It may contribute to make our subject still plainer, if we enquire for the possible means whereby the divine Creator could be reconciled to mankind, if he were once our enemy. Will it be said, that what his Holy Child Jesus has done in our world was designed by his Father to reconcile him to the world? Truly, this has been believed, but it is in direct opposition to the testimony of Jesus, who said; "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." lf God sent his Son into the world because he loved it, he certainly did not send him into the world to reconcile himself to those whom he loved. It is a thing at which reason marvels, that learned men should ever have been so absurd as to suppose, that God could use means to reconcile himself to his creatures, and that the sufferings of Jesus were designed for this purpose; for if God loved us he was not unreconciled to us; and if he did not love us, but was an enemy to us, he would have done nothing for our good.

Contrary to these notions of reconciling God to men, the ministry of the gospel is designed to reconcile men to God, by which ministry the trespasses of men are not imputed to them, but are forgiven.

Let us in the next place, notice the efficacies of the gospel ministry to effect the reconciliation designed by it. To understand this subject, it is necessary to know the cause of man's unreconciliation This is his ignorance of the true character of God. This we learn from St. Paul's words, Ephesians, iv. 18. Speaking of the vanity of the Gentiles and their alienations he says; "Having the understanding darkened, being alienated

from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart." Because this was the situation of the Gentiles, Jesus told the Apostle that he sent him to them, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light. If there were any property of the divine Being, that is inimical to us, the more our eyes were opened to see its nature the more unreconciled we should be to it. But as God is infinitely gracious, unchangeably merciful, and altogether lovely the more our eyes are opened to see and understand the blessed qualities of his nature, the more we are reconciled to him, and the better we love him. Again, if our nature were totally opposite to the nature of God and holiness, the more we discovered of the nature of God, the more we should be opposed to it.

The fact is, God is the real source of all moral, intellectual nature, and a knowledge of him is the only mean by which we can be reconciled to him, and the want of this knowledge is the real cause of our unreconciliation.

In consistency with these well established facts, the gospel ministry brings the testimony and evi dence of the love of God and of his divine goodness to sinners. The following is the testimony; "When we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son: much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins,' hath quickened us together with Christ.Here

in is love, not that we loved God; but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for sins."

By such testimony it is seen, that the ministra tion of reconciliation brings, in the most direct manner, the love of God to the understanding of the sinner, by which repentance is wrought in the heart and the soul brought to love God; for it is the goodness of God that leadeth to repentance, and again, we are told, that " we love him because he first loved us."

It is contended by many that it is dangerous to inform sinners that God is really kind and merciful to them. It is thought that this information, if it be true, will tend to make them worse. Why then do the scriptures abound with such testimony? And again, why did not the manifestation of the love and compassion of Jesus to Saul make him worse? Jesus said to him; "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ?" Why did not this enemy of Christ reply; I persecute you because you love me, I hate your name because in it alone I am sensible I have salvation; and now as your compassions fail not, and you are determined to make me a minister of divine mercy, I am determined to hate you more and persecute you tenfold to what I have heretofore? If there were no danger in making such a glorious display of the goodness of God to this so great an enemy of the gospel, how should it happen that similar manifestations to sinners now should be so very dangerous as is represented by those who are the ministers of wrath and condemnation ?

It may be useful in this place to notice some of the similes used in scripture to represent the ministration of reconciliation. By the prophet Isaiah Christ is called a LIGHT to lighten the Gentiles, and Jesus said; "I am the light of the world," and having communicated his light to his

disciples, he told them, that they were the light of the world. Now according to the objection which we have noticed, it is dangerous to give light to them who are in darkness, for it may make them worse. Jesus said; "I am the bread of life." This is the bread which came down from heaven and giveth life to the world; but it is dangerous to give this bread to sinners, it is thought it may make them worse. Jesus represented the sinner by those who are sick, and himself as a physician. Will it do to say, it is dangerous to heal the sick because it may make them worse?. No, these things are not so. Those who have been delivered from the power of darkness by the true light, have been thereby delivered from the power of satan and translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son. Those who have eaten of the bread of God have found it to be spiritual life, and those who have received the healing balsam of the divine Physician have felt the power of sin to die within them, and have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.

4

As it may be due to the situation of some minds, we may notice a question which is so often stated, viz: if the sinner may inmediately receive divine favour, when and where is he to be punished for his sins? This question is made of great concern by those who believe that the gospel is a ministration of condemnation. But there is one thing we cannot but observe in those who urge this question; they never ask when they, themselves, are to be punished for their sins. They appear to have no concern about this weighty question as it regards themselves; their whole concern is about sinners. And this concern is not for fear they will be punished, but for fear they will not be.

Let us return the question to those who bring it, and ask them, when and where are you to receive the punishment for your sins? You contend, that

the wicked must be punished, you are zealous to have the wicked punished; as Nathan said to David," thou art the man."

Turn, Pharisee, thine eyes within,

Nor further search abroad for sin.

When and where was murderous David, king of Israel, punished for his sins? When and where was the author of our text, "the minister and witness" of Jesus, punished, for the murders which he had practised on the innocent lambs of Christ? We answer the question and say, sin and misery are inseparably united in the nature of cause and effect. When and where we are sinful, then and there we are our own tormentors. "The way of the transgressor is hard-there is no peace to the wicked."

Look at the nature of this subject. Jesus appeared to Saul, to make him a minister and a witness, to open the eyes of the Gentiles. But when were these Gentiles punished for being blind? The Apostle was to turn the Gentiles "from darkness to light." But when were they punished for being in the dark? He was to deliver them from the power of satan. But when were they punished for having been under satan's power? My brethren, satan's yoke is a hard service, his government is tyrannical, and his power is oppressive.

The reason why our heavenly Father has sent the ministration of his grace to reconcile sinners to himself, is, that they may receive inheritance among them who are sanctified. If satan's yoke were easy and if his burden were light, if sin and happiness were connected, why should the Almighty wish to deprive his creatures of this felicity? And if sin and all manner of vice afford happiness to man in this world, why will they not be permitted to continue hereafter, and there continue the