ans at Antioch to Jerusalem with relief to the Christians in
that city. When they returned they found new work awaiting them.)

{377}{378}

[Illustration]
A CORNER OF OLD WALL AT DAMASCUS.

Where, tradition says, Paul was let down by a basket. The square
building is a modern structure

From a photograph belonging to Mr. S. E. Bridgman, and used by his
kind permission

"When the Moslems took Damascus in 634, the great cathedral was
divided between Mohammedans and Christians. Seventy years later it was
absorbed by the conquerors, and was rebuilt to become one of the
greatest, if not the richest, of the mosques of Islam. The rebuilding
destroyed all the Christian features, except that which, still above
the south portal, preserves this prayer and prophecy: 'Thy kingdom, O
Christ, is an everlasting kingdom, and Thy dominion endureth for all
generations.'"--_G. A. Smith_
[End illustration]

{379}

Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and
teachers, Barnabas, and Symeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of
Cyrene, and Manaen the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said,
"Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called
them." Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on
them, they sent them away.

So they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia; and
from thence they sailed to Cyprus. And when they were at Salamis, they
proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had
also John as their attendant.

And when they had gone through the whole island unto Paphos, they found
a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesus;
who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. The
same called unto him Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of
God. But Elymas the sorcerer withstood them, seeking to turn aside the
proconsul from the faith. But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled
with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him, and said, "O full of all
guile and all villainy, thou son of the devil, thou enemy of all
righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the
Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt
be blind, not seeing the sun for a season."

{380}

And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went