1. To enter a little into its contents —
[It reveals to man a Saviour. It declares that God, in tender mercy to our fallen race, sent his only dear Son into the world, to make an atonement for us, and to effect by his own
obedience unto death, our reconciliation with him The
Old Testament revealed this as to be effected in due season ; and the New Testament gives an account of it as already accom- plished ' The New Testament moreover sets before us
all his invitations and promises, together with the promise of the Holy Spirit, to render the whole effectual for our complete and final salvation ]
2. To shew briefly, that this is indeed God's destined
instrument for the salvation of the world —
[It is that with which he wrought from the very beginning : for, though it was comparatively but obscurely revealed, yet it was to this that Adam looked, as holding forth a promise of the seed of the woman to bruise the serpent's head : and to this the faith of Abel had respect, when he presented the offering of a firstling to the Lord. To this also Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the patriarchs, and all the prophets, and all the saints and martyrs of the ancient Church, had respect : they viewed it through the medium of types and prophecies ; and though they had not actually received the promised Saviour, they were saved by him, just as we are who live so many cen- turies posterior to his advent11. There never was, nor ever shall be, " any other foundation" for a sinner's hope, or " any other name whereby a sinner can be saved, but the name of Jesus Christ."]
Having shewn what " the book" is, we are led to notice,
II. Its transcendent excellencv —
It comes to the whole world, and commends itself to all,
1. As suited to their wants —
[It might be thought, that, whatever offers it made, it would be of no use, if men had not eyes to see it, or ears to hear it : but it engages that the deaf shall hear it, and that the blind shall see it out of obscurity and out of darkness. It not only presents to us things suited to our spiritual senses, but it gives us the very senses, whereby we are enabled to apprehend them. Now this is of peculiar importance ; for there is no man by nature who has any spiritual discernment whatever : all are both deaf and blind : and, if any imagine that they are exempt
h Ileb. xi. 4, 13, 39, 40.