Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1841-06-03

sWould describe preacher such as Paul
Were he on earth, would hear approve and own
Paul should himself direct me- | would trace
His master strokes, and draw from his design"
Cowper
The dispcnsation of christianity was first en-
trusted for wise reasons to few unlearned fish
ermen of Judea But in the person of st Paul
it had an advocate, who united to naturally
strong, bold and energetic intellect, all the rabn-
ical learning of the Jews, and the general htera-
ture of the age. In true greatness and excelen-
cy of character we think history presents par
alel for st Paul. Even in his first introduction
in the sacred writings Saul of Tarsus
we recognize the elements of great and
commanding, tho perverted, mind His re-
markable conversion affords demonstration of
the truth of our holy religion, and his whole
christian exemplifed, or was ga living
Epistle" of the great doctrines he incucated.-
Such was the symmetry of his character, it would
be difficult to decide, in what christian grace he
most excelled. In humility-he esteemed him
self ''less than the least of all saints And yet
when we see him before magistrates, who viola
ted their Office TO punish and Cypress him sur
rounded by disolute mob who sought his life,
there is conscious dignity and superiority of
manner, that oyer-awed even the proud pharisees
In view Of his suferings, and we think he enumer-
ates eight varieties in our verse, and in anticipa-
top of what the Holy Cost witnessed he would
be called to endure-he says ''none of these
things move me''-But great was his sensbil-
ty, that to his friends, who besought him not
to expose his life to the malice of his enemies
at Jerusalem, he exclaims-what mean ye to
weep and break my heart &c In self denial and
labQprs of disinterested benevolence all will adj
AIT he abounded. Brothcrly love and kindness
are not only expressed in every epistle but carried
out in acts,-a most s'utful specimen we have
in his restoring Onesimus, in whose conversion
he had been instrumental to Philemon his master,
not as his slave, but as brother beloved. In
polished Athens, in other places, his courage,
ZEAL decision, and patience, were severely tested.
In his encounter with the Epicurians Stoics and
Philosophers of that restless city, witty writer
remarks s'St Paul pity thee. Compared with.
their metaphysical Jargon, the bufetngs OF Satan
were the light strokes of feather In style 81
Paul is considered argumentatiye logical land con-
else A distinguished lawyer remarked he com
pretended more the subject of poiileness, in.
one sentence viz t'In honor prelerins one another
than Lord Chesterfield had in all his writings
But it is as preacher that we contemplate him
to the greatest advantage. His subect-mattcr al
all times was Jesus Christ and him crucifed. To
advance his cause and bring sinners to bow to his
adorable name, all his powers were consccrated.
lift was true that shis bodily presence was weak
and his speech contemptible," he might be the
more willing to hide himself behind the truth,
and we are certain he was never guilty of the van
it, Of displaying n,vSsy, while the conversion of
a ruined world lay SO near his heart. He closed
his long life with this triumphant declaration =
/ am now ready to be offered and the time Of my
departure is at hand, | have fought good
fight; ! have finished my course, have
kept the faith ---henceforth there is laid up for
me a crown of glory. We confess that in the in
diligence of our Imagination we have followed
him to that world of glory-And if the hope that
in the ages of eternity we might he introduced
into his society is presumption, may we be for
forgiven this iniquity. f.