through his all-atoning sacrifice ? Verily, if we make no better use of the explanations given us in the New Testament than to refine, and cavil, and obscure the truth, we had better go at once, and learn of a poor ignorant Jew : for there was no Jew so ignorant, but, when he saw that rite performed, could tell you in what way his iniquities were to be forgiven. And, if only we will bear in mind that ordinance, we may defy all the sophists upon earth : for it speaks the truth so plainly, that " he who runs may read it."
Turn we to the iwoi)liets : They bear one uniform testimony to the truth we are proclaiming. Through fear of detaining you too long, we will wave the men- tion of any particular passages ; because, if we believe the declaration of God himself, their testimony is all summed up in one infallible declaration : "■ To him give all the prophets witness, that, through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sinsV
Our blessed Lord invariably declared, that his blood should be shed for the remission of sins, and that in no other way than by faith in him could any child of man be saved. " I am the way, and the truth, and the life : no man cometh unto the Father, but by me^" " As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so shall the Son of man be lifted up ; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." " He that believeth on him,, is not condemned ; but he that believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God*"." If it be said, that, in answer to one who inquired, '' What shall I do to inherit eternal life ?" he replied, " If thou wilt enter into hfe, keep the commandments ;" we answer, he did so : and we highly disapprove of that mode which some take of evading the force of his words, by saying that he
<> Acts X. 43. e John xiv. 6. f John iii. 14—16, 18.