ACTS xvii. 6. laft clause.

Thefe that have turned the world upfide down are come hither also.

My BRETHREN,

Y

OU have had, of late, frequent opportunities of hearing difcourfes on the minifterial character and office.

Thefe

fubjects, indeed, have, on occafions of this and a fimilar nature, been so often and fo well handled, that it is hard to fay any thing on them, which fhall not be either bare repetition, or an alteration very much for the worfe. I have therefore made choice at this time of a subject fomewhat different, but the usefulness of which, both to ministers and people may be easily discerned.

A great part of the facred volume confifts of hiftory. And, as the knowledge of past events, and the hiftory of mankind in general, is an im

proving

proving ftudy; fo there is no object of study more pleasant or more profitable, than that extenfive view of the great plan of providence which is exhibited to us in the word of God. There we have access to obferve the power, the wisdom, and the grace of the various revelations of the divine will, given in fucceffive ages, their correspondence one to another, and how well each is fuited to the season, and other circumstances of its difcovery. Above all, it is ufeful and delightful to observe, the perfect union and harmony of the whole, and the several striking and distinguishing characters that are to be found on all the works of the one, eternal, and unchangeable God.

This uniformity is in nothing more remarkable, than in the fufferings of good men, and their caufes. True religion being the fame in fubftance in every age, we may expect to find a very ftrong likeness in all the real fervants of God, however diftant the periods in which they make their appearance. A conformity of ftate alfo may be expected, as well as a fimilarity of character. They have the fame end in view, they tread in the fame path, and therefore, muft meet with refiftance from the fame enemies. There was from the beginning, and there will be to the end of the world, a ftrife and conflict between the righteous and the wicked, between the

"feed

"feed of the woman, and the feed of the fer"pent." And, in particular, it is natural to fuppofe, that flander and calumny will be always one of the weapons used by the enemies of the truth. We have no reason then to be surprised, that every good man fhould have occafion to say with the Pfalmift David, and with a greater than he, the Son of David, "They laid to my charge things that I knew not."

66

This was the cafe with the apostle Paul and his companion, in the

paffage of hiftory of

which text is a part. But the nature of the my accufation here brought against them seems to be fingular, and to merit particular attention. They were the fervants and the minifters of the Prince of peace. Their office was to preach and publifh the gospel of peace. Their doctrine was full of meeknefs and love. They difcovered the love of God to men; and, after the example of their mafter, they charged men to love one another. They were mean in their outward appearance, and neither poffeffed, nor claimed any earthly dominion. In one word, they had nothing about them that one would think could give jealousy to the civil power, that could feem formidable or dangerous to any character or clafs of men. Yet here they are charged as feditious, as difturbers to the public peace, as enemies to the government. "These that have turned the "world

"world upfide down are come hither also. "These all do contrary to the decrees of Cæfar, "faying, That there is another king, one Jefus." What fort of an accufation is this? not only falfe but improbable. Does not the arch-enemy, the accufer of the brethren, feem to have failed in his usual skill? Is there the leaft profpect of fuccefs in fo groundless a charge?

But what shall we fay, if, upon an accurate examination it be found, that the fame charge hath been brought against the servants of God in every age? That none hath been advanced with greater boldness, and none with greater fuccefs? Nay, perhaps, that it is the single standing charge, from which their enemies have never departed fince the beginning of the world, and which, of all others, hath been most readily and most universally believed. In other inftances, the reproaches thrown upon the children of God have been oppofite, and mutually deftructive of each other. Chrift himself, when his zeal in his Father's business made him forget to eat bread, was faid to be befide himself, and mad. At other times he was called a cunning deceiver and mafter of the curious arts. But in this, his enemies, and those of his people, have never varied. And their fuccefs has been equal to their malice. They crucified him as an enemy to Cæfar, with the title of ufurpation written over him; and they have

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