1 JOHN 2: 2.

THE apostle is pursuing the glorious and everlastingly precious subject. It respects the advocacy and atonement, the righteousness and intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is a subject which at all times, in all cases, and circumstances, must be very acceptable to the called people of the most high God. To know the heart of Christ, what it is, since he left our world, and is entered into his glory, is most truly desirable. We were given to know in the words which preceded our present text, what the office of Christ is, since he is entered within the vail ; which is most truly blessed and comfortable. His glory is Essential. It is Mediatorial. It is Personal. It is altogether Divine. His Person is immortal and immutable. His Priesthood is eternal. He is a Priest upon his throne. He liveth forever after the order of Melchiscdek. His office is unchangeable. The perpetual efficacy of the same, is thereby continued. He is "an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." This he is with regard to every thing which concerns his people on earth, in their every sinning case, and with regard to every thing which regards any, all, and every one of their sins, and sinful cases. The apostle introduced this subject in the former verse thus, My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, .Jesus Christ the righteous. To which he adds. And he is the propitiation for our sins and not for our' s only, but also for the sins of the whole world. Both verses united, contain one and the same subject; the separation of them is only for a more full and comprehensive explanation of this most divine and important subject-which concerns the Priesthood of Christ in heaven : founded on subject-which righteousness and sacrifice which he completed here below. On the footing of his Priesthood and office in Heaven, the vail is opened, and we are admitted to enter into the Holiest of All, in the believing views of his most precious blood, and are admitted also to converse with Him. He is consecrated, as the Son of God, to be a Priest for evermore. " We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens ; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man." Heb. viii. 1, 2. In the former chapter, our apostle had said, to such of the Lord's people as had sinned, " If we confess our sins, he (i. e. God in the Person of the Father,) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." In the first verse of this chapter he says, " If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous ;" to which the words of our text are annexed. And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our' s only, but also for the sins of the whole world. With a design to open and explain these words, I will cast them into the following method and order.

1. I will aim to shew the connection of them with the former, which I conceive will be the proper method for preserving the strength and efficacy of them : and thereby conveying the same, throughout every part ; it is pity any particle of the same should be lost : they being so most truly precious, excellent, and sacred.

2. To open what is said of our Lord in these words before us. He is the propitiation for our sins.

3. That the propitiatory offering of Christ, extends to us, and not only to us, but to others also. And he is the propitiation for our sins ; and not for ours only.

4. The uttermost extent of the virtue of Christ's propitiation. Not for our sins only, but for the sins of the whole world. These words, the sins of, are supplementary : leave them out, then the text reads thus. And he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. The text without the addition, or with it, is to me one and the same. If any difference, the additional words clear up in one point the meaning of the text. I shall therefore retain them, without running it into universal redemption. Thus I have given you the outline of my text. And to begin with my first particular.

