For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, which we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:7, 8).
The comparison that is here made between the love of man one to another and the dying love of God is a short digression from the main argument. The Apostle is treating of the good ground of the Christian’s hope of the glory of God. In the beginning of the chapter he describes the hope of a Christian by the greatness of the good that is the object of it and the joyfulness of it and the effectualness of it to enable the Christian to glory in tribulation. (The first three verses.) And shows how the tribulation of a true Christian is a means of increasing and establishing hope that, that a patient bearing of affliction gives that experience that greatly confirms hope. And that for the reason that the Apostle gives because in that way of enduring tribulation the love of God was shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost which was given to them. And then the Apostle proceeds to show what reason Christians have to be assured that their hope of future glory shall not be disappointed from this argument: that Christ died for them even while ungodly.
To show how unparalleled the love of Christ is the Apostle in the first place declares the utmost extent of the love of man. “Scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.” By a righteous man must be understood a man of moral justice, one that is willing not to wrong any man but to give every one his due, and by a good man may be understood either a man with a qualification beyond righteousness, a bountiful man of a kind spirit. If we understand it in this sense the meaning of the Apostle is this that man will scarcely die for another though that other is a righteous man has always done fairly by him and never injured him. Yet possibly some would even die for one that has been good to them having received a great deal of kindness and being under special obligation. And this is the utmost that men’s love extends agreeable to what Christ says in John 15:13: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Or else we may understand a righteous man and good in the text as synonymous terms and signifying the same thing and both in opposition to ungodly and sinners that it is here said that Christ died for. And so the word is changed from righteous to good only for the sake of elegance of speech. And then the sense of the Apostle is this that men’s love scarcely ever goes so far as to lay down their lives for good and righteous men let ’em be persons of never so good and excellent a disposition. Sometimes the love of men has gone so far. But Christ died for those that were the reverse of righteous and good. He died for the ungodly and sinners. The Apostle herein takes notice of an instance wherein the love of Christ transcends all the love of men one to another.
Doctrine: That there never was any love that could be paralleled with the dying love of Christ or the dying love of our Lord Jesus Christ is that to which no love is to be compared.
Never was any love of any other being or any creature to be compared with this love—the love of God in giving his Son to die. However great and wonderful the love of one creature to another has been in some instances yet there has been no instance that has been any way to be compared with this. There is often a very strong affection in parents towards their children. There was a great love in Jacob to Joseph. When he thought his son Joseph was dead he rent his clothes, and put sackcoth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days. And when all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him he refused to be comforted, and said, “For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning.”
So very wonderful was the love of David to his son Absalom though Absalom had been so wicked and rebellious. Yet when David heard the news of his death how was he affected by it? 2 Samuel 18:33: “And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
This love of Christ is unparalleled by any instance of any other love in these following respects:
I
Never was there love that fixed upon an object so much below the lover. Love is more remarkable and wonderful when there is a very great distance between the lover and the beloved—when the lover is greatly above the beloved than when there is an equality. Amongst men generally those that are in condition greatly below them are neglected by them. They ben’t looked upon as worthy of their esteem or regard. Those that are little in comparison of them are little in their eyes and little in their thoughts. Men set their love upon this or that other object and seek their friendship because they conceive that they shall be added to by their friendship and therefore neglect those that are greatly below them as thinking that they are so little in comparison of them that they with them shall not be added to.
Those men that are great in the world in high estate ordinarily neglect the mean and low. If they take notice of them it is far from being in any such way as taking them into their friendship or setting their love upon them. Men may sometimes set their hearts upon an object that is much below them but then ’tis because they think they see something in them that is not so much below. There is some qualification in them they have respect to that they conceive would in their enjoyment of it be an addition to them. There is but one thing in any being that can influence him to set his love upon an object greatly below him and that is conceived of as such in all respects by the lover and that is goodness—a mere good disposition. If a great prince should love a poor man’s child under some calamity and should pity it and lay himself out greatly for its relief and there be all signs of its being only from mere goodness and compassion would not this be looked upon as wonderful?
But if it should be so that a noble prince should from goodness and benevolence exceedingly love and pity one so inferior what is the superiority of one man above another to the superiority of the Son of God to us? The difference that may be between men and men may be great as to outward circumstances. There may be many accidental differences but their nature is the same. A poor child has the same human nature as a prince. In many things there is an equality between a poor child and a prince. Yea, the child may be superior. But Jesus Christ is infinitely above us in nature he being of a divine nature. There is no distance of nature between man and man but between God and man there is an infinite distance of nature a greater distance than there is between the nature of man and the nature of worms. There is a greater distance between the Son of God and us than there is between the earth and the highest star in the heavens.
