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I. MAN'S PERILOUS STATE. He was "going down to the pit."

1. Man in his fallen and debased condition. Crown fallen from his head; fallen from holiness, dignity, dominion, happiness, etc.; into guilt, depravity, and misery.

2. It denotes man's passage to the grave. Sin introduced disease and death.

3. It represents our exposedness to the pit of destruction. The tendency of the sinner was towards perdition. His sin had doomed him to it. And sin also was ripening him for it. His steps were downwards towards the gates of perdition, the regions of endless woe. What a dreadful state!

II. DISPLAYED HIS GRACIOUS REGARDS TOWARDS HIM. Now God's interposition on his behalf must have been altogether gracious.

1. Deity was entirely independent of man. He could easily have blotted out the human race, and have formed creatures every way more worthy of His regards.

2. Man had nothing to interest Jehovah in his welfare. No moral excellency; no reasonable apologies for his crime; no possibility of giving a return.

3. Jehovah had every reason to punish. Justice was injured, holiness insulted, goodness abused, etc., yet mercy prevailed.

III. TO THE MEANS OF DELIVERANCE PROVIDED. "I have found a ransom."

1. The source of our deliverance. "I" have found, etc. Man did not find, nor yet angels, but God found a ransom. Oh yes! God alone possessed stores of wisdom sufficient for the great and mighty undertaking.

2. The instrument of our deliverance was a ransom. That ransom was His own Son. "He gave His Son," "Spared not His own Son," etc. The price of our ransom was "the precious blood of Christ."

3. The mode of our ransom. This was done by assuming our nature; obeying the law; dying for sin; overcoming the powers of hell; rising from the grace, etc. (Isaiah 53:4-11; Romans 4:15; Colossians 1:20).Learn —

1. What ruin and misery sin has produced.

2. What Divine mercy has provided.

3. What the Saviour's merits hath procured.

4. The necessity of feeling ourselves personally interested in the blessings of redeeming grace. "He that hath the Son, hath life."

5. The grateful return we Should render for the loving kindness and redeeming mercy of God.

(J. Burns, D. D.)

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KJV: If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness:

WEB: "If there is beside him an angel, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show to man what is right for him;