termined to persevere in his purpose, only from a fupreme regard to the Saviour, whom he ferved. The forrowful fupplicants defifted, and with humble fubmiffion referred the event to God. Does not a sense of our indolence and timidity cover us with fhame, while we contemplate St. Paul's unwearied exertions and willingness to lay down life itself in his Master's cause? Do we not value our friends, our eafe, liberty, and fafety, far more than the honour and favour of Chrift? If his love constrain us, in any measure as it did the Apostle, why do we betray fo much hefitation and reluctance in pursuing the plaineft path of duty, merely becaufe certain difficulties feem to obftruct our progrefs? St. Paul, then, arrived at his journey's end, and took up his abode at Jerufalem with Mnafon, an old difciple. There he met with a cordial reception from the church; and, having feized the earliest opportunity of vifiting St. James, he related to him, in the prefence of all the elders, how the work of God had been carried on by his miniftry among the Gentiles. His account excited their gratitude and joy; but they warned him, that, glorious as his fuccefs had been, the strongest prejudices prevailed in his Jewish brethren againft him. It was generally understood, that he every where encouraged the Jews to neglect and forfake the Mofaic law. They advifed him therefore, with the view of filencing objectors, to join himself publicly with four perfons, who were bound by a particular vow to certain ritual obfervances, and to fubmit to all the ceremonies, appointed for fuch a purpofe. The Apoftle complied, not through a finful fear, or a temporizing fpirit, but in order that he might not wound any weak confciences, and, by conforming in matters merely indifferent, that he might gain the more to the love and fervice of Chrift. Such Such was his condefcending and tender regard to the infirmities and mistakes of others. But how culpable was that hafty and uncharitable difpofition, by which many thoufand believers were ready to take up an exception against a character fo eminent and fo honoured as St. Paul! Shall we wonder, when we perceive fomething of the fame vehemence and bigotry, among Chriftians in our own day? Yet, furely, we fhould lament, that, through mifconception and rafh judgment, they are frequently inclined to fufpect and condemn each other. And we ought to beware for ourfelves, left we entertain or receive an unfavourable opinion of any one, without juft grounds. Paul had begun to comply with the ceremonial inftitutions in the temple; when fuddenly a viclent tumult was raised by certain Jews from Afia, who with great impetuofity exclaimed against him, as an enemy to their nation and religion. By their bafe mifreprefentations the people were excited to fuch a degree of rage, that the whole city was thrown into confufion, and the Apoftle expofed to imminent danger. They feized and beat him, and were actually meditating his death, when Lyfias, the Roman officer, interpofed with an armed body, and rescued him out of their hands. It was with extreme difficulty, even then, that he efcaped their fury. At the command of the captain, the foldiers bound him, and conducted him as a prisoner and a malefactor into the caftle, while the infatuated mob cried out, "Away with him." Are we not constrained to lament the contumelious ufage and confinement of this eminent fervant of Chrift? We may be difpofed to afk, why the Lord fhould permit thofe, who are dear to himself, to be fo infulted and oppreffed, and the most zealous advocates for his caufe to be prevented from profe cuting their schemes of usefulness in his Church. But alas! we are short-fighted creatures, and fhould not prefume prefume to cenfure or comprehend the divine conduct. "His way is in the fea, and his path in the great waters, and his footsteps are not known*. Yet we are affured, that these very afflictions, which for a season cut off the Apoftle from the public exercife of his miniftry, eventually promoted the advancement of the Gofpel t. Our fears for the fafety of the ark are groundless. Let us cheerfully leave the care of it to God, and commit ourselves and the concerns of all his people to his fovereign difpofal. Whatever unfavourable or painful circumftances may arife, let us look in faith and prayer for a happy iffue. St. Paul was now in chains, but before he was committed to prifon, he obtained permiffion of the captain to addrefs the people in his own defence 1. He began with declaring his extraction, education, and manner of life, and appealed to them who had known