Use 3. Direction.
1. If we would see God, let us look on Christ as we look on the sun in a bason of water. Christ is the character of his Father's person : Heb. i. 3, ' Who is the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person.'
2. If we would see sin without horror and despair, let us look on Christ ; all the heavenly powers could not bring us into favour with God again.
Secondly, For the title of mercy and love. Christ is a Saviour as well as the great God. How is Christ the Saviour ? Take it thus, positively as well as privatively ; he doth not only free us from misery, but gives us all spiritual blessings : Eph. i. 3, ' Blessed be the God and
238 SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14.' [SeR. XVIII.
Father of onr Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed ns with all spiritual Llessinf^s in heavenl}^ places in Christ.' As he frees ns from misery, so he gives us everlasting life: John iii. 16, ' That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' Then he is a saviour, not only by way of deliverance, but by way of prevention ; he doth not only break the snare, but keeps our feet from falling ; he not only cures our diseases, as a physician when we are sick, but he leadSj guides, and keeps us as a shepherd. We do not take notice of preven- tive mercy. How many times might we fall if we had not a saviour ? Prevention is better than escape ; better never meet with danger than be delivered out of danger. There is an invisible guard ; we are not sensible of it, but the devil knows and is sensible of it : Job i. 10, 'Thou hast made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side.' Again, he is a saviour by way of merit and by way of power ; not only to rescue us from Satan, but to redeem us to God. If a man would deliver a condemned person, it is not enough to take him by force out of the executioner's hands, but he must satisfy the judge. Thus hath Christ done, not only delivered us from the power of darkness, but God in Christ is well-pleased ; he hath satisfied his Father's wrath. Again, before his exaltation he redeemed us, then he deserved our salvation, and afterwards he works our salvation. When he was upon earth he was a saviour by merit, therefore it is said we have salvation by his death : 1 Thes. v. 9, ' God hath not appointed us unto wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us.' And after his exaltation he works out our salvation, and so we are saved by his life : Kom. v. 10, ' Much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.' Living and dying he is ours, that so living and dying we might be his. Again, he saves not only for a while, so as we might be lost afterwards, but for ever ; therefore it is called eternal salvation : Heb. v. 9, ' And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.' He saves us not only from temporal misery, but from hell and damnation ; he saves not only the body, but the soul. Nay, he saves not only from hell, but the very fear of it; Heb. ii. 15, 'And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.' He not only delivers us from the hurt of death, but the fear of it. He doth not only give us heaven, but hope, and frees us from bondage and despair. He not only saves us from the evils after sin, but from the evil of sin. So Mat. i. 21, ' Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins ; ' and there is the chief point of his salvation. In short, he not only saves us in part, but to the utmost : Heb. vii. 25, ' Wherefore he is able also to save to the uttermost all that come unto God through him.' He not only gives us grace at first, but all things that are necessary to life and godliness. Use 1. Bless God for Christ, that he hath taken the care of our salvation into his own hands. He would not trust an angel with it, none was fit for it but him: Isa. lix. 16, 'He saw, and there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor ; therefore his arm brought salvation unto him, and his righteousness it sustained him.' Christ did as it were look down from heaven, and say, Alas ! there are poor creatures like to perish for want of a saviour ; I will go down and
VeR. 13.] SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14. 239
help them myself. Look, as when Jonah saw the storm, he said, ' Take me up, and cast me into the sea, and then shall the sea be calm to j'ou,' Jonah i. 12; so when the Lord Christ saw the tempest raised, he said, Cast me into the sea. ' Lo, I come to do thy will, 0 God,' Heb. X. 9. The storm was raised for Jonah's sake, but we raised the storm, and vet Christ would be cast in to appease it; therefore bless God for Christ.