Conditions of Attaining to Holiness, Continued

Xxxix. Anothefr relation which I

sustains to the believerj and whic. indispensable that he should rect and spiritually apprehend as a con of entire sanctification, is that of “i withfD U9,”

“Know ve not,” says the apostle Jesus Christ is in you etcept ye be ] bates,” — 3 Cor, 13: 5. “But ye nr in the flesh, but in the Spirit If the Sf God dwell in you. Now if any mai not the Spirit of Christ, he is none i And if Christ be in you, the body is because ofaln, but the Spirit is life bg of n«’hleousness*” — Ro. 8

oaofl

[lildren, of whom I travail in birth intil Christ be formed in you.” —: 19. “Yet not I, but Christ liveth ’ — Gal. 2: 20. Now it has often ed to me that many know Christ an outward Christ, as one who lany hundred years ago, who died, pse, and ascended on high, and who ves in heaven. They read all this Bible, and in a certain sense they I it. That is they admit it to be istorically. But have they Christ within them? living within the veil ir own flesh and there ever making ission for them and in them? This 3 another thing. Christ in heaven I intercession is one thing; this is amd glorious truth. But Christ in il, there also living “to make inion for us with groan ings that can-. uttered,” is another thing. The ;hat dwells in the saints is frequently Bible represented as the Spirit of and as Christ himself* Tlli% vql

GUIDE TO THB SAVIOK,

the passage just quoted from the
Romans, the apostle represents
of God that dwells in the sail
Spirit of Christ and as Christ
Rom. 8; 9, 10: **But ye are n
flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be
Spirit of God dwell in you. Nc
man have not the Spirit of Ch
none of hip And if Christ be in
body is dead becauife of sin;
spirit is life because of righte
This is common in the Bible* 1
of Christ thenor the real deity
dwells in the truly spiritual belie
this fnct needs to he spirituall
bended and kept distinctly and cc
in view, Christ not only in he
Christ within us, aa renlly and tn
iting our bodies as we do, aa rei
aa we are In ourselves, is the te
the Bible, and must her spiritual
hended by a divine, personal, an
revelation, to secure our abiding
We not only neeiWv itfe’xl w

Christ within us, but we need his maniested presence to sustain us in hours of xpnflict. Christ, may be really present nrithin us as He is without us, without our apprehending his presence. His mani-Testing Himself to us with and in us is by Himself conditionated upon our faith and obedience. His manifesting Himself within us and thus assuring us of his constant ind real presence, confirms and establishes the confidence and obedience of the •oul. To know Christ after the flesh or merely historically as an outward Savior, is of no spiritual avail. We must know flim as an inward Savior, as Jesus risen md reigning in us, as having arisen and ^tablished his throne in our hearts, and Ls having written and established the auhority of his law there. The old man de* throned and crucified, Christ risen withio OS and united to us in such a sense that we * twain are one spirit,” is the true and pnly condition and secret of entire sancti-Scation. O that this were understood’

143 ODTDS TO THS SATlOft.

Why, many ministers talk and write aboil sanctification just aisi if they suppoeed tint it consisted in and resulted from a nwn self-originated formation of holy What infinite blindness this for spiiHori guides! True sanctification connts entire consecration to Grod; hot be I ever remembered that this consecration ii induced and perpetuated by the Spirit d Christ. The fact that Christ is in us tMh to be so clearly apprehended by us as li annihilate the conception of Christ as oslf afar off, in heaven. The soot needs so li apprehend this truth as to turn within mi I ’ not look without for Christ, so that it irfl ‘^ naturally seek communion with Hhn in Ai closet of the soul, or within, and not let the thoughts go in seafbh of Him withoiil Christ promised to come and take ttp Ik ‘^ abode with his people, to manifest Himsef j unto them, etc, that the Spirit whom A would send, (which was his own Spirit tf [ abundantly appears from the Bible,)ahoril I, fibide with them (oT^vtrSnal Hia sImniII 1 be with them and in them. Now all this language needs to be spiritually apprehended, and Christ needs to be recognized as by his Spirit as really present with us as we are with ourselves, and ireally as near to us as we are to ourselves, and as infinitely more interested in Us than we are in ourselves. This spiritual recognition of Christ present with and in us, has an overpowering charm in it. The soul rests in Him and lives, and walks, and has its being in his light, and drinks at the fountain of his love. It drinks also of the river of his pleasures. It enjoys his peace, and leans Upon his strength.

