If he had not died, he would not have proved a Saviour to any —
[If he had not died, there would have been no atonement made, no sin forgiven, no soul of man delivered. There was no other way in which God could have been reconciled to his sinful creatures, consistently with his justice, holiness, and
truth In vain would Christ himself have become
incarnate, if he had not died: in vain would he have ful- filled the law himself, and set us a perfect example of obedience : if he had not completed the work by his death, the demands of law and justice had been still unsatisfied, and every child of Adam must have perished. As for any attempt on our part to supply the deficiency, either by repentance or amendment, it would have answered no purpose ; it would have left us under the curses of the broken law ]
But by his death millions obtain life —
b ver. 32. c Isai. xlix. 5, C. d Isai. xi. 10.
e Isai. lv. .r>. and lx. 8, 9. f Rev. vii. 0—14.
[It is not thirty, or sixty, or a hundredfold, that that grain of corn produces, but millions, innumerable as the sands upon the sea-shore : " the fruit of it shall shake like Lebanon, and they that spring up from it in the city, shall be as the piles of grass upon the earth g. Think of the fruit produced by it in the apostolic age, and that which is yet growing from it in every quarter of the globe, and that which will arise in the Millennium, when the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea : truly it will at last be a multitude, which no man can number, out of every kindred, and nation, and tongue, and people ; all growing upon his root, all deriving life from his stem, all assimilated to his image, and all treasured up at last in the same garner ! And is one single soul of such value, that the whole world is as nothing in comparison of it ? What then is the benefit arising to mankind from the death of Christ! how vast! how extensive! how incalculable!]
Address —
1. Those who are inquiring after Jesus —
[If any are saying, like these Greeks, " Sir, we would see Jesus," we bless God who has put that desire into their hearts: and we shall be glad to be instrumental in any respect in in- troducing them to him. Of one thing we can confidently assure them, that there no longer exists any barrier to their admission to his presence, provided they desire in sincerity of heart to devote themselves to his service : whatever be their nation, their profession, their character, they are alike welcome, if they come with penitence and faith; and may be assured, that " he will in no wise cast them out." Would they know what he would principally commend to their attention ? we answer, he would direct them to consider his death as the most stupendous display of his love, and an inexhaustible source of blessings to their souls. Reflect then, ye inquiring people, on the Saviour's love, and give him the glory due unto his name.]
2. Those who profess themselves his followers —
[As Jesus had frequently told his own Disciples that they must be ready to lay down their lives for him, so he now declared to these strangers, that these were the only terms on which he would accept them as his people. The wheat must resemble that from which it sprang; and the Disciples be conformed to the image of their Lord. Nor must they only be willing to suffer like him, but must account those sufferings their glory. This was the practice of the Apostles ; and must be the practice of all who would adorn the Gospel'1. We
s Ps. lxxii. 1G. h Acts v. 41.