NO acceptance of Christ but as crucified avails for life. It is not His virtues, His instructions, His example, or the like, but His death (His flesh and blood), that must be fed upon. His death accomplished singly and alone, what altogether and beside never did and never could. The blessed Lord died, gave up the Ghost, or surrendered the life which He had, and which none had title to take from Him. But the moment that was done, results broke forth which all His previous life had never produced. It was then, but not till then, that the veil of the Temple was rent, the rocks riven, the graves opened. Heaven, earth, and hell felt a power they had never owned before. The life of Jesus, His charities to man, His subjection to God, the savor of His spotless human nature, the holiness of that which had been born of the Virgin — none of these, nor all of them together, nor everything in Him and about Him, by Him or through Him, short of the surrender of life, would ever have rent the veil or broken up the graves. God would still have been at a distance, hell been still unconquered, and He that has the power of death still undestroyed. The blood of the dear Son has done what all beside never did, never could do. And over Him thus preached and set forth, it is still to be said, “He that hath the Son hath life.”
J. G. B.