has undertaken to " glorify Christ," and to render his word effectual for all the ends and purposes for which it has been proclaimed ; and the miracle wrought by Peter on the man lame from his birth is still realized, in a spiritual way, from day to day: " for the name of Jesus, through faith in his name, does still make many whole ; so that, whereas they were from their very birth both lame and impotent, they now walk and leap for joy in the temple," and in the service of their God. And how great the power is that thus restores them to God may be seen in the comparison by which St. Paul sets it forth, when he prays for the Ephesian Church, and that in terms which no translation can ever ade- quately express, that they " may know what is the exceeding greatness of God's power towards them that believe, according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead." I say, then, that we may here behold the riches of power exerted by this apparently weak instrument in converting men to the faith of Christ ; and that it is at this hour, no less than in the apostolic age, " the power of God unto salvation to all them that believe r."
But, agreeably to the plan proposed, I must go on further, in the Third and last place, to shew the riches of grace which are displayed in the Gospel, as God's gift to sinful man.
St. Paul, you will remember, states, that in the whole work of salvation, as revealed in the Gospel, God especially designed, " that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus5." We seem called upon, therefore, to enter somewhat more fully into this part of our subject ; and the rather, because it falls more within the reach of our comprehension, and seems capable of more easy de- velopement. I think, too, that the impression which this part of our subject is calculated to make will be
r Rom. i. 16. ■ Eph. ii. 7.