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[We cannot claim God for our God unless we have believed in Christ-

If therefore we have not an evidence that we have indeed believed, we can derive no comfort from these promises

Yea, rather, we have reason to fear that we shall be overwhelmed with God's wrath, and be made to "dwell with everlasting burnings"—

Let us then not leave this matter in doubt and suspenseLet us "flee to Christ for refuge, as to the hope set before

us"

We may then assuredly expect these promises to be fulfilled to us-]

2. What consolation does the gospel of Christ afford! [Every man must expect to "pass through fire and through water"

It is our appointed way to the kingdom of heaven*___ In the hour of death, if not before, we shall feel need of support

But God has provided in the text abundant consolationWe need not fear any thing whilst we can rest on this promise-

Let us then adopt the triumphant language of the Psalmist -]

* Acts xiv. 22.

y Ps. xxiii. 1, 4.

XII. THE RICHES OF DIVINE GRACE DISPLAYED.

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Eph. ii. 4-7. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, and hath hath quickened us together with Christ raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us, through Christ Jesus.

WHAT an accumulation of sublime ideas is here presented to our view!-

Well might the Psalmist say that the meditation of God was sweet to him

We scarcely know whether to admire more the grace of the benefactor, or the felicity of those who participate his blessings→→→

But the text requires us to fix our attention on that most delightful of all subjects, the riches of divine grace

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The

The apostle has in the preceding verses described the state of the unregenerate world

He now displays the grace of God towards the regenerate

I. In its source

God is "rich in mercy," and " abundant in love" [Mercy and love are, as it were, the favourite attributes of the Deity

The exercise of these perfections is peculiarly grateful to him

There is an inexhaustible fountain of them in the heart of God

They have flowed down upon the most unworthy of the human race

They will flow undiminished to all eternity

While he retains his nature he cannot but exercise these perfections -]

These are the true sources of all the grace displayed

towards fallen man

[Man had nothing in him whereby he could merit the attention of his Maker

He was fallen into the lowest state of guilt and miseryBut the bowels of his Creator yearned over him — God felt (if we may so speak) an irresistible impulse of compassion towards him

Hence was it that the Son of God was sent into the world

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Hence also were so many offers of mercy made to manAnd to this alone is it owing that so much as one has ever found acceptance with God-]

But, to judge how great the love was wherewith he loved us, we must trace it

II. In its operations

The grace of God has been displayed towards us in ten thousand ways

But we must confine our attention to its operations, as they are set forth in the text

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Rom. x. 12.

.

In this view, God's solicitude to find Adam, and his affectionate (perhaps plaintive) enquiry after him, Gen. iii. 9. are very striking. f We may conceive of God as expressing himself in the language of the prophet; Hos. xi. 8, 9. John iii. 16.

God has "quickened us even when we were dead in sins "

[What is meant by "dead in sins," appears from the preceding verses—

We were walking according to the course of this worldWe were the willing servants of Satan-

We were indulging all kinds of "filthiness, both of flesh and spirit'

We were demonstrating ourselves to be," by nature" as well as practice, " children of wrath "

And we were utterly destitute of all power to help and save ourselves

h

Yet even then did God look upon us in tender compassion i

He quickened us by the same Spirit whereby he raised Christ from the dead

k

In so doing, he united us "together with Christ," and rendered us conformable to him as our head

What an astonishing instance of divine grace was this!-]

He has also" raised us up, and enthroned us together with Christ in Heaven

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[The apostle had before expatiated on what God had wrought for Christ

He now draws a parallel between believers and Christ— What was done for Christ our head and representative, may be considered as done for all the members of his mystical body

In this view Christians may be considered figuratively. as risen with Christ, and as already seated on his throne

Their hearts, their conversation, their rest, is in Heaven"How has he thus verified the declaration of Hannah! How has he thus discovered" the exceeding riches of his grace!"-]

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How worthy of God such a stupendous display of grace is, we shall see if we consider it

III. In its end

God is not only the author, but also the end of all things—

Nor would it become him to do any thing but with a view to his own glory--

i

h Rom. v. 6.
This may be illustrated by
k Compare 1 Pet. iii. 18. with Rom. viii. 11.

The

Ezek. xvi. 4-6.

1 Eph. i. 19, 20,

Col. iii. 1, 2. Phil. iii. 20.

Д

A 1 Sam. ii. 8.

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Rom. xi. 36.

The manifestation of his own glory was the express end for which he revealed his grace

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And this end is already in some measure attained

[All ages, to the end of time, must admire the grace of God towards both the Jewish and Gentile world

Every one, who partakes of that grace, must of necessity admire it

The "exceeding riches of it" are unsearchable

God's "kindness" too is infinitely enhanced by flowing to us through Christ Jesus"

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The price paid by Christ will to eternity endear to us the blessings purchased

At present, however, the design of God in revealing his grace is not fully answered -]

But it will be completely answered in the day of judgment

[Then, how exceeding rich and glorious will this gracė“ appear!

Then the depth of misery, into which we were fallen, will be more fully known

The spring and source of that grace will be more clearly discovered

:

And all the operations will be seen in one view

Then Christ, the one channel in which it flows, will be more intimately revealed to us-

How will every eye then admire, and every tongue then adore!

Surely nothing but such an end could account for such operations of the divine grace

Let every one therefore seek to experience these operations in his own soul---

Let those who have been favoured with them glorify God with their whole hearts-]

Eph. i. 6.

XIII. THE DANGER OF NEGLECTING OUR SALVATION..

Heb. ii. 3. How shall we escape, if we neglect so great
salvation?

MANY suppose that morality is sufficient for our acceptance before God

Morality, indeed, if it proceed from faith in Christ, shall be amply rewarded

Nevertheless

Nevertheless the death of Christ is the only foundation of our hope→→

This is fully declared in the gospel, and must therefore be received

If they, who despised Moses's law, died without mercy, much more must we perish if we neglect the gospel"— To this effect the apostle speaks in the passage before

us, ver. 2, 3.

I. What is the salvation here spoken of?

We shall confine ourselves to that view of it which the apostle gives in the context

It is that salvation, which was first spoken by our Lord, and afterwards confirmed by the apostles, ver. 3. [Our Lord invariably declared himself to be the only Saviour

He commissioned his disciples to declare the same They accordingly proclaimed these glad tidings; Peter in his first sermon to the Gentiles; and Paul, in answer to the jailer's question —]

This salvation, in whatever view it be considered, is truly "great"

1. As wrought out for us

[That "Jehovah's fellow" should become our surety!That he should yield up himself to such a death!— That he should do this even for the chief of sinners!Surely, if angels exulted so at the first disclosing of this mystery, much more should we at its consummation-] 2. As imparted to us

[On our first believing in Christ, we receive pardon of sin-peace of conscience-strength against temptation-&c. On our dismission from the body, we enter into the full and everlasting fruition of the divine presence

What language can express the greatness of this salvation?

We may well expect therefore that all should eagerly

embrace it—

But it is almost universally neglected-- .

II. Who they are that neglect it?

a Heb. x. 28, 29.

© Mark xvi. 15, 16.

Acts xvi. 30, 31.

John xiv. 6. and iii. 14. 36.

d Acts x. 43.

f Luke ii. 14.

It

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