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left without any means of pardon provided for them by the law: nor was any presumptuous sin to be reckoned among those for which sacrifices were appointed. But under the Gospel there is no exception whatever: "All manner of sin shall be forgiven unto men," provided they repent of it, and believe in Jesus Christ for the remission of it: and, if the sin against the Holy Ghost be excepted, it is not because the blood of Christ would not cleanse from that, as well as from every other, but because the man who has committed it must have arrived at such a degree of blindness and obduracy, that he never will repent of his iniquity, nor ever look to Christ with sincerity of heart for the remission of it. We confidently declare, that sins even of a scarlet or crimson dye shall be forgiven; yea, we declare that every sin we have ever committed is actually forgiven, the very instant we truly believe in Christ: even " the little children in Christ" may glory in this, as a truth on which they may most confidently rely, that on their believing in Christ, they not only shall be, but actually, as our text expresses it, are justified from all things"."]

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To impress this blessed truth the more deeply on your minds, let us consider,

II. The admonition with which it is enforcedGlorious as this salvation is, it is too generally despised

[All the prophets prophesied respecting it with more or less clearness: but all had reason to complain, "Who hath believed our report?" In the days of the Apostles the same complaint was made1: and it may but too justly be repeated by us at this day. If this be doubted, let any man tell us, where "has the offence of the cross ceased?" Where is not the faithful exhibition of a crucified Saviour derided as enthusiasm? and in what place are not the followers of Christ gazed upon "as signs and wonders?" But it is not the infidel only or the scoffer that despises Christ: for every man is guilty of despising him, who complies not with the invitations of his Gospel, and withholds from him the affections of his heart. O let us examine ourselves carefully on this head, and see whether the warning in our text may not justly be applied to -]

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If we be found among the number of his despisers, woe be to us

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[The Jews of old despised both the mercies and the judgments of their God: and the Prophet Habakkuk, expostulating with them, declared, that God would inflict on them such judgments by the hands of the Chaldeans, as they would not credit, however strongly his determination should be announced. St. Paul declares, that similar judgments awaited the Jews of his day; and warns them against bringing on themselves such heavy calamities". But what are the calamities inflicted by the Chaldeans or Romans in comparison of those which await unbelievers in the eternal world? We declare to men, that God has wrought the most stupendous work of mercy in the redemption of the world by his dear Son, and that he will consign over to everlasting misery all who reject his Gospel: but men will not believe either the one or the other of these things: they will not so believe his promises as to seek an interest in them; nor will they so believe his threatenings as to endeavour to escape them. But as the judgments denounced against the Jews in former ages have come upon them, so will the judgments denounced against us. Methinks it were sufficient to hear God so strongly assert this, as he does in many places: but God condescends to appeal to us, and to make us judges in our own cause: "What shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of Christ?" "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" "He that despised Moses' law died without mercy of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God?" Can we hear such appeals, and not see the need of attending to the admonition in the text? O let us "beware," how we reject or slight the salvation now offered us. Let us 66 beware" lest we bring upon ourselves that "wrath and fiery indignation which await the adversaries" of the Lord Jesus: and what I say unto one, I say unto all, "Beware."]

m Hab. i. 5.

n St. Paul quotes the Septuagint translation, which differs a little, but not materially, from the original Hebrew.

• Mark xvi. 16. John iii. 36.

MDCCLXXX.

THE GENTILES RECEIVE THE GOSPEL.

Acts xiii. 46-48. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the

Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

WHEREVER the word of God has been faithfully dispensed, it has created a diversity of sentiment amongst the hearers; some receiving it with gratitude, and others rejecting it with disdain. Even when our Lord himself preached, "some said he was a good man; whilst others said, Nay, but he deceiveth the people." Such also was the reception which the Gospel met with when ministered by the Apostles: "The multitude was divided; and part held with the Jews, and part with the Apostles"." Our blessed Lord foretold this, and declared, that the effect of his Gospel would be, "not to bring peace on earth, but a sword;" and "to set even the nearest relatives against each other." The division occasioned by it at Antioch was exceeding great; the Jews, almost universally," rejecting it," whilst the Gentiles, in vast multitudes, took the liveliest interest in it; insomuch that the Apostle now for the first time made the instruction and conversion of the Gentiles the great object of his ministrations.

