4. A thankful sense of the love of God in our reconciliation, glorying in grace, admiring of grace ; to preserve this is the great duty of a christian. This keepeth alive his love and obedience : 1 John iii. 1 , ' Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God : ' Rom. v. 8, ' God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us/
SEEMON XL.
For he hath made him to he sin for us, ivho hiew no sin, that we might he the righteousness of God in him.— 2 Cok. v. 21.
Here he amplifleth that mystery which was formerly briefly delivered concerning the way of our reconciliation on God's part — namely, ' that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them ; ' by showing what was done by God in Christ, and the benefit thence resulting to us. Here is factum and fi?iis facti.
1. Factum ; and there take notice —
[1.] What Christ is in himself — He kneiv no sin. [2.] What by the ordination of God — He hath made Mm to he sin for us.
2. Finis facti; and there observe —
[].] The benefit intended to us — That we might be the righteousness of God.
[2.] When we are made partakers of this beneht — In him, when actually united to Christ.
Let us explain these circumstances.
First, What was done in order to our reconciliation ; and there —
1. The innocency of Christ as mediator — ' He knew no sin,' that is, practically and experimentally, but was an innocent, pure and sinless
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306 SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. [SeK. XL.
f)erson ; otherwise theoretic and speculative, he knew what sin was in its nature, and what it will be in its effects and fruits. The inuocency of Christ is elsewhere asserted : John viii. 46, ' Who convinceth me of sin ? ' and 1 Peter ii. 22, ' He did no evil, neither was guile found in his mouth/ Jesus Christ, our mediator, was free of the least trans- gression of the law of God, or any defect or inconformity thereunto, for he was completely obedient to the whole will of God both in heart and practice ; Mat. iii. 15, ' For thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteous- ness.' By his miraculous conception he was exempted from the con- tagion of original sin ; others are defiled with it : Job xiv. 4, ' Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ? No, not one.' But Christ was exempted: Luke i. 31, ' The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee ; therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called Jesus.' And from all actual transgressions ; though the strongest of Satan's fiery darts were shot at him, yet there was nothing to befriend a temptation : John xiv. 30, ' The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.' And it was needful our Redeemer should be so, that he might be lovely to God : Ps. xiv 7, ' Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wick- edness ; therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows ; ' and to all the saints. Cant. v. 16, ' His mouth is most sweet, yea he is altogether lovely.' Christ's innocency hath a double use. It serveth for satisfaction and for example. For satisfaction, that we might know that he did not endure these suffer- ings as a punishment of his own sin ; ' he knew no sin,' that is, with an experimental, approbalive knowledge. To know signifieth in the Hebrew dialect, to love, to act, to like. He knew what it was to suffer for sin, but he knew not what it was to commit sin ; he suffered for sin, 'the just for the unjust, to bring us to God,' 1 Peter iii. 18. There was a necessity of his holiness, both as priest and sacrifice : Heb. vii. 26, 27, ' Such an high priest became us, who is holy, harm- less, undefiled, separate from sinners.' And as a sacrifice, that he might be completely lovely and acceptable to God, as being represented by all those spotless lambs, which as types of him were offered under the law : John i. 29, ' Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world ; ' and, 1 Peter i. 19, ' But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.' In short our high priest must be without sin, and he must offer an unspotted sacrifice, that he may satisfy God's justice, merit his favour, and enter heaven, and by his intercession procure the actual remission of sins and our full and everlasting salvation So, for example, that he might be a perfect pattern of holiness to all his followers, thai they may purify ' themselves as Christ is pure,' 1 John iii. 3. Not for example only I confess, for then Christ needed not to be made sin, that is, a sin-offering, or to bear the punishment of sin ; but yet for example, as well as expiation, ' For we must be holy, as he that hath called us was holy,' 1 Peter i. 1,5 ; and we are to walk as he walked, 1 John ii. 6. Head and membei-s must be all of a piece, or else the mystical body of Christ would be monstrous and dispro- portionate.