be obtained only through his merits and atonements; he was glad. His bofom fwelled with delight: with delight to see the exaltation of his Master's glory, and the extenfion of his kingdom. He would have rejoiced, had he beheld no more than the tranquillity and outward comfort of his fellow Christians. But the delight which swallowed up all other motives of joy was to behold the growing establishment of the church of Chrift: to behold the Lord adding daily to it such as should be faved: to behold men on the verge of destruction rendered conscious of their danger, and eager to grafp the hand stretched out for their deliverance: to behold finners turning with abhorrence from their iniquities, and glorifying the Lord their Redeemer by newness of life.

Here you have a third feature in the character of a good man.

IV. Barnabas exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

The joy of Barnabas did not waste itself in idle contemplation. His fenfe of duty permitted him not to flumber. His love of Christ constrained him to labour for

Chrift. His love of man impelled him ta the affistance of man. At an earlier period, when he had obferved the diftrefs which prevailed among the poorer Chrif tians; having land, he fold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the feet of the Apostles, that it might be distributed among his neceffitous brethren. On that occafion he appears to have received, as St. Luke informs us, from the Apoftles the name by which he was afterwards diftinguished: the furname of Barnabas, which is, being interpreted, the Son of Confolation (k). How many fufferers at that time experienced from his compaffion the comforts of food and raiment! He now went about doing good, feeding the hungry and clothing the naked, in another and an infinitely more beneficial manner. He went about as a minifter to mankind of those bleffings, which exclufively confer complete and durable confolation: deliverance from fin, fpiritual strength, fupport to the foul, the bread of life, the garment of righteousness. He exhorted them all: he neglected not the opportunity of promoting the eternal welfare of any individual. He exhorted

(4) Acts, iv. 36, 37.

them

them all, that with purpofe of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. He warned them individually of the fupreme importance of being faithful to Him, of whom they professed themselves the disciples. He fet before them the heinous guilt, the tremendous confequences, of falling away. He taught them, that neither a temporary adherence to Chrift, nor an outward and formal confeffion of him, conftituted a Christian. He taught them that, if they would be acknowledged at the last day as Christians, they must confefs Chrift with devotedness of heart unto the end: confefs him by life and by death, by acting and by fuffering confefs him by renouncing the world; by living unto him; by feeking his favour, not that of man; by ferving him in fpirit and in truth; by cheerfully encountering for his fake the loss of ease, of interest, of reputation; by receiving his law as the rule of life; and by a holy determination day by day to submit to hatred and danger, to ridicule and contempt, rather than tranfgrefs any one of his commandments.

Here you have a fourth mark, by which a good man is to be known,

Though

Though I have ftudiously allotted but few words to the foregoing particulars; your patience, I fear, will allow me to make only a very short application.

You have now learned, from the infallible authority of the word of God, the effential nature of Goodness. Accustom yourselves uniformly to estimate Goodness by the scriptural standard; not by the standard of the world, but by the standard of God. When you are to form an opinion concerning other men, examine and confider and hope and judge with charity: but, if you are to judge at all, judge by Scripture. Above all things, let the Scriptures be your guide in judging of yourfelves. The orderly man may make decorum his idol: the liberal man, liberality: the industrious man, industry: the cautious man, wariness: the good humoured man, popularity in focial intercourfe: the votary of honour, reputation. The worshipper of each of these idols may obtain from the world the character of Goodnefs. But if you are one of these worshippers, let the world extol your goodness as it may, you are not a good man. While you worship any one of thefe idols, while you worship

any

Do

any idol, you cannot be a good man. you defire to attain Goodness? Look to the character of Barnabas. Obferve the prominent features in his portrait. Do you perceive in yourself a genuine resemblance to them? Are you, like Barnabas, full of the Holy Ghoft? Is your bofom the abode of Chriftian graces; of humility and felfabasement; of unfeigned repentance; of purity and spiritual-mindedness; of meeknefs, long-fuffering, and forgiveness; of grateful love to the all-fufficient Redeemer? Is it, at least, your conftant prayer to be filled with these and other gifts of the Holy Spirit; and your fervent defire to be an example of them? Are you, like Barnabas, full of faith? Is your faith a faith in the Lord Jefus? Is your faith a living faith? Has it weaned you from all reliance on yourself to habitual dependence on Christ? Does it constrain you to a life of zealous obedience full of every good word and work? Or, when your confcience upbraids the weakness of your faith; is your fupplication that of the afflicted father of the youth poffeffed by an evil Spirit, Lord! I believe: help thou mine unbelief? Are you, like Barnabas, glad when you fee the grace

of