and meanwhile brought out His ways in every possible variety. The crowning experiment of all was the presence of Christ, the seed of the woman, and the seed of promise, too; for now came the Person who answered to all the revelations and promises, the ways, and types, and prophecies of God. He came, in whose Person was found all that was worthy of God, and that was suited to man. But the coming of Christ brought out the awful truth, not only that man is himself corrupt, depraved, and loves his own will, but that he hates goodness—yea, divine goodness—in a man. He is the enemy of God when manifesting Himself in the most blessed manner—in His own Son; when manifesting Himself, not only in power—for we can understand a guilty creature alarmed at holy power—but in perfect love, coming down in humiliation, putting Himself at the foot of man, beseeching man; for this is in truth not a figure or exaggeration of man’s mind, but God’s own word. Hear His description of it: “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now, then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech by us,” &c. This love beseeching sinners was the attribute of divine grace in the person of Christ. What was the result? That man proved there was no possibility of extricating himself by any means that God put at his disposal: that if if were a question of man’s delivering himself, no matter what might be the mercy or the blessing, no matter how deep and full
