as man, even " Emmanuel, Crod with usa." Tic was " Jehovah's Fellow1';" " the Mighty Clod1';" "God over all, blessed for evermore3." He it was, "who, being in the form of God, and thinking it not robbery to be equal with God, yet made him- self of no reputation, and took on him the form of a servant ; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the crosse."]
2. What he did for us —
[He, " his own self, bare our sins in his own body on the tree." What this imports, will be understood by referring to the rites by which it was shadowed forth. Under the law, sacrifices were offered. The victims were beasts: to them were transferred, by the imposition of hands, the sins of the offender: in the offender's stead they died ; their flesh was con- sumed upon the altar: and, through the sacrifice thus offered, the sins of the offerer were forgiven.
But Jesus, who came down from heaven to redeem us, had no other offering to make but his own body : on him, there- fore, our sins were laid : and the cross was, as it were, the altar on which he was placed ; and the fire of God's wrath, the flame with which he was consumed.
Stupendous mystery! But " it is a true saying, and worthy of all acceptation."]
c3. For what end he did it —
[Doubtless he did it, in the first place, to effect our re- conciliation with God ; as St. Peter says, in the very next chapter, " He died, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to Godf." But he had also a further end in view; namely, to destroy in us the power of sin ; and to restore us to that life of righteousness which is indispensable to our happi- ness, either in this world, or in the world to come. In truth, if this were not effected, it would be to little purpose that an atonement had been made for sin : for as long as sin retained its dominion over us, we must of necessity have a very hell within us : nor would heaven itself be any source of blessedness to us, for want of a disposition suited to it, and a capacity to enjoy it.]
4. What is already the issue of it to every believ- ing soul —
[" By his stripes" every believing soul " is healed." The whole elect world was virtually healed in him, as soon as ever his sacrifice was offered; even as a debtor is absolved, the very moment that his debt is discharged ; or a captive is liberated,
a Matt. i. 23. b Zech. xiii. 7. c Isai. i::. 6.
d Rom. ix. .). e Phil. ii. G— 8. f 1 Pet. iii. 18.