And how would this way of salvation have suited persons in the situation of the dying thief, who are called away without having sufficient time to " make up their tale of bricks ?" But a gift is suitable to all : a free salvation commends itself to all : and the more humbled we are under a sense of our own guilt and weakness, the more suitable will it appear, that we should receive all from Christ, and give all the glory of our salvation to him.]
3. What infatuation is it to substitute any other plan of salvation in the place of that which God has offered us !
[Suppose for one moment (though it is a horrid and blasphemous supposition) that we were wiser than God, and that we knew better than he did what was fit for him to do ; still are we also " stronger than he ? " and can we oblige him to alter his decrees ? Vain hope ! We may entertain as strong prejudices as we will, and load the Gospel with opprobious names; still that will be true and irreversible, " He that hath the Son, hath life ; and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life." Let all of us then cease to weave a spider's web, and accept with gratitude " the salvation that is in Christ Jesus."]
1 John v. 13. These things have I ivritten unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God ; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
THE Scriptures of the New Testament were written doubtless for the whole world. Yet perhaps we may say, that the Gospels were written more immediately for unbelievers, in order to convince them of the Messiahship of Jesus ; and that the epistles were written rather for believers, to bring them to a life becoming their high and holy calling. This idea seems to be sanctioned by St. John : for, at the end of his Gospel, he says, " These are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God ; and that, believing, ye might have life through his name3." But, at the end of this epistle, he says,
a John xx. 31.