slavery, and be made free and pure; but also stronger and more efficient, so as to become victorious and triumphant over the powers of the enemy!" The testimony here given to the ejection of evil spirits, as a common thing among the Christians, even in the third century, deserves to be noticed, as a proof that miraculous. influences had not ceased in the Church. Minutius Felix* speaks to the same purpose, and I think with more precision. (6 Being adjured by the [true and only] God, they tremble and remain wretched and reluctant in the bodies of men they either leap out immediately, or vanish by degrees, as the faith of the patient or the grace of the person administering relief may be strong or weak." Indeed the testimony of the Fathers in these times is so general and concurrent, that the fact itself cannot be denied without universally impeaching their veracity. It is not my province to dwell on this point: The sanctifying graces of the Spirit call for my particular attention; and these are described by Cyprian as by one who had seen and tasted them. No doubt, after his conversion, he experienced in himself vital, energetic, and divine principles, far beyond the reach of ordinary rational processes;—and he appeals to his friend Donatus if he had not also felt the same. We may safely, therefore, infer that such things were not then unfrequent among Christians, though, certainly, the EFFUSIONS of the Holy Ghost did not so much abound as in the two former centuries. Indeed, what but the power of God on the heart can account for a change so sudden, so rapid, and yet so firm and solid, as that of Cyprian? What can be conceived more opposite than the last thirteen years of his life compared with the former part of it? Will modern fastidiousness call all this enthusiasm ? In this narrative, the reader will notice, that the essential doctrines of justification and regeneration by divine grace were not only believed but experienced by this zealous African. The difference between mere human and divine teaching is rendered striking by such cases. With no great furniture of learning, it was HIS happiness to know little, if any thing, of the then reigning philosophy. We see a man of business and of the world rising at once a Phoenix in the * [In Octavio c. 8.] Church; and though no extraordinary Theologian in point of accurate knowledge, yet an useful practical Divine, an accomplished Pastor, flaming with the love of God and of souls, and with unremitting activity spending and being spent for Christ Jesus. This is the Lord's doing; and it should be remarked as HIS WORK. We shall see that Cyprian's own conversion prepared him for actual service. Argument and dispute prevailed among Christians in the East; brotherly love in the West. He records a remarkable influence of Divine Grace, which to him appeared to have accompanied his baptism. Nor is it unreasonable to suppose that this was commonly the case at that time. The inward and spiritual grace really attended the outward and visible sign. And it is to be lamented, that the corruption and perversion of afterages, availing itself of the ambiguous language of the fathers on this subject, which, with them, was natural enough,— supposed a NECESSARY connexion to take place where there had been a frequent one. In Cyprian's time, to call baptism itself the new birth was not very dangerous: In our age it is poison itself: Men are apt to content themselves with the outward and visible sign; and it has long been the fashion to suppose all persons, who have been baptized when they were infants, to be, of course, when they are grown up, in a state of regeneration by the Holy Spirit: and thus men have learned to furnish themselves with a convenient evasion of all that is written in Scripture concerning the godly motions of the third Person of the sacred Trinity.* Cyprian goes on," And that the marks of divine goodness may appear the more perspicuously by a discovery of the truth, I would lay open to your view the real state of the world: I would remove the thick darkness which -covers it, and detect the hidden mischiefs and the evils which it contains. For a little time, fancy yourself withdrawn to the top of a high mountain; thence inspect the It is true that the term regeneration may be so defined as to imply no more than the mere ceremony of baptism. But the real danger is, lest by any contrivances in our definitions, we either do away entirely, or at least weaken, the necessity of the operations of the Holy Spirit, so essential both in the first work of conversion, and also in the carrying on of that work; or in the words of our Tenth Article, so essential in "preventing us that we may have a good will, and working with us when we have that good will." appearance of things below you; look all around;-preserve yourself unfettered by worldly connexions, observe the fluctuating tempests of the world;-you will then pity mankind; you will understand and be sensible of your own happiness; you will be more thankful to God; and, with more joy, you will congratulate yourself on your escape." He then gives an affecting view of the immensity of evils which the state of mankind at that time exhibited, and graphically delineates the miseries of public and of private life after which he returns to the description of the blessings of true Christianity. "The only placid and sound tranquillity," says he, "the only solid, firm, and perpetual security is, to be delivered from the tempests