nocence and holiness of his life, notwithstanding the miracles by which he attested his mission, had been crucified by the Jews as an impostor and blasphemer, which crucifixion not only must (humanly speaking) have intimidated others from following him, or espousing his doctrines, but served to confirm the Jews in their opinion that he could not be their promised Messiah, who, according to all their prejudices, was not to suffer in any manner, but to reign triumphant for ever here upon earth.

His apostles indeed, though at first they appeared to be terrified by the death of their Master, and disappointed in all their hopes, yet had surprisingly recovered their spirits again, and publicly taught in his name, declaring him to be risen from the grave, and confirming that miracle by many miracles they worked, or pretended to work, themselves. But the chief priests and rulers among the Jews, were so far from being converted, either by their words or their works, that they had begun a severe persecution against them; put some to death, imprisoned others, and were going on with implacable rage against the whole sect. In all these severities St. Paul concurred, being himself a Pharisee," bred up at the feet of Gamaliel," one of the chief of that sect: nor was he content, in the heat of his zeal, with persecuting the Christians who were at Jerusalem, but, “breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high-priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem." His request was com

plied with," and he went to Damascus with authority and commission from the high-priest." At this instant of time, and under these circumstances, did

What could be

he become a disciple of Christ. his motives to take such a part? Was it the hope of increasing his wealth? The certain consequence of his taking that part, was not only the loss of all that he had, but of all hopes of acquiring more.Those whom he had left were the disposers of wealth, of dignity, of power in Judea. Those whom he went to were indigent men, oppressed and kept down from all means of improving their fortunes. They among them who had more than the rest, shared what they had with their brethren, but with this assistance the whole community was hardly supplied with the necessaries of life. And even in churches he afterwards planted himself, which were much more wealthy than that of Jerusalem, so far was St. Paul from availing himself of their charity, or the veneration they had for him, in order to draw that wealth to himself, that he often refused to take any part of it for the necessaries of life.

Thus he tells the Corinthians, "Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; and labour, working with our own hands."

In another epistle he writes to them, "Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you; for I seek not yours, but you for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children."

To the Thessalonians he says, "As we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel,

even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness; God is witness: nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travel: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God." And again, in another letter to them, he repeats the same testimony of his disinterestedness: "Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought, but wrought with labour and travel night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you." And when he took his farewell of the Church of Ephesus, to whom he foretold that they should see him no more, he gives this testimony of himself, and appeals to them for the truth of it: "I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me." It is, then, evident, both from the state of the church when St. Paul first came into it, and from his behaviour afterwards, that he had no thoughts of increasing his wealth by becoming a Christian; whereas, by continuing to be their enemy, he had almost certain hopes of making his fortune by the favour of those who were at the head of the Jewish state, to whom nothing could more recommend him than the zeal that he showed in that persecution. As to credit or reputation, that, too, lay all on the side he forsook.-The sect he embraced, was under the greatest and most universal contempt

of any then in the world. The chiefs and leaders of it were men of the lowest birth, education, and rank. They had no one advantage of parts or learning, or other human endowments to recommend them. The doctrines they taught were contrary to those which they who were accounted the wisest and the most knowing of their nation professed. The wonderful works that they did, were either imputed to magic or to imposture. The very Author and Head of their faith had been condemned as a criminal, and died on the cross between two thieves. Could the disciple of Gamaliel think he should gain any credit or reputation by becoming a teacher in a college of fishermen ? Could he flatter himself, that either in or out of Judea the doctrines he taught could do him any honour? No: he knew very well that the "preaching Christ crucified was a stumbling-block to the Jews, and to the Greeks foolishness. He afterwards found by experience, that in all parts of the world, contempt was the portion of whoever engaged in preaching a mystery so unpalatable to the world, to all its passions and pleasures, and so irreconcileable to the pride of human reason. "We are made," says he to the Corinthians, " "as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things unto this day." Yet he went on as zealously as he set out, and "was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ." Certainly, then, the desire of glory, the ambition of making to himself a great name, was not his motive to embrace Christianity. Was it then the love of power? Power! over whom? over a flock of sheep driven to the slaughter, whose Shepherd himself had been murdered a little

before. All he could hope from that power was to be marked out in a particular manner, for the same knife which he had seen so bloodily drawn against them. Could he expect more mercy from the chief priests and the rulers, than they had shown to Jesus himself? Would not their anger be probably fiercer against the deserter and betrayer of their cause, than against any other of the apostles? Was power over so mean and despised a set of men worth the attempting with so much danger? But still, it may be said, there are some natures so fond of power, that they will court it at any risk, and be pleased with it even over the meanest. Let us see, then, what power St. Paul assumed over the Chris

tians.

Did he pretend to any superiority over the other apostles? No: he declared himself" the least of them," and "less than the least of all saints." Even in the churches he himself planted, he never pretended to any primacy or power above the other apostles; nor would he be regarded any otherwise by them, than as the instrument to them of the grace of God, and preacher of the Gospel, not as the head of a sect. To the Corinthians he writes in these words, "Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" And in another place, "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man ? For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake."