synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and Greeks." But it would have fallen by the wayside, and have produced no fruit, unless the Spirit of God had opened the hearts of the hearers to receive it, and had fed and nourished it when there. No man can come unto the Lord, "unless the Father draw him." 8 "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God."9 "Paul plants, Apollos waters; but it is God that giveth the increase."

When therefore Paul, in the character of an apostle, preached the Gospel at Corinth, and when many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed:" the Lord did as it were set his seal to the apostle's commission; and Paul might appeal to any one among them, and say, If there is one who on my teaching has been brought to believe that Jesus is the Christ, and to trust in him for salvation, that man bears upon his heart the impress of God's own seal: and what is there impressed is the proof of my apostleship. If I had not been an apostle of God, God would not have been present to enforce my words: and if God had not enforced my words, they would never have been effectual to bring one soul out of darkness. The Jew would have remained obstinate in his prejudices; the idolater would have adhered to his vanities. Therefore the seal of my apostleship are ye in the Lord. They could not deny him to be an apostle, unless they denied that they themselves were Christians.

Such, then, is the proof which Paul thought proper to allege, when his authority was disputed or denied.

7 Acts xviii. 4.

9 1 John v.

1.

8 John vi. 44.

1 Ch. iii. 6.

On other occasions, he describes the extraordinary call which he received, when the Lord appeared to him on his journey to Damascus. Sometimes, again, he mentions the visions and revelations shown him;3 and sometimes “the signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds wrought" in the presence of his hearers. But here he appeals to a test, which might leave to succeeding ages the surest sign of divine favour. Future "ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God," would neither see revelations, nor work miracles, nor hear a voice from heaven calling to them. These seals to Paul's ministry would not belong to them. But they might have this seal of their apostleship, a people converted to God. No man can be converted to God, except by God himself: and no minister can be the instrument of such conversion, unless God favours his work and crowns it with his blessing.

Undoubtedly there may be ministers both truly called and faithful, who have no such living evidence of God's Spirit working with them: there may be reasons in the people, and not in the minister himself, why he has laboured, and there has been no increase to his labours. God may have seen fit to withhold the rain from the field, though the husbandman may have been duly sent, though the seed which he has sown may have been good seed. But where there is that success, which is commonly vouchsafed in some degree to faithfulness and diligence: if there springs up" first the blade, and then the ear, and 32 Cor. xii. 1; Gal. i. 16.

2 Acts xxii. 6; xxvi. 12.

42 Cor. xii. 12.

afterward the full corn in the ear:"5 it is the Lord's doing, the sign of his blessing on the work; he has thus given assurance of his favour which can never be denied. That is accomplished, for which apostles were called and commissioned. Men are brought "from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God." 6

This subject must not be closed without observing, that what is here represented as the seal of an apostleship, is also the seal of a christian profession: viz. a converted heart, a life guided by the precepts of Christ: a heart, in which not pride and haughtiness, but gentleness and humility;-not malice and hatred, but love and goodwill;-not sensuality, but purity; not selfishness and covetousness, but liberality and brotherly kindness prevail. For these are the signs of the Spirit of God: the impression of his seal upon those hearts, which are his indeed. And if any man have not this seal, "have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his :" will not be owned of him at last; and instead of the gracious words of welcome, must expect to hear the awful sentence, "Verily I I know say unto you, "98 you not.'

5 Mark iv. 28.

6 Acts xxvi. 18.

7 Rom. viii. 9.

8 Matt. XXV. 12.

LECTURE LXVIII.

PAUL ASSERTS HIS CLAIM TO SUPPORT FROM THOSE TO WHOM HE PREACHED THE GOSPEL.

1 COR. ix. 3—12.

3. Mine answer to them that do examine me is this: 4. Have we not power to eat and to drink?

5. Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

6. Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?

St. Paul had been accused, it seems, of making a profit of the disciples, and living at their expense.

This may supply ground of comfort to others, if they suffer under similar imputations. Who shall escape such charges, if they are laid against a man like Paul, who had laboured with his own hands to avoid it, and who did not avail himself of the claim he proves?1

His answer to them that would examine him is this. He claims his privilege of support for himself and those belonging to him. Others carried about a sister, a wife, with them: as Peter, constantly: 2 and other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, James and Jude.3 Was the necessity of working for a

1 See 2 Cor. xi. 17.

2 So we are informed by Clement.

3 Gal. i. 19. James is called " the Lord's brother:" meaning kinsman.

livelihood to be imposed on him alone and Barnabas?

In the more ordinary business of life, this would be confessedly unreasonable.

7. Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

The apostles were carrying on a warfare: contending against the enemies of man's salvation. Surely if the soldier whilst defending his country is entitled to his support and pay, this ought not to be denied to one who is attacking Satan in his strongholds, and despoiling him of his goods. He who planteth a vineyard looks for fruit from the trees which he has tended. The apostle was engaged in a like manner. The Corinthian church was a "garden of God,"* filled with trees of his planting: and ought it to be matter of jealousy, if those trees yielded him a return? One who feedeth a flock, eateth of the milk of the flock and when the Lord gave commandment to his apostle," Feed my sheep, feed my lambs;"5 it was not his design that this should be the only shepherd who tended the flock, and was not supported for his pains.

:

But these were such arguments as a man might use, taken from the common course and nature of the world. Paul had another answer to them that would examine him, taken from the ordinances of Moses, the law of God himself.

8. Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also ?6

6

4 Isa. li. 3.

5 John xxi. 16.

Deut. xxv. 4.