CHAPTER III.

An answer to the first objection which may be made against the portrait of St. Paul.

OBJECTIONS are the ordinary weapons with which error makes war upon truth, and these are sometimes so powerful, that till they are effectually repelled, we see truth deprived of its rights. The first that will probably be advanced against the portrait of St. Paul, is this: "The model placed before us is too exalted for those who are not endued with the miraculous gifts of St. Paul."

To this and every other objection we shall offer a variety of replies, in as concise a manner as possible. To the present objection, a sufficient answer has been already returned by a truly respectable author. "This excuse,

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says Mons. Roques, might have some weight, if in próposing the example of Christ to persons who are honoured with the holy ministry, we insisted upon their keeping pace with the Saviour of mankind. But this excuse is altogether frivolous when nothing more is required of ministers than contin ally to place Christ as a model before their eyes, and to imitate him with all the exactness of which they are capable." This excuse, continues he, "is still more unreasonable when applied to prophets and apostles, who were men of like passions with ourselves; and who, of consequence, may be placed before us as models, whose perfections are attainable by means of the very same succours which supported them, and which are never refused to those who have sincere and apostolical intentions."

To the answer of this pious divine we shall add a few observations.

1. In the portrait of St. Paul there is found no large description of miraculous gifts, but a faithful representation of those Christian virtues which are found in every believer according to his vocation, and without which it is impossible for us to fill up our several duties, such as humility, faith, charity, zeal, and assiduity.

2. The morality which was practised by St. Paul, was no other than the morality of the gospel, which is the same in every age and for every condition: whence it

follows that the moral character of this apostle belongs not only to all true pastors, but even to every sincere believer. If St. Paul was truly humble, charitable, and pious, his humility, his charity, and his piety, are as essential to the religion of every Christian, as three angles are essential to the nature of every triangle. It is granted that the piety of this apostle was greater than that of a thousand other ministers, just as the magnitude of one triangle may be greater than that of a thousand others. But as the angles of the most diminutive triangle are of the same quality with those which compose a triangle of an uncommon, magnitude, so the moral character of St. Paul is, with regard to essentials, the moral character of every true Christian.

3 This apostle informs us, that he was obliged to "keep his body in subjection, lest after having preached to others, he himself should be a castaway." This single acknow ledgment sufficiently proves that he was exposed to all those dangers with which Christians are generally beset, and that he saw no way of escaping them, but by the use of those very precautions which the weakest believer is instructed to take. Now, if St. Paul was so fearful of falling away; if St. Peter was really seen to stumble and fall; and if Judas, an elected apostle, irremediably plunged himself into the depths of perdition, it is but reasonable to suppose that, by a faithful improvement of our privileges, we may attain to a good degree of that exalted piety, from which one apostle fell for a season, and another for ever.

4. In the whole portrait of St. Paul, there is not a stronger trait than the eighteenth, which describes the ardour of his love for the Jews, who pursued him even to death; a love that made him willing to be accursed in dying for them, as his gracious Master had been in dying for the world. Now this charity is so far from being an attainment too exalted for true ministers, that it is indiscriminately required of every professing Christian. "Hereby," saith St. John, "perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." And our Lord himself hath said, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." It is by a new commandment to this effect, that the morality of the gospel is peculiarly distinguished from that of the law. And shall

we impiously attempt to enervate evangelical morality? Let us rather declare, upon all occasions, that "he who loveth not, knoweth not God." Let us cry out with the apostle, "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maran-atha ;" and if a man love not his brethren, he loves not the Lord Jesus;" for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen.

On the other hand, when we love our brethren with a pure heart fervently; when, disposed to universal benevolence, we can look upon our very enemies with sentiments of pity and affection; we are then assuredly possessed of that Christian charity, which forms the most brilliant trait in the moral character of St. Paul.

