,transcribed from the #ahea ,hunt ,son edition by ,david ,price1 email ccx#jgdpglaf4org ,picture3 ,pamphlet cover ,,the ,,cross4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,a ,,tract ,,for ,,the ,,times4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,j4 ,c4 ,,ryle1 ,b4,a41 ,,christ ,,church1 ,,oxford1 ,,rector ,,of ,,helmingham1 ,,suffolk4 ,author of 8,,living ,,or ,,dead80 8,,assurance10 c4 99 99 99 99 99 8,by thy cross and passion1 good ,lord deliver us40 ,liturgy of the ,church of ,england4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,ipswich3 ,,hunt ,,son1 #ab1 ,,tavern ,,street4 ,,london3 ,,wertheim ,,macintosh1 #bd1 ,,paternoster ,,row2 ,,nisbet ,co41 #ba1 ,,berners ,,street4 99 99 99 99 99 ,price ,two ,shillings per ,dozen4 99 99 99 99 99 ,m4,,dccc4,,li4 99 99 99 99 99 8,christ crucified and ,christ glorified is all that we are to study2 the one we are to study as long as we are on earth1 and the other we shall be admitted to study when we get well to heaven4 99 99 8,that faith which is not built on a dying ,christ is but a perilous dream3 ,god awaken all from it that are in it60--,,robert ,,traill4 #afij4 ,,the ,,cross4 8,god forbid that ,i should glory1 save in the cross of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ40--,galat4 vi4 #ad4 ,,reader1 ,what do you think and feel about the cross of ,christ8 ,you live in a ,christian land4 ,you probably attend the worship of a ,christian ,church4 ,you have perhaps been baptized in the name of ,christ4 ,you profess and call yourself a ,christian4 ,all this is well4 ,it is more than can be said of millions in the world1 ,but all this is no answer to my question1 8,what do you think and feel about the cross of ,christ80 ,i want to tell you what the greatest ,christian that ever lived thought of the cross of ,christ4 ,he has written down his opinion4 ,he has given his judgment in words that cannot be mistaken4 ,the man ,i mean is the ,apostle ,paul4 ,the place where you will find his opinion1 is in the letter which the ,holy ,ghost inspired him to write to the ,galatians4 ,and the words in which his judgment is set down1 are these1 8,god forbid that ,i should glory save in the cross of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ40 ,now what did ,paul mean by saying this8 ,he meant to declare strongly1 that he trusted in nothing but ,jesus ,christ crucified for the pardon of his sins and the salvation of his soul4 ,let others1 if they would1 look elsewhere for salvation4 ,let others1 if they were so disposed1 trust in other things for pardon and peace4 ,for his part the apostle was determined to rest on nothing1 lean on nothing1 build his hope on nothing1 place confidence in nothing1 glory in nothing1 except 8the cross of ,jesus ,christ40 ,reader1 let me talk to you about this subject4 ,believe me it is one of the deepest importance4 ,this is no mere question of controversy4 ,this is not one of those points on which men may agree to differ1 and feel that differences will not shut them out of heaven4 ,a man must be right on this subject1 or he is lost for ever4 ,heaven or hell1 happiness or misery1 life or death1 blessing or cursing in the last day1--all hinges on the answer to this question1 8,what do you think about the cross of ,christ80 ,i4 ,let me show you what the apostle ,paul did not glory in4 ,,ii4 ,let me explain to you what he did glory in4 ,,iii4 ,let me show you why all ,christians should think and feel about the cross like ,paul4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i4 ,what did the apostle ,paul not glory in8 ,there are many things that ,paul might have gloried in1 if he had thought as some do in this day4 ,if ever there was one on earth who had something to boast of in himself1 that man was the great apostle of the ,gentiles4 ,now if he did not dare to glory1 who shall8 ,he never gloried in his national privileges4 ,he was a ,jew by birth1 and as he tells us himself1--8,an ,hebrew of the ,hebrews40 ,he might have said1 like many of his brethren1 8,i have ,abraham for my forefather4 ,i am not a dark unenlightened heathen4 ,i am one of the favoured people of ,god4 ,i have been admitted into covenant with ,god by circumcision4 ,i am a far better man than the ignorant ,gentiles40 ,but he never said so4 ,he never gloried in any thing of this kind4 ,never for one moment6 ,he never gloried in his own works4 ,none ever worked so hard for ,god as he did4 ,he was more abundant in labours than any of the apostles4 ,no living man ever preached so much1 travelled so much1 and endured so many hardships for ,christ's cause4 ,none ever converted so many souls1 did so much good to the world1 and made himself so useful to mankind4 ,no ,father of the early church1 no ,reformer1 no ,puritan1 no ,missionary1 no ,minister1 no ,layman1--no one man could ever be named1 who did so many good works as the ,apostle ,paul4 ,but did he ever glory in them1 as if they were in the least meritorious1 and could save his soul8 ,never6 never for one moment6 ,he never gloried in his knowledge4 ,he was a man of great gifts naturally1 and after he was converted the ,holy ,spirit gave him greater gifts still4 ,he was a mighty preacher1 and a mighty speaker1 and a mighty writer4 ,he was as great with his pen as he was with his tongue4 ,he could reason equally well with ,jews and ,gentiles4 ,he could argue with infidels at ,corinth1 or ,pharisees at ,jerusalem1 or self-righteous people in ,galatia4 ,he knew many deep things4 ,he had been in the third heaven1 and heard unspeakable words4 ,he had received the spirit of prophecy1 and could foretell things yet to come4 ,but did he ever glory in his knowledge1 as if it could justify him before ,god8 ,never6 never6 never for one moment6 ,he never gloried in his graces4 ,if ever there was one who abounded in graces1 that man was ,paul4 ,he was full of love4 ,how tenderly and affectionately he used to write6 ,he could feel for souls like a mother or a nurse feeling for her child4 ,he was a bold man4 ,he cared not whom he opposed when truth was at stake4 ,he cared not what risks he ran when souls were to be won4 ,he was a self-denying man1--in hunger and thirst often1 in cold and nakedness1 in watchings and fastings4 ,he was a humble man4 ,he thought himself less than the least of all saints1 and the chief of sinners4 ,he was a prayerful man4 ,see how it comes out at the beginning of all his ,epistles4 ,he was a thankful man4 ,his thanksgivings and his prayers walked side by side4 ,but he never gloried in all this1 never valued himself on it1 never rested his soul's hopes on it4 ,oh6 no6 never for a moment6 ,he never gloried in his churchmanship4 ,if ever there was a good churchman1 that man was ,paul4 ,he was himself a chosen apostle4 ,he was a founder of churches1 and an ordainer of ministers4 ,timothy and ,titus1 and many elders1 received their first commission from his hands4 ,he was the beginner of services and sacraments in many a dark place4 ,many a one did he baptize4 ,many a one did he receive to the ,lord's table4 ,many a meeting for prayer1 and praise1 and preaching1 did he begin and carry on4 ,he was the setter up of discipline in many a young church4 ,whatever ordinances and rules and ceremonies were observed in them1 were first recommended by him4 ,but did he ever glory in his office and church standing8 ,does he ever speak as if his churchmanship would save him1 justify him1 put away his sins1 and make him acceptable before ,god8 ,oh6 no6 never6 never6 never for a moment6 ,and now1 reader1 mark what ,i say4 ,if the apostle ,paul never gloried in any of these things1 who in all the world1 from one end to the other1 who has any right to glory in them in our day8 ,if ,paul said1 ,god forbid that ,i should glory in anything whatever except the cross1 who shall dare to say 8,i have something to glory of1--,i am a better man than ,paul80 ,who is there among the readers of this tract1 that trusts in any goodness of his own8 ,who is there that is resting on his own amendments1 his own morality1 his own performances of any kind whatever8 ,who is there that is leaning the weight of his soul on anything whatever of his own in the smallest possible degree8 ,learn1 ,i say1 that you are very unlike the apostle ,paul4 ,learn that your religion is not apostolical religion4 ,who is there among the readers of this tract that trusts in his churchmanship for salvation8 ,who is there that is valuing himself on his baptism1 or his attendance at the ,lord's table1--his church going on ,sundays1 or his daily services during the week1--and saying to himself1 ,what lack ,i yet8 ,learn1 ,i say1 this day1 that you are very unlike ,paul4 ,your ,christianity is not the ,christianity of the ,new ,testament4 ,paul would not glory in anything but the cross4 ,neither ought you4 ,oh6 reader1 beware of self-righteousness4 ,open sin kills its thousands of souls4 ,self-righteousness kills its tens of thousands4 ,go and study humility with the great apostle of the ,gentiles4 ,go and sit with ,paul at the foot of the cross4 ,give up your secret pride4 ,cast away your vain ideas of your own goodness4 ,be thankful if you have grace1 but never glory in it for a moment4 ,work for ,god and ,christ with heart and soul and mind and strength1 but never dream for a second of placing confidence in any work of your own4 ,think1 you who take comfort in some fancied ideas of your own goodness1--think1 you who wrap up yourselves in the notion1 8all must be right1 if ,i keep to my church10--think for a moment what a sandy foundation you are building upon6 ,think for a moment how miserably defective your hopes and pleas will look in the hour of death1 and in the day of judgment6 ,whatever men may say of their own goodness while they are strong and healthy1 they will find but little to say of it1 when they are sick and dying4 ,whatever merit they may see in their own works here in this world1 they will discover none in them when they stand before the bar of ,christ4 ,the light of that great day of assize will make a wonderful difference in the appearance of all their doings4 ,it will strip off the tinsel1 shrivel up the complexion1 expose the rottenness1 of many a deed that is now called good4 ,their wheat will prove nothing but chaff4 ,their gold will be found nothing but dross4 ,millions of so-called ,christian actions1 will turn out to have been utterly defective and graceless4 ,they passed current1 and were valued among men4 ,they will prove light and worthless in the balance of ,god4 ,they will be found to have been like the whitened sepulchres of old1 fair and beautiful without1 but full of corruption within4 ,alas6 for the man who can look forward to the day of judgment1 and lean his soul in the smallest degree on anything of his own6 #i ,reader1 once more ,i say1 beware of self-righteousness in every possible shape and form4 ,some people get as much harm from their fancied virtues as others do from their sins4 ,take heed1 lest you be one4 ,rest not1 rest not till your heart beats in tune with ,st4 ,paul's4 ,rest not till you can say with him1 8,god forbid that ,i should glory in anything but the cross40 99 99 99 99 99 ,,ii4 ,let me explain1 in the second place1 what you are to understand by the cross of ,christ4 ,the cross is an expression that is used in more than one meaning in the ,bible4 ,what did ,st4 ,paul mean when he said1 8,i glory in the cross of ,christ10 in the ,epistle to the ,galatians8 ,this is the point ,i now wish to make clear4 ,the cross sometimes means that wooden cross1 on which the ,lord ,jesus was nailed and put to death on ,mount ,calvary4 ,this is what ,st4 ,paul had in his mind's eye1 when he told the ,philippians that ,christ 8became obedient unto death1 even the death of the cross40 7,phil4 ii4 #h47 ,this is not the cross in which ,st4 ,paul gloried4 ,he would have shrunk with horror from the idea of glorying in a mere piece of wood4 ,i have no doubt he would have denounced the ,roman ,catholic adoration of the crucifix1 as profane1 blasphemous1 and idolatrous4 ,the cross sometimes means the afflictions and trials which believers in ,christ have to go through if they follow ,christ faithfully1 for their religion's sake4 ,this is the sense in which our ,lord uses the word when ,he says1 8,he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me1 cannot be my disciple40 7,matt4 x4 #ch47 ,this also is not the sense in which ,paul uses the word when he writes to the ,galatians4 ,he knew that cross well4 ,he carried it patiently4 ,but he is not speaking of it here4 ,but the cross also means in some places the doctrine that ,christ died for sinners upon the cross1--the atonement that ,he made for sinners1 by ,his suffering for them on the cross1--the complete and perfect sacrifice for sin which ,he offered up1 when ,he gave ,his own body to be crucified4 ,in short this one