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The Power of the Gospel to in-ness of heathenism. Thus it struct Men in Moral Virtue.

THE

pleased a sovereign God to ap point in the dispensations of his grace. Through many ages reason had done its utmost, the philosophers of the world had gloried in their knowledge with

HE gospel hath been a principal means of instructing men in the nature of holiness. To be convinced of this it is necessary we should un-out improving the morals of derstand the state of mankind mankind. They had not given just when the Christian scriptures descriptions of the true and livwere written. Every age hath ing God, nor had they taught its peculiar character, by which men any one virtue, which sel at is distinguished from others, fishness, under certain circum in natural improvements, moral stances, may not claim as its enquiries and the customs of own. The infinite wisdom of living. It pleased the holy spir- God had prepared the way for it, for the best illustration of the the introduction of the gospel, truth, to allude frequently to under such circumstances, as those; so that to understand the would give the most forcible written gospel, we must have conviction of its necessity to a correct understanding of the instruct men in the truth. state of things when it was first published, in the Books of theservation, it is necessary we New Testament. Although the books of the Old Testament, do virtually contain all the truths of the gospel, and a perfect system of rules for holy living, yet it is evident they were written more enigmatically, the truth was clothed in figures and types, and many of the prophecies, at so distant a period from the time of their accomplishment, must have been unintelligible to the people who heard them.

To shew the truth of this ob

should consider the state of the world, at the time Jesus Christ. appeared in the flesh.

Our Saviour came into the world, at a time, when the Jewish instructors had explained away the spiritual import of the oracles committed to their care. In place of these, they had substituted a rigid observe ance of external forms to recommend them to the divine fa

The scriptures of the Old Tes-vour. tament were written for the in- They omitted judgment, mer struction of a church, which cy and truth, the love of God was confined within national lim- and our neighbour, and the esits, and of a few others, who be- sential parts of a holy temper. came proselytes to their faith: In the discourses of Christ and Also, to contain a store of evi- his apostles, there are many aldence for the truth of the gospel, lusions to this corrupted state of when the time appointed for the the Jewish Scribes and instrucincarnation of Christ should ar- tors. These were the prudent rive. During the long period be- ones, according to the maxims fore the appearance of Christ, all of an unholy world, mentioned the nations, except the Jews, by an apostle, whose underwere overspread with the dark-standing the Lord would bring

fo nought the scribes, whose doctrines he would render foolish by the introduction of the gospel, with a divine power to change the hearts and manners of men.

heart, darkening counsel by words, and constantly going further from a knowledge of the truth and their own duty.

This was the state of the learned and the wise world, when At the time I have mentioned, the Lord of glory came to teach the Greeks, who were heathens, men by his own doctrines and excelled in natural science, and humble example. Many of the esteemed themselves the wise nations, before the introduction ones of the earth. Their schools, of the gospel, had arrived to celebrated through the world, eminence in science, by the im were filled with learned men, provements of their philosophers who assumed the name of Phi- and artists. It was thus ordered losophers, or friends of Wisdom. by a wise providence, to shew They attempted to decide on all the darkness of the mind on moral subjects on the nature moral subjects, when possessed of the supreme first cause; his of the best natural advantages will, the principles and extent of to excel. When we look on the his government, with what he state of the privileged Jews and would be pleased, and in what the learned Greeks, before the moral obligations and duty con- coming of Christ, do we not sist. While the professed end find demonstrative evidence, that of their enquiries on moral sub-the gospel, teaching the way of jects was to make men better reconciliation to God and the and more happy, they failed of duties of a holy life, was neces success, which must ever be the sary to instruct the world? The case, without a revelation and former of these people, by a special grace from God, of previous revelation, had the best which they were ignorant.-advantage to know and obey They did not agree, between the moral law; the latter, all the themselves, concerning the di-aid that could be derived from vine nature and will, or in one natural science, eminent schools point of moral duty; nor even and learned professors: Still, in what happiness, or the su- on subjects of religion they made preme good of men consists. no improvement. Those, who At the very time, when natural had the law of Moses, perverted science shone brightly, the thick the precepts of moral virtue, est darkness on subjects of mo- and became contented with the ral duty overspread mankind. formal observation of some exThese masters of wisdom, asternal ceremonies; while, such they claimed to be, who could as had not this law, through the judge accurately on natural increase of their knowledge on beauty and in the arts, did not natural subjects, multiplied the judge with any accuracy on number of their gods, and served moral fitness. In this they were them by the commission of ignorant as other men. Not crimes. All their enquiries having the word and Spirit of never reached to a just idea of God, they ped in ignorance that love and holiness displayunder the influence of a depraved ed in the gospel. In the pre

