and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son; that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea-shore; and in thy Seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed My voice."

Jacob, in his final hour, was enabled to look through the vista of years and to contemplate the advent of the promised Messiah. Hence, in blessing Judah he said, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a law-giver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be."

Moses, when about to resign his charge and enter upon his heavenly inheritance, for the encouragement of those he left behind, was divinely authorized to say, "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall hearken."

The Mosaic dispensation, generally termed the Law, was composed chiefly of types and "shadows of good things to come." These find their Antitype in Jesus. It was not possible that those sacrifices offered under the Law should take away sin; but it was possible-and to this end were

they appointed-that they should set forth the true and the only availing Sacrifice. The Law, then, proclaimed the verity of this saying. If not, it had no value. It could not take away sin in reality, and if it did not set forth that which could, it was utterly insufficient. If no better day

was to come, then those who lived under the old dispensation were deceived, their confidence destroyed, and their expectations disappointed. But as shadowing forth the Gospel, it exhibited this faithful saying, and gave the fathers sure and certain ground of good hope, that through the promised Messiah they should enter upon a future and eternal rest.

The prophets with unshaken confidence relied upon the faithfulness of this saying. They were enabled to contemplate the promised Messiah. They announced the time of His incarnation, the place of His birth, the holy and blameless life He should live, the stupendous and benevolent miracles He should perform, the merciful and beneficial instruction He should impart, the death He should die, the time His body should lie under the power of the grave, His triumphant resurrection, and His glorious ascension. It was their province to show the great and merciful design of the incarnation, passion, and death of

the Messiah. As it is written, "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." And those who were thus enabled "to testify beforehand the suffering of Christ, and the glory that should follow," did most certainly confirm the faithfulness of this saying.

John the Baptist added his testimony to that of the prophets, when, directing the attention of his disciples to Jesus as He passed, he exclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world."

It was the declaration of the Saviour Himself, that "He came to seek and to save that which was lost." He opens His mission of mercy to a fallen race by exclaiming, "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." He continues His message, "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: for God sent not His Son into the world to condemn it, but that the world through Him might be saved."

The disciples of Jesus testified also to this saying, thus: "Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and remission of sins"; "We have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins";

"Through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins." These devoted men led a self-denying life in announcing it. They suffered the loss of all things rather than forego this duty.

Heaven itself testifies to its faithfulness. Were we privileged to contemplate that "innumerable company and Church of the first-born,' our ears would hear the joyful song, "Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, unto Him be glory and dominion and power forever and ever."

Hell will not gainsay the verity of this saying. Were it possible to inquire of the unhappy lost, "Is it true that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners?" their answer, doubtless, would be, "It is true and worthy of all acceptation; and because we, during the day of our gracious visitation, believed not, therefore are we justly damned. The time was when we might have believed to our salvation; but now the harvest is past, the Summer is ended, and we are not saved.""

Finally, the many who have obtained redemption through the blood of the Cross, and through grace are journeying to the land of promise, testify to the verity of this saying. Were they

called to sacrifice their lives or abjure Jesus, thousands, like the fathers of the Church, would lay down their lives in testimony of the truth "that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."

III. The Attention which it merits.

It is worthy of all acceptation." Truth should ever be acceptable. But truth of the last importance should be most cordially embraced. It is worthy of the acceptation of all men - the noble and ignoble, the rich and the poor, the bond and the free. Whatever be our situation in life, this saying is adapted to us.

It is worthy of all acceptation,

1. Because all are sinners. If we could find any who were morally pure and perfect, then might we say that to them it is inappropriate. But when, upon examination had, it is clearly developed that "every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart is only evil and that continually"; "that the whole head is sick and the whole heart faint"; that "there is none that doeth good, no, not one"; that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God": then it evidently appears that to all the saying is applicable and worthy of universal acceptation.

2. Because all are helpless sinners. Man is