CHRIST the SAVIOUR of the WORLD.
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SERMON
EDINBURGH:
Printed by J. Morren, Campbell's Cloſe,
Cowgate.—1802.
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SERMON.
JOHN, the beloved diſciple, in his Epiſtles, is ſtill breathing love; love is the ſtring he delights particularly to harp upon: So he is either magnifying God's love to us, or preſſing our love to God, and to one another. - And his darling ſubject, love, is no narrow one, but moſt comprehenſive; it comprehends both the goſpel and the law, both faith and works. The love of God to man is the great doctrine of the goſpel, the object of faith; mens love to God, and to one another, is the great doctrine of the law of the ten commandments, and the object of holy practice. And there is a near relation between the two: God's love is the fountain, our love the ſtream; the former the original holy fire, the latter the flame kindled by it. Accordingly, in the text, there is a diſplay of the love of God, for moving us to love one another; the which diſplay of divine love is the ſubſtance of the goſpel.
Here then we have the goſpel, which all the apoſtles were in one voice to preach unto the world; 'We have ſeen, and do teſtify, that the Father ſent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.' And herein we may conſider.
I. The goſpel, or glad tidings itſelf, viz. That 'the Father ſent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.' Here is glad news to the world, Chriſt's miſſion. The promiſe of this miſſion was made to fallen Adam in paradiſe: Believers, under the old Teſtament, lived and died in the faith of it. But the apoſtles teſtified it as a thing performed; 'the Father ſent' or, 'hath sent the Son.' The party ſent, is the Son of God, our Lord Jeſus Chriſt; no other was fit for this miſſion. The party ſending, from whom he had his commiſſion, was the Father, the firſt Perſon of the glorious Trinity. None of a lower dignity could ſend one of his dignity. The character in which he was ſent, is 'the Son, Saviour of the world.' So the words are without any ſupplement; of which there is no need here. So Chriſt is ſaid to have come a teacher from God. John iii. 2. i. e. in the character of a divine teacher. As one is ſent ambaſſador to ſuch a court, that is, conſtituted by his prince ambaſſador to that court, and accordingly ſent away in that character: ſo Chriſt was conſtituted nominated, and appointed by his Father, Saviour of the world, and ſo ſent away into the world in that character. The world is the world of mankind indefinitely, ruined by Adam's ſin. John iii, 16. 'God ſo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him ſhould not periſh but have everlasting life.' Therein God's love towards men appeared. Titus iii, 4.
2. The certainty of this goſpel or glad tidings. All the apoſtles witneſſed, with one mouth, this great truth: And they witneſſed the ſame as eye-witneſſes, having ſeen the Saviour, and read his commiſſion for that effect, and beheld Heaven's ſeal again and again ſet to it, in his miracles. And this matter of their witneſſing from their eye-ſight, was ſo much ſtood upon, that the apoſtle Paul, who was not called to be an apoſtle till after Chriſt's aſcenſion, was, allowed firſt to ſee with his eyes, before he ſhould bear witneſs, Acts xxvi. 19. 'I have appeared unto thee for this very purpoſe, to make thee a miniſter and a witneſs both of theſe things which thou haſt ſeen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee.'
Doct. It is the great truth and teſtimony of the goſpel, that the Father has ſent his Son Jeſus Chriſt in the character of Saviour of the world.
In proſecuting of this doctrine I ſhall,
I. Take notice of ſome things imported in this teſtimony.
II. Open this character, 'Saviour of the world, in which Christ was ſent.
III. Apply.
I. I ſhall take notice of ſome things imported in this teſtimony.
I. The world needed a Saviour; otherwiſe one had not been provided for them by him who does nothing in vain. It was a ſick world caſt into a deſperate illneſs by eating of the forbidden fruit; and needed a phyſician to cure the diſtemper. Mat. ix. 12, 'Jeſus ſaid unto them. They that would be whole need not a phyſician, but they that are ſick.' It was a curſed world, ſtaked down under wrath by the ſentence of the broken law; and needed a Saviour to remove the curſe, and bring in the bleſſing. Acts iii. 26. 'God having raiſed up his Son Jeſus, ſent him to bleſs you,' &c. It was a loſt world, loſt to God, loſt to themſelves, loſt to all good, loſt and periſhing under the wrath of God; and it needed one to ſeek and ſave them, Luke xix. 10. 'For the Son of man is come to ſeek and to ſave that which was loſt.'
