MERM. XXXIX.l THE RIGHT 2MPROVEMENT OF LIFE, 151 for God, by the,long continuance of saints in this world° Survey the labours and the sufferings, the ministry, the zeal and the success of the blessed apostles, who planted the first christian churches. What monuments of ho- nour did they raise among Jews and strangers, among Greeks and barbarians, the savage and the polite hea- thens, to their crucified and exalted Saviour ! What multitudes of subjects were brought to bow the knee to, Jesus by their preaching ! What a large harvest of souls was gathered unto Christ, when the apostle scattered the seed of the gospel all round the countries, from Jerusa- lem, through the provinces' of the lesser . Asia, and through the southern parts of Europe, as some have supposed, as far as Spain ! And the Redeemer was glo- rified byhis labours where the naine of the true God the Creator was hardly known before. What an extensive blessing to the world was the life of Paul? It is to this, that the following ages of christianity, as well as the pri- mitive saints, owe the unspeakable benefit of his writ- ings ; and it is to this, that Great Britain owes the bless- ing of his divine epistles. How honourable was it for St. Paul himself, and how happy for us, that he was made an instrument of such service to Christ, such a glorious service, as spread itself round the nations, and reached to distant ages of mankind. His long life vas an illustri us blessing both to himself and to the cl'ris- tian wor d III. (Life is yours, O christians, for it allows many a proper season for giving examples of holiness to mankind. And it is anhonour to a saint, to be made an example of religion amongst a nation of sinners, or a pattern of ho- liness, among the churches of believers. Herein you become followers and imitators of the blessed Lord your Master : He is the first pattern, he is the most glorious example; for in all things he must have the pre -emi., nence. If you become a public and shining exampleof virtue, and piety, and goodness, you may attain these four very valuable ends at once. 1. By this means you pay great and just honours to the blessed gospel whereby you are saved, and confound and silence the impious accusations and slanders of the wicked ; and especially if your station and rank in the L 4
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