from heaven, that ftrikes across his path fome hint, fome thought, fome uncalled reflection, which ftartles him at least with a fecret reproach of his conduct.-We should attend to fuch calls.-Secret and gentle as they may be, though perhaps they are fometimes strong and loud, they are calls of the fame voice, which St. Paul heard, and to the fame purpose, of ferving God's glory and promoting our falvation; and should be answered with St. Paul's fincere fubmiffion- 66 Lord, what wilt thou have me

"to do?"

It was St. Paul's happiness, however great his confufion at the prefence of Chrift, that he found himself in this fituation, when 卡 there was yet, time to put this important queftion. It will be too late for us to put it then, when, under the fame confufion, we shall stand before the fame prefence at the day of judgment.

This confideration, with what we see in the example of St. Paul, fhould excite our attention to the calls of Divine grace. In the former part of St. Paul's conduct we fee the guilt of fetting ourselves with prejudice against the gofpel of Chrift. This we hould diligently avoid.

In the latter part

of St. Paul's conduct we fee his fabmiffion, and the mercy of God in accepting it. This we should as diligently imitate, attended as it is with an encouragement for our complying with every invitation of his grace that may call us to a Chriftian faith, or a better Christian behaviour. For St. Paul obtained mercy, as he himself says, not on his own account alone, but that the compaffion he met with from Chrift should be confidered as an example of what our gracious Redeemer is ready to shew to all, who shall be converted to a faith in him, and obedience to his commands. "For this "cause," he says, "I obtained mercy, that, "in me first, Jesus Christ might shew forth "all long-fuffering, for a pattern to them "which fhould hereafter believe on him to "life everlasting." 1 Tim. i. 16.

May we all follow fo good an example, upon fo good encouragement! — and, having this eminent apoftle's converfion in remembrance, may we fhew forth our thankfulnefs for it in our imitation of it in throwing afide our prejudices against Christ's gofpel, which either vanity or vice may inftil into us, and by a diligent attention to thofe calls and fuggeftions, which Christ

1

daily

daily fets before us for reminding us of our duty, and croffing our path when we are intent on mifchief and difhonour to him ; remembering Chrift's words to St. Paul, upon the occafion" It is hard for thee to kick "against the pricks."— Resistance against fuch calls is our destruction.

SERMON VI..

THE GOSPEL A NECESSARY MEANS OF

SALVATION.

ROM. i. 16.

I am not ashamed of the gospel of Chrift for it is the power of God unto falva

tion.

T. Paul, in confequence of the appoint

ST

ment he had received from Christ, was obliged to preach the gofpel to men of all forts and conditions in the Gentile world. He was on this account, as he calls himfelf, a debtor both to the Greeks and the Barbarians, both to the wife and the unwife. The gospel he preached was fit for all conditions. As it did not, itself, defpife the low and illiterate, fo neither did it deferve to be despised by men of high station and learning. St. Paul therefore did not hide himself

F 4