a command and call him to lay it down and therefore they who are self-murderers and would take away their own lives do violate the Law of their Creation they put that in their own power which God alone hath a power over they take upon them to dispose of their own lives which God alone who is their Creator and Soveraign Lord hath power to dispose of for none but he that gave us our lives hath a power and right to dispose of them But now Christ was God as well as Man and therefore Christ had a right to dispose of his own life I have power saith he to lay it down and I have power to take it again Christ as he was God being the Author Conserver and Maintainer of his own life as he was Man had power to dispose of that life and this was his love to us that he laid down his life for us which he had power to dispose of We come now to the second thing and that is to shew you how it was that Christ laid down his life for us This I shall open to you in several Particulars 1. Christ is said to lay down his life for us in that he was ready to do it He did not refuse to part with his life for us but was most ready to give it up for our sakes Greater love than this hath no man that he lay down his life for his friends that is greater love than this hath no man that he is ready to lay down his life for his friends he is certainly the best friend who is ready to venture and hazard his life for his friend Such a friend was Christ he was ready to offer and give up his life for our sakes As Paul said He counted not his life dear to him so he might finish his course with joy and the ministry which he had received of the Lord Jesus Act. 20.24 And in another place he saith He was ready not to be bound only but also to dye at Jerusalem for the Name of our Lord Jesus Act. 21.13 So this was much more true of Christ he counted not his life dear to him but was ready to offer it up for our sakes I am the good shepherd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep Joh. 10.11 Here is the same Phrase as in the Text. Grotius observes upon the former Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mortem non defugere that the Phrase to lay down a mans life signifies not to decline death not to shun death Christ is the good Shepherd he doth not refuse to dye for the preservation of his sheep It is said of Paul and Barnabas that they were men that had hazarded their lives for the Name of the Lord Jesus Act. 15.25 They had hazarded their lives The words in the Original are They had delivered up their souls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is their lives their lives were not actually taken from them but the meaning is they carried their lives in their hands they were ready to give them up they often put their lives in hazard they were ready to have parted with them so Christ was ready to expose and give up his life for the good of his people This is one thing but the least thing 2. The second Particular for clearing of it is this Christ did freely and of his own accord give up his life and subject himself to death when there was no necessity of nature nor violence from men that could have compelled him thereunto To understand this we must know That all other men besides Christ being found sinners were under a Law of death by reason of sin For by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin Rom. 5.12 And the wages of sin is death Rom. 6. ult But now it was otherwise with Christ Christ being not a Sinner and his Humanity being united to the second Person in Trinity he was exempt from the power of death and all manner of sufferings any further than he in a way of voluntary condescension was pleased to subject himself to death and sufferings This our Saviour plainly declares to us Joh. 10.15 I lay down my life for my sheep and more fully vers 18. No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self The Divinity in Christ could if it had pleased have preserved the humane nature from death and all manner of suffering but saith our Saviour I lay it down of my self when no man could have taken away my life without my permission yet I did freely and of my own accord give up my life It is possible that one man may venture his life and expose himself to death for another but then he that doth so venture his life for another must otherwise first or last have dyed according to the course of Nature But now it was not thus with Christ there was no necessity of Nature compelling Christ to dye but only upon supposition of his own free condescension It is true Christ was born a mortal man subject to suffering and death as we are but that was only his own voluntary submission and condescension Voluntar submissio Calvin For look upon the flesh of Christ as it was personally united to the Word the second Person in Trinity so that flesh of his setting aside the consideration of his own voluntary subjecting of it to death and suffering I say that flesh of his by means of its union with the Word the second Person in Trinity had been immortal and impassible and by reason of that union immortality was due to it but it was for our sakes and the sheeps sake which he dyed for that he made himself passible and mortal I say it was for the sheeps sake that he that was impassible and immortal made himself passible and mortal Hence is that expression of one of the Ancients Impassibilis Deus non dedignatus est esse homo passibilis immortalis mortis legibus subjacere Leo. The impassible God did not disdain to become a passible man and he that was immortal to subject himself to the Laws of death Christ in the time of his death and suffering did so far suspend the virtue of his Divinity as that the glory and virtue of his Divinity did not extend it self so far to his flesh as to keep him from suffering and dying It is true the power of the Divinity supported Christ in dying therefore is it said that By the power of the Eternal Spirit he offered himself without spot to God Heb. 9.14 but it did not hinder him from dying If the glory and virtue of the Divinity had exerted it self fully in Christ it would have kept him from death and all manner of suffering But such was the love of Christ to us that the Divinity in Christ suspended its virtue so far that Christ might be in a capacity to suffer and dye for us And if you
shall open that in several particulars 1. In that the Son of God came into a nature so inferiour to his own What comparison is there between God and the creature That the eternal God should joyn himself so nearly to the nature of his own creature this is admirable This was that made Bernard say When I consider the person of him who comes Dignationis magnitudinem expavesco I cannot comprehend the excellency of his Majesty when I consider to whom he comes I tremble at the greatness of his condescension To whom was it that this great person came He came to us poor men who dwell in houses of clay And will God indeed dwell with men Yea he dwells with man The Word was made flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and dwelt among us Joh. 1.14 He pitched his Tent and Tabernacle in a part of our nature he did not only converse familiarly and was seen among men but he pitched his Tent and Tabernacle in a part of our nature Without controversie great is the mystery of godliness God manifested in the flesh God was in that very flesh which the Son of God assumed God was in that flesh that was once seen here on earth and was afterwards given as a Sacrifice for the life of the world yea so in it as to dwell personally in it Therefore doth the Son of God call the flesh he assumed his own flesh Joh. 6.53 Now consider it what a disproportion is there between God and our flesh Yet the eternal Word is made flesh he who was with God in the beginning and who was God this very Word is made flesh Joh. 1.14 It is a notable expression one useth to illustrate this Although it was not suitable to humane flesh according to the condition of its own nature to be united to God in the unity of person yet this was becoming God in the infinite excellency of his own goodness It was nothing but infinite goodness could move God to condescend so low as to take a part of our flesh and cloath himself with it 2. The condescension of Christ in his Incarnation appears in this in that the Son of God took a part of our nature after humane nature had been infected and when the whole mass of humane nature lay infected with original sin Let none mistake here that part of humane nature which was united to the person of the Son of God had no taint or pollution of sin in it but thus we ought to conceive of it The mass of humane nature out of which this part or particle of humane nature was taken was infected with original sin and in the same moment that the Word the second person in Trinity joyned himself to our nature that part or parcel of humane nature that was joyned to his person was sanctified by the Holy Ghost so that in the same moment or instant the union was made that part of humane nature which was assumed was sanctified by the Holy Ghost neither was it sanctified before assumed nor assumed before sanctified but both were done in the same instant as soon as there was flesh so soon was it the flesh of the Word We must not suppose any instant of time when that part of humane nature that was joyned to the Son of God should have a subsistence of its own before it was united to his person no but at the same time it was flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the same time it was the flesh of the Word but this is that which commends the love of Christ and his great condescension