What a description is this ! how humiliating ! and yet how just ! ]
Yet, when we were in this state, did the Lord
Jesus Christ undertake our cause —
[He assumed our nature, and in that nature died. Nor was it merely for our benefit that he died, but in our place and stead. " He bare our sins in his own body on the tree," and suffered, " he, the Just, for us the unjust3." We were exposed to the wrath of God ; and that wrath he bore for us : " He became a curse for usb." The cup which we must have been drinking to all eternity, he drank to the very dregs ]
What a stupendous exercise of love was this !
[Well may it be said, that God, in this act of mercy, " commendeth his love towards us :" for it is indeed such a display of love as finds no parallel in the whole universe. There could scarcely be found on earth, one person, who would con- sent to die in the place of another, who was confessedly " a righteous man," and just in all his dealings : though possibly there might be some who would lay down their lives for " a good man c," who was eminently pious and useful in the world d. But who ever made such a sacrifice for his enemy? The utmost stretch of human affection is, " to lay down one's life for a friend*." But such was not the love of Christ: " while we were yet sinners and enemies, He died for usf." Truly this was " a love that passeth knowledge ;" a love, the heights and depths whereof can never be explored g ]
From this love of Christ to his enemies the Apostle takes occasion to declare,
II. What we may expect from him, as friends —
Nothing can be plainer or more conclusive than the Apostle's argument, that, * if Christ has already done
a 1 Pet. ii. 24. and iii. 18. This may be illustrated by the sub- stitution of the ram in the place of Isaac. Gen. xxii. 13.
b Gal. iii. 13.
c For this import of the term ayaQbg, see Mark x. 18.
d See Rom. xvi. 4. e John xv. 13.
f How different was this from all that ever occurred on earth, either before or since ! If one man has ever died for another, it has been from the consideration of his being either peculiarly excellent in himself, or a great benefactor to others, or from a very high degree of friendship for him : but when Christ died for us, we, so far from having any thing to recommend ns to him, were ungodly in ourselves, and enemies to him.
* Eph. iii. 18, 19.
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so much for us under circumstances so unfavourable, much more shall, whatever remains to be done for us, now that we are in a state of friendship with him, assuredly be completed in due season.'
To elucidate the force of this argument, we would call your attention to the following positions. If Christ should now abandon the work in which he has proceeded so far, and should leave his people to perish at last,
1. He would defeat all his Father's counsels —
[The Father from all eternity predestinated unto life a number of the human race, who therefore are called, " A rem- nant according to the election of grace'1:" and these he gave unto his Son', that he might redeem them by his blood, and have them as "his portion for ever and everk." These in due time he calls by his word and Spirit ; he adopts them into his family, transforms them into his image, and will finally exalt them to a participation of his glory '. That this counsel may be carried into effect, he commits them to his Son, that they may be kept by his power and grace, and " be preserved blameless unto his heavenly kingdom." But if Christ should relinquish his care of them, and leave them ultimately to die in their sins, all these counsels would be defeated ; and with respect to those, who were so deserted, it would be said, "Whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified ; and whom he justified," them he left to perish™. But shall God's purposes be so frustrated? Shall this golden chain, which reaches from eternity to eternity, be so broken ? No : " Of those whom his Father gave him, he never did lose any, nor ever will"." We say not that he will save them in their sins : God forbid, that such a blasphemous idea should enter into the mind of any ; but from their sins he will save them0; and-" through sanctification of the Spirit1*," " he will keep them from falling, and present them faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy q."]