6th of December, by the Rev. Dr. Archer, who fixed the attention and engaged the best feelings of a numerous audience by an appropriate and excellent exposition of the character of Paul, and by his appeals on behalf of Paul's "kinsmen after the flesh."

We should have been glad to publish the sermon in extenso, but are thankful to avail ourselves of a few notes, taken by a friend, and kindly forwarded to us.

Paul an Apostle, Galatians i. 1.-Contemplate the Apostle Paul in four aspects. 1. Paul the MAN.-2. Paul the JEW.-3. Paul the CHRISTIAN.4. Paul the APOSTLE.

I. Paul the MAN. In the study of spiritual pathology, we are much in the habit of considering that all should be formed according to our own particular model of spiritual excellence. So that if a person does not come up to the ideal we have formed, we are dissatisfied, and are disposed to reject him as coming short of our standard. For instance, looking at Luther, with the age or from the standpoint of Melancthon, one might have doubted whether he were always actuated by the Spirit of God; and again, judging of Melancthon by the fiery zeal and determined bearing of Luther, the inference might have been that he was not earnest in the cause he professed to love. The Spirit of God, however, does not interfere with man's idiosyncrasy. If a man is of bustling energetic habits naturally, he brings those very habits to the business of the Church. If, like Melancthon, he be of a meditative mind, he becomes the man of prayer, the thoughtful but not less devoted servant of his Lord. Oh! for a little more charity, more common sense, in our appreciation of character among fellowChristians!

How, then, did the man Paul act? We have but little of him in the way of autobiographical journal, and perhaps a good thing too. We get only a few glintings', a little touch here and there, glimpses of thought that bring out the man.

1. We see in the writings of St. Paul a singular repertory of intelligence, of theology, and of the soaring to the sublime grandeur of the loftiest conceptions of the love of God. Jeffrey said of Watt that his mind was like the elephant's trunk-it could lift a pin, and could rend an oak.

We find Paul grappling with all the mysteries of God's predestination but then it is with a heart as tender as a child. See him in the Areopagus, breaking his lance with the learned and inquisitive men of Athens-see him, again, on the sea-shore at Miletus, taking leave of his fellow-Christians with-"What, mean ye to weep and to break my heart?"

Mark his great ambition and stability of purpose. The fire of his soul was constantly gleaming-always aiming to be something-always aiming to be first. Bishop Leighton well said-"Aim high, for the higher you aim, though you may miss the mark, you'll aim the higher for it." Paul felt this-his soul was ever found soaring after, and grasping towards, the highest summit.

Hence his deep concentration; and no one ever did anything in this world without this power. Talk of genius! It is one of its rarest effects, that it leads to great results. "One thing I do," was Paul's principle. And this is strikingly illustrated in the admirable essay on decision of character by Foster.

II. Consider Paul the Jew. He gives some account of himself in the 13th and 14th verses of this chapter. His birthplace was Tarsus, a city which in that day claimed equality with Alexandria and others for its learning. Rollin and others tell us that philosophers constantly taught there. Well, but it is said Paul talks of working with his own hands: so it was, for it had become a leading principle with the Jews, "that he that did not bring up his son to a trade, trains him up to be a thief"– a principle which it would be well for the present day if it were now observed by Christians also.

Yet he had had a good education; he was a good Greek scholar; but he was of a philosophic and thinking mind; and he was sent to Jerusalem to be a pupil of Gamaliel. This remarkable man is said, by some, to have been the son of that good old Simeon, who took the child Jesus in his arms, with the exclamation, "Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation." How singular, if this be true, that the son of such a man should have participated in training the mind of the most distinguished herald of that salvation that ever breathed! He gets from Gamaliel learning-and he boasts of it, "I profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals." What a braggart! what a fool! say some. Stay! there was a reason for this. His object was to show the harmony of the Christian religion with ancient Judaism, and to prove that it was requisite that he should be able to assure them he knew the whole system. He was also marked as a Jewish doctor, by his adherence to the whole system; he was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. Was the synagogue open? he was there, and in time too; the whole man came out here as a Jew, as it did before he commenced a religious life. But now he was so full of Judaical feeling, that he resolved to persecute all who adhered to Christ, and Paul is first brought to our notice at the death of the first martyr. Paul must be there-the young men's clothes would be safe enough with him; the blood of Stephen did not slake his thirst, but rather quickened it.

