A. D.

248.

ferring or afking the paftors any questions: Others ftay not till the lecture is ended; and others hear not fo much as a fingle word; but entertain themfelves in a corner of the Church."

By the bleffing of Almighty God, nothing was fo likely to conquer this carelefs fpirit, as the faithful difpenfation of the peculiar truths of the Gofpel in a practical manner, fo as to fearch the heart. -But the ability as well as the taste for doing this had much declined, in the eaftern part of the Church especially.-Origen complains elfewhere of the ambitious and haughty manners of paftors, and of the wrong fteps which fome took to obtain PREFERMENTS.

This great man was now once more employed in Arabia in confuting another error, namely,of those who denied the intermediate ftate of fouls; and this he managed with his ufual good fuccefs *.

Philip enjoyed the fruits of his crimes five years, and was then flain and fucceeded by Decius. A little before his death, in the year two hundred and forty eight, CYPRIAN was chofen bishop of Carthage.-A ftar of the first magnitude, when we confider the times in which he lived. Let us recreate ourselves with the contemplation of it: We are fatigued with hunting for Chriftian goodness; and we have discovered but little: and that with much difficulty.-We fhall find Cyprian to be a character, who partook indeed of the declenfions which we have noticed and lamented; but who was ftill far fuperior, I apprehend, in real fimplicity and piety to the Chrif tians of the Eaft.

Eufeb. B. 6. 36.

CHAP.

CHAP. VII.

THE CONVERSION OF CYPRIAN.

THE life of

HE life of this prelate was written by Pontius It is to be regretted, that one who must have known him fo weil, fhould have written in fo incompetent a manner. Very little diftinct information is to be gathered from him; but Cyprian's own letters are extant, and from them I fhall endeavour to exhibit whatever is of the greatest moment. They are, in truth, a valuable treasure of ecclefiaftical hiftory: The fpirit, tafte, difcipline, and habits of the times, among Chriftians, are ftrongly delineated; nor have we in all the third century any account to be compared with them. He was a profeffor of oratory in the city of Carthage, and a man of wealth, quality, and dignity. Cæcilius, a Carthaginian prefbyter, had the felicity, under God, to conduct him to the knowledge of Chrift; and, in his gratitude, Cyprian afterwards affumed the prænomen of Cæcilius. His converfion was about the year two hundred and forty-fix; and two A. D. years before his elevation to the See of Carthage. 246. About thirteen years comprehends the whole fcene of his Chriftian life.-But God can do great things in a little time; or to fpeak more nervoufly with the facred writer," ONE DAY IS WITH THE LORD AS A THOUSAND YEARS." He did not proceed by flow painful steps of argumentation, but feems to have been led on with vaft rapidity by the effectual

operation

operation of the Divine Spirit :-and he happily efcaped, in a great meafure at leaft, the hoals and quickfands of falfe learning and self-conceit, which fo much tarnished the character of his eaftern brethren. Faith and love in native fimplicity appear to have been poffeffed by him when an early convert. He faw with pity the poor of the flock; and he knew no method fo proper of employing "the unrighteous mammon as in relieving their diftrefs."-He fold whole eftates for their benefit.

It was an excellent rule of the Apostle concerning ordination, "Not a novice, lett, being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil." There appeared, however, in Cyprian a spirit at once fo fimple, fo zealous, and fo intelligent, that in about two years after his converfion he was chofen prefbyter, and then bishop of Carthage.

It was no feigned virtue that thus advanced him in the eyes of the people. With Cyprian the love of Chrift evidently preponderated above all fecular confiderations. In vain his wife oppofed his Christian spirit of liberality. The widow, the orphan, and the poor, found in him a fympathizing benefactor continually. The prefbyter Cæcilius muft have beheld with much delight the growing virtues of his pupil:-When dying, he recommended to his care his own wife and children. It was with no fatisfaction that Cyprian obferved the defigns of the people to choose him for their bishop. He retired to avoid folicitation: His house was befieged: His retreat was rendered impoffible. He yielded at length, and with much reluctance accepted the PAINFUL PRE-EMINENCE. For fo he foon found it.-Five prefbyters,

* Pontius Vit. Cyp.

byters, however, were enemies to his exultation. His lenity, patience, and benevolence towards them were remarked by every one.

The active spirit of Cyprian was, no doubt, much employed before he was made a bishop: Indeed Pontius tells us, that this was actually the cafe; but he communicates no particulars. St. Auftin fays, that his letter to Donatus was his firft work; and, therefore, the time of writing it may fafely be placed before his arrival at epifcopal dignity. Part of this letter, as it will illuftrate his converfion, and fhew the spirit of a man penetrated with divine love, and lately recovered from the idolatry of the world, well deferves to be tranflated." I find your whole care and concern at present is for converfion: you look at ine; and, in your affection, expect much from me:--I fear, I cannot answer your expectations.-Small fruits must be looked for from my unworthiness;-Yet, I will make the attempt; for the SUBJECT MATTER is all on my fide.-Let plaufible arts of ambition be used in courts; but when we speak of the Lord God, plainnefs and fincerity, not the powers of eloquence, fhould be used. Hear, then, things not eloquent, but important; not courtly, but rude and fimple ;-fo, should the divine goodnefs be celebrated always with artlefs truth.-Hear then an account of fomething which is felt before it is learnt; and is not collected by a long courfe of fpeculation, but is imbibed by the foul, through the compendium of grace ripening her, as it were all at once.

While I lay in darkness and the night of paganifm, and when I fluctuated uncertain and dubious with wandering steps in the fea of a tempeftuous age, ignorant of my own life, and alienated from light and truth, it appeared to me a harsh and difficult thing, as my manners then were, to obtain VOL. I. what

A A

what divine grace had promifed, namely, that a man fhould be born again; and that, being animated to a new life by the falutary washing of regeneration*, he fhould ftrip himfelf of what he was before, and though the body remained the fame, he should, in his mind, become altogether a new creature. How can fo great a change be poffible, said I,—that a man fhould fuddenly and at once put off what nature and habit have confirmed in him. These evils are deeply and closely fixed in us. How fhall he learn parfimony who has been accustomed to expenfive and magnificent feafts? And how fhall he who has been accustomed to purple, gold, and coftly attire, condefcend to the fimplicity of a plebeian habit? Can he who was delighted with the honours of ambition live private and obfcure? Further, the man has been accustomed to crowds of clients and will think folitude the moft dreadful punishment.He must ftill, thought I, be infefted by tenacious allurements: Drunkennefs, pride, anger, rapacity, cruelty, ambition, and lust, muft ftill domineer over him.

Thefe reflections paffed my mind very often; for they were peculiarly applicable to my own cafe. -I was myself entangled in many errors of my former life, from which I did not think it poffible to be cleared: hence, I favoured my vices, and, through defpair of what was better, I ftuck clofe to them as part of my very frame and conftitution. But after the filth of my former fins was washed away in the laver of regeneration, and divine light, from above, had infufed itfelf into my heart now purified and cleansed; after, through the effufion of the Holy Spirit from heaven, the new birth had made

An inftance we have here of the powerful effects of regeneration attending baptifm in those days.