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force and efficacy of it to that end, it will appear to be an inftrument admirably fitted by the wifdom of God, for the reformation and falvation of mankind.

And therefore he tells us, ver. 16. that how much foever it was despised by that ignorant and inconfi derate age, he was not afhamed of the gospel of Chrift; because it is the power of God unto falvation, to every one that believeth, to the few firft, and also to the Greek; that is, the doctrine of the gofpel fincerely believed and embraced, is a moft proper and powerful means defigned by God for the falvation of man. kind; not only of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles.

The revelations which God had formerly made, were chiefly restrained to the Jewish nation; but this great and laft revelation of the gospel, was equally calculated for the benefit and advantage of all mankind. The gofpel indeed was firft preached to the Jews, and from thence publifhed to the whole world; and as this doctrine was defigned for the general be nefit of mankind, fo it was very likely to be effectual to that end, being an inftrument equally fitted for the falvation of the whole world, Gentiles as well as Jews: It is the power of God to falvation, to every one that believes, to the Jew firft, and alfo to the Greek.

And to fhew the efficacy of it, he instanceth in two things, which render it fo powerful and effectual a means for the falvation of mankind.

First, Because therein the grace and mercy of God, in the juftification of a finner, and declaring him righteous, is fo clearly revealed: ver. 17. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed, from faith to faith: as it is written, The juft fhall live by faith. This is very obfcurely expreffed, but the meaning of this text will be very much cleared, by comparing it with another in the third chapter of this epiftle, ver. 20. 21. 22. &c. where the Apostle speaks more fully and exprefsly of the way of our juftification by the faith of Jefus Chrift, that is, by the belief of the gofpel. He afferts at the 20th verfe, that by the

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deeds of the law, there fhall no flesh be juftified in the fight of God. To this way of juftification, by the deeds of the law, he oppofeth the righteousness of God by the faith of Jefus Chrift, to all, and upon all them that believe, which is the gofpel-way of juftification: ver. 21. 22. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifefted, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteoufness of God which is by the faith of Jefus Chrift, unto all, and upon all them that believe. The righteoufness of God without the law is manifefted; that is, the way which God hath taken to justify finners, and declare them righteous: without the deeds of the law; that is, without obferving the law of Mofes is manifefted that is, is clearly revealed in the gofpel; (which is the fame with what the Apostle had faid before, that the righteoufnefs of God is revealed in the gospel): being witneffed by the law and the prophets; that is, the righteoufnefs of God, or the juftification of finnersby Jefus Chrift, is clearly revealed in the gospel; being alfo in a more obfcure manner attefted or fore-: told in the Old Testament, which he calls the law and the prophets; and this fully explains that difficult phrafe of the righteoufnefs of God being revealed by the gospel from faith to faith; that is, by a gradual revelation, being more obfcurely foretold in the Old Teftament, and clearly discovered in the New. So that these two paffages are equivalent; in the gospel, the righteoufnefs of God is revealed from faith to faith; and the righteoufness of God without the works of the law is manifefted, being witneffed by the law and the prophets. There is the firft and more imperfect revelation of it, but the clear revelation of it is in the gofpel this the Apostle calls revelation from faith to faith; that is, from a more imperfect and obfcure, to a more exprefs and clear difcovery and belief of it and then the citation which follows is very pertinent, as it is written, The just shall live by faith; for this citation out of the Old Teftament plainly fhews, that the way of juftification by faith was there mentioned; or, as our Apostle expreffeth it, was witneed by the law and the Prophets; and confe

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quently that this was a gradual difcovery, which he calls a revelation from faith to faith. The just fhall live by faith, that is, good men fhall be faved by their faith, fhall be juftified and efteemed righteous fight of God, and finally faved by their faith. And fo the Apoftle, in the 5th chapter of this epiftle, ver. 18. calls our juftification by the faith of the gospel, the juftification of life, in oppofition to condemnation and death; which very well explains that faying of the Prophet, The juft fhall live by faith. I have been the longer upon this, that I might give fome light to a very difficult and obfcure text.

