"O groundless deeps! O love beyond degree! Th' offended dies to set th' offender free.”
Quarles' Emblems.
AT the time of the late war, a young man, a husband, and at the same time a father, was called to serve in the ranks, upon which a fellow countryman of his who was unmarried, presented himself, saying, that he having no wife or children dependent on him, his life was of less importance than that of the other, and that he was willing to serve in his stead. Such an offer, under the circumstances, was not likely to be rejected; he accordingly took the place of substitute for his friend, went forth into the field, and fell in battle.
After this, there was another conscription, and the survivor, through an oversight on the part of the Government, was again required to serve. Now however he had a plea in his favor which at first he had not. How do you suppose he answered the summons? He answered it thus—"I AM DEAD—I HAVE LOST MY LIFE IN SERVING MY COUNTRY, AND SHE HAS NO FURTHER CLAIM UPON ME:" and so it actually was, he had died in the person of his substitute, and hence, a living man as he was, he could reckon himself to 1)e dead, and therefore exempted from exposing his life in the field.
So is it with us whose hope is in Christ. We reckon ourselves to be dead. And why? Because He, the Son of God, has died in our stead, because the penalty due to us, has been borne by our Surety. (See Rom. 6:1111Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:11).) On the cross He was made sin, forsaken of God: all, all to satisfy the justice of Him who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, who required that sin should meet its due punishment. This, and this alone, is our plea. By faith we identify ourselves with Him who first identified Himself with us, so that we realize ourselves to be dead—dead to sin, in two ways, dead to it both judicially and morally, simply because, in the person of our Substitute, we have suffered, and can therefore say with the apostle, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Gal. 2:2020I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20).)
And now how is this? Has every one a right to speak thus of himself? No, in no way, we answer. No one can do so, but the TRUE BELIEVER, HE WHO WITH THE HEART BELIEVES UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS. He who by the Spirit is united to Christ, who lives, because He lives, who is alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord, he alone can speak of himself as dead, as having the old man crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth he should not serve sin. (See Rom. 6:66Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (Romans 6:6).)
Such is the position of the believer, though often, unhappily, through weakness of faith, he cannot speak of his state with the full confidence that he is entitled to do. But let him only look away from himself, and cast his eye upon Christ, and it will be otherwise with him. Let him, its in the case of the young man, who gave that remarkable answer, when called to risk his life in the field, simply realize the fact that another has died in his stead, and that consequently he is dead, and he will be perfectly fearless; no judgment, no wrath, he will feel, can reach him. Identified, as he is in resurrection, with Him in whom the Father is well pleased, the sufferings of that infinitely worthy One are imputed to him, as well as His worthiness. This is the ground of his confidence, hence he knows himself to be, not only delivered from death, but also entitled to perfect, infinite happiness, in "TEAT DAY" when Christ shall reap the reward of His work; of that devotedness which brought Him down from His true home above, into the midst of the darkness and desolation of this sorrowful world; which caused Him, in the likeness of sinful flesh, to give His life a ransom 'for the lost and unworthy. (See Rom. 8:1-41There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1‑4).)