called to take upon ourselves under the Christian dispensation :
1. To accept God as our God —
[The Jews had most satisfactory evidence that Jehovah was the only true God, and that he alone was worthy to be worshipped and adored. But, great as were the evidences of his kindness towards them, they are nothing in comparison of the demonstrations of his love to us. The gift of his only dear Son to die for us must for ever eclipse every other expression of his lovea: and this peculiarly distinguishes the view in which we are to accept him : we must regard him as our incarnate God, as " God in Christ Jesus, reconciling the world unto himself, and not imputing their trespasses unto them." Think a moment what is implied in such an acceptance of God : it sup- poses, that we feel our guilty, helpless, and hopeless state by nature ; that we see the suitableness and sufficiency of the pro- vision which God has made for us in the Son of his love ; and that we are determined to have no dependence on any thing but on the meritorious death and the all-sufficient grace of the
Lord Jesus
But it is not merely a secret determination which God re- quires: that determination must be avowed; we must " avouch" him to be the Lord our God. We must not be ashamed of Christ, but must " confess him before men," and be as bold in acknowledging him, as the ungodly are in their allegiance to the god of this world ]
2. To act towards him as becomes us in that relation —
[Universal obedience to his commands was promised by the Jews of old ; and the same must be promised by us also. We need not attempt to discriminate between the various terms here used: this we are sure is intended by them, that we are to yield obedience to the tvhole of his will as far as we know it, neither regarding any thing as unworthy of our notice, nor any thing as too difficult for us to perforin: we must " hearken to his voice," as the angels in heaven doh, with an unwearied solicitude to know more of his will, and an incessant readiness to comply with the first intimations of it, We must be searching and meditating continually to find out what he speaks to us in his written word; and be listening also atten- tively to the still small voice of his Spirit, speaking to us hi our consciences : and, whatever we ascertain to be his mind and will, that we are to do without hesitation, and without reserve. Now this we must determine through grace to do. We must
a Rom. v. 8. b Ps. ciii. 20.