The nominal Christian may also love those precepts which do not materially condemn him. The man who is sober, chaste, honest, just, temperate, benevolent, may take a real pleasure in such passages of Scripture as inculcate the virtues in which he supposes himself to have excelled ; and may feel an indignation against the ways, by which those precepts are grossly violated.
He may yet further delight in such precepts as, according to his interpretation of them, afford him ground for rejecting the Gospel. No passages in all the word of God are more delightful to him than such as these : " Be not righteous overmuch ;" and " What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" He has no fear lest he should not be righteous enough; nor is he very anxious to in- quire what is implied in walking humbly with God : it is sufficient for him that these passages are, in his eyes, opposed to what he calls enthusiasm ; setting aside the necessity of faith in the Lord Jesus, and of a life of entire devotedness to his service : and his hatred of all passages that bear an opposite aspect, is in exact proportion to his zeal for these.
But, whilst such parts of Scripture are approved by him, does he love all that the Inspired Volume contains ? Does he love those precepts which are most sublime and spiritual? No ; it is no pleasure to him to hear of "setting his affections on things above," or of having " his conversation in heaven :" nor does it afford him any gratification to be told, that the measure of holiness which he must aspire after, is that which was exhibited in the Lord Jesus, whose example he is to follow in the whole of his spirit 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