348 / 514
{.1ilry.
C$RISTIAN 1$DRALITY,
V1Z.
[SEAM.
XX:
and
to
retract
his
former errors and
mistakes And in-
deed this
is
one glorious evidence
of
his
being
a
constant
friend to
truth.
But being
well
established
in
the neces-
sary
and fundamental points
of
faith and practice,
he
walks
on
regularly
in
his
christian course without
waver-
ing,
or
wandering into forbidden paths, ever pursuing
his
last great
end
:
And
this
is
a constant christian,
though
his
sentiments, in the
latter part of
his life,
may
differ in
several points
from
the thoughts
of
his
youth.
When
the
eye
of
the
world smiles
upon
his
profession,
and
the sun
shines
bright upon
his
party,
or
when
the
clouds arise,
and
the sharp
winds
of
persecution
blow,
he
is
still the same steady christian, composed, quiet,
undisturbed
:
not
doubtful what
he
should
do,
but
aim-
ing
at
heaven, he
marches
on
homewards,
with
the regu-
lar
discharge
of
all
his
duties
to his
God
on high
:
or
does
he
forget
his
obligations
to his fellow-
creatures
on
earth, though
in twenty instances they may
forget or
re-
fuse to
fulfil
their duty
to him.
His supreme obliga-
tions are to
God
his
Maker, and
to
these he
must
be
true
and
faithful.
How various were the trials
that
St.
Paul
met with
from the Jews, and
from the
Greeks,
from
the Jewish
christians,
and
the
heathen converts! But
how
bright
and
blessed an uniformity
ran
like a golden
thread
through
his whole life
and ministry!
Hear
the
holy
man
often
in his
writings
declaring
his own
steadfast adherence
to
the gospel
:
Hear
him
appealing
to
his
Ephesian
dis-
ciples
concerning
his own
conduct, and proving
it
to
their
consciences,
that
he
had
in some good
measure
acquitted
himself according
to this
rule of christianity; Acts.
xx.
18.
When
the elders
of
Ephesus
were come
to him,
Ye
know,
says he,
that
from
the
first
day
that
I
came
into
Asia,
after
what manner
I
have
been
with you
at all
sea-
sons,
and
that
was by
the
space
of
three
years,
as in
ver.
31.
serving
the
Lord
with
all
humility
of
mind,
with
ma-
ny
tears
and
temptations
that
befel
me
:
And
I
was
con-
stantly testifying to
the
Jews and Greeks,
faith
and re-
pentance,
and
shunned not
to
declare
the
whole
counsel
of
God
to
you, coveting
no
man's
gold or
apparel,
&c.
I
have
shewn you
now,
that
for these three years together
I
have
maintained
the same holy conduct,
that
so
you