To all who love and relish the simple gospel of the grace of God, I would earnestly recommend the following "Notes on the Book of Genesis." They are characterized by a deep-toned evangelical spirit. Having had the privilege of reading them in MS., I can speak as one who has found profit therefrom. Man's complete ruin in sin, and God's perfect remedy in Christ, are fully, clearly, and often strikingly, presented, especially in the earlier chapters.
To Christ's servants in the gospel sound, forcible statements as to what _sin_ is and what _grace_ is, are deeply valuable in the present time, when so much that is merely superficial is abroad.
The gospel of Christ, as perfectly meeting man's nature, condition, and character, is comparatively little known, and less proclaimed. Hence, the numerous doubts, fears, and unsettled questions which fill the hearts and perplex the consciences of many of God's dear children. Until the soul is led to see that the entire question of sin and the claims of divine holiness were _all and forever settled_ on the cross, sweet, quiet rest of conscience will be but little known.
Nothing can meet the urgent cry of a troubled conscience but the one perfect sacrifice of Christ; offered _to_ God _for us_, on the cross. "For even Christ _our_ passover is sacrificed _for us_." There, and there alone it will find a _perfect answer_ to its every claim; because there it will find, through believing, all ground of doubt and fear removed, the whole question of sin eternally settled, every divine requirement fully met, and a solid foundation laid for present, settled peace, in the presence of divine holiness: Christ "delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification," settles every thing. The moment we believe the gospel, we are saved, and ought to be divinely happy. "He that believeth on the Son _hath_ everlasting life." (Rom. iv. v.; John iii.)
We see the greatness of God's love to the sinner in his judgment of sin in the person of his own dear Son on the cross. There God, in perfect grace to us, dealt with sin according to his infinite holiness and justice. He went down to the depths of our ruin and all our sin, measured it, judged it, and put it forever away, _root_ and _branch_, by shedding the precious blood of the spotless Victim. "He condemned sin in the flesh;" that is, he there condemned the evil root of sin which is in our flesh,--our carnal nature. But he also "made an end of sins,"--of the actual sins of every believer. Thus, between God and Christ alone the entire question of sin was gone into, and finally settled on the cross. "Simon Peter said unto him, Lord whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go _thou canst not follow me now_." Just as Abraham and Isaac were alone on the top of the mountain in the land of Moriah, so were God and Christ alone, amidst the solemnities and solitudes of Calvary. The only part we had in the cross was, that our _sins_ were there. Jesus _alone_ bore the full weight of their judgment. (Comp. Dan. ix. 24; Rom. viii. 3; 2 Cor. v. 21; Heb. ix. 26, 28.)
Whenever this blessed truth is learnt from God's own word, and maintained in the soul by faith, through the power of the Holy Ghost, all is peace, joy, and victory. It takes the believer completely away from himself, from his doubts, fears, and questions. And his eye now gazes on ONE who, by his finished work, has laid the foundation of divine and everlasting righteousness, and who is now at the right hand of the Majesty in the highest, as the perfect definition of every true believer. With him, with him alone, the believer's heart is now to be occupied.
Faith is fully assured that when _God_ puts away sin, it must be put away entirely; that, when Jesus exclaimed, "IT IS FINISHED," the work was done,--God was glorified, the sinner saved, the whole power of Satan completely destroyed, and peace established on the most solid basis. Hence, we find, "The God of _peace_ brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant." He was the God of _judgment_ at the cross. He is the God of _peace_ at the opening grave. Every enemy has been vanquished, and eternal peace proclaimed, through the blood of his cross. "He was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father." He rose "in the power of an endless life," and associates every believer with himself, in the power of that life in resurrection. Having been cleansed by his blood, they are accepted in his person. (See Eph. i. 6; Col. ii. 10; 1 John v. 20.)
Jesus, having thus fully accomplished the work that was given him to do, and gone up on high, the Holy Ghost came down as a witness to us that redemption was finished, the believer "perfected forever" and Christ glorified in heaven.