Christianty without Christ [pp. 352-362]

358 CHRISTIANITY WITHOUT CHRIST. [April,
in human flesh I see, My thoughts no comfort find." "But, if
Immanuel's face appear, My hope, my joy begins." "Jesus,
my God, Thy blood alone, Has power sufficient to atone; Thy
blood can make me white as snow; No Jewish type could
cleanse me so." "To the dear fountain of Thy blood, Incarnate God I fly, There let me wash my guilty soul From sins of
deepest dye." "A guilty, weak, and helpless worm, On Thy
kind arms I fall, Be Thou my strength and righteousness, My
Jesus and my all." Volumes might be filled with such proofs of
what Chnstianity is in the hearts of Christians. It will be observed, it is not mainly Christ as a teacher, as an example, nor
even as the expiator of our sins-it is not mainly what He ha~
done that is rendered thus prominent; but what He is He
is God clothed in our n~ture, ever with \1s, ever in us-our life,
our present joy, our everlasting portion; the one to whom
we owe everything, from whom we derive everything, who
loves us with a love that is peculiar, exclusive (that is, such
as he entertains for no other class of beings), and u~speakable.
In painful contrast with the Christianity of the Bible and of
the church, there is a kind of religion, very prevalent and
very influential, calling itself Christianity, which may be properly designated Christianity without Christ. It might be all
that it is, though Christ had never appeared, or, at least, although our relation to him were entirely different from what
it really is.
- The lowest form of this kind of religion is that which assumes Christ to be a mere man, or, at most, merely a creature.
Then, of course, He cannot be an object of adoration, of supreme love, of trust, and of devotion. The difference is absolute
between the inward religious state of those who regard Christ
as a creature, and that of those who regard him as God. If
the one be true religion, the other is impiety.
S The second form of this religion admits of higher views of
the person of Christ, but it reduces Christianity to benevolence. And by benevolence is often meant nothing more than
philanthropy. The gospel is made to consist in the inculcation of the command, Love your neighbor as yourself. All
who approximately do this are called Christians. Hence it is
said, that if all records concerning Christ should be blotted out
of existence, his religion could be evolved out of our own nature.