to preach that faith, which he had till then, laboured to destroy; to go forth to the Gentiles, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan, unto God. His prompt obedience to this heavenly vision, speedily brought upon him the indignation of his countrymen, who, provoked to jealousy, laid hold on him in the temple, and went about to kill him; although he had testified no other things, than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come; "that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people and to the Gentiles." Having proceeded thus far, he was interrupted by the governor Festus, and so prevented from concluding his defence. And here I would remark by the way, different effect which appears the very to have been produced by the powerful reasoning, and striking detail of the Apostle, upon the mind of Festus and that of Agrippa: the former seems to have been forcibly struck by the power and energy with which the Apostle spoke, but unconvinced by his arguments, and uninterested in the facts on which he dwelt, or the result to which they might lead, he imputes all the Apostle had expressed, to an enthusiastic mind, excited and led astray by an over application to learning. While Agrippa, being a Jew, and therefore, "Expert in all customs and

questions which are among the Jews," and also believing the Prophets, to whom the Apostle alluded, and from whose prophecies he reasoned concerning Christ and his resurrection, appears to have been so far awakened by his arguments, that instead of thinking him mad, he was so convinced by Scripture, and reason, of the probability of the truth of what he had advanced, as to be almost persuaded, to renounce his Jewish prejudices and profession, and to become a

Christian.

Now I would observe, that although these two remarkable characters are entirely different in circumstances and profession, from any characters which are to be met with in a professing Christian congregation at the present day, yet I am persuaded, that if we examine closely, we shall find that there are some not altogether dissimilar in spirit, and in its practical results from one or other of these two characters. Are there not some in every congregation, who seem to pay as little attention to what they hear from this place, as if they did not believe it; or, as if they at least had no interest in it whatever? are there not some, who say in their hearts, if they do not express it with their lips, concerning the Preachers of the Word; "These men bring certain strange things to our ears," which we cannot understand; what they bring forward therefore, must be the enthusiastic ravings

L

of disordered minds. My brethren, this is a very easy method of blinding or deceiving themselves, and endeavouring to get rid of doctrines, which if admitted as true, must lead to a practice and conversation, which they have no inclination to follow; but I would say to such, endeavouring to do so in the meek spirit of the Apostle, "believest thou the Prophets? believest thou the sayings of our Lord, and the writings of his Apostles? if so, search and examine these Scriptures with care and candour, before you bring those heavy charges against the preachers of that Word; and if you do so in a proper spirit, I am well persuaded, that so far from accusing us of setting forth, what some are pleased to call enthusiasm, you will be prepared to agree with us when we say, that we are not enthusiasts, but that "we speak forth the words of truth and soberness." That we testify no other things than what the Prophets and Apostles have already declared, and left on record; and that the doctrines which we preach are sound and Scriptural, and in strict accordance with the doctrines of that Church, which you, as well as we, profess to believe orthodox and Apostolic. Again, are there not others in every congregation, who giving much attention to what they hear from this place, follow the preacher in his arguments, and as if convinced of the truth of his report, founded on the au

thority of Scripture, seem impressed by his appeal to their reason and understanding, and who yet give evidence, that what they have heard, has produced no practical effect; so that what Agrippa declared of himself, may be literally applied to them, they are only almost persuaded to be Christians. My brethren, it cannot be too frequently repeated, nor too strongly enforced from this place, that there is no such character as the almost Christian, though from the expression in our text, it has been assumed; a person must be altogether a Christian, or not at all; the religion of the Gospel, is experimental, it is practical, and in order to be entirely a Christian, a man must be experimentally and practically so. Under this conviction and this feeling, I would endeavour with God's assistance, to improve the present opportunity, from the considerations suggested by our text; earnestly entreating you to bear in mind, that in what I am proceeding to set before you, I have not sought instruction, nor drawn my arguments from the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but simply from the word of God, which the Holy Ghost teacheth, and, by which, we shall all be judged in the last day. And first I would remark, that the object of the Christian minister, is to persuade man; and this on two accounts, and from motives calculated beyond all others, to arrest the attention, to speak to the

understanding, and work upon the feelings of every human being who acknowledges that he has an immortal soul, amenable to the laws of a Holy and a just God; and more particularly so, when he considers that he has been a transgressor of those laws,-those laws which pronounce a curse against every offence, whether in thought, word, or deed: and that curse is infinite, its dreadful consequences are eternal; for it is not only written, "cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them;" but "the wages of sin, of every sin, is death," that is, eternal destruction of soul and body in the burning lake, where the tormenting worm dieth not, and where the raging flame is never quenched:" "knowing therefore the terrors of the Lord, we would persuade men," and would earnestly beseech and affectionately urge them, while time and opportunity yet remain, to flee from the wrath to come." Sin often meets with wrath and punishment in this life; but that, however great, or however prolonged, is but slight and momentary compared with the wrath to come; it is now, the wrath to come, for it awaits the impenitent and unbelieving in the other world; and when they have entered upon it, and begin to lift up their eyes in torments, they will perceive, that it is still," the wrath to come," inasmuch as it is never to have an end.