and in some degree done by Prophets and Apostles, and God sent many of them for that purpose. But the great work of making atonement for the sins of the whole world, and of saving sinners from sin and eternal ruin, and of being their Mediator and Intercessor, was (as we have seen above) too great to be accomplished by any Prophet, angel, or other created being, and could be done by none other than the Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence His sufferings and His death on the cross, His resurrection and His ascension to heaven, are the greatest and most important events in the history of the world. Through His appearance the sun of God's infinite mercy cast its bright beams upon the dwellers in the realms of shadow ¹ of death, and through His resurrection the fountain of the water of life ² sprang forth to quicken those who lay dead amid the sands of the desert of sin. He opened the gates of heaven to all who truly believe in Him, and by His Apostles and other disciples has sent ³ to invite all men to turn unto God through Him. Thus His precious death and glorious resurrection are the glory of the whole world and the means whereby it will finally be restored to what in God's purpose it was intended to be, free from sin and death. After His return and the final overthrow of Satan, the promise of God will be fulfilled, which is written in the following verses: 'I heard ⁴ a great

voice out of the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his peoples, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God: and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more: neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things are passed away. And. he that sitteth on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.' It was because of these things that so many of the preceding Prophets were commissioned to predict Christ's coming and to lead men to expect and long for His appearance, as all are well aware who have studied the books of the Prophets of Israel and Judah, and as has been shown in the revised edition ¹ of the Balance of Truth (ميزان الحق).

The salvation which may be obtained through the Lord Jesus Christ is not such a salvation as to be reserved for only certain persons or certain nations. On the contrary, the water of life flows abundantly for all men from the pierced side of Jesus Christ, the rock of our salvation, so that every man may drink of it and obtain everlasting life. Nay, even the greatest sinners, if they truly believe in Christ and truly repent of their sins by God's grace, may obtain mercy and forgiveness, and power to break the chains of sin and to serve God in newness of life. This is clearly taught in the holy Scriptures. For example, it is