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
lowillE1111