word1 8the cross10 stands for ,christ crucified1 the only ,saviour4 ,this is the meaning in which ,paul uses the expression1 when he tells the ,corinthians1 8the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness40 7#a ,cor4 i4 #ah47 ,this is the meaning in which he wrote to the ,galatians1 8,god forbid that ,i should glory1 save in the cross40 ,he simply meant1 8,i glory in nothing but ,christ crucified1 as the salvation of my soul40 #aj ,reader1 ,jesus ,christ crucified was the joy and delight1 the comfort and the peace1 the hope and the confidence1 the foundation and the resting-place1 the ark and the refuge1 the food and the medicine of ,paul's soul4 ,he did not think of what he had done himself1 and suffered himself4 ,he did not meditate on his own goodness1 and his own righteousness4 ,he loved to think of what ,christ had done1 and ,christ had suffered1--of the death of ,christ1 the righteousness of ,christ1 the atonement of ,christ1 the blood of ,christ1 the finished work of ,christ4 ,in this he did glory4 ,this was the sun of his soul4 ,this is the subject he loved to preach about4 ,he was a man who went to and fro on the earth1 proclaiming to sinners that the ,son of ,god had shed ,his own heart's blood to save their souls4 ,he walked up and down the world telling people that ,jesus ,christ had loved them1 and died for their sins upon the cross4 ,mark how he says to the ,corinthians1 8,i delivered unto you first of all that which ,i also received1 how that ,christ died for our sins40 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #c47 8,i determined not to know anything among you save ,jesus ,christ and him crucified40 7#a ,cor4 ii4 #b47 ,he1 a blaspheming1 persecuting ,pharisee1 had been washed in ,christ's blood4 ,he could not hold his peace about it4 ,he was never weary of telling the story of the cross4 ,this is the subject he loved to dwell upon when he wrote to believers4 ,it is wonderful to observe how full his epistles generally are of the sufferings and death of ,christ1--how they run over with 8thoughts that breathe1 and words that burn0 about ,christ's dying love and power4 ,his heart seems full of the subject4 ,he enlarges on it constantly4 ,he returns to it continually4 ,it is the golden thread that runs through all his doctrinal teaching and practical exhortations4 ,he seems to think that the most advanced ,christian can never hear too much about the cross4 #ab ,this is what he lived upon all his life1 from the time of his conversion4 ,he tells the ,galatians1 8,the life that ,i now live in the flesh ,i live by the faith of the son of ,god1 who loved me and gave himself for me40 7,galat4 ii4 #bj47 ,what made him so strong to labour8 ,what made him so willing to work8 ,what made him so unwearied in endeavours to save some8 ,what made him so persevering and patient8 ,i will tell you the secret of it all4 ,he was always feeding by faith on ,christ's body and ,christ's blood4 ,jesus crucified was the meat and drink of his soul4 ,and1 reader1 you may rest assured that ,paul was right4 ,depend upon it1 the cross of ,christ1--the death of ,christ on the cross to make atonement for sinners1--is the centre truth in the whole ,bible4 ,this is the truth we begin with when we open ,genesis4 ,the seed of the woman bruising the serpent's head is nothing else but a prophecy of ,christ crucified4 ,this is the truth that shines out1 though veiled1 all through the law of ,moses and the history of the ,jews4 ,the daily sacrifice1 the passover lamb1 the continual shedding of blood in the tabernacle and temple1--all these were emblems of ,christ crucified4 ,this is the truth that we see honoured in the vision of heaven before we close the book of ,revelation4 8,in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts10 we are told1 8and in the midst of the elders1 stood a ,lamb as it had been slain40 7,rev4 v4 #f47 ,even in the midst of heavenly glory we get a view of ,christ crucified4 ,take away the cross of ,christ1 and the ,bible is a dark book4 ,it is like the ,egyptian hieroglyphics1 without the key that interprets their meaning1--curious and wonderful1 but of no real use4 ,reader1 mark what ,i say4 ,you may know a good deal about the ,bible4 ,you may know the outlines of the histories it contains1 and the dates of the events described1 just as a man knows the history of ,england4 ,you may know the names of the men and women mentioned in it1 just as a man knows ,csar1 ,alexander the ,great1 or ,napoleon4 ,you may know the several precepts of the ,bible1 and admire them1 just as a man admires ,plato1 ,aristotle1 or ,seneca4 ,but if you have not yet found out that ,christ crucified is the foundation of the whole volume1 you have read your ,bible hitherto to very little profit4 ,your religion is a heaven without a sun1 an arch without a keystone1 a compass without a needle1 a clock without spring or weights1 a lamp without oil4 ,it will not comfort you4 ,it will not deliver your soul from hell4 ,reader1 mark what ,i say again4 ,you may know a good deal about ,christ1 by a kind of head knowledge4 ,you may know who ,he was1 and where ,he was born1 and what ,he did4 ,you may know ,his miracles1 ,his sayings1 ,his prophecies1 and ,his ordinances4 ,you may know how ,he lived1 and how ,he suffered1 and how ,he died4 ,but unless you know the power of ,christ's cross by experience1--unless you know and feel within that the blood shed on that cross has washed away your own particular sins1--unless you are willing to confess that your salvation depends entirely on the work that ,christ did upon the cross1--unless this be the case1 ,christ will profit you nothing4 ,the mere knowing ,christ's name will never save you4 ,you must know ,his cross1 and his blood1 or else you will die in your sins4 #ad ,reader1 as long as you live1 beware of a religion in which there is not much of the cross4 ,you live in times when the warning is sadly needful4 ,beware1 ,i say again1 of a religion without the cross4 ,there are hundreds of places of worship1 in this day1 in which there is every thing almost except the cross4 ,there is carved oak1 and sculptured stone4 ,there is stained glass and brilliant painting4 ,there are solemn services1 and a constant round of ordinances4 ,but the real cross of ,christ is not there4 ,jesus crucified is not proclaimed in the pulpit4 ,the ,lamb of ,god is not lifted up1 and salvation by faith in ,him is not freely