How forcibly has the prophet marked the extent"1, the ful- ness6, and the freenessf of his salvation ! He invites "all the ends of the earth," even persons defiled " with crimson sins," to accept all the benefits of the Gospel, " without money and without price." In the New Testament the same things are spoken with all the energy that language can afford. All, without exception, are exhorted to come to Christ g, with all assurance that he will cleanse them from all sinh, and bestow upon them freely all the blessings of grace and glory1. Is all this a mere mockery and delusion ? It surely is so, if Christ be not " able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by himk."]
3. To matter of fact — [We can draw aside the veil of heaven, and point to some before the throne of God, who are such monuments of grace as leave no douht respecting the sufficiency of Christ to save any others whatsoever. Behold that man, a murderer ; a murderer of no common stamp : he was not satisfied with shedding the blood of a few of his fellow-creatures, or of those who were deserving of death ; but he " made the very streets of Jerusalem to run down with blood, and that with the blood of innocents." Moreover, this was but a small part of the guilt he had con- tracted ; so various and so enormous were his crimes. Yet is he, even Manasseh, a chosen vessel, in whom God is, and for ever will be, glorified .
Seest thou that woman also ? We know not the particulars of her conduct ; but she was so vile and notorious a sinner, that it was a disgrace to notice her, yea, our Lord's condescend- ing to notice her was made a ground of doubting his divine mission : nevertheless she also, though once possessed by seven devils, is now in glory. She received, while yet upon earth, an assured testimony, from our Lord himself, that her sins, numerous as they were, were all forgiven™: and now is she singing the triumphs of redeeming love, as loud as any in heaven.
We could easily refer to a multitude of others, whose enor- mities were beyond all measure great, who nevertheless were " washed, justified, and sanctified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our Godn." But enough has been said to put out of all question the blessed truth we are insist- ing on, namely, that Jesus is a Saviour, and a great one, and able to deliver all who trust in him0.]
d Isai. xlv. 22. e Isai. i. 18. f Isai. lv. 1, 2.
g Matt. xi. 28. John vi. 37. h 1 John i. 7. Acts xiii. 39.
1 John iv. 10. and vii. 37, 28. k Heb. vii. 25.
1 2 Chron. xxxili. 1 — 13. m Luke vii. 47, 48.
n 1 Cor. vi. 9—11. " Isai. xix. 20.