THE ATONEMENT
OF
CHRIST.
(SEAM. XXXIV.
I
was
dead,
and the
Son
of God
gave
himself
up
to
death, in
order
to raise me
to
life
again.
I
was
a
traitor
and
an enemy,
and
he
hath sustained
the arrows
of
the Al-
mighty to reconcile
me to his
Father, and turn
away
his
infinite
indignation. My
great High-
priest
has offered up
himself a
bloody sacrifice for
me,
that
my
guilt
might
be
forgiven,
and cancelled for
ever.
Think,
O my soul, study,
contrive, speak,
what
wilt
thou
render
to
the
Lord
for such
astonishing condescen-
sion, and
such
unexampled grace. How wilt thou
shew
thy inestimable value
of
his
atonement
?
What
does he
require of
thee,
but
to
keep those garments
clean, which
he
has washed
in
so
rich
a
fountain
as his
own
blood
?
And
shall
I
ever
wilfully
indulge the practice
of
sin
again,
and return
to
my .old
defilements
?
Shall
I
ever consent
to break
the law
of
my
God
?
Have
I
not seen
the
dread-
ful
nature
and
dismal effects
of
it,
in
the
agonies
and
death
of
my
dearest Lord
?
What
shall
I
do
that
I
may
never
sin
more
?
Lord,
I
cannot preserve
myself from
the
fatal infection,
while
I
dwell
in
a
world where sin
reigns
all
around
me,
in a world
that
lies
in wickedness;
and
while
I
am
so
nearly allied
to
flesh
and
blood, where
folly,
vice,
and
sin
run through
every vein to my
heart.
Jesus,
I
commit. myself afresh
to thy
care,
thou
wilt
save the soul
that
thou
hast purchased
at
so
dear a rate
;
thou
wilt
accept
and
save a
returning penitent. Here
I
devote
my life,
myself, my flesh
and spirit, and
all my
powers to thy obedience,
and the purposes
of
thy
glory,
for
ever
and ever
:
My
soul
looks up
to
thee
with
an
eye
of
humble confidence,
and
my
faith
and hope rest
on
thy
eyetlasting
love.
Amen.