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of it whilst yet your errors may be rectified, and your iniquities forgiven.]

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2. Those who are made willing to embrace it—

[Think who it is that has disposed your minds to the attainment of everlasting life: and give him the glory due unto his name. It is God alone that "hath made you to differ" from the unbelieving world; and therefore to him alone must be all the praise. Now then, if you really profess to have experienced the grace of God, we call upon you to glorify his word:" shew that you believe it to be true: let it be seen that you love it, and trust in it, and obey it; and that you "esteem it more than your necessary food." Attend the ministration of it as the Gentiles did, not with vain curiosity, but with the deepest reverence and most lively gratitude. Hear it as the word of God to your souls: hear it as glad tidings of great joy; and let every succeeding Sabbath bring you into a closer acquaintance with it, and a more entire conformity to its dictates. Above all things, attend to what it says of Christ; and receive him as your all-sufficient light, and your complete salvation.]

MDCCLXXXI.

TRIBULATION THE WAY TO HEAVEN.

Acts xiv. 22. We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

REAL fortitude is shewn, not more in overcoming difficulties which unexpectedly occur, than in encountering firmly those which are foreseen. In order to meet trials aright, we must be armed with a heavenly principle: and hence arises the need of a fixed principle in the heart of a Christian; since he is assured, that he shall have many enemies to conflict with, and that his way to heaven lies through much tribulation. This is declared to us by an inspired Apostle; who himself experienced the truth of it, and has forewarned us to expect that it shall also be fulfilled in us.

Let us consider his testimony,

I. As confirmed in him

The whole life of the Apostle, after he embraced

the faith of Christ, was an illustration and proof of this truth. View him

1. On this occasion

[If ever he might have hoped to escape persecution, it was at this time. Consider what he had done in restoring a man who had been a cripple from the womb; and what a spirit the people had manifested towards him, in ascribing to him divine honour, and bringing sacrifices to him as unto a god: Could it be thought that he was in any danger at that place? Yet, behold, no sooner did Jews come from Antioch and Iconium to stir up the people against him, than their minds were changed, and they stoned him as an impostor, whom they had just before proposed to worship as a god: so rapid was the transition from one extreme to another. Just as, in the case of our blessed Lord, there was but an interval of three days between the acclamations of the populace, and the universal cry of "Crucify him, crucify him," so there was but a step between the deification and destruction of this blessed man.]

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2. Through the whole course of his ministry—

[Like his adorable Master, the Lord Jesus, he was truly a man of sorrows." Indeed he expected that he should be so, and forewarned his converts respecting it, lest, when they saw the treatment he received, they should be discouraged. When speaking of his sufferings some years afterwards, he especially referred to this particular occasion: but, in fact, it made only a single article out of a long catalogue of trials, which attended him through life.]

We are apt to think that persecution was the lot of Christians only in the first ages of the Church: but the Apostle's testimony relates to all Christians of every age; and must therefore be considered,

II. As to be realized in us

It is a fact that all zealous Christians are persecuted

[We say not that persecution rages equally at all times; but we affirm, that lively and zealous Christians are hated by the world that "those who are born after the flesh do still persecute those who are born after the Spirit." There are seasons indeed when the world may seem to favour a servant of God; but, in the midst of all their seeming kindness, there

a 1 Thess. iii. 3, 4. b 2 Tim. iii. 10, 11.
d Matt. x. 22. John xv. 18, 19.

c 2 Cor. xi. 23-28.

e Gal. iv. 29.

is in their hearts a rooted enmity against him, which, like sediment in clear water, will shew itself, the very instant it is stirred. It needs but little to inflame a whole community against him. They can hear unkind reports respecting others, and disregard them; but in every thing that leads to the disadvantage of a child of God, they take an interest; and, like inflammable matter, easily communicate the malignant fire to each other, so as rapidly to produce a general conflagration'. And hence every believer is fore-warned to expect persecution as his proper and certain lot".]

