monarchy after Nebuchadnezzar, that "God stirred up his spirit to acknowledge before all the world, that it was the LORD," the God of Israel, "who had given him all the kingdoms of the earth;" in acknowledgment whereof he permitted and encouraged the return of the Jews from captivity, and the building of the Temple. "Who is there among you," says Cyrus, "of all God's people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem and build the house of the LORD GOD of Israel (HE is the GOD).”

Here again we have a most remarkable confession, on the part of the man, who for the time was head of the earthly or Antichristian kingdom, that he for one was converted in heart, and would not take part with God's enemies.

The third great empire was that of the Greeks, the head of which was Alexander the Great; but of him, except in prophecy, the Scriptures tell us nothing, he having lived in the times between the Old and the New Testament, during which the HOLY GHOST, as to express Scripture, was silent. However, there is good reason to believe that Alexander too, warned in a dream, did solemnly acknowledge the true God at Jerusalem; though we have no proof whatever of such humble and devout allegiance on his part, as we find in Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus.

But neither of these confessions is to be compared with that greatest outward triumph of the Church over the Antichristian kingdom, which took place when new Babylon, that is, Rome, became openly Christian, and threw off the yoke of her idols, after she had been drunken with the blood of the Saints and Martyrs for nearly three hundred years.

Nor yet, as we may reasonably conclude from Holy Scripture, is even that event worthy to be matched with the victory of the Church yet to come; when the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all: when the wicked Antichristian power shall be consumed with the Spirit of our LORD's mouth, and destroyed with the brightness of His coming. But these are secrets of the MOST HIGH yet to come, and it does not become us to pry curiously into them. It is enough for us to know in general, that the Church will triumph and the world perish; and being so assured, to take our part in every thing with the Church, and not with the world.

And let it be well understood, that these astonishing Provi

dences of old, these dealings of GOD with His people on a large scale, are in reality and substance the same as His dealings with each individual among us. A man need not be a Nebuchadnezzar, nor have great Babylon to glory in, in order to indulge pride and self-sufficiency of heart, and set himself up to be his own god. A poor labourer may be proud and irreligious, as well as a great king. When the notion of managing for ourselves takes entire possession of any of our minds; when we have prospered in a few things, and find that we have got a name for prudence and skill, and that other people are willing to be controlled by us; then it is that we are in danger of something like Nebuchadnezzar's feeling if we be not very watchful, God will soon hear us saying to ourselves," Is not this my house which I have built, my fortune which I have made, my plans which I have prospered in? Am I not entitled to praise and rest and enjoyment?"

Thrice happy is it for those, on whom the voice from heaven, the severe but merciful voice, shall fall in the midst of such profane self-congratulations, and convince them, even though it be by temporary loss of reason itself, how they are worse than nothing without their CREATOR.

God knows best in any case, what the right way is of abating pride of heart; but as far as we can judge, no way would seem more effectual, than when men's wisdom and knowledge are taken away, their counsels turned into foolishness, and a perverse spirit, a spirit of infatuation, mingled with those thoughts and reasonings, in which they have been tempted to put their trust. Such things we most of us have seen, many of us have often in sight, any one of us may experience any hour.

May the ALMIGHTY in His mercy grant, that the sense of our own extreme frailty may keep us close to HIM who is the light of our souls, that SAVIOUR, who took to HIм a human soul, that HE might be our life, and the very light of that light of reason, which we are apt to value ourselves on! that come what may to any of us in this world, we may in the end "lift up our eyes," and finding ourselves in the Church, not in Babylon, may " praise and honour HIM who liveth for ever," and thank HIM for abasing our pride!

SERMON CCLXVI.

REJOICING IN PENITENCE.

FOR THE TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

ACTS viii. 39.

"He went on his way rejoicing."

THE person of whom St. Luke is here speaking had just been called, by God's special Providence, to faith and hope in JESUS CHRIST; and he had made haste to obey the call. He had been, it seems, a sincere Jew-a true believer in the Scriptures of the Old Testament; and in obedience to those Scriptures had gone up, at the appointed time, to worship GoD in His Temple at Jerusalem. As he was returning, and sitting in his chariot, he employed himself in reading the Holy Scriptures, and the place of the Scripture which he read was the fifty-third chapter of the Prophet Isaiah-that chapter, which of all others in the Old Testament bears special witness to the Cross of CHRIST: how He was led as a lamb to the slaughter; how He poured out His soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors, and bare the sin of many.

