assurance given, not to the Jews only, but to all people. It exhibits in the suffering of Christ an instance of right conduct, grounded on principle, constituting the only righteousness acceptable to God, the only righteousness, which may expect his protection and support in the moment of trial; and God openly invested him with eternal life, in order, that faithfulness in others might grow out of faithfulness in him, in order, that the glorious exhibition, as it were, of the crown of fidelity on Jesus might excite a corresponding fidelity in his followers, for they, who are righteous by faithfulness, like Jesus, not they, who are righteous by the works of the law, shall live, they, whose conduct is right, as well as their faith, shall live even as Christ liveth.

Far then, very far, are the faithful followers of Jesus from blushing at the ignominious death he suffered for can there possibly be given a more precious pledge than was thereby given of the beneficial and saving power of God? For God's righteousness, or his acceptance of the faithful as righteous was thereby revealed as a power unto salvation or favor; and God's same righteousness, or his rejection of the faithless as unrighteous was also thereby revealed as a power unto destruction or wrath. As his power.. displayed itself most graciously in the open protection, salvation, and glorification of him, who

knew no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth, so by proclaiming such a person to be his own son, that is by proclaiming that God and Jesus were one in spirit, God in fact revealed himself to be the enemy of all vice, he thereby proclaimed, that all those, whose conduct is unrighteous and unholy, are necessarily under his displeasure without any respect of persons, whether they be Jews or Gentiles, Greeks or Barbarians.

Many of the disciples in Rome are Jews, and the great body of Jews, who are resident there, look upon the followers of Jesus with contempt, as a sect or schism from Judaism, and consider the message of Christ, which we proclaim, as inapplicable to themselves. They have been already, they say, abundantly favored by revelations from heaven, and the new message, which we bring, they denominate schismatic and reject; but it is to them, that our message most pointedly addresses itself; for their especial rebuke and correction the righteousness of God is revealed in the person of Christ; and the Jews, who for that true and everlasting righteousness of faithfulness have substituted a carnal system of legal purification, are more especially interested in what we announce. The wrath of God indeed against all unrighteousness was revealed in their old covenant, but the righteousness

which shall quench that wrath, is the subject of the new covenant.

But though our message applies pointedly and primarily to the Jews, vindicating the power of God to save them, yet it likewise applies to the Gentiles, equally vindicating the power of God over the whole world. For in it the wrath of God is revealed from heaven, against all unrighteousness without any respect of persons or nations-revealed from heaven, not according to the usual earthly manifestation of a general providence, but from heaven,-by an inhabitant of heaven, by Jesus Christ, who we know is in heaven. God's condemnation of sin had been before specially announced to the Jews, but to the Gentiles no light had hitherto been afforded, but that of nature. They seemed as it were excluded from the kingdom of God.

Not only then did God vindicate his power over them, who call themselves his pecular people by his mighty display of miraculous interposition in bearing irresistible testimony to the character of Jesus, but by making the great enemy of all vice a light to the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, he likewise apparently extended his power, setting up the ensign of his displeasure against all, in every part of the world, who have possession of the truth, and yet are unrighteous.

The kingdom of God, which hitherto, since the days of Abraham, as far as it depended upon human recognition, had been apparently circumscribed within the limits of the Jewish people, becomes now extended over all mankind. Hitherto by apparently directing his particular providence, and especial revelations to the descendants of Abraham, God appeared to claim no direct connection of power or dominion over the rest of mankind. And the law, being revealed only to the followers of Moses, it might be inferred, that the Jews alone were accountable to heaven for their unrighteousness, that all the rest of the world, were cast out by the almighty from the precincts of his dominions, and that the revelation of the wrath of God from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who are unrighteous though in possession of the truth, was directed only against the Jews, and that it would be hard to exact righteousness and fidelity from the Gentiles, as they never had the means of knowing God, experiencing the benefits of his dominion, and learning his commandments.

I have lately visited many of the Gentile nations, particularly those acute reasoners the Greeks, and I find this view of the subject entertained by them; they are unwilling to admit the propriety of our treating them as rebellious

subjects of God's universal kingdom, and as therefore having cause of repentance. But they are utterly mistaken, God has at no time and in no part of the world compromised his rights, or contracted his authority.

In times past, I acknowledge, he suffered all nations to walk in their own ways, but though he suffered it, and for a time winked at it, it was not the less criminal; for when did he leave himself without a witness, when, and in what nation did he not do good, giving us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, and filling our hearts with food and gladness; when, and where, was proof wanting that he was the living God, who made heaven and earth, and the sea, and and all things that are therein?

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No man has seen God at any time, but that, which be known of him, his eternal power and Godhead, this necessary and beneficial knowledge was always accessible to the Gentiles, as well as the Jews. They could at all times have found him, had they sought him, and felt after him, for he is never far from any one of us, nay, we need not look abroad, we can trace his mighty fingers, his wonderful operations in our own frame and constitution, our inexplicable powers, that living principle within, which is wonderfully sustained and fostered by his providence, we live and move and have our