{"id":9291,"date":"2016-08-17T00:20:24","date_gmt":"2016-08-17T05:20:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/thegeneral-spread-of-the-gospel\/"},"modified":"2016-08-17T00:20:24","modified_gmt":"2016-08-17T05:20:24","slug":"thegeneral-spread-of-the-gospel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/thegeneral-spread-of-the-gospel\/","title":{"rendered":"THE\nGENERAL SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'><i>\u201cThe earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters covers the sea.\u201d <\/i><\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right;line-height:normal'>Isa. 11:9.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>1. In what a condition is the world at present! How does darkness, intellectual darkness, ignorance, with vice and misery attendant upon it, cover the face of the earth! From the accurate inquiry made with indefatigable pains by our ingenious countryman, Mr. Brerewood; (who travelled himself over a great part of the known world, in order to form the more exact judgment;) supposing the world to be divided into thirty parts, nineteen of them are professed Heathens, altogether as ignorant of Christ, as if he had never come into the world: Six of the remaining parts are professed Mahometans: So that only five in thirty are so much as nominally Christians!<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>2. And let it be remembered, that since this computation was made, many new nations have been discovered; numberless islands, particularly in the South Sea, large and well inhabited: But by whom? By Heathens of the basest sort; many of them inferior to the beasts of the field. Whether they eat men or no, (which indeed I cannot find any sufficient ground to believe,) they certainly kill all that fall into their hands. They are, therefore, more savage than lions; who kill no more creatures than are necessary to satisfy their present hunger. See the real dignity of human nature! Here it appears in its genuine purity, not polluted either by those \u201cgeneral corrupters, kings,\u201d or by the least tincture of religion! What will Abbe Raynal (that determined enemy to monarchy and revelation) say to this?<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>3. A little, and but a little, above the Heathens in religion, are the Mahometans. But how far and wide has this miserable delusion spread over the face of the earth! Insomuch that the Mahometans are considerably more in number (as six to five) than Christians. And by all the accounts which have any pretence to authenticity, these are also, in general, as utter strangers to all true religion as their four-footed brethren; as void of mercy as lions and tigers; as much given up to brutal lusts as bulls or goats. So that they are in truth a disgrace to human nature, and a plague to all that are under their iron yoke.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>4. It is true, a celebrated writer (Lady Mary Wortley Montague) gives a very different character of them. With the finest flow of words, in the most elegant language, she labours to wash the Aethiop white. She represents them as many degrees above the Christians; as some of the most amiable people in the world; as possessed of all the social virtues; as some of the most accomplished of men. But I can in no wise receive her report: I cannot rely upon her authority. I believe those round about her had just as much religion as their admirer had when she was admitted into the interior parts of the Grand Seignior\u2019s seraglio. Notwithstanding, therefore, all that such a witness does or can say in their favour, I believe the Turks in general are little, if at all, better than the generality of the Heathens.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>5. And little, if at all, better than the Turks, are the Christians in the Turkish dominions; even the best of them; those that live in the Morea, or are scattered up and down in Asia. The more numerous bodies of Georgian, Circassian, Mengrelian Christians, are a proverb of reproach to the Turks themselves; not only for their deplorable ignorance, but for their total, stupid, barbarous irreligion.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>6. From the most authentic accounts we can obtain of the Southern Christians, those in Abyssinia, and of the Northern Churches, under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Moscow, we have reason to fear they are much in the same condition, both with regard to knowledge and religion, as those in Turkey. Or if those in Abyssinia are more civilized, and have a larger share of knowledge, yet they do not appear to have any more religion than either the Mahometans or Pagans.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>7. The Western Churches seem to have the pre-eminence over all these in many respects. They have abundantly more knowledge: They have more scriptural and more rational modes of worship. Yet two thirds of them are still involved in the corruptions of the Church of Rome; and most of these are entirely unacquainted with either the theory or practice of religion. And as to those who are called Protestants, or Reformed, what acquaintance with it have they? Put Papists and Protestants, French and English together, the bulk of one and of the other nation; and what manner of Christians are they? Are they \u201choly as He that hath called them is holy?\u201d Are they filled with \u201crighteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost?\u201d Is there \u201cthat mind in them which was also in Christ Jesus?\u201d And do they \u201cwalk as Christ also walked?\u201d Nay, they are as far from it as hell is from heaven!