that he should take part of our nature when the whole mass of it lay under the contagion of original sin God who was Purity and Holiness it self might justly have loathed and abhorred such impurity as ours he might justly have disdained to have sought out a habitation for himself among such polluted creatures None of the children of Adam was exempt and free from the contagion of original sin no not the Virgin her self who was the Mother of our Lord now that God should seek out and prepare for himself a habitation out of such an impure sink as our nature was by reason of sin this is that which greatly commends the love and condescension of the Son of God 3. The greatness of Christs love in his Incarnation with respect to his condescension appears in this in that he took our nature together with its infirmities He was in all things made like to us sin only excepted The Son of God did not only take flesh but he took passible mortal flesh such a nature as was subject to suffering and death this was a great commendation of his love For we must know the Divinity inhabiting in Christs humane nature could have prevented all suffering and death the Godhead which was personally united to the humane nature could have made the humane nature impassible and above suffering Therefore it is observed by a Learned man It was by the good pleasure of the Divine will Beneplacito Divinae voluntatis permittebatur carni pati operari quae propria that it was permitted to the humanity to do and suffer the things which were proper to it self The great end why the Son of God assumed our nature was that he might satisfie for the sins of men Now one is then said to satisfie for the offence of another when he takes upon himself the punishment that is due for such offences now suffering and death was the punishment due for sin By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin Rom. 5. Therefore the Son of God out of his great love to us was not only willing to take our nature but also the infirmities of our nature Isa 53.4 He hath born our griefs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and carried our sorrows That which was not assumed was not healed if Christ had not born our infirmities our infirmities had not been healed 4. The greatness of Christs condescension in his Incarnation appears in this in that he suffered the glory of his Divinity to be hid and veiled for a time in our nature after he had assumed it This is that which the Scripture calls his emptying himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2.7 We read it He made himself of no reputation in the Original it is He emptied himself How did Christ empty himself The former words compared with those that follow do acquaint us He was in the form of God Now that he that was in the form of God should take upon him the form of a servant should be made in the likeness of men and was found in fashion as a man there was his emptying himself He might always have continued in the form of God only without taking to himself the form of a servant or if he will take the form of a servant he might presently and immediately shew forth the glory of his Divinity in that humane nature which he
us to him that he might be a fit Mediator takes upon him the nature of man that so being God and man in one person and having interest in both parties he might bring God and man together Hence is it that the Mediator hath this appellation of Christ given to him Luk. 2.17 Vnto you is born this day a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. Christ you know signifies the anointed Under the Old Testament Kings Priests and Prophets were wont to be anointed Now Christ being to undertake the office of Mediator in general and those three Offices in particular of Prophet Priest and King he also is anointed Christs Vnction or Anointing properly belongs to his humane nature Act. 10.38 God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost For although it be true that Christ is the name of the person subsisting in both natures and the name of Christ doth not only agree to Christ as he is man but as he is God manifested in the flesh yet Christs anointing properly respects his humane nature As God he needed not any anointing for he had all fulness in himself therefore he was properly anointed as man If it be asked what this anointing of Christ was I answer It is that plenitude and fulness of the gifts of the Holy Ghost yea the fulness of the Godhead which dwells personally in the humane nature assumed whereby he is qualified to perform the office of Mediator Christ being to undertake the Office of Mediator hath his humanity filled with all habitual grace and also the presence of the Divinity inhabiting personally in his humane nature So that Christs assumption of our nature anointing it with the Spirit of all grace lays the foundation for the great work of his Mediatorship It is well observed by a Judicious Divine That we may more firmly believe Chemnitius that the benefit of Redemption doth belong to us therefore did the Son of God assume a nature that was of the same substance with ours and near akin with us by which in the virtue of the Divinity he might accomplish our Redemption that as by humane nature in Adam sin and death entred into the world so by the same nature in Christ righteousness and life might be restored to the world 2. As the Incarnation of Christ lays the foundation and prepares the way to the work of Mediatorship in general so by the Incarnation Christ is fitted and prepared as it were to enter upon the execution of those three great Offices of his the Office of a Prophet Priest and King 1. The Lord Jesus assuming mans nature performs the office of a Prophet to the Church in the humane nature assumed The great work of the Prophets of old was to be the Messengers of God to the people the Interpreters of Gods mind and will they were to reveal Gods mind and will to the people The Lord Jesus undertaking our nature is the great Messenger of the Covenant the Interpreter of the Fathers counsels he hath revealed the whole will and mind of the Father to us Heb. 1.2 God hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son Joh. 15.15 All things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you Should God speak to us immediately from Heaven we should be affrighted at his presence and terrified with his Majesty as they were when they heard God speaking to them from Mount Sinai and said Let not God speak to us but let Moses speak to us Exod. 20.19 Therefore hath the Son of God assumed our nature and appeared visibly in flesh and conversed among men like one of us that we might receive the Law at his mouth The humanity of Christ is the Organ of the Divinity And this is one great commendation of the office of the Ministry as Peter Martyr hath observed That the Son of God who was God over all blessed for ever was pleased to take up humane nature that he might perform the office of a Minister in it Therefore is Christ called Rom. 15.8 A Minister of the Circumcision that is to the Jewish Church There is some Controversie among Divines concerning the knowledge that was in the humane soul of Jesus Christ but this is certain Christ as man had all things made known to him that did concern our salvation now whatsoever the Lord Jesus as man received from the Father that as the great Prophet of the Church he hath faithfully revealed to his people Joh. 17.8 I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me Christ as man receives all from the Father and he gives out all to the Church Thus his Incarnation prepares him for the execution of his Prophetical Office 2. The Son of God by assuming mans nature is prepared for the execution of his Priestly Office Two great works were incumbent on the Priests under the Law 1. To offer Sacrifices and make atonement for the people 2. To intercede and pray for the people 1. One Office of the Priest was to offer Sacrifice and make atonement So Heb. 8.3 Every High-Priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices 2. Another office of the Priest was to pray for the people Therefore saith Samuel God forbid that I should cease to pray for you Now the Son of God by assuming our nature is qualified to perform both these works of a Priest 1. Christ by his Incarnation is fitted to offer Sacrifice God took no delight in the Sacrifices of beasts and cattle Sacrifices and burnt-offerings thou wouldst not therefore did the Son of God take a true humane body and offered himself for a Sacrifice Heb. 9.26 Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself Christ is Priest Altar and Sacrifice Christ is the Sacrifice that is offered so vers 28. Christ was offered to bear the sin of many Christ is the name of the person subsisting in both natures so that there is a concourse of both natures the Divine and humane nature in the work of Satisfaction The humane nature was the nature suffering and the Divine nature that sanctified the sufferings of the humanity The Divinity was in the humanity in the time of its offering that body which hung upon the Cross which suffered and dyed was the body of him who was God it was filled and replenished with God the Godhead did personally inhabit in it in the time of its suffering Although the Godhead did not put forth its operation as it might have done but did rest and suspend its operations for a time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it might give liberty to the humane nature to suffer for if the Godhead should have put forth its operation as it might it could have hindred all passion and suffering in the humane nature yet the personal union always remained the Son of God did always retain and keep the humane nature in the bond of personal union in the height of his sufferings and he
