[There was nothing in the Apostle's experience which we ourselves are not, according to our measure, called to undergo : and we ourselves must approve ourselves servants of God, pre- cisely in the same way as he " approved himself a minister" Jn degree, our trials may differ from his; but in suhstajice they will be the same. We may not be called to stripes and impri- sonments for the Lord's sake : but we should be prepared for them, if it should please God that persecution should rage against his Church, as it has done, not in the apostolic age only, but in ages not very remote from that in which we live ; and in this country too, not less than in other kingdoms. But whatever be the measure of our trials, our spirit must be the same as his. We must be pi'oof against all the assaults of our enemies ; " not being overcome of evil, but overcoming evil with good." As to all the contempt that shall be poured upon us, or the privations we may be called to undei'go, they must be as nothing in our eyes, by reason of our enjoyment of the Divine presence that bears us up above them, and our prospect of the Divine glory, that will compensate for all the labour or suffering that ever we could endure, if our lives were protracted for ten thousand years. The Apostle expressly calls upon us to follow him : and to " be imitators of him, even as he was of Christ ^" And I would call on every one of you to set before your eyes the pattern as it is here draivn ; ancl to aspire after the highest conformity to it that God shall enable you to attain.]
3. The great blessing of a faithful ministry —
[What would the world have been, if no such persons as the Apostle had been raised up to instruct them ? See what the heathen were, as described by St. Paul in the first chapter of his Epistle to the Romans ; and what the Jews themselves were, as described in the second chapter. Or see what hea- then countries are at this day, yea, and Christian countries too, where the Gospel is not preached with fidelity and power. Then look at the Churches formed by the Apostles, and at Churches even at this day, where Christ is preached in sincerity and truth. This will shew how great a blessing is a faithful ministry. But let us go no further than to the Apostle Paul ; and compare his picture as drawn previous to his con- version, with that which is drawn in the passage before us : does not the difference strike us as truly wonderful? Yet it was all formed by the grace of God operating upon his soul, through the principles he had imbibed. And, permit me to say, that I consider my ministry as of no use, any further than it operates to the production of the same change in you. If it
a 1 Cor. X. 32, 33. with xi. 1.
2026. j PARADOXICAL EXPERIENCE. 541
have wrought on any to their conversion, let them be thankful for it ; and strive more and more to shew its power, by an entire conformity to the Apostle both in heart and life. But if it have not, (and how many of you are there that are in this awful predicament !) remember your sad responsibility to God ; and tremble, lest that, which God has sent you for your salvation, prove only an occasion of your more aggravated condemnation !]
Address" —
^ This must of course vary according to the audience before whom the subject is brought. If it be on the occasion of an Ordination, or Visitation, the clergy must be exhorted to consider what they have undertaken, and to fulfil it. If the subject be before a common audience on the First Sunday in Lent (the Epistle for the day), the people may be exhorted to avail themselves of the privileges they en- joy ; and to pray for their minister, that he may be enabled to approve himself faithful to God, and to them.