ing in the knowledge of him,) and there is little doubt that in whatever degree Christ is preached it will not be suffered to be in vain, but that God will accompany it with the influences of his Spirit. Little fruit may be seen, perhaps none, for a time, but "the word of God shall not return unto him void, but shall prosper in the thing whereunto he sends it."9

And this leads me, IN THE SECOND PLACE, to notice THE RECEPTION WHICH PHILIP'S PREACHING MET WITH. "The people with one accord gave heed unto the things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did."

Now here I would observe that the heed given did not altogether depend upon the miracles which they had seen. Philip came with a new message, the message of salvation through Christ. He came claiming their assent to statements which had not before been proved to them; and therefore Philip had what was essential to him in the character in which he stood; he had the signs and seals and credentials of his embassy. To this the Apostle to the Hebrews refers, when he says of this great salvation that it "began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness with signs and wonders and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his will." 1 But we know that all the miracles that could be wrought would in themselves be insufficient. The carnal heart of man would find a way to evade them. 'Heb. ii. 3, 4.

9 Isaiah lv. 11.

When our Lord himself wrought them, and left the people without excuse, so that he could say of them, "If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin," they notwithstanding found an excuse; and when they could not gainsay the miracle, they attributed it to Satan, saying, "He casteth out devils by Beelzebub the prince of the devils." It was not therefore the force of the miracles alone, but the operation of the Holy Spirit of God, that disposed their minds to hear the truth, and to admit the evidence on which it was presented to them. I notice this because it is sometimes conceived that there was a degree of irresistible evidence attending miraculous proof; and that we are in so far worse off than they who lived at the time of the first preaching of the gospel : whereas, in point of fact, the proof only differs according to the nature of the case; and the carnal heart was just as capable of rejecting that which was then presented to it, as it is in these days of rejecting that which is now offered; or indeed I should rather say, as incapable of receiving the miraculous proof without the accompanying power of the Holy Spirit, as it is now of receiving the ordinary proof without the power of the Holy Spirit. The word of God-the message of salvation-was then presented with that which under the existing circumstances was necessary to attest it; and with some minds it had its influence, and with others it had not. "Some believed the things which were spoken, and

2 John xv. 24.

3 Matt. xii. 24.

some believed not." The word of God, the same message of salvation, is now presented without such extraordinary attestation, because the necessity for it does not exist; the fact that the word which we preach is the word of God can be established by other means, by an abundance of proof of a different character, which supplies to us most adequately the loss of miraculous proof. But this proof will have its weight with some, and not with others; just as was the case with miraculous proof; and that from the same cause, either from the operation, or from the absence of the operation, of the Holy Spirit of God upon the heart. In either case there is proof enough to leave the person who rejects it without excuse; in neither case can the person be convinced, except by the accompanying power of the Spirit. These things may to our short-sighted minds appear contradictory, yet are they both clearly written. In whatever way the truth of God be presented, or Christ preached, whether with miracle as in the early ages of the gospel, or without miracle as now, yet "can no man say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Ghost." When, therefore, we read in this place of the people giving heed, we have no hesitation in saying that, as far as that heed was a real and serious attention to the preaching of Philip, it was the work of God the Holy Ghost, disposing the natural heart of man, which is averse to such things, to give heed to the things that belong to his everlasting peace. And that the heed or attention which they gave was of

4 Acts xxviii. 24.

this serious character and under this influence, may be gathered not only from the fruits of it, which we shall have to notice, but from the expression here used that they did so "with one accord;" for this implies a concentration of mind, and an unity of purpose and object, which marks the source from whence it came. The same expression is used in the description of the first assembling of the Lord's people after his ascension, that they were all "with one accord in one place." What a picture is this of an unanimous and sincere congregation! As the last head pointed out the character and conduct of a faithful preacher, so this does of a sincerely hearing people. How richly might we expect the blessing to descend if these points were thus united! Christ freely and fully preached, and all unitedly giving heed to it. Surely great blessings would result, and "the word" in such a case would "have free course and be glorified." It were impossible that we could give such heed to the word without a blessing. I address every truly seeking and inquiring person with the assurance of this. It were to be wished. that all were so, that hearing were really with us a matter of one accord," that christian worship · pers in the house of God were indeed and in truth what they profess; but the want of this union shall not withhold the blessing from the soul that seeks. If there be one present (and we believe there are many) who is giving an anxious and prayerful attention, it shall not be in vain. If you are so seeking, it is

5 Acts ii. 1.

6 2 Thess. iii. 1.

the Spirit's work; it is he that hath put into your hearts the good desire, and that work will be carried on, and will ultimately issue in peace and joy.

And this is what we are told, in THE THIRD PLACE, WAS THE CONSEQUENCE OF PHILIP'S PREACHING, "There was great joy in that city."

We do not exclude the miraculous cures from any share in producing this effect. We read that "unclean spirits crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed, and that many taken with palsies and that were lame were healed." Now it is impossible to conceive this taking place without joy following it. Take any of the cases. Suppose the poor possessed demoniac, having his dwelling among the tombs, bursting the chains with which they endeavoured, for safety, to secure him, wandering night and day in the mountains, crying and cutting himself with stones; now sitting clothed and in his right mind." Take the case of the poor paralytic, beholden to the care of others, unable to express perhaps his wants; now restored to his power and vigour both of mind and body. Such changes, effected so rapidly as they were, must have created no ordinary feelings of joy both in the persons themselves who were the subjects of them, and in all who took an interest in them and sympathized with them. Indeed no indifferent person, who merely saw a number of his fellow-creatures relieved from suffering and misery, could have felt otherwise than rejoiced. But surely this formed but

7 Mark v. 15.