Many professors have not Christ formed within them. The Galatian Christians had fallen from Christ. Hence the apostle says: ‘* My little children of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.” Have you a spiritual apprehension of what this means?

XL. We must spiritually knows as *’ (mr Strength as a condition tire sanctificatioD. Says the Psain 18: 1; “I will love thee, O Lo: strength;” and again, 19: 14; my strength;” and again, 31:4; me out of the net for Thou i strength;” and again, 43: 2; “Tl the God of my strength;” and aga 17; “To Thee, O my strength, sing;” and again, 144: 1; Ble the Lord my strength.’* In Is. “The Lord says. Let him take 1 my strength and he shall make pe<M me.” Jeremiah says, Jer. 16: 1 Lord, my strength.” Hab. 3: 9: my strength.” In 2 Cor. 12: 9, says to Paul, “My strength is ma feet in weakness.” We are come to be strong iq the Lord and in the of his might, that is, to appropri: strength by faith. W6 are exho take hold on his strength, and doi m made a condition of making pea<

CHRIST OUR STRENOTIl. 145

God. That God is in some sense our strength is generally admitted. But I feiar it is rare to apprehend the true spiritual sense in which He is our strength. Many take refuge, not in his sireogth by faith, but in the plea that He is their strength, and that they hare none of their own while they contiHue in sin. But this class of persons neitb truly understand nor believe Uut God is their strength* It is with all who hold this language and yet live in sin, »o. opinion, a tenet, a say so, but by no means a spiritually apprehended and embraced truth. If the real meaning of this language were Spiritually apprehended and embraced with the lrt, the soul would no more live in sin. It would no more be overcome wrth temptation while appropriating Christ than Cifod would be overcome

The conditions of spiritually apprehending Christ as our strength are:

1. The spiritual apprehension* of our own weakness) its salwe and deeov

2. The revelation of Christ to us as oar strength by the Holy Spirit.

When these revelations are truly made and selCdependence is therefore forever annihilated, the soul comes to understand wherein its strength lies. It renounces forever its own and relies wholly on the strength of Chri»i. This it does not in the Antinomian, do-noibing, sit-still sense of the term; but on the ciontrary It actively takes hold of Christ’s strength and uses H in doing all the will of God. It does not sit down and do nothing, but on the contrary it takes hold of Christ’s str«iigth and sets about every good word and work as one might lean upon the strength of another and go about doing good. The sottl that understands and does this as really holds on to and leans upon Christ as a helpless man would lean upon the arm or shoulder of a strong man to be borne about ‘in some benevolent enterprise. It is not a state of quietism. It is not a mere opinion, a sentiment, a humbug. It is, “With the sanctified soul, one of the clearest realities in existence that he leans upon and uses the strength of Christ. He knows himself to be constantly and perse yeringly active in thus availing himself of the strength of Christ; and being perfectly vreak in himself, or perfectly emptied of his own strength, Christ’s strength is made perfect in his weakness. This renunciation of his own strength is not a denial of his natural ability in any such sense as virtually to charge God with requiring what He is unable to perform. It is a complete recognition of his ability were he disposed to do all that God requires of him, and implies a thorough and honest condemnation of himself for not using his powers as God requires. But while it recognizes its natural liberty or ability and its.consequent obligation, it at the same time clearly and spiritually sees that it has been too long the slave of lust ever to assert or maintain its spiritual supremacy as the master iusleadoC li^2KH^

