resurrection from the dead was declared | so various, so powerful,-with all his to be the Son of God with power, accord- acquired abilities, and learning, and supeing to the Spirit of holiness. He is, there- rior talents, this man, so signally and fore, the Prince of Life, the Conqueror of pre-eminently qualified to examine any Death, the Lord of Glory, the Captain of thing in order to ascertain its merits or our salvation; and I am, therefore, not demerits,-this great man, with these ashamed of him. great powers, here avows that he is "not ashamed of the gospel of Christ!" And who art thou that art arrogating to thyself lights superior to St. Paul, and art affecting to find things in the gospel which make thee blush? Blush, indeed, for thyself; and, if thou canst not do this, others will blush for thee. Hide thy diminished head in the dust! What! thou affecting to be ashamed of the gospel, and such a man as St. Paul not ashamed of it! It would be a good reason for thee, were no other to be found, rather to glory, because St. Paul gloried in this gospel.

By whom is this spoken? "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ." And who am I? Is this the language of some individual whose early prejudices, and biases, and impressions, were all in favour of the gospel? And is he so completely fettered by these prejudices of education and habit, that he is absolutely incompetent fairly and dispassionately to examine this gospel? Nay, my friends, you know the reverse of this was the fact; you know that all this man's prejudices, and early habits, and impressions were directly and violently opposed to the gos- Let us ask a third question, To whom pel, that he was "exceedingly mad was this spoken? To whom was this proagainst this way," and that he was preju- fession made? To some rude, and remote, diced, and so full of blind, intolerant zeal, and barbarous, and savage, horde?—to that, when he was persecuting the friends men without any kind of cultivation, or of the gospel, he thought he was "doing science, who were absolutely incompetent God service." And yet, such is the con- to examine into that concerning which viction that he has of the divinity and this man avows he is not ashamed? Is efficacy of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that it so? No, my friends; this proposition all his prejudices and early impressions was addressed to those who dwelt in the were entirely destroyed; and he avows imperial city: this avowal was made to himself not ashamed of the gospel-" I the Romans, the inhabitants of the capital am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ." city of the world,-Rome, the seat of uniWho am I? Is this the language of versal empire, the residence of statesmen, some individual, with a warm heart, and poets, and artists, and historians, indeed, but with a very weak head-a and philosophers-the seat of science and man of a very slender understanding-a literature, where lived men the splendour man capable of being carried away by of whose genius shed a lustre on the strong impulses who can examine no-imperial city that commanded the admithing, but is ready to believe every thing ration of the world. —a man without any learning or science? Is it so? We know, my friends, that just the contrary to this is the fact. It is this man, emphatically the great-the great apostle of the Gentiles, a most extraordinary man;-perhaps he was one of the greatest of all the great men that the great God ever made. How lofty his powers of intellect!-how keen, how penetrating, how comprehensive! What a mind he had! And then his learning, too, how various and profound!-how far beyond his contemporaries! And yet this man, with all these natural talents, VOL. 1.-8

Here is a sort of implication here, as if some one had said, St. Paul has gone round about, from Jerusalem to Illyricum, talking about Christ crucified; but when he is at Rome, he will change his voice; he will blush to talk about the cross of Christ then; he will blush to talk about the cross of Christ among philosophers and sages. He will then begin to say fine things about the Supreme Being. He will begin to harangue them on eternal providence, on the immortality of the soul; but not a word will he say about the cross of Jesus Christ.-Do they say so?

He will prove the contrary. I will let | gospel while I have life-I will not be every one know, as though St. Paul said, ashamed of it when I die. when I get to Rome, that I will avow him Now, for a profession like this, such a there: I will not blush to talk about him man must have had some good reason to there: I will take my stand; and, stand-assign, something to justify the profesing side by side with the philosophers sion. What was it? Does he say, "I and the sages, I will announce something am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ" that is of infinitely more importance than because it is true? Had it been false, he any thing they ever conceived. I am not would have blushed to own it. Does he ashamed of the gospel, though in the say, "I am not ashamed of the gospel ot service of the gospel I endure toil, and Christ," not only because it is true, but insult, and obloquy: I am not ashamed because it is important? Had it been a of the gospel, though in my attempts to frivolous thing, he would have been propagate it, I may be in perils often, "in ashamed to go about proclaiming it. Does perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in he say, "I am not ashamed of the gosperils by mine own countrymen, in perils pel," because it is Christ's gospel? On by the heathen, in perils in the city, in the admission that the gospel comes from perils in the wilderness, in perils in the Christ, it follows that we have no more sea, in perils among false brethren :" still reason to be ashamed of the gospel, than I am not ashamed. of Christ, its author; it follows that whatever comes from him must be worthy of him. Another reason, however, is assigned: "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that be lieveth." Not only in point of theory is it worthy the approbation of every wellconstituted mind; but, in point fo fact, brought to the test of experience, it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth: a good reason this.

