could heal him, will he think lightly of his sins ? Will he not rather " look on him whom his sins have pierced, and mourn, and be in bitterness, as one that is in bitterness for his first- born?" Truly this is the proper effect of faith in Christ, who, if he redeem us from guilt and condemnation, will also " purify us unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works."]
John iii. 16. For God so loved the ivorld, that he gave his only- begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should, not perish, but have everlasting life.
THE doctrine of our reconciliation with God through the death of his Son, is calculated to impress our minds with a deep sense of the love of Christ in undertaking for us ; but, if not cautiously stated, it may give us very erroneous conceptions respecting the Father. If, for instance, we imagine that the Father needed the mediation of his Son to render him propitious, then we must ascribe all the glory of our salvation to the Son, and consider the Father merely as acquiescing in the Son's wishes, and shewing mercy to us for his sake. But the whole plan of our salvation originated with the Father : the very gift of a Saviour was the fruit of the Father's love; and therefore, in contemplating the wonders of Re- demption, we must trace them to their proper source, the love of God the Father.
To this view of things we are led by the text ; in elucidating which, we shall not form any particular arrangement, but simply take the several expressions contained in it, and use them as so many mirrors to reflect light upon one central point, the love of God the Father in sending his only-begotten Son to die for us.
Consider then, first, the Giver —
[If man confer a benefit upon his fellow-creature, we are not surprised ; because there is no man so elevated, but he may need the assistance of his inferiors ; nor is there any man so depressed, but he may, at some period or other, have it in his power to requite a kindness. But " God" is totally independent