2. A communicative fulness —
[He has a fulness of merit to justify the most ungodly. Christ, by his obedience unto death, perfected whatever was ne- cessary for the restoring of us to the Divine favour. His atone- ment was satisfactory ; his righteousness was complete. Under the Mosaic law, there were many sins for which no sacrifice was provided : but the one sacrifice of Christ was all-sufficient ; and " all who believe in him, are justified from all thingsk:" his " righteousness shall be unto them, and upon them all1:" and, however great their iniquities have been, they shall be without spot or blemish in the sight of Godm.
He has also a fulness of grace to sanctify the most polluted. With him was "the residue of the Spirit"." The oil that was poured out upon him was to descend to the meanest of his members0. " He was constituted Head over the Church, that he might fill all things1*:" and he received gifts on purpose that he might bestow them on the rebellious q. His grace is still sufficient to support us in all temptation r, and to sanctify us throughout in body, soul, and spirit s. No lusts are so in- veterate as eventually to withstand its influence4; nor is any heart so vile but it shall be " purged by him from all its filthiness, and from all its idols u."]
It will not be presumptuous, or unprofitable, if we inquire,
II. Why it pleased the Father that all fulness should reside in Christ ?
Many reasons might be mentioned ; but the prin- cipal of them may be comprehended under the two following :
1. For the honour of his own Son —
[As Jesus was to become a sacrifice for us, it was meet that he should have all the honour of our salvation. Accord- ingly we are told, that God exalted him on purpose that at his name every knee should bow, and that every tongue should confess him to be the sovereign Lord of allx. By this appoint- ment of Christ to be the head of vital influence to the Church, all are necessitated to come to him, and to " receive out. of his fulness y," and to live by faith upon him from day to day2.
k Acts xiii. 39. l Rom. iii. 22. ™ Eph. v. 27.
n Mai. ii. 15. ° Ps. cxxxiii. 2.
P Eph. i. 22, 23. and iv. 10. q Ps. lxviii. IS.
r 2 Cor. xii. 9. s 1 Thess. v. 23. * Luke viii. 2.
u Ezek. xxxvi. 25 — 27. x Phil. ii. 9 — 11.
y Jolmi. 16. z Gal. ii. 20.