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"who was in the beginning with God, and was God;" proved to be so, in that he had risen from the grave, and ascended up to the glory which he had with the Father "before the world was." When the Ethiopian 3 desired to be baptized, Philip said, "If thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." Then "he baptized him."

It was natural, therefore, that Christians should have been styled believers. But this term alone did not completely describe them. They were also disciples. They looked up to Christ as a teacher as well as a redeemer. Had they been asked a reason of the way of life, the new and peculiar practice which they followed, the reply would have been: He "whose we are," and to whom we have devoted ourselves, has left us an example, and laid down for us a law. We forgive our enemies, we avenge no injuries, because he, "when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered he threatened not," 4 but committed his cause to God. We are ready to distribute, glad to communicate of this world's good, according as God hath prospered every man, because we are followers of him, who, "when he was rich, yet for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich." 5 We "keep under our body, and bring it into subjection," because he has assured us that "such is the will of God, even our sanctification:" that they must be "pure in heart," who are to possess "the inheritance of the saints in light:" that " without holiness no man shall see the Lord." We "set our affections 4 1 Peter ii. 23. 52 Cor. viii. 9.

3 Acts viii. 37.

on things above, not on things of the earth," because we are taught of him to "lay up treasure in heaven." "For what shall it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

The inquirer, who had gone thus far in acquainting himself with the faith of these Christians, must ask one question more, if he had any experience of his own heart. He must naturally proceed to say, How is this change produced in you? How are ye enabled to moderate your affections; to subdue "the desires of the flesh and of the mind;" to live in the world, and not be of the world?

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To this, too, there was an answer. We were "baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." It was promised, that as the children of God, through faith in his beloved Son, we should "receive the gift of the Holy Ghost," who should change our original nature, and "put a new heart and a right spirit within us," and bring us "to will and to do" that which is approved of God." And so we experience it to be. Old things are passed away: all things are become new. "We have put off the old man, which is corrupt after the deceitful lusts; and are renewed in the spirit of our mind; and have put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."8 So that now "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eye, and the pride of life," are not objects of desire to be courted by us, but objects of suspicion to be dreaded. "They are

6 Matt. xxviii. 19.

7 Acts ii. 38; 2 Cor. i. 22; Eph. iv. 30.

8 Eph. iv. 22.

not of the Father, but of the world." And "the time is short." "The Lord is at hand." "Our conversation is in heaven." "We look not at the things which are seen, and are temporal; but at the things which are unseen, and eternal."

Such were those, who were called Christians first in Antioch. Their faith and their practice were one. They received the doctrine, not merely as a truth to be acknowledged, but to be acted on, that when all were dead, Christ died for all, that they which live, might live to him.1

And such must be those, at all times, who expect to inherit the promise, trusting to which these Gentiles "turned from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven." They must maintain the same faith; be actuated by the same motives; obey the same commands. Then are they Christians "indeed," and "altogether;" and will be known as such, not only in this present world, but in the sight of men and angels at " the great day."

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XXII.

CONVERSION OF SAUL.

ACTS ix. 1-9.

1. And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2. And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

SAUL had been before mentioned as "consenting unto the death" of Stephen. He speaks of this afterwards himself, when describing his former state of mind. "I verily thought within myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which things I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison,having received authority from the chief priests: and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them."1 For he had been "brought up at the feet of Gamaliel :" "taught according to the most perfect manner of the law of the fathers," and, "according to the most straitest sect of their religion, had lived a Pharisee." Therefore, being "zealous towards God," he "punished in every synagogue" those who professed their faith in Christ, and "compelled them to blaspheme." 3

2

In all this, as our Lord had foretold, he supposed 1 Acts xxvi. 9, 10. 2 lb. xxii. 3; xxvi. 5.

3 Ib. xxvi. 11.

that he was doing God service: 4 was doing what his religion required of him. Without much inquiry, he judged that whatever opposed the opinion and practice of his forefathers, must be wrong and being of an ardent, zealous mind, he hotly persecuted those whom he looked upon as enemies of what he himself was following.

That he did this in ignorance and unbelief, 5 he afterwards acquaints us. But did he excuse himself, because he was zealous, though ignorant, and sincere, though unbelieving? Far from it. He frequently abases himself as "the chief of sinners," because he "persecuted the church of God." He felt that his ignorance and his unbelief, were his sins: the sins of which he had need to repent, and did repent: because he was ignorant for want of inquiry, and unbelieving through prejudice and obstinacy.

He has left us an instructive example, to examine before we condemn to be jealous of our own hearts : not to take for granted that nothing can be wrong which we imagine to be right; nothing right which we imagine to be wrong. Many have been fatally deceived, while pursuing what they held to be the good old way.

Doubtless, the heart, the conscience, the understanding, must determine our conduct. They are given us for that purpose. But the heart must be guided, for it is "deceitful above all things: " the conscience must be instructed according to God's law; the understanding directed by his grace: lest "ignorantly and in unbelief," but still to our eternal ruin, we "put darkness for light, and light for darkness."

4 See John xvi. 2.

51 Tim. i. 13.

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