2.  It  must  be  very  plain  to  every  reader  of  the  Old  Testa-
ment, that  it  is  from  God  himself,  in  the  exercise  of  his
free  bounty,  that  all  blessing — the  pardon  of  sin  and
acceptance  into  his  favour  included — is  represented  as
coming  to  mankind.  This  was  the  leading  truth  of  that
revelation  of  Himself  which  God  gave  to  Israel  through
Moses  :  "  The  Lord  passed  before  him  and  proclaimed  the
Lord,  the  Lord  God,  merciful  and  gracious,  long-suffering
and  abundant  in  goodness  and  truth,  keeping  mercy  for
thousands,  forgiving  iniquity,  transgression  and  sin."*  In
the  writings  of  the  prophets  this  truth  is  much  dwelt  upon.
Nothing  can  be  more  explicit  than  the  following  declara-
tion of  God  by  Isaiah  :  "  I  am,  even  I  am  he  that  blotteth
out  thy  trangressions,  for  mine  oivn  sake,  and  will  not  re-
member thy  sins."t  And  the  faith  of  the  ancient  Church
found  utterance  in  such  language  as  this :  "  Who  is  a  God
like  unto  thee,  that  pardoneth  iniquity,  and  passeth  by  the
trangression  of  the  remnant  of  his  heritage  ?  He  retaineth
not  his  anger  for  ever,  because  he  delighteth  in  mercy.  He
will  turn  again ;  He  will  have  compassion  upon  us ;  He
will  subdue  our  iniquities;    and  thou  wilt  cast  all  their


*  Exod.  xxxiv.  6.
+  Isa.  sliii.  25.  'jrnb  "  i.  e.  ex  sola  sua  natura  benigna  atque  ad  clemen-
tiam  prona  nullis  populi  HeLraici  in  se  meritis  motum."  Eoseumiiller  in
loc.
3U8  CONCLUDING  EEFLECTIONS.
sins  into  the  depths  of  the  sea.'""  Nor  had  God  merely
revealed  Himself  as  the  author  of  salvation  to  mankind.
