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"remember them that suffer adversity." A kind and sympathetic spirit is both honourable to the religion we profess, and its Divine Author. Let it be the care of all who name the name of Christ to drink into this spirit, so shall we resemble more completely that blessed Saviour who is now the joy of our hearts, and will be the object of all our praises throughout eternity.

IOTA.

REMARKS ON THE CONVERSION OF THE APOSTLE PAUL.

THE Conversion of Paul is among the most important facts recorded in the gospel history. Whether we consider his former life, his future conduct, or the miraculous nature of the circumstances which produced this change-it is equally interesting. He himself thought it of so much importance, that in almost all his defences against the charges preferred by his countrymen, he brings it forward as a capital article in his apology for his apparently unaccountable behaviour. The account of this wonderful event is first given in the beginning of the 9th chapter of the Acts, and a few additional circumstances are afterwards mentioned in his speeches, recorded Acts xxii. and xxvi.

The substance of these statements is,-That Saul being filled with enmity to the Divine Author of christianity, and breathing out threatenings and slaughter against his disciples, and having procured from the High Priest letters of authority and recommendation to the foreign synagogues, was proceeding to Damascus with a number of attendants or assistants to drag the professors of the gospel to Jerusalem. While bent on this diabolical purpose, surrounded by his friends, in the middle of the day, on the high road to Damascus, suddenly there appeared a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun, which shone about him and those who were journeying with him. Struck to the ground with wonder and astonishment, a voice from heaven addressed him, Saul! why persecutest thou me ?" In answer to the question, he was informed by the same voice that it was Jesus whom he persecuted who had appeared to him, and he was directed to go to Damascus, where he would be told what he was to do. The persons who were with him stood speechless, hearing a voice or sound, and seeing a light, but no human appearance. As for Saul he was rendered blind by the vision, was led by the hand to Damascus, where he continued in that state for three days and three nights, neither eating nor drinking, till Ananias, a christian, laid his hands on him and restored him to sight, when he was filled with the Holy Spirit,

"Saul

was baptized in the name of Jesus, and immediately began to preach the faith which he intended to destroy. In this state of mind he remained till the end of his life, making every possible sacrifice for the gospel, enduring every kind of insult and suffering on account of it, and at last laying down his life in attestation of the sincerity of his profession. During the whole of this subsequent period of his life, he gave the same uniform account of the change which had taken place in his opinions and practice, viz. the miraculous event which we have just stated.

On this single fact, and its momentous result, Lord Lyttleton has written a most valuable tract, in which he endeavours to demonstrate, from the conversion and apostleship of Paul, that christianity is a divine revelation. After quoting the passages in which Paul's conversion is brought forward, his Lordship justly argues :-" It must of necessity be, that the person attesting these things of himself, and of whom they are related in so authentic a manner, either was an impostor, who said what he knew to be false with an intent to deceive; or he was an enthusiast, who, by the force of an overheated imagination, imposed on himself; or he was deceived by the fraud of others, and all that he said must be imputed to the power of that deceit; or what he declared to have been the cause of his conversion, and to have happened in consequence of it, did all really happen; and therefore the christian religion is a divine revelation."

His Lordship then proceeds to shew, in the most successful manner, that Paul was neither an impostor nor enthusiast, and that it was altogether impossible he could be imposed on by others. The inference is obvious-christianity is divine.

I have sometimes thought that this argument might be il lustrated, if not strengthened, by comparing with it the circumstances which are related concerning the extraordinary conversion of the celebrated Col. Gardiner. The following is the account given by Dr. Doddridge of this singular event:

The Col. (then Major) had spent the evening in some gay company, and had an unhappy assignation with a married woman, whom he was to attend exactly at twelve. The company broke up about eleven, after which he went into his chamber to kill the tedious hour, perhaps with some amusing book, or in some other way. It accidentally happened that he took up a religious book, the Christian Soldier, or Heaven taken by storm. He resolved to dip into it, but took no notice of any thing he read, and yet while this book was in his hand, an impression was made upon his mind, which drew after it a train of the most important and happy consequences. He thought he saw an unusual blaze of light fall on the

book while he was reading, which he at first imagined might happen by some accident in the candle. But lifting up his eyes, he apprehended, to his extreme amazement, that there was before him, as it were suspended in the air, a visible representation of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross, surrounded on all sides with a glory and was impressed, as if a voice, or something equivalent to a voice, had come to him to this effect, O, sinner, did I suffer this for thee, and are these thy returns! Struck with so amazing a phenomenon as this, there remained hardly any life in him, so that he sunk down in the arm chair in which he sat, and continued, he knew not exactly how long, insensible.'

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Such is the statement of this extraordinary transaction, stript of the clauses in which Dr. Doddridge modestly insinuates his own opinion of its nature. It is not my design to inquire into the grounds of his views of it-far less to insinuate any doubt as to the truth of Col. Gardiner's account of the affair. All I mean to do is, taking the truth of the Coll's testimony for granted, to shew, that, however satisfaçtory the appearance may have been to his own mind, it was incapable of proof to others-whereas, the event which produced the conversion of Paul was of a completely different nature, and not liable to the same objection.