<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>8. Such is the present state of mankind in all parts of the world! But how astonishing is this, if there is a God in heaven, and if his eyes are over all the earth! Can he despise the work of his own hand? Surely this is one of the greatest mysteries under heaven! How is it possible to reconcile this with either the wisdom or goodness of God? And what can give ease to a thoughtful mind under so melancholy a prospect? What but the consideration, that things will not always be so; that another scene will soon be opened? God will be jealous of his honour: He will arise and maintain his own cause. He will judge the prince of this world, and spoil him of his usurped dominion. He will give his Son \u201cthe Heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession.\u201d \u201cThe earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.\u201d The loving knowledge of God, producing uniform, uninterrupted holiness and happiness, shall cover the earth; shall fill every soul of man.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>9. \u201cImpossible,\u201d will some men say, \u201cyea, the greatest of all impossibilities, that we should see a Christian world; yea, a Christian nation, or city! How can these things be?\u201d On one supposition, indeed, not only all impossibility, but all difficulty vanishes away. Only suppose the Almighty to act <i>irresistibly,<\/i> and the thing is done; yea, with just the same ease as when \u201cGod said, Let there be light; and there was light.\u201d But then, man would be man no longer: His inmost nature would be changed. He would no longer be a moral agent, any more than the sun or the wind; as he would no longer be endued with liberty, \u2014 a power of choosing, or self-determination: Consequently, he would no longer be capable of virtue or vice, of reward or punishment.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>10. But setting aside this clumsy way of cutting the knot which we are not able to untie, how can all men be made holy and happy, while they continue men? While they still enjoy both the understanding, the affections, and the liberty which are essential to a moral agent? There seems to be a plain, simple way of removing this difficulty, without entangling ourselves in any subtile, metaphysical disquisitions. As God is One, so the work of God is uniform in all ages. May we not then conceive how he <i>will<\/i> work on the souls of men in times to come, by considering how he <i>does<\/i> work <i>now,<\/i> and how he <i>has<\/i> wrought in times past?<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>11. Take one instance of this, and such an instance as you cannot easily be deceived in. You know how God wrought in <i>your own<\/i> soul, when he first enabled you to say, \u201cThe life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.\u201d He did not take away your understanding; but enlightened and strengthened it. He did not destroy any of your affections; rather they were more vigorous than before. Least of all did he take away your liberty; your power of choosing good or evil: He did not <i>force<\/i> you; but, being <i>assisted<\/i> by his grace, you, like Mary, <i>chose<\/i> the better part. Just so has he <i>assisted<\/i> five in one house to make that happy <i>choice;<\/i> fifty or five hundred in one city; and many thousands in a nation; \u2014 without depriving any of them of that liberty which is essential to a moral agent.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:9.0pt;line-height:normal'>12. Not that I deny, that there are exempt cases, wherein <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:9.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'>The\u2019 o\u2019erwhelming power of saving grace <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>does, for a time, work as irresistibly as lightning falling from heaven. But I speak of God\u2019s general manner of working, of which I have known innumerable instances; perhaps more within fifty years last past, than any one in England or in Europe. And with regard even to these exempt cases; although God does work irresistibly <i>for the time,<\/i> yet I do not believe there is any human soul in which God works irresistibly <i>at all times.<\/i> Nay, I am fully persuaded there is not. I am persuaded, there are no men living that have not many times \u201cresisted the Holy Ghost,\u201d and made void \u201cthe counsel of God against themselves.\u201d Yea, I am persuaded every child of God has had, at some time, \u201clife and death set before him,\u201d eternal life and eternal death; and has in himself the casting voice. So true is that well-known saying of St. Austin, (one of the noblest he ever uttered,) <i>Qui fecit nos sine nobis, non salvabit nos sine nobis<\/i>: \u201cHe that made us without ourselves, will not save us without ourselves.\u201d Now in the same manner as God has converted so many to himself without destroying their liberty, he <i>can<\/i> undoubtedly convert whole nations, or the whole world; and it is as easy to him to convert a world, as one individual soul.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>13. Let us observe what God has done already. Between fifty and sixty years ago, God raised up a few young men, in the University of Oxford, to testify those grand truths, which were then little attended to: \u2014 That without holiness no man shall see the Lord; \u2014 that this holiness is the work of God, who worketh in us both to will and to do; \u2014 that he doeth it of his own good pleasure, merely for the merits of Christ; \u2014 that this holiness is the mind that was in Christ; enabling us to walk as he also walked; \u2014 that no man can be thus sanctified till he is justified; \u2014 and, that we are justified by faith alone. These great truths they declared on all occasions, in private and in public; having no design but to promote the glory of God, and no desire but to save souls from death.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>14. From Oxford, where it first appeared, the little leaven spread wider and wider. More and more saw the truth as it is in Jesus, and received it in the love thereof. More and more found \u201credemption through the blood of Jesus, even the forgiveness of sins.