have which testify unto me, that Jews, John v. 39, 40.) "fo in them ye "I am the light of the world:" viii. 12.) “he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." "I am come (x. 10.) "that they might have life" i. e. might enjoy happiness in another world. "This is life eternal, that they might kno, thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, hom thou hast sent." This then is the mighty favour which we have by Christ, who was made the blessed instrument of it to us; and this the reason why the salvation of sinners is so appropriated as it were to Christ and the Gospel, as if it had never been known before or revealed. And what equal blessing could God bestow or man receive? This filled the breasts of believers at first with such joy and gladness. This is that which raised the astonishment of those Jewish Christians who were but too much accustomed to confine the divine goodness to themselves, when upon hearing that the heathens were made partakers of the great privileges of the Gospel as well as themselves, "they "they glorified God, saying, Hath God then indeed to the gentiles granted repentance unto life!” (Acts. xi. 18.) granted them the means of recommending themselves to his favour for ever equally with Jews! And herein consisted that vast power and efficacy of the Gospel of Jesus, which was seen at first in such numbers embracing and being reformed by it, and is now beheld in all who live and die under the happy influences of it, that it brings to perishing mortals an assurance of surviving the shock of death, and of living hereafter in an endless state of virtuous happiness: a hope and expectation, where any are thoroughly persuaded of it and penetrated with it, capable of removing mountains, of working the most extraordinary effects in changing men's dispositions, and turning them from sin and the world to God. II. We may now go on further to inquire how it comes that here, and also in the general language of the New Testament, it is sinners whom Christ is said to have come to save. For it was an objection made very early to the doctrine of the Gospel, and continues still to to be made to it, that it does not so much invite virtuous men, who are conscious of no evil, who live according to the law of righteousness, but addresses itself mainly to sinners. To this we have to say that it can be no discredit to any institution of religion, that it lays down rules of pardon for great sins, if at the same time it lay strict injunctions of amendment of life, and of doing so no more. Now nothing is more certain than this, that the Gospel proposes no advantages to those who live in sin, but to those only who forsake it. And though, in its promiscuous call to the world, it addressed all men as sinners, (and by what other juster appellation was the mixed mass of mankind to be denominated?) its benefits were not offered to sinners as such, but to those only who repented, and brought forth the fruits of repentance in real holiness and virtue. St. Paul declares that both with Jews and Greeks (Acts xx. 21.) he always insisted on the necessity of repentance toward God, as well as faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. It was necessary that all men should have faith in Christ, should be convinced that he spoke 1 spoke and acted by authority from God, of which his miraculous works gave sufficient proof, that they might be induced to attend to his words and obey him. For it then followed as the result of such a faith and persuasion, that he was to be listened to as one speaking immediately from God himself. And in one place he remarks that, not only his own but his apostles' words are thus to be reverenced by us. "He that receiveth you, receiveth m ; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me." Also when the world was called to the hope of eternal life by Christ, it was justly and indispensably required of them to repent and renounce every evil way, to fit and qualify them for a happiness with God, into whose presence nothing sinful or unholy, nothing false or unjust can ever enter. Hence you find that almost all our Saviour's instructions were of the practical kind: not so much what men were to believe, as what they were to do to attain eternal life; and especially that they should bend their whole endeavours to make themselves and their fellow-creatures good and happy, and accepted of God. The The apostle Peter, in his discourse to his countrymen soon after Christ's resurrection, thus closes his exhortation to them; (Acts iii. 26.) "Unto you first, God having raised up his servant Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities." This was the way in which they were to be blessed or saved by Christ, in hearkening to the preaching of his apostles who spoke in his name, and turning every one from his iniquities. These Jews had expected great temporal blessings from their Messiah. The apostle tells them that the blessings they were to look for from the Gospel, were none other but the means to become holy and good, which would qualify them for an endless happiness in the future world. III. Thus then did Christ Jesus save sinners, by bringing them off from their evil courses to walk in the holy ways of God. The next great point of inquiry, of us who profess ourselves to be his followers, is, how far we ourselves are in the number of those who have hope to be saved by him. And |