indifference the empty applause of the fickle multitude, as well as their groundless censure.

As another illustration of the moral dignity of his character, we may notice his entire freedom from selfish and sordid motives. He could truly say to all the churches he had planted, "I seek not yours, but you:" "I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel." He insisted indeed upon his right to temporal support from those to whom he had imparted spiritual things; but when he learned that some in the Corinthian church, were so mean spirited as to grudge their "carnal things," he scorned to receive their gifts, and chose rather to work with his own hands for his subsistence, and to accept that aid from the Macedonian churches which ought to have been given by those to whom he was ministering at the time. To show them how groundless their suspicions were, he said, "I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service." There was no robbery in the case, for these other churches, especially that of Philippi, sent their gifts to him spontaneously and cheerfully, otherwise he would not have received them at all. His meaning evidently was, that he accepted from these other churches the contributions which ought, in right and justice, to have been given by the Corinthians, as a small token of their gratitude for the spiritual blessings which he had been the means of imparting to them, as their spiritual father. But he

scorned to take a farthing from them, because they basely suspected his motives; and because he wished still" to do them service," as a preacher of the Gospel, by disarming them of their groundless prejudices against him and his teaching.

Such, then, was the apostle Paul; and in this combination of deep humility with high moral dignity, we have an instance of the power of living Christianity which has never been surpassed, and rarely if ever equalled, by any mere man. May such instances be multiplied in the Church of these latter days, and especially among our young men. What an increase of moral power and beneficial influence would thus be secured in the Church! and what blessed results might be expected to flow from her efforts to subdue the world to Christ! and how truly might the words of the venerable apostle John be applied to those who are soon to supply the vacant places of the fathers of the Church, "I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the Word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the Wicked One."

"O ye Corinthians, . . . our heart is enlarged."

...

-2 COR. vi. II.

HESE words of the apostle suggest two additional and prominent features of his char

acter, to the illustration of which we propose to devote this chapter, viz., his large-heartedness, combined with warm or tender heartedness.

At the time when he wrote these words, there was considerable coldness, and even alienation of affection from him, on the part of many in the Corinthian church; caused, however, not by any evil he had done to them, but by his ministerial faithfulness in reproving their errors and sins. They took offence at his plainness of speech, and his just severity of rebuke; and they counted him their enemy, because he had told them the truth, from a sincere desire to benefit their souls. This led him to fear lest, after all the labour he had bestowed upon them, and all the instructions he had given them, they should "re

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ceive the grace of God in vain." Accordingly, after recounting some of the trials which he had endured for their sakes, and the spiritual blessings which he had been instrumental in imparting to them, "making many rich," he proceeded to assure them, that however cold their affection to him might be, yet his affection to them was not in the least diminished; and that all the "straitening" in their mutual intercourse existed, not in him, but in themselves. With a heart full of unabated love, and unquenchable zeal for their highest interests, he said, "O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you," to tell you your faults, and turn you from sin, and restore you to the paths of righteousness; but it is more in sorrow than in anger that we thus speak. Ye are my spiritual children, and though, as a father, I have been compelled to correct and chasten you, yet it is the very depth and warmth of my affection for you that have led me to use the rod; for "our heart is enlarged" with an intense desire for your spiritual good.

Let us then contemplate the character of Paul in the two aspects we have indicated.

I. LARGE-HEARTEDNESS.

There are many good and kind-hearted men who cannot be considered as great or large hearted; but Paul was distinguished by both of these qualities; and he exhibited especially a moral greatness and

elevation of soul, which raised him far above everything that was mean, or envious, or narrow-minded. Not that he was puffed up with pride or self-conceit; for these are the vices of men who have small minds and slender attainments. Great though he was, he bore himself like one who was quite unconscious of his greatness, and who did not care what the world thought of him. With his unaffected humility and unobtrusive modesty, there was combined a nobility of soul, a lofty magnanimity, which rendered him incapable of an unworthy action, and inspired him with the most generous emotions, and urged him to great and heroic deeds. It has been truly said, that when the anointing oil was poured on the head of the first king of Israel, a remarkable change was wrought upon his character. Samuel said to him, "The Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man," and then, it is added, "it was so, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart," that is a large, generous, heroic spirit, to qualify him for his kingly office. Thus, when God calls any one to do a great work, He endows His chosen servant with the needed qualifications; and this was still more emphatically true of Saul of Tarsus. When the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, in the plenitude not only of miraculous gifts, but of saving grace, God gave him also another heart; and endowed