justa As to the power of God all things are possible unto God but as to the justice of God nothing is possible but what is just Therefore God having decreed and that most justly to punish sin God could not but punish sin 6. The sixth Proposition is That God being merciful as well as just doth in his infinite Wisdom find out a way how his Justice may be salved and man not perish This is that which the Apostle declares to us Rom. 3.24 25 26. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God being justified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood To declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God to declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus The scope of the Apostle is plainly this To shew that God hath a mind to forgive sin and yet he would be just too therefore that he might be merciful and just both at once God found out a way how he might forgive sin and yet his Justice not be prejudiced Hence was it that God appointed Christ to be a ransom for us that so Christ bearing the punishment that we deserved the Justice of God might be satisfied in what Christ suffered and yet his Mercy might be glorified in remitting the punishment to us Him hath God ordained to be a propitiation through faith in his blood saith the Apostle God remits sin freely as to us and so his mercy is glorified as to us and yet he receives full satisfaction from Christ and so his Justice is glorified in him Thus mercy and truth are met together righteousness and peace have kissed each other Psal 85.10 God having found full satisfaction to his Justice in the blood of Christ there is a sweet reconciliation between those two seeming contrary Attributes the Justice and Mercy of God This is elegantly set forth by one of the Ancients after this manner There is a controversie or a strife as it were between the Justice and the Mercy of God Altercatio est inter Dei justitiam misericordiam but this strife is ended in the death of Christ because in the death of our Saviour Divine Justice is satisfied in all that it did desire Divine Justice saith If Adam dye not I am lost and Mercy on the other hand saith If Adam doth not obtain mercy one way or other I am lost now Christ interposing by his death each of these Attributes have what they do desire Learn from what hath been said the Justice Vse 1 Equity and Righteousness of God in punishing of sin Psal 98.9 With righteousness shall he judge the world and the people with equity Ezek. 18.29 Art not my ways equal are not your ways unequal The ways of God are full of equity when God punisheth sin there is the greatest equity that he should do so there is that demerit in sin and there is that Holiness and Justice in the Nature of God that calls upon him to punish sin Sin is after a sort infinitely evil not that it is simply and in it self so but sin may be said to be infinitely evil with respect to the object as it is contrary to the glory of God who is Bonum infinitum an infinite good God also who is the Governor of the World seeing how much the Sinner had violated the Law of Right and Equity judges it a just and righteous thing that Sinners should undergo punishment therefore no man hath cause to quarrel with God and to think hardly of him for inflicting punishment upon him because of sin for This is the judgment of God that they which do such things are worthy of death Rom. 1.32 This is the judgment of God as much as if it had been said God hath determined this in his infinite Understanding It is the upright and just determination of the most wise God that the Sinner is worthy of death God is not too rigorous in his judgment in this case he judges according to the equity of the cause Rom. 2.2 The judgment of God is according to truth Isa 3.11 Wo unto the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him The reward of his hands shall be given him O this is certain every mans condemnation will be found just at last and it will appear to him that it is most just God condemns no man but for sin and there is that desert in sin for which God may justly condemn men and I conceive that a great part of the torments of the Damned consists in this That they shall have their eyes opened and their understandings inlarged which are now shut and closed up to see that turpitude baseness unworthiness monstrousness unreasonableness that was in sin and that they are justly punished for committing that which was so contrary to the Law of their Creation and to the Principles of their own Beings as they are reasonable creatures For what is more just equal and reasonable than that the creature should honour obey and serve his Creator and take notice of his Laws and yield conformity to them And what more unjust unreasonable and unequal than the creature should cast off Gods Authority and live in contempt of his Maker and defiance of his Laws Now when men shall have their understandings opened to take in this more fully then they will see that God is just in punishing sin and that their condemnation is most just Learn from hence Vse 2 that there is no way for a guilty Soul to appear before God but by flying to the Satisfaction of Christ God is so holy that he cannot but hate sin so just that he cannot but punish sin How then can a poor guilty creature appear before the presence of the Divine Majesty laden with all his sins O it is an easie thing for a secure Sinner that knows neither what the nature of sin is nor what the nature of God is to slight sin But he that once comes to see a little of the turpitude and deformity that is in sin and will summon himself into Gods presence and consider what the Holiness Purity and Justice of Gods Nature is will soon have other thoughts of sin and of his own condition by reason of sin God is of purer eyes than to behold the least iniquity and he will by no means clear the guilty therefore he that hath but a little sight of Gods Holiness and of his infinite Justice and Righteousness will soon cry out with the Prophet I am undone Isa 6.5 And nothing can ease or quiet a poor trembling Soul in this case but flying to the Satisfaction of Christ When a man compares his impurity with Gods infinite Purity and Holiness when he compares his own sinfulness and unworthiness with Gods
infinite Justice and Righteousness then he must needs see himself worthy of condemnation and nothing can give ease and quiet to trembling consciences in this case but for a man to turn his eye upon the Satisfaction of Christ and see the Justice of God satisfied in Christ In Christ the Justice of God is satisfied to the utmost upon him was the wrath of God poured out to the full and the whole punishment that was due to us was inflicted upon him hither it is therefore that we must flye for refuge when-ever we are under the sense of guilt and under fears of condemnation by reason of sin there is no refuge but by flying to the Satisfaction of Christ The end of the fourth Sermon SERMON V. Joh. 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends I Proceed now to the seventh Proposition which is this It was the compact and agreement between the Father and the Son that the Son the second Person in Trinity should take our nature and in that nature become our Surety and undertake the payment and discharge of our debt for us I say this was the compact and agreement between the Father and the Son hence is it said The counsel of peace was between them both Zach. 6.13 Some Learned men render it Between those two Inter illos duos that is between the Father and the Son the counsel of peace was between them both Here it may be said Object How could there be such a compact or an agreement as this is between the Father and the Son concerning mans Redemption and Salvation God is but one the Divine Essence is but one and the Divine Will but one How then could there be this compact and agreement between the Father and the Son since they are both one and the same God and have one and the same essential Will To this the Answer is plain Answ that as the Essence of the Father and the Son is but one so the Will is but one But for as much as the Father and the Son are considered as distinct Persons so the counsel of peace is said to be between them both Here are two Persons spoken of from which also the third the Holy Ghost is not to be excluded but all the three Persons agree in one and the same will Now according to the counsel of the whole Trinity the Son the second Person of the three is to take our nature and in that nature to become our Surety hence is it said That Jesus is made a surety of a better Testament Heb. 7.22 And Christ being made a Surety by virtue of the compact that was between him and the Father he is to undertake the payment of our debt for that is the nature of a Surety A Surety is properly an Vndertaker 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that undertakes anothers cause and debt There are some Divines that call this compact between the Father and the Son the Covenant of Redemption and this Covenant of Redemption they describe after this fort namely The Covenant of Redemption say they it is the agreement between the Father and the Son who was designed to be Mediator concerning the Elect who are supposed to lye in sin and misery by their own demerit together with the rest of men I say concerning the Elect to be converted sanctified and saved by virtue of the obedience of the Son as Mediator which was to be