Faithfully attend on the instituted worship of God. This is a great security against irreligion and infidelity. That christians may hold fast the profession of their faith, the Apostle enjoins them to keep up their religious assemblies.

Be solicitous to obtain a share in the great blessings, which this religion offers to you. Seek pardon and glory, in the way which it prescribes, by repentance of sin and faith in the redeemer. There is no other name by which you can be saved.

Endeavor to extend the knowledge, advance the honor and promote the success of the gospel; put to silence the ignorance of foolish men; confirm them who waver; strengthen such as are weak; encourage the young and tender, and guard them against the instructions which cause to err. If you ask, How this shall be done?-Take the apostle's advice, "Only let your conversation be, as it becometh the gospel of Christ."

SERMON II.

Inscription, Benediction, and general subject of the Epistle to the Ephesians.

EPHESIANS i. 1, 2, 3.

Faul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God to the saints which are in Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace be to you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ

EPHESUS, the city in which the church here addressed was collected, was the metropolis of Lesser Asia; and, lying on the sea coast, it was a place of considerable trade. The Greeks inhabiting this city were zealous idolaters. They are said, in the 19th Chapter of the Acts, to be "worshippers of the great goddess Diana, and of the image that fell down from Jupiter." In this city stood the temple of Diana, which, for its grandeur and magnificence, was considered as one of the wonders of the world. The Ephesians were also celebrated for their skill in the arts of magic and divination, as we find in the Chapter before cited. And from this epistle of Paul, we learn, that they were also infamous for luxury, lasciviousness and all uncleanness. In this city dwelt great numbers of Jews, who had a synagogue here for divine worship, in which Paul preached for several months. This is the first account, which we have, of the publication of

the gospel in this city. After his departure, Apollos, who was an eloquent man and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. He had been educated in the Jewish religion; but having lately been instructed in the way of the Lord, he came and taught it diligently in the synagogue. Paul, not long after this, returning to Ephesus, preached there above two years together; "So that not only the Ephesians, but all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks; and God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul. And the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified; and many believed, and came and confessed their evil deeds; and the word of the Lord mightily grew and prevailed."

Sometime after Paul's departure from Ephesus, we find that he was sent a prisoner to Rome. In his confinement he wrote several epistles to churches and christian friends; and, among others, this to the church of Ephesus; for he calls himself, Chap. iv. the prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles.

He directs this letter to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus, i. e. not only to those in Ephesus who had believed, but to those in other parts of Asia, who had heard the word of the gospel from him, while he was preaching in that city. So he orders his epistle to the Colossians to be read also in the church of the Laodiceans.

The design of this epistle is more fully to instruct them in the nature of that gospel, which they had received to guard them against certain errors, to which they were exposed from the influence and example of unbelieving Jews and Gentiles; and to inculcate upon them the importance of a conversation becoming their faith and profession. It contains the substance of the Gospel: And one who reads and understands it, will. have good acquaintance with that religion which Paul taught in all his epistles and discourses.

I intend, if providence shall give me opportunity, to illustrate and improve this whole epistle; in doing which I shall lay before you a system of christian doctrines and precepts in the order and connexion in which the Apo e has arranged them.

At present I shall confine myself to the words which have been read.

Paul here calls himself an Apostle of Jesus Christ. The word Apostle signifies a messenger sent on some particular business. Jesus Christ is called an Apostle, because he was sent of God to instruct and redeem mankind. Paul and others are called Apostles, because they were sent of Christ to teach the doctrines which they had received from him. To the eleven disciples, after his resurrection, he says, "As the. Father hath sent me, so send I you. All power is given me in heaven and in earth. Go teach, or proselyte, all nations, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." Their commission did not confine them within any prescribed limits, as did the commission of those whom the Apostles ordained over particular churches; but it authorized them to go forth and spread the gospel in all parts of the world; and to confirm this extensive commission, as well as to give their ministry success. Christ, according to this promise, wrought with them, and established their word with signs following.

Paul says, He was an Apostle by the will of God. In his epistle to the Galatians he styles himself, an Apostle, not of man, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father. He received not his call or commission from man, nor was he, as Matthias was, chosen to his Apostleship by men; but he was called by Jesus Christ, who in person appeared to him for this end, that he might send him among the Gentiles; and by God the Father, who revealed his Son in him, and chose him that he should know his will, and be a witness of the truth unto all men.

But though he was called of God by revelation, yet it was not a secret revelation known only to himself, like the revelations on which enthusiasts and impostors ground their pretensions; but it was a revelation made in the most open and public manner, attended with a voice from heaven, and a light which outshone the sun at noonday, and exhibited in the midst of a number of people to whom he could appeal as witnesses of the extraordinary scene.

Notwithstanding this heavenly vision, Paul entered not on the execution of his apostolic office, nor once presumed to preach the gospel, till Ananias came to him, and, laying his hands on him, declared, that God had chosen him to bear Christ's name among the Gentiles. The truth of this declaration Ananias confirmed by a sudden and miraculous restoration of Paul to his sight. Nor was he received by the Apostles at Jerusalem, until he was recommended to them by the testimony of Barnabas, who had been intimately acquainted with these previous transactions. Nor did he, after all, go forth to execute his commission among the Gentiles, until the elders of the church at Antioch had solemnly separated him to this work by fasting, and prayer, and the imposition of their hands.

The great business of Paul and the other Apostles was to diffuse the knowledge of the gospel, and plant churches in various parts of the world. And when a competent number of believers were collected in a particular place, some meet person was usually ordained to reside among them as a stated teacher. Accordingly we find Timothy ordained over this church of Ephesus, by the laying on of the hands of the presbytery, of which Paul himself was one. And the authority which Timothy had thus received, the same he was ordered to commit to faithful men, who should be able to teach others; and he was cautioned to lay hands suddenly

on no man.