1. In the which, I will aim to shew the connection of the words of my text with the former; this I conceive will be the proper method for preserving the strength and efficacy of them: and thereby conveying the same throughout the whole. Our text belongs to the former. I will therefore recite the whole. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not: And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And he is the propitiation or our sins : and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. He had been in the former verse, speaking of Christ, as an Advocate with the Father, on the behalf of his sinning people. He had represented Him as a righteous one: He pleading his own righteousness on their behalf. He here speaks of Him as the propitiation for sin: intimating that his plea on the behalf of his people in heaven, was founded on his oblation of Himself in the days of his flesh-that it extended its influence to the whole election of grace. Therefore his plea founded thereon, must he commensurate to their every personal and particular case. The mere recital of the words afresh will be sufficient to confirm this; so that no universal salvation, redemption, or call it by what term you may, as including every single individual can follow on it. The word we is a bar to this. If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins : and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. To remove sin from the persons of the Elect, and out of the sight of law and justice, this was the very end and design of Christ's Death : this is done, and that for ever. He offered up Himself: He made complete satisfaction, so as he never needed to repeat it. In the strength and with all the perfection of it, He entered heaven, where he intercedes for his whole church. Christ's life in heaven is to save each, and every individual for whom he died, by virtue of his Intercession and Advocacy. When the subject is thus expressed, it does not suggest that there is any other salvation than what is contained in our Lord's Death : it is only intended to enlarge our views of the vast importance to us, which is contained in our Lord's life in glory : which is as truly for the benefit of his church here below, as his life and sacrifice were. " Such an high priest became us, who was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens." Our Lord being all this, " he offered up Himself." He is Jesus the Son of God, an High Priest who liveth after the power of an endless life, in the presence of God for us. He is Intercessor and Advocate for his people. He pleads justice and righteousness. He is, therefore, able to carry every cause in which he is interested. -If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." An advocate hath place, only in a court of justice. Christ's Advocacy is executed by pleading his own Death, as the one only sacrifice for sin. He is " an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." And he is the propitiation for our sins. He pleads his own righteousness and blood, on the footing of which, the worst of sinners, belonging to the election of grace, are saved. He so conducts the matter, that justice is as truly on the side of the clients, as mercy. Hence it is the apostle says ; If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The Lord Jesus Christ, the King of heaven-the Lord of Glory-the great and glorious Proprietor of it-even He who has taken up Heaven, and entered it in his own name, and as the Head and Representative of all His church and people, he it is who is their great High Priest, their Intercessor and Advocate. He, their Saviour and Anointed one, is entered into Heaven, there to appear in the presence of God for us he is, what He is here most justly entitled, the, faithful friend at the bar of justice Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins. By his powerful mediation at the right hand of the Father, the rights of divine justice and of holiness, are most gloriously displayed and maintained. In Him the riches of grace are most gloriously displayed : so that the Father is just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. And the Advocate Christ Jesus is just also he is a just God, and a Saviour, in all his pleadings at his Father's bar. It is the everlasting worth of his obedience, and soul travail, he presents on the behalf of all those for whom he intercedes. It is because he bore their sins in his own body on the tree, he appears on their behalf before the Throne. The Person of Christ is the foundation on which all the worth of his intercession and advocacy rests. It should never be forgotten by us, "we have an high priest who is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God." And his appearance there is our eternal security. He is there our propitiation, as he also is the Lord our righteousness." We can never think or say too much of the Dignity, Majesty, Worth, and transcendent Glory of the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ; yet I shall add no more, so much having been before expressed on this most important part of our present subject. I therefore proceed,

2. To open what is said of our Lord, in these words before us. And he is the propitiation for our sins. He is this, now this moment in the high court of heaven, just as he is the Lord our Righteousness : that is, He is there in the full worth and perfection of his most precious sacrifice.