proclaimed4 ,and hence all is wrong4 ,reader1 beware of such places of worship4 ,they are not apostolical4 ,they would not have satisfied ,st4 ,paul4 #ae ,there are thousands of religious books published in our times1 in which there is everything except the cross4 ,they are full of directions about sacraments1 and praises of the church4 ,they abound in exhortations about holy living1 and rules for the attainment of perfection4 ,they have plenty of fonts and crosses both inside and outside4 ,but the real cross of ,christ is left out4 ,the ,saviour and ,his dying love are either not mentioned1 or mentioned in an unscriptural way4 ,and hence they are worse than useless4 ,reader1 beware of such books4 ,they are not apostolical4 ,they would never have satisfied ,st4 ,paul4 ,reader1 ,st4 ,paul gloried in nothing but the cross4 ,strive to be like him4 ,set ,jesus crucified fully before the eyes of your soul4 ,listen not to any teaching which would interpose anything between you and ,him4 ,do not fall into the old ,galatian error4 ,think not that any one in this day is a better guide than the apostles4 ,do not be ashamed of the old paths1 in which men walked who were inspired by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,let not the vague talk of men who speak great swelling words about catholicity1 and the church1 and the ministry1 disturb your peace1 and make you loose your hands from the cross4 ,churches1 ministers1 and sacraments1 are all useful in their way1 but they are not ,christ crucified4 ,do not give ,christ's honour to another4 8,he that glorieth1 let him glory in the ,lord40 99 99 99 99 99 ,,iii4 ,let me shew you why all ,christians ought to glory in the cross of ,christ4 ,i feel that ,i must say something on this point1 because of the ignorance that prevails about it4 ,i suspect that many see no peculiar glory and beauty in the subject of ,christ's cross4 ,on the contrary1 they think it painful1 humbling1 and degrading4 ,they do not see much profit in the story of ,his death and sufferings4 ,they rather turn from it as an unpleasant thing4 ,now ,i believe that such persons are quite wrong4 ,i cannot hold with them4 ,i believe it is an excellent thing for us all to be continually dwelling on the cross of ,christ4 ,it is a good thing to be often reminded how ,jesus was betrayed into the hands of wicked men1--how they condemned ,him with most unjust judgment1--how they spit on ,him1 scourged ,him1 beat ,him1 and crowned ,him with thorns1--how they led ,him forth as a lamb to the slaughter1 without ,his murmuring or resisting1--how they drove the nails through ,his hands and feet1 and set ,him up on ,calvary between two thieves1--how they pierced ,his side with a spear1 mocked ,him in ,his sufferings1 and let ,him hang there naked and bleeding till ,he died4 ,of all these things1 ,i say1 it is good to be reminded4 ,it is not for nothing that the crucifixion is described four times over in the ,new ,testament4 ,there are very few things that all the four writers of the ,gospel describe4 ,generally speaking1 if ,matthew1 ,mark1 and ,luke tell a thing in our ,lord's history1 ,john does not tell it4 ,but there is one thing that all the four give us most fully1 and that one thing is the story of the cross4 ,this is a telling fact1 and not to be overlooked4 ,people seem to me to forget that all ,christ's sufferings on the cross were fore-ordained4 ,they did not come on ,him by chance or accident4 ,they were all planned1 counselled1 and determined from all eternity4 ,the cross was foreseen in all the provisions of the everlasting ,trinity1 for the salvation of sinners4 ,in the purposes of ,god the cross was set up from everlasting4 ,not one throb of pain did ,jesus feel1 not one precious drop of blood did ,jesus shed1 which had not been appointed long ago4 ,infinite wisdom planned that redemption should be by the cross4 ,infinite wisdom brought ,jesus to the cross in due time4 ,he was crucified by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of ,god4 ,people seem to me to forget that all ,christ's sufferings on the cross were necessary for man's salvation4 ,he had to bear our sins1 if ever they were to be borne at all4 ,with ,his stripes alone could we be healed4 ,this was the one payment of our debt that ,god would accept4 ,this was the great sacrifice on which our eternal life depended4 ,if ,christ had not gone to the cross and suffered in our stead1 the just for the unjust1 there would not have been a spark of hope for us4 ,there would have been a mighty gulf between ourselves and ,god1 which no man ever could have passed4 #ag ,people seem to me to forget that all ,christ's sufferings were endured voluntarily and of ,his own free will4 ,he was under no compulsion4 ,of ,his own choice ,he laid down ,his life4 ,of ,his own choice ,he went to the cross to finish the work ,he came to do4 ,he might easily have summoned legions of angels with a word1 and scattered ,pilate and ,herod and all their armies1 like chaff before the wind4 ,but ,he was a willing sufferer4 ,his heart was set on the salvation of sinners4 ,he was resolved to open a fountain for all sin and uncleanness1 by shedding ,his own blood4 ,reader1 when ,i think of all this1 ,i see nothing painful or disagreeable in the subject of ,christ's cross4 ,on the contrary1 ,i see in it wisdom and power1 peace and hope1 joy and gladness1 comfort and consolation4 ,the more ,i keep the cross in my mind's eye1 the more fulness ,i seem to discern in it4 ,the longer ,i dwell on the cross in my thoughts1 the more ,i am satisfied that there is more to be learned at the foot of the cross than anywhere else in the world4 ,would ,i know the length and breadth of ,god the ,father's love towards a sinful world8 ,where shall ,i see it most displayed8 ,shall ,i look at ,his glorious sun shining down daily on the unthankful and evil8 ,shall ,i look at seed time and harvest returning in regular yearly succession8 ,oh6 no6 ,i can find a stronger proof of love than anything of this sort4 ,i look at the cross of ,christ4 ,i see in it not the cause of the ,father's love1 but the effect4 ,there ,i see that ,god so loved this wicked world1 that ,he gave ,his only begotten ,son1--gave ,him to suffer and die1--that whosoever believeth in ,him should not perish1 but have eternal life4 ,i know that the ,father loves us because ,he did not withhold from us ,his ,son1 ,his only ,son4 ,ah6 reader1 ,i might