minutest particular, to all who should rely upon it in deed and in truth.]
And now let me call your attention to,
III. The conclusion drawn —
The same train of argument had been followed both by St. Peter and St. Paul. And from it their inferences were,
1. That Christ was indeed the true Messiah —
[See the argument as stated by St. Peter on the day of Pentecost1 — ■ Then mark his conclusion drawn: " There- fore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ k." Know ye then this, my beloved brethren : there is a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ ; and there is no other than He. He has died for you ; and his sacrifice has been accepted of the Father in your behalf. And of this you have a certain pledge, in his resurrection from the dead. I call upon you, then, to renounce every other hope; and to look unto Him, as " all your salvation and all your desire" ]
2. That all who believe in him shall most assuredly be saved —
[This is the conclusion, as drawn by the Apostle Paul. Having further prosecuted the line of argument which we have already noticed1, he adds, " Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins : and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses m." Yes; to every one of you do I this day preach the forgiveness of sins. Who amongst you does not need it ? Who amongst you can obtain remission in any other way? Who amongst you would not account the pardon of all his sins as the richest blessing that could be conferred upon him ? Behold, then, I this day offer it to every one amongst you : yea, I offer it simply by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Under the Mosaic law there were many sins for which no sacrifice was appointed. But not so under the Christian dispensation. There is no sin, whatever, nor any accumulation of sins, which may not be washed away by the Redeemer's blood : for " the blood of Jesus Christ," we are told, " cleanseth from all sinn." To every one of you, therefore, do I offer, in his name, a free and full remission, in perfect accordance with God's covenant,
1 Acts ii. 22 — 35. k Acts ii. 3(3. • ver. 35 — 37.
m ver. 38, 39. » 1 John i. 7.