bridge joined the Temple to the gallery;" and then he spoke to the people. And when his oration was ended, we read that "both he and his sister shed tears, and so repressed much violence in the multitude." (Bel. Jud. ii. 16. § 3.)

There is another passage, occurring in the life of Josephus, which is no less valuable; for it serves to show yet further the political importance of Bernice, and how much she was in the habit of acting with Agrippa on all public occasions. One Philip, who was governor of Gamala and the country about it, under Agrippa, had occasion to communicate with the latter, probably on the subject of his escape from Jerusalem, where he had been recently in danger, and of his return to his own station. The transaction is thus described :

"He wrote to Agrippa and Bernice, and gave the letters to one of his freedmen to carry to Varus, who at that time was procurator of the kingdom, which the sovereigns (i. e. the king and his sister-wife) had intrusted him withal, while they were gone to Berytus to meet Gessius. When Varus had received these letters of Philip, and had learned that he was in safety, he was very uneasy

at it, supposing that he should appear useless to the sovereigns (Badilεvoir) now Philip was come." (Josephus's Life, § 11.)

XVIII.

ACTS, xxviii. 11.-" And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux. And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days. And from thence we fetched a compass, and came to Rhegium and after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli."

PUTEOLI then, it should seem, was the destination of this vessel from Alexandria. Now, we may collect from the independent testimony of the Jewish historian, that this was the port of Italy to which ships from Egypt and the Levant in those times commonly sailed. Thus when Herod Agrippa went from Judea to Rome, for the purpose of paying his court to Tiberius and bettering his fortune, he directed his course first to Alexandria, for the sake of visiting a friend, and then crossing the Mediterranean, he landed at Puteoli."

(Antiq. xviii. 7. § 4.) Again, when Herod the Tetrarch, at the instigation of Herodias, undertook a voyage to Rome, to solicit from Caligula a higher title, which might put him upon a level with his brother-in-law, Herod Agrippa, the latter pursued him to Italy and both of them (says Josephus) landed at Dichæarchia, (Puteoli,) and found Caius at Baiæ." (Antiq. xviii. 8. § 2.)

Take a third instance. Josephus had himself occasion, when a young man, to go to Rome. On his On his passage, the vessel in which he sailed foundered, but a ship from Cyrene picked him up, together with eighty of his companions; "and having safely arrived (says he) at Dichæarchia, which the Italians call Puteoli, I became acquainted with Aliturus," &c. (Life, § 3.)

In this last passage there is a singular resemblance to the circumstances of St. Paul's voyage. Josephus, though not going to Rome as a prisoner who had himself appealed from Felix to Cæsar, was going to Rome on account of two friends, whom Felix thought proper to send to Cæsar's judgment-seat-he suffered shipwreck-he was forwarded by another vessel coming from Africa-and finally he landed at Puteoli.

CONCLUSION.

I AM not without hope that the arguments which I have thus advanced may be thought enough to show the reasonableness of believing in that Gospel whereunto we have been all baptized; and the hardihood (not to use a stronger word) of those who laugh us to scorn as the followers of "cunningly devised fables." But, useful as such arguments are for effecting our conviction of the truth of Christianity, still must we ever bear in mind that more than mere conviction arising from reasonable proof, is required to make our faith a saving faith. The devils may believe the facts of the Gospel, as one of the homilies of our Church asserts, and yet they are but devils. More than a mere acquiescence of the mind in the veracity of Holy Writ is demanded, to make up that lively faith which shall strengthen us against temptations, and support us in distress,-which shall make us more than conquerors in this life, whatever may be our troubles, which shall induce us to repose

perfect confidence in the providence of God, however we may be cast down,-to bow with submission to his decrees, however mysterious they may seem, to despise the things which are seen and temporal, as compared with the things which are not seen and eternal, to look steadfastly in the course of our pilgrimage to "that city which hath foundations." He who counts upon all this, resulting from the conviction of his understanding employed on the evidences of Christianity, counts upon it in vain-" for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness." (Rom. x. 10.) God has not thought fit that the evidence of the Gospel should be of a nature so overwhelming as to leave no room whatever for dispute, no choice but to follow its commands. How, indeed, could a blessing be attached to a conviction which would be as irresistible as the impression of an object of sense; or what trial of our virtue could this life afford, when we should walk, if not " by sight," at least by a guidance as peremptory? Still, evidence enough God has given, to prevail upon our understandings, and to lead us to a lively faith, provided the workings of our understandings be seconded by those other means on which God has thought fit to make