DISCOURSE III 553 tirely subdued, and the other powers of nature, which had been usurped by hell, seized and restrained, and consecrated to the God of heaven, and become instruments ofholiness and peace ! To have these engines of iniquity become happy mediums of adoration and service to God, and of hourly benefits to men ! O blessed and divine change ! O the sovereign power of con- vertinggrace ! VI. " I might add, in the next place, that when the pas- sions are sanctified and formed to a divine temper, it gives the gospel of Christ credit and honour in the world, in that it can triumph over the strongest powers of corrupt nature and subdue them to the service of God and religion." With what wicked violence were the passions of Paul engaged against the causeof Christianity, when, to use his own expressions, he was exceedingly mad against the saints, compelled them to blaspheme, and perse- cuted them to strange cities; Acts xxvi. 11. When he breathed out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord ; Acts ix. 1. Now to have this man changed from a lion to a lamb, from a persecutor to a preacher of the gospel; to hear this man propagating that gospel with zeal, which he so lately en- deavoured to destroy with fury, what divine honours this event gave to the religion of Christ when it was but young in the world ?' And as there werheyultitudes ofsuch instances in those primitive days, so I hope they are notutterly wantingnow. There are, I trope, in our age, in this city, and even in this assembly, some christians that can bear sacred witness to the divine power of the gospel in this respect. One can say, how fond was I of vanity and sensual pleasure ? Regardless of God, and thoughtless of religion, with an aversion to all that was virtuous and holy ? But, through the grace of God, the object of my love is changed : I delight now in the things of God ; I love his word, his people, himself, and his Christ, above all things in the world." Another can say, " I was greedy of money, and ambitious of vain-glory." Another confesses, " I was fretful and quarrel- some ; I was malicious and envious ; I was wrathful and resent- ing; and my ungodly passions were ever ready to rise and ferment against my fellow-creatures: But, now, through the influence of grace, I find mychief ambition is to be a child of God, and to exceed others in holiness : I covet the riches of grace, and the benefits of the gospel, above all other treasures: Now I am angry at myself because of sin, and angry at sinners when they dishonour God and my Saviour : I love my Lord Jesus, who hath procured forgiveness for me ; and I would love men, and forgive them for Jesus's sake." It is a public glory brought to the gospel of Christ, when our devout and pious passions surmount all the carnal affections
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