The life and work of St. Paul

CYPEUS. 191
outlines he must have been but too well able to conjecture something of its
trials. But had he foreseen all that was before him had he foreseen the
scourgings, the flagellations, the stoning, the shipwrecks, 1 the incessant toil-
ings on foot along intolerable and dangerous roads, the dangers from swollen
rivers and rushing watercourses, the dangers from mountain brigands, the
dangers from Jews, from Gentiles, from false Christians in city and wilderness
and sea, the frantic crowds that nearly tore him to pieces, the weary
nights, the chill, naked, thirsty, famine-stricken days, the incessant wearing
responsibility, the chronic disease and weakness, all the outrages, all the
insults, all the agitating bursts of indignation against those who pat stumblingblocks
in the paths of the weak, 2 the severe imprisonments, the incessant
death, and all ended by desertion, failure, loneliness, chains, condemnation,
the chilly dungeon, 3 the nameless martyrdom had he foreseen all this, could
he have borne it? His human spirit might indeed have shrunk at all the
efforts and the agonies which lay before him greater probably than have ever
fallen to the lot of man; yet even at this early phase of his missionary
career I doubt not that the hero's heart would have "
boldly uttered, I hold
not my life dear unto myself," and the faith of the Christian would have
enabled him "
to say, I can do all things through Christ that strengthened me."
Yet to all human judgment how ill qualified, physically, was the Apostle
for the vast and perilous work which lay before him. The strongest
athlete might well have quailed as he thought of the toil, the sleeplessness,
the manual labour, the mental anxiety. The most imposing orator might
have trembled at the thought of facing so many hostile potentates and
raging crowds. The finest moral courage might have entreated to be spared
the combined opposition alike of false friends and furious enemies. But
Paul was no Milo, no Demosthenes, no Scipio Africanus ; he was physi-
cally infirm, constitutionally nervous, painfully sensitive. His bodily presence
was weak, his speech despised, his mind often overwhelmed with
with fear. But over the feeble body and shrinking soul dominated a spirit
so dauntless that he was ready all his life long to brave torture, to con-
front mobs, to harangue tribunals, to quail as little before frowning tyrants
as before stormy seas. He might have addressed his ailing body in the
words of the great hero as he rode into the thick of battle, "Aha, you
tremble ! but you would tremble far more if you knew whither I meant to
take you to-day." *
The concurrent testimony of tradition, and the oldest attempts at representation,
enable us to summon up before us the aspect of the man. A
modern writer, who cannot conceal the bitter dislike which mingles with
bis unwilling admiration, is probably not far wrong in characterising him
as a small and ugly Jew. 6 You looked on a man who was buffeted by an
1 2 Cor. li. 23 33.
* 2 Cor. Jd. 29, ri o-Kav&a\ltTcu.,