\u201d They were born again of his Spirit, and filled with righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. It afterwards spread to every part of the land, and a little one became a thousand. It then spread into North Britain and Ireland; and, a few years after into New-York, Pennsylvania, and many other provinces in America, even as high as Newfoundland and Nova-Scotia. So that, although at first this \u201cgrain of mustard- seed\u201d was \u201cthe least of all the seeds;\u201d yet, in a few years, it grew into a \u201clarge tree, and put forth great branches.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:9.0pt;line-height:normal'>15. Generally, when these truths, justification by faith in particular, were declared in any large town, after a few days or weeks, there came suddenly on the great congregation, \u2014 not in a corner, at London, Bristol, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in particular, \u2014 a violent and impetuous power, which,<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'>Like mighty wind or torrent fierce,<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:9.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'>Did then opposers all o\u2019er-run. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>And this frequently continued, with shorter or longer intervals, for several weeks or months. But it gradually subsided, and then the work of God was carried on by gentle degrees; while that Spirit, in watering the seed that had been sown, in confirming and strengthening them that had believed, <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'>Deign\u2019d his influence to infuse, <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:9.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'>Secret, refreshing as the silent dews. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>And this difference in his usual manner of working was observable not only in Great Britain and Ireland, but in every part of America, from South to North, wherever the word of God came with power.<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>16. Is it not then highly probable, that God will carry on his work in the same manner as he has begun? That he <i>will<\/i> carry it on, I cannot doubt; however Luther may affirm, that a revival of religion never lasts above a generation, \u2014 that is, thirty years; (whereas the present revival has already continued above fifty;) or however prophets of evil may say, \u201cAll will be at an end when the first instruments are removed.\u201d There will then, very probably, be a great shaking; but I cannot induce myself to think that God has wrought so glorious a work, to let it sink and die away in a few years. No: I trust, this is only the beginning of a far greater work; the dawn of \u201cthe latter day glory.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>17. And is it not probable, I say, that he will carry it on in the same manner as he has begun? At the first breaking out of this work in this or that place, there may be a shower, a torrent of grace; and so at some other particular seasons, which \u201cthe Father has reserved in his own power:\u201d But in general, it seems, the kingdom of God will not \u201ccome with observation;\u201d but will silently increase, wherever it is set up, and spread from heart to heart, from house to house, from town to town, from one kingdom to another. May it not spread, first, through the remaining provinces; then, through the isles of North America; and, at the same time, from England to Holland, where there is already a blessed work in Utrecht, Haerlem, and many other cities? Probably it will spread from these to the Protestants in France, to those in Germany, and those in Switzerland; then to Sweden, Denmark, Russia, and all the other Protestant nations in Europe. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>18. May we not suppose that the same leaven of pure and undefiled religion, of experimental knowledge and love of God, of inward and outward holiness, will afterwards spread to the Roman Catholics in Great Britain, Ireland, Holland; in Germany, France, Switzerland; and in all other countries where Romanists and Protestants live intermixed and familiarly converse with each other? Will it not then be easy for the wisdom of God to make a way for religion, in the life and power thereof,into those countries that are merely Popish; as Italy, Spain, Portugal? And may it not be gradually diffused from thence to all that name the name of Christ, in the various provinces of Turkey, in Abyssinia, yea, and in the remotest parts, not only of Europe, but of Asia, Africa, and America?<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>19. And in every nation under heaven, we may reasonably believe, God will observe the same order which he hath done from the beginning of Christianity. \u201cThey shall all know me, saith the Lord;\u201d not from the greatest to the least (this is that wisdom of the world which is foolishness with God;) but \u201cfrom the least to the greatest;\u201d that the praise may not be of men, but of God. Before the end, even the rich shall enter into the kingdom of God. Together with them will enter in the great, the noble, the honourable; yea, the rulers, the princes, the kings of the earth. Last of all, the wise and learned, the men of genius, the philosophers, will be convinced that they are fools; will be \u201cconverted, and become as little children,\u201d and \u201center into the kingdom of God.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:9.0pt;line-height:normal'>20. Then shall be fully accomplished to the house of Israel, the spiritual Israel, of whatever people or nation, that gracious promise, \u201cI will put my laws in their minds, and write them in their hearts: And I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: For they shall all know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.\u201d Then shall \u201cthe times of\u201d universal \u201crefreshment come from the presence of the Lord.