This is the principal design of creation, (Psalm viii. &c.); of the whole scheme of redemption: "I have glorified thee on earth," &c. (John xvii. 4-10.) Not merely man's salvation, but God's glory. To promote this the believer thirsts: it is a consideration of higher moment to him than his own salvation. This is an evidence of advance in the Divine life; the awakened sinner cries, "What shall I do to be saved?" like a drowning man struggling for life; but when called, saved, chosen, reconciled, then he loses sight of self, and is swallowed up in God's glory! jealous of his honour, sensitive concerning it.

2. To be the humble but honoured instrument of promoting that glory is the Christian's highest motive of exertion and devotedness.

"What!" saith he, " may I, such a one as I, once so vile, still so feeble, unworthy, and sinful-may I, can I be a mirror in which God's glory may be reflected? Is it possible that any thing that I can do can add to the glory of God? Oh! wonderful condescension and love!"

And when he hears that he may glorify God in all things, the least important and the most ordinary-"whether ye eat or drink," &c.—what a stimulus is this to holy walkingto watchfulness-consistency—diligence-devotedness—spirituality of mind—and all holy conduct and conversation! No motive so strong as this—no desire of reward—nor heavenly bliss" that God in all things may be glorified." (1 Peter iv. 11, 14; Acts iv. 21; Gal. i. 24.)

3. To be the occasion of dishonour to God and religion is the object of the Christian's greatest fear.

He knows how severely God has visited his own people who have been guilty of this sin. See David's child, (2 Sam. xii. 14.) See the man of God, who went to Bethel, (1 Kings xiii.) No motive stronger than this to flee from sin-no fear of punishment-no terror of hell-no worldly consequences like this! "I shall dishonour God, bring reproach on religion, cast a stumbling-block in the way of God's people, and a scandal on the word-how then can I do this wickedness?" Therefore he watches his temper, his tongue, his heart; he fears to offend-" giving no offence in anything," &c. (1 Cor. x. 32; 2 Cor. vi. 3): "without offence till the day of Christ," &c. (Philipp. i. 10.)

These two motives combined, viz. jealousy for God's glory, and fear of dishonouring him, produce the most powerful and widely-diffused influence over the whole character and conduct-affecting all the powers of the mind.

and heart, and bringing the whole man into subjection to God.

1. There is much in this subject calculated to humble the sincere Christian.

Has our eye been always single? Has the glory of God been our ruling principle? Have we brought this to bear upon the commonest offices of life, and set it simply before us in our highest duties? Who is not an unprofitable servant? Who has not often occasioned offence?

Where would the best man be but for the blood of Jesus Christ? Oh! let us all flee to him, trust to him, believe in him, and seek his grace to renew our hearts, and live after his image!

2. There is here much to awaken the careless and unbelieving.

Instead of promoting God's glory, you daily dishonour him! Every evil word and thought and deed casts a reflection on him: you provoke him to destroy you! And remember, you can do nothing pleasing to him till you have first repented and believed the Gospel. In the tears of repentance, glorify him! His grace and mercy and love shall be displayed in your humiliation: there is "joy in heaven,” and "glory to God in the highest," when one sinner repents. And having honoured him in penitence, he will honour you with the gifts of faith and love and hope and peace and joy : he will form and fashion you for himself a vessel to contain his glory in his heavenly house for ever!

3. How ought all to endeavour to promote his glory!

By establishing schools-by building churches-by multiplying faithful ministers-by sending out missionaries-by contributing to every good work-oh! let us promote the honour and glory of God; for then only can we consistently pray, "Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven!"

XXX.

PAUL AT ATHENS.

MISSIONARY.

Acts xvii. 16. Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

THIS book contains all the authentic history which has come down to us respecting the rise and progress of the early Christian Church. The materials are indeed scanty, yet they are deeply interesting and important; more especially as affording an inspired test to which we may bring all subsequent and traditionary history: even the writings of the early fathers-the Apocrypha of the New Testament must be received with caution, and their facts and their doctrines must be sifted carefully by the word of God.

The Acts of the Apostles are most instructive, as throwing light upon the modern efforts to disseminate Christianity. This book is, as it were, the missionary record of the early Christian Church; and, if we would judge rightly of the nature and results of modern missions, we must compare them with those of the Apostles.

We have before us the history of the first promulgation of the Gospel at Athens: let us examine the narrative, and consider the feelings and conduct of St. Paul, and the measure of success vouchsafed to him. We shall find ample topics for stimulating us to exertion in the cause of God. May he acknowledge and bless his own cause!

I. THE STATE OF ATHENS-" wholly given to idolatry!” II. THE FEELINGS WITH WHICH ST. PAUL CONTEMPLATED IT-"his spirit was stirred within him."

