God, we anticipate the result, and rejoice in the prospect of your perfect emancipation. This is the end we desire to accomplish; even that you may be brought to surrender up yourselves unreservedly to God, and live as entirely under his influence, as you have hitherto lived under the influence of Satan.]

But these objects, important as they are, are only means to a further end, which we call,

II. The ultimate object of our labours—

It were a small matter to rectify your sentiments, or to change your conduct, if we did not succeed also in our ulterior objects; namely,

1. The bringing you into a state of acceptance with God

[What would any change avail you, if you were under the guilt of unpardoned sin? That you all need forgiveness, you yourselves will not deny. And that the attainment of it is the most desirable of all objects, is a truth, which, in seasons of reflection, you cannot but feel. In a dying hour especially, if your minds are at all suitably impressed, you would account it of more value than the whole world. This then, beloved brethren, is what we desire to bring you to. It is painful, inexpressibly painful to us, to see you perishing in the midst of mercy. We long for your salvation: we would account the salvation of a soul as the richest recompence we can possibly receive: and on this account we endeavour to take you by the hand, and to lead you to Christ. We assure you in God's name, that "the blood of Christ will cleanse you from all sin;" and that "all who believe shall be justified from all things." And then do we feel most truly happy, when we see you enjoying peace with God, and walking with him as your reconciled God and Father.]

2. The bringing you to the final and everlasting possession of his glory

[Our object is not fully attained, till you are placed beyond the reach of harm, in the complete possession of happiness and glory. Could we but prevail with you, we would leave not so much as one of you in a perishing or doubtful state: we would "take all of you from the dunghill, and set you among the princes," ""the saints in light." Those who have been set apart in the Divine counsels, and renewed after the Divine image, are already "begotten to an incorruptible inheritance:" even now are they "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." But at present they are only minors, who have the title indeed,

but not the full possession of their estates. We long to help you forward to the latest hour of your lives, and, if you die before us, to see you, like a ship sailing into its destined port, enjoying "an abundant entrance into the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." Then Christ himself" sees of the travail of his soul, and is satisfied;" and then we also bless our God, that "we have not laboured in vain, or run in vain."] In improving this subject, we would commend to your attention the following REFLECTIONS : 1. How injurious to the world is prejudice!

[There is a sad prejudice prevailing in the world against the truth itself, and against all who faithfully dispense it. The Gospel is often represented as calculated only to make persons melancholy, if not to drive them mad: and the worst motives that may be conceived, are imputed to us for preaching it. The consequence of this is, that many are kept away from attending the ministration of the word; and many, when they do hear it, shut their ears, and fortify their hearts, against the admission of it. But look into the text, and see what our objects are: is there any thing so formidable in these, that the succeeding in them should be called "a turning of the world. upside down?" See the effects of the Gospel elsewhere described: "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose;" "Instead of the brier shall grow up the fir-tree, and instead of the thorn shall grow up the myrtle-tree;" "Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing; for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert." Are these such changes as are to be deprecated, or that those who are instrumental to them should be regarded as "the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things?" Search the Scriptures, brethren, and judge for yourselves: or, if ye will form your judgment from the calumnies of a blind ungodly world, then know that these very calumnies are so many testimonies to the truth of what we preach; and that in proportion as our ministry is reviled after the manner of Christ's and his Apostles', the presumption is in our favour, that it does indeed

resemble theirs.

2. How highly should the ordinances be prized

[Conversion, from the first motions of good desire, to the entire formation of the Divine image on the soul, is of the Spirit of God. But the Holy Spirit works by means, and principally "by the ministry of his servants in the public ordinances. When therefore we go up to the house of God, we should go thither with a full expectation of meeting our God there, and with an ardent desire to experience his powerful operations on our souls.

There, if we really desire it, our eyes shall be opened, our clouds of darkness dispelled, our chains broken, our iniquities pardoned, and the whole work of salvation perfected within us. Should we then grudge the time that will be occupied in waiting upon God? Should we prefer business, or pleasure, or any worthless indulgences, on the Sabbath, to a devout attendance on the house of prayer? Or should we fear a little banter and ridicule, or the loss of any temporal interest, which may be incurred by shewing an attachment to the Gospel of Christ? If we could have access to any that are now before the throne of God, and could ask them, what they thought of the ordinances? Would they shew towards them the indifference that we do? Would the three thousand who were converted on the day of Pentecost, express regret, that ever they heard that sermon of Peter's, and "continued steadfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers?" Learn then now to think of the ordinances as you will think of them hereafter; improve them, whether on the Sabbath-day, or week-day, as you will hereafter wish that you had improved them; and beg of God in private, before ever you go up to his public ordinances, that you may draw water with joy out of those wells of salvation."]

