stances of this concluding trial, to the disposal of that GOD, whose wisdom, goodness, and power, are all combined to insure him the victory. Whether he is called by the providence of God, in a chamber, or upon a scaffold, to taste the bitter cup, of which his Master drank so deeply, he prepares himself to accompany a suffering Saviour, encouraged with the hope, that he shall not be tempted above his strength, and that, if he suffers and dies with the King of glory, he shall also rise and reign together with him. At length the fatal shaft is thrown, whether by accident, by disease, or by the hand of an executioner is of little consequence; the true christian, prepared for all events, sees and submits to the order of providence. He receives the mortal blow, either with humble resignation, or with holy joy. In the first case, his soul is sweetly disengaged from its earthly tabernacle, while he breathes out the supplicatory language of happy Simeon: "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation." But in the second case, he leaves the world in a state of holy triumph, crying out in the fullest assurance of faith-my persuasion takes place of sight, and without the help of vision I endure as seeing him that is invisible; as effectually sustained, as though contemplating with Stephen an open Heaven, I saw the Son of Man standing at the right hand of GoD, ready to save and glorify my soul. Of these two manners of holy dying, the most enviable appears to have been the lot of St. Paul, if we may judge from the anticipated triumph he describes in several of his epistles, and particularly in the last he addressed to Timothy from Rome, where he received the crown of martyrdom. “I desire to depart and to be with Christ, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or the sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Thus the great Apostle went forth to meet his last trial, counting it an honour to suffer in the cause of truth, and in rejoicing in hope of the glory of GoD. The enemies of christianity rendered him at last conformable to Christ in his death: but while they severed his head from his body, they united his happy spirit more intimately to that exalted Jesus, who had once met him in the way, and who now was waiting to receive him, at the end of his course. Happy are the faithful, who, like this faithful Apostle, live unto the Lord! yet happier they, who, like him, are enabled to die unto the Lord! "Their works do follow them," while "they rest from their labours," and wait, in peace, the resurrection, and the sublime rewards of the righteous. THE PORTRAIT, &c. CHAPTER I. the portrRAIT OF LUKEWARM MINISTERS. THE essence of painting consists in a happy mixture of light and shade, from the contrast of which an admirable effect is produced, and the animated figure made to rise from the canvass. Upon this principle we shall oppose to the portrait of St. Paul, that of lukewarm ministers and false apostles, whose gloomy traits will form a background peculiarly adapted to set off the character of an evangelical pastor. If the primitive church was disturbed and misled by unfaithful ministers, it may be reasonably presumed, that, in this more degenerate period of its existence, the church of God must be miserably overrun with teachers of the same character. There is, however, no small number of ministers, who form a kind of medium between zealous pastors and false apostles. These irresolute evangelists are sincere to a certain point. They have some desire after the things of God, but are abundantly more solicitous for the things of the world, They form good resolutions in the cause of their acknowledged Mas ter, but are timid and unfaithful, when called upon actual service. They are sometimes actuated by a momentary zeal, but generally influenced by servile fear. They have no experience of that ardent affection and that invincible courage, with which St. Paul was animated. Their wisdom is still carnal: they still confer with flesh and blood. Such was Aaron, who yielded, through an unmanly weakness, to the impious solicitations of his people. Such was Jonah, when he refused to exercise his ministry at Nineveh. That this prophet was possessed of a confidence in God, and a desire for the salvation of his fellowcreatures, we have every reason to believe: but we find, that neither the one nor the other was sufficiently powerful to engage him in a service, which appeared likely to endanger his reputation among men. Such were also the Apostles before they were endued with power from on high. To every pastor of this character, that expression of Christ, which was once addressed to the most courageous man among his disciples, may be considered as peculiarly applicable: "Thou art an offence unto me, for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.". Lukewarmness, false pru. ence, and timidity, are the chief characteristics, by which ministers of this class may be distinguished. Perceiving the excellence of the Gospel in an obscure point of view, and having little experience of its astonishing effects, they cannot |