148 OriDB TO THE SAVIOR.

of appetite. It sees so clearly and afiectingly that the will or heart is so weak in the presence of temptation that there is no hope of its maintaining its integrity unsupported by strtogth from Christ, that it renounces forever its dependence on its own strength, and casts itself wholly and forever on the strength of Christ. Christ’s strength is appropriated only upon condition of a full renunciation of one’s own. And Christ’s strength is made perfect in the soul of man only in its entire weakness; that is, only in the absence of all dependence on its own strength. Self must be renounced in every respect in which we appropriate Christ. He will not share the throne of the heart with ui» nor will he be put on by ui except in so fsLT forth as we put off ourselves.* Lay aside all dependence on yourself in evwry respect in which you would haveChriit. Many reject Christ by depending on selC and seem not to be aware of their error.

Now» do let it be understood and constantly borne in mind that this self-renun* ciation and taking hold on Christ as our strength is not a mere speculation, an opinion, an article of faith, a profession, but must be one of the most practical realities in the worlds It must become to the mind an omnipresent reality in so much that you shall no more attempt any thing in your own strength than a man who never could walk without crutches would attempt to arise and walk without thinking of them. To such an one his crutches become a part of himself. They cu’e his legs. He as naturally uses them as we do the members of our body. He no more forgets them, or attempts to walk without them than we attempt to walk without our feet. Now just so it is with one who spiritually understands his dependence on Christ. He knows he can walk and that he must walk, but he as naturally uses the strength of Christ in all his duties as the lame malivx’&^*%li%^xlb5:i^^«

It is as really an omnipresent reality to him that he must lean upon Christ as it is to the lame man that he must lean upon his crutch. He learns on all occasions to keep hold of the strength of Christ and does not even think of doing any thing without Him. He knows that he need not attempt any thing in his own strength; and if he should, he knows it will result in failure and disgrace just as really and as w ell as the man without feet or legs knows that for him to attempt to walk without his crutch would insure a fall. This is a great, and, I fear, a rarely learned lesson with professed Christians, and yet how strange that it should be so, since in every instance, since the world began, attempts to walk without Christ have resulted in complete and instantaneous failure. All profess to know their own weakness and thei remedy, and yet how few give evidence of knowing either 1 XLI. Christ is also the Keeper of the soul; and in this relation He must be revealed to and embraced by each soul ‘as the condition of its abiding in Christ, or ihich is the same thing, as a condition of entire sanctification. Ps. 121: “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help Cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth. He will not sulBTer thy foot to be moved; He that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper; the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; He shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in, from this time forth, and even forevermore.” This Psalm with a* great many other passages of scripture represent God as exerting an efficient influence in preserving the soul from falling. This influence He exerts, of course not physically or by comulotL,Wv..>&’«sA^ must be moral iDfluence» that is an influence entirely consistent iith oar own free agency. But it is eflicieot in the sense of being a prevailing influence.

But in this relation as. in all others, Christ must be apprehended and embraced. The soul must see and well appreciate its dependence in this respect, and commit itself to. Christ in this relation. It must cease from its own works and from expecting to keep itself and commit itself to Christ and abide in this state of commitlal. Keeping his soul implies watching over it to guard it against being overcome with temptation. This is exactly what the Christian needs. His enemies are the world, the flesh, and Sa-. tan. By these he has been enslaved. To them he has been consecrated. In their presence he is all weakness in himself. He needs a keeper to accompany him, just as a reformed inebriate sometimes needs one to accompany and ^U^wlKeu him in scenes of temptation. The long established habits of the drunkard render him weak in the presence of his enemy, the intoxicating bowl. So the Christian’s long-cherished habits of self-indulgence* render him all weakness and irresolution if left to himself in the presence of excited appetite or passion. As the Inebriate needs a friend and brother to warn and expostulate, to suggest considerations to strengthen his purposes, so the sinner needs the Paracletus to warn and suggest considerations to sustain his fainting resolutions. This Christ has promised to do; but this, like all the promises, is conditionated upon our appropriating it to our own use by faith. Let it then be ever borne in mind that as our keeper, the Lord must be spiritually apprehended and cordially, embraced and depended upon as a condl-, tion of entire sanctification. This must not be a mere opinion. It must be a thorough and honest closing in with Christ in this relation. 7*