The Son of God was every way infinitely above us. Consider him with respect to his nature with respect to his duration. Consider him with respect to all the properties of his nature, natural or moral excellencies. Consider him with respect to honor and the respect of his Father. Consider him with respect to his dominion and sovereignty over the creature. Consider him with respect to his works. He it is that has made the world that has made sun, moon and stars; that made man and that made the highest heavens and made the angels of heaven. Consider him in his importance in the universality of things. He is the last end of all things. All things are made by him and for him and by him all things consist. Consider him with respect to the honor and respect of the creature. He is worshiped and adored by the angels of heaven and will be to all eternity. Therefore if we consider the dying love of Jesus Christ in this respect there never was any love like unto it. Never was there any instance of such a stoop made by any lover. What are we that one in such a height of glory and dignity should set his love upon us?
II
Secondly, never was there any instance of such love to those that were so far from being capable of benefiting the lover. There is amongst men but little disinterested love. In those instances of great friendship, self-interest has some influence in the matter. The lover looks upon the beloved as one capable and fitted to contribute to his benefit.
Love in men ordinarily is from want from the indigence of nature. It seeks that in others which it hath not in itself. The beloved is looked upon as fitted to supply the wants and satisfy the cravings of its nature. But Jesus Christ is and always was above want. ’Tis impossible he should stand in need of anything. He had a fullness incapable of any addition. He possessed a treasure that could not be enlarged. He was from eternity perfectly happy in the enjoyment of the Father. Nothing that the creature can do can in the least add to his happiness. His blessedness is infinite and invariable.
What need can one that infinitely enjoys God the Father and his love stand in need of us men? Or what good can we do him? Christ is not dependent for anything for any good upon us or any creature for he gives unto all life and breath and all things.
Men’s love generally is from want and because they ben’t sufficiently happy in themselves. But on the contrary Christ’s love is from fullness. Men’s love seeks an addition to fill up their emptiness but Christ’s love is from his fullness and because he is so full that he overflows. Man’s love seeks the reception of something to him but Christ’s love seeks communication.
III
Never was there any that set his love upon those in whom he saw so much filthiness and deformity. Never any that loved those in whom they saw so little to attract their love and so much to repel it and to procure hatred. Parents oftentimes have natural affection to those children that are very unworthy and may love those that they are sensible are undeserving from the natural propensity there is in men to love their own though ordinarily where there is a strong affection men imagine they see that which is lovely though indeed there be not anything.
There is such a fullness of love in the heart of Jesus Christ that it flows out toward those objects that have nothing to draw. The motive is within him. It seems it needs nothing to attract it. There is a sufficient spring in Christ’s own heart to set it going. There is an overflowing benevolence that it extends to those who have no beauty nor excellency.
Jesus Christ when he passed by us saw us naked and loathsome. He might justly have turned away from us with abhorrence have left us in our filth and stood at a distance from us as abominating to have anything to do with them that were so filthy. But it was otherwise. The time was a time of love. Instead of the lovely image of God there was the foul image of Satan that appeared upon us. That corruption was in our nature that was more odious in the eyes of Christ than the nature of a toad or serpent is to us. Natural men are like vipers. Their poison is the poison of a serpent and as the venom of asps. Man by sin became like a swine that delights to wallow in the mire, is like a filthy worm.
And Christ saw all this deformity that was in their hearts. Men may set their love upon those that are very hateful because they are ignorant of them. They don’t know what is in them. But Christ perfectly knew all our filthiness. The corruption of the heart of man was all naked and open to his view.
IV
Never was there any one that set his love upon those that were so far from loving him. Men in their fallen state are the enemies of God and Jesus Christ. Nothing is more the nature or natural disposition of man as he is in a natural condition than it is to hate God. He hates Christ and can do no other than hate him. Rom. 8:7: “The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Every natural man has a mortal enmity against Christ as well as the Jews that crucified him. And this Christ knew when he was pleased to set his love upon them.
This enmity is the more provoking because it was so infinitely unreasonable. We had no reason to have a spirit of enmity against Christ. He never had done us any wrong. On the contrary all the blessings and benefits we receive are from him. Sinners have a spirit of enmity against him though he be infinitely excellent and amiable. Though he be the infinitely beloved of God yet he is hated of men. Sinners had no delight in the excellency of Christ that God the Father so delights in. Yea that very excellency is what he is hated for. He is hated for his holiness. Yea such is the enmity that was in them so rooted and fixed and strong that Christ’s dying love won’t change them. This Christ knew when he set his love upon them and undertook to die for them.
And he knew that they had a spirit of contempt towards him that they would slight and despise him. He knew that they had all such a spirit as the Jews and soldiers that spit upon him and mocked and derided him. He knew that they had such a spirit that when he was offered to them with all his benefits he should be slighted till their hearts were changed. But Christ loved sinners nothwithstanding this also.
V
There never was any love that appeared in so great and wonderful expressions. Expressions of love are of three kinds: declarations, doings and sufferings. The declarations of Christ’s love to his church in Scriptures are wonderful but deeds and sufferings are the principal expressions of love. And there is nothing in the declarations which Christ has made of his love in his Word but the same is evident in what he has done and suffered for his people and that more abundantly.
