The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1865-10-19
IFoR THE CENTRAL. PREsBTTERny.l ]
The Christians True Motive.

D: II.
Gratitude to Christ is an infallible evil
dence of participation in his death. No
other motive can give the tranquility and
cOmposure ofperfect peace and assurance.
The activity and conformity which spring
from other motives are at least question
able evidences of acceptance with God.
The desire for eternal happiness and
sympathy are common and natural, and
may stimulate to a precise conformity,
great industry, self-denial, and liberal
benevolence, vet the soul still be under the
condemnation of God. But he who acts
from the power of Christ's love, and feels
the melting eloquence of gratitude to him
who died for him, carries with him always
an infalGble evidence of participation in
his death. And this because gratitude to
Christ is an essential quality of the re-
newed heart. "He died for all, that they
who live Through his DEATH should not
henceforth live unto themselves, but unto
him which died for them and rose again. "
The words "rose again" are not mere
sUrplusage. They intend that Christ now
lives to receive and enjoy the fruits of
gratitude in them for whom he died. This
felt obligation to Christ was not in Paul
an apostolic gift. 1t was a part of his
Christian experience. The heart which
has experienced the preciousness of Christ
as a Saviour, and the glory and peace of
his fOrgiying grace, must feel the prompt
ings of a generous gratitude. When the
Holy Spirit "opens the eyes and teaches
the heart of the sinner to see and feel the
magnitude and tenderness of Christ
love, the FIRST emotion which swells the
soul is gratitude to Christ, and the first
utterance of the new creature is the Ian
guage of conservation to Christ, "Lord
what viii thou have me to dO?' And the
more he meditates upon and surveys this
wOndrOuS love, the greater is its influence
over his heart, and the more is its trans
forming power seen in the increasing
symmetry of his religious life, his grow
ing likeness to Christ, and his unreserved
dedication to his service and glory.
Again, of all motives gratitude is, in
its nature, the most self-denying, patient
and thoughtful. Ithas all the tenderness
and strength Of love, and superadded the
force of a felt and acknowledged indebt-
edness to its object. What higher, no
bier, more constraining incentive can be
presented to one who knows the worth Of
salvation, than that love Of Christ which
purchased its rich and numerous bless
ings? Can the Christian believe that the
Son of God, for his redemption, waived
for a time the glory which he had with
the Father, and consented to take upon
himself the form of a servant? Can he
follow him through his life of obedience,
suffering, and extreme abasement, from
the hour he stopped to be born in a sta
BE, to tA2t last scene Of Unexanpled
agony and immense degradation? Can
he behold him in that agony in the gar
den where his soul "waS exceeding Sor-
rowful, even unto death?" Can he see
him stretched on the cross, and hear that
CRY which vet rings Its agOnizing wall,
and bushes into silence every note of hui
man suffering, and not feel the constrain-
ing power of such love, sweetly charming
his soul to Christ? his heart not swell
with gratitude to him who thus loved him,
and gave himself for him? O. the love,
the love of Christ. Can he, dare he con-
template it and not yield himself, body
and soul to him in a life of submission to
his authority, obedience to his will, and
unremitting effort for his glory?
But this motive is also Catholic. 1t
spurns and puts to shame all narrow, en-
yious bigotry. 1t is the bond of uni
versal, throbbing brotherhood. 1t clasps
in the arms of a generous charity, and
hearty goodwill the great sacramento
hosts. Il Obhterates all distinctions, and
grasps with a comprehensive and affection
ate love every true disciple of Christ,
struggling for the same lofty end, the
glory Of a common Redeemer. 1t con-
stitutes all, who are governed by its pow
er, one church and one body of which
Christ is the Head However diverse in
organization and nOn-eSScntialS, they are
in its eve one in Christ, consecrated to
the same Lord and Redeemer, baptized
into the same covenant, subject to the
same control, constrained by the same
power, and battling for the same grand
end, the cOnSummatiOn of the kingdom
and glory of Christ. And further it opens
the most extensive field for Christian ac-
tiyity. As long as there is a soul to be
saved, there is an incentive, for there is
still something which the Christian can
do to make return to Christ. And while
it neither uproots or impairs other mo-
tiyeS, vet in making the glory of Christ
the chief end of the Christians effort, it
expands the field of his activity and
makes the salvation of all the burden of
his prayers and his labors. 1t embraces
all ranks and conditions and countries,
the high and low, rich and poor, kindred
and strangers, the domestic and foreign
field; because every soul which is saved
is a triumph for Christ, JOY to his heart,
and an accession to his glory.
The termination of the war has left our
beloved Zion in a most unhappy and for
lorn condition. Her beautiful places have
been laid waste, her affairs burned with
fire, her focks in many instances without
a shepherd, her treasury impoverished,
and her people languid. She must awake
and shake herself from the dust, and put
on her strength, put on her beautiful gar
ments. To this end there is needed the
utmost harmony and good feeling among
the various branches of the church in the
South. But especiallv we need the out