declared the wondrous and ineffable love which, has existed between the Father and the Son from all eter- nity. " The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand/' (John hi. 35.) It proclaimed the Father's full and 'complete approbation of Christ's mission to seek and save the lost. It announced the Father's acceptance of the Son as the Mediator, Substi- tute, and Surety of the new covenant.
There is a rich mine of comfort, in these words, for all Christ's believing members. In themselves, and in their own doings, they see nothing to please God. They are daily sensible of weakness, shortcoming, and imperfection in all their ways. But let them recollect that the Father regards them as members of His beloved Son Jesus Christ. He sees no spot in them. (Cant. iv. 7.) He beholds them as "in Christ," clothed in His righteous- ness, and invested with His merit. They are " accepted in the Beloved," and when the holy eye of God looks at them, He is " well pleased."
Let us notice, in the second place, the nature of Christ's preaching. We read that he came saying, " Kepent ye, and believe the Gospel."
This is that old sermon which all the faithful witnesses of God have continually preached, from the very begin- ning of the world. From Noah down to the present day the burden of their address has been always the same — " Repent and believe."
The apostle Paul told the Ephesian elders, when he left them for the last time, that the substance of his teaching among them had been " repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ." (Acts,