2. None, of inferior dignity to the Son of God, could be the Saviour of the world. No man, nor angel was able to ſuſtain the character of Saviour of a loſt world: The work which lay to that office, was above the reach of the whole creation, Rev. v. 3. 'And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon,' Here was a trial of the divine love to man; his caſe was hopeleſs and helpleſs from all the creatures; and it iſſued in that. 'God ſo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,' John iii. 16,
3. Christ was ſent Saviour of the world from heaven's proper motion. The plot to ſave man, was concerted entirely without him. The world did not meet, and ſend one to the court of heaven, with a petition for a Saviour, that a Saviour was granted to their earneſt entreaties and ſupplications: But the Father, of preventing free love, ſent his Son, Saviour of the world. The world's need ſpoke loud, but they themſelves were quite ſilent; and yet their needs ſpoke no louder than thoſe of the fallen angels: And ſovereign free grace heard the voice of man's needs, while it ſtopt its ears to the voice of the needs of fallen angels Tit. iii. 4. 'But the kindneſs and love of God our Saviour towards men appeared.'
4. Chriſt is fully furniſhed for the ſaving of a loſt world. His being ſent in that character, ſpeaks his ability to anſwer it, Heb. vii 25. 'Wherefore he is able to ſave them to the uttermoſt, that come unto God by him, ſeeing he ever liveth to make interceſſion for them.' There is no caſe to be found in the world, but what there is a remedy to be found in Chriſt for. Whoſoever in the world ſhall die, they ſhall not die becauſe there was no help for their caſe in the Saviour, but becauſe they did not employ him or put their caſe in his hand. The Saviour of the world is certainly able to ſave the world; ſince he was ſent of God in that character.
5. Laſtly, The ſalvation of loſt ſinners of the world of mankind, is very acceptable to the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus, as well as to himſelf, otherwiſe he had not ſent his Son Saviour of the world, I Tim. ii. 3. 4. 'For this is good and acceptable in the ſight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be ſaved.' Hence it is called 'The pleaſure of the Lord,' Iſa. liii. 10. 'The pleaſure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.' So he is ſaid to make the marriage for his Son, and to ſend forth to bid to that marriage, Matth. xxii. Whence it is evident, that there is no impediment to the ſalvation of ſinners by Jeſus Chriſt, on Heaven's part; it is pleaſing to the Father, to his Son, and to his Spirit,
II. I ſhall open this character, 'Saviour of the world,' in which Christ was ſent; and if that end enquire into two things' I. In what ſenſe Chriſt is the Saviour of the world, 2. What is the buſineſs committed to him as ſuch.
