4. The efficacy of this sacrifice is intimated in the last words, et? oa/xrjv evQ)Sia<?, ' for a sweet-smelling savour.' The scripture speaketh
182 SERJIONS UPON EPHESIANS V. [SeR. IL
of God after the manner of men. Now men are delighted witli sweet odours; therefore, tosliow the satisfaction God took in the propitiator}"- sacrifices offered to him, they are represented in scripture as a sweet odour to him ; as in tlie sacrifices of Noah it is said, Gen. viii, 21, ' And tl)e Lord smelled a sweet savour ; ' in the Hebrew it is 'a savour of rest.' So Lev. i. 9, ' An offering made by fire, of a sweet savour to the Lord ; ' which caiuiot be meant of nidor, or tlie fulsome smoke of burnt flesh, but must be understood metaphorically, of God's gracious acceptation of the required duties. So ])roportionably we may conceive of this meritorious and acceptable sacrifice of Jesus Christ. A sweet savour refresheth, comforteth, and quieteth the sense when it is dis- turbed and offended with an ill scent ; so this sacrifice pleased God, and appeased his wrath towards us. God was offended by our sins, and his wrath is pacified by Christ's sacrifice or dying for us, as the disturbed sense is quieted and appeased by a good savour. But we need not labour so much about the phrase as about the thing.
To clear it, that God is well pleased with Christ's offering up himself for us, I prove it —
[1.] From the dignity of his person : Acts xx. 28, ' Which he hath purchased with his own blood.' It was the blood of God; the eternal Word was made flesh out of love to sinful man, and assumed tiiis flesh into the unity of his person, as we reckon the fruit of the graft to the stock ; and so we call it ' the blood of God.' Tiierefore, of what rare virtue, causality, and influence must that sacrifice be which was made of the body and blood of Christ, who was God ? He was the highest and greatest priest that ever could be, and he offered the best and greatest sacrifice that ever was, a sacrifice of an infinite dignity and value, even that flesh and blood which was assumed into iiis own person, the dignity of which added an infinite value and price to it.
[2] From the merit of his obedience. Christ's suffering death for the sin of man, upon the command of his Fatlier, was tlie noblest piece of service, and the highest degree of obedience that ever was or could be performed to God by man or angels. Tlieie was in it so much love to God, and pity to man, so much self-denial, humility, and i)atience, such resignation of himself to God, who appointed him to be the redeemer of mankind, and to do this great service for them, that it is impossible it can be paralleled. That it was an evident act of obedience, I showed before ; he was obedient to the death ; his death was an act of the greatest humility, charity, patience, faith, obedience. What would you have more to increase the value of the merit?
[3.] The greatness of his sufferings. If he suffered the punishment which sin had made our due, notiiing could be added to pacify the wrath of God. The punishment of the sinner is either of loss or j)ain, the desertion or the curse ; and therefore he is said to ' bear our griefs, and to carry our sorrows, and to be wounded for our iniquities,' Isa. liii. 4, 5; 'He was made sin for us;' that is, penally handled, and died for us, 2 Cor. v. 21 ; ' He was made a curse for us,' Gal. iii. 13. Thus roundly doth the scripture express it: 'God spared not ids own Son, but delivered him up for us all,' Rom. viii. 32. He put him to grief, not out of i)atred to him, but love to our salvation. Hence came those agonies of Christ, and prayers, and tears, and strong cries, Heb. v. 7. Now these things do all increase the value of the sacrifice.
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[4] God hath declared himself satisfied, and hath approved the sacritice which he offered for ns ; and therefore our sin cannot make us loathsome and unsavoury to God, and stir up his wrath against ns, but that we have ground of hope, yea, of sure confidence, that he hath smelled a sweet savour of rest, and his wrath is appeased, and that he hath accepted the sacrifice offered by our redeemer. There is no more necessary for paying the price and jansom for our souls ; for God, the most just judge, would not accept of an imperfect satisfaction, or give testimony that he was well pleased with it.
But how do we know that God iiath accepted it ? Partly by Christ's rising from the dead, which is not only an evidence of the truth and dignity of his person, but of the fulness of his ransom, and perfectness of iiis satisfaction ; for would a just judge deliver a debtor or his surety from prison unless full payment had been made ? Would God, who is the just judge of the world, who had appointed Christ to die for our sins, raise him from the dead if he had not done his work ? Chiist's resurrection is expressed in scri[)ture as the letting our surety out of prison: Isa. liii. 8, 'He was taken from prison, and from judgment;' Acts ii. 24, 'Whom God hath raised up, and loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.' He hath loosed the bands of the grave : Heb. xiii. 20, ' Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus Christ,' &c. ; as the apostles would not come forth, but were solemnly brought forth by the magistiates, Acts xvi. 28, 29. And partly because he was not only raised from the dead, but ascended into heaven with glory and honour : 1 Tim. iii. 16, ' Keceived up into glory.' He was not taken out of prison only, but rewarded, which still showeth that his work is perfected. Partly because, upon the account of his full satisfaction, he had made a covenant wherein he hath offered to the world reconciliation with God, and the everlasting fruition of him in glory upon gracious terms : Mark xvi. 16, 'He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved.' The legal exclusion is taken ofi"; remission of sins is the first gift, and blessedness the second : Acts xxvi. 18. ' That they may receive forgive- ness of sins, and iniieritance among them which are sanctified.' And partly also because he hath procured the Sjiirit whereby this covenant may be attested and made effectual : Acts ii. 33, ' Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear ; ' Acts v. 32, ' And ye are witnesses of these things, and so also is the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him,' All these are assurances to the world that their peace is made, so far as a sacrifice is needful to make it, and that God is well pleased with what he halh done for the redemption of mardvind.