Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 5 · Verse and explication 2
Vers. 2. And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.
HE doth, next, illustrate yet further that precept given, chap. 4. ver. 32. and joyntly sheweth wherein they were to imitate God, to wit, not only in forgiving, but also in loving one another, and so, as they should walk in love; whereby is meaned, that all their actions towards their neighbour, ought not only to be good in themselves, but also flow from a principle of love to his good and edification: which duty, or constant task of walking in love, is inforced by a new argument taken from Christ's example, who loved us, and did evidence His love by giving Himself freely, and of His own accord (Job. 10. 18-) even unto death for us, or for our sins, Gal. 1. 4. which action of Christ is illustrated, first, from the end for which He did give Himself, even to be a propitiatory sacrifice unto God, for expiating all the sins of the Elect, as was fore-signified and typified by all those expiatory levitical sacrifices under the Old Testament; whether those, which were generally called by the name of offering, under which were comprehended all sacrifices, both of living beasts, and of things destitute of life, as flowre, oyle, frankincense, and such-like; or those, which were more strictly called by the name of sacrifice, and were of living beasts, and therefore conjoyned with shedding of bloud, as the word in the original implyeth, which cometh from a root, signifying to kill and slay: hence it is that our crucified Lord doth here get the name both of an offering and sacrifice. This action of Christ is illustrated, next, from its fruit and efficacy, to wit, the rendering of God well-pleased with Christ His offering up Himself, and with the persons and performances of true Believers for His sake, as sweet smelling odours, by reason of their likenesse unto, and agreement with our spirits, are well-pleasing and satisfying unto such as find them. Doct. 1. Whatever duties of mercy and kindnesse we do discharge unto our neighbour, we do not sufficiently imitate God therein, neither perform service acceptable to Him, if they flow not from a principle of love to our neighbours good and edification, and be not directed thereunto, as the great end of our work next to the glory of God: and therefore a man may do many externall duties of love, and yet not be accepted of God, when his great aim is to be seen of men, Matth. 6. 2. or to merit heaven by his good works, Rom. 9. 31, 32. without any inward compassion or affection to his neighbour, or a sincere aim towards his good: for, the Apostle sheweth we do only then rightly imitate God in the duties of kindnesse and love, when all we do, floweth from the inward affection of love, and is from love to our neighbour, directed to his good, while he saith, walk in love. 2. Our walking in love to our neighbour, as it is formerly explained, and when it floweth from the fountain of love to God, is an evidence of adoption, and of one who is a dear childe to God: for, having spoken of their near relation to God, as being His dear children, he presently enjoyneth them to make so much evident by their walking in love. 3. That God the Father doth pardon the sins of the Elect, having given His Son unto death to purchase pardon for them, doth speak His love unto those whom He doth pardon; and that Jesus Christ did willingly give Himself to death for them doth no lesse speak His unspeakable love unto them also, So that they are equally loved both by the Father and the Son: for, he saith, as Christ also hath loved us: the particle also relateth to the love of the Father in pardoning for Christs sake, whereof he presently spoke. 4. So necessary is love among Christians, together with those many duties which flow from it; So many are the snares and difficulties, which Satan, our own corrupt natures, and our mutual infirmities do create in our way to keep us from it; that God seeth it necessary to propose the love both of the Father and the Son, as two most powerfull adamants to draw our backward hearts up towards it: for, saith he, Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us. 5. As Christs love to lost sinners, being firmly believed, is a strong argument constraining those whom He hath so loved, to walk in love towards others; that being one of the great things required by Him from those whom He loveth, Joh. 15. 12. So, this love of Christ to us, ought to be a pattern and copy, to which we are to be conformed in our love towards others: and therefore our love ought to be free; for, so was His, Job. 15. 16- It ought to be fruitfull; for, so was His, Gal. 1. 4. it ought to be constant; for so was His, Job. 13. 1. it ought to be discreet, not encouraging or humouring the person beloved in sin; for so was His, Matth. 16. 