"I am not ashamed of the gospel." Some who hear me may understand the philosophy of language; and they know that, in this peculiar form of speech, there is great emphasis, great meaning, more than appears on the face of it. "I am not ashamed of the gospel." It is equal to the most courageous and triumphant avowal of the gospel: as though he said, So far am I from being ashamed of the gospel, that I make my boast of the gospel; so far am I from being dishonoured by the gospel, that the gospel is to me my greatest glory, my honour, my crown. As though he had said, I despise every thing in comparison with the gospel. Had he learning? Yes, he had, and knew its worth. I despise all my learning, in comparison with the gospel. Had he science? Yes, he had, and knew its use. I despise all my science, in comparison of the gospel of Christ. Had he talents? Yes, and of a very high order. I despise all my talents, in comparison with the gospel. I will bring all my honours to the foot of the cross, and say, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." I am not ashamed of the gospel when I am at liberty-I am not ashamed of the gospel when I am in bonds-I am not ashamed of the gospel when I am among its friends I blush not to acknowledge it among its foes:-I am not ashamed of the

In this general view, there are two or three things to be noticed.

The first is, the divine energy of the gospel: "the power of God." What is this power? There was, you are aware, a marvellous power, which marked the first promulgation of the gospel: the men who announced the good news were enabled to authenticate the tidings they published, by performing many illustrious miracles. Now there seemed a peculiar fitness in this, under the then existing circumstances. It is very true that, when they preached the gospel to their countrymen, the Jews, they had the Jewish Scriptures to appeal to, and they reasoned out of the Scriptures, proving from them that Jesus was Christ. But what could they do when they went among Greeks and Romans? There were no Jewish Scriptures to which they could appeal, then: and, therefore, it seemed peculiarly fit, the great Author of the gospel should

accredit these men, by investing them with extraordinary powers, enabling them to work miracles in confirmation of the message. They preached the gospel; and then they proved that the message they delivered was from God, by healing the sick, cleansing the leper, giving sight to the blind, raising the dead-performing all these miracles and mighty deeds, on purpose to authenticate their message.

There are two senses in which the gospel is the power of God, independently of the power to work miracles. The gos pel, as a system of divine truth, is the most powerful thing the world ever saw. How powerful in its authority! It comes clothed in the authority of Him whose will is law, and whose power is absolute. How powerful again in its evidence! Is it not attested by all the evidence of which, from the nature of the subject, it is capable? How powerful in its motives! Oh, how stirring are the motives of the gospel! How powerful in its influence! What powerful representations does it present before us of the evil of sin-that odious and abominable thing which a holy God hateth! How power

You are aware that many expositors, and many Christian preachers, have thus interpreted the energy of which the apostle here speaks. However, with all deference to very high names, I beg to state that I do not think that the apostle here principally,if at all, refers to miraculous powers. The apostle is here speaking of a power that was universal among all believers-ful, again, in its representations of the a power that reaches "to every one that believeth." But there is no evidence that the power to work miracles was given to every believer in the primitive church. There were some churches, which were highly distinguished in this way-the church of Corinth, for example; but it does not appear that all had this power; all did not heal the sick, all did not raise the dead. The apostle is here speaking of a power that is universal as faith; every believer was under the influence of this power, but every believer had not the power to work miracles: the apostle, therefore, does not refer to this. Besides, he is speaking of a power connected with salvation; and I confess I do not see the connexion between the power to work miracles and the conversion of a man's soul. I think the two things are essentially distinct; and I think there may be the one where the other is not. Read St. Paul's epistle to the Corinthians, and see how I am there borne out in this remark. How many had the one who were sadly deficient in the other! And does not the apostle suppose—and, under the influence of plenary inspiration, he could not have supposed a thing that could not have happened-he supposed that a man may have the power to work miracles, and even to remove mountains, though his heart may be destitute of vital piety: whereas, he is here speaking of a power that is "unto salvation."

