Required reading
Twenty-One Sermons on Hebrews 10:20-24 in Volume III of the Works of Robert Traill (Available from Reformation Heritage Books or free here) - Read Sermon XVI.
My summary
This week Traill continues to teach us from Hebrews 10:20. This week he examines what it means that the 'new and living way' is 'consecrated'.
Firstly Traill teaches us about the consecration of Christ. God consecrated Jesus:
(i) by the oath of God;
(ii) by preparing him a body to suffer in;
(iii) by the commission and charge that our Lord had;
(iv) by the holy annointing;
(v) by giving him all power over all persons and things.
Secondly Traill examines how Christ had a hand in his own consecration. Christ consecrates himself to be the way to heaven:
(i) cheerfully;
(ii) by his dying;
(iii) by the consequent practice and exercise of his office.
Thirdly Traill discusses for whom this consecrated way is. The consecrated way is:
(i) for particular persons;
(ii) to particular persons;
(iii) by particular persons.
Traill closes the chapter with two applications:
(i) behold how Jesus loved his people;
(ii) boldly use Jesus as the way.
What grabbed me
Traill made some great declarations of the love of Christ: 'Our Lord Jesus did consult the necessity of his people out of mere pure love. He was upon the Father's counsel from eternity about the way of saving man ; he is the wisdom of God, and hath an interest in the contriving of it ; the eternal purpose was purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord : The contrivance was, What way may poor fallen sinners be brought well and safe to glory ? They are fallen by sin, conquered by Satan, proclaimed rebels by God, attainted and condemned by God's holy law, are beggared and impoverished, and cannot pay a farthing to divine justice. The law must not be broken, justice must not be affronted, God's power cannot be resisted : How then can man be saved? It is impossible but only this way; here is the mystery of our Christianity. It is impossible that a man can be brought up to God, until God come down to man, and become man for him and that God-man is made the great mean to bring all his people up again to God ; the sacrifice of the man, and the power of God, and the merit of that sacrifice of that God-man, is made an everlasting chariot, that will carry all that believe on him certainly safe to glory. He consulted, I say, our necessity in great love. He consulted not his own conveniency at all : Even Christ pleased not himself, &c. O what an argument is here! The apostle brings the sweetest Arguments sometimes to press the easiest ordinary duties. Let us not please ourselves, but every one another, for edification ; that is wholesome advice, but the argument is beyond it, even Christ pleased not himself '
The love of Christ is truly incredible!
Next week's reading
Read Sermon XVII.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
No comments:
Post a Comment