alarming threatening, some comforting, and soul-quickening promise goes directly with its blessed errand of light and love into the recesses of your hardened heart; until the message, from being general, becomes particular, and you are called by the effectual calling of God's grace, and the power of His love, from the world of the ungodly into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Our Lord continues, "Why persecutest thou me?" How tender, yet how forcible the expostulation! How entirely must this have sent home the conviction of sin, of this worst of sins, the sin of bigotry and persecution, to the heart of the humbled and terrified Saul! "Why persecutest thou ME?" I who have loved thee with an everlasting love, who have laid down my life for thy sake, who have interceded with my Father, that this worse than barren fig-tree should be let alone, until I should "draw him with the cords of a man, with the bonds of love."

Well might the astonished persecutor have replied, 'Lord, when saw I thee helpless and destitute, and persecuted thee? I did not in solemn mockery put upon thee that robe of kingly purple; I did not in cruel derision bind the crown of twisted thorns about thy brow; I did not nail thee to the cross; I did not taunt thee in thy dying agonies, or in thy last sad hour of burning thirst offer thee vinegar and gall: when persecuted I thee?'

"Inasmuch as thou hast done it unto one of the least of these," my beloved followers," thou hast done it unto me.'

O blessed union between the Lord and his redeemed people! Condescending declaration of a love which knows no bounds, infinite in extent, eternal in duration !

If you, my brethren, are united to Christ by a true and living faith, how unspeakably great, and blessed, and glorious are your privileges! He who touches you, it is God's own forcible

expression "touches the apple of His eye." "In all your affliction, He is afflicted;" every word unjustly spoken against you, is spoken against your Lord; every hand raised against you, is raised against your Master; every act of unkindness, every word of harshness, every false accusation, every "trial of cruel mocking," to which you are subjected, is placed to His account, and shall be returned an hundred fold, either here, or hereafter, into the bosom of His opponents. For this is the unalterable declaration of our Lord, "He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me; and he that despiseth me, despiseth Him that sent me." "He, therefore, that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God."

27

LECTURE II.

ACTS IX. 16. *

"FOR I WILL SHOW HIM HOW GREAT THINGS HE MUST SUFFER FOR MY NAME'S SAKE."

WE concluded the former discourse before we had reached the close of the wondrous circumstances which attended the conversion of St. Paul.

The last point upon which we dwelt, was, as you will remember, that most affecting remonstrance of our Lord, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?"

We commence, therefore, the present discourse, with the answer of the terrified and convicted Saul to this voice from heaven: "And he said, Who art thou, Lord?" It is impossible not to be struck

with a reply so different from any thing we could have previously anticipated. Is this Saul, the blasphemer and the persecutor, who had made havoc of the Church, and defied the power and contemned the name of Jesus? Is this the proud, selfrighteous Pharisee, who now, fallen to the earth, humbled in the very dust, seeks the knowledge of Him whom he had so long despised; and seeks it from the Saviour himself, with every evidence of respect and fear?" Who art thou, LORD?" and then, immediately upon the reply on which we have already commented, asks, with every feeling of humility and contrition, "Lord, what wilt thou have me. to do?"

How astonishing a change, how wonderful an evidence of the mighty power, possessed over the human heart by the almighty Saviour! How easily can that voice from heaven break the hardest heart, or soften the most obdurate feelings! Whether it speak in anger, or in mercy;