m 2 Cor. vii. 1. See the same also by St. Peter, 2 Pet. i. 1. " 1 John i. 9.
1 John iii. 5. Ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins ; and in him is no sin.
AMONGST the numberless advantages which the light of revelation has conferred upon us, one of par- ticular importance is, the strength of the motives which it suggests to us for the mortification of sin. A heathen could devise no argument beyond what related to our own welfare, and that of society at large. But Christianity discovers to us wonders, of which unassisted reason could form no conception : it declares to us, that Almighty God himself assumed our nature for the express purpose of counteracting the effects of sin, and of destroying its power. To
those therefore who have embraced Christianity, here is an argument that is wholly irresistible, if once it be admitted into the mind, and suffered to have its due operation upon the soul. St. John avails himself of it in the passage before us. He is shewing to the Christian world that they must aspire after universal holiness, and purify themselves " even as their incar- nate God was pure :" and the more effectually to enforce his exhortations, he makes this unanswerable appeal to all of them without exception : " Ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins ; and in him was no sin."
The destruction of sin being the great scope and end of our ministry also, we will,
I. Open to you his appeal —
The great end of our Saviour's incarnation was to take away sin —
[Sin has separated man from God, and God from man3: nor was it possible that they should be re-united in mutual love and amity, unless this evil were removed. But removed it could not be, either as to its guilt or power, by any efforts of man : nor could all the angels in heaven render to him any effectual aid. God therefore of his own love and mercy "laid help for us upon one that was mighty b," even upon his co- equal, co-eternal Son, whom he sent into the world on this benevolent errand, to " put away our sins by the sacrifice of himself0," and to " subdue our iniquities" by the efficacy of his grace d.
For this the Lord Jesus Christ was well fitted, by reason of his own spotless character. This I conceive to be particularly intimated in our text. The connexion between the two clauses of the text does not at first sight appear ; but we apprehend, that the mention of the spotless character of Jesus is intended to convey this idea, namely, that, being himself without sin, he was fitted for the work assigned him ; and could present to God such an offering as our necessities required. Under the law it was especially appointed, that the sacrifices should be without spot or blemish. The Paschal lamb was set apart four days before it was offered, on purpose that it might be scrutinized to the uttermost, and thus be proved fit for its des- tined usee. The Lord Jesus too went up to Jerusalem four
a Isai. lix. 2. b Ps. Ixxxix. 19. c Heb. ix. 26.
rt Mic. vii. 19. e Exod. xii. 3, 6.