-since our quiet in this world, and our happiness in the next, depend upon it, since it is recommended to us by the example of holy and illustrious men, of our Saviour Christ, and of God himself, it seems extraordinary that any should be found, who will give a place in their breasts to those bad passions, resentment and revenge; the truth is, that however inclined to forgive, they pusillanimously suffer themselves to be deterred from it from a fear of being despised by the world, from a dread of sinking in the opinion of their fellow-mortals, of beings, whose superiority they are under no obligation to acknowledge, and who, when courted with the utmost attention, can confer no valuable or lasting reward; of beings, who ignorantly judge what they have never examined, or partially determine what they do not understand. He that can descend to sue for the favour of such frail creatures at the price of his innocence, who can suffer their praises to induce him to disobey the Great Governor of the world, has little reason to be proud of the greatness of his mind, and must surely, when he awakens to reflection, become despicable in his own eyes, and shrink with shame at the remembrance of his folly and cowardice.

The utmost perfection, to which humanity can arrive, is a constant and determined pursuit of virtue, without any regard to present danger or advantage. Let us not then turn to the right hand or to the left, either swayed by the ap

plauses, or terrified by the censures of the world ; but let us go straight on in that path, which the author of our religion has marked out, and which our own conscience will tell us leads to life and happiness; let no false opinion of dignity or honour deter us from mercy and forgiveness, and invite us to resentment. Of him who hopes to be forgiven, it is indispensably necessary that he forgive; no motive then ought to have the least weight when put in competition with this. On this virtue of forgiveness eternity is suspended, and to him who refuses to practise it, the throne of mercy is inaccessible, and the Saviour of the world has been born in vain.

SERMON XL.

THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL.

1 CORINTHIANS XV. 10.

I laboured more abundantly than they all.

THIS day is appointed by our church to be kept sacred in memory of the Conversion of St. Paul. Whether we consider the extraordinary circumstances which produced this conversion, or whether we look to the advantage which the Gentile world, and we, among others, have received from it--in either view, both reason and gratitude demand that it should be had in everlasting remembrance.

I propose in this discourse to enter concisely into the history and character of this illustrious Apostle, and to shew the argument which his conversion affords in favour of the truth of Christianity, and lastly, to lay down some rules for your practice, which the facts described may suggest.

By the conversion of St. Paul is meant, his quitting the Jewish, and embracing the Christian reli

gion. St. Paul was born at Tarsus, of Jewish parents; their circumstances were probably opulent, though they brought up their son to the trade of tent-making; for it was usual with the Jews, whatever fortune they were able to give their children, to have them instructed in some trade, both to keep them from idleness, and that they might have some resource, if their circumstances should ever require it.

Having received the rudiments of his education at his native place, he was sent, at a certain time, to complete it at Jerusalem, and was placed under the care of Gamaliel, the most eminent Jewish teacher of his time. Here St. Paul made a great proficiency," and became expert in all the customs and questions which are among the Jews." The sect of which he made choice was that of the Pharisees, the most strict of all others, and being of a warm temper, he became exceedingly zealous for the Jewish religion.

This was not long after the death of Christ, but yet his followers had greatly increased in numbers; and as they did not scruple to assert, that the religion which they taught was to be erected on the ruins of Judaism, they gave very serious alarm to the Jews. Among others, St. Paul, believing the whole to be an imposture, and verily thinking, (as he says) that he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth, became extremely irritated against the Christians; he gave his voice against them, punished them oft

in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and when the first martyr, Stephen, was executed, St. Paul was consenting to his death, and stood by and took care of the clothes of those who stoned him.

It was soon after this, that, not contented with what he had done at Jerusalem, he went to the chief priest, and solicited from him letters to the synagogues of Damascus, which might authorize him to take and imprison all those whom he found adhering to the name of Christ. But as he was in the midst of his journey, full of his unjust purpose, about noon, a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shone round about him, and those who were with him; and when they were all fallen to the earth, St. Paul heard a voice speaking to him in the Hebrew tongue, and saying" Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks ;" and he said, "Who art thou, Lord?" And the voice answered" I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet; for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness, both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those in the which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles, unto whom I now send thee; to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanc