SERMON XXXI.

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.

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, therefore, 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 :

1st. The Subjects, and

2dly. The Manner, of his Preaching; and

3dly. The Effect which it had on a part of his audience.

1st. 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, SelfGovernment, 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 Doras 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 regard 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.

2dly. 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.

3dly. 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.

1st. The Preacher, who would preach as Paul preached, will directly disclose the sins, dangers, 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 exposed at the coming Judgment. These were their peculiar duties, their peculiar sins, and their peculiar dangers. If a Preacher would be like Paul in integrity, in wisdom, or in success, he will take effectual care to preach in the same manner.

Were all preachers to be asked, one, by one, whether they would wish to resemble Paul; there can scarcely be a doubt, that each would answer in the affirmative; and be not a little offended, to find the sincerity of the answer called into question. But in the language of the great English Poet Cowper, to whom

I shall take the liberty of appealing on the present occasion, without reserve, I ask,

"Are all such teachers? Would to Heaven all were!"

There are undoubtedly those in the sacred desk, who never dwell on the sins or the dangers, the duty or the safety, of their hearers; but studiously avoid these solemn subjects, lest they should give pain, or become unpopular. There are those, who spend the saered and heavenly season, allotted especially to the dispensation of the word of life, in uttering mere addresses to passion, and holding up pictures to the imagination; brilliant, perhaps, and beautiful; eloquent and interesting; fitted to amuse the fancy, and agitate the feelings; but not fitted to enlighten the conscience, or mend the heart. There are those, who preach the icy morality of Plato, Seneca, and Aurelius; and plainly declare by their practice, that they think Cicero and Socrates better preachers than the Saviour and his Apostles. There are those, who waste the Sabbath in useless metaphysical disquisitions; in making distinctions, which, like the lines of the Spider, are invisible, except to an eye fixed in a peculiar position, and possessed of peculiar acuteness: and which, when seen, are, like the same lines, of no possible use to man. All these, and many others, do not preach like Paul. He always seized the subjects, which were most likely to be useful to his hearers; the subjects, therefore, which they could understand, and the subjects, which they could not fail to feel. Sinners, he knew, were guilty and hateful in the sight of GOD, were condemned by his most holy Law to everlasting punishment, and were exposed of course to final ruin. These amazing truths he addressed to them directly. They were plain truths, which sinners could not but discern; and solemn truths, which they could not but feel. They were truths, which demanded and admitted no wiredrawn disquisition; and rejected with scorn all wanderings, sports, and prettinesses of fancy. That they would give pain to his hearers he perfectly knew beforehand; and for that very reason chose them in preference to all other subjects. No sinner, he clearly perceived, was ever brought to