divine consequences like these can result only from a pure and divine source. None can account for such effects without admitting the heavenly original of Christianity. Moral good and religious good coalesce all good effects of a moral kind are of the nature of God, and originate from the Fountain of all good.

2. That "Jesus Christ came to save sinners" is a saying, as the apostle adds, "worthy of all acceptation." This, as might be expected, is a high eulogium. There are very few kinds of information that are deserving of such a character as this; very few articles of intelligence that are important or interesting to persons of every description. That species of knowledge which is most valuale to some may be entirely foreign and superfluous to others. But this great truth is universally interesting; this is equally important to all, young or old, rich or poor, learned or unlettered, prince or peasant; "Barbarian, Scythian, bond or free;" all alike are concerned to know and believe that "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners." For all alike are sinners every one is by nature guilty before his Maker: every one is heir to that carnal mind which is declared to be enmity with God: every one is hastening towards an eternal state of being: every one must die, must go alone to Him with whom we have to do; must stand before "the great white throne;" must "hear the voice of the Son of Man." "But who may abide the day of his coming, and who shall stand when he appeareth?" To whom can it be safe to dispense with "so great salvation," to pass by the only refuge from the wrath to come? to venture into eternity without a Saviour? when all are under the power of that law which pronounces every one accursed that continues not in obedience to all its commands; and, unless the curse of that law be removed by the grace of the gospel, it must remain in force forever! Reject the offered salvation, and you die in your sins! Receive the offered salvation, and you pass from death to life, "eternal life, the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

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"A saying worthy of all acceptation"-worthy the acceptance of men in every age of those to whom it was first proclaimed near two thousand years ago: of all to whom it has ever since been proposed: of all that shall ever, to the end of time, hear the joyful tidings. Saviour given to sinners; the only expiation of guilt; the only balm for the sorrows of the soul: the grand catholicon; the fountain of living water, from the smitten rock, ever freely flowing for all that thirst. Well may the gospel be called "the everlasting gospel :" it accommodates itself to all the vicissitudes of time, all the changes of the world, all the varied circumstances of society: it takes every individual apart; speaks to him by himself; treats him in his true character, his real situation, as belonging to a race that has fallen; as one of a family that must take up the prophet's mournful confession, The crown is fallen from our head; wo unto us, for we have sinned!" And, having shown us our misery, the gospel informs us of its remedy; having convinced us of sin, it assures us that "Jesus Christ has come to save sinners."

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"A saying worthy of all acceptation:" worthy to awaken and en

gage every noble emotion of the human soul. Some communications appeal to particular feelings of our nature: this is suited to fill the whole heart, to call into action all that warms, and animates, and expands the breast. Here is matter for glad surprise, for intense and exulting admiration; such as the apostle felt when he exclaimed, "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us!" such as was felt by those first disciples, who, at the sight of their risen Saviour, "believed not for joy, and wondered." To him that has ears to hear, this is the most joyful sound, this is the most melodious music that ever saluted, or ever can salute the ear of sinful, dying man. What a theme for enraptured astonishment, that the Lord of glory should have descended to this low abode of sin and sorrow, to save his rebellious creatures, and overcome evil with good! Never, my brethren, can a period arrive, in infinite duration, when the delightful wonder produced by such an event can wear out: it must continue fresh and unimpaired throughout eternity! Even angels, though not themselves the subjects of redeeming grace, rejoice to join the song of praise which redeemed sinners raise to the Lamb that was slain; while, with a sublime curiosity, they desire to look into the unfathomable wonders of human redemption!

Here, again, is a theme equally fitted to inspire sacred gratitude and humility love; for who can look upon the Son of God coming in great into his own world, and there rejected by his own people; doing only good, and bearing only evil; weeping, agonizing, and dying on the cross, without having his heart melted in grateful tenderness, and "In this proving that "we love Him because He first loved us?" verily God commendeth his love to us, that, when we were sinners, enemies to God, Christ died for us ;" and this, if any thing, must awaken our love to God-love to Him who gave his only Son-love to Him who gave himself; thus proving his infinite propensity to benevolence towards his creatures.