3. How efficacious a principle is faith!

[The concluding words of our text are generally considered as connected only with the word that immediately precedes them and certainly, in this sense, they declare a most important truth, namely, that we are "sanctified by faith in Christ." But we apprehend, that a comma should follow the word "sanctified;" and that the last words of the text should be connected with both the clauses that precede it. Faith is in reality that principle, by which, and by which alone, we obtain all spiritual blessings. Certainly it is that by which we receive the "forgiveness of our sins:" for nothing but faith will unite us to Christ, or interest us in his meritorious death and passion. It is by faith also that we must be "sanctified";"" for we cannot be renewed but by the Holy Spirit; nor can we receive the Spirit but from, and through, the Lord Jesus Christ, in the exercise of faith. Finally, it is by faith that we must obtain "that inheritance, which God has prepared for them that love him." We must "live by faith," and "stand by faith," and "walk by faith," and be "saved by faith," from first to last. The very text informs us, that by faith we are justified, and sanctified, and glorified. Let us then beg of God to infuse this divine principle into our hearts Let us study

a Thus-"That ye, by the faith that is in Christ, may receive, &c." b Rom. v. 1. c Acts xv. 9.

the character of Christ more and more; in order that we may know his excellency, and "receive continually out of his fulness;" and that "God may make him unto us Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption."]

MDCCCXII.

PAUL'S TESTIMONY.

Acts xxvi. 22, 23. Having obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

EVEN to this moment, the Gospel, when faithfully preached, is called "A new doctrine." But it is the very same that it was from the beginning. We know no other " Gospel" than that which "was preached to Abraham," or than that which was delivered to man in Paradise. The only difference between the Apostles and the Prophets was, that the one foretold the Saviour who should come, and the other proclaimed the Saviour who had come. As for us, we have only to follow the steps of the Apostles, and to bear the same testimony as was uniformly borne by them.

In the words before us, we have the entire substance of the Apostle's ministrations. Let us notice, I. The testimony which he bore

This related both to the Lord Jesus Christ himself, and to the manifestation of him to the world

[He was not ashamed to declare, that the Lord Jesus Christ had suffered on the accursed tree, and been put to death as a malefactor. But he bore witness, that God had raised him from the dead, and that in and by his resurrection his claims to the Messiahship were established beyond all reasonable doubt b Others, indeed, had been raised by the prophets, and by the Lord Jesus Christ himself: but, though raised, they had died at last, like all others of the children of men: but" Christ was risen to die no more":" so that "in c Rom. vi. 9.

a Acts xvii. 19.

b Rom i. 4.

that, as in all other things, he had the pre-eminence," and was indeed "the first-born from the dead".'

Being now ascended into the highest heavens, he had sent the Holy Spirit to testify of him, and to make known that salvation which was henceforth to be proclaimed in his name; and to be proclaimed, not to the Jews only, but unto Gentiles also, even to the ends of the earth

With these general statements he entered, of course, into all the ends and purposes of this great mystery; and shewed, that by it the salvation of man was affected, since it was for our sins that Christ died, and for our justification that he rose again"

In the whole of it he insisted on nothing but what Moses and the prophets had declared before him1—

[Exceeding full is the testimony which they have borne to the work and offices of the Lord Jesus. Of his death, Moses in fact spake, in all the sacrifices which were offered; as did the prophets also, in the most express terms — The resurrection of our Lord, too, was plainly shadowed forth by Moses in the ordinance of the scape-goat, and in the entrance of the high-priest within the vail with the blood of the sacrifices and with equal plainness was it foretold by David", and exemplified in Jonahi

The manifestation of him, also, both to Jews and Gentiles, alike occupied their attention; the one exhibiting him as the "Shiloh, to whom the gathering of the people should be;" and the other, as given for "a light to lighten the whole world'."]

But in our text we are particularly called to notice, II. The circumstances under which he bore it

Truly his labours and his sufferings had been such as no human being could have sustained, if he had not been aided and upheld by Almighty power

[His "labours were more abundant than those of any other Apostle;" and his trials, beyond measure, greatTM — But "he obtained help of God," and therefore was enabled to proceed without weariness or dismay God had promised to succour him"; and this promise was fulfilled in a

m

f 1 Cor. xv. 3, 4. h Ps. xvi. 10.

Compare Rom. xv. 19. and Acts xx. 34. with 2 Cor. vi. 4, 5.

and xi. 23-29.

n ver. 17.