in his second letter to Timothy, many of his friends and disciples
deserted him, and he was left almost alone. He had to defend himself
single-handed against the capricious tyrant who ruled the world, and who
wished to cast on the Christians the stain of his greatest crime, the
conflagration of his capital. As we have said, all details pertaining to
the life of Paul after his arrival at Rome are simply conjectural, and
although interesting, they cannot give us the satisfaction of certainty.

But in closing, after enumerating the labors and writings of this great
apostle, it is not inopportune to say a few words about his remarkable
character, although I have now and again alluded to his personal traits
in the course of this narrative.

Paul is the most prominent figure of all the great men who have adorned,
or advanced the interest of, the Christian Church. Great pulpit orators,
renowned theologians, profound philosophers, immortal poets, successful
reformers, and enlightened monarchs have never disputed his intellectual
ascendency; to all alike he has been a model and a marvel. The grand old
missionary stands out in history as a matchless example of Christian
living, a sure guide in Christian doctrine. No more favored mortal is
ever likely to appear; he is the counterpart of Moses as a divine
teacher to all generations. The popes may exalt Saint Peter as the
founder of their spiritual empire, but when their empire as an
institution shall crumble away, as all institutions must which are not
founded on the "Rock" which it was the mission of apostles to proclaim,
Paul will stand out the most illustrious of all Christian teachers.

As a man Paul had his faults, but his virtues were transcendent; and
these virtues he himself traced to divine grace, enabling him to conquer
his infirmities and prejudices, and to perform astonishing labors, and
to endure no less marvellous sufferings. His humanity was never lost in
his discouraging warfare; he sympathized with human sorrows and
afflictions; he was tolerant, after his conversion, of human
infirmities, while enjoining a severe morality. He was a man of native
genius, with profound insight into spiritual truth. Trained in
philosophy and disputation, his gentleness and tact in dealing with
those who opposed him are a lesson to all controversialists. His
voluntary sufferings have endeared him to the heart of the world, since
they were consecrated to the welfare of the world he so