sometimes fancy that ,god the ,father is too high and holy to care for such miserable1 corrupt creatures as we are4 ,but ,i cannot1 must not1 dare not think it1 when ,i look at the cross of ,christ4 #ai ,would ,i know how exceeding sinful and abominable sin is in the sight of ,god8 ,where shall ,i see that most fully brought out8 ,shall ,i turn to the history of the flood1 and read how sin drowned the world8 ,shall ,i go to the shore of the ,dead ,sea1 and mark what sin brought on ,sodom and ,gomorrah8 ,shall ,i turn to the wandering ,jews1 and observe how sin has scattered them over the face of the earth8 ,no6 ,i can find a clearer proof still4 ,i look at the cross of ,christ4 ,there ,i see that sin is so black and damnable1 that nothing but the blood of ,god's own ,son can wash it away4 ,there ,i see that sin has so separated me from my holy ,maker1 that all the angels in heaven could never have made peace between us4 ,nothing could reconcile us short of the death of ,christ4 ,ah6 if ,i listened to the wretched talk of proud men1 ,i might sometimes fancy sin was not so very sinful4 ,but ,i cannot think little of sin1 when ,i look at the cross of ,christ4 #bj ,would ,i know the fulness and completeness of the salvation ,god has provided for sinners8 ,where shall ,i see it most distinctly8 ,shall ,i go to the general declarations in the ,bible about ,god's mercy8 ,shall ,i rest in the general truth that ,god is a ,god of love8 ,oh6 no6 ,i will look at the cross of ,christ4 ,i find no evidence like that4 ,i find no balm for a sore conscience1 and a troubled heart1 like the sight of ,jesus dying for me on the accursed tree4 ,there ,i see that a full payment has been made for all my enormous debts4 ,the curse of that law which ,i have broken has come down on ,one who there suffered in my stead4 ,the demands of that law are all satisfied4 ,payment has been made for me1 even to the uttermost farthing4 ,it will not be required twice over4 ,ah6 ,i might sometimes imagine ,i was too bad to be forgiven4 ,my own heart sometimes whispers that ,i am too wicked to be saved4 ,but ,i know in my better moments this is all my foolish unbelief4 ,i read an answer to my doubts in the blood shed on ,calvary4 ,i feel sure that there is a way to heaven for the very vilest of men1 when ,i look at the cross4 ,would ,i find strong reasons for being a holy man8 ,whither shall ,i turn for them8 ,shall ,i listen to the ten commandments merely8 ,shall ,i study the examples given me in the ,bible of what grace can do8 ,shall ,i meditate on the rewards of heaven1 and the punishments of hell8 ,is there no stronger motive still8 ,yes6 ,i will look at the cross of ,christ4 ,there ,i see the love of ,christ constraining me to live not unto myself1 but unto ,him4 ,there ,i see that ,i am not my own now2--,i am bought with a price4 ,i am bound by the most solemn obligations to glorify ,jesus with body and spirit1 which are ,his4 ,there ,i see that ,jesus gave ,himself for me1 not only to redeem me from all iniquity1 but also to purify me and make me one of a peculiar people1 zealous of good works4 ,he bore my sins in ,his own body on the tree1 that ,i being dead unto sin should live unto righteousness4 ,ah6 reader1 there is nothing so sanctifying as a clear view of the cross of ,christ6 ,it crucifies the world unto us1 and us unto the world4 ,how can we love sin when we remember that because of our sins ,jesus died8 ,surely none ought to be so holy as the disciples of a crucified ,lord4 ,would ,i learn how to be contented and cheerful under all the cares and anxieties of life8 ,what school shall ,i go to8 ,how shall ,i attain this state of mind most easily8 ,shall ,i look at the sovereignty of ,god1 the wisdom of ,god1 the providence of ,god1 the love of ,god8 ,it is well to do so4 ,but ,i have a better argument still4 ,i will look at the cross of ,christ4 ,i feel that ,he who spared not ,his only begotten ,son1 but delivered ,him up to die for me1 will surely with ,him give me all things that ,i really need4 ,he that endured that pain for my soul1 will surely not withhold from me anything that is really good4 ,he that has done the greater things for me1 will doubtless do the lesser things also4 ,he that gave ,his own blood to procure me a home1 will unquestionably supply me with all really profitable for me by the way4 ,ah6 reader1 there is no school for learning contentment that can be compared with the foot of the cross4 ,would ,i gather arguments for hoping that ,i shall never be cast away8 ,where shall ,i go to find them8 ,shall ,i look at my own graces and gifts8 ,shall ,i take comfort in my own faith1 and love1 and penitence1 and zeal1 and prayer8 ,shall ,i turn to my own heart1 and say1 8this same heart will never be false and cold80 ,oh6 no6 ,god forbid6 ,i will look at the cross of ,christ4 ,this is my grand argument4 ,this is my main stay4 ,i cannot think that ,he who went through such sufferings to redeem my soul1 will let that soul perish after all1 when it has once cast itself on ,him4 ,oh6 no6 what ,jesus paid for1 ,jesus will surely keep4 ,he paid dearly for it4 ,he will not let it easily be lost4 ,he died for me when ,i was yet a dark sinner4 ,he will never forsake me after ,i have believed4 ,ah6 reader1 when ,satan tempts you to doubt whether ,christ's people will be kept from falling1 you should tell ,satan to look at the cross4 #bb ,and now1 reader1 will you marvel that ,i said all ,christians ought to glory in the cross8 ,will you not rather wonder that any can hear of the cross and remain unmoved8 ,i declare ,i know no greater proof of man's depravity1 than the fact that thousands of so-called ,christians see nothing in the cross4 ,well may our hearts be called stony1--well may the eyes of our mind be called blind1--well may our whole nature be called diseased--well may we all be called dead1 when the cross of ,christ is heard of1 and yet neglected4 ,surely we may take up the words of the prophet1 and say1 8,hear ,o heavens1 and be astonished ,o earth2 a wonderful and a horrible thing is done10--,christ was crucified for sinners1 and yet many ,christians live as if ,he was never crucified at all6 ,reader1 the cross is the grand peculiarity of the ,christian religion4 ,other religions have laws and moral precepts1--forms and ceremonies1--rewards and punishments4 ,but other religions cannot tell us of a dying ,saviour4 ,they cannot show us the cross4 ,this is the