But how will this stupendous love be heightened in our esteem, if we take into consideration the persons on whom this gift was bestowed! [It was not vouchsafed to angels, though angels needed it as much as we. This was a mercy reserved for fallen man, even for "the world" that lieth in wickedness'. To form an estimate of the world, let us look around us, and see to what an awful extent iniquity abounds: or, if we would have our judgment still more according to truth, let us look within our own hearts, and see what horrible abominations are harboured there. We know nothing of others, but by their words and actions: but we have a juster criterion within our own bosoms: we may search into our own thoughts and desires; we may discern the base mixture that there is in all our motives and principles of action: in short, we may see such "a world of iniquity" within us, as may well constrain us to say, with David," My heart sheweth me the wickedness of the ungodly, that there is no fear of God before his eyes" yes, in our own hearts there is an epitome of all the evil that is in the world: and, if we know any thing of ourselves, we shall stand amazed that God should look upon such a world as this, and give his only dear Son to save those who so richly merited his hottest indignation.] sm:" We cannot do justice to this subject, if we do not further notice God's ultimate design in bestowing this precious gift upon us— [We must, but for this marvellous effort of divine love, have perished in our sins. Having resembled the fallen angels in their sin, we must have resembled them also in their misery. But" God would not that we should perish." Notwithstanding the greatness and universality of our guilt, he would not that we should suffer according to our desert; and therefore he interposed for our deliverance. But this was not all. desired to restore us to our forfeited inheritance, and to bring us to the possession of "everlasting life." It was not enough. for him to save us from perishing; he must also renovate us after his own image, and make us partakers of his own glory. What stupendous love was this! That he should ever think of receiving such hateful creatures into his presence; that he should lay a plan for the exalting of them to thrones and kingdoms in heaven; and that he should even give his only-begotten Son out of his bosom to effect it! How infinitely does this surpass all the comprehension of men or angels!] The condition which he has imposed for our particim Ps. xxxvi. 1. Prayer-book translation. 1 Heb. ii. 16. pation of these benefits, yet further illustrates and magnifies his love [Suppose God had said, " Find me fifty righteous, or forty, or thirty, or twenty, or only ten, and for their sakes I will pardon and save all the rest":" we must have perished, because among the whole human race there is "not one righteous, no, not one"." Suppose that, instead of this, he had said, "I will give my Son to die for your past offences, and will bring you back to a state of probation; whereby, if you fall not again from your righteousness, you shall be saved:" the offer had been exceeding kind and gracious; but we should not long have reaped any solid advantage from it: we should soon have broken the covenant again, and been involved in the same misery as before. Suppose God had said, "I foresee that a renewal of your former covenant would be to no purpose; and therefore my Son shall work out a righteousness for you; and I require nothing of you, but to add to that a righteousness of your own, that the two righteousnesses together may form a joint ground of your acceptance with me:" alas! we should have been in as deplorable a state as ever; for we never have done, nor ever can do, one single act, which, if weighed in the balance of the sanctuary, will not be found wanting. But suppose God yet further to lower his demands, and to say, "I will give you a complete salvation through the blood and righteousness of my dear Son; and I will require nothing of you, but only to render yourselves worthy of it:" still had our state been altogether hopeless; for we can no more render ourselves worthy of such a mercy, that we can create a world. This was well known to God; and therefore he proposed none of these things: he requires only that we should believe in his Son, and accept freely what he so freely offers. It is true, that, if even this depended on ourselves, we should perish because without the grace of God we cannot exercise saving faithP: but still this is the condition, which alone is suited to our helpless state; because it implies a total renunciation of all merit or strength in ourselves, and leads us to Christ, that we may find our all in him. O how does this enhance the love of God! And in what bright colours does that love appear, when viewed in the light which so many mirrors reflect upon it!] If any thing can add to the lustre with which his love already shines, it is the extent in which the offers of these benefits are made n Gen. xviii. 24-32. VOL. XIII. • Rom. iii. 10. P Phil. i. 29. S [There is not a human being upon earth, who shall not be a partaker of all these benefits, if only he believe in Christ. There is no limitation, no exception: God gave his Son, that "whosoever" believeth in him should not perish. Past sins, however numerous or heinous, are no bar to our acceptance with God, if only we accept his mercy on the terms on which it is offered. This is the uniform testimony of Holy Writ - O let us magnify God for his mercy; and be telling of the wonders of his love from day to day!] INFER 1. How aggravated must be the condemnation of them that reject the Gospel! [Our Lord says, "This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil"." Let this sink down into our ears for, if such love cannot melt us into contrition, and such goodness bring us to repentance, we may well expect a most accumulated weight of vengeance at the hands of an offended God.] 2. How groundless are the fears of many who embrace the truth! 