But, alas ! the greater part of them rejected his tes- timony, and drew from him that solemn admonition, which had, many hundred years before, been given to their fathers : he told them that they were given up to judicial blindness ; and that the consolation which he in vain sought amongst them, he should find amongst the Gentiles ; who were ordained of God to inherit those blessings which they despised.
There are two things which we propose to notice on the present occasion :
I. The salvation here spoken of —
It is of great importance to observe the terms by which the Gospel is here designated : it is called " the salvation of God."
It is " salvation" — [The true nature of the Gospel is by no means generally understood. The generality conceive it to be nothing more than a new system of duties. There are some, however} who appear to be acquainted with its nature to a certain extent, but materially fail when they come to explain themselves more fully. They will speak of our condemnation by the law, and our inability to save ourselves according to the terms of the first covenant: they will also represent Christ as introducing a new covenant, and as the Author of salvation to all who believe in him. Thus far they are right: but when it is inquired what are the terms of the new covenant, and how it is that Christ saves his people, they shew that " they have need to be taught afresh what be the first principles of the Oracles of God." They say that Christ has procured for us a milder law, which requires only sincere obedience : and that, if we endeavour to obey that law, his death shall atone for our im- perfections, and his righteousness shall make up for our defects. But this representation of Christ's work very ill accords with the terms by which the Gospel is characterized in the text. The Gospel in that view would be only a new law ; and sal- vation by it would be, in fact, salvation by works, and not by gi'ace. However the law itself be reduced, if our obedience to it, either in whole or in part, be the ground of our accept- ance with God, it is salvation by works ; and the performers of those works will have to glory before God. Let our justi- fication depend ever so little on our works, the case will be precisely the same : we shall have some ground of boasting within ourselves : if not so much as we should have had by the first covenant, still we have some : which clearly proves, that