the truth."-Verse 33. Compare John i. 7: "The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light." God raised up John, on purpose that he might point men to Jesus; and so he did. He was a burning and a shining light, and they were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. When no told them of the life to be had in Jesus, they were glad for a season; and yet they did not come to Christ to have lite. So with you; a standing ministry is still in the midst of you. However weak and dim the light, still it points to Jesus: and I may add, you have been willing for a season to rejoice in the light. Ye seem to love to hear, and yet ye will not come.

2. The works. (1.) The miracles of Christ. He had just been healing a man thirty-eight years impotent. He healed all that came-cleansed lepers-turned water into wine-raised the dead: all these bare witness of him that he was the Son of God with power. (2.) The quickening of dead souls: "The Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and he will show him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will."-Verses 20, 21. Greater works than these! The quickening of a dead soul is a far greater miracle than raising a dead body; both are beyond man, but the latter is most divine. Jesus had quickened some-his own few disciples-the Samaritans. These works bore witness of him. So still, saved souls in the midst of you are Christ's witnesses, showing you that there is a way of pardon, and yet ye will not come.

3. The Father: "The Father himself which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me."-Verse 37. At Christ's baptism and transfiguration: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The inward teaching and drawing of the Father. John vi. 45. The Father had no doubt striven with many of them; and so with many of you, yet ye will not come.

4. The Scriptures. The whole Bible is the record concerning Jesus. Luke xxiv. The Law of Moses speaks of Jesus in type; the Prophets tell of Jesus in prophecy; the Psalms, the inward workings of his heart; the Gospels, the narrative of his outward life; the Epistles, the scheme of salvation by him; the Revelation, his future glorious coming. All, all tell of Jesus-Jesus pervades the Bible-it is the standing witness to Jesus. There may be no

faithful ministry in the land-no works of conversion going on-the Father's drawings may be awanting; still the Bible is God's faithful witness to Jesus. The written Word testifies of the living Word. Hence Moses will accuse you to the Father; so it is now, and yet ye will

not come.

III. The reason why men are not saved.

It is very remarkable that the only reason Christ dwells on here is, "Ye will not come unto me." He does not say, There is no pardon for you-no grace for you in my hand. On the contrary, he says to those who were probably reprobates: "Ye will not come unto me." Christ could have mentioned other reasons. 1. He could have spoken of the decrees of God. "Ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep."-John x. 26. "As many as were ordained to eternal life believed." Every thinking man must know and feel that none will ever come to Christ but those who were given him by the Father from all eternity. 2. Christ could have spoken of their dead souls-dead in trespasses and sins. He could have shown them that their hearts were dead-wills dead-souls dead. He could have shown them that unless he made them willing in the day of his power, they never would come. But he does not touch on these things. 3. The only reason he dwells on is this: "Ye will not come unto me." Why? Because he thus brings them in guilty of wilful rejection of him.

Some of you may not be able to reconcile these things. If I am decreed to be lost, how can I be blamable? Christ could reconcile them, and therefore said: "Ye will not come unto me."

And why will ye not?

1. Some ignorant-ignorant of God's righteousness. I believe there are many of you quite ignorant of the way of life in the hand of Jesus. "If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge."

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2. Some do not feel pressing need. The winter's cold drives the little birds near the houses-want makes them bold; so if you felt your pressing need, you would draw near by the blood of Jesus.

3. Love of lusts. "How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?"-Verse 44. Many love life judicial, and

life eternal, but not life spiritual. They do not wish to be sanctified. "He shall save his people from their sins." But you love your lust-you love the darkness, and come not to the light.

1. Think how you will meet Jesus in the judgment-day. He will say I would often have gathered you, and you would not. I sent unto you all my witnesses, rising up early and sending them, and you would not. I pleaded with you in affliction-showed you the vanity of all the creatures, but you would not come to me.

2. Think how you will bear the reflection in eternity. When you have tasted all the realities of hell for a thousand years, this will add bitterness to all-I might have been in heaven this day, but only I would not come to Jesus that I might have life. O cursed folly-cursed pride-cursed ignorance that kept me back from the Saviour of the world! Arise, plead thine own cause.

