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POSTHUMOUS PIECES.

The following notes of two sermons were taken in short hand by the Rev. Daniel Wilson, and published by him in the appendix to his funeral sermons for Mr. Scott.

I. NOTES OF A SERMON

ON ROMANS XV. 29:

“I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ."

THE gospel means glad tidings, good news. We live in a day when many things are said about those who preach the gospel, and those who do not preach the gospel; and much is said in reproach of those who make this distinction, and some fear this reproach, and wish to have no distinction.

But there is one road to heaven, and but one; and he who directs a man to this road preaches the gospel; and he who does not does not preach the gospel.

You would distinguish between him who told you the right road to a town, and him who told you the wrong one. Yet you might come back if you mistook and went to a wrong town; but if you mistake the way to heaven, you cannot come back; you are lost for ever.

The question is, "What must I do to be saved?" He that answers that question aright preaches the gospel, though he may mistake on inferior points; and he who does not answer that question aright

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does not preach the gospel, whatever else he may preach.

Man is the creature and accountable subject of Almighty God, and he will at last be called to account at God's tribunal for all he has said and done in this world. The rule of that judgment will be, as far as regards professed Christians, that holy law which commands us to love God with all our heart, and mind, and soul, and strength, and our neighbour as ourselves. And the sentence is, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all

things which are written in the book of the law, "to do them." If you have not thus continued in all things, you stand before God, as a robber, or as he who has otherwise broken the laws, does in respect of his country: you forfeit the protection of God's law, and are exposed to its curse. "As

many as are of the works of the law are under "the curse." 2 "The wrath of God is revealed "from heaven against all ungodliness and un" righteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness." 3

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This you will say, is not the gospel. No, it is not: but you cannot recommend a medicine to those who feel no need of it. This makes way for the gospel; "The scripture hath concluded "all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus "Christ might be given to them that believe."4 "It is appointed unto men once to die."5 "the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely "die." 6 Man fell in Adam. We are ' conceived

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"In

3 Rom. i. 18. • Gen. ii. 17.

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́ in sin,' and are " by nature children of wrath.” 1 We break God's laws by actual sin; we are "chil"dren of disobedience." 2 Thus we are lost,

ruined, undone, without strength, without any thing. He that never learnt this, must learn it, either by believing God's testimony now, or by suffering hereafter what God threatens.

"God so

Now appears the revelation of mercy. "loved the world, that he gave his only begotten "Son, that whosoever believeth in him should "not perish, but have everlasting life."3 In this revelation of mercy is contained the doctrine of the Trinity, one God in three Persons-that one "name" in which we are baptized, that one name in which are blessed.

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Salvation for lost man is from God's mercy, free, undeserved mercy. By grace are ye "saved." "The kindness and love of God our "Saviour towards man appeared." 5

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It comes through Christ, the only begotten Son of the Father, who for us men and for our 'salvation came down from heaven, and was in'carnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, ' and was made man, and was crucified for us ' under Pontius Pilate.' His person as Immanuel, God with us, "the mediator between God and "man, the man Christ Jesus;" the honour he put on the law by his obedience; his bearing of the curse by his passion and death; the victory he obtained in his resurrection; and his pouring

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