ready to number themselves among its warmest advocates. It is hated on many accounts; 1. As too humiliating in its representations [It represents the whole human race as in a state of guilt and condemnation, and as utterly incapable of delivering themselves by any thing that they can do. It presents to their view a Saviour, in and through whom all their wants must be supplied, and to whom they must stand indebted for their whole salvation, from first to last. But men cannot endure to think themselves so guilty, so polluted, so enslaved, so utterly helpless and hopeless, as the Scripture represents them to be; and this will be found to be at the root of all their objections against the Gospel: examine all the writings of those who oppose the truth, and this will appear to be the leading feature of them, that they suppose some degree of goodness and sufficiency to remain in fallen man; whilst the Gospel declares, that we are "altogether become abominable"," and that even the will, as well as the power, to do good must be given us from the Lord".] 2. As too easy in its proposals [It offers salvation freely to every human being, saying, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." It requires nothing on our parts to earn salvation, nothing to merit it; but only to receive it thankfully as the free gift of God to us in Christ Jesus. But the proud heart of man does not like to be so indebted to the free grace of God: that invitation, "Come, ye that have no money, come buy wine and milk without money and without price," is offensive to him: he would rather hear of some duties to perform that shall render him worthy of God's favour, and of some good works to be done, in order to form a ground of glorying before God: and, if works be declared to be utterly ineffectual to these ends, he immediately supposes them to be unnecessary altogether, and that we leave men at liberty to indulge in all manner of licentiousness.] 3. As too strict in its requirements [We stop not now to notice the inconsistency between the former objection and this: suffice it to say, that they are made by the same persons, and oftentimes almost in the same breath. The Gospel requires, that we mortify all sin whatever; that we "crucify the flesh, with its affections and lusts ;" and that we "live altogether not to ourselves, but unto Him that died for us, and rose again." But this is supposed to be incompatible e 1 Cor. i. 30. f Rom. iii. 10-19. h Mark xvi. 16. Acts xvi. 30, 31. g Phil. ii. 13. with all the common offices of life: and we are represented as making the way to heaven so strait, that none but a few devotees can hope to enter into it. Thus the truth of God is in reality traduced, as in the days of old, and, though the name of Christianity is honoured, the life and power of it are despised.] Since then the Gospel is still evil spoken of to such a degree, permit me to state, III. What is our duty in relation to it We should endeavour to get all possible information respecting it. [It would be strange indeed to form our judgment solely from the representations of its enemies: we ought assuredly to hear its friends also, and to learn what they have to say in its favour. If then we can have access to any who are qualified to instruct us, we should say to them, as the Jews did to Paul, "We desire to hear what thou thinkest." Were this step taken, and with any measure of candour, I have no doubt but that the prejudices against the Gospel would soon be done away. But there is one, to whom we may all have access, and whose judgment may be fully relied on; I mean, that very person to whom the Jews at Rome applied, even the Apostle Paul himself. No man had ever juster or deeper views of the Gospel than he; and no man has written so fully respecting it as he: consult him therefore: study those Epistles of his in which the subject is most fully stated, the Epistles to the Romans, the Galatians, and the Ephesians. From those may be fully learned the doctrines which the Gospel maintains: and in his life may be seen the practice it requires. Go then, and sit at his feet, and ask of him in relation to every thing we have spoken, "What thinkest thou?"] Our inquiries, however, should not be merely speculative, but practical [We should not, like Pilate, ask, "What is truth?" and then go away without any desire to be informed: but should imitate rather the man whose blindness had been healed, " Who is the Son of God, that I may believe on him?" All our inquiries should be with a view to practice, and with a determination of heart to follow the light whithersoever it may lead us. Did we, like the Beræans, search the Scriptures daily with this view, it would soon be said of us, as it was of them, "Therefore many of them believed'." We will now, by way of IMPROVEMENT, k John ix. 36. 1 Acts xvii. 11, 12. 1. Give a specific answer to the question ourselves [Is it asked by any, "What thinkest thou" of the Gospel itself, and of the people who profess it? We reply, that, in our judgment, the plain simple doctrine of salvation by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, is, "the wisdom of God, and the power of God,' even "the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;" and that its proper title is, "the glorious Gospel of the blessed God." As for those who profess it, we say, that, if they walk unworthy of it, they are hypocrites, and self-deceivers: but, if they adorn it by a suitable life and conversation, then are they "the excellent of the earth," "the Church of the living God," " the sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty." Of them will we say, with Moses, "Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved of the Lordm?" Whoever may speak against them, they may be of good courage; for God approves them, and will confess them as his before the assembled universe. They shall assuredly "be his, in the day that he shall make up his jewels"."] 