SERMON XXVII.
For we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead. —
2 Cor. v. 14.
In the words observe two things: the force and operation of love ; the reason of it ; ' For we thus judge,' &c. In which two things, —
1. The instance of Christ's love to us ; one died for all.
2. The means of improving it ; ive thus judge.
In the instance or argument which love worketh upon, you have —
[1.] The act of Christ's love ; he died.
[2.] The peculiarity of it to him ; he alone died.
[3.] The benefit that redounds to others; one for all.
2. The means of improving ; ' We thus judge,' to wit, after due de- liberation and thinking upon the matter. It implieth — First, con- sideration ; and secondly, determination.
[1.] Consideration, 'if one,' if one or since one. It is a suppositional concession, if one appointed to die, and accepted in the name of all the rest.
[2.] Determination ; we so far conclude thence. The determination of the judgment maketh way for the resolution of the will ; the one is formally expressed, the other implied.
Doct. That Christ's dying one for all is the great instance and argu- ment that should be improved by us to breed and feed love.
Here let me inquire —
1. What dying one for all signifieth.
2. How the great love of God therein appearetb.
3. How suited this argument is to breed that love which God expecteth — a thankful return of obedience.
180 SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. [SeR. XXVII.
4. In what way this must be improved ; ' we thus judge/ by consider- ing and judging upon the case.
First. What dying one for all signifieth, virep ttuvtcov. It is not only in honum omnium, for the good of all ; but loco et vice omnium, in the room and stead of all, as appeareth by the double notion by whicli Christ's death is set forth, as a ransom and a sacrifice. A ransom : Mat. XX. '28, \vrpov avrl ttoWmv, ' and to give his life a ransom for many/ 1 Tim. ii. 6, avrlXvrpov virep rrdvrwv, 'who gave himself a ransom for all.' The ransom was paid in the captive's stead ; therefore if Christ did die as a ransom for us, it was not only for our good, but in our stead. The other notion is that of a sacrifice : Eph. v. 2, ' He gave himself as a sacrifice and an offering to God, a sweet-smelling savour ; ' so Heb. ix. 26, ' He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.' Now the sacrifice was offered instead of the worshippers ; and therefore if Christ were our sin-offering, he died not only for our good, but in our stead. When the ram was taken, Isaac was let go ; so the sinner escapeth, and Christ was substituted into our room and place ; he suffered what we should have suffered, and died that we may live : ' Deliver him from going down to the pit, for I have found a ransom/ Job xxxiii. 24. This dying one for all proveth two things —
1. The verity of his satisfaction.
2. The sufficiency of his satisfaction.
1. The verity and truth of his satisfaction ; for when all should have died, Christ died one for all. We were all dead with respect to the merit of our sins, and the righteous constitution of God's law ; and Christ came to die one for all, he represented our persons, and took our burden upon himself, and did enough to ease us.
[1.] He represented our persons as a surety, and so took the person of a debtor : Heb. vii. 22, ' By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament ; ' or as a common person appeareth in the name of all that are represented in him. That Christ was a common person appeareth by Kom. v. 14 ; where Adam is said to be, rviro^ rov fjbiXkovTo<i, namely, as Adam was a common person representing all his. posterity, and as his act had a public influence on all descended from him ; one was enough to ruin, and one enough to save ; and Christ was as powerful to save, as Adam to destroy. Yea, there is a ttoXXw fiaXkov on Christ. The value of Adam's act depended upon mere institution ; and Christ was not only instituted, but had an intrinsic worth in his person as God ; therefore the apostle saith, ' Not as the offence, so also is the free gift : ' ver. 15, ' For if through the offence of one, many be dead, much more the grace of God, and tlie gift by grace, which is by one man Christ Jesus, hath abounded unto many ; ' and ver. 16, 'As the judgment was by one to condemnation; so the free gift is of many offences unto justification;' and ver. 18, 'As by the offence of one tJie judgment came upon all men to condem- nation ; so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon allmen to justification of life ;' and ver. 19, 'As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one many were made righteous.' So also, 1 Cor. xv., Adam and Christ are compared, repre- senting both their seeds ; and we read there of the first Adam and the last Adam, ver. 45/ and the first man and the second man, ver. 47 ;