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That minister, therefore, who, by preaching the terrors of the judgment day, or by any other Scriptural means, induces men to repent of these crimes, will necessarily, and by a plain moral consequence, open their eyes, their ears, their heart, to receive the high saving principles of the Gospel; though he speaks not explicitly of them any more than the Baptist did, or our LORD, or His Apostles. So palpably absurd, even on the plain grounds of moral principles, is it to speak of the teaching of repentance being opposed to the preaching of CHRIST.

This is an explanation of some obvious reasons why Holy Scripture should connect our own cross with the Cross of CHRIST, as it so often does, and emblematically typified of the Church, in him who bore the cross after CHRIST; for it is said to us all, "whosoever doth not take up his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." Now there can be no repentance, and no progress in religious duties without self-denial. These duties, therefore, are a bearing of our own cross, which will alone bring us to a right sense of the Cross of CHRIST. It is not setting aside the Cross of CHRIST, nor disparaging it; it is only showing the mode by which alone we may be brought to know its inestimable value.

He who most of all practises these duties, will be most of all brought, by a necessary and moral consequence, to value the Cross of CHRIST; and he who is brought to embrace that doctrine with most affection, will speak of it with most reserve; he cannot speak of it as these persons require. Nor can there be any reasonable apprehension, as it is sometimes said, that the teaching of the Church, which keeps the doctrine of the Atonement in the reserve of Scripture, will lead men to despair. Did any one ever know an instance of this, of a Christian, in sound health of mind, brought to a state of despair from the fear of GOD and His judgments? There is a mistake in this use of the word despair, which rather means a careless, hopeless indifference to the anger of the Almighty, which is so common, than an excessive fear of His judgments. Such a fear brings with it abundant consolation and hope; and therefore the true knowledge of this saving doctrine of the Atonement is expressed in such words as these, that "the salvation of God is nigh unto them that fear him ;" that the LORD

looks to him who "trembles at His word;" that He "revives

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the spirit of the contrite; or that "whoso is wise will ponder these things; and they shall understand the loving-kindness of the LORD."

We must again return to and repeat this point; good works, being nothing else but the exercise of a good principle, will make a good man (as far as, humanly speaking, a man can be called good), and those are not good works which will not make a man good; and he is not a good man, who does not love God with all his heart, and depend on the aid of the blessed SPIRIT, and trust in CHRIST. He, therefore, who most of all induces men to practise good works, under the awful sense of their condition as baptized Christians, brings them most of all to the Cross of CHRIST; and he who, by his teaching, leads men to think that such works are of minor importance, and speaks slightingly of them, i. e. works of charity, of humiliation, and prayer, teaches men false and dangerous doctrine, flattering to human indolence, but opposed to Scripture, opposed to the Church, opposed to the first principles of our moral nature; and therefore it is said emphatically, "Whosoever shall break one of the least of these commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven:" that is to say, he who treats slightingly these good works, shall obtain least of all the blessings of CHRIST's Spiritual kingdom at present, the gracious gifts which are in the Atonement of CHRIST, and by consequence be the lowest in His kingdom hereafter. By using high words of doctrine, without the inculcation of these commands, we lead men to trust to a vain shadow, instead of the Rock of their salvation. Doing the works or not it is which makes the entire difference between the house built on the sand, and that which is founded on a rock, though outwardly they appear alike: as our LORD has warned, he who "heareth these words and doeth them, I will liken to a wise man, who built his house on a rock;" and every one who heareth them and doeth them not," is outwardly the same, perhaps, but has no foundation. And what is the rock on which he is built, but CHRIST? His very works are built on

