by faith; by believing in Christ, and by receiving this grace as it is offered. We can take no credit to ourselves in the matter, we deserve no praise, we have no more merit than a drowning man, who catches at a plank to save himself, rather than sink into a stormy sea; such is precisely our condition; "the great water floods" of sin have gone over our souls, and we catch at the only hope of salvation, the cross of Jesus Christ; respecting ourselves, we can have no thoughts, no feelings, but a most humble sense of our state, so helpless and sinful that, left to ourselves, we must have ended in misery as we had lived in darkness, together with continual shame and sorrow for so frequently repaying the great loving-kindness of God by neglect and transgression. For the rest, the continual song of our redeemed souls should be, "worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing!"

Think not, however, that because in the work of your salvation no merit belongs to

yourselves, you have nothing to do but to say, I accept the grace of God. All the world would accept it and be saved accordingly, if nothing were necessary but to be willing to receive forgiveness for Christ's sake; but all the world will not be saved, nor any thing like it. The question is not whether you will be saved by a grace of your own framing and invention, but whether you will accept that grace which it pleases God to offer.

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That is a grace which teaches us that

denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world." If you do not make up your mind by God's help to do all this, you refuse "the grace that bringeth salvation;" it" hath appeared unto you as unto all men," but you will have none of it! you like ungodliness and worldly lusts better; or at all events, if you cannot have it without living soberly, righteously, and godly, you will not take the trouble to seek it.

And can we expect to be saved if we refuse this grace-if we do not accept it

even as it is offered ?—impossible! God, who could see nothing in us but sin, might have left us to perish in our helplessness; but it has pleased him to save us in this manner. Thus, then, we must seek salvation, or lose it altogether. The same view is taken, the same truth is taught throughout the New Testament. Why was our Lord called Jesus? Because he should "save his people from their sins; " not from the guilt merely and the punishment of sin, but from sin itself, by changing our unholiness, darkness, hardness of heart, and carnal-mindedness, into "love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance."

Why did Jesus give himself for us? "That he might redeem from all iniquity, and purify to himself, a peculiar people zealous of good works."

In fact, if we would be made happy by Christ, we must be made holy; for heavenly happiness is only for Christ's

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people" and true followers. Now, my brethren in the gospel, "the grace of God which bringeth salvation, hath appeared

unto all men." In the name of my master, Jesus Christ, I offer it to you, to all and each of you. Will you take it as it is given, and be blessed for all eternity; or will you live as if there were no gospel but one of your own fancy; no law, but your own inclinations? If you will make the better choice, make it instantly. The spirit of God which is leading you to-day to accept his grace, may be taken from you to-morrow, if you resist its motions: pray heartily and without ceasing for larger, fuller measures of the Spirit, that you may be enabled to live "soberly, righteously, and godly in this world ;" and, giving up all idea of your own merit, humbly wait for that salvation which is the gift of God, through Christ Jesus our Lord.

SERMON XII.

GOD'S GIFT TO THE GENTILES.

ACTS, xi. 18.

When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

THE gospel of life had been confined hitherto to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; but, warned of God in a dream that the distinction of Jew and Gentile was to remain no longer, St. Peter opened its treasures to Cornelius, a devout Roman soldier, who feared God, and had been directed by an angel to seek instruction at the hands of that apostle. While Peter was yet preaching the word to him and to his house