It is the same man-first in the school of Tarsus-first at the feet of Gamaliel-first in the synagogue-at the stoning of Stephen; all showing the deep concentrated energy of the man.

III. Paul the CHRISTIAN. This is brought out by the 15th, 16th, and 17th verses of the first chapter of this Epistle,-" When it pleased God to reveal His Son in me "-In me, not to me.

1. This change was not only a reality, but it was occasioned by the manifestation of Christ in him. That is the great turning point in every man's destiny: to make a man a Christian, Christ must be revealed in him. 2. The discovery brought home to his mind was not to be confined to himself.

Christ is all in all to him. What now are all his attainments? All are to be subservient to His one great purpose, and this leads to the next point:

IV. Paul the APOSTLE. This Apostleship is claimed in the second chapter of this Epistle. He opens the Epistle, too, with the direct and clear title to be an apostle; and again and again he refers to his having seen Christ in the body. What an idea does this give us of our Lord's condescension, that He should permit Himself to be beheld by Paul, inasmuch as no man could claim to be an apostle without having seen Christ! And when the last of these illustrious men died who had seen Jesus, the

apostleship had run its course, but the ministry of the apostles still continues.

And how did he carry out his apostleship? He felt himself to be an apostle, and therefore, equal to all or any of that college. "To whom we gave subjection, no, not for an hour,"-there stood the man. Peter was

a great man in the Church, he always made the most of what he had to do. He had large popularity,-What of that to the apostle Paul? He always stood forward the champion of evangelical truth, caring nothing for ceremony. He struggled for the Christianity of Christ alone. Dear is James! dear is Cephas! but dearer still is Christ.

See in this man the four different phases, and through all runs the same golden thread. Concentration, firmness, depth of practical purpose.

Now he was a Jew, and such was his affection for his own people that he could say, "I would I were accursed for them.' This is but figurative, strikingly strong phraseology. (Blackwell, in his "Sacred Classics," quotes several similar expressions.) But he knew what the Jews were, how ungodly and un-Christ-like, and his soul was fired in the great work of converting them to Christ. And that is the one great work we now want to promote.

Doubtless this would be impossible to accomplish, if the power of man were all we could refer to. We say the Jews can be converted-they have been converted. Look at Germany-there are many there, distinguished men; neophytes have caught the spirit of the Gospel. And why not? What heart is there the Spirit cannot touch?

Dr. Archer closed his admirable discourse by an affectionate and earnest appeal on behalf of the British Society, of which he has been a cordial and efficient friend from its commencement, commending especially, the catholicity of its constitution, and the simplicity of its object.

Notice of Books.

The Brother born for Adversity, 18mo, cloth gilt. SNow, Paternoster Row.

We gladly welcome a "Second Thousand" of this very acceptable manual of scriptural thought and suggestion, by one who appears to be well acquainted with the sorrows and the joys of Christian pilgrimage.

His object is to commend the Saviour in His fraternal relation to the affection and confidence of those who, on the way to the house of their Father, need the sympathy and guidance which such a relation implies.

"The similarity of the sorrows and sufferings of the Saviour to those of His followers" is shown "with regard to the physical, the mental, and the spiritual aspects of His and their life." We know that this little volume has been acceptable to the aged believer, and we again commend it to those who wish to find in "looking to Jesus" at once their solace and their incitement to progress.

When, oh, when? shall the Jew go forth to meet this Brother? And when, introduced by Him, will he take the place reserved for him at the Father's table? Are we doing all we can to persuade and win him? Does he see in us the spirit of that Brother? He has no arm on which to lean-no heart to sympathise with him in the "adversity;" let us stir up ourselves to new effort-and wrestle for the Brother's blessing on him.

