to take place among his judges. And the event answered his expectation: for "the scribes, that were of the pharisees' part, arose, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit," i. e. a man risen from the dead, "or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.” There is still another instance of the wisdom of the serpent, reconciling itself with the innocence of the dove, in the conduct of this Apostle, when marking the disposition of his Athenian judges, he took advantage of their taste for novelty by announcing to them The unknown God, to whom they had already erected an altar.

This christian prudence, equally distant from the duplicity of hypocrites and the stupidity of idiots, merits a place among the traits which characterize this great Apostle, not only because it is worthy of our imitation, but also because it has been indirectly represented, by a modern Celsus, as mere cunning and artifice. The author here alluded to, who deserves rather to be called a great poet than a faithful painter, having disfigured this trait of St. Paul's character, with a pencil dipt in the gall of prejudice; we gladly take this occasion of setting forth the injustice of his imputations, so illiberally cast both upon christianity itself, and the most eminent of its defenders. This witty philosopher, who has said so many good things against the spirit of persecution, never perceived, that he himself was actuated by an intolerant spirit: so true it is, that the most sagacious are liable to be blinded by passion or prejudice. The same spirit of persecution, which excited the Athenians to discountenance the justice of Aristides, as a dangerous singularity, and to punish the piety of Socrates, as a species of atheism, led the author of the philosophical dictionary to represent the prudence of St. Paul, as the duplicity of an hypocrite.

Had this severe judge occupied the seat of Ananias, he might perhaps, with an affected liberality, have overlooked the peculiarities of the Apostle's creed; but, in the end, his innate detestation of piety would have assisted him, according to the general custom of persecutors, to feign some just cause for treating him with the utmost rigor. And this he has done in our day, as far as his circumstances would permit; since, not being able to disgrace him by the hand of a public exccutioner, he has studied to do it with his pen, by ravishing from him, not only his reputation for extraordinary piety, but even his claim to common honesty.

Persecutor! whoever thou art, be content that thy predecessors have taken away the lives of the righteous, and spare them what they prefer infinitely before life itself, "The testimony of a good conscience."

TRAIT XXV.

HIS TENDERNESS TOWARD OTHERS, AND HIS SEVERITY TOWARD HIMSELF.

THOUGH perfectly insensible to the warm emotions of brotherly love, the worldly pastor frequently repeats, in his public discourses, those affectionate expressions, which flow so cordially from the lips of faithful ministers, My dear brethren in Christ! These expressions from the pulpit are almost unavoidable, upon some occasions, but, in general, they are to be regarded in no other light than the civil addresses

of a haughty person, who concludes his epistles by assuring his correspondents, that he considers it an honour to subscribe himself their obedient servant. But while the worldly minister affects a degree of benevolence, which he cannot feel, the good pastor, out of the abundance of a heart overflowing with christian charity, addresses his brethren with the utmost affection and regard, not only without any danger of feigning what he has not experienced, but even without a possibility of expressing the ardor of his brotherly love. His exhortations to the faithful, like those of St. Paul, are seasoned with an unction of giace, and accompanied with a flow of tenderuess, which frequently give them an astonishing effect upon his brethren, and which always evince the interest he takes in the concerns of the church. "Rebuke not an elder," says St. Paul, "but entreat him as a father, and the younger men as brethren; the elder women as mothers, the younger as sisters, with all purity." Such was the exhortation of this apostle to a young minister, nor was his example unsuitable to his counsel. "I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God. Dearly beloved, be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. I, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you, that ye walk worthy of the vocation, wherewith ye are called. If there be any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, being of one accord. My beloved, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. We beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us, how ye ought to walk, and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. Though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient, yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. I beseech thee for my sou Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds: who in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me, whom I have sent again. Thou therefore receive him that is mine own bowels. Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord." Such was the tenderness and affection with which St. Paul was accustomed to address his believing brethren. But the language of this Apostle was very different when he spoke of himself, and of that body of sin which constrained him to cry out, O wretched man that I am.

