came the term New Testament? How is the term Gospel applied? What is the derivation and meaning of the word?

2. 3 What is said of the nativity of Matthew? What was his employment before he was called of Christ? Where was he stationed? What was his duty there? Why do you suppose Matthew was in easy circumstances as to the things of this world? What of him after he became a disciple? What of his death? What is said of the date and language of his Gospel? In what year was it probably written? Where? For whom? In what language? What do you mean by Syro-Chaldaic? Into what language, and by whom, was it translated soon after?

.4.5. What have you to say of Mark? What of his travels? What is said of his leaving Paul and Barnabas? What was the consequence of Paul's refusal? What and where is Cyprus? Were they afterward reconciled? Why do you think so? How came Mark to go to Rome? What is he supposed to have done after the death of Peter? What was the occasion of writing his Gospel, according to Eusebius? Where, and in what language, was this Gospel written? What is the date?

6.7. What is said of Luke? What was his native city? What was his profession? What is said of his learning? What is said of his being with Paul? How long was he with Paul in Rome? How does Paul speak of him? Where did he die? At what age? Where, and in what year, was his Gospel written? What does he state as the occasion of writing it? What do you gather from this preface? For whom was the Gospel especially designed?

8.9. Where was the native place of the Evangelist John? What was his occupation? How was he re

garded by Jesus? What is said of him together with

James and Peter?

What is said of his record? What miracle did he and Peter perform? What mission was he sent on by the church at Jerusalem? Where is he supposed to have gone after the council at Jerusalem? Where was he banished? Where is Patmos? Where did he die? At what date? Where, and at what time, was his Gospel written? What is its design? Why do you think this? Can you name some particulars, omitted by the other Evangelists, which he has mentioned? What do the fathers say of the occasion of writing it? Why is this reasonable?

10. By whom was the Acts of the Apostles written? What was his design? Was he qualified for this, and why? What period is embraced in the history? What of the first nine chapters? What of the remainder? Is it a complete record of all the acts and doings of Peter and Paul? Why not? In what light is it to be viewed? What is the date? From what do you gather this conclusion?

CHAPTER IV.

Paul and his Epistles.

1. THE Apostle PAUL was of Hebrew descent (Phil. iii. 5.), a native of Tarsus, the principal city of Cilicia, and by birth a Roman citizen. Acts xvi. 37, 38; xxii. 25-29. He was educated under the superintendence of the celebrated Gamaliel, a learned Jewish Rabbi, and says of himself, that he lived a Pharisee, after the straitest sect, from his youth up. During the early part of his life he was taught the trade of tent-making, in accordance with the maxim of the Jews, that "he who teaches not his son a trade, teaches him to be a thief," - a maxim worthy the consideration of Christian parents. The fact above named, that Paul was a Jew, and yet a freeborn citizen of Rome, needs to be explained. It was a custom of the Roman government to bestow the reward of citizenship upon those foreigners who had rendered the state important services. It is probable, that this favor had been conferred on some of Paul's ancestors for some cause of this character, and hence he was by birth a Roman. This privilege of citizenship, in the decline of the empire, was bought for a mere trifle; and even in the days of Paul could be purchased. Acts xxii. 28.

2. The first mention we have of this Apostle occurs in the account of the martyrdom of Stephen (Acts vii. viii. 1.), where he is called by his Hebrew name, Saul. After this we hear of him as violently persecuting the church at Jerusalem, and, having obtained authority of the High Priest, as going to Damascus, for the purpose of arresting and imprisoning such as called on the name of Jesus. Acts ix. After his conversion (Acts ix.) he went into Arabia (Gal. i. 17.), and thence returned to Damascus, where he preached the Gospel with such effect, that the Jews would have killed him, had not his friends conveyed him away secretly. Acts ix. 22-25; Gal. i. 17, 18. From this time he went forth preaching the word of truth with unshrinking perseverance, amid persecutions, perils, and sufferings unparalleled (2 Cor. xi.), until he finally finished his course at Rome, where he was beheaded by order of the Emperor Nero, A. D. 66. 3. The Apostle Paul was a person of great powers of mind, of sound judgment, of strong passions, and of immovable integrity. He was an indefatigable laborer, as his history shows; a close and nervous reasoner, as may be seen from his Epis tles, though sometimes moved to digression by his earnest feelings; and of great and powerful eloquence, which his clear and quick apprehensions could adapt to all circumstances, and to every grade of hearers. His Epistles are fourteen in number, and are of great value to Christians for their luminous expositions of Gospel truth.