VeR 16.] . SERMONS UrON 1 JOHN III. 135
make the world and things therein sooner, that he might be sooner happy ? Again, as man, he was to be in subjection : ' For being made of a woman, he was made under the law/ Gal. iv. 4 ; and as mediator he had a commandment : John x. 18, ' This comraand- mant I received of my Father/ But as the second person in the trinity, he is one God with the Father, as undivided in nature and essence ; so of the same liberty, authority, and power : Phil. ii. 6, ' He thought it no robbery to be equal with God.' The angels were cast out of heaven for robbery, for usurping divine honour ; but Christ was not thrust down for robbery and usurpation, but came down out of love and voluntary condescension to die for us. Sometimes Christ's death is made an act of obedience, sometimes an act of love : Rom. v. 19, 'By the obedience of one many shall be made righteous.' So Phil, ii. 8, ' He became obedient to death, even the death of the cross.' With res})ect to his Father's command, it was an high act of obedience, the like of which cannot be done by man or angel, carried on with such humility, patience, self-denial, resignation of himself to God, charity and pity toward us. But considering the dignity of his person, all was purely an act of love ; and the more love because,coming in our nature, he put himself under a necessity of obedience, and doing what con- duced to our salvation ; so he loved me and gave himself for me.
2. Our necessity and condition, when he came to show this love to us. We were the cursed offspring of sinful Adam, in a lost and lapsed estate, and so altogether hopeless, unless some means were used for our recovery. Kindness to them that are ready to perish doth most affect us. Surely we should love Christ as men fetched up from the gates of hell, for we had lost the image of God, Rom. iii. 23 ; sold ourselves to Satan, Isa. Iii. 3 ; sentenced to death and eternal condemnation by God's righteous law, John iii. 18 ; ready for execu- tion, Eph. ii. 3, John iii. 36 ; nothing but the slender thread of a frail life between us and it. Then did Clirist step in by a wonderful act of love to rescue and recover us, not staying till we relented and cried for mercy. We were neither sensible of our misery nor mindful of our remedy, but lay dead in trespasses and sins, Eph. ii. 1. Thus when we had cast away the mercies of our creation, and were wallow- ing in our blood and filthiness, Ezek. xvi., then the Son of God came to die for us, Rom. v. 7, 8. Surely it was love, mere love, when we stood guilty before the tribunal of God's justice, that he should take the chastisement of our peace upon him : Isa. liii. 5, ' And with his stripes we are healed.'
3. The astonishing way in which our deliverance was brought about; by the incarnation, shame, agonies, blood, and death of the Son of God ; this was the highest act of self-denial on Christ's part, considering him only as to the nature he had assumed : John xv. 13, ' Greater love iiath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend.' If his people need his death, he will give ])ro()f to them by his death of his love to them, and will act to the highest laws of friendship ; we learn more of God's love by this instance than any- thing else.
4. The notions by which the death of Christ is set forth to us. There are two solemn ones — a ransom and a sacrifice.
136 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. [SeR. XXII.
[1.] A ransom : Mat. xx. 28, ' Aad to give his life as a ransom for many ; ' 1 Tim. ii. 6, ' Who gave himself a ransom for all.' This was an ancient notion : Job xxxiii. 24, ' Deliver him from going down into the pit, for I have found a ransom ; ' that is, a price and recompense given in our stead. A ransom is a price given to one that hath power of life and death, to save the life of one capitally guilty, or by law bound to suffer death, or some other evil and punishment, This was our case. God was the supreme judge, before whose tribunal man standeth guilty, and liable to death ; but Christ interposed that we might be spared, and the Father is content with his death as a suffi- cient ransom.
[2.] The other notion is that of a mediatorial sacrifice : Isa. liii. 10, ' When he shall make his soul an offering for sin ; ' Eph. v. 2, ' As Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an oftering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet-smelling savour.' He undertook the expiation of our sins and the propitiating of God. God's provoked justice would not end the controversy it had against us till it was appeased by a proper sacrifice of propitiation. Now herein was love : 1 John iv. 10, ' Not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins.' The sins and guilty fears of mankind show the need of such a remedy. We are naturally sensible that the punishment of death is deserved and due to us by the law of God : Kom. i. 32, ' Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death.' And also the necessity of a sin-offering. This Christ hath made, ' that our consciences, being purged from dead works, might serve the living God,' Heb. ix. 14.