SERMON III.

ACTS X. 2.

A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people; and prayed to God always.

THE design of this discourse is to recommend the important, yet neglected duty of secret devotion; and perhaps few passages are more happily calculated to enforce it than the verse which I have chosen. Cornelius, whose example is here presented for our imitation, was a centurion, an officer of considerable rank in the Roman army. It is to be lamented that gentlemen of the sword are more frequently distinguished for their profligacy than their piety; they are more in the habit of imprecating curses on themselves and others, than importuning for blessings. The nature of the soldier's occupation tends to inspire him with a degree of hardihood; with a defiance of danger which often degenerates into a forgetfulness, and even defiance of his God. His unsettled situation in life; his want of the regular ordinances of grace; his exposure to ensnaring company, and various other considerations have a natural tendency to divert his attention from things divine and eternal. But the inspired historian here presents to ⚫ur view a noble exception. "Cornelius a

centurion," an officer in the Roman army, the most illustrious then in the world, was a" devout man;" he walked in the fear of Jehovah, and was actuated by a zeal for his glory: He reflected that no distinction of rank, no peculiarity of situation could now conceal him from the eye of an omniscient God, nor would hereafter be admitted as any apology for impiety: He considered that although the splendor of talents, or fortune, or outward condition might dazzle the eyes of mortals, "the Lord God looketh to the heart, and will render to every man," whatever be his occupation in life, "according to his works."

"He feared God with all his house." Living godliness is communicative in its nature: As the opening rose diffuses its fragrance through the surrounding air, or as the living fountain sends forth its waters to refresh the neighboring ground, or as the sun revolving in his orbit sheds abroad his rays for enlightening and cheering the nations: "so out of the abundance of his heart" the devout man must be occasionally "speaking." The parent who truly fears God will aim at infusing this principle into the souls of his children, and the godly master will recommend godliness to his servants as their duty, and honor, and interest.

It is another part of the character of Cornelius that he "gave much alms to the people." They who abound in acts of piety to God usually abound in acts of charity to men,

and the latter is no less necessary in its own place for evincing the sincerity of our profession than the former. That same divine Teacher who has commanded us "to love the Lord our God with all our heart" has also commanded "that we love our neighbor as ourselves;" and can our love more disinterestedly appear than in promoting his welfare, temporal and spiritual, as our circumstances admit, or his circumstances require. He who has enjoined us to "add to our faith virtue, and knowledge, and temperance" connects as links in the same golden chain "brotherly kindness and charity." Indeed we rarely read of either male or female eminent for their attainments in holiness without finding a charitable disposition to constitute a prominent part of their character. Zaccheus immediately after his conversion resolves "the half of my goods will I give to the poor," and the apostle "thanks God without ceasing in behalf of the Thessalonians because," he adds, your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one to each other aboundeth.”

Cornelius is also represented" as praying to God always." We are not to conclude from this account that the centurion was constantly retired in his closet, or that his soul was always elevated to his God in acts of devotion: Neither the frame of our bodies, nor the relations which we sustain to our families, or the church, or society, admit of unceasing attention to the exercises

of religion. There are certain obligations binding upon us as men, no less than as christians, and the duties of neither relation need by any means interfere with the duties of the other. A man is not obliged to become "slothful in business" who desires to "be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." Diligence in our secular employments, and attention to the various duties of our civil relations are highly ornamental, and when discharged from proper motives will become hand-maids to religion. But the expression "he prayed to God always," implies that he had stated seasons for devotion, and that these were punctually observed. "Thus in common language we say that a tree is always fruitful which yields its fruit at the proper period; the sacrifice which was offered up every morning and evening among the Jews was called the continual burnt offering, and the Israelites who duly attended divine service in the temple were said to be always there." To pray always therefore implies to have stated periods for the discharge of that duty. But the phrase as applied to Cornelius probably implied more than this: We are justified in inferring from it that his soul was frequently lifted up in silent supplication to the throne of his Father, as peculiar circumstances required. Prayers secretly and suddenly offered up in the moment of necessity, are often the most successful, because they are generally the most unfeigned and ardent. Thus Hannah pray

ed in the company of Eli and others; thus the traveller may pray on his journey; the husbandman when employed in the labors of the field, and the soldier when actually wielding the sword in battle. "The eyes of the Lord are always upon the righteous, v and his ears are open unto their cry," and therefore in all danger or distress they may have recourse to him for support. The latter is commonly called ejaculatory prayer, and may be considered in a certain degree as growing out of the former. The believer generally experiences, that in proportion as he is frequent and fervent in his stated devotions he is also frequent and fervent in his occasional devotions: The more punctual that he is in offering up his sacrifice morning and evening, the more importunate he will be in breathing out his soul in supplication amidst the various pursuits and enjoyments of the day.

I already mentioned it as my design to recommend on this occasion the duty of secret prayer, and this I would attempt by shewing,

I. That it is a most reasonable service, and, II. By offering some arguments as an inducement for all to perform it.

This duty must appear reasonable when we consider,

1. That it is explicitly enjoined by the Living God. The very consideration that any ordinance is sanctioned by his supreme, sovereign authority, is a sufficient reason