ing, as a foretaste of immortal good. Stretch your imaginations to the utmost, raise your wishes higher and higher, while you live, not a thought shall miss its object, not a wish shall be disappointed. Eternity is now heaping up its treasures for your possession. The voice of mercy, with a sweet and transporting sound, bids you arise and come away. Your fears, your sorrows, your sins, will all leave you at the grave. See the gates of life already unfolding to admit you. The first-born open their arms to welcome you to their divine assembly. The Saviour, who has gone before to prepare a place for your reception, informs you, that all things are ready. With triumph, then, with ecstacy, hasten to enjoy the reward of his infinite labours in an universe of good, and in the glory which he had with the Father before ever the world was.

SERMON XXIX.

THE PREACHING OF PAUL BEFORE FELIX.

A Sermon preached at the Ordination of the Rev. Samuel Merwin, as Pastor of the United Society in New-Haven, 1805.

ACTS XXIV. 25.

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"And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled; and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee."

IN the preceding chapter we are informed, that certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse to kill Paul. In consequence of this conspiracy, his sister's son, having heard of their design, disclosed it to Lysias, the chief captain, or principal Roman officer, who resided at Jerusalem. To prevent the execution of it, Lysias sent Paul to Cesarea, to the custody of Felix, the Roman governor of Judea. In the context, we are further informed, that Ananias, the chief priest, and other Jews of distinction, appeared at Cesarea to accuse Paul before the governor. As they were unable, however, to support their accusation, Paul, contrary to their hopes, escaped. Still Felix was willing to gratify them, so far as he could consistently with the appearance of propriety, and there

fore kept him confined at Cesarea. During this confinement, it seems, he frequently sent for him, and communed with him. On one of these occasions, at least, he gave him leave to discourse concerning the faith in Christ.

At this time, Drusilla, here called his wife, was present. This woman was the daughter of Herod Agrippa; was contracted to Epiphanes; was married to Azizus, and now lived in adultery with Felix. Felix himself, therefore, was an adulterer. He was also an iniquitous ruler, as is evident from his conduct towards Paul. Paul was accused, but was cleared, and ought to have been instantly set at liberty. Two reasons prevented his release; the disposition of Felix to gratify the Jews, and his hope of receiving a bribe from Paul. Both these reasons are incapable of being felt by a just man; yet⚫ Felix was governed by them both.

Such was a part of the audience to which the preaching of St. Paul, mentioned in the text, was addressed; the part to which it was especially addressed. I have dwelt on the subjects of this introduction the more particularly, because they contribute in a peculiar manner to the illustration of the text, and give it a force and importance which it could not otherwise possess.

Considered in connection with this story, the text appears to me to contain one of the most perfect single accounts of the great duty of preaching the Gospel, and the manner in which it ought to be performed, to be found in the Scriptures. On this duty only do I intend to insist in the following discourse. All the other duties of a minister, together with those which a church and congregation are bound to render to him in the other concerns of his ministry, I shall leave to be inculcated by such as come after me in the solemn services of this day.

In the account given in the text of St. Paul's preaching, there are three things which especially merit our attention.

I. The subjects, and

II. The manner of his preaching; and

III. The effect which it had on a part of his audience.

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I. The subjects of St. Paul's preaching, recited in the text, are these three righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come; or, more agreeably to the Greek, righteousness, self-government, and the judgment which shall be hereafter.

Righteousness, although used often to denote moral rectitude, generally signifies, in its original and proper sense, justice; the great duty especially of rulers in the execution of their office, and the prime duty of men in their dealings with each other. Nothing could have been more properly addressed to Felix. This man, originally a slave, had been freed by the Emperor Nero; and, by the influence of his brother Pallas, and a man named Narcissus, both favourites of the Emperor, had been placed as governor over the province of Judea. There he was guilty of the most enormous and barbarous exactions; hired Dorus to kill Jonathan, the High Priest; practised a great variety of other cruelties; and became in the end so odious to the Jews, that they accused him publicly to the Emperor. So gross were his crimes, that he would have been put to death, had not the influence of his brother Pallas been powerfully exerted to save his life. I need not inform my audience how greatly such a man needed to have the duty of righteousness explained to his understanding, and enforced on his conscience.

Temperance, (or, more literally rendered, self-government), was with equal propriety addressed to Felix, and also to Drusilla. They were both, at this time, living in open adultery. On the duty of continence,-for this appears to be the real subject of the Apostle's preaching here,-on the great duty of continence, the virtue directly opposed to this enormous sin, St. Paul addressed these powerful and wicked hearers.

The approaching judgment was the last subject on which St Paul insisted. This was the natural and proper close of such a discourse. To these great, dissolute, abandoned personages, a preacher of the Gospel still had access through the final judgment. Before that judgment they, together with all others, must appear; must give their account; must be judged in righteousness according to the deeds done in the body; and must be rewarded according to the nature of their

conduct. They "neither feared God, nor regarded man;" but the certainty and nature of future judgment were capable of being so explained and brought home to their hearts, as to rouse their slumbering consciences, and to alarm their fears concerning their approaching destiny.

II. We have here mentioned, not only the subjects, but also the manner of Paul's preaching.

As he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled. The meaning is, that the preacher explained and proved righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, and thus solemnly enforced them on the consciences of his hearers.

III. The effect of these subjects, handled in this manner, is also recited.

Felix trembled; and answered, "Go thy way for this time; “when I have a more convenient season, I will call for thee."

If we consider the wickedness of Felix; the power, which he had over Paul, of life and death; his peculiar hardness of heart; the splendour of his circumstances, and the superstition in which he had been educated, we shall easily conclude, that the preaching which produced so great an effect on such a man must certainly be of the most excellent kind, and most happily formed to operate successfully on the heart of man.

From these considerations, plain and indisputable in themselves, and therefore needing no extended discussion for the present purpose, I derive the following

REMARKS.

I. The preacher who would preach as Paul preached, will directly disclose the sins, danger, duty, and safety of his hearers.

Paul directly addressed to Felix and Drusilla the great duties of righteousness and continence, the sins of injustice and pollution, and the danger to which, by these sins, they were