and temper, his conversation and conduct, *• walking in all things as he walked."
Nor does he particularly affect those precepts which require much self-denial. " To crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts," and to root out from his soul every evil, though it be dear to him "as a right eye," or necessary to him as " a right hand," and to have a compliance with these precepts as his only alternative between that and the taking his portion *' in hell-fire," is no pleasing sound in his ears, notwithstanding it proceeds from the meek and lowly Jesus '=.
Least of all is he gratified with precepts i\i?X strike at his besetting sin. The proud man does not delight to hear the workings of pride delineated ; nor the covetous man the evils of covetousness depicted; nor the gay and dissipated the folly of their ways exposed ; nor the self-righteous man the delusive nature of his hopes declared. No, they are all ready to deride the statements that condemn their ways, just as the Pharisees derided our Lord, when he had unveiled their covetous and hypocritical devices ; " The Pharisees were covetous (it is said), and they derided him." The hearts of these people rise against all such doctrines, and with no little bitterness they exclaim, **Li so saying, thou reproachest us*^."
The true Christian, on the contrary, approves and loves all the commands of God ; both those which are evangelical, and those which are moral.
He loves those which are evangelical. It is no grief to him to be told, that he must renounce all depend- ence .on his own righteousness, and rely entirely on ■ the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is rather with the most heartfelt delight that he hears those gracious commands, " Look unto me, and be ye saved ;" " Come unto me, and I will give you rest;" ** Believe on me, and have everlasting life." *' He esteems these precepts to be right ;" he feels them to be exactly suited to his necessities : he knows, and is assured, that his own righteousness is only as
''filthy
* Mark ix. 42—48. ** Luke xi. A5.
426 PSALM, cxix. 128. [426.
*' filthy rags ;" and that in any other garment than the robe of Christ's righteousness, it is impossible for him to stand in the presence of a holy God. He sees also that this mode of justification before God is the only one which can consist with the honour of God's justice, and with the demands of his law. Hence whatever opposes this way of salvation, "he hates ;" yea, he shudders at the very thought of claiming any thing on the ground of his own worthiness, saying, ** God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." He thankfully traces all his mercies to the covenant made from all eternity between the Father and the Son ; and to that cove- nant he looks, as ** ordered in all things, and sure ;" and from his inmost soul he says of it, *' This is all my salvation, and all my desire."
Moreover, as the duty of coming to Christ, so the duty of "living altogether by faith in Christ," the duty of abiding in him as branches of the living vine, of receiving from his fulness continual supplies of grace and strength, and of '* growing up into him in all things, as our living Head ;" the duty, I say, of making him " our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, our redemption," our all, and of glory- ing in HIM, and in him alone ; all this is heard by the true Christian with ineffable delight : he would that Christ should have all the glory : he sees it to be *' right," that He who came down from heaven, and died upon the cross to save him, and ascended up on high, and has all fulness treasured up in him for the use of his Church and people, and who dwells in them " as their very life ;" I say, he sees it '* right," that this adorable Saviour should "be exalted, and extolled, and be very high ;" yea, that he should be on earth, as he is in heaven, the one object of our adoration, and the continual theme of our praise. And, whilst a blind and ignorant world are ready to blame his ^eal for the Redeemer's glory as carried to excess, his constant grief is, that he cannot love him more, and serve him better.