world" ; and it is in seasons of heavy dejection that He reveals himself to them : to him therefore we must look as the Saviour foretold in the text.
I. In what respects He is " a great Saviour" —
It is justly said by the Psalmist that *' his greatness is unsearchable''; nevertheless we may, not unpro- fitably, endeavour to illustrate it.
He is great when considered in Ms own person — [He has a name above every name either on earth or in heaven. He is exalted to be a Prince that can give repentance and remission of sins'*. The voice of inspiration calls him, " the great God and our Saviour''." He speaks of himself in terms of similar import '^; nor can any thing be more glorious than the description given of him by the prophet^. This Saviour, " though a man, thinks it not robbery to be equal with God^." He is " God manifest in the flesh V' even "God over all blessed for ever*^."]
He is also great in respect of the salvation he has wrought out for us —
[Who can count the number of the sins from which he has
delivered us ? or estimate the misery from which he
has redeemed us ? Through our whole lives we have
been heaping up treasures of wraths Yet is there no condem- nation to us if we be interested in him™ ; besides, he has pur- chased for us an eternal inheritance in heaven. Who can
estimate all that is there enjoyed ? We must know all
the glories of heaven and the horrors of hell, before we can fully appreciate the greatness of his salvation.]
But before we speak peace to ourselves, it becomes us to inquire,
II. For whose deliverance he is sent —
Great as his mercy is, it will not indiscriminately extend to all. They, for whose relief he comes, are " oppressed" with the burthen of sin —
[The generality, alas ! are well contented with their bond- age. If he should offer to deliver them, they would thrust him from them, as the Israelites of old did their saviour Moses".
^ This appears from the whole context, ver. 18 — 25. c Ps. cxlv. 3. J Acts v. 31. '^ Tit. ii. 13.
f Isai. xlv. 22. s Isai. ix. 6. ^ Phil. ii. 6.
' 1 Tim, iii. 1(5. ^ Rom. ix. 5. ' Rom. ii. 5.
™ Rom. viii. 1. " Acts vii. 37, 39.