July 6

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.—John 15:13.

THERE is no kind of love that exceeds the affection which is expressed in dying for another. But there are divers degrees of it; and the highest is to die for our enemies. The apostle saith, Perhaps for a good man some would dare to die. It is possible, gratitude may prevail upon one who is under strong obligations, to die for his benefactor. Or some may from a generous principle be willing with the loss of their lives to preserve one, who is a general and a public good. But this is a rare, and almost incredible thing. It is recorded as a miraculous instance of the power of love, that the two Sicilian philosophers, Damon and

Pythias, each had courage to die for his friend. For one of them being condemned to die by the tyrant, and desiring to give the last farewell to his family, his friend entered into prison as his surety to die for him, if he did not return at the appointed time. And he came to the amazement of all, that expected the issue of such a hazardous caution. Yet in this example, there seems to be in the second, such a confidence of fidelity in the first, that he was assured he should not die in being a pledge for him; and in the first it was not mere friendship, or sense of the obligation, but the regard of his own honor that made him rescue his friend from death. And if love were the sole motive, yet the highest expression of it was to part with a short life, which in a little time must have been resigned by the order of nature. But the love of our Saviour was so pure and great, that there can be no resemblance, much less any parallel of it. For he was perfectly holy, and so the privilege of immortality was due to him, and his life was infinitely more precious than the lives of angels and men; yet he laid it down, and submitted to a cursed death, and to that which was infinitely more bitter, the wrath of God. And all this for sinful men, who were under the just and heavy displeasure of the Almighty. He loved us, and gave himself for us. If he had only interposed as an Advocate to speak for us, or only had acted for our recovery, his love had been admirable; but he suffered for us. He is not only our Mediator, but Redeemer; not only Redeemer, but Ransom.

It was excellent goodness in David, when he saw the destruction of his people, to offer himself and family as a sacrifice to avert the wrath of God from them. But his pride was the cause of the judgment, whereas our Redeemer was perfectly innocent. David interceded for his subjects, Christ for his enemies. He received the arrows of the Almighty into his breast to shelter us. He bore our griefs, and carried our sorrows; he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. Among the Romans the despotic power was so terrible, that if a slave had attempted the life of his master, all the rest had been crucified with the guilty person. But our gracious Master died for his slaves, who had conspired against him;—he shed his blood for those who spilt it.

And the readiness of our Lord to save us, though by the sharpest sufferings, magnifies his love. When the richest sacrifices under the law were insufficient to take away sin, and no lower price than the blood of God could obtain their pardon, upon his entering into the world to execute that wonderful commission which cost him his life, with what ardor of affection did he undertake it! Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. When Peter from carnal affection, looking with a more tender eye on his Master's life than our redemption, deprecated his sufferings, Master, spare thyself; he who was incarnate goodness, and never quenched the smoking flax, expresses the same indignation against him, Get thee behind me, Satan, as he did formerly against the devil tempting to worship him. He esteemed him the worst adversary that would divert him from his sufferings: he longed for the baptism of his blood. And when death was in his view, with all the circumstances of terror, and the supreme Judge stood before him ready to inflict the just punishment of sin; though the apprehension of it was so dreadful that he could scarce live under it, yet he resolved to accomplish his work. Our salvation was amiable to him in his agony. This is specially observed by the evangelist, John 13:1. That Jesus having loved his own, he loved them to the end. When the soldiers came to seize upon him, though by one word he could have commanded legions of angels for his rescue, yet he yielded up himself to their cruelty. It was not any defect of power, but the strength of his love that made him to suffer. He was willing to be crucified, that we might be glorified—our redemption was sweeter to him than death was bitter, by which it was to be obtained. It was excellently said by Pherecides, That God transformed himself into love when he made the world. But with greater reason it is said by the apostle, God is love, when he redeemed it. 'Twas love that by a miraculous condescension took our nature, accomplishing the desire of the mystical spouse, Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth :—'twas love that stooped to the form of a servant, and led a poor despised life here below :—'twas love that endured a death, neither easy nor honorable, but most unworthy of the glory of the divine, and the innocency of the human nature. Love chose to die on the cross, that we might live in heaven, rather than to enjoy that blessedness, and leave mankind in misery.

"Then let us sit beneath his cross, And gladly catch the healing stream;

All things for him account but lose, And give up all our hearts to him: Of nothing think or speak beside,— My Lord, my Love, is crucified."