passed before the eye of the writer. How sound and healthy is that piety and that morality which he recommends in opposition to all such absurdities!

II. We turn next to those of the epistles of Paul which, in a more direct manner, are personal communications from the writer to the parties addressed, and which, as they relate to local controversies, disagreements, or partialities, rife at the moment, may be expected to exhibit more of the writer's sensitiveness than a bare theological treatise, or a hortatory letter is likely to display. The genuine character and dispositions of an author naturally become most conspicuous on those occasions when he is wrought upon by personal feelings. Six of the Pauline epistles come under this description; and we first advert to those that are altogether of an amicable kind, and embody the writer's lively affection to two favoured societies.

The epistle" to the faithful at Philippi" is a warm expression of feeling, such as is proper to an endeared personal friendship, resting on the basis of a thorough confidence. The tenderness and the graciousness that pervade it are much to our present purpose; and so is that spirit of lofty and fervent piety which it breathes; for these are conclusive proof of what the influence of Christianity was in its pristine era. But we shall pause only at certain specific indications of

the temper of the writer. The first of these is of an extraordinary sort, and may appear to contradict the supposition, drawn from other sources, that the apostles maintained the honours of their high function by a stern and efficacious rebuke of factious proceedings. But the truth seems to be that, although on urgent occasions, and when they had to deal hand to hand with the contumacious sectarist or pernicious heretic, they used with promptitude the power which

the Lord had given them," their native feelings, abhorrent of the despotic and jealous course customary with spiritual dignities, restrained them from employing penal powers, if by any means it could be avoided. What Paul's inner dispositions were in relation to contentious or ambitious zealots, we here perceive.—“ Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strifeof contention, not sincerely, supposing (intending) to add affliction to my bonds.—What then? notwithstanding every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is preached, and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice!" Can this be the language of the man who, some thirty years before, had been seen raging up and down through the streets of Jerusalem, and cramming its dungeons with innocent women and children? Christianity truly had done his temper no harm in the interval!

In personal conflict with these vexatious demagogues, Paul might perhaps, from a sense of

public duty, have assumed another tone; but we see that when, in the freedom of private friendship, he refers to the rancour of such teachers toward himself, his mind was not that of the despot, or of the fanatic.-It is evident, on the contrary, that much personal proficiency in the virtues of self-command, qualified him to admonish others-" to be of one accord, of one mind; to do nothing through strife, or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind to esteem others better than themselves."

A similar affection was borne by the apostle to the Thessalonian Christians: and on the strength of that affection, and in the spirit of conscious integrity, he appeals to them to attest, as well the integrity as the mildness of his ministerial conduct among them. A foreknowledge, probably, of the vengeance then impending the Jewish people, and near to fall upon the rebellious city, seems to be couched in the terms he employs when speaking of his outrageous countrymen. Yet it cannot be said that the passage breathes a vindictive spirit, or that it is unbecoming the occasion.-" THE WRATH (that specific judgment, long ago threatened) is come upon them to the utmost, who both killed the Lord Jesus, as they did their own prophets; and have persecuted us, and please not God, and are contrary to all men-forbidding the progress of the Gospel among the Gentiles." Yet the painful theme is instantly dropped, and

happier sentiments-the characteristic sentiments of the writer's mind, prevail.

It is not (as we need hardly affirm) a simple declaration of the Divine displeasure against sin, or the authorized announcement of approaching judgment, that indicate the fanatic;-for this office may in fact be the highest work of charity, and may be performed under the impulse of the warmest benevolence. But it is when the wrath of heaven is a man's chosen and constant theme, and when, without any commission to that effect, he takes upon him to hurl the bolts of the Most High, this way and that--at individuals or at communities:-it is then that we justly impute malevolence, as well as a gloomy extravagance of temper. Now when we find, in the second of Paul's epistles to the believers of Thessalonica, one of the most appalling descriptions of the future wrath that the Bible any where contains, it may be enough to compare the insulated passage with the general tenor of the writer's letters for the purpose of proving that" the perdition of ungodly men" was as far as possible from being the topic toward which his thoughts continually tended, and upon which (as is the fanatic) he was always copious, eloquent, and at case. But we are bound to go further; and while we pause (in the next chapter) at the prophetic description of the great apostasy that, seven centuries afterwards, should reach its height, who does not stand back, as if in the

Divine Presence, and confess that it is not Paul, but the Omniscient God who speaks ?-Every phrase of terror-is it not deep as the thunder of Heaven? When the Supreme thus distinctly utters his voice from on high, let him that dares come forward to arraign the style?

But we are soon brought back to the level of human sentiments, and again see the writer's genuine character in the casual expression of his mind, as occasions arise. "If any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed." Here is apostolic vigour-necessary for the general good; nevertheless the culprit is not forgotten; much less consigned to vengeance." Yet count him not as an enemy; but admonish him as a brother." The caution this, of a paternal heart.

The two epistles to the Christians of Corinth, and the one to those of Galatia, are marked by a speciality of meaning in every part, and also by a frequent admixture of personal feelings; yet of a different kind from that which distinguishes the letters last mentioned. Capital errors, and practical abuses, and church disorders in the one instance, and a grave perversion of doctrine in the other, brought into play the sterner elements of the apostolic character, and we see, by this means, not only what was the writer's style of reproof; but what was the temper called up in him by open and irritating opposition to