Brother, do you know what it is to depend on Christ in this relation in such i «ense that you as naturally hold fast to Him as a child would cling to the hand or the neck of a father when in the midst of perceived dangery Have you seen your need of a keeper? If so» have yoo fled to Christ in this relation? As ye have received Jesus Christ the Lord» so walk ye in Him» that is, abide in Him and He will abide in you and keep you from falling. The apostle certifies, or rather assumes that He is able to keep you from falling. “Now unto Him that is aUe to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy-^to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and nugesty, dominion and powerboth now and ever, Amen.^ — Jude25:2Su Paulalsosajrs:^! know in whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep thai which I have oommitted to Hua against that day.”*

XLII. The soul needs also to know Christ, not merely as master, but as a Friend, John 15: 13 — 15. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”

Christ took the utmost pains to inspire his disciples with the most implicit confidence in Him. He does the same still. Most Christians seem not to have apprehended the condescension of Christ sufficient to appreciate fully, not to say at all, his most sincere regard for them. They seem afraid to regard Him in the light of a friend, one whom they may approach on all occasions with the utmost confidence and holy familiarity, one who takes a lively interest in every thing that concerns them, one who sympathizes with them in all their trials, and feels more tenderly for them than we do for our nearest earthly friends. Observe, what emphasis He gives to this relation or to the strength of his friendship. He lays down his life for his friends. Now imagine yourself to havre an earthly frfend who loved you so much as to lay down his life for you; to die, too, for a crime which you bad committed against himself. Were you assured of the strength of his friendship, and did you know withal his ability to help you in allcircumstances to be absolutely unlimited, with what confidence would you unbosom yourself to Him? How would you rest in his friendship and protection? Now even Christians are slow to apprehend Christ in the relation of a friend. They stand in so much awe of Him that they fear to take home to their hearts the full import and reality of the relation when applied to Christ. Yet Christ takes the greatest pain’s to inspire them with the fullest confidence in his undying and most exalted friendship.

I have often thought that many professed Christians had never really and spiritually apprehended Christ in this relation. This accounts for their depending upon Him so little in seasons of trial. They do not realize that He truly feels for and sympathizes with them; that is, his feeling for and sympathy with them, his deep interest in and pity for them, are not apprehended spiritually, as a reality Hence they stand aloof or approach Him only in words, or at most with deep feeling and desire, but not in the unwavering confidence that they shall receive the things which they ask of Him. But to prevail, they must believe. “Let not that man that wavereth, think to receive any thing of the Lord.” The real, and deep, and abiding affection of Christ for us, and his undying interest in us personally, must come to be a living and an omnipresent reality to our souls, to secure our own abiding in faith and Ic circumstances. There is, perha lation of Christ in which we jq thoroughly to know Him than tl This relation is admitted in i almost .everybody, yet duly rea believed by almost nobody. Yc finitely strange that Christ she given so high evidence of his loii friendship for us, and that we fi so slow of heart to believe and: But until this truth is really and s apprehended and embraced, the find it impossible to fly to Hir sons of trial with implicit conf his favor and protection. But 1 be really apprehended and embi friend who has laid down his ii and who would not hesitate to d< were it needful — and rely upc, confidence in Him will secure oi in Him.

