37

SERMON IV.

PAUL AN EXAMPLE OF MERCY.

1 TIMOTHY i. 16.

Howbeit, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them who should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

THE writer of these words: was a distinguished character. As an Apostle, he stood pre-eminent; as a Christian, his attainments were of the highest order; and as a Minister of the Gospel, his labours, his sufferings, and success excite our astonishment and delight.

But his conversion was most remarkable, and the circumstances which attended it are particularly worthy of regard. This man was "turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God," by an energy irresistible, shall we say? It was at least invincible. His conversion was a miracle; the arm of Omnipotence effected it; and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ was exceeding abundant towards him. From this event resulted an entire change in all his plans and procedure; he believed

F

the truth which he formerly despised; he preached the faith which once he laboured to destroy; and the substance of his message was: "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief."

With the most exalted sentiments of the Saviour, he connected the most abasing views of himself: he sunk, in his own estimation, into the dust: he classed himself with the worst, and even lower than the worst-the chief of sinners. Howbeit, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them who should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting."

We notice three things-The IMPROBABILITY of Paul's obtaining mercy-The MERCY which, notwithstanding, he did receive-And the DESIGN of its bestowment,

I. The IMPROBABILITY of Paul's obtaining

mercy.

The manner in which the text is introduced naturally suggests this. He had spoken of himself as of all men the least likely to be an object of mercy; indeed, as most unfit to be thus distinguished; the strongest improbability appeared in the way: "howbeit, I obtained mercy."

Now what was Paul's character previous to his conversion to Christianity? Had he been an idolater, a publican, a profligate, a slave to licentious appetites and habits? No. Had he been an extortioner and unjust; an oppressor of the poor, the fatherless, or the widow? We have no evidence of this. Had he profaned the Sabbath, lived in contempt of the law, and in disregard of moral and religious duties? The reverse was the fact. In propriety of external behaviour, he was better than

most, and in sincerity of intention he was excelled by none. He sums up the character which he gives of himself in these remarkable words :-" touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless."

How then was he "the chief of sinners?" Wherein appears the atrocity of his guilt? In ascertaining this, we must regard the state of his heart, as evinced by his spirit and conduct in matters distinct from what has just been mentioned. We are accustomed to judge of sin too much merely from the outward act. We forget that the seat of sin is the heart; that it always begins there, and is brought forth, though not in grossly immoral practice. We forget that the sinfulness of sin consists in its being comitted against God; and that a man's guilt is to be measured by the enmity and opposition of his mind against the revealed will of the Most High.

By this rule judge of Paul's character before his conversion, and you will see the improbability of the case, the hindrances which appeared in the way of his obtaining mercy. His early advantages, in some respects, were considerable: his education was liberal; he had sat at the feet of Gamaliel; but what had he there learnt? Nothing of his own heart, nothing of the gospel, nothing of Christ, nothing of the way of salvation by his cross. Of these things he had no knowledge, or had been egregiously misled: his prejudice was inveterate, and his pride was excessive; his self-righteous pride indeed was his greatest sin in the sight of God, the mainspring of all his other sins, and the strongest barrier in the way of his conversion. He hated the gospel -why? because it opposed his prejudice and touched his pride; and, hating the gospel, he refused to attend to its evidences, which might have convinced him of its truth. What he did was " ignorantly," but then he refused the means of knowledge: it was "in unbelief," but he rejected the way of faith. He obstinately shut his eyes that he might not see, and

closed his ears that he might not hear; and thus cherished the most rancorous enmity against the holy Jesus and his followers.

Nor was this all. He speaks of himself, verse the thirteenth, as "a blasphemer, a persecutor, and injurious."-By a blasphemer is not here meant, a profane curser and swearer, but one that degraded the dignity and vilified the nanie of the Saviour, the Son of God. Many think lightly of the words they utter, but sinful words are exceedingly sinful, as out of the fulness of the heart the mouth speaketh. Who can tell how much abusive language this man had uttered against the blessed Jesus and his Gospel! How many malicious words he had spoken against the unoffending Christians! But words did not suffice his unhallowed zeal urged him on to savage deeds. "Breathing out threatenings and slaughter, he made havock of the Church. Entering into every house, he haled men and women, committing them to prison. Being exceedingly mad against them, he persecuted them even into strange cities; and when they were put to death, he gave his voice against them." This is his own account of the matter; and what shall we think of his character from this view of it? What sin more heinous than blasphemy? What crime more hateful and injurious than persecution, especially of this kind, and rising to this pitch? Let a man's conduct in other re spects be ever so moral, his zeal ever so ardent, his sincerity ever so clear; yet if such be the deformity. of his character, self-condemnation becomes him. Did Paul libel himself when he said, I am the chief of sinners" No, he was such in the 'full conviction of his own mind, as enlightened by the Spirit of God. Horebeit, he obtained mercy.We

notice, Tor

to 300001 91 leena ad eit sud II. The MERCY which, notwithstanding the improbability of the case, Paul did receive

1. It was sovereign in its source.

Whence did it spring? Through what medium did it flow? Human merit could have nothing to do in the gift of mercy to the chief of sinners. Mercy always excludes merit, and most evidently so in the instance before us. It was mercy flowing freely from the throne of Jehovah, through the atonement of Jesus Christ; by whom every hindrance is removed, every obstacle taken out of the way; by whom the demands of law and justice are fully answered, so that mercy-the richest mercy-is communicated in perfect harmony with holiness and truth. Remember, and forget not the obedience and sacrifice of the Son of God; through these it is that mercy flows so freely to rebel man, and every perfection of Deity is exalted in its most abundant display.

2. It was great in its degree.

We estimate the greatness of mercy by the guilt of the offender, and by the effects it produces. What was Paul's guilt we have already noticed, and let it be repeated. The seat of sin is the heart, it works there in bitter enmity against God and the gospel, in self-righteous pride, inveterate prejudice, and obstinate unbelief: aggravated guilt attaches to these; and in such degree as they prevail in any man, that mercy is great which surmounts them, and which is effectual to subdue them. And such was the mercy which Paul obtained: not sparing mercy merely, allowing him"space" for repentance, but giving him repentance itself, that repentance which is unto salvation." Behold, therefore, its magnitude in its effects! It was mercy to pardon all his sins, to cancel all his guilt, to justify his soul, to change his heart, to give him inward peace, and hope, and comfort: it was mercy to enrich him with the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ, to make him holy, to renew him entirely in the spirit of his mind, and to engage him to walk in newness of life. Form