performed to the Father this they call the Covenant of Redemption The Apostle doth plainly intimate this compact or agreement that was between the Father and the Son Heb. 10.5 6 7. Wherefore when he cometh into the world he saith Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not but a body hast thou prepared me In burnt-offering and sacrifice for sin thou hast had no pleasure Then said I Lo I come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do thy will O God When Christ saith here Lo I come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do thy will O God he plainly refers to that ancient Decree and Compact that was between the Father and himself It was the Fathers will from Eternity that the Son should take a body and offer up that body to make satisfaction for the sins of the Elect and the Son consented to this will of the Father and what he did in time in assuming a body and in offering up that body was in pursuance of that ancient Decree and Compact that was between him and the Father therefore it is said In the volume of the book it is written I come to do thy will O God The eighth Proposition is this That Christ becoming our Surety stands responsible to the Law and is liable to pay all the debt we owe to God Hence are those expressions that he was made under the Law Gal. 4.4 That he was made a Curse for us Gal. 3.10 To understand this we must know that Christ is to be considered as a common Person as sustaining the persons of all the Elect. Look as the first Adam was a common person the obedience which he was bound to perform we were obliged unto and therefore when he sinned we sinned in him and when he became obnoxious to the curse and to death by reason of sin we also became obnoxious to the same Curse and death in him Rom. 5.12 Wherefore as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned So Christ is to be considered as a common Person Christ undertaking to be our Surety the obedience which we were bound to perform Christ is bound to perform and the punishment which we are obnoxious unto by reason of our violation of the Law Christ becoming our Surety is obnoxious to the same punishment Hence is it said of the first Adam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he is the figure of him that was to come Rom. 5.14 The figure of him that was to come that is the Type of Christ the first Adam is the Type of the second Adam How so As the first Adam was a common person and all his seed were comprehended in him and represented by him so the second Adam is to be looked upon as a common person and all his seed are comprehended in him and represented by him therefore Christ is called the second Adam 1 Cor. 15.45 The first Adam was made a living soul the second Adam was made a quickning Spirit Here it may be inquired How was it that the first Adam was made a common person And how was it that Christ the second Adam became a common person I answer briefly The first Adam was made a common person by Divine ordination and appointment and by the Law of his Creation he being the head and root of all mankind and Christ was made a common person partly by Divine ordination and appointment and
punishment because he was able to satisfie the Justice of God by his sufferings without suffering to Eternity 2. As for that which we call the Worm of Conscience which is one thing in the punishment of the Damned Christ could not undergo that and the reason is because that which is called the worm of conscience is an inseparable adjunct of sin inhering in the person in whom it is now Christ was most free from sin in his own person it is true he had sin imputed to him the guilt of our sins was imputed to him but he had no guilt of his own and therefore he could not have this worm of conscience for that which we call the worm of conscience is nothing else but conscience reflecting upon a mans actions and tormenting him upon the account of the obliquity and deformity that hath appeared in them Now Christ having done nothing that was contrary to the Law He had done no violence neither was guile found in his mouth as the Prophet speaks Isa 53. it was not possible he should undergo the worm of conscience because this supposeth sin in the person that underwent it which Christ was most free from 3. As for that of Despair some Divines are of opinion that despair is not properly in the Damned and the reason they give is this As hope in the godly after the last Judgment shall cease because hope shall then be swallowed up in fruition so they suppose that despair shall cease in the wicked because that perdition and destruction is then actually come upon them which before they feared But it may be said Do not the Damned see that they are miserable and that they shall be miserable for ever and doth not this cause them to despair To this they answer It is true the Damned see themselves in that misery from which they shall never be delivered but yet it may still be doubted whether this may be called Despair yea or no and the reason is say they because despair supposeth a sense of some future time but now in Eternity there is no time The Damned have a certain knowledge of misery that they are under they feel it at the present and therefore say they that which they do already feel they need not fear Hence is that speech of one of the Ancients Grief hath no fear in it because fear doth no longer torment the mind when a man begins already to suffer what he did fear But I know not whether it be worth the while to dispute whether despair be properly in the Damned yea or no. This I am sure of that the Damned know that they are miserable and they know that this misery shall continue always they know that it shall not be otherwise with them than now it is and this is equivalent unto despair but this is rather an adjunct of their torment and punishment than the substance of it therefore it was not necessary Christ should undergo it 2. We say That despair as it is opposite to the grace of hope so it could not be in Christ because despair at it is opposite to hope speaks a deordination and it would suppose some sin which Christ was most free from and therefore Christ when he was in the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and height of all his sufferings when he had lost the sense and feeling of Gods love yet he manifested the highest faith when he saith My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Though he had not the sense and feeling of Gods love but complains that he was forsaken yet he calls God his God and that manifested his faith and where there is faith there will be hope for hope is the daughter of faith therefore despair was not in Christ But though Christ did not suffer some circumstances and adjuncts of punishment that the Damned suffer yet Christ suffered the substance of what we were to suffer and this is that which I must now begin to speak unto And here I am to shew how it was that Christ suffered the substance of what we ought to have suffered 1. Christ made himself passible and mortal for our sakes that is he made himself subject to suffering and death for our sakes Sin is the inlet of suffering and death had there been no sin there had been no suffering or death It was sin that brought in both suffering and death when man had sinned God first said to the woman I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children Gen. 3.16 To the man he saith Cursed be the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life Gen. 3.17 Here we see sin brought in sorrow and suffering so also sin brought in death Gen. 2. In the day thou eatest thou shalt surely dye Rom. 5.12 Wherefore as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin Now Christ our Surety that he might bear the punishment that was due to us he put himself into a state of suffering and death for us sin having brought in suffering and death into the world as the just demerit of it and the curse that was due to it Christ I say being our Surety put himself into a state of suffering and death for us To understand this we must know that although the Son of God had assumed our nature yet he needed not unless he had pleased to have subjected himself unto suffering and unto death For Christ assuming our nature without sin was in respect of the innocency of his Humanity and also in respect of the personal Union exempted both from the Law of suffering and of death but Christ becoming our Surety and being to bear the whole punishment that was due to us by reason of sin and it being the nature of the Curse 1. That we should be liable to suffering and death And 2. That we should actually undergo suffering and death therefore Christ did voluntarily undergo both these 1. He did subject himself to a passible and mortal state And 2. He did actually undergo suffering and death for us 1. Christ did subject himself to a passible estate he that was above all suffering made himself subject to suffering for our sake Hence is it said that he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief Isa 53.3 Hence also is it said He was tempted in all points like unto us sin only excepted Heb. 4.15 Christ was exposed to all manner of sufferings and temptations whatsoever excepting sin 2. Christ did subject himself to a mortal estate for our sakes The flesh of Christ as it was united to the second Person in Trinity who was God had been immortal had he not voluntarily subjected himself to death for our sakes but that being part of the Curse that man should become mortal and subject to death by reason of sin Christ was willing to subject himself to that part of the Curse Dust thou art and to dust