While the eunuch was reading of these things, the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD sent to him expressly an evangelist, St. Philip, to explain the meaning of that Scripture to him, and from it to preach unto him JESUS: an everlasting encouragement to every one who studies his Bible with a devout and teachable mind.

Such a mind was that of the Ethiopian eunuch in the text. By the grace of God he perceived and acknowledged the truth of what the evangelist taught him-his own sinfulness, his need of a

Redeemer, and the infinite mercy of ALMIGHTY GOD in sending His only SON JESUS CHRIST to die for him. Believing all this, he earnestly desired to be baptized, and so united to our SAVIOUR, the very first opportunity that he found: and the saint granted his earnest wish: they went down both of them into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him."

Thus, you see, GOD's special Providence interfered to turn this devout and faithful Jew into a Christian, no less faithful and devout. Being so converted and baptized, he lost sight of his earthly teacher-the "SPIRIT of the LORD caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: but he went on his way rejoicing."

Upon these last words it seems natural to remark, what is the temper and disposition of mind in which people may be expected to go on their way, when they have sincerely received CHRIST's Gospel received it into an obedient heart. The natural fruit of such good resolutions, the consequence of endeavouring to live by faith in CHRIST crucified, is joy, satisfaction, cheerfulness of mind. Such persons go on their way through life, rejoicing that they have such a good and merciful God, a FATHER, a SAVIOUR, and a COMFORTER, at every moment watching over them. They try in earnest to love and serve Him who has done so much for them, and therefore, happen what may, it cheers them to remember and know, "that all things work together for good to such as love GOD."

This feeling, you will observe, did not make the eunuch turn out of his way. "He went on his way rejoicing." He still pursued his worldly calling, as it was his duty to do; but with more life and spirit, more cheerfulness and energy than before. For now he had clearly set before him the blessed hope of everlasting life, with which God, for CHRIST's sake, had promised to crown his sincere endeavours. The prize of his high calling, constantly in view, would naturally make him not less but more industrious, not more indifferent to other men, but more anxious to do them good-more careful of his time, more fervent in spirit, more open and awake to all the reasons for thankfulness, with which God's bounty has filled the world.

Such is the frame and turn of mind, for which in her Collect for this day the Church has taught us to ask our Maker : "Of

thy bountiful goodness keep us, we beseech THEE, from all things that may hurt us: that we, being ready both in body and soul, may cheerfully accomplish those things which Thou wouldst have done." If we mean what we say, when we use this prayer, we resign ourselves up, our souls and bodies, entirely into the hands of God: not pretending to judge for ourselves, what will hurt us and what not: this we leave to His merciful consideration, beseeching HIM only to judge for us, and to ward off from us those things which He knows to be really evil, though we, in our blindness, should even desire them. Leaving all the rest in His hands, we beg, distinctly, this one blessing: That He would keep us ready for His service, and enable us cheerfully to do His will.

Now this Christian cheerfulness may be considered in two ways both as a privilege, and as a duty. As a privilege, it is surely the greatest of earthly comforts, to have what are called good spirits," and to be enabled to serve God in our calling heartily. But here people must be on their guard : for a mistake about the privilege of Christian cheerfulness may be very painful and very hurtful too. Devout and sincere men are not to depend upon having "better spirits" always, in every sense of that expression. The Collect hints as much by its mention of the body, the condition of which every one knows has a great effect on the spirits: of course, then, whatever reasons GoD in His wise Providence may have for trying good persons with pain and sickness, the same reasons, if we could know them, would account in good measure for their dejection and low spirits.

Yet still it will hold true, that the more thoroughly devout and resigned you are, the better chance you have of this great blessing, a cheerful heart. Sickness or sorrow may cast you down but having a sure arm to lean on, you will not sink so low as you would otherwise, nor find so much difficulty in reviving. In short, true devotion, patiently and calmly practised, has power, by God's blessing, sooner or later, to take out the sting of melancholy itself; except where GoD, in His secret and sovereign goodness, permits the very mind to be diseased. In all other cases of dejection whatsoever, true repentance, and resignation of yourself to God in CHRIST JESUS, is the true secret of a cheerful spirit.