PART In. SERMON XVII. 230 Now this is an argument which you, who believe in Christ, may all assume to yourselves as well as the apostle : You cannot preach this gospel so well as he, nor explain the reasonsof your faith to others, and establish it uponso solid and unshaken foun- dations ofargument, as Paul coulddo ; but every christian, that has embraced the faith, and felt the power of this gospel for hi9 own salvation, may give this reason for the profession of it, and may support his courage in opposition to all the sharpest tempta- tions of mockery and reproach. When the apostle says, it is the power of God, we must suppose him to understand, it is a mostpowerful means, or effec- thal instrument that God uses, to save souls, and it is attended with divine power for that end. It is more powerful than the light of nature ; for we have no just reason to believe, that the mere light ofnature, without some helps of divine revelation, or someunwritten traditions of it, ever saved any souls at all ; and if there have been anyof the sinners of the heathen nations made partakers of grace, I think it is other- wise to be accounted for than merely by the poor remains of the light of nature. It is more powerful than any religion that men or angels could invent, and morepowerful too, than any religion that God himselfever invented, or revealed, and proposed to men before the gospel of Christ. His revelations to the patriarchs-were but few ; they were made here and there to a house or two, or to a family ; they were particular favours that he bestow- ed upon persons called out of idolatry, nor had they _a. very long, nor spreading, nor lasting influence, except in the family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, where they were frequently renewed. t It is more powerful than all the revelations of grace, which God madeby Moses to thechildren of Israel, and intermingled with the Jewish law : for these discoveries reached but to one.. single nation, and wrought but teebly toward the conversion of sinful souls to God and holiness, in comparison of what the gos- pel of Christ has done. Besides, let if he considered, that all the power which all the former discoveries of grace tothe patriarchs, or to the Jews, had to save souls, was derived from the gospel of Christ, which is contained in them in lower measures, and in a more obscure manner. Therefore since the gospel of Christ now stands forth inopen light, and in full glory, it is most eminently powerfulto convert sinners, to bring this apostate world back again to God, and to save millions of souls. VoL. 1. g
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