XLIII. Christ is also to be reg;
unbraced in the relation of

Brother: Heb. 2: 10 — 18: “For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many, sons unto glory, to mak the Captain of their salvation perfect’ through suffeiings* For both He that sanctilieth, and they who are sanctified are all of one: for -which cause He is. not ashamed to call them brethren: saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in Him« And’ again. Behold I and the children which God hath given me. Forasmuch then, as the cluldren are partakers of flesh» and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same: that through death He might destroy him that had the- power of death, that is, the del; and deliver them who through fear of death. were all their Ufe*time sutgeet to bondage. F<Mr iFerily, He took nat on Him the nature of amgels; but He tookoi^Him the seed of Abraham* Wberefora in all tb«»g» it behoved Hixa t

160 GUtDB TO THE SAVIOR

be made like unto his brethren
might be a merciful and faithful I
in things pertaining to God, to
conciliation for the sins of the p
in that He Himserf hath suffe
tempted. He is able to succor
are tempted.” Matt. 28: 10
said’ Jesus unto them, Be not a
tell my brethren, that they go ini
and there shall they see me.”
17; “Jesus saith unto her, T
not; for 1 am not yet ascend
Father; but go to my brethren,
unto them, I ascend unto my Fa
your Father; and to my Gkxi i
God.” Rom. 8: 29; “For who
foreknow. He also did predestic
conformed to the image of his i
He might be the first-bom amo
brethren.” These and other
present Christ in the relation of c
So He is not merely a friend, but
He IS a brother possessing the
of God. And U la not of gjret

CHRI9T OUR ELDBR BROTHER. *1&1

tance that in this relation we should know and embrace Him« It would seem as if all possible pains were taken by Him to inspire us with the most implicit confidence in Him. He is not ashamed to call us brethren; and shall we refuse or neglect to embrace Him In this relation, and avail ourselves of all that is implied in it? I have often thought that many professed Christians really regard the relations of Christ as only existing in name and not at all in reality and fact. Am 1 not a man and a brother? He says to the desponding and tempted soul. Himself hath said, A brother is made for. adversity. He is the first-born among many brethren, and yet we are to be heirs with Him, heirs of God and joint heirs with Him to all the infinite riches of the Godhead. “O fools and jslow of heart,” not to believe and receive this brother to our most implicit and eternal confidence. He must be spiritually revealed, apprehended and embraced in this relation as a eoxvdvVv^!^ of our experiencing his fraternal truthfulness.

Do let me inquire whether many Christians do not regard such language as pathetic and touching, but after all as only a figure of speech, as a pretense, rather than as a serious and infinitely important fact. Is the Father really our Father? Then Christ is our brother, not in a figurative sense, merely, but literally and truly our brother. My brother? Ah, truly, and a brother made for adversity. 0! Lord, reveal thyself fully to our souls in this relation.

XLIV. Christ is the True Vine and we ai’e the branches. And do we know Him in this relation, as our parent stock, as the fountain from whom we receive our momentary nourishment and life? This union between Christ and our souls is formed by implicit faith in Him. By faith the soul leans on Him, feeds upon Htm, and receives a constantly sustaining influence from Him. John 15: I — 8; “I ‘am the True Vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that tcareth not fruit He taketh away; and «very branch that beareth fruit, He purg- «th It that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word ‘-which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the Vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them* into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and iny words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disciples,” Now it is important for us to understand what it is to be m GlxvaXN55^ sense of this passage. It certain! be so united to Him as to receive and as constant spiritual support an ishment from Him as the branch d( ural nourishment from the vine, man abide not in me,” He says, cast forth as a branch and is witi Now to be in Him implies such a as to keep us spiritually alive and There are many withered professor church. They abide not in Christ* religion is stale. They can speak mer experience. They can tell hoi once knew Christ, but every 8| mind can see that they are branchei off. They have no fruit Their are withered, their bark is dried they are just fit to be gathered ax into the fire. O this stale, last yei ligion! Why will not professors th on an old experience, understand they are cast off branches, and tha withered, fruitless, lifeless, loveless. lets, powerlesi coudiWoxi v%.>fi»& t

J^BU^es and before all men that they are fit lEbr the flames.

