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owing to the suddenness of his transitions, the rapidity of his ideas, the sensibility of his soul."-(Vol. I. p. 256.)

The cause assigned to Mrs. More for his frequent use of hyperbata is in fact the same, which was long since adduced by Irenæus: * and every reader of taste, we are persuaded, will feel the justice of the observation. The Apostle is often carried away by the impetuous fervor and loftiness of his mind. On such occasions to confine his excursive spirit within the limits of regular argumentation would be to chain down the ocean in the proudest swelling and grandeur of its waves. But we can scarcely consider this as a defect. It may deter the idle; it may supply an excuse for indolence to those who are unwilling to think; but if it invite the more studious to a serious examination of his writings, the result will be beneficial: many passages, apparently involved, will be clearly comprehended, and the order of the reasoning distinctly seen. It was the opinion of Epiphanius, that the alleged complication of St. Paul's discourses was only in appearance; and we will venture to add with our Author, that if any of them should remain after all obscure and intricate, yet some lesson of practical wisdom will be the reward of examination. Some "position of piety, some aphorism of virtue, casy from its brevity, intelligible from its clearness, and valuable from its weight.”—(Ib. p. 257.)

"As an orator," says Mrs. More, "Paul unquestionably stands in the foremost rank. When the renowned Athenian so wielded the fierce democracy,' as to animate with one common sentiment the whole assembly against Philip; when his great rival stirred up the Roman senate against their oppressors, and by the power of his eloquence made Catiline contemptible, and Antony detestable, they had every thing

in their favour. Their character was established: each held a distinguished office in the state. They stood on the vantage ground of the highest rank and reputation. When they spoke, admiration stood waiting to applaud. Their characters commanded attention. Their subject insured approbation. Each, too, had the advantage of addressing his own friends, his own countrymen-men of the same religious and political habits with themselves. Before they started, they had already pre-occupied half the road to success and glory.

"Now turn to Paul!-A stranger, poor, persecuted, unprotected, unsupported-despised beforehand, whether he were considered as a Jew or a Christian; solitary, defenceless, degraded even to chains, yet did he make the prejudiced King vacillate in his opinion, the unjust judge tremble on his seat. The Apostle of the Gentiles owed none of his success to an appeal to the corrupt passions of his audience. Demosthenes and Cicero, it must be confessed, by their arguments and their eloquence, but not a little also by their railing and invective,

Hyperbatis frequenter utitur Apostolus propter velocitatem sermonum suorum et propter impetum qui in ipso est Spiritus. Lib. iii. c. 7. Adv. Hær.

kindled strong emotions in the minds of their respective audiences. Now these vituperations, it must be remembered, were applied to other persons, not to the hearers; and men find a wonderful facility in admiring satire not directed at themselves. But in the case of Saint Paul, the very persons addressed were at once the accused and the judges. The auditors were to apply the searching truths to their own hearts; to look inward on the mortifying spectacle of their own errors and vices; so that the Apostle had the feelings of the hearers completely against him, whilst the Pagan orator had those of his audience already on his side."-(Vol. I. p. 267-269.)

It would be unpardonable, while we are speaking of the style and genius of St. Paul, if we should omit to notice the glowing expressions of his gratitude, and the overflowing affections of his heart. But in doing this our Author particularly remarks the gravity and decorum which he always maintains. In his writings there is nothing flippant, nothing familiar: every sentence, which may be cited in evidence of his gratitude and love to Christ, may be cited also for its language of sobriety. "His freedom is a filial freedom :" he has nothing low, or coarse, or familiar :

"It is the King eternal, immortal, invisible--the blessed and only Potentate King of Kings, Lord of Lords,-He, who hath immortality who dwelleth in the light that no man can approach unto,-He, who hath honour and power everlasting, to whom, and of whom, he feels himself to speak."-(Ib. p. 276.)

