conscience within, and spell from the covenant without, now broken by him, nothing but his certain doom and damnation. So that the first gospel sermon preached by God himself to Adam anticipated all thoughts of such a thing intended by him. O, who can conceive, but one that hath really felt the teiTors of an approaching hell in his despairing soul, how joyous the tidings of gospel mercy is to a poor soul, dwelling amidst the black thoughts of despair, and bordering on the very marches of the region of utter darkness! History tells us of a nobleman of our nation in King Henry the Eighth's reign, to whom a pardon was sent a few hoiu"s before he should have been beheaded, which, being not at all expected by him, so transported him that he died for joy. And if the vessel of our nature be so weakly hooped, that the wine of such an inferior joy breaks it, how then could it possibly be able to bear the full joy of the gospel tidings, which doth as far exceed this, as the mercy of God doth the mercy of mortal man, and as the deliverance from an eternal death in hell doth a deliverance from a temporary death, which is gone before the pain can well be felt ?
Fifthly, and lastly. The glad tidings of the gospel are certainly true. It is no flying report, cried up to-day, and like to be crossed to-morrow ; not news that is in every one's mouth, but none can tell whence it came, and who is the author of it ; we have it from a good hand, God himself, ' to whom it is impossible to lie,' he from heaven vovicheth it. ' This is my beloved Son, hear him,' Luke ix. What were all those miracles which Christ wrought, but i-atifi cations of the truth of the gospel ? Those wretches that denied the truth of Christ's doctrine were forced many times to acknowledge the divinity of his miracles ; which is a pretty piece of nonsense, and declares the absurdity of their unbelief to all the world. The mii-acles were to the gospel, as seals to a writing. They could not deny God to be in the miracles, and yet they could not see him in the doctrine ; as if God would set his seal to an untruth. Here, Christians, is that which fills up the joy of this good news the gospel brings ; that we may lay our lives upon the truth of it, it will never deceive any that lay the weight of their confidence on it. ' This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners,' 1 Tim. i. 15. This bridge which the gospel lays over the gulf of God's wrath for poor sinners to pass from their sins into the favour of God here, and kingdom of God hereafter, is supported with no other arches than the wisdom, power, mercy, and faithfulness of God ; so that the believing soiil need not fear, till it sees these bow or break. It is called the 'everlasting gospel,' Rev. xiv. 16. When heaven and earth go to wreck, not the least iota or tittle of any promise of the gospel shall be buried in their ruins. ' The word of the Lord endm-eth for ever, and this is the word which by the gospel is preached to you,' 1 Pet. i. 25.
Use 1. Pity them that never heard a word of this good news. Such there are in the world, whole nations, with whom the day is not yet broke, but a dismal night of ignorance and barbarism continues to be stretched over them ; whose folorn souls are under a continual massacre from the bloody butcher of hell. An easy conquest, God knows, that foul fiend makes of them, who lays his murderous knife to their throats, and meets with no I'esistance; because he finds them fast asleep in ignorance, utterly destitute of that light which can alone dis- cover a way to escape the hands of this destroyer. What heart, that ever tasted the sweetness of gospel grace, trembles not at their deplorable state? yea, doth not stand astonished at the difference of God's dispensations to them and us ? * Lord, why wilt thou manifest thyself to us, and not to the world ! ' God pardon the unmercifulness of our hearts, that we can weep no more over them. Truly we do not live so far from the Moors and Indians, but we may, by not pitying of them, praying for them, and earnestly desiring their conversion, besmear oui'- selves with the guilt of their soul's blood, which is shed continually by the destroyer of mankind. O how seldom is their miserable condition the compa- nion of ovu sorrowful thoughts, and their conversion the subject of our prayers and desires ! There have been, alas, in the world, more counsels how to ease them of their gold, than enrich them with the treasure of the gospel : how to get their land, than how to save their souls ! But the time is coming, when winning souls will be found more honourable than conquering nations. Well, Christian, though thou canst not impart to them M'hat God hath laid on thy
THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. g/^.^