[3] This is the highest expression of love to friends, but Christ did it for enemies, for the ungodly sinful world : Rom. v. 7, 8, ' For .scarcely for a righteous man will one die ; yet ])eradventure for a good man some would even dare to die ; but God commendelh his love towards us, in that while we were 3'et sinners, Christ died for us.' Here are three sorts of men, the wicked, the righteous, or a man of a rigid innocency, and the good and bountiful man ; but now we were in the lowest class.
[4.] To suffer for the faults of another is the greatest condescension. A naughty man may be innocent in some cases, and it is much to die for him out of love to justice, and to maintain liis innocency ; but for
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Christ to 'be made sin for us, \y1io knew no sin,' 2 Cor. v. 21, to be reckoned or numbered anion;;- transgressors, this is inestimable love.
[5] Because thiw is not tit to be done among maidcind, that the innocent should suffer capital punishment for the nocent. God would represent this in the beasts, to show his sovereignty over them, where the innocent creattu'e was set apart for this use to bear man's sin : Lev. xvi. 21, 22, ' And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all 'their transgressions, in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a tiL man into the wilderness. And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities into a land not inhabited, and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.' And the blood of the beast was given on God's altar to make atonement: Lev. xvii. 6, 'And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the Loid, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat for a sweet savour unto the Lord.' This was thoroughly accomplished in our Kedeemer : Dan. ix. 26, 'The Messiah siiall be cut off, but not for himself;' Isa. liii. 4-6, * Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows ; and he was wounded for our transgressions, and was bruised for our iniquities ; and the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, every one to his ovvq way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all;' 1 Peter iii. 18, ' He died, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.' This was the wonderful act of God's grace to find such a strange and unusual sacrifice for us.
[6.j That he should suffer to such ends, or that the consequent benefits should be so great, as the remission of sins and eternal life. Eemission of sin we have Mat. xxvi. 28, 'For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins.' The second, eternal life, we have Heb. v. 9, 'He became the author of eternal salvation to them that obey him.' Both together we have Heb. X. 14, 'For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that ai'e sanctified,' Sin is the greatest evil, the makebate or cause of difference between us and God, and eternal life is the greatest happi- ness that we are capable of.
[7.] That, with respect to the end, God and Cln-ist took such pleasure in it: Isa. liii. 10, 'It pleased the Lord to bruise him ; he hath put him to grief ; ' John x. 17, ' Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life.' The Father is so well pleased with the reconcilia- tion of lost sinners, that he lovetli Christ for undertaking and perform- ing it. So Christ was satisfied : Isa. liii. 11, 'He shall see of the tra- vail of his soul, and be satisfied.' He solaced himself with the thoughts of it: Prov. viii. 31, 'Rejoicing in the habitable parts of the earth, and my delights were with the sons of men.' He delighted to appear in human shape, and longed for its accomplishment, and patiently submitted to it.
2. It is a pattern which we should inn'tate.
[1.] In the reality of it : 1 John iii. 18, 'Let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.' As Christ did not: Gal. i. 4, ' He g;ive hinjself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world.'
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[2.] In the frceness of it. He was not induced to it by any overture from us, but by his own love only : Eph. v. 25, ' Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it'
[3.] In the constancy of it. He was not discouraged when it came to push of pike : John xiii. 1, ' Having loved his own that were in the world, he loved them to the end.'
[4.] In the self-denial and condescension of it: Mat. xx. 28, ' Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.' He chose not a life of pomp and ease, not a delightful flesh-pleasing course of life, but a mean and low estate, and ignominious sufferings. Ease and stateliness and lordly pre- eminence should be far from the disciples of Christ. He came not in the pomp and equipage of an eartldy prince. Strife for pre-eminence little becometh us, but who shall be most useful to bring home most souls to God. But because we cannot pursue all, two things I shall commend to you from this love of Christ —