Our Missions.

MARSEILLES.

Mr. COHEN has recently visited three towns in the vicinity of his station. It is affecting to reflect how seldom, if ever, these Jews have been dealt with in earnest by any one knowing the truth and caring for their

souls.

"We are Israelites by name (said some), but we are neither Jews nor Christians."

Mr. Cohen says of one of the above-named towns:

I found the Jews here very accessible, on account of their humble position; the most of them keep little shops. I was glad to find some few who were acquainted with the New Testament, while the most were totally ignorant of our holy religion, and of the Holy Scriptures in general, which afforded me many opportunities to refer them again and again to Moses and the prophets, shewing them, out of the same, that holy men, as the prophets were who lived a thousand years before Christ, testified beforehand the coming of Christ, and that if they believed in Jesus, they only would do what Moses and the prophets did thousands of years before them. Not a few Jews were greatly surprised when I told them that all their fasting and prayers would avail them nothing, and would procure for them neither reconciliation with God, nor forgiveness of sin, which can be obtained only by faith in the atoning blood of Christ, who had been wounded for our sin, and upon whom God has laid the iniquity of us all; and I told them that from henceforth they will have no excuse on the great day of account for having neglected so great a salvation. The first Saturday I met several Jews, with whom I entered into a long conversation; and as they had never studied the Word of truth, I spoke practically to their consciences about sin and of the holiness of God, and His love in reconciling the world by Jesus Christ, &c., when one of them told me that I ought to go with that speech to the Gentiles, as for them, they were Israelites, and that

was

enough for them. I gave them tracts, and entreated them not to neglect the day of grace, and to seek the Lord Jesus whilst He may be found, and left them. Yesterday I met one of them, who told me that what I had told them last week was very true. I again preached to him the saving truths of the Gospel, but I found him so ignorant, that when I spoke to him about the salvation of his soul, he asked me what I meant by it. I gave him a French Bible, and I pray that he may find Him who is the salvation of Israel.

This morning I met one of my brethren, to whom I had given a Testament about fifteen months ago, and I was pleased to hear him say that he still read the word of truth, and he told

many things which Jesus did and said, which greatly encouraged me, and, as Mr. Monod observed, to whom I related this incident, the very fact that the Jew is still reading the Testament ought to encourage us in the work of preaching Christ to them, and leave the result with God.

Of another town, Mr. CoнEN writes:

I have already told you that there are but very few Jews here; but those who are here are very respectable. Mr. L-received me very kindly, and I passed a friendly hour with him, and, I trust, a profitable one. I asked him several questions about Judaism as it now was, and what he thought of Christ and Christianity, &c. He said, "To tell you frankly, I do not occupy my mind with these things; these are things for gentlemen, like yourself, who have nothing else to do." I asked him to tell me what his hopes were of heaven. He said, "They are the same as Abraham's were." I told him that I was glad to hear him say so, as I believed that Abraham's hopes were in Christ, for he rejoiced to see His day, and he saw it by faith, and was glad. But Mr. Lthought that it was circumcision. I asked him what he thought of returning to Jerusalem. He said, "France is my country; here I have been born, and here I hope to die." He thankfully accepted tracts, and even offered to pay me for them, which, of course, I refused to accept. The rest of the Jews received me kindly, and thankfully accepted tracts; and I pray the Lord Jesus to crown my feeble efforts in the salvation of souls, and He shall have all the glory. Of the third town, Mr. COHEN says:

A--As this is my first visit to this ancient city, I have but little to say. I visited several Jews, of whom there are about thirty resident families, the most of whom are shopkeepers. I visited the miserable place where they were shut in, and which still goes by the name of Juiverie. It has three entrances, each of which had an iron gate. The names of the streets are still called Rue Abraham, Rue Jacob, and Rue Jerusalem. The Jews suffered severely from the tyrannical sway of the