it to his cross Col. 2.14 and he is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world Joh. 1.29 that is he hath perfectly taken away sin as to the guilt and condemnation of it Now this could not have been if Christ had not suffered all that was to be suffered he could not have made an end of sin he could not have taken away the condemning power of it if all the punishment that was to be inflicted upon the sinner had not been inflicted upon him but now Christ by offering himself a Sacrifice for our sins hath born the whole punishment so that nothing more remains to be suffered that Divine Justice can demand This is implied in his being made a curse namely that the wrath of God was spent upon Christ to the utmost and that Divine Justice could desire no more than what was laid upon him The last Particular to clear this how Christ was made a curse is this The curse took hold on Christ so far as that Christ was exterminated and cut off by it The utmost punishment that can be inflicted upon a Malefactor amongst men is death the extermination of him from mankind cutting him off from the land of the living separating him from the society of mankind Now the curse proceeded upon Christ so far as that Christ was cut off by it Hence are those expressions of the Prophet He was cut off from the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he smitten or stricken Isa 53.8 So likewise we have the same expression in the Book of Daniel Dan. 9.26 After sixty two weeks shall Messias be cut off but not for himself Christ the true Messias was to be cut off but not for himself that is not for any sin of his own but he was cut off for us because he bare the guilt of our sins To understand this we must know that nothing satisfies the Law but the death of the sinner We know what the sentence was that God pronounced upon our first Parents In the day that thou eatest thou shalt dye the death and this is the general sentence of the Law The soul that sins shall dye and The wages of sin is death Death is part of the curse yea death is as it were the consummation of the curse Death as it is the inlet unto eternal death so it is the consummation of the curse The curse aims at the extermination and utter destruction of the sinner A man that is taken away by a corporal death he is for ever destroyed as to men though his soul survive yet he is taken from amongst men he hath no communion with mankind Death is the destruction of a person as to any fellowship and communion that he is to have with mankind any longer in this world and therefore death is the utmost consummation of punishment amongst men Thus the curse cuts off Christ and Christ dyes as bearing the curse yea the curse is consummated in the death of Christ Christ was accursed even as Adam was It is a good expression of one of the Ancients Christ descended as low as Adam did and so dissolved the curse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ by descending where Adam had brought himself by his Fall dissolves the curse that Adam had brought upon himself and his posterity the curse that was upon Adam brought him to death Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return The curse lying upon Adam subjected him to a state of mortality and brought him under the power of death Christ therefore being made a curse for us the curse subjects him to death and takes away his life Hence is that expression Heb. 2.9 That Christ tasted death for every man Death is the completion of the curse because the death of the body is the inlet to eternal death to those who are still under the power of the curse It is true Christ did not taste the pains of eternal death after his natural life was ended but Christ tasted the pains of supernatural death before the taking away of his natural life as I have shewed heretofore and here we may observe this difference in Christs sufferings and the damned's sufferings The damned suffer the pains of Hell after this life Christ suffered the pains of Hell here in this life corporal death is but the beginning of the damned's punishment but Christ at his death finished his sufferings So that in the order of suffering there is some difference between what Christ suffered and what the damned suffer The damned suffer the pains of Hell after this life Christ suffered them in this life yet Christ underwent death as a part of the curse and death as it is a part of the curse and a fruit of Gods wrath is a terrible thing yea most terrible and yet Christ that he might make satisfaction for us conflicted with this King of Terrors Christ as he was man had a natural fear of death as we have yet without sin and the reason is because Christ taking on him our nature took also upon him the infirmities of our nature Now there may be a natural fear of death without sin nature abhorring that which is contrary to it self and this was in our Saviour Christ being our Surety and seeing death coming upon him as part of the curse and as a part of the punishment due to us for our sins this made him to fear death Hence is that expression Heb. 5.7 He offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to him that was able to save him from death and was heard in what he feared Christ feared death as he was man especially he feared it as he saw it a part of the curse that was due to us and yet though he feared it the thing that he feared came upon him It is true the Apostle saith He was heard in what he feared How was he heard Was Christ heard so as to his fear of death as to be delivered from death No certainly if Christ had not dyed we must have dyed in our sins If Christ had not dyed we must have undergone death as a part of the curse How then is it said He was heard in what he feared He was heard so as that he was supported when he dyed and he was heard in being raised from the dead the third day so that he was heard in what he feared in his supportation under his sufferings and in his Resurrection but dye he must death was part of the curse yea the completion of the curse therefore Christ our Surety cannot escape death Christus sponsor noster communi maledictione nobis debitâ feriendus erat Christ says one being our Surety was to be struck with that common curse that was due to us death was due to us the great thing threatned upon sin therefore Christ being our Surety must of necessity undergo it Hence is that of Austin Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Why
is it said Every one That so Christ himself saith he might not be excluded Christ who was blessed in his own Righteousness was yet accursed for our sins The curse prevailed so far as to take away Christs life to separate his soul from his body It is true the curse could not prevail so far as to separate either from his person to separate his soul or his body from his person the Person of the Son of God the second Person in Trinity remained united to the soul and body of Christ even when his body and soul were separated each from other and it is our greatest happiness that it was so viz. that the curse could not reach the Person of Christ if I may so express it that is reach his Person so as to dissolve the Union of the two Natures for if the curse could have reached the Person of Christ in the sense I am now speaking of that is if the curse could have extended it self to the Person of Christ so as to dissolve the Union of the two Natures this would have made the death of Christ ineffectual if death could have dissolved the personal Vnion Christs death would have been no more than the death of a meer man of a just man and so his death could not have been meritorious and have satisfied for the sins of the world But though the curse could not take hold of Christs Person so as to dissolve the union between his Person and our nature yet the curse took hold of our nature united to Christs Person The curse did prevail so far as to separate his humane soul from his body To understand this a little more clearly let us consider the Divine nature in Christ was above the Law and above the curse the curse could not reach his Divine nature it could not possibly hurt that but now Christ having assumed our nature and voluntarily made himself subject to the Law and to the curse in our nature the Law hath to do with our nature in Christ We being under sin and under the curse the curse had dominion over us therefore the Apostle tells us That sin reigned unto death Rom. 5.21 Now Christ being our Surety and the Law finding our nature in Christ and that Christ had transferred the guilt of our sins upon himself the Law armed with the curse deals with Christ as a sinner and it proceeds so far as to make the utmost breach upon our nature that it can it rends his holy soul from his pure body And thus for a time the curse seems to triumph over our nature as it stood in Christ Hence is that of the Apostle Rom. 6.9 Christ being dead dyeth no more death hath no more dominion over him This plainly intimates that death and the curse had dominion over Christ for a time and the curse proceeded so far as to the extinction of his natural life his soul was separated from his body though the union between the two natures was not dissolved I come to the third and last Particular and that is this How it was possible for this to be Christ was most blessed in himself how then was it possible for him thus to be made a curse The curse implies anger wrath displeasure in him that pronounceth and inflicts it as hath been shewn how then was it possible for Christ to suffer the wrath of God that was always beloved of God To this several things are to be answered 1. Consider Christ in himself and so he was always beloved of God Mat. 3.17 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Isa 42.1 Behold mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth And Christ as he was man had more titles than one to his Fathers love 1. Christ had a title to his Fathers love as his Humanity is taken into so near a relation to the natural Son of God The humane nature in Christ is made one in person with the natural Son of God so that there is not another subsistence of the second Person in Trinity and the humane nature but there is one subsistence to the second Person in Trinity and to the humane nature therefore the humane nature being taken in as it were to have its subsistence in the person of the natural Son of God being taken into the unity of the same person must needs be beloved of the Father upon that account above all creatures 2. Christ is beloved of the Father as he is a just and an innocent person and he must needs be beloved of the Father upon that account Isa 46.8 The Lord loveth the righteous Christ being a just and a righteous pâ—â—son the Father could not but love him as considered in himself 3. The Father loved Christ upon the account of his obedience Joh. 