fruit, it is not of our own growth, it comes from Christ, tlic true vine, Hos. xiv. 8., *' From me is thy fruit found." So that it was notliing but pure love for Christ to hty out his blood to redeem such as he could not expect to be really bettered by. (5.) That Cln-ist should die so willingly, John X. 17., " I lay down my life " The Jews could not have taken it away, if he had not laid it down ; he could have called to his Father for a legion of angels to be his life- guard; but what needed that, when his Godhead could have defended him from all assaults? But he " laid down his life ;" the Jews did not so much thirst for Christ's death, as he thirsted for our redemption, Luke xii. 50., " I have a baptism to be bap- tized with, and how am I straitened till it be accomplished ?" Christ called his suf- ferings a baptism : he was to bs baptized and sprinkled with his own blood, and Christ thought the time long before he suf- fered, " How am I straitened till it be ac- complished." Therefore to shew Christ's willingness to die, his sufferings are called * an offering,' Heb. x. 10., " By the offer- ing of the body of Jesus ;" his death was a free-will-offering. (6.) That Christ should not grudge nor think much of all his suf- ferings ; his being scourged and crucified, (we grudge him a light service) but that he should be well contented with what he hath done ; and, if it were to do again, he would do it, Isa. liii. 11., " He shall see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied." As the mother, though she hath hard labour, yet when she sees a child brought forth, she doth not repent of her pangs, but is well contented: so Christ, though he had hard travail upon the cross, which put him into an agony, yet he doth not think much, — he is not troubled, but thinks his sweat and blood well bestowed, because he sees the man-chUd of redemption brought forth into the world. " He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied." (7.) That Christ should make redemption effectual to some and not to others : here is the quin- tessence of love. Though there is a suffi- ciency in Christ's merit to save all, yet only some partake of its saving virtue ; all do not believe. John vi. 64., " There are some of you that believe not." Christ doth not
pray for all, John xvii. 9. Some refuse Christ, Ps. cxviii. 22., " This is the stone which the builders refused." Others deride him, Luke xvi. 14. Others throw off his yoke, Lukexix. 14., " We will not have this man to reign over us." So that all have not the benefit of salvation by him. Herb in ai)))ears the distinguishing love of Christ, that the virtue of his death should reach some and not others, 1 Cor. i. 26., " Not many wise men after the llesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called." That Christ should pass by many of birth and parts, and that the lot of free grace should fall upon thee; that he should sprinkle his blood upon thee ; " O tiie dej)th of the love of Christ !" (8.) That Christ should love us with such an entire transcendant love. The apostle calls it a ' Love which ])asseth knowledge,' Eph. iii. 19. That he should love us more than the angels ; he loves them as his friends, believers as his sj)ouse. He loves them with such a kind of love as God the Father bears to l-.im, John xv. 9., " As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you." O what an hyperbole of love doth Christ shew in redeeming us ! (9.) That Christ's love in our redemption should be everlasting, John xiii. 1., " Having loved his own, he loved them to the end." As Christ's love is matchless, so endless ; the flower of Christ's love is sweet, and that which makes it sweeter, it never dies. Christ's love is eternized, Jer. xxxi. 3. lie will never di- vorce his elect spouse. The failings of his people cannot quite take off' his love ; they may ecli|)se his love, not wholly remove it ; iheir lailings may make Christ angry v/ith them, but not hale them. Every failing doth not break the marriage-knot. Christ's love 19 not like the saints' love; sometimes they have strong affections towards Christ, — at other times the hot fit is off, and they can find little or no love stirrinj; in them, — but it is not so with Christ's love to the saints, it is a love of eternity. When the sun-shine of C!:rist's electing love is once risen uj>on the soul, it never sets finallv. Death may take away our life from us, but not Christ's love. Behold here a rare sul)iect in a sabbath-mor- ning to meditate upon ! The meditation of Christ's wonderful love in redeeming us, would work in us a sabbath-frame of hear
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OF THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.