godly forrow worketh repentance, that is, it leads to it; but forrow itself is no repentance. Nay even a change of life, is no repentance. Many worldly caufes may make open fin inconvenient. True repentance is a change of heart as well as life; and a deteftation of fin, whether future punishment existed or not. It is this repentance, which godly forrow worketh.

AGAIN, worldly forrow worketh death. Like all other wrong affections, it leadeth to those confequences, which, without care, will draw on the fatal effects of fin. The first impreffion indeed of worldly forrow on any misfortune is fo natural, and unavoidable, that it cannot cer tainly be offenfive in the eyes of a merciful God; if calm refignation, and fubmiffion to his will fucceed. But when forrow for any worldly event continues, and takes poffeffion of the foul, it certainly argues a great dependance on the world for our hopes; and a renunciation of God, as our fupreme happiness.

And yet here, for the fake of fome good, and melancholy people, I fhould wish to make a diftinction. When the kind affections of love, and friendship, have received fome great convul. fion, the wrongness cannot be so offenfive to God

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as when the lofs refpects only fome worldly pof feffion. Yet even the overflowings of these tender affections, we should endeavour to moderate; and fhould not forrow, as others that have no hope, for them that fleep: for if we believe that Jefus died, aud rofe again; even fo them alfo, that fleep in Jefus, will God bring with him*.

LET us then all endeavour to forrow after a godly fort. This world is fometimes called a vale of forrow. Its brooks are tears its gales are fighs. The gloomy images of woe, in fome part of our paffage through it, will not fail to ftrike us. Since forrow then must be fo much our companion, let us endeavour to make it our friend; and learn all the good leffons (and many good leffons there are) which it is enabled to teach.

N. B. If this fubject were enlarged on, the distinction between worldly forrow, and godly forrow, might be explained more fully; and it might be fhewn what those good leffons are which they both teach.

VII.

-He went on his way rejoicing.-Acts, viii. 39.

THESE words are taken from the very inftructive and interesting story of Philip, and the Ethiopian. I fhall first give you the circumftances of the story, with fome remarks upon it -and fhall fecondly explain the fubject of the Ethiopian's rejoicing.

On the prosecution of Christianity, carried on with fo much violence by Saul, many of the dif ciples left Jerufalem, and retired to various parts; where they preached the gofpel. Among others, Philip went to Samaria; from whence, by the destination of God, he was fent to a defart part of the country, between Jerufalem and Gaza. Here he met the treasurer of Candace, queen of Ethiopia. This perfon, though of an idolatrous. nation, believed in the true God-was acquainted with the Jewish scriptures-and used at the great feftivals to go to worship at Jerufalem. One of these great festivals he had been now attending; and was returning home, when Philip met him. He was riding in his chariot,

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and reading the prophecy of Ifaiah; little think. ing of the extraordinary means of new illumination, which God, in his providence was preparing for him. Philip, under the direction of the holy fpirit, afked him, if he understood what he read? The Ethiopian answered, he had need of an interpreter: and obferving that Philip was a Jew-a man of refpectable appearance; and probably skilled in the fcriptures-he defired. him to come into his chariot; and explain what he had been reading. The paffage he read was one of those prophecies of Isaiah, in which the death of the Meffiah is fo circumstantially related.--Inform me, faid the Ethiopian, of whom doth the prophet fpeak this; of himself, or of fome other perfon? Philip, taking occafion from this paffage, opened to him the whole evangelical difpenfation; and explained to him the completion both of the prophecy he had just been reading, and of feveral other prophecies relating to the Meffiah. The Ethiopian was fully convinced of the truth of what he heard; (for which, we may suppose, he was well prepared by his knowledge of the Jewish fcriptures,) and as they approached a pool of water, asked Philip, if he had any objection to baptize him? Philip told him, he had none; if from

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his heart he could profefs his belief in Chrift: which the Ethiopian profeffing in the strongest terms, was baptized. It then pleafed God to confirm his faith, by miraculously conveying Philip inftantaneoufly from his fight. Thus was the christian religion introduced into Ethiopia, where this officer of queen Candace had a great hand in planting it; as we are informed by fome church-historians; though their accounts perhaps depend on little better authority, than the great probability of it.

After Philip was conveyed from the Ethiopian, we are told that pious convert went on his way rejoicing. This leads me to the fecond point I defigned to confider-the fubject of his joyful meditation. We may suppose it might

have run in fome fuch strain as this:

Bleffed be God, for fending this holy man to enlighten my eyes! I early faw the groffness of idolatry; and fince I became acquainted with the Jewish fcriptures, I have ever admired the majesty and grandeur of the Jewish worship. It hath ever been delightful to me, at these stated feafts, to worship the great God of heaven at Jerufalem. Yet ftill I had my doubts, and difficulties. I could never perceive the use and intention of all thofe fingular rites, and ceremonies,

VOL. I.

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