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life for my sheep and in the next verse This commandment have I received of my Father Christ obeying his Father in laying down his life for his sheep is one title he hath to his Fathers love therefore consider Christ in himself so he was always beloved of the Father 2. Christ suffered the wrath of God as he was our Surety and as he stood in our stead 1 Pet. 4.1 Christ hath suffered for us 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ hath once suffered for sin the just for the unjust This is a clear Text Christ was a just person in himself and as he was a just person so he was always beloved of God and could not but be beloved of him But now as he that was a just person in himself gave himself to suffer for the unjust so it was that he bare the wrath of God The wrath of God was due to the unjust Tribulation and anguish indignation and wrath upon every soul of man that doth evil Rom 2. Therefore if the just will suffer for the unjust in their room and stead he must then suffer what they must have suffered It is a true speech of Austin Mors Christi fuit conditionis non criminis Aug. The death which Christ underwent was not in respect of any crime or offence that he himself had committed but it was in respect of the condition that he brought himself into that is Christ suffered the wrath of God not for any crime or offence of his own but in the condition of a Mediator because of our sins Hence is it said That he was delivered up for our offences Rom. 6. ult So in that of the Prophet Isa 53.5 He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him Christ took upon him the discharge and payment of our debt therefore though he was always beloved of God in himself yet as personating and representing us who were sinners so it was that he sustained the wrath of God All we like sheep have gone astray saith the Prophet and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all Isa 53.6 We
had any influence as to the satisfying of Gods Justice Now the whole Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction that hath been opened doth oppugn this assertion of theirs for it hath been proved at large that Christ hath suffered the substance of what we ought to have suffered and that what Christ did suffer was with this intention 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnus exolvit quod ab omnibus debebatur Ambros to make satisfaction for us Mat. 20.28 The Son of man came not to be ministred unto but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many It is a speech of one of the Ancients One hath paid that which was due from all If the death of Christ were only a kind of Martyrdom and to confirm the truth which he had taught and were only for an example and for no other ends but these then the death of Christ would be very little different from the deaths of other of the Saints for other of the Saints have laid down their lives to confirm the truths they have professed and the sufferings of other of the Saints are given to us for an example We have an express Scripture for this Jam. 5.10 Take my brethren the Prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering affliction and of patience Here we see the Prophets sufferings are given for an example to us but certainly the sufferings of Christ are far of another nature than the sufferings of the Prophets or of any of the Saints whatsoever It is an excellent speech of one of the Ancients Although saith he the death of many of the Saints hath been precious in the sight of God yet notwithstanding the death of no innocent person besides Christ himself was the propitiation for the world It is the expression which the Apostle John useth 1 Joh. 2.2 where he tells us That Christ is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world Though the deaths of the Martyrs were precious yet none of their deaths was the propitiation for the sins of the world and then our Author goes on Acceperunt justi non dederunt coronas exempla nata sunt patientiae non dona justitiae Those just persons who have been martyred for the truth have received not given Crowns and from the courage and fortitude of the Martyrs in their sufferings we have examples of patience afforded to us not any gifts of merit Theirs were but single deaths that were undergone by them neither doth one pay anothers debt there was only one Lord Jesus Christ found among the sons of men in whom all were crucified all have dyed all have risen again They who deny and take away the Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction endeavour to take from us a principal part of the Gospel and to remove from us the principal pillar of all our comfort and support for one of the great Truths which the Gospel reveals is the Righteousness of Christ for the justification of a sinner So the Apostle tells us Rom. 1.16 17. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith The Apostle here gives us an account of the Gospel what it is that the Gospel reveals it reveals to us the Righteousness of God the great and fundamental Truth revealed in the Gospel is that righteousness whereby men may be justified in the sight of God What this righteousness is the Apostle doth more fully make known to us in another place of this Epistle Rom. 3.25 26. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God to declare I say at this time his righteousness So that the righteousness which the Gospel reveals is That God is willing to pardon sinners and to accept them as righteous upon the account of the death and sufferings of his Son and upon the account of the satisfaction which he hath made So that they who go about to subvert the Satisfaction and Righteousness of Christ do in effect undermine the whole Gospel and do as much as lyes in them disannul it For if the scope of the Gospel be to reveal the Righteousness of Christ which is the result of his death and sufferings the result of his obedience active and passive then they that would take away this would take away a main part of the Gospel from us So likewise as the denying of Christs Satisfaction is the overthrow of a principal part of the Gospel so it is that which takes away the main pillar of our comfort For if Christ hath not satisfied for us we are still liable to satisfie the Justice of God in our own persons for God is a just and righteous God He hath said That he will by no means clear the guilty and the sentence of the Law remains firm upon us That the soul that sins shall dye and Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them Therefore unless Christ hath made satisfaction for us all these things must of necessity stand firm against us unless there be a ransom found for us we are still liable to answer to Divine Justice It is a great Scripture to confirm this Job 33.23 24. If there be a messenger with him an interpreter one of a thousand to shew unto man his uprightness then is he gracious to him and saith Deliver him I have found a ransom for him To shew unto man his uprightness The uprightness here spoken of is conceived by Learned men not the uprightness of man himself but the uprightness of God To shew unto man his uprightness that is the uprightness of God What is this uprightness of God It is Gods uprightness in dealing with man according to the tenour of Gospel-grace Compare this with Rom. 3.22 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ Here we have a description of the tenour of Gospel grace the grace of the Gospel consists in this That we are justified freely by Gods grace through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ Now this is the uprightness of God Gods dealing with men according to the tenour of his grace promulgated in the Gospel God having discovered this to be his mind that he will pardon mens sins upon the account of the death and sufferings of his Son when this uprightness of God is thus discovered to men and they by faith lay hold of the grace of God thus promulgated and made known to them then God hath found a ransom Now when God hath found a ransom for men then he saith Deliver them then is he gracious and saith Deliver him from going down into the pit for I have found a ransom for him Had there not been a ransom found for us there had been no deliverance from the pit of destruction here