2. Put the question to every one here present [What thinkest THOU? Dost thou think the doctrines of the Gospel so objectionable as the world represents them to be? Compare those doctrines with thine own wants and necessities; and then say, whether they do not contain the very remedy which thou standest in need of? Would Paul have represented them as containing "the unsearchable riches of Christ;" and would the angels be represented as ever "desiring to look into them," if they were unworthy of our regard? Again, Dost thou think that those who embrace the Gospel deserve the ignominious appellation of "a sect?" By this name they were called in the first ages; and by this name they are yet too often called. But, because "they worship God in a way which the world calls heresy," are they therefore heretics? No: they are "the general assembly and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven;" they are the living stones of which his temple is composed; and they are now, and shall to all eternity continue, the habitation of God through the Spirito. Once more; Dost thou think, that, because " they are everywhere evil spoken of," thou shouldest not join thyself to them? Sad indeed is thy state, if thou entertainest such a thought as that: for, "if thou art ashamed of Christ, of thee will Christ be ashamed," when he shall come in his glory to judge the world. Remember the choice of Moses, and ask, Whether it • Heb. xii. 23. 1 Pet. ii. 5. Eph. ii. 19-22. be not that which thou shouldest make?? If the circumstance of the Lord's people being universally "evil spoken of" appear an argument against them, know, that it is greatly in their favour; and that, if you belong to a party that is not universally evil spoken of by the ungodly world, you are not of the party to which Paul belonged, nor shall have your portion with him in the eternal world. What though they be "a little flock?" they are those to whom "it is the Father's good pleasure to give the kingdom"." What if they be walking in "a strait and narrow, unfrequented path?" it is "the path that leadeth unto life," whilst all other paths, however frequented, "lead only to destruction." The time is shortly coming, when they who now most loudly condemn them, will yet still more loudly condemn themselves; "We fools counted their life madness, and their end to be without honour: but now they are numbered with the saints," &c. To all then I say, Beware what sentiments you imbibe respecting the Gospel of Christ; and beg of God that you may so think of it in this world, as you will assuredly think of it in the world to come.] P Heb. xi. 24-26. 9 Luke xii. 32. s Wisd. v. 4. MDCCCXVIII. THE GOSPEL SENT TO THE GENTILES. Acts xxviii. 28. Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. WHEN we consider how often we are called together to hear the word of God, we are surprised and humbled to find so little good done by it. But the Apostles themselves had the same cause for complaint as we. We can scarcely conceive a more solemn occasion than that on which the Jews at Rome were convened to hear the Gospel. St. Paul was brought thither as a prisoner, on account of his zeal and fidelity in the cause of Christ. The Jews were anxious to know from himself what were the peculiar doctrines which he maintained: and, having appointed a day for that purpose, they came to his lodging, and attended to his discourse from morning to evening. But, alas! the greater part of them rejected his testimony, and drew from him that solemn admonition, which had, many hundred years before, been given to their fathers: he told them that they were given up to judicial blindness; and that the consolation which he in vain sought amongst them, he should find amongst the Gentiles; who were ordained of God to inherit those blessings which they despised. There are two things which we propose to notice on the present occasion: I. The salvation here spoken of It is of great importance to observe the terms by which the Gospel is here designated: it is called "the salvation of God." It is "salvation" [The true nature of the Gospel is by no means generally understood. The generality conceive it to be nothing more than a new system of duties. There are some, however, who appear to be acquainted with its nature to a certain extent, but materially fail when they come to explain themselves more fully. They will speak of our condemnation by the law, and our inability to save ourselves according to the terms of the first covenant: they will also represent Christ as introducing a new covenant, and as the Author of salvation to all who believe in him. Thus far they are right: but when it is inquired what are the terms of the new covenant, and how it is that Christ saves his people, they shew that "they have need to be taught afresh what be the first principles of the Oracles of God." They say that Christ has procured for us a milder law, which requires only sincere obedience: and that, if we endeavour to obey that law, his death shall atone for our imperfections, and his righteousness shall make up for our defects. But this representation of Christ's work very ill accords with the terms by which the Gospel is characterized in the text. The Gospel in that view would be only a new law; and salvation by it would be, in fact, salvation by works, and not by grace. However the law itself be reduced, if our obedience to it, either in whole or in part, be the ground of our acceptance with God, it is salvation by works; and the performers of those works will have to glory before God. Let our justification depend ever so little on our works, the case will be precisely the same: we shall have some ground of boasting within ourselves: if not so much as we should have had by the first covenant, still we have some which clearly proves, that |