No city could have been chosen more suitable for the peculiar talents of Saul than this great Eastern emporium, containing a population of five hundred thousand.  I need not speak of its works of art,—­its palaces, its baths, its aqueducts, its bridges, its basilicas, its theatres, which called out even the admiration of the citizens of the imperial capital.  These were nothing to Saul, who thought only of the souls he could convert to the religion of Jesus; but they indicate the importance and wealth of the population.  In this pagan city were half a million people steeped in all the vices of the Oriental world,—­a great influx of heterogeneous races, mostly debased by various superstitions and degrading habits, whose religion, so far as they had any, was a crude form of Nature-worship.  And yet among them were wits, philosophers, rhetoricians, poets, and satirists, as was to be expected in a city where Greek was the prevailing language.  But these were not the people who listened to Saul and Barnabas.  The apostles found hearers chiefly among the poor and despised,—­artisans, servants, soldiers, sailors,—­although occasionally persons of moderate independence became converts, especially women of the middle ranks.  Poor as they were, the Christians at Antioch found means to send a large contribution in money to their brethren at Jerusalem, who were suffering from a grievous famine.

A year was spent by Barnabas and Saul at Antioch in founding a Christian community, or congregation, or “church,” as it was called.  And it was in this city that the new followers of Christ were first called “Christians,” mostly made up as they were of Gentiles.  The missionaries had not much success with the Jews, although it was their custom first to preach in the Jewish synagogues on the Sabbath.  It was only the common people of Antioch who heard the word gladly, for it was to them tidings of joy, which raised them above their degradation and misery.

With the contributions which the Christians of Antioch, and probably of other cities, made to their poorer and afflicted brethren, Barnabas and Saul set out for Jerusalem, soon returning however to Antioch, not to resume their labors, but to make preparations for an extended missionary tour.  Saul was then thirty-seven years of age, and had been a Christian seven years.

In spite of many disadvantages, such as ill-health, a mean personal appearance, and a nervous temperament, without a ready utterance, Saul had a tolerable mastery of Greek, familiarity with the habits of different classes, and a profound knowledge of human nature.  As a widower and childless, he was unincumbered by domestic ties and duties; and although physically weak, he had great endurance and patience.  He was courteous in his address, liberal in his views, charitable to faults, abounding in love, adapting himself to people’s weaknesses and prejudices,—­a man of infinite tact, the loftiest, most courageous, most magnanimous of missionaries, setting an example