The burning up of the proud and of all that do wick- Malachi, iv. 1." For, behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch." The story of Joseph, an illustration of Christ's king- Deuteronomy, xxxiii, 16, 17.-"Let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was sepa- rated from his brethren. His glory is like the firstling of his bul- lock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth; and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Matthew, xii. 31, 32." Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphe- my against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be for- given him but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to Romans, xi. 7.-What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were God reconciling the world unto himself through 2d. Corinthians, v. 18, 19, 20.-And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, rec- onciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to Psalm, cxxvi. 6." He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed shall, doubtless, come again with rejoicing, bringing Entering into life maimed; and being cast into hell. Mark, ix. 43, 44.-" And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off; it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched;-Where All men the children of God. Destruction of the Hebrews, ii. 14, 15.-" Forasmuch then as the children are par- takers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;-And deliver them who, through fear Revelation, xxi. 8." But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death." Salvation, a deliverance from error and sin, through 2 Timothy, i. 9, 10.-" Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began:-But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought LECTURE XX. Divine goodness in the destruction of the Sodomites and other sinners. Ezekiel, xvi. last of 50.-"Therefore I took them away as I saw good." LECTURE XXI. Vexation of false religion. 276 Isaiah, xxviii. last of 19." And it shall be a vexation only to understand the report." LECTURE XXII. 291 God's unchangeable love to sinners the cause of Christ's mission. Romans, v. 8.-" But God commendeth his love toward as, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." LECTURE XXIII, The resurrection a state of holiness and bliss. 306 1. Thessalonians, iv. 13.-" But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.' LECTURE XXIV. 320 "The resurrection of life;" and "the resurrection of damnation. John, v. 28, 29.-" Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." : 334 LECTURE XXV. All God's judgments issue in love. Zephaniah, iii. part 17.-"He will rest in his love." LECTURE XXVI. The healing efficacy of Christ's doctrine. 348 Mark, v. 31. "Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, who touched me?" 362 LECTURE I. THE OBJECTS OF SALVATION; AND ITS NATURE. 1. TIMOTHY, i. 15. "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am Chief." THE subject on which the Apostle was speaking, and which led him to make the important declaration contained in our text, is worthy of special notice. Under a deep sense of the goodness of God, the grace which he had received in the Lord Jesus, the distinguished and important station in which he was placed by the great Captain of our salvation, it was impossible for him not to take a most humiliating retrospective view of his past life in the Jews' religion, while an enemy to Jesus, a blasphemer, and a persecuter of the church. All these weighty considerations having their natural operations on his mind, seemed to present, in full view, before his mental vision, the great and glorious errand on which the Lord Jesus was sent into our world. If it could have been so, that the Apostle, while engaged in the ministry of Jesus, could have retained his former confidence in his own righteousness, and had been of opinion, that he was a favorite of heaven, that he was enlightened into the knowledge of the gospel, and even put into the ministry because his former conduct had merited these favors, it is evident that such views could never have led him to make the statement found in our text. Confirmed in such a persuasion, he would have preached a Saviour for the righteous, yea, for the righteous only. He would have despised the least intimation of the salvation of sinners. He would, no doubt, have looked on such intimation, as an heresy of a most dangerous tendency. But the case with the great Apostle of the Gentiles was very different. He had been led to see that not as a righteous man, but as the chief of sinners he had been visited with the abundance of that grace by which he was so highly distinguished. He therefore looked on himself as sufficient proof of the testimony which he bore. Such as the following were, no doubt, the reflections of his mind; I know for certainty, that I was a most deadly enemy of this lovely Jesus whom I now delight to serve; I know, that in my opposition to this religion, I was exceedingly mad, and I caused many of the harmless, inoffensive disciples of Christ, both men and women, to feel the weight of my displeasure. Such was my blind zeal, such the enmity that rankled in my heart against him and his doctrine, who was a friend to sinners, that "I thought I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus ;" and I persecuted the saints unto the death." But, O wonderful to behold! I am now a most joyful subject of that grace to which I was such an enemy. From such reflections might very justly be drawn this conclusion; "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." This testimony, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners is sufficiently corroborated by other scriptures. When those, in the days of Jesus, who though, they were righteous and despised others, found fault with the Saviour, because he was a friend to sinners, he plainly told them, that he "came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance;" he furthermore represented the same divine truth in that remarkably instructive saying; "The whole need not a physician, but they that are sick." Moreover, he enlarged on this subject in several beautiful parables, the design of which was to represent the repentance of sinners. The blessed Redeemer testified that "God sent not his son into the world, to condemn the world, |