THE CONSTRAINING POWER OF CHRIST's LOVE.
2 Cor. V. 14, 15. TJie love of Christ constraineth us ; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead : and that he died for all, that they which live should not hence- forth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
ST. PAUL was more abundant both in labours and in sufferings than any other of the Apostles : but his zeal was by many considered as no better than mad- ness. To the lukewarm, as well as to those who were altogether careless, he appeared to be transported far beyond the bounds of reason and propriety ; and they therefore did not hesitate to say that *' he was beside himself" But whilst he was thus condemned as a wild enthusiast, he cultivated in reality the strictest sobriety ; as is evident throughout his whole history, and in all his epistles. But, " it was with him a small matter to be judged of man's judgment :" he cared not what opinion his adversaries formed of him, whilst he had the consciousness that he was actuated
by zeal for God, and by love to man. Nevertheless he was not backward to declare whence his zeal arose ; nor was he afraid to let his enemies them- selves judge whether it was rational or not. He tells them, that, " if he was beside himself, it was to God," that he might be glorified ; or, " if he was sober, it was for their cause," that they might be benefited : but that, whatever judgment might be passed upon him, the love of Christ constrained him, and under the influence of that he thought it right to live entirely to his God.
In vindication of the Apostle, and for the regulating of our own minds, we shall inquire,
I. What it was which stimulated him to such un- paralleled exertions — It was " the love of Christ which constrained him." By this I understand, not his love to Christ, but Christ's love to him ; which is here mentioned in its two great leading features ;
1. His dying for us —
[Wonderful indeed was this love! that when he was incapable of any increase of honour or happiness himself, he left the bosom of his Father, and took our nature upon him with all its sinless infirmities, on purpose that he might expiate our guilt by his own blood, and work out a righteous- ness for our acceptance before God That he should do
this so readily, undertaking every thing as soon as it was pro- posed to him by the Father % and adhering to his engagement till it was perfectly fulfilled, not dissuaded by any ^, nor deterred by the dreadful prospect of all his sufferings •=, but drinking to the very dregs the bitter cup, and completing every thing till he could say " It is finished :" well may it be said, " What manner of love was this !"]
2. His employing for us the life that was restored to him at his resurrection —
[As " he died for our offences, so he rose again for our justification." He is as much occupied about the work of our salvation now, as he was when living on earth, or dying on the cross : " He ever liveth to make intercession for us." Every thing is put into his hands, in order that he may manage it
a Ps. \1. 6—8. b Matt. xvi. 23. « Luke xii. iiO.
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for our good. All the works of Providence are directed and overruled by him for the furtherance of our welfare : and he, as the living Head of his people, imparts to them such measures of grace as he sees needful for them. In a word, he lives in them as in his temple, and carries on the whole work of grace in them, and never suffers so much as " one of them to perish" Can we wonder that such love as this con- strained the Apostle, and carried him forward, like a resistless torrent, in the service of his God? ]