333 / 514
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
a
dove;
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
of
God 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
a
careless
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