vation. When he revealed the purpose of his incarnation in the synagogue of his own city, Nazareth, these were his words: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." When he commissioned his messengers, this was the invitation they were to convey: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." The account of the divine plan which he gave in the gospel revelation is this: "God sent his Son into the world...that the world through him might be saved."5 "He that believeth on him is not condemned; he that believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." For the "Son of man came... to give his life a ransom for many.

"6

This revelation of the divine will, declared by our Lord in his discourses, is reasoned upon and fully explained by St. Paul: who sets forth the two different ways in which man might be accounted righteous before God. He might be justified by complete obedience. It "should be our righteousness, if we observed to do all the commandments

4 Matt. xi. 28.

3 Luke iv. 18.

5 John iii. 17.

6 Matt. xx. 28.

before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us." If, however, men are thus to be accepted on account of that which they perform, their works must be perfect, their obedience complete and universal. The language of LAW is and can be but one it must condemn every one "that continueth not in all things that are written in the law to do them."8 And since no man ever has so continued, or will continue; (" for what man is he that liveth and sinneth not?") therefore, by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified before God: "being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." And the whole is summed up by the apostles in a few decisive sentences. "This is the record; that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not life."9 "There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus." "He bore our sins in his own body." "He once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God."

Here, then, two states have been described; a state of condemnation, and a state of salvation; and & Rom. iii. 19. Gal. iii. 14.

7 Deut. vi. 35.

9 1 John v. 11, 12.

1 Rom. viii. 1. 21 Pet. ii. 21. iii. 18.

two parties have been brought before us, one requiring deliverance, the other granting it: one in a ruined condition, the other possessing the means of repairing that ruin. The next question which arises respects the mode in which the deliverance offered by the one party, is to be secured by the other. It were a possible case, that a propitiation should have been made and accepted for the sins of men, and that they whose sins were so blotted out, had remained ignorant of the grounds of the mercy shown them, or the means by which it was procured. And indeed we know not the extent to which the atonement is available to multitudes, whose ears have never been gladdened here on earth with the "tidings of great joy;" to those righteous men who desired to see the things which God in due time revealed, but did not see them. The case is conceivable. A rich benefactor might be made aware, that a friend was involved in inextricable debt; he might satisfy the obligations, and relieve him from the threatened ruin; and the debtor himself know nothing more than that his debts did not appear against him.

This, however, is not the actual case, as regards those to whom "the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" is revealed. That is first wrought out by the sacrifice of the cross, and then proposed to man's

acceptance. The benefit is to be obtained by a personal appropriation of that sacrifice to ourselves; that personal appropriation of which Faith is the secret instrument, and Baptism the outward seal.

So the Lord declared: " He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life; and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and he that liveth and believeth on me, shall never die. Believest thou this?"4 "All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me: and him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out."5 My sheep hear my voice; and I know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand."6

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In accordance with these promises, the apostles delivered their message. Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thine house."8 If thou confess with thy

John v. 24.

5 John vi. 37.

7 Acts ii. 38.

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4 John xi. 25.

6 John x. 27, 28.

8 Acts xiv. 13.

1

mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." When Philip explained to the Ethiopian how the prophecies of Isaiah which he had been reading as he journeyed were fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ: how it was he who had been "led as a sheep to the slaughter," and "whose life was taken from the earth;" he exclaimed, "See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." I believe that it is he "whom God hath sent to be a Prince and a Saviour:" he who should "redeem Israel." Then Philip baptized him; and "he went on his way rejoicing."

Here, then, is one, who perceived that he needed something which he had not something whereby he might be justified before God, and obtain reconciliation with him. He perceived that what he needed was in Christ Jesus; that peace with God was to be procured through his propitiation: he believed that Jesus was the Son of God, "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world." Therefore he claimed to himself the benefit, in the prescribed way,

9 Rom. x. 9.

Acts viii. 26-39.