Images de page
PDF
ePub

"devices*."

[ocr errors]

And, "if the word spoken by an

gels was stedfast, and every transgression and "disobedience received a just recompence of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

great salvation?" If " he that despised Moses' "law died without mercy, of how much sorer "punishment shall he be thought worthy, who "hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and "hath counted the blood of the covenant an un

[ocr errors]

holy thing, and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace." And it is indeed " a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." On the other hand," rejoice in the Lord, ye

[ocr errors]

righteous, and again I say, rejoice:" think frequently on what the Lord has done, and still is doing for you, and while you muse let the fire of gratitude burn, and let it be expressed by the tenor of your lives; a life conformed to the gospel is the best proof that can be given that we believe it, without this all protestations and professions are to no purpose; they will not deceive even our fellow creatures, and it is impossible for us to deceive " Him who seeth not as man "seeth."-" Having these gracious promises and

[ocr errors]

prospects, let us, therefore, cleanse ourselves "from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, per"fecting holiness in the fear of God."

*Prov. i. 24-31.

237

SERMON XXX.

EPHESIANS ii. 8.

For by grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.

ON SALVATION BY GRACE.

GOD, who at sundry times and in divers "manners, spake in times past unto the fa"thers by the prophets, hath in these last days

..

spoken unto us by his Son;" bringing "life "and immortality to light" by his gospel; revealing in the clearest manner where our happiness lies, and the way that leadeth to it. So that in us is fulfilled, in the strictest sense, that prophecy of Isaiah," the people which sat in dark

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

ness have seen a great light, and to them which "sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up. What the prophet here represents under the notion of darkness, and the region and shadow of death, is more largely described by our apostle in the beginning of this chapter; which exhibits to our view a very dismal and affecting picture of the deep guilt, the

owing to the grace of God, to the utter exclusion of all worth and merit in themselves. I am,

First, to explain the import of the terms, grace, and salvation, their nature and extent.-The word grace is used in a great variety of senses in the New Testament,-sometimes it is used to signify the New, or Gospel Dispensation, in opposition to the Mosaical: "the law was given

by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus "Christ."-" Ye are not under the law, but un"der grace." The The grace of God which bringeth "salvation, hath appeared to all men;" and in many other places to the same purpose. It frequently signifies the gifts and operations of the Spirit of God upon the souls of men. Thus, "I "thank my God always on your behalf, for the

[ocr errors]

grace of God which is given you by Jesus "Christ; that in every thing ye are enriched by

him, in all utterance and in all knowledge, so "that ye come behind in no gift*."-" With great

[ocr errors]

power gave the apostles witness of the resurrec❝tion of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was f6 upon them allt:" it is used in this sense too, in that usual valedictory blessing with which our apostle concludes most of his epistles, grace "be with you all," which he sometimes enlarges into," the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and † Acts iv. 33.

[ocr errors]

1 Cor. i. 4.

"the love of God, the Father, and the commu"nion of the Holy Ghost be with you all." It is used to signify the whole of christianity, both practice and profession, "looking diligently lest

66

any man fail of, or fall from the grace of God *," that is, apostatize from the christian religion; but, to mention no more, grace in its most usual and proper import signifies, the free, unmerited love and favour of God, in pardoning the sins of men, and admitting them to a state of peace and reconciliation with himself, for the sake, and on account of the merits of his own Son Jesus Christ; and that, not only without any respect of, but, on the contrary, in direct opposition to the good works of which they may boast. The apostle states this distinction with the greatest accuracy and precision, in his epistle to the Romans; "Even so then at this present time also there is a "remnant according to the election of grace. "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: "otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it "be of works, then is it no more grace: other"wise work is no more work." In this last sense of the word it is evidently used here in the text, as the very same distinction between grace and works is kept up as in the passage just now cited; "by grace are ye saved, and that not "of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of

*Heb. xii. 15.

VOL. II.

R

† Rom. xi. 5, 6.

"of works, lest any man should boast;" which we may paraphrase thus: "Ye who were once "dead in trespasses and sins, under the power " and dominion of Satan, and of consequence "children of wrath, and heirs of hell, are now

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

quickened together with Christ; inspired with "a principle of spiritual and divine life, and "raised to the blessed hope of a glorious immor"tality, and of sitting together in heavenly places, with Christ Jesus: but it will certainly "be the greatest folly, presumption, and ingrati"tude to ascribe this, or any part of it, to yourselves; for it is only because God is rich in mercy, and out of that great love wherewith " he loved us, that we are delivered from all this "wretchedness, and raised to all this glory and happiness; and therefore it becomes you humbly to adore, and admire the abundant grace, "the unmerited, unsolicited love and goodness "of God, to which you are so infinitely in"debted."

[ocr errors]

I am next to explain the nature of the salvation here mentioned, or what we are to understand by being saved. In order to do this more distinctly, it will be necessary to consider shortly the sense given to this whole passage by some commentators, who present to us a very narrow and limited view of this salvation, by restricting

« PrécédentContinuer »