'!:BAN TO CHRIST.. Many are like Lot-they will not do just what the angel-messenger connnand~, tJ1cy will seek_ for ~ome little city near to which they may flee; but there 11re uo Zoars now for scckmg s1nnera, they must floe to the mountain. Show some of the ~nbtle refu~~ in ~-hich awakened souls try to find shelter and rest; e.g. waiting fnr deeper co1,v1ct1on; mtenser effort to make themselves good; devotion to the extcr- uali ties nf religion; expecting to get more feeling, etc. 111. E\"EN WHEN DRIVEN FROM OTIIER OONFIDEN0F.S, AND T,ED TO CHRIST, MANY o_F us CAN SCARCELY BE SATISFIED WITH .. ONLY BELIEVE." 'l'he very simplicity of t11e gospel terms of salvation we tum into a hindrance. Yet this is the gospel-God <1f his free mercy, is willing t-0 pardon, delh·er, aud receive all who seek him, solely or: the ground of what his Son has done for them, and is in relation to them, And God is 1-leased to make their justification depend on their believing in his Son. "God bath gi,·en to us eternal life, and this life is in bis Son. He that bath the Son bath life," etc. "ny this Man is preached unto us the forgiveness of sins." Does any man now ask, "Vl"hnt must I do to be saved?" 'l'be old answer is ever new," llelieve on the Lord Jesus Christ, and tbon shalt be saved. "-R. 'l'. Ver. 31.-The faith that saves. Introduce by a review of the incidents connected with the text.. Bot.h the prisoners and the jailor heard the songs and prayers of the apostles ; and the jnilor had in all probability heard of the testimony of the Pythones8 (,·er. 17), so he was in a measure prepared for sudden conviction. There are historical iiints of a serious earthquake occurring in this district at this time, and the effects described,-loosening doors from their jambs and staples from the walls,-are quite such as might be caused by earthqua.ke. 'l'he anxiety of the jailor was aroused by the certainty that Lis own life would be forfeited if any of his prisoners had escaped. No allowance would be made for the extraordinary cause of such escape. Suicide was the Roman's way of escaping from what he esteemed to be disgrace. St. Paul's words, " We are all here," e:i.:actly met the occasion, and removed the man's fears. Then came a tumult of emotions. The man seemed to feel that God was there, and these men were his servnnts. In a sudden impulse be called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" St. Paul sets before him Jesus, and says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." What is this faith that saves? We observe that our Lord always asked for it, or expected to find it, or reproached men for the lack of it. To the blind man he said, "Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" To the Syro-phcenician woman he said, "0 woman, great is thy faith." Of the centurion he said, "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." Of the men who let the sufferer down through the roofing, it is said, "When Jesus saw their faith." Of the people at Capemaum the sad remark is made, "He did not many mighty "·orks there because of their unbelief." And the apostles also required faith. "All that believed . . . bad all things common." "If thou believeEt with all thine heart, thou mayest." "Faith cometh by bearing." " With the heart man believeth unt-0 righteousness." "The just shall live by faith." "Perceiving that he had faith to be healed." Faith is seldom won by mere descriptions of what faith is. Such descriptions too often only hinder and bewilder. Faith is most surely won by setting forth the great Ohjcct of faith, Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, and able t-0 save unt-0 the utter- most. From the text we note two points. L THP.: FAITH THAT SAVES IS FAITII IN A PERSON. Illustrate from the appeal at Pentecost. "That same Jesus . . . both Lord and Christ" (eh. ii. 36). 'l'he appli- cation of the sermon connected with the healing of the lame man is, " God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him t-0 bless you" (eh. iii. 26). Philip drew near to the eunuch, and "preached unto him Jesus." Peter said to the sick lEneas, "Jesus Christ maketb thee whole." 'l'o Paul of Tarsus the Person Jesus appeared and spoke. At Athens Paul declared that God would judge the world by one Man whom he had appoilltecL 'l'he object of saving faith is (1) not any scheme of doctrine; (2) not any hist-Orica! record; (3) not any finished work, conceived as distinct from a living; person with a present power. A salvation that was a '!1ental. apprehe.:ision of a form uf truth could not suit everybody. Trust in a person 18 possible to every- body. So Christ's own way of salrntioo, is thisc "He that hath the Son of God CR, XVII. 1--34,] THE AOTS OP THE APOSTLES. 87
1111th life." And the npostloe' way is: "Ilelieve on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou slmlt be saved." Ilut it may be urged that we must know somethin"' about Jesus if wo aro to trust him. It may be nnswered that the essentials of a savhig knowledge aro vory few and very simple. They are these: Jesus was the promised Messiah; Jesus lived a life of innocence and self-denial; Jesus died on the cross a sacrifice for sin; Jesus rose from the grave thr1t he might have power to redeem• a~d ,Jesus lives, able to save us now. It is Christ himself lifted up who dl'aws all me~ unto him. II. 'l'm!: FAITH THAT BAVES JB FAITH WITH THE HEART. Minds believe doctrine&', :warts trust persons. It is necessary to distinguish carefully belween faith in a thin" and faith in a person. We believe things on reasons which can be submitted to th~ intellect. We believe persons because we feel their goodness, their character. Illu~trate by the trust of a child in a father; of a patient in his physician; of a wife in her husband. It is that kind of faith or trust which the Lord Jesus seeks to win as the condition in us to which he may respond with his saving grace. If we "know him" well, we she.II find in him just the goodness which will make our faith in him easy. Do you say, "Is the Lord Jesus really one whom I may fully trust"? See him takiu~ the children in his arms. See him speaking so tenderly to the woman who was bathincr his feet with her tears. See him talking to Mary in the Bethany home, whose "eye; were homes of silent prayer." See bim standing up on the great day of the feast, and yearning over the multitude, and callillg them to come to him, and drink, and live for ever. See him on his very cross praying for his murderers. Surely we can trust him. Our hearts respond to such goodness. He is worthy of our love. .Appeal that Jesus is really God manifest, God revealing himself to your soul. He would win your love. What will your response to him be ?-R. T.