beauty of holiness! How lovely, and attractive, and powerful, and moving, in its displays of the mercy of God, of the love of Christ, of the joy of religion,—of ✨ the felicities of heaven,-of the torments of hell! How does it address those two great movers of the human mind and character-hope, and fear!-fear of the evil we have to experience-hope of the good we have to receive. It connects eternity with time,-it is a powerful hammer to break the rocky heart in pieces-it is a powerful fire to penetrate into the inmost recesses of the human mind.

There is, however, a still higher sense in which the gospel is the power of God. I know the gospel is truth-and, therefore, it is powerful; simple truth-and, therefore, more powerful; divine truth— and, therefore, most powerful of all truth. And we must take care we do not attribute too much to the mere letter of the gospel, to the mere sentiments and ideas of the gospel. The gospel is the power of God, because it is the ordinary instrument whereby the energy of God, the Holy Ghost, is communicated to the hearts of men. The gospel is the dispensation of the Spirit, and the Spirit is a dispensation of power; and, where the gospel is faithfully preached, the Spirit of power is present; so that while the word of the gospel falls on the ear, and the ideas of the gospel are communicated to the understanding, the power of the Holy Ghost touches the

heart and the conscience, and the gospel Think, then, of this universal opposicomes "not in word only," though it tion-think of the feeble instruments emdoes come in word, "but also in power, ployed-think of what the gospel had to and in the Holy Ghost, and in much do, and the wide extent to which it assurance." travelled and triumphed, and say, was not this the power of God? On what other principle can you possibly account for the fact, that the gospel, under such circumstances, did thus triumph?

Take into consideration the four following circumstances, and try to ascertain the greatness of that power that marked the first propagation of the gospel.

In the first place, the powerful, combined, and universal opposition which it had to contend with. Every thing rose in opposition against the gospel; all the prejudices of the people, all the bad passions of the people, all the institutions of the people, the craft of the people being in danger-yea, and the civil arm, too, lifted up, and the whole world in arms against the gospel.

Ah, my friends! and the gospel is still the power of God. I confess to you all, that if I did not believe the gospel still to be the power of God, I should utterly despair of any such effects. One man cannot change the heart of another. Not the language employed-not the ideas communicated; oh, no! there must be an energy divine; the power of the Lord must be present, and that power must apply the truth; and, therefore, we see the power of God still manifested. Take an instance now.

Then, again, the feeble, and slender, and (humanly speaking) incompetent instruments employed. What, was a considerable army sent forth in full equipment, with On Sabbath evening last but one, in fire and sword, to dragoon the nations into the town of Devonport, a poor, besotted, a profession of Christian faith? No, my careless old man-an old man-of-war's friends, the weapons of their warfare were man, I believe-came into the chapel, not carnal. There is no way by which and those who knew him best, believed he coercion can travel and arrive at a man's had never spent five minutes in his life in mind; mental error cannot be cut to thinking, "What am I? Whither am I pieces by the sword. These men went going? Is there another world? Have forth-twelve simple, artless men-pen- I a soul as well as a body?" He saw a nyless and powerless; with nothing but large crowd, and he thought he would simple truth to publish, and in that name try to get in. He succeeded in the atto conquer the world; the world being up tempt; and it pleased the Lord, though in arms against them wherever they go, the preacher drew the bow at a venture, and yet the world conquered by them! to direct an arrow that hit, and an arrow that pierced that old sailor's inmost soul, and to stick fast there; he was judged of all-he was condemned of all; the tears began to gush from those eyes that had scarcely ever wept before, and he began to sigh. As he returned home, he wept, and said to a person, "I cannot rest till God has mercy on me; my conscience condemns me: I am guilty; I am perishing; what shall I do ?" And the person told me, the following evening, that he was still pleading with the Lord, de

Think, in the next place, what the gospel had to do. It had to produce a moral renovation; it had to illuminate the mind, to sanctify the heart, to regulate the life, to make all things new. I do not wonder, then, that these were said to be men who "turned the world upside down." Yes, indeed; but the moral world was wrong side up. And yet it triumphed.

