and for garments that they may be clothed*^." It suffers none to bring any price in their hands, but requires them to receive every thing " without money and without priced" Nor does it merely require this of men at their first conversion : it pre- scribes the same humiliating system to the latest hour of our lives: whatever our attainments be, we must renounce them all in point of dependence, and place our whole dependence on the Lord " Jesus Christ for wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." We must have no more in ourselves than the branch of a vine has ; but must receive every thing from the stem into which we have been engrafted '^ We must " receive every thing out of the fulness that is in Christ^," and must "live altogether by faith in the Son of God, who has loved us, and given himself for us^."
But all this is very humiliating. Proud man does not like to be brought so low, as to depend wholly on another, and not at all on himself. We wish to have something of our own whereof we may boast. And to be reduced to a level with the vilest of the human race, so as to acknowledge ourselves as much indebted to Divine grace as they, is a humiliation to which we cannot endure to submit. Could we be saved in a way more congenial with our own feelings, we should be satis- fied : but when it is said, *' Wash and be clean," instead of accepting the tidings with gratitude, we spurn at them like Naaman, and go away in a rage^.
To this however we must " submit^ :" for there is no other way of salvation for any child of man": and, if we will not come to Christ upon his own terms, we must remain for ever destitute of the blessings he has purchased for us"^.]
2. By not obeying its self-denying doctrines —
[Though the Gospel gives salvation freely, it does not leave us at liberty to neglect good works ; on the contrary, "it teaches us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world." Indeed, the sanctification it requires of us is as offensive to our carnal and worldly hearts, as the humiliation it imposes on us is to our pride. The object of the Gospel is, not merely to save men from death and hell, but to bring them back to a state of holy allegiance to their God, such as Adam experienced in Paradise. For this end it requires us to give up ourselves as living sacrifices unto God, and to be as entirely dedicated to his service as the burnt-offerings were, which were
^ Rev. iii. 17, 18. <" Isai. Iv. 1. ^ John xv. 5.
e Johni. 16. f Gal. ii. 20. e 2 Kings v. 10—13,
ii Rom, X. 3. ' Acts iv, 12, 1 Cor. iii. 11.
^ Rom. ix. 30—32. '