[There doubtless are here many moral, and, in a qualified sense, religious persons, who think by their own repentance and good works to save themselves. But, beloved, the very best of you are sinners, and stand in need of mercy at the hands of God ; as well as of a new nature, which God alone can create within you. " Your Father Abraham had this Gospel preached to himf:" Moses also preached it, both in
the ceremonial and moral lawg And if the Apostle
Paul, who was, " touching the righteousness of the law, blameless," was constrained to " renounce all hope in his own righteousness, that he might be clothed in the righteousness of Christh," so must you do: for by the works of the law shall
no flesh be justified "To you, then, is the word of
this salvation sent;" and if you accept it as God's word to you, it shall prove " the power of God to the salvation of your souls."]
2. Those who, through their alienation from God and his law, may be supposed to be beyond the reach of salvation —
[Dear brethren, there is no limit, either to the mercy of God, or to the efficacy of his Gospel. " The blood of Jesus Christ, sprinkled on the soul, cleanseth from all sin :" " nor shall any one who comes to God in his name ever be cast out"
Remember, then, that to you, even to every one of
you, however far you may have gone from God, is " the word of salvation now sent :" nor is there one of you that shall ever perish, if only you truly and cordially embrace it.]
Behold now the effect of proclaiming this word, in the case of the Apostle Paul :
1. Some desired to hear more of it —
[They desired that " the same words might be preached to them again the next Sabbath," and on the intervening days before it*. Let it have the same effect upon you, my brethren; and suffer no means of instruction henceforth to pass away unimproved ]
2. Others, on the other hand, " contradicted and blasphemed" the wordk —
[So you must expect to find it at this day. But be not stumbled at it. If, when delivered by the Apostle Paul, and by our blessed Saviour himself, the Gospel was in many cases rejected, wonder not if it be so when delivered by us. But shall the unbelief of some make the faith of God of none
f Gal. iii. 8. « Heb. x. 1. Rom. x. 4. Gal. iii. 24.
h Phil. iii. 9. ; See ver. 42. The Greek. k ver. 45.
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