Firſt, In what ſenſe, Chriſt is the Saviour of the world. A Saviour is a name of honour, and a name of buſineſs. It is an honourable thing to ſave and help the miſerable; to be deſtined, appointed, and called to that employment: But the honourable poſt has buſineſs annexed to it; it will not do without activity, which ſucceſs is expected to attend, as in the caſe of a teacher, phyſician, and the like. Now, one may be a ſaviour, even as a teacher, or phyſician, of a Society, two ways, I. In reſpect of office, as being called to, and inveſted with the office of ſaving, teaching, or curing of that Society. And thus one is ſaviour, teacher, or phyſician of that Society, before ever he ſave, teach, or cure any of them. In this reſpect, one may be called an official ſaviour, teacher, or phyſician. 2. In reſpect of the event and ſucceſs, as actually and eventually ſaving teaching, and healing. As the former ariſeth from an appointment put upon ſuch a one; this ariſeth from the work he manageth, in virtue of that appointment. In this reſpect, one may be called an actual and eventual ſaviour. Thus it is ſaid, Neh. ix. 17. 'And according to thy manifold mercies, thou gaveſt them ſaviours, who ſaved them out of the hands of their enemies.'—This premiſed, we ſay,
I. Our Lord Jeſus is the actual and eventual Saviour of the elect only, in whoſe room and ſtead only he died upon the croſs, according to the eternal compact paſſed between him and the Father, in the covenant of grace, otherwiſe called the covenant of redemption; for theſe are not two, but one and the ſame covenant. Thus the apoſtle calls him 'the Saviour of the body,' Eph. v. 23. that is, of the elect, who make up the body whereof, he was appointed the head from eternity; and in whoſe name he contracted with the Father in the eternal covenant. And he is their Saviour eventually, as actually ſaving them, Matth. i. 21. 'And ſhe ſhall bring forth a Son, and thou ſhalt call his name Jeſus; for he ſhall ſave his people from their ſins.' None but theſe will ever truly employ him as a Saviour, or put their caſe in his hand: and there are none of them but will certainly employ him ſooner or later, Acts xiii. 48. 'As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed.' John vi. 37. 'All that the Father giveth me, ſhall come to me; and him that cometh to me, I will in no ways caſt out.'
I. Our Lord Jeſus Chriſt is the official Saviour not of the elect only, but of the world of mankind indefinitely; ſo our text calls him 'Saviour of the world.' Agreeable to which God in Christ is called 'the Saviour of all men,' but with a ſpeciality, 'the Saviour of them that believe,' I Tim. iv. 10. The matter lies here: Like as a prince, out of regard to his ſubjects' welfare, gives a commiſſion to a qualified perſon to be phyſician to ſuch a ſociety, a regiment, or the like; and the prince's commiſſion conſtitutes him phyſician of that ſociety; ſo that though many of them ſhould never employ him, but call other phyſicians, yet ſtill there is a relation betwixt him and them; he is their phyſician by office; any of them all may come to him if they will, and be healed: So God, looking upon the ruined world of mankind, has conſtituted and appointed Jeſus Chriſt his Son Saviour of the world: He has heaven's patent for this office; and whereſoever the goſpel comes, this his patent is intimated. Hereby a relation is conſtituted betwixt him and the world of ma kind; he is their Saviour, and they the objects of his adminiſtration: So that any of them all may come to him, without money or price, and be ſaved by him, as their own Saviour appointed them by the Father.
That Chriſt is thus the Saviour of the world, appears, if ye conſider,
i. Scripture-teſtimony, which is plain. Our text expreſsly calls him ſo: And ſo do the believing Samaritans profeſs their faith in him, John iv. 52. 'We have heard him ourſelves, and know that this is indeed the Chriſt the Saviour of the world.' You have the appointment of Heaven very plain thereanent, John iii. 19. 'God ſo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoſoever believeth in him ſhould not periſh, but have everlaſting life;' even as the brazen ſerpent, lifted up on the pole in the wilderneſs, was the ordinance of God for healing to the ſtung perſons of the whole camp of Iſrael. Hence Chriſt's ſalvation is called, 'the common ſalvation,' Jude ver. 3. a ſalvation which any of mankind ſinners may lay hold on. So the Saviour's birth is ſaid to be 'glad tidings for all people.' Luke ii. 10, 11. which it could not have been, if he had not been a Saviour for all people, Wherefore, he himſelf teſtifies, that he came to ſave the world, John iii. 17. 'God ſent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be ſaved,' Chap. xii. 47. 'I came not to judge the world but to ſave the world.' This was his office, to ſave ſinners, but ſinners of mankind indefinitely, without exception, I Tim. I. 15. 'This is a faithful ſaying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Chriſt Jeſus came into the world to ſave ſinners;' the loſt. Luke xix. 10. 'The Son of man is come to ſeek and to ſave that which is loſt;' Cor. v. 19. 'God was in Chriſt, reconciling the world unto himſelf, not imputing their treſpaſſes unto them.' To the ſame purpoſe, he declares himſelf 'the light of the world,' namely by office, John viii. 12. that whoſoever may employ him may have the light of life.