Here, once more, is the strongest incentive to zeal in desiring and promoting the diffusion of the gospel. Those who receive in their own hearts this glad and glorious message, must wish to extend its reception wherever sinners may be found; must wish the name of the Saviour to be wafted on every wind of heaven, to every ear of man ; must wish that all should sit down with themselves to partake of that rich feast of spiritual dainties which God has spread for all nations. The spirit of the gospel is not selfish or narrow; not a spirit of monopoly, that would limit the enjoyment of its blessings: it is a generous, and enlarged, and diffusive spirit, like that which manifested itself in the first apostles when Andrew told Peter, and Philip told Nathaniel, of Him whom they had found; like that which animated the woman of Samaria when she hastened to her friends, saying, "Come, see a man that told me all that ever I did; is not this the Christ?" The motto prescribed to Christians is," Freely ye have received, freely give :" since Christ came to save sinners, Christians must desire that, wherever sinners are found, they should be made acquainted with his salvation.

In conclusion of this deeply important subject, we may infer from it, first, the stupendous value of the human soul. When the Maker of the world came into it, for what purpose did He come? Did He come to promote those arts and sciences which adorn society, and open new sources of national wealth and glory? No, my brethren, an infinitely greater and better purpose engaged his thoughts; and that purpose was to save the soul. Surely the "principalities and powers in heavenly places," when they beheld the amazing spectacle of "God manifest in the flesh," would inquire what could be the ob ject of this wondrous union of natures and exchange of worlds! The answer is very briefly, yet completely, given in the text: it was "to save sinners." He, in his all-capacious mind, saw, in such an object, that which would "satisfy Him for the travail of his soul;" which would justify Him in so expensive a method of attaining his object; which would warrant such an act of immeasurable condescension, such a union of Deity and humanity, such an exchange of heaven for earth! And He who, to save the soul, made such an exchange, might well demand, "What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Do not, then, make light of that which He so highly valued. Do not despise that immortal pearl which you bear within you, and which, polished by his grace, may be fitted to shine hereafter forever in the crown of his glory! The interest of your whole being, your endless existence, is here concerned. If you neglect the only salvation, you are lost if you seek no acquaintance with "Christ, the hope of glory," with what feeling can you look forward to your future state, but a fearful presentiment of the wrath to come?

But, secondly, and in the last place, we are reminded by the text what consolation every one is entitled to, who simply and sincerely feels his need of the Saviour. Never permit yourself to suppose that your sins form an objection to your being saved by Him who expressly came to save sinners. A physician will never refuse to apply his remedies, if he believes them to be suitable, because the case before him is one of an inveterate and dangerous nature: such a case, he considers, peculiarly demands his aid. And if you feel yourself a great offender, this great salvation is peculiarly adapted to your need: if you esteem yourself "the chief of sinners" (and every serious penitent will be such in his own esteem, because, know what he may of the sins of others, he must always know far more of his own), then this Saviour, who is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by Him, is peculiarly the Saviour for you: "He came to save sinners, of whom I," the apostle adds, "am chief." In being a sinner, you stand precisely in that state in which, if you had not stood, it would have been impossible that you could have been saved by Christ: as it is, you are in the only predicament which He came into the world to relieve as his remedy is adapted to your malady, so your malady is proportioned to his remedy: a great Saviour requires, as He is required by, a great sinner. Go, therefore, to the throne of grace; contrite, yet comforted; penitent, yet confident! Appeal to the Saviour;

appeal, in his name, to the Father, and you shall never be cast out: your sins shall be forgiven; your heart shall be renewed; the king. dom of God, which is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, shall be established in your soul; Christ, by his Spirit, will manifest himself to you, and abide in you here, helping your weakness and comforting your sorrows; and at last He will receive you to himself, that where He is you may also be; and that there, with the innumerable multitude of redeemed and glorified spirits, you may forever behold the glory, and celebrate the love of Him who once, in the fulness of time, "came into the world to save sinners."

