1. The guilt is taken away when the obligation to punishment is dissolved, and we are freed from wrath to come ; which is one great benefit we have by our Lord Jesus ; 1 Thes. i. 10, ' Which delivered us from the wrath to come.' This is done by a pardon, which relateth to sin : Eph. i. 7, ' In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sin.' And by justification, which relateth to the person : Rom. v. 1, 2, ' Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.' By sanctification, when the power and reign of it is broken : 1 Cor. vi. 11, ' But ye are justified, but ye are sanctified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.' So that as Christ came to take away the guilt of sin, so also the stain of it. He was manifested to subdue our love and delight in sin, and to turn our hearts towards God. We need a saviour to help us to repentance as well as to pardon. The loss of God's image was a part of our punish- ment ; and the renovation of our natures is a sure, yea, a principal part of our deliverance by Christ. Now if you ask me. Which of these benefits goeth first ? I answer — He regenerateth us that he may pardon us ; for justified we are not till we believe, and pardoned we are not till we repent, which are acts of the new nature. And the scripture in many places setteth forth this order ; I shall only allege one now : Titus iii. 5-7, ' Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of
VeR. 5.] SERMONS UPON 1 JOHNT III. 5
regeneration^ and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he hath shed on us ahiindantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour ; that heing justi- fied by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the ho^^e of eternal life.'
Secondly, By what means he doth accomplish it, Tliis must be considered both as to impetration and application. As to purchase and impetration, so it relateth to his own merit. As to application to us, and our reception of this double benefit, so it is done by convenient means.
1. As to the impetration, and meritorious purchase, that is done : Christ takes away sin by bearing it in his own person. The word in the text, and those which are commonly used in this matter, signify both to take away and carry away sin : John i. 29, ' Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away,' or beareth away, ' the sins of the world ; ' and Isa. liii. 6, ' The Lord laid on him the iniquities of us all.' I know there is some difficulty in explaining how sin was laid upon Christ, or what of sin it was that he took upon himself, that he might take it off from us. There are in sin four things — culpa, macula, reahis, andjjce/ja. Not the fault, or criminal action, for that is committed by us, and can- not be transferred upon another. Not the stain ; for Christ was holy and undefiled, and that implieth sin inherent. Not the guilt ; for that is such an obh'gation to punishment as doth arise from the merit of some criminal action done by the party himself. It is true there was an obligation on Christ to suffer, and make satisfaction to his Father's justice ; but this was by a voluntary susception, or an act of gracious condescension, not imposed upon him by constraint, without his consent, or against his will ; none of this was due to him upon his own account. Punishment is a debt which lieth upon us, and is imposed upon us against our will ; but Christ voluntarily submitted to bear the sins of many, Isa. liii. 12 ; and therefore he is said ' to be made sin for us,' 2 Cor. v. 21. Sin there signifieth a punishment of sin, and also a sacri- fice for sin, a sin-offering. Sometimes it signifieth a punishment : ' My sin is greater than can be borne ; ' that is, the punishment of my sin, Gen. iv. 13 ; and ver. 7, 'Sin lieth at the door ; ' that is, punishment is at hand, or a sin-offering, or a sacrifice for sin. So the priests are said to eat the sins of the people, Hosea iv. 8 ; they took care of nothing but to glut themselves with the portion of the sacrifices. So Kom, viii. 3, ' By sin he condemned sin in the flesh ; ' and he is said to have ' borne our griefs and carried our sorrows ; ' that is, to bear the punish- ment. And lie is said ' to bear our sins in his own body upon the tree,' 1 Peter ii. 24, that is, to die and suffer for them. This is the way and means by which Clirist taketh away sin ; and this is done so effectually once for all, that there needeth no repeating of it : Heb. x. 14, ' By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sancti- fied.' As to the merit, there is nothing wanting ; no other merit and sacrifice needeth to be offered to God.