2. If it were not ſo, he could not warrantably be offered with his ſalvation to the world, indefinitely, but to the elect only; more than he can be offered lawfully to fallen angels, who were not within his commiſſion as a Saviour. For the miniſterial offer can never lawfully carry the matter beyond the bounds of Chriſt's commiſſion from his Father. But Chriſt, and his ſalvation, may be warrantably offered to the whole world of mankind ſinners, with aſſurance that whoſoever of them will employ him to ſave them he ſhall be ſaved: Mark xvi. 15. 16, 'Go ye unto all the world and preach the goſpel to every creature. He that believeth ſhall be ſaved; but he that believeth not, ſhall be damned.' Moreover, if it were not ſo, the unbelief of hearers of the goſpel, not elected, their not coming to Chriſt for ſalvation, could not be their ſin: For it can never be one's ſin not to do a thing he has no warrant for; nor to employ one to ſave him, whom God never appointed to be his Saviour. So it is not the ſin of fallen angels, that they believe not in Chriſt for ſalvation, becauſe they are not within the Saviour's commiſſion; nor of thoſe who never heard of Chriſt, becauſe his commiſſion never intimated to them. But not believing in Chriſt the Saviour is the ſin that ruins the hearers of the goſpel who do at all periſh, John iii. 16. , And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkneſs rather than light, becauſe their deeds were evil.' Finally, if it were not for the elect themſelves could not believe in Chriſt till, in the firſt place, their election were revealed to them: which is contrary to the ſtated method of grace: For they can never believe in Chriſt for their ſalvation, till they ſee him to be a Saviour for them.
There are two things farther to be remarked on this head.
I. The ground upon which Chriſt might be conſtituted Saviour of the world, by office. And that was the ſufficiency of the merits of his death and ſufferings: For, though Chriſt died only in the room and ſtead of his elect, on the croſs ſuſtaining their perſons only according to that, John x. 15. 'I lay down my life for the ſheep;' yet the price paid for them, being of infinite worth, was ſufficient in itself to ſave the whole world. The bread provided for them; viz. a crucified Chriſt, was ſufficient to give life to, and feed, not them only, but the whole world of mankind; and, therefore, he might be appointed Saviour of the world, John vi. 33, 51. 'The bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. I am the living bread, which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he ſhall live for ever: And the bread that I will give is my fleſh, which I will give for the world.'
2. The reaſon why he actually was conſtituted Saviour of the world. Among, ſeveral reaſons that might be given for this, I ſhall only obſerve here this one, namely That I was put upon him as a piece of honour, the reward of his great ſervices in laying down his life for, and inſtead of, thoſe who were the objects of his Father's electing love, Iſa xlix. 6. 8. 'And he ſaid, It is a light thing that thou ſhouldeth be my ſervant, to raiſe up the tribes of Jacob, and to reſtore the preſerved of Iſrael: I will alſo give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayſt be my ſalvation unto the ends of the earth. Thus ſaith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of ſalvation have I helped thee: and I will preſerve thee and give thee for a covenant of the people. The Father, for that cauſe, inveſted him with all power in heaven and earth.' Matth, xxviii. 18. John v. 21 22. 'As the Father raiſed up the dead, and quickeneth them, even ſo the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man; but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.' And it was a reward ſuitable unto his work.
Secondly, What is the business committed to him as Saviour of the world. Not to deſcend into particulars here, we may take it up in theſe two.
I. It is to ſave ſinners from their ſin, Matth. i. 21. 'Thou ſhalt call his name Jeſus; for he ſhall ſave his people from their ſins.' Satan ruined the world by bringing ſin upon them: Thereby they were bound with the cords of guilt, the image of God in them was defaced, they were polluted and made loathſome, and ſhut up in the hands of a ſtrange lord. God has appointed Christ Saviour of the world, that the ſinners may come to him and be delivered from their ſins, I John iii. 8. 'He that committeth ſin is of the devil: for the devil ſinneth from the beginning. For this purpoſe the Son of man was manifeſted, that he might deſtroy the works of the devil.' It was an inveterate diſeaſe, the cure of which was quite beyond the reach of any mere creature, as far as the raiſing of the dead is; ſo he was appointed Saviour in the caſe. Pſalm lxxxix. 19. 'I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one choſen out of the people.'
