principal towns thereof. Antient writers affirm, that he suf fered martyrdom at Rome under Nero, at the same time with St. Peter. The most probable reason assigned for his condemnation was, his infecting several Roman ladies with a foreign Religion, as the Romans used to call Christianity; and particularly some ladies with whom Nero had had, formerly, an unlawful familiarity, but after their conversion to Christianity, refused his embraces. The Apostle being condemned to death, he being a Roman citizen, could not be crucified by the Roman laws, as his colleague St. Peter was, and was, therefore, beheaded by a great sword, which gave the occasion for his being pictured with such a sword in his hand. St. Chrysostom says, that he was of a low stature, but three cubits high. And Nicephorus describes him to be of a little body, and somewhat crooked, of a pale face, and shewing more years than he was really of; his head was but of moderate size; he shewed a sparkling vigor in his eyes; the hair of his eyebrows turned a little downwards: he had an handsome bending of his nose, which was somewhat longer than ordinary; his beard was thick and long, and a little sprinkled with grey hairs, as were those of his head Jikewise.

And Paul said, I would to God that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

NE of the greatest advantages which we receive

OVE

by reading the Holy Scriptures is, that we find there, not only precepts and commandments to instruct us in the substantial parts of our Religion, but examples also to direct us in the ordinary occurrences

Bishop Hickman.

of

of our life. For there may be virtue, or vice, in those which we account little things; and an indecorum is a fault in Religion, as well as in behavior.

Among the other examples, with which the Scripture supplies us, there is not a more useful one than that of St. Paul the Apostle: a man most eminent in the Faith, most regular in his life, and most accomplished in his conversation; as we may discover by the whole history of his Acts.

In the text particularly, we have a celebrated instance of it; where we find him working upon king Agrippa, with all the rhetoric of the schools, and all the address of the court, in hopes to make him a perfect convert, after he had declared himself to be "almost persuaded to be a Christian."

66

It was a very charitable work, and a very commendable method; and both of them are very worthy of our observation: for, certainly, it is the business, not only of an Apostle, but of every private man, to endeavor to promote the Faith of Christ, and as much as in him lies, to reform a sinful world.

And it is a business to which the world, at present, seems very much inclined. Here the harvest is not only very great, but the laborers also are very many; and it is hard to say which is most rife in our days, sin or censure, corruption or reproof.

Nay, as the thing is, usually, managed, it is hard to say which of these deserves the most to be reproved. For when this reforming spirit proceeds, as now it, generally, does, not from Religion, but from humor, the censure proves not only ineffectual unto others, but itself is turned into sin.

And

And yet of necessity sin must be reproved, otherwise our silence will be interpreted as an approbation, and encouragement of the fact; and so we involve ourselves in the guilt, and condemnation of the malefactor. So very necessary is our duty in this point, but withal so very nice, that we may, easily, fall into sin on either hand, either by slighting, or by censuring, the vicious practices of mankind.

And, therefore, that we may avoid the danger of both extremes, I shall draw some rules of direction from this instance in the text, how to behave ourselves in this great work of reformation, so as it may prove effectual to the honor of God, and the good of His people. And to this end I shall shew,

I. The necessity of the work itself, and the great occasion which there is to reform the world.

II. The gentle manner in which it must be done, according to the method used by the Apostle in the

text.

III. I shall prove that this method is most agreeable to the general current of the word of God, and therefore the fittest to be observed. And,

IV. That it is most suitable to the nature of man, and, therefore, the most likely to take effect.

I. As for the great need there is to reform the world, there are few men so senseless, but that they see it, and, to their sorrow, feel it too. For of all plagues that ever happened to mankind, the worst of all, and, indeed, the cause of all the rest, is sin: a plague which we have brought upon ourselves, an infection which by our negligence we have sucked into our souls, and by our perverseness have worked into our very natures,

and there given it so fast a hold, that it is past our skill to work it out.

It is an evil which strikes so deep, and spreads so wide, that all our art is too little to root it up, all our industry is never able to keep it down: after all our endeavors, it still grows upon our hands, and whilst we "lay the axe to the root" of one tree, we see the deadly plant rise up in another place.

There is, hardly, any man but is very sensible of the evil effects of sin, especially of the sins of other men, how favorable soever he may be to his own: and there is, hardly, any man that can forbear to exclaim against it, though, in doing so, he, usually, condemns himself; so odious a thing is sin, that every man looks upon it with some kind of detestation; every man's mouth is open against the wickedness of the times: and in this, both the sinner and the saint agree.

But then there is a great difference in the methods which they observe; and by the manner of the correction, we may, easily, discover the nature of the man: the one reproves the failings of his brother with a spirit of meekness, and manages him with a gentle hand, and so brings him at last to a virtuous compliance: whilst the other treats him, not as a brother, but an enemy; upbraids his folly with such a supercilious zeal, and reviles his faults with so intemperate a concern, as if he had an interest of his own to serve, and his rebukes proceeded not from piety, but design.

And now which of these methods a wise man would choose to follow, is the second thing to be considered.

II. Our own reason tells us, that a soft answer is most favorably heard; our own experience shews us that our souls are soonest wrought upon by gentle

means;

means; and there is a tenderness in the hearts of men, which makes them tractable when they are kindly used, though they prove refractory, and averse to all harsh, rugged applications.

But for fear it should be said, that this tenderness is a failing, and this good-nature a fault, in man; we shall find that this gentle usage is recommended to us, and authorized by St. Paul's conduct and behavior in the text; where we cannot but observe, and admire the civility of his argument, the decency of his expostulation; and from thence we may learn, that there is a degree of address commendable even in an Apostle: "King Agrippa, believest thou the Prophets? I know that thou believest."

St. Paul, we may observe, does not exclaim against Agrippa's court, nor inveigh against his personal failings, and notorious sins, but turns his stile to a softer strain, improves that argument which he found most likely to take effect, and, by the force of good manners, endeavors to make the way for faith.

He does not threaten, but persuade, Agrippa to comply nay, he, hardly, takes upon him so much as to persuade the king, but only wishes, affectionately, that he were a Christian, "I would to God that thou 66 wert not only almost, but altogether such as I am!"

And hence we all may learn, that if we desire to reform the manners of men, or to improve their Faith, the true Christian Apostolical way is, not magisterially to insult over their failings, and impose upon their belief; but to win them over by an easy conversation, and engage their affections first, before we hope to work upon their understandings: for though truth is powerful in itself, yet there must be something of

goodness