sram. xix.] 2-7O1:E EXCLITDED FRO NT HOPE, S25 Noah, takes in all manner of animals, clean and un- clean, and saves them from the deluge of divine.wrath that shall come upon an ungodly world. But there is this blessed difference, that the brutes went out of the ark with the same nature they brought in but those who come under the protection and power Of this gos, pel by faith, they are in some measure changed; they are refined, they are sanctified. The wolf that carne in, is turning into a lamb, and the raven by degrees becomes adove; surely, the gospel has begun to make them so, for it has begun their salvation. I will grant indeed, that the perverse temper of blood` and spirits, and the very makè of the man, as to his na- tural and vicious qualities, is seldom entirely altered by the grace of God here on earth. There will be some sallies of animal nature, some.out-breakings of the irre- gular fire that is pent up in the constitution ; and these will toe often mix ,themselves with our conduct, and in- terline our acts of virtue and duty. But the .holy soul, who believes in Christ, will be humble, will mourn, will accuse and chide itself before God in secret, and will be importunate and restless in prayer for the victory. The Christian will not suffer himself to be carried away will - ingly by the stream of vicious inclinations ; for he that is born ofGod sinneth nbt, 1 John v. 18. and it is in vain to talk of the gospel and salvation, of faith and grace, if we give up the reins to vicious nature, and bid acareless farewell to any one virtue. But to proceed yet farther in reckoning up the various characters of men, Whom the gospel makes christians by the grace of faith. 6. As no persons are excluded because of their natu- ral constitution, so neither are any forbid the.blessing of salvation because.of their former ill characters in the moral life. Not the greatest of sinners are shut out from this blessing, if they repent and believe the gospel. Not the Jews who crucified the Lord of glory : Not the gen- tiles or Greeks, who were slaves to superstition and ido- latry, and drenched in most infamous and abominable practices; the Greeks who gave themselves up to work uncleanness with greediness without God, and without hope in the world. One gospel has saved them all. No former follies or faults, no, not the greatest of sins Y3
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