of this restless scene, to be stationed in the port of salvation; to lift up the eyes from earth to heaven, and to be admitted into the favour of the Lord: Such a man approaches, in his thoughts, near to his God; and justly glories, that whatever others deem sublime and great in human affairs, -is absolutely beneath his notice. He, who is greater than the world, can desire nothing, can want nothing from the world. What an unshaken protection: what a truly divine shelter fraught with eternal good, it must be, to be loosed from the snares of an entangling world, to be purged from earthly dregs, and to be wafted into the light of immortal day! When we see what the insidious rage of a destructive enemy was plotting against us;-certainly, we must be the more compelled to love what we shall be, because we have now learned both to know and to condemn what we were. Nor is there, for this end, any need of price, of canvassing, or of manual labour: This complete dignity or power of man is not to be acquired by elaborate efforts: The gift of God is gratuitous and easy. As the sun shines freely, as the fountain bubbles, as the rain bedews, so the Celestial Spirit infuses himself. The soul looks up to heaven and becomes conscious of its Author: It then begins actually to be what it believes itself to be: It is higher than the firmament, and sublimer than all earthly power. Only,-do you, whom the heavenly warfare hath marked for divine service, preserve untainted and sober your Christian course by the virtues of religion. Let prayer or reading be your assiduous employment: Sometimes speak with God: At other times hear him speak to you: Let him instruct you by his precepts; let him regulate you: Whom he hath made rich, none shall make poor. There can be no penury with him whose heart has once been enriched with celestial bounty. Roofs arched with gold, and houses inlaid with marble, will be vile in your eyes, when you know that your own minds ought rather to be cultivated and adorned: That this house is more valuable, which the Lord has chosen to be his temple, in which the Holy Ghost has begun to dwell. Let us adorn this house with the paintings of innocence, let us illuminate it with the light of righteousness. This will never fall into ruin through the decays of age: Its ornaments shall never fade. Whatever is not genuine is precarious, and affords to the possessor no sure foundation. This remains in its culture perpetually vivid; in honour, and in splendour, spotless and eternal: It can neither be abolished nor extinguished. Is it then capable of no alteration?—Yes,-It will receive a rich improvement at the resurrection of the body. "Let us rejoice; but let not an hour of entertainment be inconsistent or unconnected with divine grace. Let the sober banquet resound with PSALMS; and as your memory is good, and voice harmonious, perform this office, as I believe you do. It will be more than agreeable,—it will be delightful,-to your dear friends, to hear of your spiritual and religious harmony." In all this the intelligent reader sees the picture of an active Christian,-possessed of a rich portion of that effusion of the Holy Ghost which, from the Apostles' days, still exhibited Christ Jesus,-and fitted by experience to communicate to others the real Gospel, and to be a happy instrument of guiding souls to that "rest which remaineth for the people of God," CHAP. VIII. THE BEGINNINGS OF THE PERSECUTION OF DECIUS.--THE How Cyprian conducted himself in his bishopric, who is sufficient to relate? says Pontius, in the fulness of his admiration. Some PARTICULAR account, however, might have been expected from one who had such large opportunity of information. He does make some brief observations on his external appearance. "His looks had the due mixture of gravity and cheerfulness; so that it was doubtful whether he were more worthy of love or of reverence. His dress also was correspondent to his looks: He had renounced. the secular pomp to which his rank in life entitled him ;— yet he avoided affected penury." From a man of Cyprian's piety and good sense united, such a conduct might be expected. by Decius. While Cyprian was labouring to recover the spirit of godliness among the Africans, which long peace had corThe VIIth rupted, Philip was slain, and succeeded by Decius. Persecution His enmity to the former emperor conspired with A. D. 250. his pagan prejudices to bring on the most dreadful persecution which the Church had yet experienced. It was evident that nothing less than the destruction of the Christian name was intended. The chronology is here remarkably embarrassed; nor is it an object of much consequence to trouble either myself or the reader with studious attempts to settle it. Suffice it to say, that the eventful The extent period before us of Cyprian's bishopric extends of it, from the year two hundred and forty-eight to two to 260. hundred and sixty, and that Decius's succession to the empire must have taken place about the beginning of it. The persecution raged with astonishing fury, beyond the example of former persecutions, both in the East and West. The latter is the scene before us at present. In a treatise of Cyprian concerning the lapsed, we have an affecting account of the declension from the spirit of Christianity, which had taken place before his conversion, and which moved God to chastise his Church. "If the cause of our miseries," says he, "be investigated, the cure of *Section 4. [c. 1.] A. D. 248 |