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ness of His grace, the Spirit of Christ,-some thirty years after he departed to glory, placed on imperishable record, a grand selection from amongst the multitude of conversions which took place during his personal ministry, and that of his inspired servants. And, of what description were the objects thus singled out to be the practical expounders of the Gospel for all future ages? Not those, indeed, which human wisdom would have registered, as being most adapted to secure the honour and holy design of the Gospel; but, on the contrary, chiefly those which it would have considered the most unfit to be the recipients of his grace -having, up to the time of their speedy conversion to God-not the slightest degree of preparatory holiness, or moral qualification;while some of them (as Zaccheus the publican

the dying malefactor the woman of Samaria-the Philippian jailor,) were actually, up to an hour or two of their blissful reconciliation to God, sunk in the deepest degradations; and residing, so to speak, in the extreme boundary of the kingdom of darkness.

But, let us especially instance the illustrious case of Saul of Tarsus, set forth in scripture, not only to demonstrate the won

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drous fact that God freely receives sinners, however previously far from him, to the eternal banquet of his love-but also, to exhibit the very elements of truth, which he would have his servants continually to present for the salvation of the world.

Here, we behold the Lord going into the army of Satan, and taking out one of his principal servants, and revealing to him the treasures of his love and grace. Now, one grand design of this great event was to explain to all, by a practical example, how the very chief of sinners, however black with sin— however deep in the pit of corruption-however stout-hearted and far from God-might be brought at once, (when truly awakened from their sleep of death,) to the richest possible enjoyment of the love of God.

Travelling to Damascus under the dominion of sin and Satan, breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the children of God, he was suddenly arrested by a power perfectly sufficient to crush him, and charged by the Almighty one who arrested him with the bitterest most murderous enmity. "SaulSaul, why persecutest thou me?" How fearful such an apprehension! Startled, as from

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sleep, he looked up, doubtless expecting to see a sword of vengeance unsheathed! For, he must have felt that he was in the full power of the GREAT ONE, whose people he had hitherto persecuted.

But did he see a sword? Did he behold the countenance of an angry Judge? No.-To his astonishment he saw, at one view, a Being of perfect power, and yet wondrous love, standing between him and the gulf of eternal destruction, as one would rush between a man and death, who was about to commit suicide, -and pleading with him in tenderest accents, Why will ye die? It is hard for thee to fight against God-to rush on eternal misery! At once he saw that nothing but LOVE kept back the thunderbolt, (a word, and he was crushed!) that nothing but LOVE could plead with a rebellious worm, which he could destroy in a moment!

He quickly exclaimed, "Who art thou Lord?" What then was the reply? Was it "I am the avenger of my slaughtered children;" or, "I am the angry God." No; but, "I am Jesus [the Saviour] whom thou persecutest," [come to save you] I am come forth (as if he had added) not to compel you to give

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over-not to bind you with a chain-but to VANQUISH YOU BY MY LOVE. In a moment, the former history of Jesus, the crucified one, came to his mind. And, when he saw His bright glory-His power-His attitude between him and destruction-and heard His heart-affecting expostulation, the glorious gospel burst upon his view! He was thus convinced, he was won by love, and exclaimed66 LORD, WHAT wilt thou have me to do?" Now, apart from the miraculous manifestation to his bodily senses, (which was necessary to constitute him an apostle of Christ,) Was not his conversion designed to be a pattern, or specimen, of God's manner of converting sinners to the end of time—even by the disclosure to the soul, of unbounded sovereign love, through THE GIFT OF ONE MIGHTY TO SAVE? (1 Tim. i. 16.)

In this point of view, how refreshing is his glorious argument to the Corinthian church, while accounting to them for the exceeding ardour of his love-and expounding the grand secret of his holiness-his power-his usefulness. "If we be beside ourselves-it is to God. For the love of Christ constraineth us." Here he manifestly anticipates the ques

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tion,-"How did you come to know and feel the love of Christ so marvellously beyond many others? Was it not by the disclosure at first of a special love to yourself, above and beyond that which is revealed to all?" "No, verily (as if he had replied) I discovered, and still perceive, His love to myself, by seeing it embodied in an event equally true for every other one. I no more believe that Christ loved me, to the exclusion of others, than I believe that the sun shines for me, and not also for the whole world. I see it because I thus judge (or reason) that if one died for all, then were all dead, and that he died for all, that they who live should not henceforth live to themselves, but to Him who died for them, and rose again.""

Let no one think, therefore, that because Saul saw and felt the love of God so comparatively bright, to himself, that, therefore, there was more revealed for him than for others. Oh, no. As well might a man whose eyes were only half open say to a man who enjoyed the full use of his sight,-" O, the sun shines with a brighter blaze to you than to me." "No, indeed, (exclaims the other) the reason why 1 enjoy the light of the sun more than you, is