sary powers, to settle your concerns in a just and equitable manner? You answer in the affirmative.

Then it seems, that your christian candor must lead you to allow, that ample power is given to Christ Jesus to save the chief of sinners. If God himself, who is acknowledged to be omnipotent, had power sufficient for this gracious work, he surely would not send his Son with too little. "All power in heaven and in earth is therefore committed to the Son." "In him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily," Jesus "made unto us, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption." Are sinners ignorant of God? Jesus came with the true knowledge of the Father, whom to know is life eternal. Are sinners sick with spiritual leprosy? Jesus is that phisician whose very word can heal. Are sinners lost and bewildered in the wilderness of sin? Jesus is "the way, the truth and the life!" Are sinners dead in trespasses and sins, the life giving power of the gospel quickens them together with Christ. Here is a fountain opened for the cleansing of the unclean, here flow medical springs, teaming with health for all who are sick. Here grows the tree of life, whose fruit is for food, and whose leaves are for the healing of the nations. In a word, there is no infirmity in the sinner for which there is not a cure in Christ Jesus.

To conclude; My christian friends, is not our duty, as disciples of Jesus, made plain by the doctrine of our text? "It is enough for the disciple to be as his master." The blessed Redeemer labored incessantly in the great work of saving sinners from their sins. He exercised his miraculous powers to convince men of the divinity of his mission, he taught the people the unchangeable love of God to sinners, he loved sinners himself, and his very breath seemed to be forgiveness. We are called on to exercise all our abilities in this blessed cause of salvation. That we may do this to the utmost,

we must strive to increase in the knowledge, and grow in the grace of divine truth, that we may be enabled to communicate it to others. Jesus said

to his disciples; "Let your light so shine before, men, that they beholding your good works, may glorify your Father who is in heaven." If the vain imagination were true, that the work of saving sinners was accomplished by Jesus' suffering some penalty of the divine law, of which we have no account in the oracles of truth, of course further labour would not be needed. But if the salvation of sinners, consists in delivering them from their ignorance of God, from the power of darkness, from the death of sin, and from alienation to a blessed reconciliation to God, then all that we can do, by the help of Grace, to enlighten our fellow men, to recommend the character of God to sinners, to magnify the beauties and exccellencies of a life of piety and virtue is of service in the cause of Christ. But let us remember, first of all, that example is more than precept; and that this "Grace of God, which bringeth salvation to all men, hath appeared; teaching us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

No. 2.

LECTURE SERMON,

BALIVERED AT THE

SECOND UNIVERSALIST MEETING, IN BOSTON.

AUGUST 16, 1818.

BY HOSEA BALLOU, PASTOR.

Published Semi-Monthly, by Henry Bowen, Devonshire-street.

MATTHEW, v. 48.

Be ye, therefore, perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

EVERY scheme, whether human or divine, must, in order to be rationally planned, have some principle as its foundation. This foundation must, in all respects, be sufficiently extensive and firm to support the superstructure to be raised on it.

The gospel or doctrine of Jesus Christ, being a scheme planned by infinite wisdom, is established on a principle which is in all respects, both in regard. to its extent and stability, amply sufficient to support the divinely glorious edifice designed to rest upon it. These remarks are evidently analogous to the subject of our text, and correspond with the manner in which it was presented to those who listened to the gracious words of the divine teacher. In his sermon on the mount, Jesus noticed many particulars, which had formerly been taught to the people and religiously believed by them, which were not consistent with the heavenly wisdom and grace of the gospel. He therefore, endeavored to present to the people the distinction between those

traditions which had long been established, and that which was harmonious with that special "grace and truth," which came by him.

The particular subject under consideration is introduced as follows; "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy; But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which dispitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and unjust." What the doctrine of Jesus requires of his disciples is here plainly laid down; and the reason why love and good offices to enemies were enjoined is shown in the manifest goodness of God to the evil and good, to the just and to the unjust. The divine teacher then proceeds to illustrate the propriety and fitness of his doctrine as follows; "For if love them that love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?"

ye

Having thus evidently shown, that coming short of that love and goodness to enemies which his doctrine requires, was to stand on the same ground and to act on the same principle which characterise the most illiberal and irreligious worlding, he enjoins as expressed in our text; "Be ye, therefore, perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."-Our text, thus introduced, seems to invite the attention of the hearer to the consideration of the following proposition, as a distinct subject for investigation; (viz.) The gospel of Jesus Christ is a dispensation of grace which naturally and necessarily flows from the nature of God, and obtains its peculiar character from the love of God to sinners.

What we mean when we say, the gospel of Jesus Christ flows naturally from God is, that all the causes which produce it, or cause it to flow forth to man, are in the nature of the divine Being. He is self-moved in all he does, and of course he is selfmoved in the dispensation of his grace. Even the Mediator himself, who is stiled" the Captain of our salvation," had no occasion to influence the Father of our spirits to be merciful to sinners, for it is the unchangeable nature of God to be gracious. The divine Being is wrongly represented, when it is said, as it often has been, that Christ has, by his life, death and resurrection opened a way for God to be merciful to sinners; because this evidently supposes, that he was not merciful to sinners before this door was opened.

The testimony of Jesus evidently corrects this error, and abolishes at once all vain imaginations which have been built upon it. Hear his words; "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in hin should not perish, but have everlasting life." It is surely a very great error to suppose that the gift which the Father's love bestowed influenced him to bestow it. Such a mistake, we may presume, never was made on any other subject or in any other case. Were the unhappy children of wealthy parents, whose prodigality had reduced them to wretchedness and want, to receive from them a gift of immense value, would they be likely to conclude, that the worth of this invaluable treasure was the cause of their parent's love and pity? No; but however highly they might justly prize the favor sent, they would consider it as the evidence, not the cause of parental affection. This is evidently the sense of the Apostle who says; "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."