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can with great appearance of reason (and as we think, with more than appearance) be alleged against those opposed to us, but when we reverse the direction of our investigations, and place unbelief itself under the microscope, we can give an explanation of its existence, as we said, not dishonouring to it, and reassuring to the intelligent believer.

Though Christianity be, as we believe, a Divine revelation, yet it has to be wrought into the stuff of human nature, through human agents that are only growing into the knowledge of it as they propagate it. In its first manifestations, then, it must stoop to the limitations of faculties lately redeemed from heathenism; it must take shape in minds, still enswathed in the mists of debased feeling, and governed by the erroneous conceptions and ideals which till recently held sway in its teachers' souls. It is inevitable, then, that early Christianity should take on corruptions which only further realisations of its own living spirit can expel. In this way, carnal ideas of authority and rule got into the very organism of the Church. In this way too, the just claims of reason to absolute rights in its own sphere of experience, came to be overridden by dominant faith. And accordingly, in course of time, there was reaction. Reason, rightly as we think, asserted its claim. In the field of nature it must be influenced only by observation and experiment; in other fields purely by the evidence proper to them. Thus only could natural truth be discovered. But now itself has gone over to the other extreme. Reason to-day would override Faith, would deny it a separate and independent sphere. Every system antagonistic to Christianity has had its rise in this root-tendency, to find within reason, and through its activity, a complete explanation of all that is. And because of this one-sidedness has modern rationalism run its course so The ancient thinkers, in the dark, and crying for light, were loyal to every side of their nature, to every aspect of things, and therefore did they rise so high, and for so long keep hold of truths that could partially, at least, sustain the life of man. Modern speculation has not been equally catholic. It has, in no one system of thought, given full and unprejudiced consideration to the religious element in history and man. It has gone upon the principle of minimising all facts making against the basis of their theories, till now it has reached the

soon.

Triumph of Faith.

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blank of materialism, beyond which there is no way for the spirit, and from which it must seek refuge in faith.

And Christianity, purified in the fires of controversy, having learned now through sore travail, that while it dominates all spheres indirectly, its peculiar region is the will, and respecting the independent position of reason within its own sphere, is fitted to be a refuge for all that is highest and best in the culture of our time. Many of the noblest and best find it so even now. We must not forget that Christianity has never been without its trophies and ornaments in the highest walks of thought, and is not without them to-day. There is then no ground of reason against, but on the contrary, in the barrenness and insufficiency of modern speculation, every reason for, indulging the expectation that we are on the edge of a new era of faith, and that, in the enthusiasm created by fresh conquests, both in the field of the world and in the field of religious thought, unbelief will after a time suffer obscuration, reappearing mayhap further on, when fresh abuses, arising out of the as yet unreconciled human, again rise to a head, tarnishing and obscuring the faith. At all events, whether we have forecast the future in any measure aright, or no, we have to thank past and present conflicts with unbelief, for much. The Church is not holding its faith to-day as a tradition or as a transmitted creed. It has been driven back into living contact with its Divine Head. It is nearer the Apostolic standpoint than it has been for centuries. It is basing its appeal to men on what Christ has done for and in men, and can do. And yet it is not divorced from its Biblical basis and creeds; only, under stress of opposition, it has been rediscovering their spiritual significance, and rising by means of them into a fresh vision of God.

JOHN SMITH.

THE

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HE juridical procurement, righteously and consistently with Divine honour, of redemption's grace to guilty and spiritually dead sinners; and the actual administration and bestowal of it; proceed upon the all-embracing and most simplifying covenant arrangement of an exchange of places between the Redeemer and the redeemed. It is nowhere stated, in the general theorem, as distinguished from a particular case (to use the language of geometricians), more beautifully than in 2 Cor. viii. 9:-" For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." The words announce to us the splendid and wonderful arrangement made for enriching us with the blessings of everlasting salvation. That arrangement proceeds upon the principle of an exchange-an exchange of places between Christ and his people. Originally Christ is rich, and ultimately his people are made rich. They are made rich by sharing Christ's riches but the intervening process calls for adoring admiration. The holy angels indeed share in the riches of Christ; he is their Creator and their Lord, and their portion for ever. But being holy, harmless, and undefiled, they have ever since their origin been rich, directly drawing from the full riches of the Father, Son, and Spirit, having nothing but what they have received yet receiving continually, freely, without let or hindrance, without money and without price; also without any difficulty to be overcome; without any special arrangement being needed.

