least to the greatest." Hear how the great prophet himself speaks. "No man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." "I will bring the blind by a way that they know not, I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight." The very description, here given of the remedy, supposes that the disorder is felt and understood in the manner I have described. If men are not obnoxious to the wrath to come, they need not Jesus to deliver them; and if they are not blind they need not Jesus to enlighten them, and to shew them the Glory of God. The reason, why so few are heartily thanking God for his unspeakable gift, is, because so few feel their

want of it.

The same observation may be made on the third office of Christ, as our King, the promise of which runs thus: "I will put my laws into their minds, and write them in their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people." O precious promise! completely answering to the third branch of our natural misery,—the total corruption of nature. Pride, anger, malice, covetousness, lust, unbelief, self-righteousness, are dreadful evils in themselves, setting aside divine wrath. No man can be happy under the power of them. To the enlightened conscience they are perfect misery. Oh! then receive Christ as your King. Do not plead your being so bad and dead-hearted, for that very reason you are to receive him, that he may sanctify you from the World and the Devil. This work is not yours, but his. You engage him to do it for you when you believe in him. O precious

gift! view it altogether. View our lovely Christ, as King, Priest, and Prophet. Receive him in all his offices. THIS is the unspeakable gift of God, even Christ, and through him eternal life. This is the wedding garment of the Gospel. You put it on when you put on Christ in all his offices; for them you are made happy, wise, and holy. It is, however, little of him that is felt or enjoyed HERE in comparison of what will be felt or enjoyed in the next world. Let eternal life be kept in view. Jesus is "the true God, and Eternal Life." Whether you consider the infinite dignity of the gift, "God manifest in the flesh," or the riches of eternity conveyed to us thereby, surely you will say with the Apostle, in our text, the gift is UNSPEAKABLE.

Stop here and ask, "What think ye of Christ?" Do you understand this Salvation? this Grace? these offices of King, Priest, and Prophet? Do you understand how this whole scheme is for the benefit of corrupt, guilty, and ignorant creatures? You will not come out of the covenant of works into the covenant of grace, except you thus discern the Glory of Christ. You will not receive the gift unless you know it as a gift, free for the wretched, without money and without price. But how shall this gift become mine? says the awakened sinner, who feels his need and sees its value. Here is a point of the most interesting nature. Oh! God be with us here! "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Verily, verily," saith our Lord, "he that believeth on me hath everlasting life. As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the Sons of God, even to

them that believe on his name. Whosoever will, let him take of the waters of life freely." Christ is the wedding garment in the Gospel-Christ in all his offices of King, Priest, and Prophet, as hath been explained. He must be put on as a garment for covering and defence: And there is no way of putting him on, but by believing on him. Faith is the soul's consent to receive Christ, to do for us, and to be to us, all that is promised. In brief, faith hears what he promises, and trusts in his word. I need not dwell any longer on the description of faith. The matter is simple and plain to the awakened soul, that feels its own need, and is longing for redemption; and a prolix description will be more likely to cloud than illustrate it.

Let us never forget that the unspeakable Gift of Christ is a GIFT; and as a gift it is to be received. Repentance consists in that very low and humble state of mind, which becomes him who needs to be saved by grace: Therefore repentance always goes hand in hand with true faith. But shall a man wait till he has done something to pacify God, before he trusts in Jesus for Life Eternal? This is to be looking for salvation by the works of the law; and they that do so are under the curse. Nothing then is required of thee, in order to become wise, holy, and comfortable, but, according to this explanation of the true intent and meaning of the Gospel-scheme, to accept the gift and believe. And if thou know thyself, and thy impotent, dead state, thou wilt know that faith in Christ, in the first place, is necessary in order for purifying the heart, for victory over the world and the Devil, for peace of conscience, and

for love. It is a black mark on a nation when faith in Christ is despised, and looked on in a mean light. An Apostle could, with elevated joy, thank God for his unspeakable gift. But it was by faith only that he was put in possession of it. Hear his words at the close of his Sermon at Antioch, and may every heart amongst us give them due attention. "Be it known unto you, Men and Brethren, that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. And by Him, all that believe, are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware, therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the Prophets, Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you." Acts xiii.

And thus the question is answered, how shall I obtain the full benefit of this unspeakable gift for myself? I am blind, how shall I know God aright? I am guilty, how shall I have peace? I am corrupt, how shall I get my nature sanctified? All these wants are promised to be supplied in the unspeakable gift of Christ,-the King, the Priest, and the Prophet, as above explained. Receive this gift by believing on Jesus, or trusting in him for it, and all is thine. But, as simple as this appears, few are brought to it and those, who are, are brought to it with difficulty; for it requires the exertion of Almighty Power to make a man thus willing to be saved. And, that those, who are desirous of priating this gift may be certain that this

appro

way of

believing is the way, the only way, I would, besides

the direct Scripture arguments brought for the use of it, observe two things.

First: It is not possible that there should be any other method of conveying the unspeakable gift, but this of believing; because the way to God is shut up by the covenant of works. Besides our own numberless actual transgressions, and our own incessant in-dwelling corruptions, we come into the world breakers of this covenant, and born in sin. The union between us and Adam has ruined us already. By the offence of one, judgment has come upon all men to condemnation." It is too late to think of remedying our case by any works whatever. Turn you to Christ a new head and a better surety. He is the unspeakable gift of God: you must be " broken off" from Adam, and made one with Christ, that so you may have righteousness and eternal life, by imputation; as you have already condemnation by imputation in Adam. The covenant of works ruins your souls: The covenant of grace offers to save you. It has "come upon all men to justification of life." But how? All will not be saved; only those,-who commit themselves to it,-who make use of it: and, how is this to be done but by believing? If you use not this method you are under the law of the covenant of works, condemned already; and, whatever you do can only swell the account against you at the last day. Thus faith is the only possible way of obtaining this unspeakable gift; and though it is, and must be, wrought by the power of the Holy Spirit, yet to believe is nevertheless a duty, in the performance of which we are as much bound to use all diligence,