And God has graciously ordained, that trials shall attend us for our good

[Our blessed Lord "learned obedience by the things that he suffered," and "was made perfect by sufferings:" and we are to be conformed to him in these respects: we must "suffer with him, in order that we may be glorified together". There is in us a great deal of "dross and tin," which, in the furnace of affliction, must be purged away. Our graces also must be exercised and confirmed by means of trials, which are altogether necessary to call them forth*: and to the graces so exercised will our eternal weight of glory be proportioned'.]

ADDRESS

1. To those who are the friends of this world

[This is a state, which, though greatly desired by men in general, is not by any means to be coveted; for it proves infallibly that we are not faithful to our Godm. It is not possible for light and darkness to coalesce, or for Christ and Belial to agree together". It were better far to be hated of all men for the Lord's sake, than to incur his displeasure for the sake of retaining their good opinion.]

2. Those who suffer for the Lord's sake

[Be not surprised at any thing that you suffer, nor be grieved at it. The inspired writers speak of your trials as a just occasion of joy. Only endeavour to improve them aright; and you will never complain of the difficulties of the way, when you have reached your journey's end'.]

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MDCCLXXXII.

SUCCESS OF THE GOSPEL A GROUND OF JOY.

Acts xiv. 27. And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.

A VERY distinguishing feature of primitive Christianity was, that, whilst it filled all its votaries with an anxiety for their own souls, it inspired them also with a love to the souls of others, and with a zeal for the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom through the world. True it is, indeed, that, on the occasion before us, the separating of Paul and Barnabas to the work of preaching to the Gentiles originated, not with the people of Antioch, but with God himself, who gave a special command respecting it. Yet it is evident, that the whole Church took a lively interest in it; and came together afterwards, with great delight, to hear all that had occurred during this benevolent, but arduous, excursion.

Through the tender mercy of our God, somewhat of a similar spirit has arisen in our day: so that I can scarcely enter on a more gratifying subject with you, than to shew,

I. The interest which the primitive Church took in the work of God

The people expressed no reluctance at parting with Paul and Barnabas

[We cannot doubt but that the ministry of these two men at Antioch was most beneficial to the people's souls: yet we read of no reluctance on the part of the Church in surrendering up their own personal benefit for the good of others. They resembled the Apostle Paul, who, in all such cases, "sought not his own profit, but the profit of many, that they might be saved b." -]

Nor did the Apostles manifest any backwardness to undertake this dangerous enterprise

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[We can have no doubt, but that, however much they might delight in their stated labours amongst a people united to them in the bonds of Christian love, they gladly addressed themselves to the work assigned them, where they would find little but incessant labour, amidst the fiercest opposition. And from their perseverance in it under such circumstances, and from the pleasure which they expressed afterwards in recording all the dealings of God with them, and the happy effects of their ministrations, it is clear that one feeling pervaded the whole body; and that all, both ministers and people, found their chief happiness in the service of their God. Nor can we doubt but that they all rejoiced in the sacrifices they had made, when they saw what benefits had resulted from them to the Gentile world. They had fasted and prayed when these two Apostles were separated to their work: and, that they abounded in praises and thanksgivings after their return, we may be well assured.]

Such being the habit of Christians in the first age, let us consider,

II. The instruction to be derived from it

We are well aware, that the call of men to special labours, in this day, is not by any means so clear and determinate as in the case before us: nor do we intend to place any events of the present time on a footing with those which took place, under the particular direction of heaven, in the apostolic age. Yet, from the dispositions evinced by the primitive Church, we may clearly see,

1. That the work of God is confessedly the greatest of all concerns

[What is there that can be compared with it? The government of kingdoms is little in comparison. The rise and fall of the four great empires would scarcely have been deemed worthy of notice, but for the influence they had in introducing the Messiah's kingdom, which was to supersede and survive them all. It is the establishment of this kingdom which God has had in view, from before the foundation of the world. All his eternal counsels have had respect to it: all his dispensations towards the whole world have been ordered in subserviency to it: all his perfections are displayed in it, and all his purposes completed: and every one that labours for the advancement of it is "a worker together with God." The first archangel in heaven cannot find a more honourable employment than that of helping forward God's designs in reference to it: much

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