with the people ;-(that is, were about to sacrifice the oxen before Paul and Barnabas, whom, from the miracle which they had performed, of curing the man who had been lame from his birth, they deemed to be Gods-(deities which they were in the habit of worshipping.)

And, we read, that when the apostles Barnabas and Paul, heard what they were about to do, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, and saying, "Sirs, Why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you"-(We are not deities as ye have been led to imagine; we are but men, as yourselves—) "but we preach unto you—that ye should turn from these vanities unto the LIVING GOD!"-that ye should turn from these imaginary deities, whom ye vainly call upon :-gods, which are but your own fancies, which ye are invoking and doing sacrifice to: And that ye should worship the one living, true, and only GOD

"which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein."

Such, my brethren, was the occasion in which the words of the text were spoken.

The people of Lystra have long since passed away, with their virtues, their vanities, and their crimes. To others, now, with other

vanities, other errors, and other vain imaginations:-different,-but flowing from the same sources, do we preach now! We,—who are men of like passions with you :*-preaching, in order that YE may turn unto the LIVING GOD, WHO MADE HEAVEN, AND EARTH, THE SEA, AND ALL THINGS THAT ARE THEREIN!"

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We preach nought else than that ye should seek Him, who "is not far from you, in whom we live, and move, and have our being!!"— "THE UNIVERSAL SPIRIT, THE FATHER OF SPIRITS!"

II...The nature of things must lead us to expect, that there ever will be some who will misapprehend the very meaning of piety, and lose sight of the only way to happiness.†

...St. Paul, in the first chapter of his Epistle to the Romans, speaking of the state of religious belief and practice among the ancient heathens, says,-" They knew God, but glorified him not as God, neither were

* See 2 Cor. iv. 7.

+"Unbelief being so probable a consequence as it is upon our fallen nature, it is strange how reflecting individuals become amazed at its frequency. They seem to forget the effects of the indulgence of our inclination to evil, while conscious of the existence of that inclination."

thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was DARKENED."-" For the invisible things of him, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead ;-so that they are without excuse."—" Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools."

And, "they changed the glory of the incorruptible God, into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things!"-They "changed the Truth of God into a Lie!"

Wherefore :-as they "did not like to retain God in their knowledge,"-as they did not approve, as they did not think fit "to have God in their knowledge," that is, in simplicity, in sincerity, and in truth, to believe in God as he is, to worship him and to serve him as he is: Then," God gave them over to a reprobate mind,”—to "blindness of heart,”—to their own vain imaginations,-to the beliefs and practices which they had chosen, and, to the consequences, to which such things would necessarily lead.

Iv...But they who picture religion to themselves as a deformed and misshapen thing:

who would fain represent the service of God as a joyless, irrational, and needless restraint:Christian Faith, a system of difficulty*—(We quote, be it understood, the expression of these persons.)-Can we not maintain, that these men are like those of ancient Lystra ?that although they "knew God," as St. Paul declares to us the ancient heathens didalthough, they have the means whereby to form a just, a right, and a happy knowledge of Him who made them and placed them in this state of trial—yet that they do not :-but that they lose themselves in the intricacies of vain imaginations, as did they of ancient Lystra-and, "serve the creature more than the Creator!"

And can we not make it known to youcan we not make it intelligible? That the ministers of Christ now, therefore, preach

*"Who can say," says one, "I will believe that which I can least comprehend." Another celebrated adversary of modern times, after arraigning the conceptions afforded to us by the Christian Revelation of the nature and attributes of the Supreme Being, says, with strange fatuity of thought, "LOVE is the law which should govern the moral world." Which observation, for a man rejecting Christianity, on account of the ideas afforded by Christianity of the Supreme Being, is strange: Love being the principle, which Christianity teaches, governs the moral world!"

unto you that ye should turn from the you-that vanities, which ye are guilty of committing— (vanities, different in appearance-but, flowing from the same principles as did the veriest monstrosities of ancient superstition) that ye should turn from these vanities, TO SERVE THE LIVING GOD, WHO MADE HEAVEN, AND EARTH, THE SEA, AND ALL THINGS THAT ARE THEREIN !'

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v...St. Paul,* in speaking of the ancient heathens, and of their "changing the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things," says66 THESE ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE".

BECAUSE; "when they KNEW God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful :but became vain in their imaginations; and their foolish heart was darkened."_

For, the Invisible things of Him, from the creation (the beginning) of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made-even his eternal power and Godhead.†

*See Rom. i.

†The "Invisible things" of God, meaning "his eternal Power and Godhead," the word Godhead signifying the