130 FORGIVENESS OF SIN. wrath, curse, confusion, and disorder ; nothing was left good, lovely, or desirable in his sight. As in the first creation, that which was brought forth from no- thing, was " without form and void," so was it now again. There was an emptiness and vanity brought by sin upon the whole creation : nothing remained that might be a motive to a merciful restoration, but all is again devolved on his sovereignty. All things being in this state, in which all things conspired to the glory of God's justice in the punishing of sin ; the whole crea- tion, and especially the sinner himself, trembling in ex- pectation of a dreadful doom, what now cometh forth from him'? The blessedword, " The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head." Gen. 3 : 15. It is full well known, that the whole mystery of forgiveness is wrapt up in this one word of promise. And the great way of its coming forth from God, by the blood of the Messiah, whose heel was to be bruised, is also intimated. This was the first discovery ever made of forgiveness in God. By a word of pure revelation it was made, and so faith must take it up and receive it. Now, this revelation of forgiveness with God, in this one pro- mise, was the foundation of all the worship yielded to him by sinners for many ages; and this will continue to the end of the world, as a notable evidence of the truth before us, a firm foundation for faith to rest and build upon. Let a sinner seriously consider the state of things as they were, and then view God coming forth with a word of pardon and forgiveness, merely from his own love, and those counsels of peace be- tween the Father and the Son; and he cannot but con- clude, under his greatest difficulties, that yet there is forgiveness with God, that he may be feared. Let now the law and conscience, let sin and Satan stand forth and except against this evidence: it is enough to put them all to silence.
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