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sent age, many have attempted and things which are despised by reason and art to make men hath God chosen: yea, and truly good; this hath been things which are not, to bring done by open infidels, and those to nought things that are. That who are half converted to their no flesh should glory in his prescepticism. The experiment sence." This passage very ac is vain: It was made by the infi-curately describes what took nite wisdom of God, under the place through the preaching of most fit circumstances, on the the gospel, in the first age.Jews and Greeks; whereby evi- All the systems of the proud dence was completed, of the ne-heathen philosophers, which cessity of Christ's coming into were received by the wise and the world to save men from mighty of their respective coun death. To this point, Paul, the tries fell before the preaching apostle, referred in the two first of the apostles. Although the chapters of his first epistle to the learned heathen, by way of dechurch at Corinth. rision, called the gospel the foolishness of preaching, it bro't their idolatries to nought, and prevailed on the body of the people to embrace a new scheme of faith and practice. Many of the Christians, as was the case with all the primary apostles, were ignorant of human science, and destitute of worldly power to call public attention. In all these respects, compared with their opposers, they were things which were not yet, being honest men, and filled with the Spirit of their divine Lord, they preached the pure gospel, which became the power of God and the wisdom of God to so many as believed.

By the wise, the prudent, the scribe, the disputer of this world, he meant those, who had been vainly attempting to render themselves good,reconcile them selves to God, and remove the terrors of natural conscience, by such superstitious works and rites, as their own corrupt reason imagined to be proper-Numberless were the superstitious doctrines, vain ceremonies, and works of penance imposed by their teachers; yet, none of them had given just ideas of the godhead and his will; none of them described a pure morality of heart and life; none of them described the true motives to obedience; neither did they remove the terrors of conscience, or work a reformation in the hearts and lives of men.

The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ was the means by which God confounded the wisdom of the world: "For God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world,

Having described the state of the people to whom the Gospel was first preached, and the insufficiency of reason to teach the nature of holiness, we ought not to quit so important a subject, without mentioning the means, by which the gospel was instrumental of instructing many people doctrinally, and bringing them to obedience.

That knowledge of God, which is necessary for true ideas of moral virtue, is given by the

virtue. They learn the nature of truth, justice and goodness, from what these are in the Lord himself, as manifested by all his works; especially, in the great work of redeeming sinners, through the merits of his Son. Where, else, can we find such illustrations of justice, tempered with the glorious exercise of every other moral attribute, as we do in the invitations and promises to men in the gospel? Where is there so solemn a view of justice, and the necessity it should be eternally executed, as

Gospel: The infinite Jehovah is incomprehensible by the most holy of his creatures. So long as the heart is depraved, without a renewal by the spirit; reason, being under the influence of this depravity, will never attain to just conceptions of his putity. Although there be sufficient natural evidence of the being and moral character of God, it is never improved by sinful minds. Hence, all mankind who are destitute of the Christian revelation, have been continually becoming more ignorant. When they set them-in beholding the Son of God, selves by their own reason, to explore his character and will, neglecting the evidence in nature and providence, which is collected with difficulty, they formed a character agreeable to their own vicious inclinations. The gods of the heathen, according to the descriptions of those who worshipped them, were more vicious than themselves, in the same proportion, as they possessed greater power. The learned philosophers, in the first instance, were beguiled, by the sin of their own hearts, into impious conceptions of God; and thus, disqualified for any just ideas of moral virtue.

