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SEItM.

XIX.]

NOSE EXCLUDED

FROM

HOPE.

327

faith in this gospel

!

How extensive

is

the grace of

God

our

Saviour

!

How

unsearchable are

the riches

of

his

mercy

!

O

the heights

and

the depths,

the

lengths and

breadths

of

the

love

of

Christ,

that

pass all knowledge

!

None of

the

sons

or

daughters

of

Adam, the sinner,

are

excluded from this salvation, where the gospel

is

preach-

ed,

but

those

who

exclude

themselves

by

stubbornness

and unbelief.

Persons of

every kind,

every

character,

condition

and

quality, amongst

men,

have found this

gospel become

the .power

of

God

to

their salvation,

when they have

fled

to this refuge,

and

believed

in this

Saviour.

What

improvement

now shall

I

make

of

the last

part

of

this discourse, this wide

extent of

salvation bestowed

on

all who

believe

?

Has

every single ,believer this sal-

vation

in some

measure

conferred

on

him,

and

wrought

in

him

!

Then

here

is

a plain

and

evident

test,

whereby

to try

our

faith,

or a certain

sign

whereby

we may

judge,

whether

we

are true

believers,

or

no.

The

gospel

is

the

manifestation

of

the power

of

God

for the salvation

of

every one

that

believes.

What

have

you found

of

this

salvation begun

in

you?

What

have

you felt

of

your

own

guilt and wretchedness

by

reason

of

sin,

and of your danger

of

eternal death? Have

you

seen the death

of Christ

as

an

effectual

atonement to

procure the

forgiveness

of

an

offended

God

?

Have

you

beheld

the

power and

grace

of

Christ

sufficient to

renew

your

sinful

natures, and to

form them

after the

image

of

God

in

righteousness

and true

holiness

?

Have

you

found your

conscience_

resting upon the

sacrifice

ofs

Christ,

and your

souls humbly

expecting pardon and

peace there

?

Are

your hearts turned

away from

every sin?

Is

the

temper

of

your

mind made divine

and

heavenly,

and suited to

the business

and

blessedness

of

the

upper

world

?

This

is

the salvation

of Christ

which the gospel

proposes, and

bestows

upon

all

that

believe.

Upon

such solemn

enquiries

as these,

I

am

persuaded

there

is

many a soul must

take up this

heavy

complaint,

"Alas

!

I

fear

I

am no

believer:

I

have

sat

long

under

the

sound

of

the

gospel,

and

I

have

heard

the

doctrine

of Christ

crucified many years to no

purpose

;

for

I

have

never found

this gospel

attended

with any such powerful

impressions

as

to

begin

salvation in

me.

I

have been

Y4