and your fincerity in applying to yourselves the truths which you hear, be such as become those who listen to the word of life. Who, cried the prophet Ifaiah, anticipating the rejection of the preachers of the Gospel by his countrymen; Who hath believed our report (n)? When Jefus Chrift appeared, and preached in their fynagogues; how few in comparison with the multitudes of his hearers were impreffed with durable conviction! If the Jews could fail of being converted by the preaching of the Son of God; how eafily may you fail to profit by the preaching of his minifters! Why did the Jews fail of converfion? The word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith, with genuine operative faith, in them that heard it (o). Be not ye like unto them. If any doctrine declared to you from the pulpit appear hard and strange; do not hastily pronounce it erroneous and unworthy of God. Have you never detected yourself in ignorance? Have you never known yourself blinded by misapprehenfion and prejudice? May it not be ignorance, or misapprehenfion, or prejudice, which prevents you from perceiving the doctrine to be true? Sufpend your judge(n) Ifaiah, liii. 1. C 2

(0) Hebr. iv. 2.

menty

ment, until

you fhall have confidered the fubject maturely and with impartiality. Confult your Bible deliberately at home. Compare one part of Scripture with another. Why are the inhabitants of Berea honoured with a record of perpetual praise? Because when new doctrines were proposed to them, they fearched the Scriptures diligently to learn whether those things were fo. The search was not in vain. They difcovered that the doctrines were undeniably the doctrines of the word of God. Imitate these wife men in their zeal: follow them in the tract which they pursued in quest of truth. If the refult of If the refult of your examination leaves your doubts unrefolved; have you not friends both intelligent and pious, with whom you may discuss them? Have you not ministers of religion impelled, let us truft, by inclination no less than by duty, privately to confirm your faith by fpiritual inftruction and counsel? Finally; fupplicate day by day your Almighty Father for grace habitually to exemplify in the busy scenes of life the efficacy of the inftruction to which you liftened on the Sabbath. In your prayers forget not your minifters. Intercede for them, and in that interceffion you intercede for yourselves, that

utterance

utterance may be given unto them that they may open their mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gofpel, that therein they may speak boldly, as they ought to speak (p). What is our united fupplication? “Make, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, all bishops and pastors diligently to preach thy holy word, and the people obedi

ently to follow the fame. Grant that "the ministers and stewards of thy myfte"ries may prepare and make ready thy

way, by turning the hearts of the disobe"dient to the wisdom of the just. Grant " unto us all that we, being called by thy holy word, may forthwith give up our«selves obediently to fulfil thy holy com"mandments, through Jefus Chrift our « Lord.”

(p) Ephef. vi. 19, 20.

SERMON II.

On Believers and Unbelievers.

ACTS, xxviii. 24.

And fome believed the things which were Spoken; and fome believed not.

ST. PAUL, delivered by his false accusers in Judea into the hands of the Roman governor, perceived that no profpect of preferving his life remained, but by an appeal unto Cæfar. Exercifing therefore the right of a Roman citizen, he demanded to be sent to the Emperor, that by him the cause might be examined and decided. He was accordingly conveyed, as a prisoner, to Rome. His firft care, on his arrival in that city, was to affemble his countrymen, the Jews to fatisfy them, that he had never purposed, in appealing unto Cæfar, to exhibit any complaint against the Jewish nation; and distinctly to set before them that faith in Jefus of Nazareth, the promised

Saviour,

Saviour, for which he was an ambassador in bonds. His countrymen replied, that no charge against himself had reached their ears; that they had received but imperfect accounts concerning the doctrine which he profeffed; that they knew it, however, to be univerfally spoken against; and that they were defirous of hearing a full statement of his opinions. A day was appointed. Numbers came to his abode. Earneft for their converfion, and zealous for the glory of his Master, he expounded to them the Scriptures, and teftified the kingdom of God, perfuading them concerning Jefus, both out of the law of Mofes, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. What was the effect of his labour? Some believed the things which were spoken; and fome believed not. Some believed: Why? They could not resist the power and wisdom with which he spoke. They were willing to liften to the truth; therefore their prejudices yielded. They turned their eyes to the light; therefore the light fhone not in vain. They difcerned in Jefus of Nazareth the undeniable characters of that Meffiah, to whom the Law and the Prophets bare. witness they difcerned them with joy and thankfulness; therefore they glorified