It is the character of too many persons to be severe toward the failings of others, while they shew the utmost, lenity toward themselves, with respect both to their infirmities and their vices. Always ready to place the faults of their neighbours in an odious light, and their own in the most favourable point of view, they seem to be made up of nothing but partiality and self-love; while the true minister reserves his greatest indulgence for others, and exercises the greatest severity toward himself. "All things are lawful for me," writes St. Paul, “but I will not be brought under the power of any. Know ye not, that they which run in a race, run all, but one receiveth the prize? And every one, that striveth for the mastery, is temperate in all things: now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body and bring it into

subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away."

One reflection naturally finishes this trait of the character of St. Paul. If this spiritual man, if this great Apostle, thought himself obliged to use such strenuous efforts, that he might not be rejected before God at the last; in how great danger are those careless pastors and christians, who, far from accustoming themselves to holy acts of self-denial, satisfy their natural desires, without any apprehension, and treat those as enthusiasts, who begin to imitate St. Paul, by regarding their baptismal vow, and renouncing their sensual appetites.

TRAIT. XXVI.

HIS LOVE NEVER DEGENERATED INTO COWARDICE, BUT REPROVED AND CONSOLED AS OCCASION REQUIRED.

THE charity of the true minister bears no resemblance to that phantom of a virtue, that mean complaisance, that unmanly pliancy, that unchristian cowardice, or that affected generosity, which the ministers of this day delight to honour with the name of charity According to these insufficient judges, to be charitable-is only to give some trifling alms out of our abundant superfluities, to tolerate the most dangerous errors, without daring to lift up the standard of truth, aud to behold the overflowings of vice, without attempting to oppose the threatening torrent. Such would be the mistaken charity of a Surgeon, who, to spare the mortifying arm of his friend, should suffer the gangrene to spread over his whole body. Such was the charity of the high priest Eli toward Hophni and Phinehas; an impious charity, which permitted him to behold their shameful debaucheries with too favourable an eye; a fatal charity, which opened that abyss of evil, which finally swallowed them up, and into which they dragged with them their father, their children, the people of Israel, and the church, over which they had been appointed to preside.

The good pastor, conscious that he shall save a soul from death, if he can but prevail with a sinner to forsake his evil way, uses every effort to accomplish so important a work. And among other probable means, which he employs on this occasion, he tries the force of severe reprehension, rebuking the wicked with a holy authority; and, if it be necessary, returning to the charge with a spark of that glowing zeal, with which his Master was influenced, when he forced from the temple those infamous buyers and sellers, who had profaned it with their carnal merchandize. Thus St. Paul, on receiving information, that scandalous errors had been discovered in the conduct of a member of the Corinthian church, immediately, wrote to that church, in the following severe and solemn manner- "It is reported, that there is fornication among you, And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he, who hath done this deed, might be taken away from among you. Know ye not, that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump," and that the plague in any single member of a society is sufficient to infect the whole company?" Purge out therefore the old eaven," and "put away from among yourselves that wicked person. if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, keep not company

with such a one, no not to eat Be not deceived: fornicators shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Know ye not, that your bodies are the members of Christ? Flee fornication" therefore, and avoid the com

pany of fornicators. "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." Further," I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already concerning "the lascivious person, that is among you, deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus."

