John xvii. 19. For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
THE sanctification of men is no less necessary for their usefulness in this world, than it is for their hap- piness in the world to come. Hence our blessed Lord, in his intercessory prayer, made this a very prominent subject of his requests in behalf of his Dis- ciples whom he was about to leave in the midst of an ensnaring world : " sanctify them through thy truth :
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thy word is truth a." And for the encouragement of all his followers to the latest period of the world he declares, that the attainment of this object in their behalf has been a very principal end of all that he ever had done, or was at that instant doing, for them : " For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified through the truth."
In opening to you these words I will shew,
I. What is that act to which our Lord here refers — To "sanctify" means to purify from sin, and to devote to God. In the former sense it may be pro- perly applied to men : but it is in the latter sense only that it can have any reference to Christ.
Under the Mosaic law the priests and all the vessels of the sanctuary were sanctified to the Lordb. The offerings there made, all shadowed forth the Lord Jesus Christ, who sanctified and set apart himself to the work of saving a ruined world. This he did,
1. When he first undertook our cause —
[From eternity he entered into covenant with the Father to redeem our souls by his own obedience unto death : and the utter insufficiency of all other sacrifices being acknowledged, he engaged to offer himself a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world0 ]
2. When he assumed our nature —
[St. Paul cites the foregoing passage with an express reference to " the time of Christ's coming into the world:" and there is a remarkable variation in his language suited to that occasion. In the Psalm it is said, " Mine ear hast thou opened ;" referring to the law which ordained that a servant who devoted himself for ever to the service of his Master, should " have his ear bored through with an awld :" but in the Epistle it is said, " a body hast thou prepared mee." At his incarnation there- fore he sanctified himself afresh to this great work.]
3. When he submitted to the baptism of John —
[John wished to decline the office of baptizing so exalted a person. But, on entering upon the office assigned him, the Lord Jesus Christ judged it necessary to consecrate himself to it afresh by this solemn ordinance, in which he was openly and
» ver. 17. b Exod. xxx. 26—29. c Ps. xl. 0—8.
(1 Exod. xxi. 5, 6. e Hcb. x. 5—7.