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And the fame will, with greater reason, hold in relation to the peace of our confcience. Let our first care be to keep all quiet and ferene there': When this point is once gained at home, externalaccidents will not be able deeply to affect us; and unless it be gained, all the pleasures, the abun dance and pomp of life will be infipid and tafto lefs to us.

Wherefore let us refolve all of us to ftick to that principle, which will keep us eafy when we are alone, and will stick to us in an hour when all outward comforts fail us. Let those of us particularly cherish it, who are in any degree placed above the rest of our neighbours by a fu periority of parts, power, riches, or any other Qutward diftinctions. Let thofe chiefly liften to this reprover, who are otherwife fet in great mea fare above reproof: The more deftitute they are of advice and correption from others, the morecareful fhould they be to attend to the suggestions and whispers of this inward monitor and friend. Though they value not the censures of the vulgar on their actions, yet furely they cannot flight their own: Nor do they ftoop beneath themselves, when they foop to themfelves only, and to the inward dictates and perfuafions of their own minds. The marks of diftinction they bear, though they may enable them fometimes to fin with impunity as to men, yet will they not fecure them against the lafhes of an avenging confcience; which will find them out in their moft fecret retirements, cannor be forbids access, nor difmiffed without being heard; will make their way to them, as they did ro Herod and Tiberius, through bufinefs or plea

fure,

fure, nay even through guards and crowds, and all the vain forms and ceremonies, with which they may be furrounded.

In a word; Let us keep innocency, and "do the thing which is right;" for whatever other expedients towards happiness men may take up with, yet that, and that only, "will bring us peace at she laft," Pfal. xxxvii. 37.

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ACTS xxiv. Part of Ver. 25.

And as He reafoned of Righteousness Temperances and Judgment to come, FELIX trembled.

WHO,

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7HO, that hears these words, would not wifh have been prefent at this aftonishing fcene; which represents the apostle of the Gen tiles, giving an account of his faith to Felix, the Roman governor, in fo moving and convincing a manner, with fuch a force of eloquence and ftrength of argument, that even he, before who m he ftands capitally accufed, is ftruck, awed, confounded by his discourse, and the judge himself quakes at the voice of the prifoner! As he reafoned of righteoufnefs, temperance and "judg

"judgment to come" (fays the text), "Felix trembled."

The words will furnish us with very inftructive and useful reflexions, if we take occafion from them diftinctly to confider,

I. First, The fubject matter of Saint Paul's difcourfe; "Righteoufos temperance, and judgment to come.

II. Secondly, His manner of handling it; "he reasoned."

III. Thirdly, The remarkable effect, that followed, upon his thus handling this important fubject; "Felix trembled.”

First, The fubject matter of Saint Paul's dif courfe is faid to have been, "Righteousness, temperance, and judgment to coma::

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Not that we are to imagine, that the apoftle confined himself folely to the three particulars here mentioned, without touching on any other point of Chriftian doctrine: doubtless he declared to Felix the whole counfeb of God," in the redemption of man by Christ Jesus; and infifted particularly on the great article of Christ's Refur rection, in this fermon, as he did in many others? For the words, immediately preceding those of the text, are, that "Felix fent for Paul, and "heard him concerning the faith in Christ" and therefore all the articles of the Chstian faith were, we may be fure, fufficiently explained by him.

How

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