S1iR1Yf. X$xvI.] OF CHRIST'S ATONEMEh. 105 one anther; .1 .John tv, 11. Arid in the foregoing chapter, iii. 16. he raises this inference of love to a sub, lime degree : " Because God bath laid down his life. for us,. we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren: " But how. can any person make a pretence to cbristianity, who " bath the goods of this world, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him.?" verse 17. Now can such an hardened and cruel heart pretend that the loveof God dwells there ? This blessed truth of the forgiveness of sin through th© propitiation of Christ; demands of us the duties offor- bearance and. forgiveness; of. kindness and tenderness to men. -" Be ye kind one to- another,. and tender-heart- ed, forgiving: one another, even as God for Christ's sake bath forgiven you," Eph.. iv, 32. Shall christians bite and devour each other, shall they rage against each other with bitter reproaches, shall they quarrel, and grieve, and wound each other, who .were once fellow- slaves in the chains of guilt, and: death, and were redeemed together by the voluntary death of the Son of God? Shall they who have known and tasted. such divine compassion, imitate the rage, and malice, and envy of hell; rather than the heavenly example of the blessed Jesus ?. Reflection.: " And.hast thou never felt the influence of this divine truth, U. my,soul, this blessed doctrine of atoning. love ? Dost thou swell with anger? Dost thou resent.everysupposed injury? Dost thou.indulge aspi- rit of revenge? And do thy thoughts contrive mischief to men, while the thoughts of the Son of God are all ten,- (Iciness and compassion towards -thee? Had he-resented all thy iniquities, had he meditated:vengeance for all.thr crimes, he had never laid down his life to rescue thee from hell, and thy state and thy. case had_been miserable without hope. ." Hast thou nò pity for the poor, when their necessi' ties and groans cry aloud for thy relief:? The Son oWodc didnot deal thus with thee : He expended the riches of his love upon thee, even his unsearchable riches. of grace; And when no .other price was .sufficient to redeem.. thee from death, he gave. up himself for thee, and made: his own soul an .offering for thy sins. Remember. there- fore, when provocations to :anger are .set before thee, and thou fcelest the inward rising.passion, remember the.
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