In the context the apostle is rendering the reason of his fidelity in the ministry, which exposed him to hard labour, and sundry calami- ties. His three grand inducements were — First, the hope of a blessed immortality; secondly, the terror of the judgment; thirdly, the love of Christ. This threefold cord is not easily broken. His hopes are professed in the beginning of the chapter ; his sense of the terror of the Lord, and the weigh tiness of his account, vers. 10, 11. With an answer to objections, thou art proud, mad, or transported, ver. 13. Now the last from his end and principle, which bringeth in the third inducement, the love of God. All together is enough to set the most rusty wheels a-going ; motives strong enough to move the hardest heart. Here are the strongest arguments to persuade, the greatest terrors to affright, yet all will not work without the force of love. Kewards allure and encourage ; terrors keep aweful and serious, but it is love that must inwardly incline men and constrain the heart, For the love of Christ constraineth us, &c.
In the words we have —
1. The force and operation of love.
2 The reason why, and how it cometh to have such a force, and operation : Because ive thus judge, that if one died j'or all, then are cdl dead. The reason of our love to Christ, is Christ's love to us ; which is described—
[1.] By the special act of his love ; he died for us, one for all.
[2.] The end and aim of it ; ' then were all dead ; and that he died for all, that they which live, should not henceforth live to themselves, but to him that died for them,' ver. 15. Christ's end was —
(1.) Our dying to sin and worldly interests.
(2.) Our living in a dedicated and consecrated way wholly to the service and glory of Christ.
1. I begin with the force and operation of love ; ' The love of Christ constraineth us.' It was love which put bands upon him, and made him forget himself, and only speak and do those things which concern the glory of Christ, and the good of the church.
Let us a little explain the Avords.
The love of Christ. It may be taken passively or actively ; passively, for that love with which Christ lov'eth us ; actively, for that love which we bear to Christ. I take it for this latter. Our love to Christ,
140 SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V, [SeR. XXIII.
founded on his to us, ' constraineth us,' avve-xei, compressetli the spirit with a mighty force : as Paul, avvei^ero, was ' pressed in spirit,' Acts xviii. 5, when the spirit within him constrained him to speak. The same word expresseth that passionateness of desire which Christ had to die for us : Luke xii. 50, ' I have a baptism to be baptized with, TTws" avvixo/J-aL, and how am I straitened till it be ? &c.,' as a woman in travail striveth to be delivered of her burden. The word is emphalical, and noteth the sweet violence and force of love, by which the heart is over swayed and overpowered, that it cannot say nay. Beza glosseth, totos nos possidet et regit. It doth wholly possess us, and ruleth us, and hath us in its power, to make us do what it would have us. Paul was wholly guided and ruled by love, that he forgot himself for Christ's sake.
Boot. That the love of Christ hath such a great force and efficacy upon the soul, that it inclineth us to a willing performance of duties of the greatest difficulty and danger.
To evidence this to you, this scripture snfficeth ; for this is the account which Paul giveth of his zeal and diligence in his apostleship. To preach the gospel was a work of much labour and hazard ; they went abroad to bait the devil and hunt him out of his territories ; they contended not only with the corruptions and lusts, but the pre- judices of men. The gospel was then a novel doctrine, advancing itself against the bent of corrupt nature, and the false religion then received in the world. If they had met with a ready compliance, there was labour enough in it, to run up and down, and compass sea and land, to invite men into the kingdom of God ; but the world was their enemy. The gods of the nations had the countenance and assistance of worldly powers, and everywhere they kicked against the pricks ; yet Paul was as earnest in it, as if it were a pleasing and gainful employment. If you ask, What was the reason the love of Christ constrained him ?
In the managing of this point I shall inquire, —
1. What love to Christ is.
2. What influence it hath ujDon our duties and actions.
3. Whence it cometli to have such a force upon us.
First, What is love to Christ? I shall consider the peculiar reference of it to this place.
I must distinguish of the love of God.
1. There is a love of God laigely taken for all the duty of the upper hemisphere in religion, or of the first table, or where Christ divides the two tables into love to God and love to our neighbour, Mat, xxii. 37-39. So it is confounded with, or compounded of, faith and repent- ance and new obedience ; for all religion is in effect but love acted. Faith is a loving and thankful acceptance of Christ ; repentance is mourning love, because of the wrongs done to our beloved ; obedience is but pleasing love ; hope an earnest waiting for the full and final fruition of God, whom we love.