\u201d The grand \u201cPentecost\u201d shall \u201cfully come,\u201d and \u201cdevout men in every nation under heaven,\u201d however distant in place from each other, shall \u201call be filled with the Holy Ghost;\u201d and they will \u201ccontinue steadfast in the Apostles\u2019 doctrine, and in the fellowship, and in the breaking of bread, and in prayers;\u201d they will \u201ceat their meat,\u201d and do all that they have to do, \u201cwith gladness and singleness of heart. Great grace will be upon them all;\u201d and they will be \u201call of one heart and of one soul.\u201d The natural, necessary consequence of this will be the same as it was in the beginning of the Christian Church: \u201cNone of them will say, that aught of the things which he possesses is his own; but they will have all things common. Neither will there be any among them that want: For as many as are possessed of lands or houses will sell them; and distribution will be made to every man, according as he has need.\u201d All their desires, meantime, and passions, and tempers will be cast in one mould; while all are doing the will of God on earth, as it is done in heaven. All their \u201cconversation will be seasoned with salt,\u201d and will \u201cminister grace to the hearers;\u201d seeing it will not be so much they that speak, \u201cas the Spirit of their Father that speaketh in them.\u201d And there will be no \u201croot of bitterness springing up,\u201d either to defile or trouble them: There will be no Ananias or Sapphira, to bring back the cursed love of money among them: There will be no partiality; no \u201cwidows neglected in the daily ministration:\u201d Consequently, there will be no temptation to any murmuring thought, or unkind word, of one against another; while, <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'>They all are of one heart and soul,<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:9.0pt; margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;line-height:normal'>And only love informs the whole. <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>21. The grand stumbling-block being thus happily removed out of the way, namely, the lives of the Christians, the Mahometans will look upon them with other eyes, and begin to give attention to their words. And as their words will be clothed with divine energy, attended with the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, those of them that fear God will soon take knowledge of the Spirit whereby the Christians speak. They will \u201creceive with meekness the engrafted word,\u201d and will bring forth fruit with patience. From them the leaven will soon spread to those who till then, had no fear of God before their eyes. Observing the <i>Christian dogs,<\/i> as they used to term them, to have changed their nature; to be sober, temperate, just, benevolent; and that, in spite of all provocations to the contrary; from admiring their lives, they will surely be led to consider and embrace their doctrine. And then the Saviour of sinners will say, \u201cThe hour is come; I will glorify my Father: I will seek and save the sheep that were wandering on the dark mountains. Now will I avenge myself of my enemy, and pluck the prey out of the lion\u2019s teeth. I will resume my own, for ages lost: I will claim the purchase of my blood.\u201d So he will go forth in the greatness of his strength, and all his enemies shall flee before him. All the prophets of lies shall vanish away, and all the nations that had followed them shall acknowledge the great Prophet of the Lord, \u201cmighty in word and deed;\u201d and \u201cshall honour the Son, even as they honour the Father.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>22. And then, the grand stumbling-block being removed from the heathen nations also, the same Spirit will be poured out upon them; even those that remain in the uttermost parts of the sea. The poor American savage will no more ask, \u201cWhat are the Christians better than us?\u201d \u2014 when they see their steady practice of universal temperance, and of justice, mercy, and truth. The Malabarian Heathen will have no more room to say, \u201cChristian man take my wife: Christian man much drunk: Christian man kill man! <i>Devil-Christian<\/i>! me no Christian.\u201d Rather, seeing how far the Christians exceed their own countrymen in whatsoever things are lovely and of good report, they will adopt a very different language, and say, <i>Angel-Christian<\/i>! The holy lives of the Christians will be an argument they will not know how to resist: Seeing the Christians steadily and uniformly practise what is agreeable to the law written in their own hearts, their prejudices will quickly die away, and they will gladly receive \u201cthe truth as it is in Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>23. We may reasonably believe, that the heathen nations which are mingled with the Christians, and those that, bordering upon Christian nations, have constant and familiar intercourse with them, will be some of the first who learn to worship God in spirit and in truth; those, for instance, that live on the continent of America, or in the islands that have received colonies from Europe. Such are likewise all those inhabitants of the East Indies that adjoin to any of the Christian settlements. To these may be added, numerous tribes of Tartars, the heathen parts of the Russias, and the inhabitants of Norway, Finland, and Lapland. Probably these will be followed by those more distant nations with whom the Christians trade; to whom they will impart what is of infinitely more value than earthly pearls, or gold and silver. The God of love will then prepare his messengers, and make a way into the polar regions; into the deepest recesses of America, and into the interior parts of Africa; yea, into the heart of China and Japan, with the countries adjoining to them. And \u201ctheir sound\u201d will then \u201cgo forth into all lands, and their voice to the ends of the earth!