The Apostle, in further vindication of himself, pro- ceeds to state,
II. Why he suffered it to have such an ascendant over him —
He acted not from feeling only, though doubtless the flame of love that was thus kindled in his soul burned v\^ith inextinguishable ardour*^; but from judgment also : " he judged,"
1. That our obligations to the Lord Jesus Christ are infinite —
[It is plain, that " if one died for all, then were all dead." And was this our state ? Were we dead in trespasses and sins, and under. a sentence of eternal condemnation? O! what do we owe to that Saviour who emptied himself of all his glory for us, " who died for us when enemies," and actually became a curse for us, bearing in his own person all that was due to the iniquities of a guilty world ! The apostate angels had no such mercy shewn to them : they fell, and had none to help them ; and are therefore " reserved in chains of darkness unto the judgment of the great day." And had not the Lord Jesus Christ died for us, we had been dead still, and should have been to all eternity companions with the fallen angels in misery, as we have been in transgression. Moreover, his life is as necessary for us as his death : for if he did not keep us every moment, even as the apple of his eye, no one of us could endure unto the end : the great adversary of mankind, who tempted our first parents to sin, would beguile and ruin us for ever, if Jesus did not carry us in his bosom, and give us grace sufficient for our returning necessities.
Judge then whether this be not a reason for loving him, and for devoting ourselves unreservedly to his service ? Can too much be done for him, who has done, and is doing, so much for us ? Or should we think much of any sufferings that we may be called to endure for him ? Should we not even rejoice
^ Cant. viii. 7, 8.