full of power. In our text he has pledged himself to secure you; and as he cannot deny himself, his faithfulness will be your shield and your buckler. Have you acted treacherously towards your Lord? Have you grieved him by backsliding from him? And has he, in righteous indignation, withdrawn from you the light of his countenance? Humble yourselves under his mighty hand, but do not mistake the meaning of his providence. He chastens, because he loves you. He says, with inexpressible tenderness, Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Answer his call, Behold! we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God. (Jer. iii. 22.) Whilst the tear of ingenuous shame starts in your eye, fix it on his everlasting righteousness-let your trembling hand again lay hold of his covenant-bow at his footstool-plead his promise-you shall not be disappointed, for it is a truth more stable than the heavens, that them who come to him he will in no wist cast out. SERMON XI. THE GOSPEL NO CAUSE OF SHAME. ROMANS I. 16. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. ZEAL for the glory of his Divine Master was the most prominent feature in the character of the apostle Paul. Hurried away by the blind impulses of ignorant superstition and inveterate malice, he had formerly persecuted with unrelenting fury all who named the name of Jesus. The account which he gives of himself exhibits the most hideous picture of frantic impiety. I verily thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing 1 also did in Jerusalem; and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. (Acts xxvi. 9, 11.) Under these circumstances, who would have thought, according to human judgment, that the conversion of Paul was a probable, not to say a possible, event? Assuredly, had he been governed by worldly motives, we never should have heard of him as a Christian, far less would his name have shone with such splendor on the list of apostles. But what obstacles can arrest the power of Christ, or prevent him from bringing to himself in the moment of love the chosen vessels of mercy. No sooner does divine grace take possession of the soul than the heart of stone melts-the fury of persecution subsides-the murdering sword is cast away-the first breath of penitence cries, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?-Saul the persecutor becomes Paul the apostle. With an ardor proportioned to his former enmity," he now preaches the faith which once he destroyed"-he plants the standard of the Messiah in that very city which witnessed his rebellion, and was the scene of his |
