4. And thus the full measure of benefit bestowed by God will be secured.

Conclusion. (i.) Every one has some gift-at least one talent committed to his care.

(ii.) Where God has bestowed a gift, He looks for the right exercise of it. It is required in a steward that he be found faithful.

JANUARY 25.

The Conversion of St. Paul.

SUBJECT: THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL A FACT,
AN ARGUMENT, AND AN EXAMPLE.
ACTS ix. 6." And he, trembling and astonished,
said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"

The conversion of St. Paul is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles not only as a fact in the Evangelical history, but as a conclusive proof of the Divine origin of Christianity; and as such we propose to consider it now.

I. PAUL BEFORE HIS CONVERSION.

1. He was an enemy to Christ by his Education. Brought up in the schools of Tarsus, he went to Jerusalem and sat at the feet of Gamaliel, a man of great note among the people; he was thus instructed in the Jewish law, and was zealous for it; for

2. By his profession he was a member of the strictest and most exact sect of the Pharisees, who of all men were the most estranged from, and enraged against Christianity. In proof of which he appeals to the whole Jewish nation. "My manner of life from my youth, &c., know all the Jews... that, after the strictest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee." We are not surprised, therefore, to find that his enmity was carried out and further seen

3. By his employment and practice. He was an early, eager, zealous, and persevering persecutor of the professors of the Christian Faith. After consenting to the judicial death of the first martyr, he instantly proceeds to make havoc of the Church, entering into every house, and haling men and women into prison, breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord; he then obtains letters from the high priest and elders of Jerusalem, or a commission, if he found any of this way, whether men or women, to bring them bound to Jerusalem, to be there sentenced by the Sanhedrim; and, in pursuance of this commission, he persecutes Christians to the death, binding and delivering up both men and women; punishing them oft in the synagogues, and compelling them to blaspheme; and being exceeding mad against them, he pursues them to strange cities.

The proof of this is twofold-(i.) For the truth of these particulars, he solemnly appeals to those chief priests and elders from whom he had received his commission; for of this, saith he, the high priest can bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders. (ii.) It was a thing notorious to all who heard him preach that Faith which he had formerly destroyed, for they were all en

raged, and said, "Is not this he that destroyed them that called on this name (Jesus) in Jerusalem, and who came hither for this intent, that he might bring them bound to the chief priests ?" II. THE FACT OF HIS CONVERSION.

1. It was a signal miracle, as proved by the light which he saw-above the brightness of the sun." This was the well-known symbol-in Scripture often styled Shechinah-of the Majestic Presence and Glory of God. When he saw this light he fell on his face, not only through terror, but as was the wont of the Jews, knowing it to be the indication of the Divine Presence -as did Abraham, Moses and Aaron, Balaam, Joshua, Manoah, David, Ezekiel, and Daniel.

2. By the Voice which he heard, "Saul! Saul! why persecutest thou me?" which Voice also declared, I am "Jesus of Nazareth;" this at once proved that Jesus had been raised from the dead, and had ascended into heaven; that no doubt might remain, the light was seen though "the Voice" was not heard by those who journeyed with him.

The miracle was also proved

3. By his blindness and restoration to sight. For Paul now prays to Him whom before he persecuted, and receives his sight by the hands of one of Christ's disciples, Ananias, whom he sees in a vision in answer to his prayer.

Finally the miracle was confirmed

4. By the effusion of the Holy Ghost at his baptism. This convinced him of the power of Jesus, as before he had been assured of His presence-while the supernatural gifts which were bestowed upon him enabled him to speak with tongues, to preach the Faith which he once destroyed, and to work miracles to establish it.

Let us now contemplate

III. PAUL AFTER HIS CONVERSION.

"Straight

It

way he preached Christ in the synagogues, that
He is the Son of God." How perfectly na-
tural! It was the only thing he could do
after such a demonstration of the truth of
Christianity as his conversion had made.
was not possible for him to doubt after this,
and it was not possible for him to be silent,
when he could not doubt. How true in
his case: "I believed, and therefore have I
spoken!" The great fact that he preached
Christ after his deadly hostility to that sacred
name, was abundant proof of his thorough
and uttermost conversion.

1. This preaching of Christ was followed by miracles wrought by the hands of Paul. It was in demonstration of the Spirit and in power, and was distinguished by the conversion of multitudes;

2. And by the unmitigated, deadly hatred of the Jews. They lie in wait to kill him, and watch the gates both night and day, that he may not escape their bloody hands. They even thirst for his blood, and bind themselves under a curse that they will neither eat nor drink till they

have killed him; they cry out with violence, "Away with such a fellow from the earth; it is not fit that he should live;" and the chief priests and elders joined in the cry before the Roman governor, that he ought not to live any longer. This deadly hatred of the Jews completes this demonstration of the truth of Christianity.

Who, then, will doubt the fact of the conversion of St. Paul? And who is there that will deny the conclusiveness of the argument which is founded upon it? And oh the abundant goodness of God! This conversion is not only recorded as a fact and an argument, but also as an example. to show God's mercy to all ages, that He is ready to pardon and save the very chief of sinners: "I obtained mercy, that in me first (chiefly) Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them who should hereafter believe on Him to life everlastng."

JANUARY 27.

Third Sunday after Epiphany.

