few things of substantial importance in the christian dispensation, which may not be said to be included in it. It declares

I. The wonderful grace of God in the Gospel, and the universality of it;

II.

The excellent purpose for which it is given; The coming of Christ to judgment; The end for which he died; and, V. The character of his peculiar people.

III.

IV.

I shall attempt a brief discussion of these five particulars:

1. This weighty passage declares the wonderful grace of God in the Gospel, and the universality of it. "The grace of God, which bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men." We perceive, that the grace of God is the original cause of salvation; there was none to move him to his purpose of mercy; he was self moved. He so loved the world, as to provide for its salvation. The motive, the scheme, the whole was of God; the party offended was the first to seek reconciliation. How benign and paternal appears his character. Has it not been without due respect to the text, and similar passages, which are innumerable, that God has been represented as wrathful and vengeful towards sinners, till pacified by the more merciful son? It is quite observable, that in all the passages of scripture, where reconciliation is mentioned, the reconciling of men to God is uniformly intended, and not of God to men. Men are the estranged, and alienated party; God is kindly disposed, desires not the death of sin

ners; but their salvation and happiness.-" You," saith the apostle," that were sometime alienated, and enemies by wicked works, now hath he reconciled;" and again" all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing to them their trespasses; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you, by us; we pray you, in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." Such is the affecting language of the New Testament. It is God, who desires our reconciliation to himself. He has sent his own Son to accomplish this blessed end; and he again employs ministers as his ambassadors, and all to reconcile us to God. We find, among men, that the offending party is the most difficult to be reconciled, and that it is usually harder for the injurious to accept of forgiveness, than for the injured to grant it. And is it not so with our gracious and offended Heavenly Father? Such is "the grace of God which bringeth salvation."

This grace hath appeared unto all men.-The Greek verb here used signifies, to shine forth as the sun. The grace of God in the gospel, "hath shone forth like the sun, and giveth light to all." Hence Christ, the author of the gospel, is called "the day spring from on high," the sun of righteousness," "the light of the world." The blessings of the gospel were not intended for one nation alone, as the Jews hoped, nor for a

few selected and favored persons, of different nations, while others were passed by. No, this grace of God hath shone forth unto all men, as universal as the beams of the natural sun, as impartial as the rain of heaven, as free as the blessing of water, "for whosoever will may take the water of life freely." I come now to observe,

2. For what excellent purpose this grace was given.

There are many, who are much inclined to put a period at the end of the first verse of the text, where the apostle intended only a comma. They would consider the sense complete in that verse; but the apostle considers what follows as necessary to complete the meaning. They conclude, that, because the grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath shined forth unto all mén, all men must be saved. This is pleasing doctrine to men, determined to continue in sin. But it is doctrine, supported only by fragments of scripture wrested from their connexion. We learn, by the following words of the apostle, that the excellent design of the grace of God is to form the sinner into a holy character, as previously necessary to his enjoyment of salvation. "For the grace of God teacheth us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.”What God hath joined together, never let man put asunder. It is the grace of God, which bringeth salvation to men, yet it is by means of subduing their corruptions, and making them holy; it is by rescuing them

from their sins, not saving them in them. And the apostle does not speak in general terms; he mentions particularly that ungodliness must be denied or renounced. By "ungodliness," we may understand the denial of the existence of God, or of his perfections, or of his government of the world, or of his righteous retribution in the world to come. This degree of ungodliness savours of atheism, and is impiety of the highest order. But there is ungodliness also in neglecting to worship God; in disregarding the manifestation of his will in divine revelation; in profaning his name, and in speaking irreverently of his providence. These all are sins peculiarly against God, having direct respect to his person. They must be wholly renounced, before there can be the least hope of the salvation, which the grace of God bringeth.

Wordly lusts, also, must be denied. Under these terms are comprehended intemperance, anger, malice, revenge, which are so shockingly common in the world. They imply, also, the immoderate love of those three great idols of the world, riches, power, and fame, to which such multitudes are daily bowing down, in a manner, which makes it very manifest, that there is nothing which they regard in an equal degree. These, too, must be renounced, as productive of misery, and tending to ruin, and as inconsistent with the enjoyment of that salvation, which the grace of God bringeth.

The apostle proceeds to mention, more particularly, that this grace of God teaches us to live soberly. By

sobriety, we understand the habit of self-government; the uniform restraint of the appetites, within such limits as reason and the Gospel prescribe; as also the passions and affections, carefully avoiding all sinful irregularities and excess. The grace of God also teaches -to live righteously. By righteousness, we understand the habit of conducting equitably in all our relations to men; that we abstain from injuries to them, in their persons, reputation, and fortunes; that we fulfil the various duties we owe to them, in all our relations and stations in society; sacredly performing our covenants and promises, in secular and spiritual concerns, and doing, in one word, unto all men, whatsoever we could reasonably desire, in exchange of circumstances, that they should do unto us. The Hebrews considered charity a branch of righteousness;-for saith the psalmist," He hath dispersed; he hath given to the poor, his righteousness endureth for ever.'

There is a third branch of christian duty, which the apostle proceeds to mention, as taught by the grace of God, which bringeth salvation.-We must live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present world. Godliness, or piety, is the duty, which we owe to God; and "consists in that high veneration, and those just conceptions, which we should entertain of the Supreme Being, and these expressed by prayer and thanksgiving; by loving and fearing him; by putting our trust in him, and submitting ourselves to his blessed will, in all events." Now when we seriously consider the docrine which the grace of God teaches; the excellency