In the words which we have now read, we see, I. The necessity to which he was reduced

[The obstinacy of the Jews was attended with the most distressing consequences. They, in the first instance, disregarded the Gospel; but, "when they saw almost the whole city come together to hear it," they set themselves against it, with the utmost violence, "contradicting" it as false, and "blaspheming" it as wicked. With such inveteracy did they put it away from them, that they pronounced sentence, as it were, against themselves, as altogether unworthy of eternal life. On this account, the Apostles, without any further delay, put into execution the commission they had received, and made a free offer to the Gentiles of the blessings which were thus despised by the Jews.

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Now it is a fact which cannot be dissembled, that circumstances not very dissimilar are found, wherever a man of an apostolic spirit is called to labour: multitudes of those to whom he has been primarily and more particularly sent, not only despise his message, but, when others in the neighbourhood flock to hear his word, are filled with envy," and complain of the inconvenience they sustain by having their churches so crowded. They also "contradict and blaspheme both the testimony that is borne, and the minister who bears it. Thus in effect they "put away the word of God from them," and declare, by their conduct, that they neither value nor desire that salvation, which Christ has purchased for them. Thus, with the most earnest desire to promote the salvation of those whom he regards as his immediate charge, a minister is often constrained, by the obstinacy of those who will not hear, to be content with addressing himself to those who will; and to regard those as the most endeared objects of his attention, who are not, except by their own voluntary act, contained within the proper sphere of his commission. This is greatly to be regretted, because such despisers of the Gospel both harden themselves, and excite prejudice in others: nevertheless it is a comfort to the faithful minister to find, that, if rejected by some, there are others who hear him gladly, and know how to appreciate his labours.]

In turning to the Gentiles, he declared,

II. The authority under which he acted

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[He might have mentioned the express injunctions of his Lord: but he knew that his word would have no weight with the Jews; and therefore he cited a passage of the Old Testament, which the Jews themselves understood as referring to the Messiah. The passage he has quoted contains a promise of the Father to the Son, that he should not have the Jews only for a portion, but should be set for light and salvation to the ends of the earth.

Under this authority we now speak: and under this warrant we offer salvation to every child of man. Behold then, Christ is given for a light to the whole world; and all of you who "sit in darkness and the shadow of death" may 66 come to the brightness of his rising." He is given also "for salvation" to the ends of the earth and every one who is sensible of his lost estate, may "be saved from wrath through him". He is God's salvation; provided by him, qualified by him, upheld by him, accepted by him: and every sinner in the universe is not only authorized to trust in him, but is commanded so to do; and is assured by God himself that he e Isai. xlix. 6.

d Luke xxiv. 47. Acts i. 8.

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shall never be ashamed of his hope—— missioned to declare: and if ten thousand bigoted or selfrighteous people should reject it with disdain, we trust that we shall never want some contrite auditors, who shall receive it with gratitude and joy.]

In the sequel, we are informed of,

III. The success he obtained

[The self-condemned Gentiles heard these tidings with joy; and vast multitudes of them "glorified the word of the Lord," receiving it as "a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation." On some indeed the effect was only transient; but as many as were appointed to, and disposed for, eternal life, believed: they "received the word into an honest and good heart," and "brought forth fruit unto perfection."

This is the effect which we hope to see produced in our ministrations. Despisers we expect to meet with, but we expect to find also many in whom our word shall be the power of God unto salvation. Who then amongst you has his heart, like Lydia's, “opened by the Lord?" Who amongst you feels the attractions of God's love, and the constraining influences of his grace? You, we trust, will be the better for the message we deliver: you will become the followers of Christ you will embrace him, and honour him, and “cleave unto him with full purpose of heart ”— — —]

In the passage we have been considering are two opposite characters, whom it will now be proper

to ADDRESS:

1. Those who reject the Gospel

[Such characters exist as much among those who call themselves Christians, as among the Jews themselves. Think then what you do: "you judge yourselves," that is, you pass sentence on yourselves as "unworthy of everlasting life." Your want of humility betrays your total unfitness for heaven, or even for the offer of the Gospel salvation. Your contempt of the most stupendous effort of God's love that ever men or angels beheld, betrays the same. If you look into the Scripture, you cannot find any resemblance between yourselves and the saints of old: and, if you could go up to heaven, you would not find one of your spirit there. Are you then willing to continue in a state, wherein your whole spirit and conduct declares that you are daily ripening for destruction? O think

f The precise idea contained in the word raσow is that of a General marshalling his army, and assigning to every one the post he shall occupy, and the work he shall perform. Believers are thus called and appointed of God.

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