[2.] God puts this crown of honour upon the head of faith, because it unites us to Christ, out of whom there is no pleasing of God. This reason stands upon two propositions — there is no pleasing God out of Christ and no interest in Christ, but by faith.
(1.) There is no pleasing of God out of Christ. We are all by nature children of wrath until we are reconciled to God by his Son. God is a holy and a just God, and so lie cannot be at peace with sinners; as God is a holy God, so he hates us, because of the contrariety that is between his nature and ours : as he is a just God, so he is obliged to punish us. God in himself is a consuming lire ; he cannot endure us, nor we him. God will never gratify the creature, so as to violate the notions by which his own essence is represented ; therefore
104 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL [SeR. XXVII.
naked mercy can do nothing for us till there be satisfaction to justice. Holiness awakens justice, and justice awakens wrath, and wrath con- sumes the creature; and therefore unless there be a screen drawn be- twixt us and wrath, what shall we do ? Saith the apostle, Eph. i. 6, ' He hath made us accepted in the Beloved.' In the original it is i^apiarwaev — he hath ingratiated us in Christ. As a favourite in court makes terms for the rebel, and endears him to the king, so we are returned by grace to Christ. This is that which the Lord hath proclaimed from heaven, that all creatures should take notice of it : Mat. iii. 17, ' This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased,' in him, and in no other. This voice came from God not only to show his love to Christ but to give satisfaction to the world — to reveal the pleasure of the Lord to the world, how he will be appeased and satisfied towards us. It is notable, in the Gospel of Luke, these words are spoken to Christ himself : Luke iii. 22, ' Thoii art my beloved son, in thee I am well pleased.' But in Matthew they are directed to the world — In him you shall be accepted. God did as it were proclaim to the whole world, if ever you will return to grace and favour to me it must be by my Son. Wiien God looks upon men as they are in themselves, he seeth nothing but a mere abomination : Ps. xiv. 2, 3, ' The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy, there is none that doeth good, no, not one.' In the original it is, they are altogether become stinking : God can see nothing but objects that provoke his hatred and aversation. This is the condition of every natural man. So the Lord utters that sorrowful speech concerning man, Gen. vi. 6, ' It repented the Lord that he had made man, and it grieved him at his heart ; ' he cannot look upon man with any pleasure. But when he looks upon man in Christ, then he is well pleased ; he doth as it were say, World, take notice, in him I will be appccased toward you. I have read of an emperor that had a great emerald, in which he would view the bloody fights of the gladiators with pleasure, though they Avere cruel and detestable in themselves ; yet, as they were repre- sented and reflected upon the emerald, so they yielded pleasure and delight. So it is here, God looks upon men in Christ ; though we are detestable and abominable objects of his loathing and aversation in our- selves, yet in him he will accept us and do us good. It is notable, what is spoken of Christ, Isa. xlii. 1, ' Behold my servant whom I uphold, my elect in whom my soul delighteth,' is spoken of the church ; Isa. Ixii. 4, ' Thou shalt be called He})hzibah, and thy land Beulah, for the Lord delighteth in thee.' God delights in them, because he delights in Christ : in and through him he is well pleased with our persons, which otherwise are stinking and abominable.
(2.) Tiiere is no receiving of Christ but by faith, and therefore it is said, John i. 12, ' To as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.' Faith is expressed by receiving ; it is the hand of the soul by which we receive and take home Christ to our own souls: 2 Cor. xiii. 5, ' Examine yourselves wliether you be in the faith ; prove your ownselves, know ye not your ownselves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be repro- bates ? ' Mark there, ' in the faith, and Christ in us,' are made parallel expressions. Our being in the faith is the only means of our union
VeR. 6.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI, 105
with Christ, that makes Christ to be in us ; it is the bond that fastens the soul and Christ together : Eph. iii. 17, ' That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith ; ' as a workman makes his house, and then dwells in it, so by faith the soul is fitted for the reception of Christ. Unbe- lief rejects Christ, and puts him away ; Christ stands at the door and knocks, and men will not open to him ; but faith is an opening to Christ, a consent of will to take him for ours.