388 THE NINETEENTH SERMON. [EPII. II. 10.
1, The greatness of the disease ; that is clearly seen in the difficulty of the remedy. Nothing doth make a man so sensible of the corrup- ness of his nature, as when we hear by what terms our recovery or restitution by grace is set forth. It is a second creation, a new birth, a resurrection, a raising up of stones to be children to Abraham ; yea, in a sort, beasts are turned into angels. From these things we may a little conceive of the greatness of that disease which all mankind were sick of. Every faculty of our souls was both weakened and corrupted, and God only by his divine power can restore us ; for to be cured we must be wholly new made, and who can make or create but God ? Surely we contributed nothing to it. What enemies were we to our own mercies 1 It is no small matter for darkness to become light in the Lord ; for a rugged, stubborn creature to be mollified, and sub- missive to the Spirit's discipline ; for a slave of the devil to become the subject of Christ ; that a heap of rubbish should be erected into a temple of God, and a dunghill turned into a bed of spices.
2. It teaches us to magnify this renewing work. If you think the cure is no great matter, it will necessarily follow that it deserveth no great praise, and so God will be robbed of the honour of our recovery. But why then is this work so magnified in the scriptures, and such high expressions used about it ? Why is it called an opening of our blind eyes ; a turning us from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God ;' a ' quickening them tliat were dead,' and making us 'new creatures'? W^hy must the Holy Ghost be shed so abundantly upon us for our renovation ? Surely it is some great thing -which all these expressions do intend, and should be more magnified in our thoughts, that we may give God his due praise and honour. And they sin greatly that have contemptuous thoughts or a low esteem of it, or see not the absolute necessity of it ; and by extenuating this great change, gave shrewd suspicion they were never ac- qu{iinted witli it. Surely all that have felt what God hath done for their bcuIs, they know how little they have contributed to it, they dare not make light of it, and ascribe it to their own wit or will, or entertain undervaluing thoughts of this grace. Alas ! there is an emnity in every carnal heart against holinesss, till God remove it and subdue it, Tiom. viii. 7 ; Col. i. 21. And what shall conquer this enmity but his invincible power ? Surely this is the gracious and powerful work of the ever-blessed God, and to be ascribed to him alone. Can a stony heart of itself become tender ? or a dead heart quicken itself? or a creature wholly led by sense, and addicted to the pleasures of sin, be brought of itself to seek its happiness in an unseen world, and of its own accord deny present things, and lay up all its hopes in heaven ? No ; it is God must take away the heart of stone, quicken those that are dead in tres] 'asses and sins.
Thirdly, How far the mediation of Christ is concerned in this effect. We are renewed by God's creating power, but through the intervening mediation of Christ.
1. This creating power is set forth with respect to his merit. The life of grace is purchased by his death : 1 John iv. 9, ' God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live by him ; ' here spiritually, hereafter eternally ; life opposite to the death incurred
EpH. II. 10.] THE NINETEENTH SERMON. SS'J
by sin. And how by him ? By his being a propitiation ; that he speaks of there, ver. 10. We were in a state of death when the doors of mercy were first opened to us, under the guilt and power of sin ; for while the guilt and tyranny of sin remaineth, we are said to be dead, and strangers to the life of God ; and we begin to live when first re- generated by the Spirit of Christ. Now this we have not without Christ being a propitiation for our sins, that is, without doing some- thing whereby God, without any impeachment of liis honour, might show himself placable and propitious to mankind ; his justice, holiness, and hatred of sin being sufficiently demonstrated in the sufferings of Christ. Now the honour of his governing justice being kept up, his pardoning mercy is the more freely exercised. God may be propitious to mankind, and yet still be acknowledged as a sin-hating God.
2. In regard of efficacy. Christ is a quickening head, or a life- making Spirit, 1 Cor. xv. 45. Whatever grace we have comes from God, through Christ as Mediator ; and from him we have it by virtue of our union with him : 2 Cor, v. 17, ' If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.' As soon as joined to him as our head, his grace is ap- plied to us by his Spirit. It is first applied by converting grace, and then continually supplied by the confirming grace of the Spirit ; and so we are fitted to every good work. Christ first applieth it in conver- sion, when he giveth us repentance and a new nature, Acts v. 31 ; and supplieth it by continual influence, John xv. 5. We live on him as the branch doth on the root. Now from hence we learn what a great benefit renewing grace is ; it is a fruit of reconciling grace : 2 Cor. v. 18, ' All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Christ.' God giveth grace only as the God of peace, that is, as pacified by Christ's death. The Holy Spirit is the gift of his love, and the fruit of this peace and reconciliation which Christ made for us. First, our Lord Jesus Christ merited this grace by the value of this sacrifice and bloody sufferings, and then doth apply it by the almighty power of his Spirit ; and Christ is first our ransom, and then the fountain of life unto our souls; and so the honour of our whole and entire recovery is to be ascribed to our Eedeemer. When he satisfied God's justice for our sins, he purchased a power to change the heart of man ; and he purchased this power into his own hands, not into another's, and therefore doth accomplish it by his Spiiit, 2 Cor. iii. 18. We should often think what a foundation God hath laid for the dipensatiou of his grace, and how he would demonstrate his infinite love in giving his Son to be a propitiation for us. When he would show forth his infinite power in determining and changing the heart of man, all the per- sons concurred : the Father purposing, the Son by way of redemption and purchase, the Holy Ghost by effective power ; and all to bring back our souls to God, and to make us capable of serving and pleasing him. It is surely a workmanship of much cost.