[The Gospel supposes men to have offended God, and to be obnoxious to his everlasting displeasure. It further sup- poses that they have no way of conciliating the Divine favour, or of warding off the stroke of his indignation. Coming to men in this helpless and hopeless state, it publisheth tidings of peace and salvation : it represents sin as expiated by the atoning blood of Jesus; and God as reconciled to all who will trust in his meritorious and all-prevailing sacrifice. This is the view which St. Paul himself gives us of the Gospel ; in preaching of which Gospel ministers resemble the messengers sent to Babylon, who had nothing to do but to proclaim a full and free deliverance to the wretched captives'5.]
2. A declaration of Christ's power and grace —
[The Chaldeans, who so grievously oppressed their Jewish captives, may justly represent to us the bitter and tyrannical dominion of sin and Satan : and Cyrus, who, without fee or reward, liberated them from their bondage, may be considered as the agent and representative of the Deity. As therefore the messengers would not fail to remind the Jews, that Cyrus, the one author of their happiness, would continue to them his protection and favour while they maintained their allegiance to him ; so, in preaching the Gospel, we are to declare, that Christ, to whom we owe the beginnings of our liberty, will complete our deliverance, and continue to us all the tokens of his love, provided we yield him, as we are in duty bound, a willing and unreserved obedience. Thus did Christ himself preach the Gospel, saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand c.]
If we view the Gospel in this light, we shall see immediately,
II. That it is a ground of joy —
By a beautiful figure, the very steps of the mes- senger hastening over the distant mountains are repre- sented as inspiring us with joy. That the Gospel itself is a source of joy, appears in that,
1. It has been considered so from the first moment
of its promulgation —
[Abraham, two thousand years before its promulgation, rejoiced exceedingly in a distant prospect of itd. At the birth of Jesus, our deliverer, a host of angels congratulated the world, saying, " Behold, we bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people ; for unto you is born a
* 2 Cor. v. 18—20.
c Compare Mark i. 14, 1">. with Matt. i\\ 17. d John viii. 56.