ld forth in every part of the bible as the design of the
salvation of the Gospel, to set men free from sin, and when they
are thus effectually saved, there cannot be a doubt that they will
find their blessedness here and hereafter in communion with God,
as surely as he is a God of purity and love. Accordingly the angel
that foretold the birth of our Saviour said, "Thou shall call his
name Jesus," i. e. a Saviour, "for he shall save his people from their
sins." Hence, also, we hear God saying,-"Behold I will bring forth
out of Zion the Deliverer, and he shall turn away ungodliness from
Jacob: For this is my covenant with them when I shall take away
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their sins." I greatly rejoice, that it is beginning to be recognized
more and more, as the great design of the gospel to make men
pure and holy, and thereby "meet to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in light." The danger on this point is, that
men shall think themselves cleansed by the gospel, while in the
sight of God they are still altogether unclean; or shall regard
themselves as so sure of being cleansed at last, that they shall pass
on uncleansed, until they die in their iniquities, and consequently
find, that "where Christ has gone they never can come."
I know it has sometimes been said of Universalists, that they
maintain that men of all characters will be taken to Heaven. This
charge is manifestly false. They believe that all men will become
holy, and then be received to heaven; and I rejoice to admit, that in
assuming it as the grand and glorious design of the gospel, to save
men from sin, they hold forth a sentiment which harmonizes with
the whole tenor of sacred scripture. The fatal mistake which they
embrace, is on another point, as I expect hereafter to show. The
Preacher of the sermon in question, in proceeding to show in what
consisted the power of the gospel to save men from sin, remarked,
I. Negatively; that it did not consist, 1. In propitiatory worship.
This he stated was the design of all heathen worship, and
conveyed, as I understood him, the idea, that such worship was no
better than heathenism. Now that men need a propitiatory
sacrifice, in coming to God with acceptance, is very evident from
the fact, that the bible teaches us, that Christ is the propitiation for
