The Gospel

    The Gospel, in the power of the Holy Spirit, uncovers unto a sinner the way of salvation contrived in the covenant of grace, and manifests to him what the ever blessed Trinity had therein purposed, and what in the fullness of time was accomplished. That all the perfections of the Godhead might be infinitely and everlastingly glorified, the Father covenanted to gain honour and dignity, to His law and justice, to His faithfulness and holiness, by insisting upon man's appearing at His bar in the perfect righteousness of the law. But man having no such righteousness of his own, all having sinned, and there being none righteous, no, not one; how can he be saved? The Lord Christ, a Person in the Godhead co-equal and co-eternal with the Father, undertook to be his Saviour. He covenanted to stand up as the Head and Surety of His people in their nature and in their stead, to obey for them, that by His everlastingly meritorious stripes they might be healed. Accordingly, in the fullness of time He came into the world, and was made flesh, and God and man being as truly united in one Person lived, and suffered, and died, as the representative of His people. The righteousness of His life was to be their right and title to life, and the righteousness of His sufferings and death was to save them from all the sufferings due to their sins. And thus the law and justice of the Father would be glorified in pardoning them, and his faithfulness and holiness made honourable in saving them. He might be strictly just, and yet the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus.