for our sins. The Lord Jesus Christ has executed this great work, and become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. " That cross we preach," as the one only means of reconciling man to God : and all the servants of God have but this one testimony to bear ; namely, that " God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their tres- passes unto themc." We have nothing to announce about the merits of man : we are not authorized to make any distinction between one man and another : we are to bear the same tes- timony to all, whether Jews or Greeks, bond or free : and without hesitation must we declare to all, that " no other foundation of hope for sinful man can ever be laid, than that which God has laid, which is Jesus Christ*1;" and that " there is no other name given under heaven whereby any man can be saved e."
Now, if this could admit of any change, or any modification, we might hope to please men : but we are shut up to this : we can preach nothing else ; and they must hear nothing else : and if they will not receive this, there is no alternative left them : perish they must, and under an accumulated condemna- tion too : for they will be judged, not only as transgressors of the law, but as despisers of the Gospel also; and, consequently, will have a far sorer punishment to bear, than if they had never heard of the salvation provided for them.]
2. Human nature ever remains the same —
[Men are born into the world with all the same propen- sities as they were in the apostolic age. Man has, by nature, the same pride of heart, that rises against the humiliating doctrines before specified. Every one wishes to have within himself some ground of glorying. To be stripped naked, as it were, without so much as one " rag of righteousness," as the Scripture expresses it, to cover himf, is more than he can endure. To be nothing, that Christ may be all, is a hard lesson.
Again : the heart of man is as worldly as ever : it affects not the things that are above, but the things only of time and sense. But the same Gospel which requires such self- renunciation in its principles, requires no less self-denial in its practice. We must " live not in any degree to ourselves," but wholly and unchangeably " unto Him who died for us, and rose again." To this our carnal hearts will not submit : and until the heart be changed by grace, it will ever quarrel with these appointments, as unreasonably precise. In no point of view whatever is the Gospel palatable to the carnal mind : let a
c 2 Cor. v. 18—20. d 1 Cor. hi. 11.
e Acts iv. 12. f Isai. lxiv. 6.