That it is possible the Colonel may have mistaken a strong impression made on his mind during a temporary sleep, for an appearance and an audible voice, while it is utterly impossible Paul could have been so mistaken, will appear from the following considerations:

The occurrence took place while the Colonel was reading a religious book, and his mind in a state of considerable languor and vacancy. The Apostle, on the other hand, was pursuing a journey of persecution, and his mind fully occupied by the object of that journey.

Col. Gardiner was alone-Paul was in the midst of company. None could attest the truth of the Col.'s declaration-several could bear testimony to what befel the Apostle.

To the one it happened at the solemn hour of midnightto the other at mid-day. The one was surrounded by dark ness and solitude, the other was walking in the high road in company with others, and while the sun was shining in his strength. The light which shone around Paul could not be mistaken, for it was beyond the brightness of the sun-it was very different with the other.

The effect produced by the heavenly vision on the body of Paul was permanent and visible to others he was struck blind and led by the hand to Damascus, and continued in this state for three days. Col. Gardiner, on the other hand, awoke VOL. II.-No. I.

C

after a while, as if out of a trance, and was the same as before

In short, the one event was public, the other private-the one is capable of the most satisfactory proof, the other rests entirely on the testimony of the individual. To the latter, what took place was chiefly intended for his own sake-to the former, it was more for the sake of others,

It is of great importance to have the most satisfactory evidence of all the circumstances attending the conversion of Paul. Because the truth of Christianity is materially dependent on his testimony. Divine providence, therefore, so ordered matters, that it should not take place in a corner, in the dark, or in the midst of Christians-but in the face of day, and among the enemies of the gospel, and who, for ought we know, still continued its enemies.

Whether the conversion of Col. Gardiner was effected by a vision or a dream, or a trance, is of no consequence to the world. That he was converted, there can be no doubt, from his subsequent conduct; and that it was attended with some remarkable circumstances is clear from his deliberate, persevering, and unimpeachable testimony. It was not less the work of God, whatever were the means he employed; for whether he addresses men directly by his holy word, or through the instrumentality of a living messenger, or impresses their minds by the visions of the night when deep sleep falleth on men,' the effect produced may be precisely the same. Every Christian will glory in the truth of the following remarks of Dr. Doddridge, and rejoice that the facts which confirm them are by no means rare. The eloquence displayed in the passage is its least recommendation.

I have known those of distinguished genius, polite manners, and great experience in human affairs, who, after having outgrown all the impressions of a religious education, after having been hardened, rather than subdued, by the most singular mercies, even various, repeated and astonishing deliverances, which have appeared to themselves no less than miraculous, after having lived for years without God in the world, notoriously corrupt themselves, and labouring to the utmost to corrupt others, have been stopt on a sudden in the full career of their sin, and have felt such rays of the divine presence, and of redeeming love, darting in upon their minds, almost like lightening from heaven, as have at once roused, overpowered, and transformed them; so that they have come out of their secret chambers with an irreconcilable enmity to those vices to which, when they entered them, they were thé tamest and most abandoned slaves, and have appeared from that hour the votaries, the patrons, the champions of religion; and after a course of the most resolute attachment to it, in spite of all the reasonings or the railleries, the impor

tunities or the reproaches of its enemies, they have continued to this day some of its brightest ornaments: a change, which I behold with equal wonder and delight, and which, if a nation should join in deriding it, I would adore as the finger of God.' W. O.

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MISCELLANEOUS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE CHRISTIAN HERALD.

HULL, Dec. 1814.

DEAR SIR The following fact so eminently tends to magnify the grace of God, and to shew the peculiar honour with which he is pleased to distinguish his own word, that I presume no apology for requesting its insertion in your valuable Miscellany will be required:

At the launching of a merchant's ship, a few months ago, rom a yard near this port, the owners of the vessel, determined to present each of the carpenters who had been engaged in the building, about 70, with a Testament. That number, however, not being to be procured at that time, a quantity of tracts were distributed, accompanied with a few words of advice; and, in about a fortnight afterwards, each carpenter received his Testament, apparently with great thankfulness.Nothing particular immediately transpired, but it was soon after observed, that some of the men, instead of singing their lewd songs as before, were now employed in singing the praises of God. This circumstance exciting some mutual inquiry among them, it was discovered that others of their fellow-workmen, whose mouths were so lately filled with oaths and curses, now reverenced the holy name which they once profaned;—that those who once lived without hope and God in the world, now revered and read his word, as the only foundation of their hope, the only source of their comfort; and that, instead of spending, as they were wont to do, a great portion of their Sabbaths in the alehouse, they now frequented the house of God. In short, that many were now anxiously inquiring what they must do to be saved, who once, Gallio like, cared for none of these things:

This pleasing information being communicated to the gentlemen who had furnished the Tracts and Testaments, they visited the men, and found, to their unspeakable pleasure, that, so far as they could judge from conversing with them, about twelve out of the seventy were truly converted to God, and were walking in the truth which they had so lately despised. A general reformation of conduct also was observable throughout the village. How quick, and sharp, and

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