SERMON °The NecetiityofRepentance and Faith. ACTS 2O.'2í. reflifying both to the Jews, and alto to the Greeks, Repentance toward God, and Faith towardour Lord Je/usChrifl. O have feen St. Paul in the Pulpit, was one of thofe three things which St. Aquiline thought worth the willing for. And Pure it were very defirable to have feen this glorious Inftrument of God, who did fuch Wonders in the World, to have heard that plain and powerful Eloquenceof his, which was fo mighty through God. for the calling down of flrong Holds, and thefubduing ofMen to the Obedience of the Gofpel ; to have beheld the Zeal of this holy Man, who was all on fire for God, with what ardency of Affeftiort, andearneftnefs of Exprefüon, he perfwaded Men to come in to C(rrifl, and en- tertain the Gofpel. This were very defirable ; but feeing it is a thing we can- not hope for, it fhould be tome fatisfa&ion to our Curiofity, to knowwhat St. Paul preached, what was the main Subje& of his Sermons, whither he referr'd all his Difcourfes, and what they tended to. This he tells us in the Words that I have read to you, that the main Subftance ofall his Sermons was Re- pentance toward God, and Faith toward our Lord 7efirs Chrifl. The Occafion of the Words was briefly this. St. Paul being in his Journey to jerufalem, and intending tobe therebythe Day ofPentecoft, that he might not be hindred in his Journey, he refolves to pats by Ephefüs, and only to call to him the Elders of the Church to cha-ge them with their Duty, and the Care of the Church ; and to engage them hereto, he tells them how he had carried and de- meaned himfelf auiong them, v. 18. withwhat Diligence and Vigilance he had watched over them, with what Affe&ion and Earneftnefs he had preached to them, v. t g, 20. And here in the Text he tells them, what had been the Sum of his Do&rine, and the Subftance of thofe many Sermons he had preached a- mong them, and what was the End and Defign of all his Difcourfes, vie. To perfwade Men to Repentance towardGod, and Faith towardour Lord Jefes Chrifi ; Tefifying both to the Jews and Greeks, &c. I (hall explain the Words a little, and then fix upon the Obfervations which I intend to fpeak to, becaufe I deign this only as a Preface to Tome larger Difcour- fes of Faith and Repentance. For Explication. Tefifying, the Word is ;`;z,a¢,-n,?'ccapg,,, which liignifies to tefHfy, to prove a thingby Telimony ; fo 'tis ufed, Heb. 2. 6. But one in a cer- tain place teflii eth, faying. In Heathen Writers the Word is often ufed in a Law fence, for contefting by Law, and pleading in a Caufe ; and from hence it figni- fies, earneftly to contend or perfwade by Arguments and Threatnings. In the qfe of the LXX. it lignifies to proteft, to convince, ro prefs earneftly, to per- fwade. It is ufed molt frequently by St. Luke in a very intenfeSignification, and is fometimes joined with exhorting, which is an earneft perfwading to a thing, Alls 2. 40. And withmany other Words did he teflify and exhort, raying, fave your fives from this untoward Generation; and with Preaching, Ali 8.25. And when they
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