beggar. Every believer in Christ is a beggar dignified by grace. The language of prayer is the language of beggars. Hence, what a wonderfully extensive grace is that of prayer! It goes through every region of our wants; it lifts up its eyes and beholds an infinite fulness in the Saviour's grace, capable of supplying all our needs, according to the riches of God's glory that is in Christ Jesus. In prayer, we lift up our hands as beggars, to receive all that is necessary for us "without money and without price."

Brethren, our righteousness profiteth not in the sight of God-" if thou be righteous, what givest thou him, or what receiveth he of thy hand?" God is not indebted to us, but we are indebted to him for every blessing conferred upon our ruined, helpless souls. I pray you forget not this. May God make you feel the privilege of being sanctified by his Spirit, and then you will give him all the glory of being justified by his grace. You ought always to bear in mind, that no grace would exist in your hearts unless God had imparted it.

SERMON XI.

THE NECESSITY OF CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS.

MATT. XXVI, 39.

"O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as will, but as thou wilt."

I ALWAYS value this one day, commonly called Good Friday, for the subject we contemplate is most important. But merely to tell people the history of the sufferings of Christ, does no good; we must attend to the design of God, in thus calling for such an exemplification of his vengeance on the person of his dear Son, and inquire into our own individual deliverance by his atonement, from the guilt of those sins which deserve vengeance at the hand of the Lord. The expression of our Lord, "ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory?" is very remarkable. It was indispensable; and therefore he also said, "thus it

1 Luke xxiv, 26, and ver. 46

behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead." Let us then inquire into the interesting subject, which is brought so strongly before us in this affecting prayer of our Lord, offered up just before his passion took place-" Father if it be possible, let this cup pass from me," to which he added, according to his lovely and obedient heart, "nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." Blessed shall we be also if we can always say, "Thy will be done;" but I feel that it requires omnipotency of grace, to marshal in obedience the rebellious passions of sinful man. All that thwarts our own will creates resistance in our breasts, unless our wills be brought into a holy conformity to the will of God.

Observe the first expression in the text, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me." Are not all things possible with God! Can any thing restrain omnipotence, or place it within limits! Blessed be God, with reverence be it spoken, there are some fine impossibilities belonging even unto him. For instance, it is stated that it is "impossible for God to lie." It is impossible for any among men that are wise to act like fools; for an honest man to be

2 Luke xxiv, 26, and ver. 46.

a knave; for the merciful man to be cruel. So there is in some things a wonderful impossibility with God; he cannot in any wise pass by sin; it is impossible for him to have the least folly; it is impossible for him to have the least diminution of his goodness, or of his power, or indeed of any of his essential attributes; and yet he acts with infinite freedom according to the uncontrolled counsel of his own will. But we must look upon the things pertaining to the divine existence with the most solemn reverence, and whilst we talk about divine impossiblities, and all other things belonging to him, let us never presume to imagine that we can find out the Almighty to perfection. No, blessed be God, I confess myself an atom in his sight, and whilst he is before me, I am lost in amazement, though I still feel him to be the fountain of joy, and see that every good which flows from that glorious source, comes to me through the Saviour. But while we consider that it was not possible that the cup of bitterness should pass from Christ, we are sometimes tempted to put the impertinent question, "could not God have contrived some other way to save mankind, than by the sacrifice of his Son?" I find however, that I am told this is the only way, and therefore it is

my business to acquiesce in it, and to adore Him who is "the way, the truth, and the life."

In order, however, to see the necessity of Christ's sufferings aright, it is expedient that we should have proper notions of sin in ourselves. All supposition that any virtue that is in us can procure salvation, arises from midnight darkness and ignorance. Let the Lord shine into the soul, and then we shall take a different view of ourselves and our salvation; and knowing our own hearts, we shall think evil of our natural condition and repent. But, my dear brethren, I might as well profess to create a world as to make a penitent, for there is no such thing as experiencing repentance, unless we are brought to it by a conviction of sin. All ideas of the merit of virtue and of the beauty of morality without Christ, leave men just where they found them; and even the pathetic tale of the Redeemer's agony and sufferings, though narrated with the deepest feeling, is in vain, but as we are made partakers of his passion by the Holy Spirit, and are brought to see the need of conformity to his death, and of being ourselves "crucified" with him How striking were the apostle's thoughts respecting the Saviour, when he said, "I am crucified with