crown and glory of the ,gospel4 ,this is that special comfort which belongs to it alone4 ,miserable indeed is that religious teaching which calls itself ,christian1 and yet contains nothing of the cross4 ,a man who teaches in this way1 might as well profess to explain the solar system1 and yet tell his hearers nothing about the sun4 ,the cross is the strength of a minister4 ,i for one would not be without it for all the world4 ,i should feel like a soldier without arms1--like an artist without his pencil1--like a pilot without his compass1--like a labourer without his tools4 ,let others1 if they will1 preach the law and morality4 ,let others hold forth the terrors of hell1 and the joys of heaven4 ,let others drench their congregations with teachings about the sacraments and the church4 ,give me the cross of ,christ4 ,this is the only lever which has ever turned the world upside down hitherto1 and made men forsake their sins4 ,and if this will not1 nothing will4 ,a man may begin preaching with a perfect knowledge of ,latin1 ,greek1 and ,hebrew4 ,but he will do little or no good among his hearers unless he knows something of the cross4 ,never was there a minister who did much for the conversion of souls who did not dwell much on ,christ crucified4 ,luther1 ,rutherford1 ,whitefield1 ,m',cheyne were all most eminently preachers of the cross4 ,this is the preaching that the ,holy ,ghost delights to bless4 ,he loves to honour those who honour the cross4 ,the cross is the secret of all missionary success4 ,nothing but this has ever moved the hearts of the heathen4 ,just according as this has been lifted up missions have prospered4 ,this is the weapon that has won victories over hearts of every kind1 in every quarter of the globe4 ,greenlanders1 ,africans1 ,south-,sea ,islanders1 ,hindoos1 ,chinese1 all have alike felt its power4 ,just as that huge iron tube which crosses the ,menai ,straits1 is more affected and bent by half an hour's sunshine than by all the dead weight that can be placed in it1 so in like manner the hearts of savages have melted before the cross when every other argument seemed to move them no more than stones4 8,brethren10 said a ,north ,american ,indian1 after his conversion1 8,i have been a heathen4 ,i know how heathens think4 ,once a preacher came and began to explain to us that there was a ,god2 but we told him to return to the place from whence he came4 ,another preacher came and told us not to lie1 nor steal1 nor drink2 but we did not heed him4 ,at last another came into my hut one day and said1 #8,i am come to you in the name of the ,lord of heaven and earth4 ,he sends to let you know that ,he will make you happy1 and deliver you from misery4 ,for this end ,he became a man1 gave his life a ransom1 and shed his blood for sinners4' ,i could not forget his words4 ,i told them to the other ,indians1 and an awakening begun among us4 ,i say therefore1 preach the sufferings and death of ,christ1 our ,saviour1 if you wish your words to gain entrance among the heathen40 ,never indeed did the devil triumph so thoroughly1 as when he persuaded the ,jesuit missionaries in ,china to keep back the story of the cross6 ,the cross is the foundation of a church's prosperity4 ,no church will ever be honoured in which ,christ crucified is not continually lifted up4 ,nothing whatever can make up for the want of the cross4 ,without it all things may be done decently and in order4 ,without it there may be splendid ceremonies1 beautiful music1 gorgeous churches1 learned ministers1 crowded communion tables1 huge collections for the poor4 ,but without the cross no good will be done4 ,dark hearts will not be enlightened4 ,proud hearts will not be humbled4 ,mourning hearts will not be comforted4 ,fainting hearts will not be cheered4 ,sermons about the ,catholic ,church and an apostolic ministry1--sermons about baptism and the ,lord's supper1--sermons about unity and schism1--sermons about fasts and communion1--sermons about fathers and saints1--such sermons will never make up for the absence of sermons about the cross of ,christ4 ,they may amuse some4 ,they will feed none4 ,a gorgeous banquetting room and splendid gold plate on the table will never make up to a hungry man for the want of food4 ,christ crucified is ,god's grand ordinance for doing good to men4 ,whenever a church keeps back ,christ crucified1 or puts anything whatever in that foremost place which ,christ crucified should always have1 from that moment a church ceases to be useful4 ,without ,christ crucified in her pulpits1 a church is little better than a cumberer of the ground1 a dead carcase1 a well without water1 a barren fig tree1 a sleeping watchman1 a silent trumpet1 a dumb witness1 an ambassador without terms of peace1 a messenger without tidings1 a lighthouse without fire1 a stumbling-block to weak believers1 a comfort to infidels1 a hot-bed for formalism1 a joy to the devil1 and an offence to ,god4 ,the cross is the grand centre of union among true ,christians4 ,our outward differences are many without doubt4 ,one man is an ,episcopalian1 another is a ,presbyterian1--one is an ,independent1 another a ,baptist1--one is a ,calvinist1 another an ,arminian1--one is a ,lutheran1 another a ,plymouth brother1--one is a friend to establishments1 another a friend to the voluntary system1--one is a friend to liturgies1 another a friend to extempore prayer4 ,but after all1 what shall we hear about most of these differences in heaven8 ,nothing most probably3 nothing at all4 ,does a man really and sincerely glory in the cross of ,christ8 ,that is the grand question4 ,if he does1 he is my brother2--we are travelling in the same road4 ,we are journeying towards a home where ,christ is all1 and everything outward in religion will be forgotten4 ,but if he does not glory in the cross of ,christ1 ,i cannot feel comfort about him4 ,union on outward points only is union only for time4--,union about the cross is union for eternity4 ,error on outward points is only a skin-deep disease4 ,error about the cross is disease at the heart4 ,union about outward points is a mere man-made union4 ,union about the cross of ,christ can only be produced by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,reader1 ,i know not what you think of all this4 ,i feel as if ,i had said nothing compared to what might be said4 ,i feel as if the half of what ,i desire to tell you about the cross were left untold4 ,but ,i