2. It is to ſave ſinners from miſery, to free them from deſtruction. Hoſea xiii. 9. O Iſrael thou haſt deſtroyed thyſelf, but in me is thine help.' They are by ſin made objects of wrath, laid under the curſe of the broken law, liable to revenging wrath for time and for eternity: He is appointed to ſave them from all this, upon their coming to him, and employing him for that purpoſe, Iſaiah xvxii. 2. 'And a man ſhall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempeſt; as rivers of waters in a dry-place, as the ſhadow of a great rock in a weary land.' Sin let in a deluge of miſeries on the world, which flow about the ſinner continually in greater or leſſer meaſure: he is a Saviour to dry it up for them. I Cor. i, 30. 'But of him are ye in Chriſt Jeſus, who of God is made unto us wiſdom, and righteouſneſs, and ſanctification, and redemption.'
Use I. Of Information.
I. Behold here, admire, and believe the great love of God to a loſt world, in providing a Saviour, and ſuch a Saviour for them, even his own Son. The Scripture ſpeaks of this in a very high ſtrain, John iii. 16. 'God ſo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,' &c. There was a man-love in God, Titus iii. 4. 'But the kindneſs and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared:' A love of the kind, mankind. It has appeared in two eminent inſtances, (1.) In ſecuring, by an irreverſible decree, the ſalvation of ſome of them. (2.) In providing a Saviour for the whole of the kind, conſtituting his own Saviour to the loſt family of Adam indefinitely. Believe it with application to yourſelves. If upon this a ſecret murmer begins to go through your heart, But it was not for me; cruſh it in the bud, for it is a bud of hell. If you are not one of the devil kind, but of ſinful mankind, it was for you. The Father gave Chriſt a Saviour for you, that if you would believe on him, you ſhould not periſh; he ſent his Son from heaven with full inſtructions and ample powers to ſave you, if you will believe. And is not this love? Believe it and it will be the way to let you into a ſight of more love.
2. Behold here a broad and firm foundation of faith for all and every one of you; that you may come to Chriſt, whatever your caſe is, and claim his righteouſneſs and his whole ſalvation for yourſelves, to him as the refuge appointed for you by the Father from ſin and wrath, with as much freedom as a ſtung Iſraelite might have looked to the brazen ſerpent: That you may wholly truſt on him, that he will ſave you from ſin and wrath. For he was ſent of the Father Saviour of the world; and if, by the Father's appointment, he is Saviour of the world, he is, by office, your Saviour and my Saviour, ſince we are members of that world of mankind: ſo that we may, by faith, claim his ſaving us from ſin and wrath; as a ſcholar bred in a place, may claim teaching of him who is appointed maſter of a free ſchool in that place; as thoſe of a congregation may claim preaching of their own miniſter, and as the wounded in battle may claim healing of their own phyſician, who has a commiſſion to be phyſician to their regiment. For we teſtify, that the Father ſent the Son Saviour of the world.
3, Sinners, living in their ſins, pining away, and about to periſh eternally in them, are without excuſe. For, 'we teſtify, that the Father has ſent the Son Saviour of the world.' John xv. 22. 'If I had not come and ſpoken unto them, they had not had ſin: But now they have no cloke for their ſin.' Sinners are deſtroyed with their living and raging luſts, they are run down with them as with running ſores, their ſouls are bleeding to death with them as with mortal wounds: In this caſe, they hold on over the belly of their convictions; and they ſay, they cannot help it. One cannot help his ſwearing: another his ſenſuality: another pride, paſſion, covetouſneſs, groſs ignorance, his old corrupt, unrenewed heart, But the truth is, ye will not have it helped, John v 30. 'Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.' If ye cannot help it, ye have a Saviour who can help it, and would certainly help it if you would employ him, Know of a truth, if any of you ſhall periſh, and if ye go on in your ſins, ye ſhall periſh, ye ſhall not periſh for want of a Saviour. At the tribunal of God, the devils may ſay, We could not be ſaved from our ſins; for, there was no Saviour appointed for us: the Pagans may ſay, We could not be ſaved; for, though we were within the compaſs of the Saviour's commiſſion, yet we never heard it, it never was intimated to us. But what will ye get to ſay, for that ye are not ſaved from your ſins; when your Saviour ſhall ſit judge upon you, and condemn you to ſuffer the vengeance of eternal fire, for that ye would have none of him, nor his ſalvation; ye would not be ſaved from your ſins, would not put your caſe in his hand; though he had the Father's commiſſion to be the Saviour of the world, and your Saviour, and it was read to you, ye would not receive him as your Saviour, but would rather die in your ſins than employ him.