It is mentioned by Mrs. More, at the beginning of her very touching chapter on the Apostle's tenderness of heart, as one of the most striking peculiarities of Christianity, that they who, in Scripture phraseology, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, are yet the persons in it who are farthest from misanthropes. The remark is just; and the judgment and good sense of a writer like herself afford an ample pledge that the sen timent shall not assume more of the air of paradox than really belongs to it. It may not, however, be entirely useless, if we observe, for the benefit of others, that the term "world" is adopted in Scripture in several different senses. We shall mention two.

Sometimes we are told that the world will hate the disciples of Christ, and that the world will love its own: in this connexion it signifies the men of the world, the wicked and ungodly. At other times we are commanded not to love the world: it then signifies the various objects of gratification which the earth affords; its pleasures, or riches, or honours, or unauthorized and unholy pursuits. In proportion as our affections are set upon things above, we shall withdraw them from the things upon the earth; and in the same proportion that we love God we shall love our brother also. The distinction is as consistent with the dictates of reason as with the rule of revelation.

Every Christian must possess some tenderness of heart; but Mrs. More's knowledge of mankind has convinced her, that in many good persons it is unhappily debased by repulsiveness of manner, defect of courtesy, and inattention to the smaller acts of kindness. St. Paul's tenderness of mind is displayed on all opportunities. How careful is he to cherish among young converts every opening promise of goodness! How ready to consult the feelings of his friends, and to condescend to their little anxieties! How mild in censure!-how gentle in reproof!-with what kind and soothing words does he temper his reprehensions! But his tenderness never degenerated into weakness; it never led him to betray his trust; to praise, where it was right to condemn; to palliate, where palliation would be wrong. He was still the faithful Minister of Jesus Christ, and even the noblest generosities of his nature were subject to the higher influence of the love of God and the paramount sense of his Christian obligations.

The parting scene with his beloved converts of Ephesus, is introduced into these pages as a fine exemplification of his tender fidelity. There is a beauty and force in the simple narrative which must touch even the most insensible heart; and it is well followed up in this chapter with an allusion to that more interesting day, "When the pastor and his flock shall appear together, at the call of the Chief Shepherd,-when the servants of the Universal Masterthey who have sought that which was lost, and brought again that which was driven away, and bound up that which was broken, and strengthened that which was sick',* shall deliver up to Him who laid down his life for the sheep, that flock which he will require at their hands.”—(Vol. II. p. 34.)

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We strongly recommend the whole passage to those who have taken upon themselves the awful responsibility of public ministra tions.

On the question of particular friendships, which have been pronounced by Soame Jenyns to be hostile to the spirit of Christianity, Mrs. More decides, from the example of Saint Paul, that they are perfectly consistent with the character of our religion. The capacious heart of the Apostle embraced the whole family of man; he looked, however, with more especial regard to them that were of the household of faith: while his anxiety for Timothy's health, and grief on account of the sickness of Epaphroditus, prove that he felt for them the peculiar interest of a friend and a brother. Our Author's view of the heavenly-mindedness of Saint Paul (chap. 12) will be seen by the following extracts:

"This disposition the Apostle makes the preliminary to all performance, as well as the condition of all acceptance. This is it which constitutes the charm of his writings. There is a spirit of sanctity which

Ezekiel, xxxiv. 16.

pervades them, and which, whilst it affords the best evidence of the love of God shed abroad in his own heart, infuses it also into the heart of his readers. While he is musing the fire burns, and communicates its pure flame to every breast susceptible of genuine Christian feeling. Under its influence his arguments become persuasions, his exhortations entreaties. A sentiment so tender, an earnestness so imploring, breathes throughout them, that it might seem that all regard for himself, all care for his own interests, is swallowed up in his ardent and affectionate concern for the spiritual interests of others.

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"The exuberance of his love and gratitude, the fruits of his abundant faith, breaks out almost in spite of himself. His zeal reproves our timidity, his energy our indifference. He dwells,' as an eloquent writer has remarked, with almost untimely descant,' on the name of Him who had called him out of darkness into his marvellous light. That name which we are so reluctant to pronounce, not through reverence to its possessor, but fear of each other, ever sounds with holy boldness from the lips of Paul. His bursts of sacred joy, his triumphant appeals to the truth of the promises, his unbounded confidence in the hope set before him, carry an air not only of patience but of victory, not only of faith but of fruition."-(Vol. II. p 38, 39.)

