the place of his rebellious creatures, to bear the wrath which they had merited, and fulfil the law which they had broken, and thereby to work out a righteousness wherein they might
find acceptance ! the sending also of the Holy Spirit,
the Third Person in the ever-adorable Trinity, to impart to men the knowledge of this salvation, and to prepare them for the enjoyment of it ! Such a mode of restoring man to his offended God infinitely surpasses all finite conception : nor will eternity suffice to explore the wonders of love and mercy
contained in it
To the weary and heavy-laden soul nothing else is wanting. It provides for sinful man all that his necessities require — par- don, and peace, and holiness, and glory: pardon of all his sins, how great or numerous soever they may have been; peace with God, and in his own conscience ; strength for the performance of every duty ; and everlasting happiness at the right hand of God. Never was there a case which this did not reach ; never a want for which it was not an adequate supply ]
Nothing, therefore, should equal it in our esteem —
[How vain and empty does the world appear, when viewed by the eye of faith! St. Paul, speaking of the cross of Christ, says, that, " by it the world was crucified unto him, and he unto the world." This expression of his will set this matter in its true light. Suppose a person suspended on the cross, and in the very article of death : what are the world's feelings in relation to him, and his in reference to the world? His dearest friends and relatives feel their connexion with him altogether dissolved ; and he, even if he has possessed crowns and kingdoms, feels no further interest in them ; but bids them, without regret, an everlasting farewell. Precisely thus are the bonds which once subsisted between the believer and the world burst asunder; they no longer regarding him as theirs, and he no longer regarding them as his. The concerns of eternity have taken possession of his mind : and he has no longer any taste for the things of time and sense. This, I hesitate not to say, should, in the main, be the experience of all who embrace the Gospel : " they should count all things but dung, that they may win Christ."
Nor should personal ease be deemed of any importance in comparison of fidelity to Christ. The fiery furnace should not intimidate : the den of lions should not deter us from the path of duty. Whatever we may have suffered, or may be threatened with, for the Gospel's sake, we should be ready to say, with the Apostle, " None of- these things move me : neither count I my life dear unto me, so that I may but fulfil my duty to my Lord and Saviour "
It is scarcely needful to say, that we must be readv to relin-