But, that, we may not be deceived by a partial view of this mystery I will pass on from what he has done, to shew,
II. What was his ultimate design in doing it —
Whatever compassion the Lord Jesus felt for our fallen race, and however desirous he was to deliver us from destruction, he had other objects in view, that were not a whit less dear to him, and without which indeed his dying for us could never have pre- vailed to make us happy.
The restoration of our souls to the Divine image was in his more immediate contemplation —
Man by the Fall was despoiled of holiness, as well as happiness ; and without a restoration to the former, could never repossess the latter. Indeed God could never re-admit him to his presence: nor could he, if admitted into heaven, find any satisfaction in the sight of a holy God, or any pleasure in the employments which constitute the felicity of the hea- venly hosts, To restore man therefore to the image which he had lost, was one great end of Christ's incarnation and death ; as St. Paul has said, " He gave himself for us to redeem us " not from punishment merely, but " from all iniquity, and to purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works b." In another passage the Apostle comes more immediately to the point, and says, " Christ has loved his Church, and given himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish0." This passage shews, that the expressions in my text relate not to our justification before God, but to the sanctijication of our souls ; to which Christ has had a view in all that he has done and suffered for us.]
And this he will effect for all whom he reconciles to God—
[He will impart of his Spirit to the soul: he will strengthen the soul for all its conflicts: he will enable all his people to " mortify their earthly members," and to " crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts :" nor will he ever cease to work in them, till he has transformed them into his own image, and can " present them unblameable and unreproveable in the sight of God." We are not indeed to suppose that he
b Tit. ii. 14. c Eph. v. 25—27.