companionship with the apostle, leads us to give him a very great place in the apostolic history, both for a far-seeing and enlightened intelligence, and for a noble and generous nature. News came to Jerusalem that the reception of the gospel was proceeding with unexampled success in the northern parts of Syria, especially in Antioch. The authorities of the Church felt. instinctively that Barnabas was the fittest man to send on a mission of inquiry and encouragement. The account of his feeling and conduct on his arrival at Antioch is replete with information concerning his mind and character. "When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad." We recognize here immediately one of those sure indications which are prominent in Paul's description of true Christian charity—viz., that it "rejoiceth in the truth." And then follow words which exhibit Barnabas as a "son of exhortation": "He exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord." In all this there are the clear tokens of a genial, friendly and zealous disposition. Then, immediately below, it is added, "For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith"-a sentence which seems to concentrate in itself the full description of the man. Those who unite thus the inward power of divine grace with natural aptitude for persuasion are commonly successful. And the success of Barnabas at Antioch was great: “Much people was added to the Lord."

Such occurrences, taking place in a city so populous, and so eminent both in political and mercantile life, were of peculiar moment to the future history of the Church. Barnabas evidently felt the critical value of the opportunity, for he decided to stay at Antioch. But something of still greater importance follows. He knew of Paul's special mission to the Gentiles. He felt how desirable it was that his friend should be brought to labor in the midst of this movement of active thought and serious conviction at Antioch. Accordingly, he "went to Tarsus to seek Saul and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch.

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And it came to pass that a whole year they assembled themselves with the Church, and taught much people."

We cannot dwell too carefully on this transaction, whether we wish to estimate the impulse thus given to the progress of Christianity, or to appreciate the distinctive features of the character of Barnabas. It was at Antioch, under the joint ministry of these two men, that the Church of Christ first became conscious of itself, so to speak, as a great self-existent community, and received its proper designation. Acts xi. 26. From Antioch, too, proceeded the first grand missionary expedition of the Church in the persons of these two men. Acts xiii. 4. It is, however, rather the individual part played by Barnabas at this time on which we are here to dwell. His friend, since their last meeting, though fully recognized as a true disciple by the Christians. at Jerusalem (and this recognition was due to Barnabas), had been driven away by persecution, and had been living and working in the shade at Tarsus. Certainly we cannot suppose him to have been idle. But it was Barnabas who gave him the great opportunity which was now open before him. Barnabas may be said, in a certain sense, to have made Paul what he afterward became. He brought him out of obscurity. He put him in the fore-front, though he must have been well aware that he was likely to become more distinguished and powerful than himself. This is that peculiar mark of a generous disposition which was mentioned above-the absence of anxiety for personal credit, the readiness for friendly combination in useful undertakings without any selfish end in view. There are some men who have no heart for any enterprise unless they can have the first place in it. This is perhaps a prevalent temptation with most energetic characters. But this habit of mind is not according to the law laid down by Christ: "Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant." And Barnabas is a good example to show us how such temptation can be overcome.

We do not wonder at the confidence which he inspired on

various occasions, and in reference to very different subjects. Thus, when charitable contributions were soon afterward sent from Antioch to the poor Christians in Judea, he was chosen, with Paul, to convey the gift. At another time, when the two men were engaged in missionary work, and garlands and sacrifices were brought out with the intention of doing worship to the apostles, the title which these poor idolaters of Lystra gave to Barnabas seems like a recognition of his benignity. Acts xiv. 12. And afterward, when a very serious religious question required to be settled, affecting the whole future condition of Gentile converts, he again was chosen, with three others, to convey the decisive letter from Jerusalem to Antioch; and it is said, in the very phrase which is the translation of his name, that when the letter was read "they rejoiced for the consolation." Acts xv. 31.

The first missionary journey had been happily accomplished, but soon after the close of it a sharp quarrel took place between the two men who had labored so well together. Their companion on the journey (John-Mark, a near relative of Barnabas) had been unfaithful in Pamphylia, had shrunk from the difficulties and dangers of the enterprise and had returned to his home. Acts xiii. 13. We are told, near the end of the fifteenth chapter, that Paul and Barnabas again proposed to "go and visit their brethren in every city where they had preached the word of the Lord, to see how they fared." The strong desire, and, indeed, determination, of Barnabas was to take his young relative along with them once more. "But Paul thought it not good to take him with them who departed from them in Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work and the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other" and took different routes.

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After this event we have no further account of Barnabas, the rest of the book of the Acts of the Apostles being taken up with the life of Paul-the book being written by one of Paul's companions. But tradition tells us that he went to Milan and

became the first bishop of the church in that city. We have an epistle, in twenty-one chapters, called by the name of Barnabas, the authenticity of which has been defended by some great writers. But the candid student of the Bible needs no remains of this kind to make him revere the memory of this truly great and noble man. His deeds of more worth than any wordshowever slight the record of them, entitle him to a place among the great founders of our religion. And, personally, he stands among the first of the "men worth imitating" whose lives are given to us in the Bible.

XLV.

APOLLOS.

HE first thing to be taken into account in estimating any man who has played an important part in life is the influence to which he was exposed in his early days. The associations of his youth, the place of his training, the manner of his education,-these things have usually much to do with the career which follows.

Now, we know what Alexandria was. Even in the Acts of the Apostles we see it in its relations to the religious life of the Jews in Jerusalem, and to the world-wide commerce of heathen Italy. This city was a most remarkable meeting-place of East and West, and was characterized alike by mercantile and mental activity. Even the memory of Alexander, its great founder, would tend to produce breadth of view among the Alexandrians, to make them tolerant and less disposed than others to lay stress on national distinctions. Here, too, the Hebrew Scriptures were translated into Greek, and here a famous school of biblical interpretation grew up side by side with schools of Greek philosophy. Such mutual relations of Jews and heathens in this place were among the providential preparations for the spread of Christianity.

In the midst of these influences Apollos was brought up, and the accomplishments thus acquired were of essential service to him in his future work. Even if we consider Alexandria only as a school of high education, a resort of learned men, and a