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It is very far otherwise with the redeemed from among men. They indeed share the riches of Christ; and ultimately they become rich even as originally he is rich. But a very peculiar arrangement was needed. Not all at once, without obstruction, and easily, as with the angels, could fallen men be adopted into the participation of the riches of God's Eternal Son. Angels are poor as creatures; men are poor as sinners. As creatures, angels are dependent; and, owning their dependence, the Lord meets them with the free, full treasures of his love and blessing and support. As sinners, men are cut off from

The General Theorem.

461 the fountain of holiness, and life, and blessing: and how shall the sin-hating God again admit them to his riches?

Most blessed scheme! Most wise and gracious arrangement ! The Son of God exchanges places with them. He assumes their place and poverty; he transfers them into his place and riches. Though rich, he becomes poor; they, though poor, become rich; though rich in his own riches, he becomes poor in their poverty; though poor in their own poverty, they become rich in his riches; and it is through his poverty they become rich.

In the first place, we shall illustrate this arrangement in several particulars or details. The terms "rich" and "poor" are highly general: they are inclusive of a vast variety of particulars; and the principle of this exchange may become more obvious, and faith may be aided in acting on it, if we fill up the general statement by a variety of details.

Let us say, then, that Christ was rich in Righteousness, in Life, in Blessing, in Strength, in Glory. And in these five cases let us trace the steps of the exchange.

1. Say that by riches we mean Righteousness. The corresponding poverty then is sin; and then the proposition reads thus: "Though Christ was righteous, yet for our sakes he was made sin, that we might thereby be made righteous." Thus, it is but a particular case of the great principle when Paul says elsewhere, "He that knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor. v. 21).

In this respect how very rich was Christ! how poor were we! How poor, for our sakes, did he become! how rich do we become in him!

He was rich in righteousness originally, as the Eternal Son of God, co-equal possessor of all the righteousness of Godhead. It is a fundamental and primary conception of God, that he is holy. There is none holy as the Lord. He is emphatically "the Holy One." He is "the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy" (Isa. lvii. 15). Sin is infinitely repugnant to his will, infinitely distant from his nature. Perfect, eternal, inviolable righteousness characteriseth the Godhead. Oh, with what resplendent righteousness the Sacred Three-in-One have from everlasting dealt with one

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another! And when, in unity of council, they turn to deal with creation, "the Judge of all the earth cannot do but what is right" (Gen. xviii. 25). There is no unrighteousness in him" (Ps. xcii. 15; Isa. vii. 18). The saints give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. Of all this, the Son is co-equal possessor with the Father and the Spirit. He is the Holy One and the Just. As God, he is holy and righteous infinitely. This Divine person, our Lord Jesus Christ, is in his Godhead infinitely righteous.

Was there any unrighteousness in his becoming man, so as to render the God-man less righteous than God? Did he become less righteous by becoming man? Is Immanuel, God manifest in the flesh, less righteous than the Eternal Son? If he were, he would not be God manifest: he would be God misrepresented. Yea, he could not possibly still be God. The righteousness and holiness of this Divine person are not altered by his incarnation-not diminished or deteriorated: they are disclosed. The Holy Ghost prepared a human nature for him, itself so holy, and pure, and stainless as to be a mirror, infinitely, absolutely accurate, in which his Godhead's holiness should shine. The Eternal Son, incarnate in our flesh, the man Christ Jesus, is holy as God is holy-perfect as his Father in heaven is perfect. Immanuel is rich in a divine, unimpaired, eternal, inviolable righteousness. In this, indeed, our Lord Jesus Christ is pre-eminently rich,-"Jesus Christ the righteous." For our sakes he became poor-" was made sin❞ (2 Cor. v. 21). The Father laid on him the iniquity of his people. He bare our sins in his own body on the tree. He became the Lamb of God, bearing the sins of the world. The Father made him to be sin. Constituting him the substitute of sinners, he imputed their sins to him accordingly; and held him responsible for the dishonour they had done to God, obnoxious to the wages and penalty of sin-and the wages of sin is death.

How amazing the exchange-from highest riches to deepest poverty from righteousness, the most glorious of all riches, to sin, the most profound and degrading possible style of poverty!

Isaiah saw him in his riches, in his holiness, upon his heavenly throne, and the myriads of the holy ones he heard crying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty: the whole earth is full of thy glory." But the exchange takes place.

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