This was not expressed in the former verse ; yet it stands most losely connected with it, as hath been before shewed. Our Lord in the former verse bore the title of, Jesus Christ the righteous. In this He bears the title of propitiation. He is the propitiation : or, He is the Atonenient. We have this word but seldom in the New Testament ; the first place it occurs is in these words, "Whom God hath set forth, to be propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." Rom. iii. 25. And this word occurs twice in the epistle before us: once in the text, and again in the 4th chap. v. 11. We have the word atonement, once for all, in the New Testament, introduced thus. " And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ., by whom we have now received the atonement." Rom. v. 11. The word propitiation, and atonement, are both derived from the Old Testament, and are one and the same in their meaning. They are most frequently used, in the books of Exodus and Leviticus. The apostle when he uses the word propitiation in the epistle to the Romans, refers to the mercy-seat, which was called the Propitiatory, or covering, because it hid what was in the Ark, out of sight; and also before it, on the day of atonement, the propitiatory offerings were completed, by bringing the blood of them within the vail, and sprinkling it before the Figures of the Great Ones, the representatives of the Holy Trinity in their covenant engagements. The incense, fumed between the cherubim of glory, or rather before the same, so as the cloud of smoke arising there from might cover the mercy-seat, was expressive of the savour and fragrancy of our Lord's intercession, as fully appears from what our apostle relates in the Revelation. " And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which carne with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand." viii. 3, 4. It is in allusion to the golden altar of incense, which was so placed in the holy place, as to be immediately before the ark, the mercy-seat of which was called the throne of God: as he was represented as enthroned between the Cherubim. The Incense altar was called the Golden altar, to distinguish it from the Brazen altar. The throne alluded to by John, was the mercy-seat : of which long before his time, the prophet Jeremiah said, A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary." xvii. 12. The ark was a solemn memorial of the Person of Christ, God-Man, "in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily;" or personally. It bears titles suitable to this. It is entitled, the King of Glory. The Lord of Glory. The ark of the Lord: of the Lord of Hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubim's. It was framed of shittint-wood, in closed with plates of solid gold. It served to be expressive of the divine and human nature, united in the one Person of our Lord Jesus Christ. The two tables of the covenant, written with the finger of God, were put into it; which was expressive of the law, written in the heart of Christ, and fulfilled by Him. "He is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." On it was placed the mercy seat, which was a solid plate of gold. At the two ends of it were Cherubim's of Glory. Their wings were stretched out, and formed an arch ; in the midst of which was a cloud of glory, in which the Lord dwelt. On the day of atonement the High Priest appeared here, and presented the typical blood before the Cherubim, or the Faces of the great Ones. The apostle tells us, '' in the Holiest of all, was the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round abort with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant ; And over it the cherubim's of glory shadowing the mercy-seat." Heb. ix. 4, 5. All which was a figure for the time then present : and hath all, since, been realized in the Person, and work of our Lord Jesus Christ; who " being come, an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." v. 11, 12. As the mercy seat was a figure of Christ, and hid the law, so as it could not be seen ; so the blood and atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ, is such a complete propitiation, or atonement, or covering, that it hides all our sins out of the sight of law and justice. The etymology of the word atonement, is by a learned man, said to be derived from a folding door, which folds forwards and backwards; which he applies thus; " our sins were folded back from us, on Christ. His righteousness is folded from Him, on us." This I conceive, to be a very comprehensive idea, to convey the true meaning of this most important doctrine of the atonement which Christ hath made for us by the blood of his cross. He is the propitiatory offering. He is the. propitiation for our sins. He is entered into Heaven itself, as our propitiation. I conceive it is not sufficiently considered by us, that the entrance of the Lord Jesus Christ into Heaven, and his acceptance there by the divine Father, is the one grand testimonial, that salvation is so fully completed, as to afford us the firmest foundation for confidence, and joy. The sacrifices were performed by the High Priest in the outer court, in the sight of the whole congregation, yet it was the bringing in the blood within the vail, and sprinkling it before the mercy-seat, which completed the atonement. Thus Christ entered " into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." Heb. ix. 24. There he is as our propitiation. He has washed us from all our sins in his own blood. He therefore is in the Holiest of all, as our true propitiatory. I come,