4. Believers themſelves may be aſhamed and confounded, for that iniquity prevails ſo againſt them. Alas! it is a ſad ſign the Saviour is little employed among us. Little living by faith, makes little holineſs of life. O look to that ſin which ſo eaſily beſets you, that has ſo often wrecked your ſoul's eaſe: Believe you have a Saviour for it, and employ him.
Use II. For trial.
Try whether the Saviour of the world, by office, is your actual Saviour; whether or not he has ſaved you. Think not that Chriſt puts off his ſaving of ſinners, till they come to heaven: True, they are not completely ſaved till they be there; but, if their ſalvation by Christ is not begun here, you ſhall never get thero, Tit. iii. 5. 6. 7. 'Not by works of righteouſneſs, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he ſaved us by the waſhing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghoſt; which he ſhed on us abundantly, through Jeſus Chriſt our Saviour: That, being juſtified by his grace, we ſhould be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.' And ye have no right before the Lord to his table, if he has not been a Saviour to you actually and eventually in having ſaved you from ſin and wrath initially, though not completely: For if it is not ſo, it is an evidence yon have not received him as your Saviour; for no ſooner is he employed by a ſinner, but he begins to ſave that ſinner.
Mark I. If Chriſt has really begun to ſave you, ye will have the ſaved man's thoughts of ſin, and of the wrath of God. If a drowned man were pulled alive out of a water, or a filthy, ſtinking puddle; and ſtanding at the ſide of it, looking to it after that gliff: what would be his thoughts of that water, that puddle, where he was once over head and ears, and almoſt gone? Such will be your thoughts of ſin, and of the wrath of God, Ye will have awful and reverend thoughts of the wrath of God above all awful things, Heb. xiii. 28. 29. 'Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may ſerve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, for our God is a conſuming fire.' Matth. x. 28. 'Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the ſoul: But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both ſoul and body in hell.' Of all terrors it will be to you the moſt terrible. Thoſe in the ſtate of wrath, they are either ſo as they have loſt their ſenſes in it; they know not where they are, they are dreaming of ſome pleaſant place; and ſo they go on peacefully in their ſins, undiſturbed with thoughts of wrath; or elſe they have come terrible apprehenſions of it: But there is ſomething more terrible; and therefore, they will rather ſin than ſuffer the hardſhips attending duty, yea, attending mortification; or elſe their heart is fire-hot with the terror of the wrath of God, and, in the mean time, at leaſt key cold of love, and child-like affection to the God whoſe wrath it is. But the ſaved ſoul looks on it as of all things the moſt awful, but, in the mean time, with a childlike reverence of and affection to that God whoſe wrath it is.
Mark 2. Ye will have a tranſcendant eſteem of and love to your Saviour, I Pet. ii. 7. 'Unto you who believe he is precious.' His conſcience purifying blood, his ſoul-ſanctifying ſpirit will be more valuable to you than a thouſand worlds, so will deſire them above all things, pant and long after them, and ay more and more of them; and in compariſon of them, all the world will be but trifles in your eyes, which ye will be content to part with, to gain them, Matthew xiii. 49. 'The merchant man, when he had found one pearl of great price, he went and ſold all that he had, and bought it.' Luke xiv. 29. 'If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother and wife, and children, and brethren, and ſiſters, yea, and his own life alſo, he cannot be my diſciple.' Phil. iii, 8. 9. 'Yea doubtleſs, and I count all things but loſs, for the excellency of the knowledge of Chriſt Jeſus my Lord; for whom I have ſuffered the loſs of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Chriſt, and be found in him, not having mine own righteouſneſs, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Chriſt, the righteouſneſs, which is of God by faith.'