66 [Many sincere Christians are troubled in mind; some on account of their temporal wants, and others on account of their But if God has delivered up his own spiritual necessities. Son for us, will he not with him also freely give us all things?" And if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his lifet." These are unanswerable arguments; and they should compose our minds under trials, of whatever kind.] 3. How deeply should we all be affected by the love of God! [Pungent indeed is that question, "What could I have done more for my vineyard, that I have not done"?" The more we consider How God has loved the world, the more we shall see, that he has indeed done all for us that he could do, consistently with our free agency, and his own honour. And when he has so loved the world, are we at liberty to forget him? Does such love call for no return? or are we to requite it only by increased impiety? O let every one of us say, "What shall I render to the Lord?" And let his love to us constrain us to devote ourselves unreservedly to him.] q Isai. xlv. 22. and lv. 1. and Rev. xxii. 17. and John vi. 37. John iii. 19. s Rom. viii. 32. t Rom. v. 10. u Isai. v. 4. MDCXI. THE END FOR WHICH GOD SENT HIS SON. John iii. 17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. AN expectation generally prevailed among the Jews that their Messiah would interpose on behalf of their nation alone, and bring all other kingdoms into subjection to them. Our Lord took frequent occasions to rectify this mistake, and to shew, that he was to be the Saviour, not of one people only, but of the whole world. In this discourse with Nicodemus, he introduces this important subject in such a way as to inform his mind, without shocking his prejudices. Having explained to him the nature and necessity of regeneration, and shewn him, by reference to a wellknown type, the way of salvation, he declares, that the whole world, Gentiles as well as Jews, were to participate the benefits of his coming; and that God, in sending him into the world, had as much respect to the welfare of the benighted heathens as of his chosen and peculiar people. To elucidate the words before us, we shall shew, I. That, supposing God to send his Son into the world, it was far more probable that he should send him to condemn the world than to save it That God should ever send his Son into the world at all is such a mystery as must for ever fill the whole universe with amazement. But supposing him to make known his determination to do so, the probability certainly was that it should be for our destruction rather than our salvation 1. Consider what was the state of the world at the time he did send his Son-. [Had he seen the greater part of mankind lamenting their fall, wishing earnestly that some way could be devised for their recovery, and struggling, but with unsuccessful efforts, to get free from sin, we might have supposed that God would exercise mercy towards us, and open a way for our restoration through the sacrifice of his Son. But when the whole mass of mankind were up in arms against him, when not one of the whole human race (except a few whose hearts he himself had touched) desired reconciliation with him; yea, when all were utterly averse from it, and desired nothing so much as to live in sin with impunity, and wished for no better heaven than the unrestrained indulgence of their lusts; for what end could God send his Son, but to execute upon them the vengeance they deserved?] 2. Consider for what end God had before sent messengers from heaven [God had on some remarkable occasions commissioned angels to perform his will: and though, when sent to some highly-favoured individuals, they were messengers of mercy, yet, when sent to the avowed enemies of God, they were, for the most part, ministers of wrath to execute the most signal vengeance. Who can contemplate Sodom and the cities of the plain; who can call to mind the Egyptian first-born; who can survey one hundred and eighty-five thousand soldiers lying dead in the Assyrian camp; and not tremble at the thought of a messenger being sent from heaven? Suppose then we should hear that God was about to send his own Son from heaven to execute his will with respect to the whole world, and especially such a world as this; what would any one imagine, but that, as it was not a particular city or nation that God was about to punish, but a whole world, he had determined to employ his own Son; and that the judgments he was about to inflict, would be great in proportion to the power and dignity of the executioner? As for conceiving the idea that he should send his Son to save the world, it would not so much as enter into the mind of any created being.] 3. Consider that God certainly foreknew the way in which the world would treat his Son [If God had not certainly foreknown all future events, he might perhaps have reasoned thus: I have sent to that wretched world my servants the prophets, and instead of attending to them they have persecuted them even unto death: but if I should send them my Son, surely they would reverence HIM; they would not dare to lift up a finger against him; they would be so struck with wonder at my condescension and love, that they would return instantly to their allegiance. Rather therefore than they should perish, I will send them my Son to save them.' But God knew that instead of reverencing his Son, they would no sooner see him, than they would exclaim, "This is the heir; come let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours." He knew full well that, however manifest the credentials of his Son, and however indisputable the evidences |