1 Tim. i. 11. The glorious Gospel of the blessed God.
THE words which I have just read, being only an incomplete member of a sentence, without any de- finite sense, must be considered only as a motto to what I shall have occasion to advance, and not as a foundation whereon any statement is to be established. The Apostle is exhorting Timothy to check those false teachers, who, under a professed zeal for the Law, in reality undermined the Gospel : some, by insisting only on frivolous questions respect- ing the law ; and others, by making it the ground of a sinner's hope before God. All of these desired to be teachers of the law, whilst " they understood not what they said, nor whereof they affirmed." The law, properly explained, was good, even as the Gospel itself: they were in perfect harmony with each other : for the Gospel condemned sin as much as the law itself could do, and inculcated holiness as strongly ; and, in this view, it deserved that honour- able appellation here given it, " The glorious Gospel of the blessed God." In fact, the Law and the Gospel were one great whole ; and, when viewed aright, con- tributed equally, though in different ways, to advance the honour of God and the welfare of mankind.
The law, with its proper and legitimate uses, I have, on a former occasion, considered. The Gospel is that to which I would wish to draw your attention throughout the present course : and, for the purpose of introducing it to your view, I have selected the very striking expression by which it is here characterized.
The Gospel is called, by the Apostle, " the Gospel of the grace of Godb ;" because it reveals God's pur- poses of love and mercy towards sinful man. He calls it also "the Gospel of salvation0 ;" because,
a The reader is recommended to read the Sermons on Gal. iii. 19. in connexion with, and immediately before, these. The two together contain one continuous exhibition of the Law and Gospel.
b Acts xx. 24. c Eph. i. 13.