It is also of mfinite importance that we «hould know and spiritually apprehend e conditions of abiding in Christ in the xelation of a branch to a vine. We must mpprehend our various necessities and his Infinite fulhiess, and lay hold upon and appropriate the whole that is implied in these relations to our own souls and wants as fast as He is revealed. Thus we shall abide in Him and receive all the spiritual nourishment we need. But unless we are thus taught by the Spirit, and unless we thus believe, we shall not abide in Him nor He in us. If we do thus abide in Him, He says we shall bear much fruit. Much fruit, then, i» evidence that we do abide in Him, and fruitlessness is positive evidence that we do not abide in Him. “If fe abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done onto you.” Great prevalence in prayer, then, is an evidence that ire abldfi

166 QUIDS TO THB SATIOK«

in Him. But a want of prev
prayer is conclusive evidence tl
not abide in Him. No man sins
properly abides in Christ. “If
be in Christ, he is a new creati
things are passed away, and I
things are become new.”

But let it not be forgotten tha someting to do to abide in “Abide in me,” says Christ: quired of us. We neither at firs sustain the relation of a branch without our own activity, nor d we abide in Him without a cleaving to Him by faith. The of necessity be ever alive. It mito Christ or to something eke. thing to hold this relation in th* an infinitely different thing to ui it spiritually and really cleave to the relation of the constant fc spiritual life.

XLV. Christ is also the “opened in the house of David fc uncleanness;” Zee. 13; L Christ, let it be ever remembered, and spiritually understood and embraced,) is not only a justifying, but also a purifying Savior. His name is Jesus, because He saves his people from their sins.

XLVI. As Jesus, therefore, He must be spiritually known and embraced. Jesus, Savior! He is called Jesus or Savior vre are informed, because He saves his people, not only from hell, but also from their sins. He saves from hell only upon condition of his saving from sin. He has no Savior, who is not in his own experience saved from sin. Of what use is it to call Jesus Lord and Savior unless He is really and practically acknowledged as our Lord and as our Savior from sin. Shall we call Him Lord, Lord, and do not the things which He says? Shall we call Him Savior, and refuse to so embrace Him as to be saved from our sins?

XLVII. We must know Him, as one whose blood cleanses us from all sin.

Heb.9: 14; “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God V* 1 Peter 1: 19; “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blembh and without spot.” 1 Peter 1:2; “Elect According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” Rev. 1:5; “Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.” When the shedding of Christ’s blood is rightly apprehended and embraced, when hb atonement is properly understood attd= received by faith, it cleanses the soul from all sin: or rather, I should say,’^at when Christ is recieived as one to cleanse us from sin by his blood, we shall know whttt James B. Taylor meant when he said “I have been into the fountain and am clean,” and what Christ’ meaa4 when He said “Now ye are clean throyogh the 19?ord which I have spoken unto you/* ^’ Who hath loved us and washed us from our sins In Ms own blood.”. ‘Then will I spriniile clean water upon you axd ye

shall be clean, from all your filthiness and; €rom all your idols will I cleanse you. A

;iiew heart also will I give you and a new .spirit will I put within you. I will take

Away .the stony heart out of your flesbt

and give you a heart of flesh.” It 4^

.^of the last importance that language like

this, relating to our being cleansed from

sin by Christ should be elucidated to our

souls by !the Holy Spirit, and embraced

.by fiuthy and Christ truly revealed in tJt^9

’ relation. Nothing but this can «ave pt

Ifrom sin. But this will fully and e&ctu-

’ :ally do the work. It- will cleanse us. from

4iU sin. ilt will please us from aUour

filthiness and ifrom all our idols. .It wll

make us >’euiAN.”

