them in Christ Jesus our Lord. When our Lord gave Paul his commission, it was expressed thus, "I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness, both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee, delivering thee from the people, and from the gentiles, unto whom now I send thee; to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness unto light, and from the power of satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified, by faith that is in me," Acts xxvi. 16, 17, 18. The apostle, in agreement with this commission, went into the gentile world. He preached at Corinth. The inhabitants were inconceivably unclean; yet he preached unto them Jesus, freely, fully, and suitably, to their lost and guilty cases; and the Holy Ghost setting in with the word, they heard it, and believed, received Christ, and with him all the blessings of peace and pardon.

The apostle afterwards addresses them, in his epistle to them, saying, "Be not deceived:` neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye

are justified: in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10, 11. Surprizing grace! These persons were washed, sanctified, and justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God, and were living witnesses, that the "blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin."

The Thessalonians were gross idolaters: to them the everlasting gospel was sent; and by it they were turned from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven," whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come." 1 Thess. i. 10. This was a glorious proof, and evidence of their election in Christ, before the world began; "Because the gospel came unto them, not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance." 1 Thess. i. 5.

The Ephesians worshipped the goddess Diana, whose temple was set on fire, and burnt down, the very same night on which Alexander the great was born. They were also in compact with the devil, and used curious arts, and practised magic; yet the gospel preached amongst them, was the means of producing glorious effects: many were quickened from a death of trespasses and sins, born of God, heard the gospel of salvation, and believed the record given therein, concerning Jesus, and the power of his

salvation; so that it became the gospel of their salvation; to the truths of which they, in believing, set their seals, and had peace with God, by faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. "It is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Savior; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life," Titus iii. 5, 6, 7. Christ is all, in the salvation of sinners: he is the Father's ordinance of life and salvation unto them; he quickens whom he will: he conquers by invincible grace, and by the omnipotent sweetness of his love.

The gospel is a most blessed means of drawing poor sinners to Christ, for there is every thing in him, which can possibly encourage them. The unsearchable riches of Christ, are, in the preaching of it, fully proclaimed in the hearing of poor sinners; and the Holy Spirit, working with it, gains their hearts for Christ. The glories of his person attract them; the love of his heart overcomes them; his mercy bears down their sins, with a full and eternal pardon of them; his righteousness and blood, in their dignity and infinite virtue, are preached unto them, that they gaining an apprehensive sense of them, may experience free and full salvation,

manifested to their souls. We may truly say,

no blessing can exceed the gospel; it is indeed a joyful sound; it fully proves that no sinner can be too vile for Christ; the most vile and hell-deserving he saves. His blood and righteousness exceed the utmost guilt, pollution, and evil, contained in sin, "The blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin." The sinner can have no misery, , but Christ is almighty to save him from it: he can have no want, but Christ is most divinely qualified to supply. The sinner is to come just as he is, with the whole of his sinful disease, and to believe on Christ, for present and everlasting health and cure. This is the one only way in which a sinner can honour Jesus; and when it is given unto him, thus to believe the ability of Christ to save him, and the infinite virtue of the blood of the Lamb, to make him clean from all sin, it is with him as though he had never sinned, in thought, word, or deed: for he is in believing justified from all things: he receives the revealed account of the atonement of Immanuel into his heart: he views the righteousness of Christ, as his robe and garment of salvation; and apprehends the Father, as beholding him complete in his beloved Son, who sheds abroad a sense of his love in the heart, and fills the mind of the believer with a knowledge of his peace and pardon.

The believer in Christ, being freed from all condemnation, and made alive to God by the power of the Holy Ghost, nothing remains but for him to live to Christ, and go on holding communion with him, all the way to heaven. The saints in the apostolic churches, made partakers of Christ, and his unsearchable, infinite, and eternal riches, might well break forth in praise, and say, "Praise the Lord, all ye nations, praise him, all ye people: for his merciful kindness is great towards us, and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise the Lord." Christ, with all the treasures of his love, mercy, and grace, in all the glory and perfection of his work, with all the blessings of his salvation, with his unsearchable riches of grace and glory, are set before poor sinners in the everlasting gospel ; and they, by believing, are interested, and possessed of them. May the Lord, the Spirit, shine upon what has been set before you. Amen.