1. What Christ has done for his people and the love which he has shown them that way is very wonderful. Never was any that showed his love to another by doing so much for them as Christ has done. His love was such to his elect that he came down from heaven, he left the bosom of the Father, he laid aside his glory and came down to dwell on earth. He became incarnate. He took upon him another nature. It was a great thing for God to do to take upon him the nature of man. It was a great thing that Christ should come to dwell amongst men that he should so love us as to take up an abode amongst us for above 30 years as he did.
2. There was never in any other lover so great an expression of love as the sufferings of Christ. Expense and suffering for anyone is the greatest testimony of love. If one person bestows a great deal on another and does much for him, yet if it be without any kind of expense or suffering to himself, it is not so great an expression of love nor doth it show so great love.
To be at any great expense of money or goods for another especially so as considerably to suffer in estate by it is looked upon as a remarkable kindness. To go through many hardships and endure great fatigues of body for another, to redeem one out of captivity and from any great calamity would also be looked upon as a kindness that laid a great obligation on the beloved and ’tis a yet far greater expression of love if any should freely lose his life and be at the expense of his blood for them. Thus far also perhaps some earthly lovers have gone.
But there never was any that suffered so much for any earthly friend as Christ did, whether we consider what he suffered outwardly or in his soul.
His death besides the painfulness of it was attended with those circumstances that greatly aggravated the suffering. Christ suffered much outwardly just before his death. He was scourged and wounded with thorns and buffeted in the face by soldiers treated most ignominiously. He was spit upon and mocked and most contemptuously treated and his death was most disgraceful yea accursed.
And besides what he suffered in his body he suffered more in his soul. Sufferings of soul and body were united together. If he had suffered only in his body his spirit might have helped him to support his outward pains but he had darkness in his mind as well as pain in his body. He was smitten of God. God laid upon him the iniquities of us all. How great his inward sufferings were we may conclude by the greatness of them before his crucifixion in his agony in the garden. We are none of us acquainted with such a degree of sorrow and anguish of spirit as shall cause such an effect. The trouble and sorrows of his soul were as much of the nature of the torments of hell as an innocent holy person was capable of.
The sufferings of Christ were a greater expression and evidence of love for his being so great a person. If Christ had suffered no more than some other lovers have suffered for their friends yet his suffering would have been a more wonderful expression of love because ’tis a greater thing for a person of such glory and dignity to suffer than for a lesser. ’Tis a greater thing for a person that is God to die than for a mere worm of the dust to die and a more marvelous expression of love. For a divine person to lay down his life and spill his blood is a greater expense than for a man. A mere man has not so great a price to expend.
Who could have imagined that ever such a testimony should be given of God’s love to a creature? Without doubt it was surprising to the angels when it was first revealed to them. It was a thing unknown and never would have been conceived of had not God revealed it—that God, that a divine person should testify his love by suffering much less by such suffering.
VI
And lastly never was there any love that was so beneficial to the beloved. True love is fruitful. It always seeks the benefit and advantage of the beloved and will procure it if there be opportunity. But there is no other instance of love that in this respect is to be equaled as compared with this. The love of men one to another in many instances may have been greatly to the advantage. Parents’ love to their children may be very beneficial to them. Princes’ love to their favorites may be an occasion of their advancement to honor and wealth. Men through their love to others may have brought them out of low and miserable and distressed circumstances, redeemed them out of captivity, saved them from cruel bondage and tormenting death to honor wealth and pleasure. But no such instance can be compared with the benefits and advantages that the dying love of Christ is of to those who are the objects of his love.
For by means of his dying love they are rescued from eternal destruction. They are saved out of the furnace of fire. The deliverance of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego out of Nebuchadnezzar’s burning fiery furnace by the love of Christ who himself came into that furnace to deliver them is a type of his dying love whereby he delivers sinners from the furnace of hell fire. Sinners by means of the dying love of Christ are rescued out of the paw of the devil that roaring lion that seeks to devour souls. And by the dying love of Christ those that are beloved by him are advanced to the greatest blessedness to the possession of a glorious kingdom to the wearing of a crown of glory to the seeing of God and fully enjoying of him to all eternity. By the dying love of Christ they are delivered from the foulest deformity and are now made and fashioned according to the image of God having the brightness of God’s holiness reflected from them.
And those whom he has purchased by his death the value of them is proportionable to the value of that price that was paid for them. The blood of Christ purchased things that can’t be purchased for gold. Neither shall silver be weighed for the price of them. And what makes the worth of them infinite is that they never will have an end. There will be no danger or possibility of losing them.
This is an abridged message from Jonathan Edwards’ Sermons on Romans, a forthcoming volume in the Works of Edwards currently being published by Yale University Press under the editorial direction of a committee headed by Perry Miller of Harvard University. This particular volume and sermon is edited by John H. Gerstner of Pittsburgh-Xenia Theological Seminary. Permission for the prior use of this hitherto unpublished sermon, in conjunction with the bi-centennial of Edwards’ death, has been granted toChristianity Todayby the Sterling Library of Yale and the Yale University Press.
