cable this to nothing fo much as the good tidings brought us from heaven in the gospel. I cannot enumerate all the articles of these good tidings, but fhall take notice of the following.

1. The gofpel-tidings are tidings of a complete falvation. And are not thefe good tidings? Luke, ii. II. For unto us is born a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord." O! loft finners, there is a falvation purchased for you, a great, a complete falvation, a falvation from fin, Matth. i. 21. and from the wrath of God, John, iii. 16. It is offered to you, and offered freely, though it was dear bought; it is offered without money and without price, Ifa. lv. 1. If ye afk what ye fhall do to be faved? Believe in the Lord Jefus Chrift, and ye fhall be faved. Though you are loft, though you have deftroyed yourselves, yet here is help for you. Though ye are infenfible finners, the tidings are to you; it will in particular be good and welcome tidings to the meek poor ones, who fee their loft and undone condition. A Saviour will be as welcome a fight to them, as a rope caft out from the fhore will be to a drowning man. They will eagerly embrace the Saviour and his falvation: Song, i. 3. " Because of the favour of of thy good ointments, thy name is as ointment: poured forth; therefore do the virgins love thee." --These tidings relate,

curse of: Sin and

2. To a redemption, to a ransom paid: Gal. iii.. 13. "Chrift hath redeemed us from the the law, being made a curfe for us." Satan made war upon the world, and overcame them all in Adam; fo that by nature we are captives and flaves. No more God's free men, nor our own men, but flaves; and the rattling of the chains of divers lufts upon us are evidences of it... But good tidings, O captives! the King's Son, out

of.

of his princely bounty, has purchased for you redemption, he has paid a complete ransom, even his own blood; and whofoever will, may come to him. Your freedom is bought; come, take the benefit of it, by following him out of the land of your captivity: Zech. ix. 11. 12. "As for thee alfo, by the blood of thy covenant, I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water; turn ye to the ftrong hold, ye prisoners of hope." But what avails this to those who account it a kind captivity, who love their master, and his drudgery work? they will not come to Jefus. But never were the tidings of a ransom so welcome to a flave in Turkey, as these are to meck poor ones, who are groaning under their bondage, and breathing for the liberty of the fons of God.-These tidings relate,

3. To an indemnity, a pardon to criminals who will come to Jefus: Acts, xiii. 38. 39. " Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of fins: And by him all that believe are juftified from all things, from which ye could not be juftified by the law of Mofes." The world of mankind, God's natural subjects, have joined his grand enemy, and rifen up in rebellion against their fovereign Lord. The law has proclaimed us all traitors, juftice demands vengeance on the criminals, and we cannot efcape by flight or by might. But good tidings, O criminals! The glorious Mediator has got an act of grace, of indemnity and pardon, paffed in the court of heaven, in favour of a ruined world, bearing, that whofoever will come in, and lay down their arms, fhall have a full and free pardon, written, for the better fecurity, in the blood of the Mediator. It is proclaimed to you, Ifa. lv. 7. « Let the wicked

for fake

forfake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." In this indemnity, there are no exceptions: Ifa. i. 18. “ Come now, let us reafon together, faith the Lord: Tho' your fins be as fearlet, they fhall be as white as fnow; though they be red as crimson, they shall be as wool." Now, whatever this be to others, it will be welcome tidings to the meek poor ones, whose confciences are galled with the sting of fin, bowing down under a fenfe of guilt. Never was a pardon more welcome to a malefactor on the fcaffold, than this will be to them: Ifa. xxxiii. 24. "And the inhabitants fhall not fay, I am. fick; the people that dwell therein fhall be forgiven their iniquities."-These tidings relate,

4. To a glorious physician of fouls, who never mifles to cure his patients: Matth. ix. 12. 13. "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are fick. I am not come to call the righteous, but finners, to repentance." That forbidden fruit which was eaten by our first parents, has entailed dreadful diseases on all their posterity; fo that this world is no better than an hofpital, where there is not one found person; and the ficknefs is unto death. But good tidings, O fin-fick foul! There is a glorious Phyfician come from heaven, who will cure all who will come to be cured by him. He cures infallibly; his blood cleanfeth from all fin. He cures freely: Hof. xiv. 4. "I will heal their backfliding, I will love them freely." He rejects no patients: John, vi. 37. "Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wife caft out." The medicine of his blood and Spirit removes all difeafes. What is thy disease? Is it a ftony heart? He takes it away, and gives an

heart

heart of flesh. Is it blindnefs, deafnefs, dumbnefs, lameness? He makes the blind to fee, the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak, and the lame to walk. Is it the falling evil of backfliding? the confumption or decay of grace? the running iffue of predominant lufts? the fever of raging lufts? the univerfal leprofy of the corruption of nature? All these he can cure, for he healeth all manner of diseases. They who fee not their diseases, will indeed flight him; but it will be good tidings to the meek poor ones, who are groaning under thefe difeafes. O! then, will fuch an one fay, I will take my ftony heart to him, my blindnets to him, &c.-Thefe tidings are the tidings,

5. Of a feaft: Ifa. xxv. 6. " And in this mountain fhall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees, well refined." Since man has left God, he has had nothing to feed upon, but the duft with the ferpent, or the husks of created things with the fwine. He has never been fatisfied, he never could get enough; still red hunger has been upon him, like those who eat but are not fatisfied. But good tidings, O famished finners! our Lord Jefus Chrift has made a feaft for hunger-bitten finners, and they are all invited to it. Ifa. lv. 2. "Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your foul delight itself in fatnefs." It is the best of feafts, where the foul may feed to the full. Jefus himself is the maker, and alfo the matter of it; all the benefits of the covenant are the provision which are served up at this feast, he who eats thereof fhall never die. It is true, that moft men put no value upon it: Prov. xxvii. 7. "The full foul loatheth an honey-comb." But, Pfal. xxii. 26. "The meek fhall eat and be fatisfied."

fatisfied." It will be good tidings to hungry fouls, who are fick of the duft and of husks, and are longing to eat bread in their Father's house, where there is plenty and to fpare.-- These tidings relate,

6. To a treasure: 2 Cor. iv. 7. " But we have this treasure in earthen veffels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." Man was broken by his fall; he loft all his goods, and all his credit in heaven; fo that abfolute poverty reigns among Adam's fons, who have neither in them nor on them for the present neceffity, and befides are drowned in debt to the justice of God. But good tidings, poor finners! There is a treasure hid in the field of the gofpel, which will enrich you; and by the gospel you are pointed to it. O buy the field! Matth. xiii. 44. In this field are the most precious things, precious promifes, and within them precious Chrift, with all his merits; gold tried in the fire, white raiment and eye-falve, Rev. iii. 18. Here is variety of all good things, and abundance. They who are rich in their own eyes will not value this treasure; but to the meek poor ones, it will be glad tidings. They will readily do as the man, Matth. xiii. 14. who fold all that he had, and bought the field in which the great treasure was hid.--These tidings relate,

7. To a marriage, a moft happy match for poor finners: Hof. ii. 19. 20. " And I will betrothe thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betrothe thee unto me in righteousnefs, and in judgement, and in loving kindness, and in mercies; I will even betrothe thee unto me in faithfulness, and thou fhalt know the Lord." The Bridegroom is the royal Mediator, who is content to match with poor captive fouls. We are naturally of the houfe of hell: John, viii. 44. " Ye are of your father the devil, and the lufts of your father ye will do." This be