Think of the extent of the triumph. To such an extent did they carry the gospel that the language which the Psalmist termined not to rest till he found redemputtered, in reference to the heavenly bodies, was applied to the extensive conquests of these men by the gospel: "Their line is gone through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world."

tion in the blood of Christ. Now, I ask you, what was that but the power of God? Take another instance illustrative of the power of the gospel.

Here is a Pharisee (the Pharisees were

intercession for the transgressors;" and "he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him." He saves from sin, from the guilt and power of sin, from the pollution of sin, and from the penalty due to sin.

not peculiar to the Jews of old time; | ture up to the right hand of the Majesty there are Pharisees under the Christian on high, where "he ever liveth to make name and garb, who think themselves righteous and despise others,) here is an old man, now, grey in his Pharisaism; and, in the pride of his heart, he has been saying, many years, "Stand by, for I am holier than thou." Many a time he has affected to thank his Maker that he was Now, the gospel not only unfolds this not as other men—no drunkard, no pro- | salvation in all its length, and breadth, fane swearer, no Sabbath-breaker. Many and fulness, and glory, but it becomes a time has he said, "All these things the instrument of communicating the salhave I kept from my youth up." He has vation it has to unfold. Look at the man erected for himself, by his own skill, and who is saved by the gospel; his mind is by the might of his own arm, a lofty enlightened, his will is subdued, his superstructure of self-righteousness, and conscience is washed from guilt, his thinks the materials of it very sound, and affections are sanctified, his life is formed considers himself perfectly secure in it. according to the precepts of the gospel; Even this is brought into contact with he becomes, not physically, but spiritually the gospel; and what is the gospel in and morally, a new creature. He is saved such a case? It is a conductor to convey from darkness to light; he is saved the lightning, not from it, but to it. from bondage to glorious liberty; he is Struck by the lightning of heaven, the saved from sin to holiness; he is saved power of God, this superstructure of self- from misery to happiness; he is saved righteousness is shivered to atoms, and from death to life. Look at this man, and all the props, and pillars, and depend- see the happy change that has taken encies of the Pharisee are broken to place, and ask by what this is produced? pieces; and there you behold him on his By the gospel of Christ. Shall we, then, knees, with uplifted hands and contrite be ashamed of it?-of the gospel of heart, for the first time in his life, saying, Christ, that saves men-that makes men “God be merciful to me a sinner!" wise, and happy, and holy in themselves What is this? This is the power of God. The gospel has not lost its power; the gospel is still accompanied by the influence of the Spirit. Here lies our strength -here lies our hope. The gospel is powerful to wound, and it is powerful to heal; it is powerful to pull down, and it is powerful to build up again; it is powerful to kill a man's self-confidence, and it will save "with all the power of an endless life." And, therefore, the apostle speaks of the saving efficacy of this gospel: "it is the power of God to salvation." The salvation of the gospel is a salvation from sin. Man has sinned -all have sinned; and, because all have sinned, all are guilty; and, because all are guilty, all are obnoxious to punishment. But Jesus Christ is the Saviour; he came into the world to save sinners; to save sinners he lived, to save sinners he died, to save sinners he rose from the dead, to save sinners he took human na

the gospel of Christ, by the power and influence of which vice is subdued, so that he who was a drunkard is become sober, and he who was a swearer fears an oath, and he who was dissolute becomes chaste? And by what means was this effected? By the gospel of Christ. The gospel of Christ has done more to make men holy and happy in a few weeks or months than all the boasted systems of philosophy and science put forth by the sages of Greece and Rome could effect in ages. They could not bring the inhabitants of an obscure village to live according to their views of moral science. But oh, what does the gospel accomplish! I do not wonder that not a man durst accept the challenge of St. Paul :"Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world ?" Ah, where are you now? You laughed at me and the gospel-you thought I was a foolish man, and had noF