do hope that ,i have given you something to think about4 ,i do trust that ,i have shown you that ,i have reason for the question with which ,i began this tract1 8,what do you think and feel about the cross of ,christ80 ,listen to me now for a few moments1 while ,i say something to apply the whole subject to your conscience4 ,are you living in any kind of sin8 ,are you following the course of this world1 and neglecting your soul8 ,hear1 ,i beseech you what ,i say to you this day3 8,behold the cross of ,christ40 ,see there how ,jesus loved you6 ,see there what ,jesus suffered to prepare for you a way of salvation6 ,yes6 careless men and women1 for you that blood was shed6 ,for you those hands and feet were pierced with nails6 ,for you that body hung in agony on the cross6 ,you are those whom ,jesus loved1 and for whom ,he died6 ,surely that love ought to melt you4 ,surely the thought of the cross should draw you to repentance4 ,oh6 that it might be so this very day4 ,oh6 that you would come at once to that ,saviour who died for you and is willing to save4 ,come and cry to ,him with the prayer of faith1 and ,i know that ,he will listen4 ,come and lay hold upon the cross1 and ,i know that ,he will not cast you out4 ,come and believe on ,him who died on the cross1 and this very day you shall have eternal life4 ,how will you ever escape if you neglect so great salvation8 ,none surely will be so deep in hell as those who despise the cross6 ,are you inquiring the way toward heaven8 ,are you seeking salvation but doubtful whether you can find it8 ,are you desiring to have an interest in ,christ but doubting whether ,christ will receive you8 ,to you also ,i say this day1 8,behold the cross of ,christ40 ,here is encouragement if you really want it4 ,draw near to the ,lord ,jesus with boldness1 for nothing need keep you back4 ,his arms are open to receive you4 ,his heart is full of love towards you4 ,he has made a way by which you may approach ,him with confidence4 ,think of the cross4 ,draw near1 and fear not4 ,are you an unlearned man8 ,are you desirous to get to heaven and yet perplexed and brought to a stand-still by difficulties in the ,bible which you cannot explain8 ,to you also ,i say this day1 8,behold the cross of ,christ40 ,read there the ,father's love and the ,son's compassion4 ,surely they are written in great plain letters1 which none can well mistake4 ,what though you are now perplexed by the doctrine of election8 ,what though at present you cannot reconcile your own utter corruption and your own responsibility8 ,look1 ,i say1 at the cross4 ,does not that cross tell you that ,jesus is a mighty1 loving1 ready ,saviour8 ,does it not make one thing plain1 and that is that if not saved it is all your own fault8 ,oh6 get hold of that truth1 and hold it fast4 ,are you a distressed believer8 ,is your heart pressed down with sickness1 tired with disappointments1 overburdened with cares8 ,to you also ,i say this day1 8,behold the cross of ,christ40 ,think whose hand it is that chastens you4 ,think whose hand is measuring to you the cup of bitterness which you are now drinking4 ,it is the hand of ,him that was crucified4 ,it is the same hand that in love to your soul was nailed to the accursed tree4 ,surely that thought should comfort and hearten you4 ,surely you should say to yourself1 8,a crucified ,saviour will never lay upon me anything that is not for my good4 ,there is a needs be4 ,it must be well40 ,are you a believer that longs to be more holy8 ,are you one that finds his heart too ready to love earthly things8 ,to you also ,i say1 8,behold the cross of ,christ40 ,look at the cross4 ,think of the cross4 ,meditate on the cross1 and then go and set affections on the world if you can4 ,i believe that holiness is nowhere learned so well as on ,calvary4 ,i believe you cannot look much at the cross without feeling your will sanctified1 and your tastes made more spiritual4 ,as the sun gazed upon makes everything else look dark and dim1 so does the cross darken the false splendour of this world4 ,as honey tasted makes all other things seem to have no taste at all1 so does the cross seen by faith take all the sweetness out of the pleasures of the world4 ,keep on every day steadily looking at the cross of ,christ1 and you will soon say of the world as the poet does1-- ,its pleasures now no longer please1 ,no more content afford2 ,far from my heart be joys like these1 ,now ,i have seen the ,lord4 ,as by the light of opening day ,the stars are all conceal'd4 ,so earthly pleasures fade away ,when ,jesus is reveal'd4 ,are you a dying believer8 ,have you gone to that bed from which something within tells you you will never come down alive8 ,are you drawing near to that solemn hour when soul and body must part for a season1 and you must launch into a world unknown8 ,oh6 look steadily at the cross of ,christ1 and you shall be kept in peace4 ,fix the eyes of your mind firmly on ,jesus crucified1 and ,he shall deliver you from all your fears4 ,though you walk through dark places1 ,he will be with you4 ,he will never leave you1 never forsake you4 ,sit under the shadow of the cross to the very last1 and its fruit shall be sweet to your taste4 8,ah60 said a dying missionary1 8there is but one thing needful on a death-bed1 and that is to feel one's arms round the cross40 ,reader1 ,i lay these thoughts before your mind4 ,what you think now about the cross of ,christ ,i cannot tell2 but ,i can wish you nothing better than this1 that you may be able to say with the apostle ,paul1 before you die or meet the ,lord1 8,god forbid that ,i should glory save in the cross of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ40 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,hunt ,son1 ,printers1 ,ipswich4 ,,tracts ,,and ,,other ,,works1 ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,j4 ,c4 ,,ryle2 ,,published ,,by ,,hunt ,,son1 #ai1 ,tavern ,street1 ,ipswich4 99 99 99 99 99 ,are ,you ,forgiven8 ,a ,question for ,everybody4 #gth edition1 #djth thousand4 #bs4 per doz4 ,also1 a small paper edition1 with ,notes4 #dh pages1 fancy cover1 gilt edges1 price #f;d4 ,are ,you ,holy8 ,a ,question for ,everybody4 #gth edition1 #ceth thousand4 #bs4 per doz4 ,are ,you ,regenerate8 ,a ,question for the times4 ,being a portion of a larger work on ,regeneration4 #bs4 per doz4 ,assurance4 #b ,tim4 iv4 #f1 #g1 #h4 ,with ,notes and ,extracts from ,writers of the seventeenth