Rom. vi. 1 — 4. What shall we say then ? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound ? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein ? Know ye not, that so many of us as ivere baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death ? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ ivas raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
WE are told that " the Gospel was to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness ;" whilst to all who had an experience of it in their souls, it was both " the power of God, and the wisdom of Goda." The grounds on which the Jews and Greeks so greatly inveighed against it were various : its ap- parent contrariety to the revelation given by Moses rendered it offensive to the one ; and its proposing to us a Saviour, who appeared unable to save himself, rendered it contemptible to the other. But there was one ground, of offence which exposed it equally to the reprobation of all ; and that was, the un- favourable aspect which it had in relation to holiness. Men of every religion were ready to cry out against it in this view : and therefore the Apostle, having stated the plan of the Gospel salvation with all pos- sible clearness, takes up this objection, and gives an answer to it ; — such an answer, indeed, as neither Jews nor Gentiles could have anticipated ; but such as must approve itself to all whom God enables to comprehend it.
From the words of my text, I will take occasion to shew,
I. The supposed tendency of the Gospel to encourage sin —
The Gospel certainly, when stated as St. Paul stated it, has, to a superficial observer, this aspect —
a 1 Cor. i. 2.3, 24.