2. Esteem these things as amiable. We can neither praise, nor love, nor imitate, what we do not esteem. Is holiness the glory of God ? and will you either scorn it in others, or neglect to get it your- selves ? Is justice and mercy good, a perfection in the divine nature ? and will you get such a blot or blemish as to make no conscience of tiiem, of paying your debts, or doing good to the poor and needy ? Fy ! fy ! change your religion, or walk more answerably. You talk of being christians, be good heathens first ; they had a conscience of these things. There is a reflection on God when christians allow themselves in dissolute immoi-alities.
3. Desire God to change your natures, that you may bear the image of the heavenly one, 1 Cor. xv. 49. We cannot follow God in our lives
VeR. 2.] SEKMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. 179
till we are made partakers of the divine nature. Apply yourselves to Christ in the use of his appointed means for the renewing of your natures.
4. Bewail your imperfections, and come nearer to your pattern every day : ' I press towards the mark,' Phil. iii. 14; and what is a christian's cr/ccTTO?, or mark ? Exact holiness as well as complete felicity. _ There- fore be constantly intent upon this business ; it is not a thing that must be left to chance, but it must be your great design, and the purpose and daily business of your lives.
SEKMON 11.
And loalh in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour. — Eph.* v. 2.
Here is the second direction for an holy life, * To walk in love,' as Christ hath given us an example. In the former verse he exhortetli them to imitate God, in this, to imitate Christ.
In the words observe —
First, The duty enforced, ' Walk in love.'
Secondly, The reason to enforce it, which is taken from the example of Christ's' love, * As Christ also hath loved us.' Christ's love to us is both a motive and a pattern.
1. A motive, becaicse he hath loved us, and reconciled us to God.
2. A pattern, as he hath loved us. In some proportional degree our love should answer his love. It is both ways propounded in scrip- ture. As a motive: 1 John iii. 16, ' Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he hath laid down his life for us ; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.' As a pattern : John xiii. 34, 'Love one another, as I have loved you ; ' and John xv. 12, ' This is my com- mandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.' Now that we may the better discern the force of this motive, and the completeness of this pattern, let us see how the apostle representeth and setteth it forth to us, ' As Christ also hath loved us.' Observe here —
[1.] The principle, 'As Christ also hath loved us.' [2.] The act and instance of his love to us, 'And given himself for us.'
[3.] The end and intent, ' For an offering and a sacrifice unto God.' [4.] Tlie fruit and effect, ' For a sweet-smelling savour.' Doct. That Christ showed so much love in giving himself for a pro- pitiatory sacrifice to God for us, that thereby all true christians are bound to walk in love.
1. Let me open the example and pattern which is here set before us.
2. Show you what it is to walk in love.
3. How we are bound to do so by the example of Christ's love.
I. To open the example here set before us. And there I begin —
180 SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. [SrR. II.
1. With the principle, 'Christ also loved us.' That was it which moved and inclined him to so stranj^e an undertaking as to die for our sins. Christ's coming into the world for our redemption is sometimes made an act of ohedience, and sometimes an act of love ; of obedience to God, and love to us. Of obedience to God : Eom. v. 19, ' By the obedience of one many shall be made righteous.' There his whole undertaking, or what he did, living and dying, is called obedience. So Phil. ii. 7, ' He was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.' At other times it is made an act of love : Gal. ii. 20, ' Who loved me, and gave himself for me;' Kev. i. 5, 'Unto him wdio loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.' He thought no price too dear for our salvation. Now these two do not clash the one with the other. It doth not cease to be an act of obedience because it is an act of love, nor to be an act of love because it is an act of obedience. Christ hath reconciled this matter to our thoughts by his own words : John X. 18, ' No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again ; this com- mandment have I received of my Father.' Christ was a free agent ; this work was not forced upon him, but he yielded to it by a voluntary dispensation, or upon agreement, in obedience to his Father ; and so at the same time he commendeth his love to sinners, and obeyeth the will of God in the discharge of his office. This was then the principle or internal moving cause.