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this Rock, otherwise they are not good works. It is not as if CHRIST was the end only (as they who disparage Baptism would imply); not as if the Atonement were a thing to be arrived at at last; but CHRIST is the Way also, the Beginning and the End, the Author and the Finisher, the Alpha and Omega. It is through the blood of CHRIST alone we are able to think or do what is good. It is through His blood alone that such thoughts and deeds are accepted. It is not simply that by bearing our cross we are brought to His; but we are in Him, and He in us; our cross is His Cross, and His Cross is our cross. When we humble ourselves, we partake of the virtue going forth from His humiliation : it is He that is drawing us nearer to Himself. When we pray, it is not our prayer, but His HOLY SPIRIT within us that leads us unto Himself. When we do works of charity, it is to Him in His brethren it is His compassionate bowels yearning in us towards them it is the virtue of His ineffable charity through us, His members, again flowing forth to all mankind. To check, therefore, such works by any mis-statements, by half admonitions and half encouragements, is to keep men from Him. It is like stopping the mouths of the blind men, who have no way to approach Him but by prayer, that He may open their eyes; for unless we practise these works of obedience and repentance, we shall assuredly have no eyes to see Him; for it is " the commandment of the LORD" which "giveth light unto the eyes." It is putting away the little children, the babes in CHRIST, because they are not of full stature. It is casting stumbling-blocks in the way of weak men. It is very true, that in the Gospels, the consolations of CHRIST may be more imparted to persons who were opprobriously designated "sinners;" and some of whom may have fallen into grievous sin; that "the publicans and harlots enter into the kingdom before the Pharisees:" but why? not because they were worse, but because they were far better than the Pharisees; as the poor and despised are perhaps generally found wiser and better than those in higher station.

6. All Scripture is in perfect harmony as opposed to this modern system.

We must again return to, and repeat the same point. Good works must ever make a good man; and a good man will most of all love God, as manifested in JESUS CHRIST; and therefore it is that Holy Scripture has put the case in every variety of ways, in order that, comparing the manifold expressions by which it describes the inscrutable mysteries of CHRIST's kingdom, we may arrive at some sense of the truth. And in whatever way we consider it, we shall find that the whole harmony of Scriptural teaching is opposed to the present system, or what is sometimes designated the Gospel scheme; the former being, in contrast to it, one of Reserve. We have shown, from obvious moral inference, that to ameliorate the heart and practice is the only way to arrive at those riches which are hid in CHRIST. Surely a little reflection will show how thoroughly Holy Scripture supports this opinion throughout. Let us only look to the manner in which the commandments are spoken of, and that not merely in the New Testament, but in the Old also. Could words be applied to them such as we find throughout the Psalms, as, for instance, in the 19th and 119th, unless they had some mysterious connexion with the Cross of CHRIST? How else could they be "sweeter than honey and the honeycomb ?" How else could they be "dearer than thousands of gold and silver?" How else could they be "wonderful," and "quickening," "giving light unto the eyes," and "everlasting righteousness?" Let us again consider the expressions by which the Gospel privileges are spoken of in Scripture, and we shall find that they are all connected with certain dispositions and graces, and confined to them. Those dispositions and graces can alone be attained by a certain mode of life and course of actions; which actions, therefore, Scripture commands and inculcates in every way, by bringing before us every example, and precept, and doctrine, that they be calculated to affect us with the terrors of God's judgments, or the hopes of His mercy.

Let us consider who they are whom Scripture pronounces as blessed. It might be supposed from the modern system, that the expression had been," Blessed are all ye that hear the Gospel," and that this Gospel is confined to a full declaration of the gracious doctrine of the Atonement; but it is not thus it speaks. It is, indeed, said to some, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see, and blessed are the ears which hear the things that ye hear,"—but then it must be ever remembered, and again repeated, that this was not said unto all the people to whom our LORD had been preaching; but to the disciples " privately," in express distinction from those who had heard our LORD teaching, but who, as He said, had no eyes to see, nor ears to hear." Whereas in His more public teaching, His blessing was entirely confined and limited to certain dispositions, which are recorded in the Sermon on the Mount.

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Blessing again is pronounced privately on St. Peter, because he had been brought to that high knowledge of CHRIST by GOD Himself: as in the case of all the disciples, our LORD thanked GOD for having "revealed these things unto babes." And after these declarations to St. Peter, pronouncing His blessedness, and the greatness of that belief on which the Church would be built; we naturally expect our LORD to invite others to it, either by openly declaring that doctrine, or by showing them the way to arrive at it; we watch His words with expectation, especially when He calls all the multitude unto Him: but, so far from declaring unto them these gracious and high things, He speaks of the necessity of every man taking up his cross. This was, in fact, telling the people in what way they might arrive at that belief for which St. Peter was so blessed. For let it be observed, that this was the mode by which St. Peter had arrived at it. He had taken up the Cross at the first, and followed CHRIST when He called him to forsake all ; and the result was, that he had now come to the full knowledge of that Truth. To suppose, therefore, that a doctrine so unspeakable and mysterious as that of the Atonement, is to be held out to the impenitent sinner, to be embraced in some manner to move the affections, is so unlike our LORD's conduct, that it makes one fear for the ultimate consequences of such a system.

VOL. V.-87.

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