[In the Gospel the Lord Jesus Christ reveals himself to his people as a complete Saviour, who not only obtains a par- don for them, but has provided also a righteousness, wherein they may stand before God without spot or blemish. To him therefore they look in this view: and on him they rely, as " The Lord their righteousness." " In this righteousness they are exalted : " they are exalted in their own eyes, being no longer condemned sinners, but saints accepted and justified from all their sins. They are exalted in the eyes of God also ; for he now "beholds no iniquity in them:" he views them as one with his dear Son, partakers of his nature, and joint-heirs of his glory. They are exalted also in the eyes of all the angelic hosts, who now delight to minister unto them, and will ere long give them the precedence in heaven, and take their station behind them before the throne of Godd."
Say now, are not these happy? Yes: and David not only asserts it, but appeals to God himself for the truth of his assertion : " They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance."]
Address —
1. Those who have no knowledge of this joyful
sound —
[How many amongst us are altogether ignorant of the Gospel itself! and, of those who hear it and profess to receive it, how many have no taste for that joy which it is intended to
impart! Will you then call yourselves the people of
God; or imagine that salvation belongs to you? Know, that " all are not Israel, who are of Israel ;" nor are all Christians who bear that name. Whilst you are ignorant of the joyful sound, you can have no part or lot in those blessings which the Gospel is intended to convey.]
2. Those who know the Gospel, but find no blessedness in it —
[There are, I must acknowledge, many of this description. But whence does this arise ? Is it owing to any insufficiency in the Gospel to make them happy ? No : it proceeds in some cases from a disordered constitution : in others, from imperfect views of the Gospel : and in others, from not walking stead- fastly and consistently before God. But from whatever source it arise, I would say, Remember what an injury you do to the Gospel itself, and to the souls of men : the world around you will impute your gloom to religion, and take occasion from it to condemn the Gospel itself as a source of melancholy to all who embrace it. O ! brethren, do not so dishonour the Lord Jesus Christ : but view the Gospel in all its freeness and all its
d Rev. vii. 11.