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education at his native placé, he was sent, SERM. at a certain time, to complete it at Jerusalem, and was placed under the care of Gamaliel, the most eminent Jewish teacher of his time. Here St. Paul made a great proficiency, "and became expert in all the "customs and questions which are among "the Jews." The sect of which he made choice was that of the Pharisees, the most strict of all others, and, being of a warm temper, he became exceedingly zealous for the Jewish religion.

This was not long after the death of Christ, but yet his followers had greatly increased in numbers; and as they did not scruple to assert, that the religion which they taught was to be erected on the ruins of Judaism, they gave very serious alarms to the Jews. Among others, St. Paul, believing the whole to be an imposture, and verily thinking (as he says) that he ought to do many things contrary to the name

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SERM. of Jesus of Nazareth, became extremely irritated against the Christians, he gave his voice against them, punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and when the first martyr, Stephen, was executed, St Paul was consenting to his death, and stood by and took care of the clothes of those who stoned him..

It was soon after this, that, not contented with what he had done at Jerusalem, he went to the chief priest, and solicited from him letters to the synagogues of Damascus, which might authorize him to take and imprison all those whom he found adhering to the name of Christ. But as he was in the midst of his journey, full of his unjust purpose, about noon, a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shone round about him, and those who were with him; and when they were all fallen to the earth, St. Paul heard a

voice speaking to him in the Hebrew SERM. tongue, and saying" Saul, Saul, why

persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee "to kick against the pricks ;" and he said, "Who art thou, Lord?" And the voice answered "I am Jesus, whom thou per"secutest. But rise, and stand upon thy "feet: for I have appeared unto thee for "this purpose, to make thee a minister " and a witness, both of these things which

thou hast seen, and of those in the which "I will appear unto thee; delivering thee "from the people and from the Gentiles, "unto whom I now send thee; to open "their eyes, and to turn them from dark

ness to light, and from the power of "Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance "among them which are sanctified by

by faith, that is in me." And when Paul arose, he was blind, and those who were with him took him by the hand,

and

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SERM. and brought him to Damascus; and he Continued blind for three days, and neither did eat nor drink. But after three days were past, he was visited, by the command of God, by a devout Christian called Ananias, and at his word received his sight, Immediately from that time he became obedient to the heavenly vision, and was as remarkably active and zealous in supporting and propagating Christianity, as he had formerly been in opposing and persecuting it. His whole life was spent in labours and travels for this divine pur pose; difficulties, dangers, sufferings of every kind, he voluntarily and joyfully encountered for this end; and he finally laid down his life in the same glorious

cause.

Such are the outlines of the history of this illustrious apostle; it forms one among many invincible proofs of the truth of our religion. Here is a man strongly attached

attached to a particular cause, with all the SERM.

prejudices of birth and education in its

favour; in the same proportion also he is adverse to another cause, which he looks on as entirely opposite to his own'; he has openly shewn both his friendship and his enmity, nay, he has gone so far as to solicit a public commission, by which he might be able more effectually to gratify them. Yet in the midst of all his zeal, we behold him suddenly changing his sentiments, and labouring and preaching in 'favour of that very religion, which he had set out, determined to overthrow.

Now to what can we attribute this, but to the strongest conviction of his former mistaken notions, and of the justice of those which he had now adopted. He could possibly have no other motive for doing what he did, but the strongest persuasion that it was right. He could not hope either to gain riches or honour by

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