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>24. But one considerable difficulty still remains: There are very many heathen nations in the world that have no intercourse, either by trade or any other means, with Christians of any kind. Such are the inhabitants of the numerous islands in the South Sea, and probably in all large branches of the ocean. Now, what shall be done for these poor outcasts of men? \u201cHow shall they believe,\u201d saith the Apostle, \u201cin Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?\u201d You may add, \u201cAnd how shall they preach, unless they be sent?\u201d Yea, but is not God able to send them? Cannot he raise them up, as it were, out of the stones? And can he ever want means of sending them? No: Were there no other means, he can \u201ctake them by his Spirit,\u201d as he did Ezekiel. (Ezek. 3:12, ) or by his angel, as he did Philip, (Acts 8, ) and set them down wheresoever it pleaseth him. Yea, he can find out a thousand ways to foolish man unknown. And he surely will: For heaven and earth may pass away; but his word shall not pass away: He will give his Son \u201cthe uttermost part of the earth for his possession.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>25. And so all Israel too shall be saved. For \u201cblindness has happened to Israel,\u201d as the great Apostle observes, (Rom. 11:25.) till the fullness of the \u201cGentiles be come in.\u201d Then \u201cthe Deliverer that cometh out of Sion shall turn away iniquity from Jacob.\u201d \u201cGod hath now concluded them all in unbelief, that he may have mercy upon all.\u201d Yea, and he will so have mercy upon all Israel, as to give them all temporal with all spiritual blessings. For this is the promise: \u201cFor the Lord thy God will gather thee from all nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee. And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it. And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.\u201d (Deut. 30:3.) Again: \u201cI will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them: And I will bring them again to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever. I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. And I will plant them in this land assuredly, with my whole heart and with my whole soul.\u201d (Jer. 32:37.) Yet again: \u201cI will take you from among the Heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: From all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.\u201d (Ezek. 36:24.)<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>26. At that time will be accomplished all those glorious promises made to the Christian Church, which will not then be confined to this or that nation, but will include all the inhabitants of the earth. \u201cThey shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain.\u201d (Isaiah 11:9) \u201cViolence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls, Salvation, and thy gates Praise.\u201d Thou shalt be encompassed on every side with salvation, and all that go through thy gates shall praise God. \u201cThe sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: But the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.\u201d The light of the sun and moon shall be swallowed up in the light of His countenance, shining upon thee. \u201cThy people also shall be all righteous . . . . the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.\u201d \u201cAs the earth bringeth forth her bud, and the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.\u201d (Isaiah 60:18; and 61:11.)<\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal'>27. This I apprehend to be the answer, yea, the only full and satisfactory answer that can be given, to the objection against the wisdom and goodness of God, taken from the present state of the world. It will not always be thus: These things are only permitted for a season by the great Governor of the world, that he may draw immense, eternal good out of this temporary evil. This is the very key which the Apostle himself gives us in the words above recited: \u201cGod hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.\u201d In view of this glorious event, how well may we cry out, \u201cO the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!\u201d although for a season \u201chis judgments were unsearchable, and his ways past finding out.\u201d (Rom. 11:32, 33.) It is enough, that we are assured of this one point, that all these transient evils will issue well; will have a happy conclusion; and that \u201cmercy first and last will reign.\u201d All unprejudiced persons may see with their eyes, that He is already renewing the face of the earth: And we have strong reason to hope that the work he hath begun, he will carry on unto the day of the Lord Jesus; that he will never intermit this blessed work of his Spirit, until he has fulfilled all his promises, until he hath put a period to sin, and misery, and infirmity, and death; and re-established universal holiness and happiness, and caused all the inhabitants of the earth to sing together, \u201cHallelujah, the Lord God omnipotent reigneth!\u201d \u201cBlessing, and glory, and wisdom, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever!\u201d (Rev. 7:12.) <\/p>\n<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:normal'>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cThe earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters covers the sea.\u201d Isa. 11:9. 1. In what a condition is the world at present! How does darkness, intellectual darkness, ignorance, with vice and misery attendant upon it, cover the face of the earth! From the accurate inquiry made with indefatigable &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/thegeneral-spread-of-the-gospel\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;THE<br \/>\nGENERAL SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9291"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9291\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}