whether you are not rather wishing to find some worthiness in yourselves, that may serve as a ground of confidence in your approaches to him, and as a foundation of your hope of acceptance with him. For be assured, that if you stumble at this stumbling-stone, you will frustrate the grace of God, and cause the death of Christ, as far as respects yourselves, to be in vainf.]
2. Submit humbly and cheerfully to the righteous- ness of Christ —
[Strange indeed is it that it should be any act of submission to believe in Christ : but it is in reality such a submission as our proud hearts are never brought to without much difficulty. We may see how a spirit of pride wrought in Naaman, when he was told by the pi-ophet to " wash in Jordan, and be clean." Had he been told to do some great thing, he would have com- plied immediately: but to " wash in Jordan" appeared to be so inadequate a remedy, that he would not condescend to try it. Thus, when we say to men, " Believe, and be saved," we seem to propose to them a remedy of no value. Were we to lay down rules for them, and tell them what penances to inflict on themselves, and what services to perform in order to the pur- chasing of heaven, we should find them willing to undertake whatever we might prescribe. The very thought of being their own saviours would suffice to carry them through the greatest difficulties. But when we say to them, " Believe only, and ye shall be saved," they are ready, like Naaman, to " turn away in a rage." This however is what we are commissioned to say: and, if an angel from heaven were to give you any direction contrary to that, he would be accursedg. O let your hearts be humbled before God. Methinks, when Jesus said to the lepers, " Go and shew yourselves to the priests ;" or, when to the blind man, " Go and wash in the pool of Siloam," they found no reluctance to comply. Why then should you ? Can you cleanse your own leprosy ? Can you open your own eyes ? Can you effect your own salvation? No assuredly, you cannot. If any man could have saved himself, methinks it was the Apostle Paul. But he, disclaiming all thoughts of ever accom- plishing such a work, " desired to be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness, but the righteousness which is of God by faith in Christ^." Be ye, brethren, like-minded with him; and then you may, like him, be " always triumphing in Christ," and be assured, that, " when Christ, who is your life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory1."]
f Gal. ii. 21. e Gal. i. 8, 9. »» Phil. iii. 9. * Col. iii. 4