whilst it reveals a salvation from God, it imparts that blessing to all who truly receive it. But the desig- nation given to it in the passage before us is pre- eminently grand and beautiful ; and will properly lead me to take a view of the Gospel in all its boundless extent, and to mark in succession, its nature and office — its riches and fulness — its suitableness and sufficiency — its excellency and glory.
And may God of his infinite mercy so reveal it to our minds, and bring it home with efficacy to our hearts, that it may prove " the power of God to the salvation " of all who hear it !
To investigate the nature and office of the Gospel, will be sufficient to occupy us at this time.
To understand the Gospel aright, we must con- template,
I. The state in which it finds us ;
II. The provision which it makes for our deliver- ance from that state; and,
III. The means which it prescribes for our partici- pation of its blessings.
I. The state in which it finds us —
Man is not in the state in which he was first created. He was formed at first, in the very image of his God ; pure as God himself is pure ; and perfect, according to his capacity, as God himself is perfect. But Adam fell ; and his children, descend- ing from him in his fallen state, could not but partake of his corruption : for the Scripture saith, " Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean d?" Now, to mark clearly and distinctly the condition of fallen man, is of the utmost importance ; because the knowledge of that lies at the root of all true religion. The Scriptures declare it with the utmost simplicity : and, if we receive with humility the declarations of God respecting it, we shall gain an insight into the whole Gospel, which is, in fact, a provision of God for the necessities of man.
d Job xiv. 4.