III. THE MEANS WHICH HE ADOPTED FOR THEIR RELIEF"he preached Jesus and the Resurrection." IV. THE EFFECTS PRODUCED BY HIS PREACHING :

"Some mocked"—some said, "they would hear him again” —and "certain persons clave to him!”

I. THE STATE OF ATHENS "wholly given to idolatry!" 1. What a comment upon the fruits of human wisdom and philosophy!

Here was the fountain and centre of intellectual achieve

ments: here poets had sung, and moralists taught, and orators declaimed, and philosophers had speculated; and the result was this-" they were wholly given to idolatry: Athens was a proverb and a jest for its mythology—“ it had more gods than men ;" and yet the only true God was "the unknown God!"-illustrating the sentence of inspiration"the world by wisdom knew not God." (1 Cor. i. 20, 21.)

Oh! let us be wise, and learn whither those infidel philosophers of the present day would hurry us, who would substitute secular for religious education, and teach that philosophy and intellectual cultivation is the panacea for all our ills! Atheism or idolatry would be, and always have been, the result!

If this was the state of Athens, we may conclude that the rest of the ancient world was equally given to idolatry-as we know it was: "the whole world lay in wickedness!" (1 John v. 19.)

2. Equally deplorable is the state of the modern heathen world.

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The Gospel has been promulgated eighteen hundred years, yet the largest and fairest portions of the world are still wholly given to idolatry!" What an affecting consideration! Idolatry is, and ever was, cruel, licentious, and deceitful yet it broods over millions! It kindles the flames of the funeral pile where the widow perishes-swallows up thousands in the Ganges-devours millions of infants-depopulates whole islands and countries-poisons the charities of social life-still it reigns! And, in its mildest forms, the people are "without God, without Christ, and without hope!" (Ephes. ii. 12): sinners without a Saviour!-miserable, and no comforter-dying, and they have no knowledge of life eternal! (1 Peter iv. 3; Rom. i. 21, &c.; 1 Cor. ii. 20.) "In darkness, and under the power of Satan." (Acts xxvi. 16-18.)

II. THE FEELINGS WITH WHICH THE APOSTLE REGARDED THE ATHENIANS: "his spirit was stirred within him"

-not with wonder and admiration at their science, their cultivation, the beauty of their paintings and marbles; his eye was fixed only on one object-their deplorable idolatry: so fair a city so degraded! And "his spirit was stirred". like David's: "My heart was hot within me; while I was musing the fire burned," &c. (Psalm xxxix. 3.) Or as St. Paul felt towards the Jews at Corinth: "he was pressed in spirit." (Acts xviii. 5.)

1. It expresses vehement emotion: he was affected—

—with pity and compassion for their sad condition : his heart bled for these perishing sinners-so wise, and yet so foolish! so clever, cultivated, philosophic, yet so lost to eternal things -on a level with the most degraded barbarians as to their souls the world's admiration, the Apostle's pity!

:

―with holy jealousy for the glory of his God! (ver. 24—26) : that such mean conceptions should prevail respecting the Great Spirit!-that Jehovah should be dethroned and blasphemed and that idols, wood and stone, should be honoured!

-with generous self-devotion: prudence and self-preservation would have suggested that he should wait for Timothy and the rest of his party, that he should not venture to stand up alone, "faithful amidst the faithless;" but no such considerations weighed with him: "the love of Christ constrained him ; "none of these things moved him," (ch. xx. 24): he was impelled by God's Spirit to stand up and preach the Gospel on Mars-hill.

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2. Now, seeing that the heathen still perish, let us ask—

-Where is our pity and compassion for them? What tears have we shed, what sigh heaved?-what anxious thought for their salvation? Have we heeded their anguish of soul? Alas, alas! with cold, stoical indifference, we see them perish!

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Where is our zeal for God's glory and jealousy of his honour? Are we not indifferent-careless-heedless? His name is trampled on-the homage due to Him is paid to wood and stone :66 -Are we very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts ?" -Where is our generous self-devotion? Who exclaims, "Here am I, send me?" (Isaiah vi. 8.) Men and money are wanted, where shall we find them? What a contrast is there between modern religious indifference and St. Paul's example! Either he was an injudicious enthusiast, or we are cold, temporizing, worldly-minded Christians!

III. THE MEANS WHICH THE APOSTLE USED FOR THEIR RELIEF" he preached Jesus and the Resurrection." (ver. 17, 18.)

1. This appears from the exordium of his sermon, (ver. 22-31):

-When he came to the main topic, "Jesus and the resurrection," they "mocked," and would hear no more. This was the substance of the Gospel message as delivered by all

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