SERMON V. THE MISSION OF ST. PAUL TO THE GENTILES. ACTS ix. 15. The Lord faid unto him-Go thy way; for he is a chofen veel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Ifrael. T HE time was come that the gospel of falvation should be preached to the Gentiles. God, in his eternal counsel from the beginning, had purposed it for all mankind; and what had hitherto been preparing, under the feveral revelations in the Jewish religion, was now to be laid open to the whole world; and falvation through Chrift, as it was intended for all mankind, was now to be univerfally proposed. The partition, which hitherto had separated the Jews from the rest of mankind, was to be thrown down, and the Gentiles, without paying any regard to the ceremonial law of Mofes, were to be equal partakers with the Jews in the gofpel of Chrift. It gives usa juft and grand idea of Christianity, when we thus fee, that it is not a mére mode of religion, fet up, once on a time, by a party of men, but that it is a uniform plan, laid out and conducted by the wisdom and power of God, reaching from the beginning to the confummation of all things, and comprehending both heaven and earth within its purpofe. The Jews were not aware of this, and mistook the true end, for which God had fet up their religion. They had built too much on the extraordinary bleffings God had vouch¬ fafed them, as if, because he had chofen them, he had therefore caft off all the reft of mankind. It filled them with envy, that the falvation they had been carrying in their own bosom fhould be communicated to the Gentiles; but it made them indignant, when they perceived, that even their religious inftitution itself, which had carried this bleffing, was now to be laid afide. It was God only, who could fet afide an institution, which he himself had fet up; and and it was God only who could provide a fit inftrument for executing his own work. This God did, when he called St. Paul to preach the gofpel to the Gentiles-the last person whom, at the time he was called, the disciples of Chrift would have chosen for a partner in their work. But God, who not only fees but fashioneth the hearts of men, called him to it, and, mad as St. Paul was against those who preached the gospel, made him the most strenuous preacher and promoter of it, a But though the hand of God was neceffary for turning St. Paul's heart to the work intended for him, yet, after his converfion, his former behaviour would naturally recommend his preaching, as it would evince his fincerity and the truth of what he taught. The more zealous St. Paul had been against the gofpel, the greater teftimony did his converfion afford in favour of it; for though men may take up oppofite opinions upon flight or even false grounds, yet, the character and circumftances of St. Paul confidered, he could not fuddenly turn from being the bitterest enemy of the gospel, and shew himself its warmest advocate, but on a real and well-grounded conviction of its truth. St. Paul himself was perfuaded, perfuaded, that his former behaviour would convince even the Jews of the truth of what he preached for when Christ bade him depart from Jerufalem, because the Jews would not receive his teftimony, St. Paul pleads for ftaying, and fays-"Lord, they know, that "I imprisoned and beat in every fynagogue "them that believed on thee."-My former enmity against thy name muft fatisfy them, that my present zeal for it arifes from the strongest means of conviction. -But Christ knew the Jews better than St. Paul did, and faw, what the Jews afterwards fhewed, that, under the influence of pride, men are more open to refentment than reason. It was too a circumftance of great weight against the neceffity of the Jewish religion, that a man of St. Paul's education and eftimation among the Jews, after having so vigorously defended that religion, was become as zealous to fet it afide.-This was a matter, which whoever among the Jews should undertake was fure to meet with their refentment, and, if of an inferior character, with their contempt; and therefore, when it was undertaken by St. Paul, who, though he was the object of their refentment, was too fignificant to be the object of their contempt, it carried carried weight with it, and was as convincing to the Gentiles, as it was offenfive to the Jews. A -St. Paul had indeed the strongest means of conviction. It was a tranfaction full of wonder, but not more wonderful than proper. fudden and glorious light in the heavens exhibited Jesus perfonally to St. Paul's view, and he heard his voice reproaching him for his furious behaviour against the Chriftians. Struck with the awful interview, St. Paul immediately gave in his fubmiffion" Lord, "what wilt thou have me to do?"We cannot conceive what St. Paul felt on this occafion, but we may well admire the propriety, as well as grandeur, of this tranfaction. We fee the watchful care, which Chrift has over his church, and the mighty power with which he protects it; when the leader of the very first perfecution against it was thus ftopped at his fetting out, and, in an inftant, confounded, fubdued, and converted. Nor is it wonderful, that this effect, great as it was, fhould be fo speedily wrought, when we confider, that St. Paul then faw that person of Christ, in which he will appear to judge the world. For, that Jefus Chrift perfonally fhewed himself to St. Paul on this occafion seems a |