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St. Paul's Defence before Felix.

A

SERMON

Preach'd at

St. JAMES's Chapel.

Acts xxiv. Part of Verse 25. And as be reafoned of Righteoufnefs, Temperance, and Judgment to come, Felix trembled.

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HO, that hears these Words, S ER M, would not wish to have V. been present at this afton-U ishing Scene; which reprefents the Apostle of the Gentiles, giving

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SERM.ving an Account of his Faith to Felix, V. the Roman Governor, in fo moving and convincing a Manner, with fuch a Force of Eloquence and Strength of Argument, that even he, before whom he stands capitally accused, is ftruck, awed, confounded by his Discourse, and the Judge himself quakes at the Voice of the Prisoner! As he reasoned of Righteousness, Temperance, and Judgment to come (fays the Text) Felix trembled!

The Words will furnish us with ve ry inftructive and useful Reflections, if we take Occafion from them diftinctly to confider,

I. The subject Matter of St. Paul's Difcourfe, Righteousness, Temperance, and Judgment to come.

II. His Manner of handling it; he reafoned.

III. The remarkable Effect, that followed, upon his thus handling this important Subject; Felix trembled.

I. The Subject Matter of St. Paul's SER M. Discourse is faid to have been, Righte V. oufness, Temperance, and Judgment to come.

Not that we are to imagine, that the Apostle confined himself folely to the three Particulars here mentioned, with out touching on any other Point of Chriftian Doctrine: Doubtlefs, he declared to Felix the whole Counfel of God in the Redemption of Man by Christ Jesus; and infifted particularly on the great Article of Chrift's Refurrection, in this Sermon, 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 Chrift; and therefore all the Articles of the Chriftian Faith were, we may be fure, fufficiently explained by him. However, though many other DoArines were at that Time handled by the Apostle, yet thefe of Righteousness, Temperance, and Judgment to come, had fo large a Share in his Difcourfe, were fo warmly, fo effectually urged by him, that St. Luke hath not thought fit to K 4 take

SERM.take Notice of any other Part of his
V. Sermon. From whence we are natu-

rally led to raise this plain, but profita-
ble Obfervation, that the moral Duties
we are to practise in this Life, and the
Rewards or Punishments we are to ex-
pect in another, are the chief Confide-
rations in Religion, which should most
often and earnestly be inculcated by
those who preach the Gospel, and be
most attentively liftened to,
and weigh-
ed by those who hear it.

Some Perfons have a Prejudice against what is, by Way of Reproach, called Moral Preaching, and Moral Arguing; when the Nature of Good and Evil, Vertue and Vice are insisted on, and the feveral Confequences difplayed, which, by the Light of Reafon are known to attend them: This, they think, is not to preach Jesus Christ, and his Gospel; it is not, to fpeak fpiritually, feelingly, powerfully to the Hearts and Consciences of Men. But St. Paul, it feems, was not of this Mind, when he made Justice, and Temperance, and a future