SUBJECT:-THE DIVINE RULE UNDER PERSONAL

INJURY.

ROMANS xii. 21.-"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."

In the context the apostle exhorts to forbearauce and a striving after peace, abstaining from vengeance; vengeance belongs to the Lord. He goes on to enjoin doing good to our enemy, performing towards him acts of kindness, if he should need them. The exhortation is summed up in two precepts, obedience to the former of which is necessary to the fulfilment of the latter, and both to the character of a Christian. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Let us consider these precepts in this their natural order.

I. BE NOT OVERCOME OF EVIL.

Evil has many forms-all of which aim to subdue us. One of the most common forms in which it assaults us is that of personal injury, and in this way too frequently and too easily overcomes us. It overcomes us when it excites within us a spirit of retaliation and a desire for revenge. Against this we are to strive-be not overcome of evil. But the exhortation goes further than this-we are not only not to yield to evil, but achieve a victory over it. This brings us to the second precept.

II. OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD.

Man's plan is to overcome evil with evil-to return injury for injury, railing for railing; but Satan cannot, if he would, cast out Satan. We must, therefore, come to God's way of dealing with it, and that is, to overcome it with good. "If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; for by so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head"-which means either that by so doing the matter will be left in God's hands, and as vengeance belongeth unto Him, He will repay; or by persevering kindness against the persistent malice of your foe, thou wilt melt down his enmity and subdue him just as metals are fused by heaping burning coals upon them-either of which will be better than personal revenge. Whatever comes of it, our duty is plain, and that is to return good for evil. God's blessing always follows obedience to his precepts; and such a victory over evil is well worth any self-denial we may find it necessary to practise, whilst suffering under injury done us by any one. God will give strength to keep his commandments, and obedience shall be followed by victory. Thus, instead of being overcome, we shall triumph; and for him that overcometh there waits the victor's crown.

Free Church and that a great and most important work. Never since the Reformation (except in the time of the Commonwealth) was England more distracted than now with conflicting creeds. Ritualism and Rationalism -the credulity that makes the priest the mediator between Christ and man, and the scepticism that perceives nothing worthy of reverence even in the deeplycherished beliefs of the Christian world —are struggling with tremendous power for the mastery. Surely this is the time

for truth to assert her claims. All over the country there seems to be a desire for a Church with a real and strong organization, but without the prelatic preten

sions of the Middle Ages; orthodox and earnest, but catholic and liberal; and with a form of service similar to that in use almost from the apostolic times, but capable of expansion and the addition of extemporary prayer, according to the needs of the varying worshippers. Such, I believe, the Free Church may become, and such a Church, I also believe, the age before long will demand. The world is at length beginning to see that isolation in Christian communities is weakness, and that secular control leads to the decay of spiritual life. Wishing your new undertaking every success, believe me, yours very truly,

HUBERT BOWER.
Totnes, December 4, 1866.

To the Editor of THE FREE CHURCH OF ENGLAND MAGAZINE.

Mr. Editor,-I am an Englishman, and therefore it follows I love freedom,— of thought, of speech, of action, even of worship; that's the reason I always liked the Free Church principles of the Connexion of the Countess of Hunting. don. Somehow I find people have not understood, nor do they now quite understand, these principles. I am glad at last you mean to call things and persons by their right names. It appears to me to have been an unpardonable oversight of the leaders of our religious body to have allowed themselves to drift so nearly into pure denominationalism, when the influence of such a united, independent, free body ought to have been a mighty power, as it once was, throughout the land. While our congregations and College maintained their recognized principles, the moderate men of all Evangelical parties could meet them upon common ground; but from the time there was a tendency in some quarters to merge our body in another, the influence which was and should have been maintained has proportionately declined - very naturally and properly so. Our religious body must always be distinct by the

provisions of its varied trusts. A Free Church of England, in its bold standard for purity of doctrine and propriety of worship, is needed, was always needed, never more so than now; and must sooner or later become a great fact, and will be hailed by the Evangelical party in the Church of England as a valuable auxiliary to their great and good work. I rejoice you have thrown your flag to the breeze. Let people know what we are, what our forefathers did, and what we want to do. Let them know our principles. Let the people know we have a College. State the views of its founders, its doctrines, as maintained by Whitfield, Berridge, Toplady, Romaine. Declare its principles and practice for three-quarters of a century. Satisfy the people the Connexion and the College do not belong to any sect. Let them have extracts from our College Deed, which at page 14 says everything is to be conducted in conformity to the original plan and intention-i.e., according to the plan of the Apostolic Society. Let them know that in our worship we can do what nineteen-twentieths of the Evangelical clergy would be glad to do if they dared — omit objectionable passages from the Prayer-book, and otherwise adapt their worship to any special circumstances which may arise, and what a large number of eminent Congregational ministers have declared themselves for-viz., a liturgy. I would love all who love our Lord Jesus Christ, and respect other men's opinions, allowing them the same freedom I claim for myself; but while I love Cæsar well, I love Rome better; and while I love all good systems of church polity, I love the Free Church best. It appears to have been most adapted always, but at this present time especially, to promote the glory of God, goodwill among men, and an intelligent and Christian worship, alike separated and removed from chilling monotony and unmeaning ceremonialism.

FIDES.