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SERMON XXXII,

THE PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL.

Roм. x. r8.

-Their found went into all the earth, and their words unto the end of the world.

THE beavens declare the glory of God*. The grandeur of the arch over our heads, the number and luftre of the stars, the beauty of the light, the fplendor of the fun, the regular fucceffion of day and night, and of the seasons of the year, are fuch proofs of infinite wisdom and power, that the fcripture attributes to them a voice, a universal language, intelligible to all mankind, accommodated to every capacity. There is no fpeech nor language where their voice is not

* PL. xix. *.

heard.

heard. The combined effect of the visible works of the great Architect, preffes a declaration upon the ear of reafon-The band that made us is divine. We muft, however, understand it of the ear of right reafon. The loudeft voice is unnoticed by the deaf. Thus it ought to be, and thus it would be, if man were indeed a rational creature, as he proudly boafts himself. That the fact in general is otherwife; that the bulk of mankind are no more affected by the works of God, than the beasts of the field: that the philofophers who profefs to ftudy them, fo faintly dif cern, fo frequently deny, the great first Cause of all, is a proof that fin has darkened and depraved the nobleft powers of the soul, and degraded man into the ftate of an inattentive idiot. However the evidence, if it does not excite his admiration and praife, is abundantly fufficient to convict him of stupidity and ingratitude, and to leave him without excufe *.

This paffage, taken from that fublime ode of David, the nineteenth pfalm, is applied by the apostle to illuftrate the character, and the progress of the still more wonderful dif

* Rom. i. 20.

play

play of the divine perfections, which God has made known by the glorious gofpel. A variety of truths fhine (like ftars in the firmament) in the fyftem of revelation. But principally Jefus the fun of truth and righteoufness, the fource of spiritual light and life, answers to the description there given of the material fun, His going forth is from the end of heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it, and there is nothing hid from his heat *.

But the fulfilment of the promises respecting MESSIAH's kingdom is progreffive. So far as this prophecy has been accomplished, the arm of the Lord has been revealed. It is his doing, and may juftly be marvellous in our eyes. The truth of the prophecy will be proved by its final completion; which, though not likely to take place in our time, we may be affured that it cannot fail, for the Lord hath spoken it. And befides, we have a sufficient pledge and security for the whole, in what he has already done. It was not neceffary for the fulfilling of this prophecy, nor confiftent with the tenor of many other prophecies, that the spread of the gospel should be inftantaneous and uni

* Pf. xix. 6.

verfal on its first publication. MESSIAH is to rule in the midft of his enemies, till the appointed season, when all enemies shall be fubdued under his feet. The gospel, the rod of his power, is fo admirably adapted to the neceffities of mankind, that the obftructions it has met with, must be ascribed to their wickedness and obftinacy. Not that they could refift the will of God. Had he intended to give it univerfal fuccess from the beginning, the event would have been anfwerable. But it was his pleasure to conduct the difpenfation of it, so as on the one hand to display his fovereignty, wisdom and power, and on the other, to afford a full proof of the depravity and alienation of the heart of man. This point is fo much misunderstood and mifreprefented, that though it is attended with great difficulties, efpecially if we give way to vain reasonings upon it, I shall venture in the present discourse to offer a few thoughts towards clearing the fub ject, and vindicating (if the very attempt be not prefumptuous) the ways of God to man.

When the Sun of righteoufnefs, after a long night of darkness, arose upon the world, there appeared a strong probability that the pro

prophecies concerning the extent of his vital influence, from east to west, from pole to pole, would foon be compleatly realized. In a very short space he was known and adored by multitudes, through the greatest part of the Roman empire, and beyond its limits. But, perhaps, for about feventeen hundred years fince that period, the boundaries of his kingdom, though they have been altered, have not been much enlarged. If he has fince in fome measure enlightened the more western parts of the globe, the eastern regions, which one rejoiced in his light, are now overwhelmed with grofs Mahommedan darkness. And if we were capable of inves tigating the ftate of the world at this day, we fhould probably find, that five out of fix of the human race now living, never fo much as heard of the name of Jefus as a Saviour. There is reafon to fear likewife, that in the nations who profeffedly call him Lord, and are not unwilling to be themselves called Christians, a greater proportion than of five out of fix, are no lefs ftrangers to his power and grace, than the Mahomedans who reject him, of the Heathens who never heard of him.

There

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