to His promife, and in mercy to our need, may ever bless with His approving fmile.

The laft fcriptural account of the Ethiopian is, that " he went on his way rejoicing."

Other accounts tell us that he fpread the truth which he had learnt among his countrymen; that he witnessed a good confeffion, and was found worthy to fuffer death for Chrift's fake, and to be ranked among the noble army of martyrs who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. May every foul who zealously feeks to know the Lord, and who diligently fearches the Holy Scriptures, if haply they may find Him, be led to Him as was this minister of ftate. May they find Him this day, witness a good profeffion, and, like him, too, go on their way rejoicing.

O Almighty and everlasting God, who didst give to thine Apostles grace to believe, and to preach Thy word; Grant, we beseech Thee, unto Thy Church, to love that word which they believed, and both to preach and receive the fame; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

SERMON XIII.

GOD'S FREE GIFT,
AND SIN'S EARNED WAGES.

For the wages of fin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jefus Chrift our Lord.-Rom. vi. 23.

THE total alienation of man's nature from holiness and God was a favourite topic of St. Paul; and when he had fet forth that doctrine in its fulness, so as to fhow those who received it that in themfelves and from themselves there was no hope of falvation, he proceeds to proclaim the fulness and freenefs of that plan of rescue and redemption which the pure love

and mercy of God the Father devifed, which the humiliation and sufferings of God the Son effected, and which God the Holy Ghost applies effectually to the heart of the loft finner. St. Paul knew that the doctrines which he was infpired to record would be open to abuses on the part of felf-deceivers. He forefaw that many would turn the grace of God into licentiousness, and so incur the most heinous guilt. Nevertheless, he had no choice but to proclaim it still, accompanying its declaration by every folemn warning and guard against a perverfion of its bleffed truth. As he wrote, fo he preached,- repentance towards God, in which is included forrow for and renunciation of fin, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the bleffings of a falvation wrought for us are believed and accepted. These were the fum of his topics. When before Felix

accused, as he would be, if alive, by many now, of being a peftilent fellow, and a mover of fedition among all the Jews throughout all the world, and a ringleader of the fect of the Nazarenes-when thus accused he preached, we read, " concerning the faith in Chrift; 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." (Acts, xxiv. 24, 25.) Faith in Christ, you see, was the foundation-righteousness and temperance the fuperftructure. A house without a foundation, or a foundation without a building erected on it, are equally useless. But he forefaw that men would hear of God's grace and pervert it that is faith without refults; and he knew, too, the equally dangerous tendency of their trusting to dead works without the living