LXI.

CHRIST THE OBJECT OF TRUST TO THE GENTILES.* ROMANS, XV., 12: In Him shall the Gentiles trust.

[Preached at Broadmead, Bristol, Lord's Day evening, August 31, 1828.1

Ir is one of the glorious characteristics of the Messiah, as portrayed in prophecy, that He should enlarge his dominion over the whole earth. In the preceding sentences the apostle quotes several passages of the Old Testament relative to the admission of the Gentiles into the Church. This he does with a view to conciliate the Jews, by whom the Gentiles were contemptuously regarded as "dogs," as naturally excluded from the covenant and the mercy of God. But God, as he had argued in a former chapter, is the God, not of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles also. And Isaiah, whom he quotes in the text, had distinctly predicted the Messiah as "a Root of Jesse," which, though it might appear as "a root in a dry ground," spoiled of its branches and without appearance of its vegetating, should yet "stand for an ensign to the people." "He that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in Him shall the Gentiles trust."

From the last words I shall take occasion to consider, first, the principle of trust in its general nature; secondly, some qualities of the Messiah, which render Him an object of trust; thirdly, and lastly, some leading properties of this trust in Jesus Christ.

I. The exercise of trust, regarded as a general principle, is necessary to the existence of society. The evidence of character is not the cause of our confidence in others; the first instance of trust cannot be accounted for, but as the result of an instinct implanted by the Author of nature. Children are taught by natural instinct to confide in their parents. All the information which we receive concerning external objects and occurrences is matter of trust, of implicit confidence in those who, as we suppose, can

*From the notes of the Rev. T. Grinfield.

have no motive to deceive us. The patient trusts his physician; the subject trusts his governor; all are always trusting each other, In a word, trust is one of the most extensive ingredients in soci ety; it is the very bond of social order; nothing can be more antisocial than the violation of trust. The apostle charges us to speak every one truth with his neighbour;" assigning as a reason, that " we are members one of another." "Lie not," he says, one to another;" it is to break the cement of society. No finite mind can calculate the evils that must arise from the habitual violation of our mutual confidence.

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Trust supposes our own inferiority to the object in which we repose it. We trust, for instruction or protection, in one whom we regard as superior to ourselves in respect to each; our reliance on him is the measure of our self-distrust. What, then, is it for which the Gentiles trust the Messiah? It is not for any present interest: it is for our eternal destiny; it is that we may escape an evil from which we cannot else escape; that we may attain a good not otherwise to be attained. If salvation is the object in view, it is supposed that, left in our natural condition, we are ruined, and that we can only find help in God by Jesus Christ.

II. We proceed to notice some of those qualifications that justify our trust in any being, and how those qualifications exist in Jesus Christ.

Trust supposes a promise; the evidence of character alone is not sufficient: the greatest benignity and power combined is not the proper object of our trust, without an explicit promise. Three things are required as the basis of our confidence in any being: his voluntary engagement; his probity and goodness; and his ability to fulfil the promised undertaking. Each of these, as we shall find, exists perfect in Jesus Christ.

1. He has entered into a voluntary engagement. He has held himself forth as the object of our trust. He is represented in prophecy as saying, "Behold Me, behold Me, to those that were not called by My name.' "I give unto My sheep," He says, "eternal life." "Every one that believeth in Me, I will raise him up at the last day." We are not treading on precarious ground when we invite men to place their trust in Jesus Christ, and in Him alone. There is no other name whereby we may be saved; no other foundation of hope than that which is laid in Jesus Christ.

2. His probity and goodness cannot be questioned. In the gospel account of Him there are all the marks of perfect ingenuousness; as when we find Him entreating his hearers to count the cost of becoming his disciples; or when He says, "If it were not so, I would have told you;" as if He had said, "Would I delude you with a false hope?" Nothing could be farther from his mind. He looked upon our race with a divine compassion, and said by the Spirit and the pen of prophecy, "Lo, I come.'

In