2. The gift, ' He gave himself,' not an angel. Among all the trea- sures of heaven and earth, there was nothing more excellent and precious than the Lord Christ. He doth not give gold and silver, but himself to die for us: 1 Peter i. 18, 19, ' Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, &c.,, but with the precious blood of Christ.' And how doth he give himself ? Certainly his whole self, body and soul. His godhead was engaged in this work, though that could not suffer : ' He shall make his soul an offering for sin,' Isa. liii. 10. Christ's soul was to stand in our souls' stead. His soul was heavy to the death, as well as his body abused, mangled with whips, and exposed to sufferings. And the Godhead itself assisted ; all was interested in it. So that look, as when the sun shines upon a tree, though you cut the tree you do not cut the sun, so the G odhead stood by but suffered nothing. Christ suffered not only death but deser- tion. The soul's forsaking of the body at death was nothing so heavy as God's forsaking of the soul, when he cries out, ' My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me ? ' Mat. xxvii. 46. Many forsook him ; his disciples left him ; they all fled ; but Christ complains not of this ; but there was the suspension of the wonted joys of the Godhead, and that troubled him ; this was the passion of his passion. The moon loseth no bright- ness when it suflfereth an eclipse by the interposition of the earth, but shines as bright as ever ; so the Lord Christ lost nothing, but only there was an eclipse of God's countenance, and this was the terror and anguish of his soul.
3. Consider the manner of giving, it was free and voluntary, without reluctancy, which was the great argument of his love ; freely and willingly he gave up himself : Gal. ii. 20, ' The hfe that I live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.' Faith pitcheth upon this circumstance, ' Who loved me, and gave himself for me,' to urge us to the spiritual life.
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4. Consider for what end it was : Eph. i. 2, ' He gave himself for US an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet-smelling savour.' The sacrifice that was offered for the w^hole congregation was to be killed without the camp, and the blood to be brought with sweet per- fume to the mercj-seat ; so the Lord Christ comes out of heaven to be killed on earth, and then is gone to heaven to present his sacrifice to God as a sweet perfume. He gave himself to be a ransom for us, to die a shameful and accursed death on the cross ; he gave himself to be substituted in our room and stead. The sadness of every loss is accord- ing to the measure of enjoj'ment. Life died, righteousness was made sin ; oh, blessed exchange !
5. Consider for whom he doth it. The apostle saith it was for us, not for angels. Though they did far exceed man in excellency of nature; yet God would not treat with the lost angels ; they were never recovered ; but he gave himself for us men. Nay, not only for us that were his creatures, but that were his enemies, vile and unworthy sinners : Rom. v. 8, ' God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.' A man would even die for a good man, though there be but a few such persons in the world ; but here the just dies for the unjust : 1 Peter iii. 18, ' For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.' Now this commends his love indeed, in that it was for us vile miscreants, dust and ashes. Adtim sold us for a thing of nought, an apple, and so the Lord might have condemned us, cast us off, and created another world of nobler creatures than the present race of men, or might have redeemed us at a cheaper rate. Let all this quicken us to thanksgiving.
Use 2. Exhortation. If Christ hath given himself it presseth us — 1. To accept Christ, and entertain him in our hearts. Shall Christ give himself, and will not we accept the gift ? It is true, when he gave himself for us, he gave himself to God the Father; as you know the price must be paid to the creditor. Satisfaction is made to the judge. But as he gave himself for us, so he gives himself to us, and thus he is offered in the gospel. Therefore it is said, Eom. iii. 25, 'Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation for our sins.' In the gospel God holds out Christ, and makes an offer. Sinners, will you take him ? Shall Christ offer himself thus, and shall not we esteem and value this gift, and entertain it in our hearts with all thankfulness ? Certainly we do not know what a gift Christ is, and therefore we do not prize it: John iv. 10, 'If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked, and he would have given thee living water.' Here is the best gift ever God can give. If we knew Christ, our affections would not be so cold. God is represented in scripture with two hands, and he hath gifts in his right hand, and gifts in his left hand. There is Jesus Christ, grace, pardon, and salvation, and all that is dear and precious ; these are the blessings of his right hand. In his left hand there are riches and honour, estate, lands, houses, supplies of the present life. Now, art thou a goat or a sheep ? one that shall stand at God's left or right hand ? Thou art known by thy choice. All that are for the world run for a worldly portion and neglect Christ. We count those children foolish who