23. And walk in love, as Christ hath loved us, saith he. 6. Then do we consider the love of Christ aright, and so as to be effectually incited to our duty from the consideration of it, when we look upon it in those effects which flowed from it, and especially in His death and sufferings, and do labour to appropriate by faith the good and benefit of those unto our selves: for, Paul, holding forth the love of Christ, as an argument inciting to love one another, doth so look upon it, while he saith, and hath given Himself for us. 7. The guilt of sin is so great, as being a breach of Gods most holy Law, and consequently a wrong done against an infinit God, Psal. 51. 4. So exact is divine justice in requiring equivalent satisfaction for the wrong done, Exod. 34. -7. that, as there is no reconciling of God with man without satisfaction; So no satisfaction, which man himself, or any meer creature could give, was sufficient to do the turn: for otherwise there had been no necessity that Christ should have given Himself for us. 8. What no meer creature could do, Christ Himself, having taken-on the nature of man, hath done, even given full satisfaction to provoked justice, by giving Himself to suffer both in soul (Isa. 53. 10.) and body (Isa. 50. 6.) in the Elects stead; so that He is taken, and they go free, Joh. 18. -8. for, He gave Himself for us. 9. The pain and torment both in soul and body, which Christ did give Himself to endure and suffer, was inexpressible, and such, as was fore-signified by what was done with the ancient offerings and sacrifices, according to Gods command: some whereof were killed, flayed, and burnt; some rosted, some fryed on coals, and some seethed in pots: All which are but shadows of what Christ our Lord endured; for, He gave Himself an offering and sacrifice. 10. As those leviticall offerings and sacrifices under the Law, were not sufficient to satisfie divine justice for the sins of the Elect; So Jesus Christ, being offered up to God in death, is that only true and reall sacrifice, wherein provoked justice doth rest satisfied, and whereof all those other sacrifices were but types and shadows: for if they had satisfied justice, there had been no necessity of this other sacrifice, which came in their stead, and so was represented by them; He gave himself an offering and sacrifice. 11. Jesus Christ Himself in this offering, was both the Priest, who, as He was God, did offer up Himself, Heb. 9. 14. and the Sacrifice which was offered, to wit, as He was man, Heb. 10. 10. Yea, and we may add, He was the Altar also whereupon this sacrifice was offered up; the vertue of His God-head being that which not only underpropped His humane nature in suffering, Isa. 50. 7, 8. but also did adde an infinite value to His sufferings, as being the sufferings of Him who was God, Acts 20. -28. even as the altar doth sanctifie the gift, Matth, 23. 19. for, He gave himself an offering and sacrifice. 12. The ransom given by Christ for sinners, was payed unto God whom they had wronged, and not unto Sathan whose slaves we are by nature: although by vertue of that ransom we are freed from Sathans slavery and sins dominion, Heb. 2. 14. for, God the just Judge being satisfied, Sathan the jaylour and unjust tyrant, did lose his right to keep us longer in bonds; He gave himself an offering and sacrifice (not to Sathan, but) to God, saith he. 13. As sin doth mak us loathsom and unfavourie to God, and stireth up His wrath against us; So the sweet savour of this one sacrifice, offered up by Christ, being laid holdupon by faith, appeaseth His wrath, and maketh us savourie and well-pleasing in His sight: for, so much is implyed, while he saith He gave himself a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour: a metaphor taken from men, who when their senses are offended with some stinking favour, cannot be at quiet until some sweet perfume be burnt, which prevaileth above the other: In like manner the noisom smell of our sin, did so move the Lord to wrath, that He would not be at rest, untill the sweet smell of His Sons obedience did come to His nostrils, Job 33. 24. 14. It is the only sacrifice of Christ, which by its own vertue doth appease the wrath of God, and make both the persons of the Elect, and their spirituall performances acceptable to God: for, it is a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour. And though this much be also spoken of other sacrifices, Gen. 8. 21. Exod. 29. 41. yet it is to be understood of them, not as they were considered in themselves, Heb. 10. 1. but as they related to this sacrifice of Christ, whereof they were types, and upon which the godly even then did rely by faith, Heb. 11. 4. Doct. 15. Whence it followeth and from the text also, that not only an end is put to all those leviticall sacrifices; (seing Christ this true and reall sacrifice, whereof they were types, is offered up already in death) but also that there is no sacrifice, properly so called, to be offered up in the Christian Church, neither of any other thing besides Christ, neither is that sacrifice of Christ Himself again to be repeated, and consequently that there is no Priest, properly so called, but Christ alone: for, the Apostle sheweth, this one sacrifice did abundantly pacifie provoked justice, and therefore there is no need of any other: besides that the vertue of it is perpetual, Heb. 10. 14, 18. and so it needeth not to be reiterated; A sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.