Adams:

Sins of the world:

1) Some understand it thus; that this purging is meant by the shedding of Christ’s blood, whereby, the whole world is purged, John i. 29. But that all men are purged hy Christ’s blood, is neither a true position in itself, nor a true exposition of this place. The blood of Christ only purgeth his church, Eph. v. 26. And there are none admitted to stand before the throne, but such as have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb,” Rev. vii. 14. If any soul be thus washed, he shall never be confounded. If this man were thus purged, how could he forget it? God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself,” 2 Cor. v. 19. Yet no man thinks that the whole world shall go to heaven, for then were hell made to no purpose. So God loved the world, that he gave his Son; yet the whole world lieth in wickedness,” 1 John v. 19. Thus it is clear, expiation was offered for the world, and offered to the world; but those that are blessed by it, are separated from the world: I have chosen you out of the world,” John xv. 19. Salvation may be said to belong to many, that belong not to salvation. Now the reprobate forgets that a purgation was made for him by the shedding of the Messiah’s blood, which is a wretched thing, to forget so great a ransom.

Go to the garden, and there behold thy Saviour groaning under the weight of sin, hear enough to are pressed to death millions of angel legions of men, the whole world; sweating drops of blood, as if he were cast into the furnace of God’s wrath that melted him. Behold him offering that mouth, which spake as never man or angel spake, to a traitor to kiss. What the traitor sold, and the murderer bought, thou hast obtained: he is thine, not the Jews that purchased him. Now hast thou gotten him, and yet forgotten him? That which tickles thy heart with laughter, made the heart of thy Saviour bleed: and hast thou forgotten it? His soul was pressed to death with the sins we never shrink at: his eyes wept tears of blood, ours flow with tears of laughter; he felt those torments we cannot conceive; we cannot understand what he did stand under. Were we so foul, that nothing but his blood could purge us, and do we forget that urging? Do we forget that cry, whereat heaven and earth, men and angels, stood amazed, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” The very senseless creatures did not forget it: the heavens were hung with black, the sun did hide his face like a chief mourner, and durst not behold his passion. Now, for man alone was all this passion, yet in man alone is least comparison. I now thou condemnest Judas, and that worthily; who sold Christ a man, there was murder; Christ his Master, there was treason; Christ his Maker, there was sacrilege. Murder is a crying sin, treason a roaring sin, sacrilege a thundering sin. Thomas Adams, An Exposition upon the Second Epistle General of St. Peter, by Rev. Thomas Adams, Rector of St.Gregory’s, (London, 1633, revised by James Sherman, reprinted: Soli Deo Gloria, 1990), 108.

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