314 SERMONS UPON 2 COEINTHIANS V. [SeR. XL.
broad foundation hath God laid for our peace. He suffered in every part, sorrows being poured in upon him b)* the conduit of every sense, huDger, thirst, nakedness, spittings, stripes; they pierced his hands and feet.
2. Propound it to your love.
[1.] How mucli we are bound to acknowledge the unspeakable mercy of God, who, knowing our sad condition, pitied us, and resolved to save us, and to reconcile us to himself, by such a priest and sacri- fice as was convenient for us. But we, unworthy wretches, being ignorant and senseless of our sin, guilt, and misery, do not understand what need we have of Christ, nor praise God for his great love in providing him for us. Our condition was sinful, and so miserable. We are guilty, polluted with sin, and liable to death, can have no access to God, nor eternal life : and, which is worst of all, are senseless of this sad condition ; and if we once know it, w^e are hopeless, helpless, and so should have perished utterly, if the Lord had not found out a remedy and a ransom for us. Rom. viii. 32.
[2.] How miserable would it have been, if every man should bear his own burden ; how light soever any sins seem, when they are committed, yet they will not be found light, when they come to reckon with God for them. Sin to a waking conscience is one of the heaviest burdens that ever was felt. If God had laid sins upon us, as he laid them all upon Christ, they would have sunk us all to hell. The little finger of sin is heavier than the loins of any other sorrow, if God give but a touch of it: Ps. xxxix. 11, 'When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth.' The rod, if it be dipped in guilt, smarts sorely. If a spark of his wrath light into your consciences, what a combustion doth it make there ! Ps. xxxviii. 4, 'My iniquities are gone over my head, they are a burden too heavy for me.' As soon as we do but taste of this cup, we cry out presently, My heart faileth. You may know what it is, partly, by wdrat Christ felt. He lost his wonted comforts, he was put'into strange agonies and a bloody sweat. Now if this be done in the* green tree, what shall be done in the dry? If his soul were exceeding sad, how soon shall we be dismayed? Partly, in the saints; when they feel the weight of God's little finger, all life and power is gone, if God set home but one sin upon the conscience : Ps. xl. 12, ' Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, therefore my heart faileth.' Job saith, 'The arrows of the Lord like poison did drink up his spirit,' Job. vi, 4. Partly, by your own experience. When the con- science of sin is a little revived in you, what horrors and disquiets do you feel in yourselves ! Prov. xviii. 15, ' The spirit of a man will sustain liis infirmity, but a wounded spirit who can bear ? ' Then thousands of rams, and rivers of oil, anything for the sin of the soul. Partly, by the state of the reprobate in the world to come, and what the threatenings of the word say concerning those who die in their sins : Heb. X. 31, ' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God ;' and Mark ix. 44, ' Where their worm dieth not, and their fire is not quenched.' This is the portion of them that bear their own burden, and their own transgression.
[3.] The happiness which redoundeth to us by Chi'ist's bearing it
VeR. 21.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. 315
for us. It is not a thing inconsiderable, or a matter of lesser moment to be made ' the righteousness of God in him.' Our whole welfare and happiness dependeth upon it, our freedom from the curse, our title to glory.
(1) Freedom from the curse ; for this is such a righteousness as givetli us exemption from the penalty threatened in the law. We have the comfort of it for the present, a freedom from the sentence of condemnation : Eom. viii. 1, ' There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus,' &c ; so that we may go cheerfully about our service. But much more shall we have the comfort of it when the great God of recompenses cometli to execute the threatening. In the general judgment there is no appearing before God in that great day with safety and comfort, without some righteousness of one sort or another, our own or our surety's. Now no righteousness of ours can secure us from the dint of God's anger, and the just strokes of the law-covenant. Blessed are they that are found in Christ, not having their own righteousness.
(2.) Our title to glory, as it qualifieth us for the reward. There is no getting the blessing but in the garments of our elder brother. We have holiness given us upon the account of this righteousness, 1 Peter ii. 2-1 ; we are sanctified, made personally holy and righteous. We have faith given us by virtue of this righteousness, 2 Peter i. 1. All progress in grace is given us by virtue of the everlasting covenant, Heb. xiii. 20, 21 ; and at length glory : Eph. v. 27, ' That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.'