century4 #ahmo4 cloth limp4 #crd edition1 revised1 price #as4 ,be not ,slothful1 but ,followers4 ,a ,funeral ,sermon1 preached on ,sunday1 ,july #bith1 #ahdf1 in ,helmingham ,church4 #dth thousand1 price #as4 ,christ and the ,two ,thieves4 ,being thoughts on ,luke xxiii4 #ci-dc4 #eth edition1 #beth thousand4 #bs4 per doz4 ,consider ,your ,way6 ,a ,pastor's ,address to his flock4 #eth edition1 #beth thousand4 #bs4 per doz4 ,faith's ,choice4 ,a ,sermon on ,hebrews xi4 #bd-bf1 price #f;d4 ,home ,truths4 ,being ,miscellaneous ,addresses and ,tracts1 arranged1 revised1 and corrected for this edition4 ,illustrated with an ,engraving of ,helmingham ,church1 and ,vignette ,title4 #bnd edition1 foolscap #hvo1 cloth extra1 price #cs4 #f;d4 ,how should a ,child be ,trained8 ,being thoughts on ,prov4 xxii4 #f4 #crd edition4 #c;d4 each1 or #bs4 #f;d4 per doz4 ,little and ,wise4 ,an ,address to ,children4 ,small #hvo1 neat wrapper1 ,illustrated with appropriate ,engravings4 #dth thousand1 ,price #e;d4 ,living or ,dead8 ,a ,question for ,everybody4 #abth edition1 #fjth thousand4 #bs4 per doz4 ,only ,one ,way4 ,a ,tract for the ,times4 ,being ,thoughts on ,acts iv4 #ab4 #eth edition1 #beth thousand4 #bs4 per doz4 ,prove ,all ,things4 ,a ,tract on ,private ,judgment4 #crd edition1 #aeth thousand4 #bs4 per doz4 ,regeneration4 ,a ,tract for the ,times4 #ajd pp4 foolscap #hvo1 #crd edition1 #ajth thousand4 ,price #f;d4 sewed2 limp cloth #as4 ,remember ,lot6 #fth edition1 #cjth thousand4 #bs4 per doz4 ,sermons to ,children4 ,a #crd and revised edition of 8,seeking the ,lord ,early10 and 8,children ,walking in ,truth40 ,in fancy cover1 price #f;d4 ,spiritual ,songs4 ,coloss4 iii4 #af4 ,being #fb ,hymns not to be found in the ,hymn ,books most commonly used4 ,selected by the ,rev4 ,j4 ,c4 ,ryle4 ,in glazed wrapper1 price #f;d4 each2 or in fancy cloth1 gilt edges1 price #h;d4 ,watch6 ,a ,word in ,season4 ,being thoughts on the ,parable of the ,ten ,virgins4 7,matt4 xxv4 #a-ac47 #dth edition1 #bjth thousand4 #bs4 per doz4 ,wheat or ,chaff8 ,a ,question for #ahea4 #hth ,edition1 #djth thousand4 #bs4 per doz4 ,young ,men ,exhorted4 ,a ,sermon to young men1 preached in ,helmingham ,church4 #eth edition1 #bjth thousand1 in f'cap #hvo1 #fh pp4 cloth extra4 #as42 neat wrapper1 #f;d4 each4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,ipswich3 ,,hunt ,,son1 #ab1 ,,tavern ,,street4 ,,london3 ,,wertheim ,,macintosh2 ,,nisbet ,co41 #bd1 ,paternoster ,row1 and #ba1 ,berners ,street4 ,,footnotes4 #i 8,howsoever men when they sit at ease1 do vainly tickle their own hearts with the wanton conceit of ,i know not what proportionable correspondence between their merits and their rewards1 which in the trance of their high speculations1 they dream that ,god hath measured and laid up as it were in bundles for them2--we see notwithstanding by daily experience in a number even of them1 that when the hour of death approacheth1 when they secretly hear themselves summoned to appear and stand at the bar of that ,judge1 whose brightness causeth the eyes of angels themselves to dazzle1 all those idle imaginations do then begin to hide their faces4 ,to name merits then is to lay their souls upon the rack4 ,the memory of their own deeds is loathsome unto them4 ,they forsake all things wherein they have put any trust and confidence4 ,no staff to lean upon1 no rest1 no ease1 no comfort then1 but only in ,christ ,jesus40--,richard ,hooker4 #aehe4 #aj 8,by the cross of ,christ the apostle understandeth the all-sufficient1 expiatory1 and satisfactory sacrifice of ,christ upon the cross1 with the whole work of our redemption3 in the living knowledge of1 whereof he professeth he will glory and boast40--,cudworth on ,galatians4 #afac4 8,touching these words1 ,i do not find that any expositor1 either ancient or modern1 ,popish or ,protestant1 writing on this place1 doth expound the cross here mentioned of the sign of the cross1 but of the profession of faith in ,him that was hanged on the cross40--,mayer's ,commentary4 #afca4 8,this is rather to be understood of the cross which ,christ suffered for us1 than of that we suffer for ,him40--,leigh's ,annotations4 #afej4 #ab 8,christ crucified it the sum of the ,gospel1 and contains all the riches of it4 ,paul was so much taken with ,christ1 that nothing sweeter than ,jesus could drop from his pen and lips4 ,it is observed that he hath the word #8,jesus' five hundred times in his ,epistle40--,charnock4 #afhd4 #ad 8,if our faith stop in ,christ's life1 and do not fasten upon his blood1 it will not be a justifying faith4 ,his miracles which prepared the world for his doctrines2 his holiness1 which fitted himself for his sufferings1 had been insufficient for us without the addition of the cross40--,charnock4 #afhd4 #ae 8,paul determined to know nothing else but ,jesus ,christ and him crucified4 ,but many manage the ministry as if they had taken up a contrary determination1 even to know anything save ,jesus ,christ and him crucified40--,traill4 #afij4 #ag 8,in ,christ's humiliation stands our exaltation2 in his weakness stands our strength2 in his ignominy our glory3 in his death our life40--,cudworth4 #afac4 8,the eye of faith regards ,christ sitting on the summit of the cross1 as in a triumphal chariot2 the devil bound to the lowest part of the same cross1 and trodden under the feet of ,christ40--,bishop ,davenant on ,colossians4 #afbg4 #ai 8,the world we live in had fallen upon our heads1 had it not been upheld by the pillar of the cross2 had not ,christ stepped in and promised a satisfaction for the sin of man4 ,by this all things consist2 not a blessing we enjoy but may put us in mind of it2 they were all forfeited by sin1 but merited by his blood4 ,if we study it well we shall be sensible how ,god hated sin and loved a world40--,charnock4 #afhd4 #bj 8,if ,god hateth sin so much that he would allow neither man nor angel for the redemption thereof1 but only the death of his only and well-beloved ,son1 who will not stand in fear thereof80--,church of ,england ,homily for ,good ,friday4 #aefj4 #bb 8,the believer is so freed from eternal wrath1 that if ,satan and conscience say1 #8thou art a sinner1 and under the curse of the law1' he can say1 it is true1 ,i am a sinner1 but ,i was hanged on a tree and died1 and was made a curse in my ,head and ,lawgiver ,christ1 and his payment and suffering is my payment and suffering40--,rutherford's ,christ ,dying4 #afdg4