toward men." Salvation means
deliverance. A prophecy concerning the Christ--our salvation--says: "He hath
sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the
captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound." Isa.
61:1. Christ our Savior came to deliver us from the prison-house of sin.

In the preceding chapter we learned that sin left its crimson and scarlet
stains upon the soul. Salvation cleanses the soul, removing the stains,
making it as white as snow. Washing in "niter and much soap" will not
prove effectual, but the blood of Jesus will remove every stain. Sin
reproaches, but the salvation of Jesus exalts. It lifts man up from the
coarse, degrading, shameful life of sin, and exalts him to integrity,
nobility, and purity. It removes the discontentments, uneasiness,
condemnations and fears, and brings joy, peace and rest. Salvation breaks
the strong fetters of sin and man rejoices in the beautiful light and
liberty of this gospel day. The scepter is wrested from the cruel tyrant,
sin, and righteousness in quietness and peace sways the scepter, and man
rejoices. Sin is dethroned and Christ is crowned King of glory, and his
triumphant reign is in the heart and life of man. Sin no longer has
dominion. Christ hath made us free.

O God, thy vict'ries I extol
With all the freedom of my soul.

Salvation removes the awful sting of death and allows man to approach the
last hour

"Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch
About him and lies down to pleasant dreams."

A Present Salvation.

"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2
Cor. 6:2. The present dispensation, or gospel day, is the salvation age.
It is the accepted time, or the time which God has accepted for the
salvation of man. That there is another dispensation of time beyond this
present Christian era in which man can be saved is Satan's falsehood to
cause man to neglect salvation in this "accepted time," beyond which he
knows there is no escape. "How shall we escape if we neglect so great
salvation?" "To-day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts."

The apostle Paul says, "The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath
appeared to all men." Titus 2:11. It "hath appeared." This is the time
when salvation has appeared unto all men, and all men must accept it in
this time or lose it forever. In Titus 3:5, Eph. 2:5, Rom. 6:22, Jude 1, 1
Cor. 1:2, and many other