and practice. A man, apparently, without any sense of propriety; who, according to the Jewish historian, had been guilty of the grossest partiality, and of the most scandalous violations of justice; nay, of a most inhuman murder, in the case of Jonathan the highpriest'. At this very time he lived in an infamous commerce with Drusilla, whom he had seduced from her lawful husband. Could Paul expect a favourable hearing from such a man, whilst he adhered to his integrity? Upon principles of human wisdom, he ought to have acted the part of a flatterer like Tertullus, and thus have sought to ingratiate himself in the favour of his judge. Though he had every thing to tempt him to a departure from principle, or to deter him from an adherence to it, he stood fast in the faith once delivered to the saints. His chains did not sink his fortitude. His forlorn state did not engender a compliance with the humours of his judge. He knew in whom he had believed. Neither the smiles of favour nor the frowns of power awed him. In the presence of Felix himself, tyrant as he was, Paul, under the impressions of duty, rose above his situation.

a Doddridge's Note on the text, and on Acts xxiv. 2. Joseph. Antiq. lib. xx. cap. 8. 7.

2. "He reasoned of righteousness, of temperance, and of judgment to come. This was his manner of preaching the Gospel to Felix. How admirable his courage, to speak of righteousness before an unjust and rapacious ruler; of temperance, before a licentious man; and at the tribunal of an earthly judge, to enforce these duties by the certainty of a future day of reckoning before the great Judge of heaven and earth! How striking his wisdom, in selecting, from the mass of subjects, these, so appropriate to the state and conduct of Felix!

He did not declaim, but he reasoned. He did not reason on these subjects independent of their connexion with faith in Christ, but in close connexion with it. Faith in Christ was his topic; righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, the heads of his application. The great apostle of the Gentiles was no visionary or fanatic; he was a close reasoner; but his reasoning was evangelical. He did not accommodate his

manner to the principles and taste of his judge. To meet the ideas of a Heathen, he did not speak as a Heathen. He did not relinquish his ground for that of his go

pre

vernor. This is thought by some in the Hence so many

sent day to be necessary. defences of Christianity, in which the peculiarities of religion are kept out of view; and so many sermons on the same subject, in which there is no allusion to the work of Christ. Courtesy has been carried so far, that the Christian has reasoned as an Infidel, in order to make the Infidel think as a Christian. Thus also the gay worldling, who lives in sin, is entertained with the mercy of God, whilst his justice has been kept out of view. The proud and high minded, who hate to be informed of their duty, hear nothing but doctrinal speculations, and general moral essays. In this manner faith in Christ is frittered away to meet the views and feelings of corrupted man.

In stating gospel truths, the servants of Jesus must be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. They must not insult those whom they address, but must speak with moderation and propriety. The truth, however, the whole truth of the gospel, must be unfolded, as circumstances may require, without any accommodation to corrupt principles or feelings. The gospel is given unto us by God for our

guidance through life. All its parts demand our reverence. Its truths, therefore, and not our speculations, must be the burden of preaching. God blesses his own word. He puts his seal to his own institutions. Where preaching consists of the truth as it is in Jesus, there a blessing may be expected, and there only it is granted.

The gospel is a peculiar system of divine doctrines and morals. Its peculiarities must ever be kept in view and brought into public notice. The love of popular applause, the fear of man, personal ease, reputation, or the like, are no excuses for the preacher to omit faithfulness, or to justify a courtesy by which duty is sacrificed to passion or appetite. The peculiar doctrines of the gospel alone lead to good morals here, and salvation hereafter. These alone can rouse the attention of sinful man, and make him mindful of the one thing needful. Mere morality may tickle the ear, but never yet has effectually corrected the corruption of the heart. What is there in

mere morality to alarm

the careless, or

to arrest the obstinate? Paul knew his duty better. He preached Christ. He rea

soned on the great topics of religion, in close connexion with Christ.

The gospel is reasonable, in the full meaning of the term. Its doctrines correspond with the purest, soundest reason. They are not, indeed, palatable to corrupted reason. But what is this? Dark in itself, because of sin, can it enlighten us in those matters which pertain to our peace? When Paul reasoned, he reasoned as a Christian. His arguments were Christian arguments. His reason was enlightened by God's Spirit, and all his matter drawn from God himself, the fountain of all right reason.

Hence, when he preached before Felix, a proud and licentious heathen, he insisted on a better righteousness than our own, to make us acceptable to God, even the righteousness of Christ, and a consequent holiness of conduct. This unmasked the judge to himself; laid open the source of his iniquitous conduct, and led him to consider his awful state by nature, together with the necessity of a change of heart, in order to be saved. This also brought into view his past profligacy, and the necessity of a righteous and holy life in time to come.