Father." In the next place, our Saviour gavė the Jews to understand, that as the Father worked, so He, as the eternal Son and Wisdom of the Father, worked also together with Him; working the salvation of mankind, and continually performing, throughout all ages of the world, whatever was necessary to conduct those who believed in Him, to another and a better life.

It shall be my endeavour therefore, in the following observations, to prove to you that our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, has, from the beginning of the world-as well before His incarnation, as subsequent to that mighty event— been contriving and forwarding the work of man's salvation. And for this purpose, I will briefly inquire into the general grounds on which the belief of this important truth is founded; and then, more particularly, demonstrate how much has been accomplished; and how justly Christ asserted, "My Father worketh hitherto, AND I WORK." In attempting this, I shall confine myself entirely to revelation-the only certain ground upon which we can satisfactorily establish the least important article of the Christian faith.

The Scriptures agree, that some men were saved before our Lord took upon Him the nature of man; and, admitting this, it follows of a necessity, that Jesus Christ was their Saviour, as He was the Saviour of the whole world:

because "there is no other name under Heaven given among men whereby they must be saved." It is thus, that St. Peter emphatically expresses himself; and it is impossible that language can be more express or plain. For if there had

been some other way by which any portion of created humanity might have been saved, salvation may have been effected otherwise than through Christ; which the Apostle explicitly denies. St. Paul confirms this statement; for he says, that there is but one God, and “one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for ALL." As there is but one God, so there is only one Mediator, who gave Himself for all men-which were unnecessary, if any other method of salvation had been ordained.

On this principle it was, that God was pleased to usher in the glad tidings of salvation, through the name of Christ, centuries before His birth. "For unto us," says St. Paul, speaking of the Israelites in Egypt-" was the Gospel preached, as well as unto them; but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." The reason, therefore, why this Gospel profited not the Israelites, appears, from the relation of the Apostle, to have arisen from their want of faith-not from the insufficiency of the preaching, nor from the obscurity of the annunciation. And St. Peter observes, "For this

cause was the Gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." There is but one Gospel from the beginning to the end of the world; and it is on this account that St. John in the Revelation calls it the "everlasting Gospel;" while St. Paul thus forcibly declares, that "though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel than what we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."

In reality, the Apostles preached only what the Prophets had before proclaimed: St. Paul positively affirms it-"saying none other things than what the Prophets and Moses did say should come." And again, "we declare unto you glad tidings "—that is, the Gospel-" how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us, their children, in that He hath raised up Jesus again." It was therefore the same Gospel that the Prophets and Apostles preached; the Prophets speaking in the name of God, and the Apostles declaring it fulfilled in the Advent of Christ. In fact, they always appeal to the Prophets in confirmation of their doctrines; and our Saviour Himself said, "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of ME." After His resurrection also He said to His disciples-"These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you; that

all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me." Here, it is to be observed, that He appeals to each of the three portions of the Old Testament, as bearing witness to what He had averred and performed. And the Sacred Writings continue-"Then He opened their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures; and said unto them-"Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

This in truth is the substance of all the Gospel, "repentance and remission of sins, in the name of Christ." And Christ Himself here asserts that both these things were revealed and promised in the Old Testament. "To Him," says St. Peter,

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gave all the Prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins." It is an error therefore to imagine, as some persons have done, that God promised only temporal blessings under the Old Dispensation; for it will be found that nothing is more frequently promised than the assistance of God's Grace-than the influence of the Holy Spirit, to enable them to repent.

Although some had not sufficient confidence in the Gospel as it was preached by the Prophets;

yet assuredly others had. For Christ said to His disciples, "Verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them." The disciples beheld their Saviour in the flesh-beheld the great works which He performed, and heard the Gospel preached by His own sacred mouth. And though this was impossible to the prophets and righteous persons who no longer lived, yet they had desired it; which, unless they had known and believed His future incarnation, they could not have done. The fulfilment of God's promises they did not live to witness; but, as the Apostle assures us, "they saw them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them." They confessed, he adds, "that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." And then he infers, that they who "say such things declare plainly that they seek a country"-that is, seek another life. "Esaias," we are informed by the Evangelist St. John, saw Christ's glory, and spake of Him." And Abraham, as Christ Himself assures us, "rejoiced to see His day: and he saw it, and was glad." The prophet Job saw it; "he knew that his Redeemer lived, and that He should stand at the latter day upon the earth." Moses too, according to St. Paul, foresaw His coming, and "esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the

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