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230

I'AITH

IN

ITS LOWEST DEGREES.

(DI

§Ç.

shall

separate

us

from the

love

of

God,

in

Christ Jesus,

our

Lord

;

Rom.

viii. 38, 39.

3.

Are

we

at

such a dreadful distance

from

God,

that

we seem to be

on

the

utmost

verge

of

all hope,

at

the

ends

of

life

and

this world,

at

the borders

of

hell

and

despair

?

Yet

we

are

within

the reach

of

the

call

of

mercy, within

the sound of the

voice

of Christ, and

his

extensive grace

:

"

Look

from

the

ends

of

the

earth,

and

be saved."

4.

Are

we

poor impotent creatures,

that

can

do no-

thing

to

make satisfaction

to

God

for

our

sins,

and little

or

ngthing towards

the restoring

of

our

souls to

the

like-

ness

of

God, and the recovery

of

holiness

?

Do

we

stand

in need

of

such.

a

Saviour,

that

must work all

our

works

for

us,

and

in

us

?

Behold such a one

in my

text

:

He

requires

of

you

but

to look

to him,

and

trust

in

him,

in

the

manner

i

have described,

and

the salvation

is

free

and

sure.

Christ

himself

will

bestow it on

us.

There are

some

poor, melancholy desponding crea-

tures,

who

are

even

almost overwhelmed with a

sense

of

their

guilt,

and

of

the power

of

sin

in them,

and

are,just

giving

up

all hope,

who have

need

to have the riches

and

amazing condescensions

of

grace

to

be

set before

them,

in such

a manner

as this.

And

blessed be

God,

that

his

gospel contains in it such abounding mercy

to

preatures

so

miserable.

We

may

therefore

cry

out

with

joy

and thankfulness,

and

holy

wonder

:

O the fulness

and

sufficiency

of

this

salvation

!

It

is

God

who

provides

it,

who

knows,

and

can

supply

all

the vast variety

of our

wants

!

O the wide

extent

of

it

!

It

reaches to

all

nations,

to all

characters

of

persons, even to the ends

of

the earth.

O the

rich

freedom

of

this grace,

that

requires

us

to look,

ana

be

saved

!

O what free

and

full,

what large and extensive,

what

rich and

sovereign salvation

!

2d

Reflection.

What

a

blessed

security

of

this

salva-

tion

is

given

to

all

those

who

comply with the

invitation

of

this grace

!

It

is

as safe

as

it

is

extensive.

No creature

can take

away

what

a

God

resolves to bestow.

No

finite

being can

prevent

what an infinite being resolves

to do.

If

he

that

is

God

will save,

none

else can

de-

stroy,

or frustrate

the designed

salvation

?

Who shall

forbid

the

blessing

that

the almighty Saviour

will

confer

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