when he died a victim in the place of sinners? Or, where else. such disinterested and infinite goodness as in the Father's gift of the Son, and the Son's gift of himself and his life, to be a propitiation for sinners? There fore, the character of God, in the gospel, is the first means to instruct mankind in the na ture of moral virtue.

One point of moral virtue, a love of our enemies, is no where else to be learned. From the love of God to his enemies, all our blessings and all our pros pects of future glory have arisen. Where, but from the Christian scriptures, could a sinful world have learned the obligation, to love and wish well to enemies? This being unknown, ev. ery other scheme of morals, be

Thus, heathen ignorance began in the sinfulness of the human heart; thus it hath been every where upheld, and it can be removed only by the shining founded in selfishness, would ing of the gospel. In the gos- be a scheme of vice; as was acpel, men are recalled to a know- tually the case with the heathen. ledge of the true God; of his in- They could not learn it from finite perfections, of his truth, example, for this hath not been justice, goodness and mercy, the common practice of manwhich are essential to his char- kind. They could not learn it acter. This knowledge of God is from their own hearts, for these the chief guide to his creatures being depraved, were filled with in their understanding of moral opposite affections. The hea VOL. I. NO. 2. I

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without coming any nearer to the desired relief.

A purchase of the holy Spir it and of his sanctifying operations on the heart, was the only possible method of raising creatures, who were dead in trespasses and sins, to a living obedience and comfortable hope of divine favour. By these means, the gospel became instrumental of overcoming powers, princi

then moralists and philosophers, instructing men from their own hearts, neither felt nor inculcated a love of our enemies, nor a love of our neighbour as ourselves. The holiness of God, the nature and principles of his moral government, his universal providence, while acting as a moral judge, his grace to his enemies, and the Saviour's own example, are the means of giving to mankind a correct know-palities and spiritual wickedness ledge of moral virtue. It was by these means the heathen world was enlightened, and the wisdom of its ignorant teachers confounded.

in high places, and recovering men to the knowledge and service of God: Thus, it was the power of God and the wisdom of God unto those who believed, to save them from the guilt of sin: Thus, it overthrew the heathen idolatry, and resolved many important questions con

those who had made the greatest progress in natural science, had been disputing, and overspreading the world in deeper ignorance, concerning both their duty and the way in which an offended God may forgive sin

Whatever the practice of men may be, it cannot be deni

The gospel contains effectual means for changing the hearts of men. Instruction, when alone, will never make men virtuous. There must be the pow-cerning moral virtue, on which, er of divine grace to change them from a sinful to a holy disposition, and produce actual obedience to the law of God. The purchase and gift of the spirit are the means of turning men from sin to a holy life. It was not consistent, with either the wis-ners. dom or holiness of God, without an atonement, to grant those aids from himself, by which theed, that a scheme of moral vir heart is sanctified. Through the tue, far more rational than death of Christ, God might, was ever professed in former honourably for himself, declare ages, is now known to them.his mercy, make the promises Whence did this knowledge of forgiveness, appoint the means come? How hath the human for instruction, and give his ho- understanding been rectified? ly Spirit. All the knowledge of Surely, not from the increase of the heathen could not devise the natural science; but from the way; nor all their works, how- holy religion of Jesus Christ, ever abundant, make such an from his doctrines and example, expiation for sins, as quieted the from the sacred scriptures, those conscience, or gave any reason neglected books, which the vain to suppose God would assist us. and wicked treat as contemptible, To attain a knowledge of these compared with their own weak points, they were perpetually reason and sinful appetites.running into new absurdities, We ought to esteem it the great

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