512 Ì'aACTICAL Q§ES OF CHB.ÌST93 ATOYÑEMEÑI'. This blessed truth of the forgiveness of sin through tie propitiation of Christ, demands of us the duties of forbearance and forgiveness, of kindness and tenderness to men. " Be ye kind one to another; and tender-hearted, forgivingone another even as God for Christ's sake hath 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 eachOther who were once fellow -slaves hr 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 thé rage, and malice; and envy of hell, rather than the heavenly example of the blessed Jesus? Reflection. -." And hast thou never felt the influenceof this divine truth,' Omy soul, this blessed doctrine of atoning love ? Dost thou swell with anger ? Dost thou resent every supposed injury ? Dost thou indulge a spirit of revenge ? And do thy thoughts contrive mischief to men, while the thoughts of the Son of God areall, tenderness and compassion towards thee ? Had he resented all thy iniquities, had he meditated vengeance for all thy crimes, he liad never laid down his life to rescue thee from hell, and thy state and thy case had been miserable with- out hope. " Hast thou no pity for the poor, when their-necessities and groans cry aloud for thy relief ? The Son of God did not 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 him- self for thee, and made his own soul an offering for thy sins. Remember therefore, when provocations to anger are set before thee, and thou feelest the inward rising passion, remember the death and love of the Son of God, remember the price of thy forgiveness." VIII: Patience under heavy afflictions, is another divine lesson that we should learn from this doctrine of the atoningdeath of Christ; and not patience only, but holy joy in the midst of earthly sorrows may be derived from the same spring. Rom. V. 1, 2, 3, 8. " Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;we rejoice inhope of the glory of God ; and not only so, but we glory in tribulations; because God has commended his love towards us at this rate, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." Reflection. -" Why then should my spirit be overwhelmed -under the troubles of this life ? Surely the mercies which I en- joy are infinitelygreater than all my sorrows. God has redeem- ed my soul from hell by the blood of his Son. Lord, Iwould
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