of Christs Satisfaction this will be of marvellous use to us when we are under troubles and conflicts of conscience for sin Though our sins are great exceeding great considered in themselves yet being compared with the infiniteness of Christs Satisfaction they are swallowed up in the vastness and insiniteness of the merit of the sufferings of that person who was God as well as man 5. The excellency of Christs Satisfaction appears in this In that the Sacrifice of Christ is an eternal Sacrifice that is the virtue and efficacy of Christs Sacrifice and Satisfaction is eternal Christs Sacrifice is but one and that once offered and yet the virtue of it is eternal The repetition of the Sacrifices under the Law did shew the imperfection of those Sacrifices for if one Sacrifice had been sufficient what need of such a multitude of Sacrifices and those so frequently repeated Now the Sacrifice of Christ is but one and it was not necessary that it should be repeated for though it was but once offered yet the virtue of it is eternal It is a great expression of the Apostle speaking of this Sacrifice Heb. 9.14 Christ by the eternal Spirit offered himself up without spot to God Christ offered himself up to God by the eternal Spirit that is he offered himself up to God in the virtue of his eternal Deity the Son of God who offered himself up as a Sacrifice to God in our nature being an eternal person hath put eternal virtue and efficacy into that Sacrifice of his Such was the dignity of Christs person that he being the eternal Son of God the virtue and efficacy of his Sacrifice which was once offered and that now in the end of the world doth yet extend it self to all ages of the world those that are past as well as those that are to come For Jesus Christ is the same yesterday to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 The Sacrifice of Christ is eternal for as much as the virtue and efficacy of it is eternal and extends it self to all ages Hence also is Christ called the new and living way Heb. 10.20 That expression which we translate new 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies that which was newly killed or newly slain the virtue of Christs blood is such in Gods account as if Christ were just now crucified his blood is always fresh the vigour and efficacy of it remains as if it were but newly shed What a mighty incouragement may this be to us to come and make use of the sufferings and satisfaction of Christ since the sufferings and satisfaction of Christ are as fresh in Gods account as if Christ had just now undergone them as if he were but newly come down from the Cross and God is as much pleased and satisfied in them as if Christ had but newly undergone them There is one Use more to be made of the Doctrine Vse 5 Let us learn from the Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction why the contempt of the Gospel is so great a sin and why it is that God punisheth the contempt of the Gospel so severely the reason why the contempt of the Gospel is so great a sin is because it is a contempt of the sufferings of Christ and the reason why God punisheth the contempt of the Gospel so severely is because it is a contempt of the great Sacrifice that was offered for sin There hath been a great impression on the hearts of men in all Ages That God was to be pacified by sacrifice hence it is that all Nations have offered sacrifices and hereby the common sense of mankind hath been exprest that God was to be pacified by some sacrifice Now when the true the great the only sacrifice hath been offered up which is the death of Christ and the virtue of this sacrifice which was to pacifie and atone God published and declared in the Gospel and men do yet contemn this sacrifice and him that hath offered it certainly this must needs make the sin of the world exceeding great and the reason is because that this is a plain evidence that men do not value reconciliation with God When God hath provided a sacrifice by which he will be atoned and reconciled to men and they despise this sacrifice and undervalue this way of reconciliation 't is a plain sign and evidence that men do not care for reconciliation with God it is all one to them if they continue in open hostility against him The slighting of Christ and neglect of grace offered by the Redeemer is a plain contempt of the Divine Majesty it is a clear sign that men do not regard Gods anger neither are they afraid of his wrath For if men were afraid of Gods anger and terrified at the apprehensions of his wrath they would seek after reconciliation with God Now nothing doth aggravate sin more than when there is a plain and manifest contempt of God and this there is in the refusing of reconciliation with him God offers reconciliation to men by a Redeemer they neglect it they reject it this is a manifest contempt of God and hence it is that God punisheth the contempt of the Gospel so severely I shall illustrate this by several Scriptures Mat. 22.1 c. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain King which made a marriage for his son and he sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding and they would not come Again he sent forth other servants saying Tell them which are bidden Behold I have prepared my dinner my oxen and my fatlings are killed and all things are ready come unto the marriage But they made light of it and went their ways one to his farm another to his merchandise and the remnant took his servants and intreated them spightfully and slew them But when the King heard thereof he was wroth and he sent forth his armies and destroyed those murtherers and burnt up their city A certain King made a marriage for his son God hath married his Son to our nature God hath sent his Son into our nature and the Son of God hath married our nature to himself by joyning it to himself in the bond of personal union Upon this marriage the joyning of our nature to the Son of God God makes a Feast a Marriage-feast and in that Feast he prepares all good things for the sons of men he offers righteousness life salvation and all good things whatsoever in his Son and God by his Ambassadours the Gospel-Ministers invites them to partake of these good things He sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding When God had prepared this Feast of all good things in his Son opened the Treasures of his Grace in Christ when he had set open the Treasure of Christs Righteousness for mens Justification and the alsufficiency of his Grace for Sanctification then he sends his Ambassadours and Ministers to invite men to come and partake of all this grace But
nature to lay down his life and dye for our sins Certainly he that believes this will find no reason to doubt of the love of God If God sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins if he had no other end in sending of him and if the Son of God did freely lay down his life for us then there is no reason that we should retain suspicious and jealous thoughts of the Father or the Son We know and believe the love that God hath to us How so Because God hath sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins If we can realize the sufferings of Christ to our minds by the eye of faith this will confirm our souls in the love of God towards us 2. Another effect of our studying the love of Christ in his sufferings for us is This will be a means to beget much love in us to Christ What more powerful argument to inflame our love to Christ than to consider what Christ hath done and suffered for us Can we behold the Son of God the second Person in Trinity God equal with the Father Emmanuel God with us God come down into our nature can we behold this great and excellent Person giving himself to suffer and dye for us taking the whole curse and punishment upon himself that we deserve and not love this person who hath so loved us and hath done and suffered such things for us The Apostle tells us 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constrains us The love of Christ that is Christs love to us the apprehension of Christs love to us constrains us why so Because saith the Apostle we thus judge That if one dyed for all then were all dead If Christ had not dyed we must all have dyed If Christ had not suffered the wrath of God we must have suffered it to Eternity If Christ had not been deserted we must have been deserted If he had not undergone dereliction and the hiding of Gods face the face of God must have been turned away from us for ever If Christ had not conflicted with the Divine displeasure we must have conflicted with the wrath of God for ever If Christ had not been cast into that Agony wherein he sweat drops of blood we must have been cast into those inexpressible horrours and torments of soul and body which would have pressed us down to all Eternity The deep and serious consideration of these things cannot but constrain us to love Christ The love of Christ constrains us saith the Apostle because we thus judge That if one dyed for all then were all dead The consideration of this That Christ hath freed us from that by his death which otherwise we must necessarily have undergone must needs be a strong ingagement upon us to love Christ We love him because he first loved us Learn how great the sin and ingratitude of the world is in slighting and abusing all this love Vse 2 and also how just that revenge is which God takes upon the world for slighting and abusing all this love If the love of Christ be so eminently seen in his suffering and dying for sinful men for the sinful world then how great is the sin and ingratitude of the world in slighting and abusing all this love God hath sent his Son