Secondly, The other inftance whereby the Apoftle proves the gospel to be fo powerful a means for the recovery and falvation of men is, that therein also the feverity of God against impenitent finners, as well as his grace and mercy in the juftification of the peni- tent, is clearly revealed: ver. 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteoufnefs of men, who hold the truth in unrighteouf nefs; becaufe that which may be known of God is ma nifefted in them, for God hath fhewn it unto them. The first, viz. the grace of God in our juftification and the remiffion of fins paft, is a moft proper and powerful argument to encourage us to obedience for the future; nothing being more likely to reclaim men to their duty than the affurance of indemnity for past crimes, and the other is one of the most effectual confiderations in the world to deter men from fin, that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, &c.

From which words I fhall obferve thefe fix things.

1. The infinite danger that a wicked and finful courfe doth plainly expose men to: The wrath of God is here faid to be revealed against the impiety and unrighteousness of men.

2. The clear and undoubted revelation which the gofpel hath made of this danger: The wrath of God against the fins of men, is faid to be revealed from heaven.

3. That every wicked and vitious practice doth ex

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pofe men to this great danger: The wrath of God is faid to be revealed against all ungodlinefs and unrighteousness of men.

4. That it is a very great aggravation of fin, for men to offend against the light of their own minds. The Apostle here aggravates the impiety and wickednefs of the Heathen world, that they did not live up to the knowledge which they had of God, but contradicted it in their lives, which he calls holding the truth in unrighteoufnefs.

5. The natural knowledge which men have of God, if they live wickedly, is a clear evidence of their holding the truth in unrighteoufnefs. The Apoftle therefore chargeth them with holding the truth in unrighteousness, because that which may be known of God, is manifefted in them, God having fhewed it to them.

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6. and laftly, That the clear revelation of the wrath of God in the gospel, against the impiety and wickednefs of men, renders it a very powerful and likely means for the recovery and falvation of men. the Apofle proves the gospel of Chrift to be the power of God to falvation, becaufe therein the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteoufness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteoufnefs; that is, againft all impenitent finners.

I fhall at the prefent, by God's affiitance, speak to the four firft of thefe particulars.

I. The infinite danger that a wicked finful course doth plainly expofe men to. If there be a God that made the world, and governs it, and takes care of mankind, and hath given them laws and rules to live by; he cannot but be greatly difpleafed at the violation and tranfgreffion of them; and certainly the displeasure of God is the most dreadful thing in the world, and the effects of it the moft infupportable. The greatest fear is from the greateft danger, and the greatest danger is from the greatest power offended and enraged; and this is a confideration exceeding full of terror, that by a finful courfe we expofe ourfelves to the utmost displeasure of the great and ter

rible God; for awho knows the power of his wrath? and who may ftand before him when once he is angry? According to thy fear, fo is thy wrath, (faith the Pfalmift). There is no paflion in the mind of man that is more boundless and infinite than our fear; it is apt to make wild and frightful reprefentations of evils, and to imagine them many times greater than really they are: but in this cafe our imagination must fall fhort of the truth and terror of the thing; for the wrath of God doth far exceed the utmost jealousy and fufpicion of the most fearful and guilty confcience; and the greatest finner, under his greatest anguish and despair, cannot apprehend or fear it more than there is reafon for: According to thy fear, fo is thy wrath.

If it were only the wrath and difpleasure of men that the finner were exposed to, there might be reafon enough for fear, because they have many times power enough to crufh an offender, and cruelty enough to fret every vein of his body, and to torment him in every part; but the wrath and vengeance of men bears no comparifon with the wrath of God. Their pathons are many times ftrong and bluftering; but their arm is but fhort, and their power small: They have not an arm like God, nor can they thunder with a voice like him. They may defign confiderable harm and mischief to us; but it is not always in the power of their hand to wreck their malice upon us, and to execute all the mischief which their enraged minds may prompt them to. The very utmost they can defign, is to torment our bodies, and to take a way our lives; and when they have defigned this, they may die first, and return to their duft, and then their thoughts perish with them, and all their malicious defigns are at an end. They are always under the power and government of a fuperior Being, and can go no further than he gives them leave. However, if they do their worst, and fhoot all their arrows at us, we cannot ftand at the mark long, their wrath will foon make an end of us, and fet us free from all their cruelty and oppreffion: They can but kill the body, and after that they have no more that they can do. VOL. V. G g

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