him, for a proof of his former hatred and violent perfecution of the Gofpel. He delivered a minute account of his converfion, of the Apoftolic commiffion he had received from Chrift to preach among the Gentiles, and of the injunction given him in a trance to depart from Jerufalem. He wished to continue in that city, expecting that his miniftry would be particularly fuccefsful among thofe, who had been witneffes of his oppofition to the faith. But Jefus, by his fovereign authority, commanded him to carry the meffage of peace to the Heathens at a distance. This open and ingenuous narrative of the Apostle feemed well calculated to imprefs the minds of the audience. His boldness in maintaining the Gospel before them, who had once known him as a blafphemer and a perfecutor, is a strong evidence of its truth. But, though they could not deny his af Pfal. lxxvii. 19. † Phil. i. 12-14. Acts xxii. 1, &C. fertions, they were not convinced. The moft ftriking facts, folid reafoning, and eloquent perfuafions, will not be fufficient to fubdue the human heart, unless God himself put forth his power, and make ule of them for that purpose. The Jews liftened to the preacher, till he mentioned his miffion to the Gentiles; but this they could not bear. Such was their contempt and ha tred of all other people, that they concluded a teacher from Heaven would never be fent among the Heathen nations. The pretenfion appeared to them little fhort of blafphemy. They thewed every mark of indignation and abhorrence, tore off their clothes, and caft duft into the air, crying out, "Away with fuch a fellow from the earth; for it is not fit that he fhould live." Then indeed he was "made as the filth of the world, and the off-fcouring of all things *." If we likewife fhould meet with the most injurious treatment, let us not wonder or complain, when we perceive with what outrageous violence this man of God was rejected. The Roman captain secured him, and, not underftanding the ground of the oppofition, fuppofing that he must have committed fome great offence, commanded him to be examined by fcourging, that a confeffion might be extorted. But Paul efcaped the cruel torture, by pleading his privilege as a Roman citizen; and it should feem that the officer had exceeded his authority in binding him. Lyfias, however, was defirous to obtain clearer information of the bufinefs, and therefore, on the day following, convened the great council of the Jews for the trial of the prifoner according to their particular cuftoms. There, for the prefent, we leave him, arraigned before the Sanhedrim, the object of their profane derifion and contempt, yet not afraid of their terror, nor afhamed of the name of Jefus, in whom he believed. How much may we learn from this example! When we look at his patient perfeverance in the fervice of Chrift, and reflect on our own inactivity, well may we cover our faces, and hide them in the duft. How little are any of us doing, in comparison of this zealous Apoitle! And fhall we not be animated, by a view of his conduct, to be more bold and vigorous, while we maintain our profeffion of the Gospel against all its oppofers? Liften not to the foolish reprefentations of thofe, who would perfuade you, that all fervour in religion is hypocrify, fanaticifm, or madnefs, and that every thing, better than lifeless formality, is an unneceffary ftrictness, a weak fcrupulofity, or a dangerous innovation. If you would be governed by the fashionable principles of the age, you must keep at a diftance from the leaft imitation of St. Paul, and, wherever you difcover a resemblance of his fpirit, you must condemn, it as a ridiculous precifenefs. You muft give up all earneft contention for right do&rines, and all the ardour of devotion, affirm that faith is nothing but fancy, and laugh at the mention of fpiritual peace, and communion with God through the Holy Ghoft, as a vain delufion. O how much better is it to fuffer like the Apoftle in defence of the truth, than thus to facrifice confcience to intereft or reputation! But, if you are the moft lively, diligent, and ufeful members of the Church, the brighteft ornaments of the Chriftian profeffion, you may learn from St. Paul to place no dependence on your own attainments. Like him, you should preferve a constant sense of your unworthinefs, and afcribe all the excellency of your beft principles and performances to the fanctifying influence of God's Spirit. When he confidered, what talents he poffeffed, and what an eminent ftation he filled, his humble and devout acknowledgment was, "I am nothing:" "not |