grace, nor so have pursued his own designs, namely, to get to himself
a praise and a name: but now he has done it to purpose. For who
that shall read this story, but must confess, that the Son of God is
full of grace; for a proof of the riches thereof, he left behind him,
when upon the cross he took the thief away with him to glory. Nor
can this one act of his be buried; it will be talked of to the end of
the world to his praise. "Men shall speak of the might of thy
terrible acts, and will declare thy greatness; they shall abundantly
utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy
righteousness. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and
talk of thy power; to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts,
and the glorious majesty of his kingdom;" Psalm cxlv. 6-12.

When the word of God came among the conjurers and those soothsayers
that you read of, Acts xix., and had prevailed with some of them to
accept of the grace of Christ, the Holy Ghost records it with a
boast, for that it would redound to his praise, saying, "And many of
them that used curious arts, brought their books together, and burned
them before all men: and counted the price of them, and found it
fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God,
and prevailed;" Acts xix. 19, 20. It wrenched out of the clutches of
Satan some of those of whom he thought himself most sure.

"So mightily grew the word of God." It grew mightily, it encroached
upon the kingdom of the devil. It pursued him, and took the prey; it
forced him to let go his hold: it brought away captive, as prisoners
taken by force of arms, some of the most valiant of his army: it
fetched back from, as it were, the confines of hell, some of those
that were his most trusty, and that with hell had been at an
agreement: it made them come and confess their deeds, and burn their