Oct. 8, 1842.

SERMON LXIV.

NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL.

'So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the Gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness."-ROм. i. 15-18.

1. Where Paul desired to preach: "I am ready to preach the Gospel to you that are at Rome also." Rome was at that time the mightiest city in the whole world. Daniel compared it to a beast with iron teeth stamping other kingdoms with its feet. It was called the mistress of the world. Yet there Paul was willing to preach the Gospel. It was the most learned city of the world. Its poets, pain

ters, orators, historians of the Augustan age, were famed over the whole world. Some of the most perfect specimens of human composition that ever were produced were published at Rome at that very time. It was the most wicked city of the world. The pollutions that flowed through its streets were equal to those of Sodom and Gomorrah. The emperor was one of the most cruel monsters that ever appeared in the form of a man. That was the place where Paul burned with a flame of desire to be allowed to preach the Gospel.

2. What Paul desired to preach: "The Gospel-the Gospel of Christ." It was not to see Rome that Paul longed to be there; not to see its temples, and theatres, and statues, the wonders of the world. It was not to show off his own eloquence-not to publish some new work to gain the esteem and applause of the Roman people. It was to preach the Gospel the way of salvation by the righteousness of God. "I am determined to know nothing among you but Christ, and him crucified."

3. What Paul felt: "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ." More is meant in these words than is expressed. He does not mean only that he was not ashamed of the Gospel, but he gloried in it. It is very similar to Gal. vi. 14: "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Two things are implied. (1.) That he was not ashamed of it before God. He had ventured his own soul on this way of salvation. He could say, like David, "This is all my salvation-this is all my desire." The way of salvation by Jehovah our Righteousness was sweet to Paul. His soul rested there with great delight. He came thus to God in secret-thus in public-thus in dying. He hoped to stand before God through all eternity clothed in this divine righteousness. (2.) That he was not ashamed of it before men. Though all the world had been against him, Paul would have gloried in this way of salva

tion.

men.

He had a burning desire to make it known to other He felt it so sweet, he saw it to be so glorious, that he could have desired a voice so loud that all men might hear at one moment the way of salvation by Christ.

Men would laugh at the idea of a poor worm like Paul going to subdue mighty Rome with a few words of his lips; but Paul saw such a divine power in the Gospel that he was not ashamed of it. He knew it could break the hardest heart, and bind up the most broken. The learned men of

Rome would smile at the words of this babbler; but Paul saw such wisdom in the Gospel, that all human wisdom appeared utter folly beside it. The wickedness of Rome reached up to heaven-it was a continual smoke in God's nostrils a fire that burned all the day; but Paul knew that the righteousness of God could cover the sin of a thousand Romes. He saw it to be so vast, so immense, so free, so surpassingly glorious, so divine, that it could flow over and cover the sins of the greatest sinner in Rome.

I. Reasons why worldly men are ashamed of the Gospel.

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1. Because it is foolishness: "We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness."-1 Cor. i. 23. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."-1 Cor. ii. 14. Unregenerate men cannot comprehend the way of salvation by the righteousness of another. It appears a foolish scheme. They do not believe it is in the Bible at all. That a man should enter heaven by his good works they can understand-this is agreeable to the pride of the natural heart; or that God should forget to punish sin, and admit bad and good into heaventhey can understand this: "Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself." But that a sinner should be covered with the righteousness of another—that he should have the sufferings and holy life of another person laid to his account, so as to cover all his sins-this is utter folly to worldly men. Therefore so many of you are ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. You are ashamed to hear it preached: when it is clearly set before you, you despise it in your heart. You are ashamed of it before God. You do not go to the Father this way. You do not enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. You do not enter guilty and loathsome in yourself, wearing only the obedience of One.You are ashamed of it before men-ashamed to state it to your children and servants as the only way of pardon and acceptance.

Once when Jesus was

2. Because of the messenger. preaching in his own country they said: "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him."-Mark vi. 3.