"Nothing can be more beautiful than the abrupt apostrophes of praise and gratitude into which, in the midst of sorrow, of exhortation, of reproof, he unexpectedly breaks out. The love of his Redeemer so fills his soul, that it requires an effort to restrain its outward expression, Even when engaged in the transaction of business, and directing the concerns of others, which, by an ordinary mind, would have been pleaded as a valid reason for suspending spiritual ideas, and dismissing spiritual feelings, they yet mix themselves, as it were involuntarily, with his secular cares; there is not only a satisfaction, but a joyfulness, in these escapes of affection which seem to spring from his soul, in proportion to the depression of his circumstances, to the danger which surrounded, to the deaths which threatened him.

"When Paul and Silas were imprisoned at Philippi,it is recorded that they prayed at midnight. This would naturally be expected from such men, under such circumstances; but it is added, they sang praises unto God.' Thus they not only justified, but glorified Him, under this suffering, as well as degradation. For it must not be forgotten, that this imprisonment was not merely a measure for securing their persons, they were stripped bare, many stripes were laid upon them, and the iron entered into their soul. Yet they sang praises unto God!

"What a triumph is here of the element of spirit over the force and violence of outward circumstances!

Th' oppressor holds,

His body bound, but knows not what a range

His spirit takes, unconscious of a chain;

And that to bind him is a vain attempt,

Whom God delights in, and in whom he dwells.?

"In the Epistle to the Ephesians, to which we have just referred, we are presented with a fresh instance how much his devotion rose under the same circumstances of distress. It was written from a prison, and is almost one entire effusion of love and praise. It is an overflowing ex

pression of affectionate gratitude, that has no parallel. It seems to be enriched with an additional infusion of the Spirit of God, and has, perhaps, more of the heroism of Christian feeling than, except in the discourses of our Lord, is to be found in the whole sacred treasury. It seems to come fresh from the celestial world. He speaks not as from a prison, but as from a region of light, and life, and glory. His thoughts are in heaven, his soul is with his Saviour, his heart is with his treasure': no wonder, then, that his language has a tincture of the idiom of immortality."-(Vol. II. p. 54—57.)

The qualities ascribed to the Apostle, in the 13th chapter, are, knowledge of human nature, delicacy in giving advice or reproof, and integrity.

It may, perhaps, be thought, that some of these qualities are not separated by any broad line from others, which have already been discussed; but a perusal of the work will show that the difference is wide enough to make them worthy of distinct notice; and although these may be considered as minor qualities, they are of sufficient importance to hold a prominent place in any work which professes to delineate the character of Saint Paul: and they are here exhibited in a way which not only shows the excellence of his example, but which strongly recommends that example as a model for imitation. Many of the remarks on this subject are valuable to Christians whatever be their station; some are intended directly for the female sex, and not a few deserve the serious attention of those who appear as the successors of Saint Paul and his associates.

Toward the close of the chapter we have the following paragraph:

May we here be allowed to observe, though somewhat out of place, that the characters of these two Apostles are brought forward witli such remarkable prominency and detail, in sacred history, that it would be a subject well worthy some able pen to delineate the characters of the men, and interweave that of their writings in some connected work, Thus placed in one frame, we should have a most interesting view of these two eminent persons as the representatives of the Gentile and the Jewish Churches of Christ. This representation, incorporated with the circumstances which distinguished the first promulgation of the Gospel, renders every particular concerning them highly affecting."-(Ib. p. 95, 96.)

The utility of such a work, if well executed, will be readily acknowledged. Although both these Apostles were influenced by sincere love to their Master, and by earnestness for the salvation of men, and were honoured, as some tell us, by the crown of martyrdom on the same day, yet is it impossible not to perceive a great difference between them. The Christian character has, perhaps, in every case, some tinge of colour derived from the natural constitution. Christianity does not destroy the feelings and dispositions of the mind; it purifies and gives them a right direction; but in such a way that even in the exercise of Christian

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