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When the true minister has passed the severest censures upon sinners, and beholds those censures attended with the desired effect, he turns to the persons he lately rebuked with testimonies of that unbounded charity, that beareth all things, and hopeth all things. More ready, if possible, to relieve the dejected than to humble the presumptuous, after having manifested the courage of a lion, he puts on the gentleness of a lamb, consoling and encouraging the penitent offender, and never ceasing to intercede for him, till his pardon is obtained both from God and man. Thus St. Paul, who had so sharply rebuked the Corinthians in his first epistle, gave them abundant consolation in his second, and exhorted them to receive with kindness the person, whom he had before enjoined them to excommunicate. It is easy to recognize the tenderness of Christ in the following language of this benevolent Apostle. "I wrote unto you " my first epistle "out of much affliction and anguish of heart, with many tears, not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. Great is my glorying of you, I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all, our tribulation. God, that comforteth them that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus" my messenger, "when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, and your fervent mind toward me. For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance. For ye were made sorry after a godly manner --For behold, what carefulness is wrought in you! what clearing of yourselves! what" holy "indignation! what fear! what vehement desire! what zeal! what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter." Moreover, we were comforted in your comfort. Yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all. And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, and how you received him," together with my reproof," with fear and trembling. I rejoice therefore, that I have confidence in you in all things." And with respect to the person, who has caused us so much distress, “ Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that" now ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore, I beseech you, that ye would confirm your love toward him. To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also;" nay, I have already forgiven him, for your sakes, as in the presence of Christ.

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Great God!. appoint over thy flock vigilant, charitable, and courageous pastors, who may discern the sinner through all his deceitful appearances, and separate him from thy peaceful fold, whether he be an unclean goat, or a ravenous wolf. Permit not thy ministers to confound the just with the unjust, rendering contemptible the most sacred

mysteries, by admitting to them persons, with whom virtuous heathens would blush to converse. Tonch the hearts of those pastors, who harden thy rebellious people, by holding out tokens of thy favour to those who are the objects of thy wrath and permit no longer the bread of life, which they carelessly distribute to all, who chuse to profane it, to become in their unhallowed hands the bread of death. Discover to them the impiety of offering their holy things to the dogs: and awaken in them a holy fear of becoming accomplices with those hypocritical monsters, who press into thy temple to crucify thy Son afresh; and who, by a constant profanation of the symbols of our holy faith, add to their other abominations the execrable act of eating and drinking their own damnation, and that with as much composure, as some among them swallow down the intoxicating draught, or utter the most impious blasphemies.

AN OBJECTION ANSWERED.

BEFORE we proceed to the consideration of another trait of the character of St. Paul, it will be necessary to refute an objection to which the preceding trait may appear liable. Dare you,' it may be asked, propose to us, as a model, a man, who could strike Elymas with blindness, and deliver up to Satan the body of a sinner?'

Answer. The excellent motive, and the happy success of the Apostle's conduct, in both these instances, entirely justify him. He considered affliction not only as the crucible in which God is frequently pleased to purify the just, but as the last remedy to be employed for the restoration of obstinate sinners. Behold the reason, why the charity of the primitive church demanded, in behalf of God, that the rod should not be spared, when the impiety of men was no longer able to be restrained by gentler means; determining, that it was far better to be brought to repentance, even by the sharpest sufferings, than to live and die in a sinful state. To exercise this high degree of holy and charitable severity toward a sinner, was, in some mysterious manner, to deliver up his body to Satan, who was looked upon as the executioner of God's righteous vengeance in criminal cases-Thus Satan destroyed the first born of Egypt, smote the subjects of David with the pestilence, and cut off the vast army of Sennacherib. St. John has thrown some light upon this profound mystery, by asserting, "There is a sin unto death?" and the case of Ahab is fully in point; for when that king had committed this sin, a spirit of error received immediate orders to lead him forth to execution upon the plains of Ramoth-Gilead. This awful doctrine is further confirmed by St. Luke, when he relates, that in the same instant, when the people, in honour of Herod, 66 gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a God and not of a man; the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten up of worms, and gave up the ghost." The punishment thus inflicted, by the immediate order of God, was always proportioned to the nature of the offence. If the sin was not unto death, it was followed by some temporary affliction, as in the cases of Elymas and the incestuous Corinthian. If the crime committed was of such a nature that the death of the sinner became necessary, either for the salvation of his soul, for the reparation of his crime, or to alarm those who might probably be corrupted by his pernicious example, he was then either smitten with some incurable