Mark 3. Laſtly, ye will be groaning under the remains of the diſeaſe of ſin ye are ſaved from your conſcience will witneſs ye would be wholly rid of it. Rom. vii. 24. 'O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from the body of this death!' Your ſouls will be longing for the complete ſalvation; that the enemies you ſee today, ye may ſee no more for ever; that ye may get a complete victory over all your corruptions, Rom. viii, 23. 'We ourſelves groan within ourſelves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.'
Use laſt.
Receive the Lord Jeſus, then, O ſinners, in that character wherein his Father ſent him, as the Saviour of the world, and your Saviour. Ye are loſt in your ſins, and loſt under the wrath of God and the curſe of the law; come to him for his whole ſalvation. Employ him, put your caſe in his hand as your Saviour by the Father's appointment; and ſlight him no more.
Motive 1. Conſider you need a Saviour. Your diſeaſe of ſin will ruin you, if ye be not ſaved from it. The guilt of it will ſtake you down under wrath, and the wrath of God will ſink you unto hell. And while ſin keeps its dominion over you, be ſure the guilt is not removed, Matth, ix. 12. 'They that be whole need not a phyſician, but they that are ſick.' Gen, ii. 17. 'But of the tree of knowledge, of good and evil thou ſhalt not eat of it: For in the day that thou eateſt thereof, thou ſhalt ſurely die.'
Mot. 2. There is no Saviour beſides Chriſt, Acts iv, 12. 'Neither is there ſalvation in any other: For there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we muſt be ſaved.' All other are phyſicians of no value. All your own endeavours will not ſave you, nor any thing any creature can do for you.
Mot. 3. He is able to ſave you, Heb. vii, 25. 'He is able to ſave them to the uttermoſt, that come unto God by him." Whatever be your caſe, there is infinite merit in his blood to take away the deepeſt guilt. I John i. 7. The blood of Jeſus Chriſt his Son cleanſeth from all ſin." There is an infinite efficacy of his Spirit to ſanctify the moſt unholy. I Cor. vi. 11. 'And ſuch were ſome of you: but ye are waſhed, but ye are ſanctified, but ye are juſtified in the name of the Lord Jeſus, by the Spirit of our God;' If ye doubt it, ye diſhonour Chriſt, and his Father who ſent him, Pſalm lxxxix, 19. 'Then thou ſpakeſt in viſion to thy holy One, and ſaidſt, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one choſen out of the people.'
Mot. 4. He is willing to ſave you Rev. xxii. 17. 'And the Spirit and the bride ſay, Come, And let him that heareth ſay, Come. And let him that is athirſt, come: And whoſoever will, let him take the water of life freely.' The only thing wanting is your willingneſs to be ſaved, Jer. xiii. 27. 'Wo unto thee, O Jeruſalem, wilt thou be made clean? when ſhall it once be?' There is no fear of being rejected if ye come, John vi. 27. 'Him that cometh to me, I will in no wiſe caſt out.' He has taken on him the office of Saviour of the world, and he cannot refuſe the buſineſs of it.
Mot 5. Laſtly, Ye muſt either receive him as your Saviour from ſin and wrath, according to his commiſſion or ye will be, and be held refuſers of him for your Saviour, after his Father has nominated and commiſſioned him for that effect. Conſider how ye will anſwer that before the judgment ſeat,
Queſt. How ſhall I receive him and employ him? Anſ, By faith, by believing on him. Being convinced of your ſin and curſed ſtate, and deſiring to be ſaved from both believe Christ is your Saviour by his Father's appointment; and ſo wholly trust on him as a crucified Saviour. for his whole ſalvation on the ground of God's faithfulneſs in his word.
FINIS.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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