or murmur, but glorified God for his mercy, though it admitted others to the same privilege as themselves.

But we ought to mark the expression here employed. Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. This expression teaches us to think and speak of repentance in a way in which it is not always thought or spoken of. It teaches us to judge of it as a gift or favour, that a man is allowed to return to God: to leave a course of sinful or worldly vanities, to "serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven."

We are bound, indeed, justly bound, to regard repentance as a duty on the part of man. Unquestionably it is a duty, for neglecting which those who do neglect it are left under just condemnation. But we must never forget (though in our way of speaking and thinking we sometimes appear to forget it) that it is also a gift, a most gracious gift, on the part of God, if his Spirit softens the heart, and brings it to himself. We must never forget the greatness of the favour, if the corrupt child of Adam is received into God's family, or the penitent sinner enjoys his offended Father's pardon.

Whatever may be the present state of any man, let him see this important matter in its proper light.

If he be in a state of favour, "accepted in the beloved," at " peace with God through Jesus

Christ;" there is little fear, lest he should not justly estimate the mercy shown him. It is part of that mercy, that he is sensible of it: part of the grace bestowed, that he knows and feels the blessing the blessing, that he has been led to "lay hold on eternal life," and not left among the "many called," but never "chosen."

:

But there may be those (there are, alas! too many in our land) who, with opportunities which the Gentiles never had, are still living as the Gentiles lived, and not less needing repentance. Repentance unto life may be granted to them also. But no man can repent, unless the Spirit influence him. And that mercy, to be obtained, must be rightly sought and to be rightly sought, it must be sought of God: sought as an incalculable favour; sought as an unmerited favour.

Represent to your minds the poorest beggar that ever sat by the way-side: one who had nothing of his own to entitle him to notice, or prepare him for high distinction: one, who had been brought to his low condition, not by misfortune, but by vice : by neglect of opportunities which might have instructed him, or by misuse of advantages which might have raised him.

It is a dark picture. But it is the picture of those who in this christian land are living as wilful transgressors of the law of God. What claim have they to favour? They are ignorant, though God has put the Bible in their hands. They are covetous

and worldly, though God has warned them to provide for heaven. They are intemperate, impure, sensual, though God has declared that those who are such, have no inheritance in his kingdom. They know that "the Lord is at hand :" yet they do not "prepare prepare to meet Him."

The degraded, and ignorant, and self-ruined beggar which I have described, could little expect that the sovereign of the country should seek him out, should clothe him, should educate him, should admit him into his own palace, should treat him as one of his own family.

Yet this is what God does, when he grants repentance. When he says, " Return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon you”—he is in real truth saying:-Thou hast defied me, but I forgive thee: thou art ignorant, but I will teach thee: thou art corrupt and vile, but I will convert and heal thee thou art naked, but I will clothe thee: thou art destitute, and hast "destroyed thyself;" but I will receive thee into my palace, and give thee a place at the right hand of my throne for ever.

If we consider repentance unto life, and examine its nature, and its consequences, what it is, and what it leads to-we shall perceive that here is a just representation of it. And, if so, "judge, I pray you, between" God and his people, whether repentance unto life is not justly called a gift, a grant, a favour.

It is, however, a favour, which he loves to grant,

for he is rich in mercy. When the prodigal "was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion on him, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him."3 "For the Lord our God is a merciful God, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin." "He willeth not that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance," and to the knowledge of that great truth, that "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth from all sin."

LECTURE XXXII.

THE GOSPEL RECEIVED AT ANTIOCH BOTH BY JEWS AND GRECIANS, AND A CHURCH FORMED, WHICH IS VISITED BY BARNABAS.-A. D. 41.

ACTS xi. 19-24.

19. Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.

We were told in chapter viii. that "they which were scattered abroad when Saul was "making havoc of the church" at Jerusalem, "went everywhere preaching' the word." Their first resort was

3 Luke xv. 20.

I Here, as before, the word implies conversation rather than public preaching. λaλovνtes Tov λoyov. See on ch. viii v. 4.

to their Jewish brethren. For a while they made the glad tidings known to none but to the Jews only. To them they would state, how while sojourning at Jerusalem, they had found the Messias : "found him of whom Moses and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth :" how God had raised him from the dead, and "now commanded all men everywhere to repent and believe the gospel." This they had received themselves, and would exhort others to receive.

Meanwhile some of the same party took a bolder

step.

20. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch,2 spake unto the Grecians,3 preaching the Lord Jesus.

21. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.

Here, then, that took place at Antioch, which had before taken place at Cæsarea. The word was preached to the Grecians, or Gentiles. The same Holy Spirit which had appeared to Peter in a vision, and sent him to Cornelius, was now animat

2 Antioch would be not far out of the course of one intending to sail for Cyprus, from some port in the north of Syria.

3 A difficulty arises in the original from the word Exλnviotai, Grecians, commonly used to signify those of Hebrew parentage, but speaking the Greek language. This, however, must have been the case with the Jews, who are before mentioned, and mentioned in contrast with these Grecians. So that we are forced to understand here, by Grecians, persons who were by birth Gentiles. In some approved manuscripts the word is Ελληνες.