Page:Christ is all.pdf/15

 serves as er life. That makes Christ seem ugly to nature. Nature cannot desire him. He is just opposite to all nature's glorious interest. Let nature but make a gospel, and it would make it quite contrary to Christ, it would be to the just, the innocent, the holy, &c. Christ makes the gospel for thee, that is, for needy sinners, the ungodly, the unrighteous, the accursed.

Nature cannot endure to think the gospel is only for sinners. It will rather chuse to despair, than to go to Christ upon such When nature is put to it by guilt or wrath, it will go to its old haunts of self-righteousness, self-goodness, &c- An infinite power must cast down those strong holds. None but the self-justiciary stands excluded by the gospel. Christ will look at the most abominable sinner before him; because to such an one Christ cannot be made justification.

Labour after sanctification to thy utmost; but make not a Christ of it to save thee: If so, it must come down one way or other. Christ's obedience and sufferings, not thy sanctification, must be thy sanctification before God. For if the Lord should appear terrible out of his holy place, fire would consume it as hay and stubble. This is religion, 'to build all upon the everlasting mountains of God's love and grace in Christ, to look continually