A FULL BLESSING. WHAT a blessing is the gospel-the gospel of Christ. The good news of a Saviour, and such a Saviour. No less a person than God's only begotten Son. God manifest in the flesh. God appearing for us-for us in our nature-not only in our nature, but in our world. This Saviour therefore is powerful. So powerful that he can save the greatest sinner, from the greatest guilt, under the most dangerous circumstances. The Saviour is gracious. So gracious that he will save any one. He will save all who apply to him. He will save gratuitously, without money and without price. His salvation is as free as air. He is a Saviour for all people. For the Jew and the Greek, the bond and the free, the barbarian and the cultivated. For persons in all climes, of all dispositions, and under all circumstances. No one can exclude a sinner from this Saviour, or his salvation, but himself. All who are excluded are self excluded, for the Saviour's solemn word is, "Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out." This Saviour is authorised to save. The Father qualified him, commissioned him, and sent him into the world. He He comes as the SENT ONE, the representative of God, the anointed and appointed_Saviour. He saves fully. He never fails. He never saves in part. But where he begins the work, he carries it on to completion. saves with an everlasting salvation. This gospel of Christ, Paul was entrusted with, he published it wherever he went, and he always found it prove a blessing, a full blessing. Hence when he was writing of his going to Rome, he could say, "I am sure that when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ." Rom. xv. 29. He expected to carry a full blessing to the Romans. The good news of a full salvation. A salvation that comprises an immediate and full pardon. The certain and satisfactory pardon of all the sins, of every sinner that believes in Jesus. Pardon for Christ's sake. Pardon in Christ's name. Pardon the moment they believed. An acquital from every charge. A freedom from all condemnation. The good news of perfect peace. Perfect peace with God, on the ground of the death of his Son. The beliver has as much reason to feel at peace with God, and to be sure that God is at peace with him, as an unfallen angel. For him sin is put away. For him perfect righteousness is wrought out. For him God has received in every sense of the word, full satisfaction. The gospel brings the assurance, that Jesus has made peace for us, by the blood of his cross. Believing we have peace, peace of conscience; and the peace of God keeps our hearts and minds. The good news of access to God, and acceptance with God. We may come before God freely, boldly, without a priest, and without a sacrifice. Jesus is the way to the Father. Jesus is our priest before the throne. Jesus is our one, all-sufficient, and infinitely meritorious sacrifice. In his name, for his sake, on the ground of what he hath done and suffered, we are accepted of God: and being accepted in Christ, and for the sake of Christ, we have access to God with confidence, and may come boldly to his throne. It is the good news of adoption. For every beliver is received into God's family, placed among his children, and receives the Spirit of adoption. As said the Apostle, "Ye are all the children of God, by faith in Jesus Christ: and because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." Blessed gospel! Glorious news! Yes, to carry the gospel to a people, is to carry a full blessing! But Paul felt sure, that when he went to Rome, he should go full of the gospel. Not filled with philosophy, or human learning, or even splendid gifts; but full of the gospel. Full of the facts of the gospel, respecting God, and his infinite love-Jesus and his glorious work-the Spirit and his gracious operations, Full of the grace of the gospel, which fitted and qualified him for his work; while his ministry became a channel of grace to others. Full of the Spirit of the gospel, which is the Spirit of Christ, which renders the gospel effectual. He went to Rome to make the gospel fully known, in all its doctrines, ordinances, and duties. He would keep nothing back. He would practise no reserve. All he knew he would preach, and set before his hearers, the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. He went to Rome expecting great success. He expected the conversion of many sinners, and to be the means of great blessing to the saints. When we have the fulness of the blessing of the gospel, then many sinners are brought to Christ, and believers are made very much to resemble Christ. A FULL BLESSING. Now, beloved, this is just what we want, We have a few conversions, but we want many. We have a little dew, but we want showers of heavenly rain. We have the blessing, but we want the fulness of the blessing. Our vines have a few clusters, but we want to see them covered. We have a few sheaves, but we want to see the field covered with shocks of ripe corn. O for the outpouring of the Spirit, that the gospel may be carried home to the heart, in demonstration and power! O for the arm of the Lord to be made bare, that multitudes may believe and turn to the Lord! O to see multitudes flock to the cross and to the Church, that with wonder, admiration, and gratitude, we may be induced to cry out, "Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as doves to their windows." Observe, the gospel is a great blessing, one of God's greatest blessings. It is a blessing which sweetens every other blessing. It brings a full blessing to all who receive it in simplicity and faith. It fills the soul of the simple believer with blessing, and makes its recipient a blessing to others. The gospel, O wonder of wonders! It is the Blessed God, presenting the richest blessings, to poor, miserable, cursed sinners. The blessings of grace, and the blessings of glory, are by the gospel, put within the reach of the vilest, most degraded, and miserable of the sons of men. The fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ is placed before us, O for grace to receive it, enjoy it, and communicate it to others, to the praise and glory of God! Blest are the souls that hear and know Peace shall attend the path they go, Their joy shall bear their spirits up, |