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He wishes all persons to come; but he has a special love for children.

He says: "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God." Luke, x. 14.

And when the disciples would have sent them away, "he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them." Mark, x. 16.

O what a kind and gracious Saviour is this!

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John, xv. 13.

"But God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans, v. 8.

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"O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!" Psalm cvii. 8.

"Blest be the wisdom and the power,
The justice and the grace,
Which joined in council to restore
And save our ruined race!

Our father eat forbidden fruit,
And from his glory fell,

And we his children thus were brought

To death, and near to hell.

Blest be the Lord, that sent his Son

To take our flesh and blood;

He for our lives gave up his own,
To make our peace with God.
He honoured all his Father's laws,
Which we have disobeyed;
He bore our sins upon the cross,
And our full ransom paid.

Now on a glorious throne he reigns,

And by his power divine,

Redeems us from the slavish chains

Of Satan and of sin."

"Plunged in a gulf of dark despair,
We wretched sinners lay,
Without one cheerful beam of hope,
Or spark of glimmering day.

With pitying eyes, the Prince of Peace
Beheld our helpless grief;

He saw, and, 0, amazing love!
He came to our relief.

Down from the shining seats above,
With joyful haste he fled,
Entered the grave in mortal flesh,
And dwelt among the dead.

O, for this love let rocks and hills
Their lasting silence break ;
And all harmonious human tongues
The Saviour's praises speak.
Angels! assist our mighty joys,
Strike all your harps of gold;
But when you raise your highest notes,
His love can ne'er be told."

"Sweeter sounds than music knows, Charm me in Emmanuel's name,

All her hopes my spirit owes

To his birth, and cross, and shame.
When he came the angels sung,
Glory be to God on high;'
Lord, unloose my stammering tongue;
Who should louder sing than I?

Did the Lord a man become,

That he might the law fulfil,

Bleed and suffer in my room,

And canst thou, my tongue, be still?

No! I must my praises bring,

Though they worthless are, and weak;

For should I refuse to sing,

Sure the very stones would speak.

O my Saviour, Shield, and Sun,

Shepherd, Brother, Husband, Friend,
Every precious name in one,

Let me love thee without end!”

IV.

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acтs, xvi. 31.

THE Bible teaches us that Jesus Christ made a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, atonement, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world.

That is, he paid the price for every man, woman, and child he bore their punishment, and kept God's holy law for them.

Then will all the world be saved?

Oh, no. For Jesus died not only to save us from punishment, but to save us from sin. He" gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity," (Titus, ii. 14) and deliver us "from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God." Rom. viii. 21.

And this is why so many people refuse his great salvation. They like better to go on in self-indulgence and sin, and they turn away from holiness and heaven.

The price has been paid in vain for them, for they will not go to be washed.

Eternal life has been freely offered to them, and they deliberately refuse it.

They say unto God: "Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways." Job, xxi. 14. And at the day of judgment, God will say to them: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Matt. xxv. 41. Such will be the fearful doom of all them that obey not the Gospel.

Who, then, shall be saved?

Those only, who, believing that Jesus has paid the whole price for them, are willing to give up all sin for his sake.

You see the same things are necessary to salvation, which are required of persons to be baptized: "Repentance, whereby we forsake sin; and faith, whereby we steadfastly believe the promises of God."

Now the Bible says, we are justified by faith only. And so we are: but true faith is sure to produce repentance, as I will try to shew you by and by.

It is one of the effects "by which a lively faith may be as evidently known, as a tree discerned by its fruit.'

Real faith produces an entire, though gradual change in the conduct.

A man who possesses it, lives by faith, and walks by faith.

While others live, to all intents and purposes, without God in the world, a true believer sets the Lord always before him: he endures, as seeing him who is invisible." Heb. xi. 27.

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Having heard that for Christ's sake he may receive forgiveness of sins, and eternal happiness in heaven, he takes God at his word: "being fully persuaded that what he has promised, he is able also to perform." Rom. iv. 21.

And "having these promises," he strives to cleanse himself "from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." Rom. vii. 1.

Knowing that "here we have no continuing city," he seeks "one to come;" and amidst all the troubles of the world, he is enabled to "rejoice in hope of the glory of God;" yea, "to rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory." 1 Peter, i. 8.

While others leave this world in fearful uncertainty whither they are going, he lies down in peace, saying, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.' "For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him, against that day." 2 Tim. i. 12.

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Some persons who have never experienced this living principle say: "If faith in Christ is enough to save you, you may live as you please; you may commit any sin you choose."

But this kind of believing is not enough: it will do no good merely to believe that "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners." "The devils also

believe and tremble."

And it is impossible for you to believe that he will save you-really and cordially to believe it—while you continue to live in sin. For both the Bible and your own consciences tell you the contrary.

Faith means confidence: not merely a cold assent of the understanding, but a feeling of the heart.

You must have such faith in Christ's atonement, as not merely to believe in its sufficiency, but to trust yourselves to it, and to be willing to act in reliance upon it.

Suppose you were at the top of a burning house, and the people below sent up a ladder of ropes, for you to descend by.

It would be of no use for you to believe it would save you, unless you had that kind of faith in it which would give you courage to venture upon it.

You must not only believe in its sufficiency, but be willing to trust yourselves to it.

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