5. St. Paul was for three years the resident pastor of a single church. The city of Ephesus was his parish; and while he resided there, he gave an example which every minister, by the most solemn engagements, is bound to follow; whether he be commissioned to labour in a city or a village. During two other years of his life, this apostle was confined within narrower limits than any pastor of a parish. Shut up at Rome in a house, that served him for a prison, and constantly guarded by a soldier, he was unable to extend the sphere of his labours. Yet, even in these circumstances, he continued in the diligent exercise of the holy ministry, "preaching the kingdom of God to all them that came in unto him, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ."

Surely nothing can appear more perfectly reasonable than that every pastor should discover as much zeal in his particular parish, as St. Paul was accustomed to manifest in the Roman empire when he was at liberty, and in his own apartment when loaded with chains.

6. If the ardent charity and the incessant labours of St. Paul were happily imitated by Timothy, why may they not be copied by every pastor in the present day? That youthful minister was anxious to tread in the steps of this apostle, and they who are otherwise minded, assuredly fall under those apostolical censures which are thus indirectly expressed in his epistle to the Philippians: "I trust to send Timotheus shortly unto you; for I have no man like minded, who will naturally care for your state. For

all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. But ye know the proof of him, that as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel."

7. The destruction of the eastern churches commenced in the falling away of their pastors, who gradually abated in the fervours of that holy zeal with which they had begun to labour in the vineyard of their Lord. Of such unfaithful teachers Christ affectingly complained in the earliest period of his church, and accompanied his complaints with the most terrible menaces: Write unto the angel of the church of Ephesus," said he to St. John, "I know thy former works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil; and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars, &c. Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."

The warning was unattended to, and at length the threatened blow was struck. Thus fell the church of Ephesus, and thus every church upon earth is fallen, making way for that mystery of iniquity, and that general apostasy, which have been so long foretold. So true is it, that apostolical charity, that charity which was first lighted up on the day of pentecost, is still absolutely necessary to every pastor, to every church, and of consequence to every believer.

From the combined force of these seven argumentative observations, we have a right to conclude, that the virtues of St. Paul are far from being inimitable, and that the first objection against his portrait is void of solidity.

CHAPTER IV.

A second objection argued against.

THEY Who follow the example of Diotrephes rather than that of St. Paul, add to the preceding another objection, to discredit, if possible, the imitators of this great apostle : "Do you pretend," say they, "to be the successors of

St. Paul and the other apostles, whom you presumptuously cite as your models ?"

To such objectors the following reflections will serve as a sufficient reply.

1. We have heard St. Paul, in the character of a believer, proposing himself as an example to all believers, and, as a minister of the gospel, exhorting every pastor to tread in his steps.

2. John the Baptist preached repentance: the apostles proclaimed remission of sins in the name of Jesus Christ, "who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification;" and every true minister still continues to insist upon these important doctrines. Now, as he who takes the place of a person deceased, is accounted the successor of such person; so these faithful pastors should be regarded as teachers appointed to succeed both the forerunner and the apostles of Christ. It must be allowed, that the apostles, as elders in the family of our Lord, were in possession of privileges which we are not permitted to enjoy. But if the gospel is unchangeable, and if the kingdom of GoD still remains under its ancient form of government, the priesthood must, for the most part, of necessity continue the same.

3. There was a time in which the Jewish priests had lost the "Urim and Thummim," with which Aaron and his sons were at first invested. There was a time in which God no longer manifested himself to his own appointed priests, as he had been accustomed to do. But as, notwithstanding the loss of that glory which formerly rested upon the Jewish church, every pious priest, such as Zacharias, was a true successor of Aaron; so, during the eclipse of that glory which once illuminated the Christian church, every pious minister may justly be accounted a true successor of St. Paul.

4. The word apostle signifies one who is sent, and answers to the term angel or messenger: "Our brethren," says St. Paul, who accompany Titus, are the messengers,' or apostles, "of the churches." Every minister, therefore, who carries with sincerity the messages of his Lord, may with propriety be ranked among his angels or messengers. Nor do such immediately lose their title, when they neglect to perform the duties of their office. They may, like Judas, go under the name of apostles