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of our most holy faith.' We should be concerned, not to hold this, or any other truth, in unrighteousness : and no doctrine, however true and important, will avail us, without an experience of its sanctifying power on our hearts. Let us be concerned then, as perishing sinners, to apply to each of the divine persons: to the Father, for the pardon of our sins, through his infinite love and free mercy; to the Son, for an interest in his blood, righteousness, and intercession; and to the Holy Spirit, for his illuminating, sanctifying, quickening, and influencing comforts.

Let us adore and praise the eternal Three; the Father for his electing love, and the unspeakable gift of that love, the Lord Jesus Christ, his only-begotten Son. Let us adore and praise the dear Redeemer, ascribing blessing, and honour, and glory, and praise to him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. Let us adore and praise the Holy Spirit, for his gracious influences accompanying the word of truth, whereby we knew ourselves, and felt the power of the gospel to our salvation. Thus shall we resemble the blessed angels, who are incessantly praising the glorious Trinity, and crying Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. (Rev. iv. 8.)

We shall close the whole with that excellent Collect used by the Church of England on Trinity Sunday :

Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given unto us thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal TRINITY, and in the power of the divine Majesty to worship the UNITY; we beseech thee that thou wouldest keep us stedfast in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adversities, who livest and reignest One God, world without end. Amen.'

COLLECT.

We praise thee, O God, we acknowledge thee to be the Lord. The gods of the heathens are vanity and a lie. Thou art the only living and true God. Jehovah our God is one Jehovah.. We will worship the Lord our God, and him only will we serve.

We desire, O God, to receive with humble faith, all that thy holy word reveals concerning thine incomprehensible nature. Truly, O Lord, thou art highly exalted above all blessings and praise, and above all the thoughts of finite creatures. Who, by searching, can find out God? who can find out the Almighty to perfection? Such knowledge is too wonderful for us; it is high, we cannot attain unto it. We adore the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the one God of our salvation. Glory be unto the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost!

And while we worship the Triune Jehovah, we pray to partake of those spiritual and eternal blessings which proceed from a covenant-God. O may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us all! Amen.

SERMON XXXIV.

ROMANS i. 16.

I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.

we wisely consider the signs of the times, we are constrained to say, 'This is a day of rebuke and blasphemy.' Knowledge increases-arts and sciences flourish-commerce is extended-almost every thing is in a state of improvement; but what shall we say of religion? Alas! how many among us content themselves with the name and the shadow of it, while they deny its power! How many others, still more careless, neglect even the form of godliness; while others, grown bolder in sin, are weary of the gospel itself-dispute its truth, revile its power; and are seated in the clair of the Scorner; in a word, are ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.'

Not so that great and good man, whose words we have read. He was a bold and successful minister of the gospel. He had preached it in many countries, but, hitherto, had no opportunity of preaching it at Rome; but hearing that there were Christians even there, he sends them this letter, expresses his love to their souls, and his earnest desire to come and preach Christ's gospel to them. It was a great and populous city, one of the greatest in the world, and he well knew that he should meet with much opposition, and, perhaps, be in danger of his life; yet, he says, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ;' adding this good reason for his boldness, for it is the power of God unto salvation,' to every believer, whether Jew or Gentile. Now, that it may, by the power of the Holy Spirit, be so to us, let

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VOL. III.

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I. Take a general view of the Nature of the gospel. II. Consider the important Design and Use of it,— it is, the power of God to salvation;' and then,

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III. Show that there is no reason why we should be ashamed of it, but rather that we ought to glory in it.

I. Let us take a general view of the Nature of the gospel. What is the gospel? What do we mean by it? It may be feared that many, who are called Christians, would be at a loss for an answer to this plain question. Now there are several points of view in which we may behold the gospel. I certainly contains a history of the most remarkable and important events, especially the incarnation of the Son of God, his holy and spotless life, his amazing miracles, his excellent sermons, his bloody passion and cruel death, his resurrection from the grave, and his ascension into glory. The gospel also contains the purest and best system of morals that was ever offered to the world; and would to God they were but practised! The gospel likewise displays the infinite perfections of God, his holiness, justice, and love especially; for he who was in the bosom of the Father hath declared him.' The gospel demands our attention also, as it affords a wonderful discovery of a future state, an eternal heaven and hell, in one of which, each of us must soon be fixed for ever. In all these respects, the gospel deserves and requires our serious and cordial regard.

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But all this falls infinitely short of the true nature of the gospel. The word Gospel, in the original, signifies good news-a good message, or glad tidings, as it is written in the prophet Isaiah (lii. 7), and quoted by St. Paul, in Rom. x. 15: How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!'-observe, glad tidings of good things.' This is a just description of the gospel; never were there things so good as those contained in the gospel-never were there tidings so glad as those reported by the gospel. You are to consider the gospel as a message of mercy from God to sinners-as a declaration of his good will to lost and ruined man. Take it in Christ's own words: God so loved the world, that gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth

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on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' Or, take it in the words of St. Paul: This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.' Now you will observe in these texts, the condition of those to whom these glad tidings are sent-a world of men ready to perish, and who must have perished if God had not sent his Son to save them. They are sinners whom Christ came to save. My friends, we can never rightly understand one word of the gospel, unless we know and feel our miserable and perishing estate as sinners. In Adam we all fell ;-from him we derive a sinful nature. Our minds are total darkness, as to God, and the things which belong to our peace. Our hearts are disaffected to God; we shun him-we fly from him as Adam did when he had sinned;-and as to our lives, they are lives of rebellion against him. Our carnal minds are enmity against God, they are not subject to the law of God, neither can they be,' till renewed by grace;and being breakers of the holy law, we are under the curse and penalty of it; obnoxious to the divine wrath, and liable every minute to death and damnation.

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Now, do we know this? Do we believe this? Do we feel and lament that this is our case? And does this lead us to cry out in good earnest, Men and brethren, what must we do to be saved? If so, we are prepared to receive the good news of the gospel. To such persons, especially, is the word of this salvation sent. It informs them that God, in his infinite mercy to sinful man has sent his only-begotten Son to take our nature; and in this nature, and as our Surety, to obey the laws which we had broken, to make an atonement or satisfaction for sin, by his death, and so reconcile us to God. And also that he will give his Holy Spirit to his people, by whose influences, accompanying the gospel, their minds shall be enlightened in the knowledge of the truth; they shall be enabled to believe in Jesus; to repent of their sins after a godly sort, and to become new creatures; so as to love, obey, and enjoy him here, and at length to be made perfectly happy in Heaven for ever.

And is not this good news? So the first Christians

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