3. To observe, that the propitiatory offering of Christ., extends to us, and not to us only, but to others also. And he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for our sins only.

The Person of Christ, his holiness, righteousness, sacrifice, and intercession are the security of the whole church of God, and their everlasting perfection. It is their sanctuary to repair unto. They may have recourse to Him, in every time of need. Our apostle says, If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. The apostle is suiting his discourse to our cases, who though redeemed by Christ, and made pure in his blood, yet are frequently backsliding from him, and falling into sin. He says every thing he can to take off our thoughts from poring on ourselves, sins, and miseries. He would have us to know, Christ is with the Father, and that as our Advocate. He is a righteous one. He is the Lord our Righteousness. He is our Propitiation. His blood speaks on our behalf: it is as full of virtue as when he shed it, and poured it out as the atonement for us. He is now this very moment., our sacrifice before the Throne, as to all the worth and perfection, virtue and efficacy contained in his one offering which perfecteth for ever. The apostle is of the same spirit, with our John, who says, " For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Heb. iv. 15. Both these apostles were full of the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, and felt for the people of God, under their falls, and that which could not but sorely grieve and distress them, in consequence thereof. Our Lord himself, feels for his saints, and beloved ones, on these accounts. He is touched to the very quick on their account. He is therefore most compassionately disposed to relieve them. All the people of the Lord, share in this grace of our Jesus-the virtue of his blood and righteousness-of his advocacy and intercession -of his life in heaven-of his propitiatory blood which hides the transgressions from view ; it extends itself, in the blessings and benefits of the same, to all the household and family of faith : yea, to the whole election of grace, be they called, or, be they uncalled. Those uncalled, are in consequence of our Lord's intercession on their behalf, called in the appointed time: those who are called, have a blessed discovery made to them, of Christ's compassions which fail not, but are perpetually exercised towards, and upon them. Of the which there are seasons, when they have most sensible and very particular, personal, and precious evidence thereof. One point which the apostle drives at, in saying the propitiatory offering of Christ extends beyond those whom he wrote this epistle unto, was to convey this idea unto them-that many saints who were unknown to them, were equally, and alike interested in the same grace of our most gracious Lord Jesus Christ : so as from the proper consideration of the same, a fresh tribute of praise might arise unto Him, whose Name, will for ever and ever be glorious, and exalted above all blessing and praise. The apostle would have it understood, that the office of our Lord Jesus Christ, the virtue of his blood and righteousness, the efficacy of his mediation, had its universal influence, and extended its efficacy to all the saints unto all, who in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs, and ours." This is a most comfortable consideration-our Lord hath a most perfect knowledge of all his beloved ones. He fully comprehends them, personally, and individually ; with all their sins, cases, wounds, wants, and miseries. He also knows the whole of his own heart towards them. He views, and reviews their particular circumstances. And there is but one way in which He can make known to them his love, now that He is with the divine Father; and that is by having them in everlasting remembrance, and giving them in their own souls, real evidence of the truth of this. Here comes in his glorious office in Heaven, as Priest, Intercessor, and Advocate. All which being founded on what He did for his people, in putting away their sins, and bringing in to the high court above, everlasting righteousness; so he proves his heart is full of love to them, now he is in his kingdom of glory ; as their present sins, and sin fulness, do not take off his eye and heart from them. But if any of them sin, he is their advocate with the Father : and he is the propitiation for their sins, and which is the case regarding all his church. They all sin : it cannot be otherwise with them ; " in many things" says the apostle James, " we offend (or sin) all." This is the antidote-Christ's blood is our purity. " He hath loved us, and washed us, from our sins in his own blood." He thus presents us in heaven, before the throne of God. He is our Propitiation there. Whatsoever befalls us, he is our powerful advocate : what he is in his Person and office as Mediator of reconciliation, he is to all his people; not simply to us, who know him, and by our converse with each other, may be able to prove to each other the reality of our knowing him, and of our communion with him, but he is the same to all others, who are called and brought to the knowledge of Him. He is the propitiation for our sins : and not for ours only. All his members share in the same grace. They are all one in Him : so as to be equally interested in Him-in his Person-in his love-in his surety-ship engagements-in his incarnation-in his life-in his propitiatory offering-in his death-in his burial-in his resurrection-in his ascension-in his priesthood in Heaven-in the representation which he makes of his whole church in his own Person, before the Father : and in all the blessings and benefits thereof: not one of the Elect is more interested in the whole of Christ, than another. They are all one and the same in Christ their Head: the scriptures of the New Testament lay all the stress, on what Christ is to the church, on what He hath done for his church, and on his priesthood on the behalf of his church, which he exercises in heaven : and also on what the church is in Christ. We neglect this too much : we lay too much stress on our experience of these truths, and conceive of our interest in Christ, and state before the Lord, accordingly : all which is wrong ; it is in a certain sense to neglect Christ : yea, it is no little sin : for which we need continually the efficacy and virtue of Christ's advocacy. Now to enlarge the spiritual conceptions of the mind, the apostle in carrying on the subject of Christ's being the propitiation, says, and not, for our 's only, but also, for the sins of the whole world: this brings me to my last particular ; which is,

