SERMON IV.

ACTS xxiv. 26.

He hoped alfo, that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loofe him.

NOBLE object to take up the confider.

Aation of the Roman governor!

given him!"

"He hoped that money should have been -For what end? to enable him to judge betwixt right and wrong!--and, from whence was it to be wrung? from the poor fcrip of a difciple of the carpenter's fon, who left nothing to his followers but poverty and fufferings.

And was this Felix!. -the great, the noble Felix! -Felix the happy!- -the gallant Felix who kept Drufilla !- -Could he do this? -base paffion! what can't thou not make

us do?

Let us confider the whole transaction.

Paul, in the beginning of this chapter, had

been accufed before Felix, by Tertullus, of very grievous crimes,-of being a peftilent fel

low,--a mover of feditions, and a prophaner of the temple, etc.--To which accufation, the apoftle, having liberty from Felix to reply, he makes his defence from the icth to the 22d verse, to this purport. He fhews him first, that the whole charge was deftitute of all proof; which he openly challenges them to produce against him, if they had it;--that on the contrary, he was so far from being the man, Tertullus had reprefented, that the very principles of the religion with which he then stood charged, and which they called heresy, led him to be the most unexceptionable in his conduct, by the continual exercise which it demanded of him, of having a confcience void of offence at all times, both towards God and man; that confitently with this, his adverfaries had neither found him in the temple dif puting with any man, neither raifing up the people, neither in the fynagogue, or in the city, for this he appeals to themfeves:that it was but twelve days fince he came up to Jerufalem for to worship:--that during that

time, when he purified in the temple, he did it as became him, without noife, without tumult; this he calls upon the Jews who came from Afia, and were eye-witneffes of his behaviour, to atteft;——and, in a word, he urges the whole defence before Felix in to strong a manner, and with fuch plain and natural arguments of his innocence, as to leave no colour for his adverfaries to reply.

There was, however, ftill one adversary in this court,--though filent, yet not fatisfied

-Spare thy eloquence, Tertullus! roll up the charge: a more notable orator than thyself is rifen up, it is AVARICE, and that too, in the most fatal place for the prisoner it could have taken poffeffion of,-it is in the heart of the man who judges him.

If Felix believed Paul innocent, and acted accordingly, (that is) releafed him without reward, this fubtile advocate told him he would lofe one of the profits of his employment-and if he acknowleged the faith of Chrift, which Paul occafionally explained in his defence,--it told him, he might lose the employment itself;--fo notwithstanding the