XLVUI. ‘’His name-shall be pallfd W<mdetiuL** No inward oi; audible 9;c«

170 «UIDB TO TBS 8ATIOB*

clamation is more common to me years than the term Wonderful, contemplating the nature, the chai the offices, the relations, the salval Christ, I find Tmyself often mentall frequently audibly exclaiming woit m My soul is filled with wonder, lo praise, as I am led by the Holy Sf apprehend Christ sonetimes in oi sometimes in another relation as ci stances and triak develop the need of Him* I am more and more ^’aato at the doctrine of the Lord,” and t Lord Himself from year to year, come to the conclusion that there end to this either in time or in et< He will DO doubt to all eternity coi to make discoveries of Himself to his ligent creatures that shall cause tb exclaim, ‘^wohdekfui..^ I find my der more and more excited from one of Christian experience to another. is indeed wonderful contemplated in point of view» as God, as man, m

CnmST CALLSO ‘WON DBEFVL.^ 171

tfian, Mediator. lodeed I hardly. kDoi/f in which of his many relations He appears most wonderful when in that relation He is revealed by the Spirit. All, all. Is wonderful when He stands revealed to the soul in any of his relations. The soid needs to be so acquainted with Him as to excite and constantly keep awake its wonder and adoration. Contemplate Christ in any point of view and the wonder of the soul is excited. Look at any feature of his character, at any department of the plan of salvation, at any part that He takes in the glorious work of man’s re* demption, look steadfastly at Him as He is revealed through the gospel by the Holy Spirit at any time and place, in any of his works or ways — and the soul will instantly exclaim wondbrful! Yes, He shall be called Wonderful!

XLIX. “Counsellor:’ Who that has made J esus his wisdom, does not and has not often recognized the fitness of calling Him caunseUor?” Until He is known and embraced in thii relation, it is not natard or possible for the soul to go to Him witk implicit confidence in every case of doubti Almost every body holds in theory the propriety and necessity of consulting Christ in respect to the af&irs that concern ourselves and his church. But it ip one thing to hold this opinion, and quite another to so spiritually apprehend and embrace Christ in the relation of counsellor as naturally to call Him. counsellor “when approachiilg Him in secret, and a naturally to turn and consult Him on iH occasions, and in respect to every thing that concerns us; and to consult him too ^ith implicit confidence in his ability and willingness to give us the direction we need. Thoroughly and spiritually to inow Christ in this relation is undoubtedly a condition of abiding steadfast m Him. Unless the soul knows and duly app preciates its dependence upon Him in tin relation, and unless it renounces Its own wisdom and subslilutos his in the place of

Cl^RIST THE MIGHTY OOD. 17S(

Ijti by laying hold pf Christ by faith as the, counsellor of the soul, it will not con-, tinue to walk in his counsel, smd consequently will not abide in his love.

L. The Mighty God. “My Lord au(^ tpy God,” exclaimed Thomas when Christ stood spiritually revealed to him. It was. PjOt merely what Christ said to Thomaf on that occasion that caused him to uttei: the exclamstion just quoted. Thomas. saw indeed that Christ was raised fror the deadi The mere fact, therefore that Christ stood before him as one raised from the dead, could not have been froof that lie was God. No doubt the ^oly Spirit 4ia[cqy;ere4 to Thomas at the, 9loment,.the true Divinity of Christ, just * as the saiqts in all igps have had Hirri spiritually revealed to them as the Mighty God. I have long been convinced that it 1§ in vain, so fsr forth as any spiritual ben* efit is cqnpernedi tp attempt, to convince Unitariana of the proper Divinity of Christ. The scripture are ^Vswi ‘^^

174 GUIDE TO TfiE SAVIOR.

they can be upon this subject, and yet it is true that no man Can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Spirit. As I have said in substance often, the pernal revelation of Christ to the inward maa by the Holy Spirit, is a condition of his being known as the “Mighty God.” What is Christ to one who does not know Him as God? To such a soul He cannot be a Savior. It is impossible that tha soul should intelligently and without idolatry commit it to Him as a Savior unit knows Him to be the true God.

It cannot innocently pray to Him nor worship Him, nor commit the soul to hit keeping and protection until it knows Him as the Mighty Gk)d. To be orthodox merely in theory, in opinion, is nothing to the purpose of salvation. Hie soul must know Christ as God — must belieTS in or receive Him as such. To receive Him as any thing else is an infinitely difie ent thing from coming and submitting to Him as the true aiidWlxi%wilw|yli’^ God.