4. To shew the uttermost extent of the virtue of Christ's propitiation ; which is thus expressed, And not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. The whole of our text is this, And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. These words the sins of, are added to the text; yet. I conceive they are better retained, than parted with ; as they contain an account of what Christ's atonement was for. It was for sins. Sin can have no existence but in a subject. If Christ died for sins, then Christ must have been the subject on whom sin was laid-to whom sill Was transferred. He must have been made sin by imputation, or He could not have been the sacrifice for them. If all the sins of the elect were laid by the Father on Christ, as the Surety and representative of the elect, and he bore them in his own body ; then his blood must have washed out. the whole of them. And the extent of Christ's most. perfect and all sufficient oblation, must comprehend the whole election of grace. They must in each, and every one of them, individually, be cleansed from all sin, in the sight of God, by the one propitiatory offering of Christ. So that these words, And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also, for the sins of the whole world, whilst. they most fully and freely set forth, the uttermost extent of Christ's death, and the infinite virtue of his blood, and propitiation, yet they do by no means extend this beyond the pale of election. Suppose we leave out the additional words, and read the text thus, And he is the propitiation for our sins : and not for ours only, but also. for the whole world, what do we gain thereby? I think, nothing. We only omit these three words, the sins of. Now these words are really and truly explanatory they only follow what was in the text before. He is the propitiation. for our sins: and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world. Now it was for sins, Christ died. He also died for particular persons. He substituted himself in the room and stead of these, and their sins were laid on him. He sustained the whole curse due unto them. He was made sin and a curse. He had by his one offering finished the transgression, made an end of sin, made reconciliation for iniquity, and brought in everlasting righteousness, and his blood, now and evermore, cleauseth from all sin. The virtue and efficacy of which, belong to the whole election of grace. It cannot to any beside : because it goes not beyond the persons, whose sins Christ bore. Therefore the expressions before us, whilst they have an universality in them, yet not such as reaches and extends any part of its virtue and efficacy beyond the church of the living God : which, as it consisted of Jews and Gentiles, might be styled the whole world. Or, it might be in agreement with our Lord's words, who expressed himself thus to Nicodemus, " For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." .John iii. 16. The word world here, is conceived to refer to the Gentile world to whom the gospel was then to be sent, and by the means of which the elect would be gathered, and drawn to Christ. Some not content with this, say, the world here, means the world of believers. This I cannot subscribe unto : because Christ did not die for believers. He died for sinners. When we were yet sinners Christ died for us : neither does the efficacy of Christ's propitiatory offering, depend on our believing. It is an immutable truth, such as Christ died for, will, in the Lord's time and way, be all brought to hear their Shepherd's voice, and be enabled to believe on him for life everlasting ; yet this doth not interest them in Christ and his death ; it is only the manifestation thereof. I therefore conclude, the world here is best understood of all the persons included in the whole election of grace. Christ is the propitiation for each and every one of these, called or uncalled, he hath put away all their sin. They are sanctified by his one offering, so that all their sins are removed from their persons, as far as the east is from the west. This was the incommunicable work of Christ himself: Hence the Psalmist saith, "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." Ps. ciii. 12. As some express it, there is a world in a world. The apostle speaking concerning some who had profaned the Lord's supper, and of the judgments with which the Lord visited such, and some of the saints also, for the same, says, " For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." 1 Cor. xi. 30, 32. Now here is a world condemned, as in our text we have a world saved. This distinction kept up in the mind, will, I conceive, give us the true sense of these words, And he is the propitiation .for our sins : and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. Take the whole body of the elect, and all sin and sinfulness have been, and will he found in them : some in one, some in others. No sort of sin which can be committed out of hell, (except the sin unto death, which none of the elect can commit), but will be found amongst them, either before or after their conversion to the Lord. What then must be the virtue and efficacy of Christ's propitiatory offering, to remove for ever the whole imputation of it from them, and purify and cleanse them from all sin, in the sight of God ? Surely, I cannot but conclude the apostle here intended to honour the sacrifice of Christ to the utmost extent of its virtue and efficacy, when he said, My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous And he is the propitiation for our sins ; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. The great and most truly renowned Dr. Owen, in his book entitled, The Death of Death in the death of Christ, proposes this to those who are for universal redemption ; " Either," says he, " Christ died for all the sins of all men, or, he died for some sins of all men, or, he died for all the sins of some men. If He died for all the sins of all men, why are not all men saved? You will say, because of their unbelief; but unbelief is either a sin, or it is not : if it be, and Christ died for all their sins, why should unbelief damn them, seeing he died for it, as well as all their other sins? If Christ died for some sins of all men, then there are some sins of these, which Christ died not for : consequently they must perish for them. If Christ died for all the sins of some men, then these must be everlastingly saved : and this," says he, "is our own doctrine." I hope the Lord will be pleased to reflect the glory and grace of his truth on our minds. It is only in his light we see light. His glory is reflected on the mind, in and by the scriptures of truth. They are all clear in themselves : we need never to start any puzzling questions on them. We should receive them, in all matters of faith, just as they are in themselves. The Holy Ghost is all sufficient to lead and guide us into all truth. It is our blessedness to be kept continually dependant on him, for his unction which teacheth all things. May we be living over the truths which have been set before us, concerning our Lord's advocacy and propitiation. And, seeing the finished work of Christ is the very basis of his mediatorial Throne in Heaven; let us rest wholly, and for all our salvation, on the blood and righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ: looking to receive the blessings and benefits of the same from Christ, as the Intercessor and Advocate in heaven ; and learn to converse with Christ on his Throne. This will lead us to give him glorious praise ; which we never perform more acceptably than by trusting wholly in Him for our everlasting blessedness. The Lord himself bless you with the Life-giving knowledge of these life-giving truths, and life-giving communion with Christ, and the Father in Him, through the Spirit. Amen.