from Heaven to save the world he hath sent his Son from Heaven to dye for the world but all this love is little thought of little regarded or esteemed by the generality of men this is the cause of the Lords great indignation against the world The world is guilty of many other sins it is guilty of great immoralities and many abominations in point of practice and these may have their influence and no doubt have as to the bringing down Gods displeasure upon the sinful world but that which is the fundamental sin the root sin of all it is the contempt of Christ and the Gospel the slighting and rejecting Gospel-love Gospel-grace This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light And we may say This is the condemnation that love is come into the world that the Son of God who is love it self the Son of God who hath all the love of the Father in him and God is love that he is come into the nature of man and hath dyed for men that they might be saved and this is not at all regarded by them When all this love of his hath been published and made known to men the generality of men have taken no notice of Christ and his love so they may have their honours pleasures and profits take Christ and his grace who will for them for this so great contempt of Christ and his grace when God hath offered his love and the grace of his Gospel to the world and men have slighted it taken no notice of it hath God come to revenge himself upon the ingrateful world and I speak it with a bleeding heart I fear will yet revenge it more sorely The end of the sixteenth Sermon SERMON XVII Job 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends I Come now to other Particulars that set forth the greatness of Christs suffering for us 5. The greatness of Christs love in laying down his life for us appears in this That there was no one else that could have satisfied for us If men or Angels had attempted this work their sufferings had been but the sufferings of finite creatures there would not have been infinite worth and value in them to have satisfied for the sins of the whole world The expiation of sin requires a price of infinite value and the reason is because every sin is committed against an infinite Majesty an infinite Majesty being offended there must be a price of infinite value to expiate the offence Now whoever had been but a meer man could not have offered a price of infinite value but Christs sufferings were of infinite value because he was God as well as man and this is that which enhanceth the price of Christs love that none else could have suffered for us but Christ so as to have satisfied Gods Justice this Christ himself sets before us Isa 63.3 I have trod the wine-press alone and of the people there was none with me So vers 5. I looked and there was none to help and I wondered there was none to uphold therefore mine own arm brought salvation This commends the greatness of Christs love in his sufferings That when none was able to suffer for us so as to satisfie Gods Justice Christ undertook the work The sixth Consideration is The greatness of Christs love in his sufferings appears in this That so great and excellent a person should come to suffer for us 1 Joh. 3.16 Hereby perceive we the love of God that he laid down his life for us that is that he who was the Son of God and God that
seek after reconciliation with God and to labour that we may be made friends with God Christ laid down his life for us not because we were made friends before but to make us friends Since therefore the end of Christs death was to reconcile us to God we should seek after reconciliation with him This is the Apostles Argument 2 Cor. 5.19 20. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God It is as much as if the Apostle had said God is willing to be reconciled to us and he hath testified his willingness in giving his Son to dye for our sins and making satisfaction to his Justice Now since God hath expressed himself to be so willing to be reconciled to us we ought to be willing to be reconciled to him We pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God Here it may be inquired But what is it for us to be reconciled to God When the Apostle prays us here with so much earnestness in Christs stead to be reconciled to God what is the reconciliation he aimeth at how ought we to be reconciled to God Two or three things I conceive are here intended 1. We ought to seek after reconciliation with God Isa 55.6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found that is seek his face and favour seek reconciliation with him Secure sinners are not aware of the difference that is between God and them although the sinner thinks little of it sin makes a vast breach an hostile difference between God and him God is angry with the wicked every day saith the Psalmist Psal 7.11 And The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Rom. 1.18 God doth maintain his controversie against thee whilst thou goest on in the ways of sin therefore seek reconciliation with him Agree with thy adversary quickly whilst he is in the way Mat. 5.25 Labour to take up all differences between God and thee 2. To be reconciled to God is to accept of the reconciliation which God tenders humbly to embrace that grace which God offers God is in Christ reconciling the world and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation As much as if he should say God hath put himself into Christ on purpose to exhibit and give forth grace and mercy to sinners and he sends his Ministers and Ambassadors on purpose to make a tender of grace and mercy to him Now then are we reconciled to God when we do humbly embrace this grace and mercy offered to us Rom. 10.10 With the heart man believeth unto righteousness We ought with the full bent of our affections to embrace the grace of God offered to us in the Gospel 3. If we would be reconciled to God we ought to pray for renewing grace that we may lay aside the old enmity that lurks in our hearts against God It is sin that first of all made the quarrel and difference between God and us and how can we expect in reason that ever we should be brought into perfect reconciliation with God so long as that which first bred the quarrel and made the difference between God and us is retained and kept by us Isa 59.2 Your iniquities saith the Prophet have separated between you and your God Sin is that which sets us at a distance from God If therefore we would have the breach made up and the difference reconciled we must pray for that grace from God whereby we may lay aside that which first made the quarrel The Apostle tells us we are enemies in our minds by evil works Col. 1.21 So long as our minds are set upon sin so long as we continue in the love and practice of any thing that God hates Amicorum est idem velle nolle how is it possible we should be friends with God It is the property of friends to will the same thing and nill the same thing If we would be the friends of God we must will what God wills hate what God hates and love what God loves You that love the Lord hate evil Psal 97.10 This therefore is the second Use an Use of Exhortation to exhort us to seek after reconciliation with God In the third and last place Vse 3 Learn from what hath been opened to admire the greatness of Christs love to us who in some sense accounts us friends whereas indeed we are enemies Greater love than this hath no man that a man lay down his life for his friends We are all by nature enemies so we have heard and yet in some sense Christ accounts us friends Christ had a purpose of good will to us even when we were enemies towards him It was from his love that God sent his Son to dye for us when we were enemies Herein God commended his love towards us in that whilst we were yet enemies Christ dyed for us Rom. 5.8 So that God had a purpose of good will in his heart towards us when we were full of enmity in our hearts towards him Only that none may abuse this Doctrine take this caution No man can conclude that God hath a purpose of good will to him that remains an enemy to God and persists in his enmity but he hath reason on the contrary to think that he being an enemy to God by nature and continuing still to be so God remains so to him But however this was the love of God to the world in general that when the whole world were enemies and all were found in a state of enmity against God God loved the world so far as to find out and prepare a means of Salvation for the world God loved the world so far as that he gave his only begotten Son to deliver the world from its perishing condition and to bring it eternal life this was the love of God to us and this commends and sets forth the greatness of Gods love to us that when we were enemies to him he had a kindness for us and so great was his kindness to us that he sent his Son to bring us unto life Joh. 4.9 In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him The end of the second Sermon SERMON III. Joh. 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends THE general Proposition that I have laid down as the foundation of our Discourse from these words hath been this That our Lord Jesus Christ hath laid down his life for his people In speaking to this Doctrine I have propounded to speak to these four Heads 1. To open the import of this Phrase what it is to lay down a mans life
the second Person in Trinity was conjoyned with the flesh and it was his own flesh that he gave for the life of the world Hence is that speech of Athanasius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas That very flesh was not the flesh of any other person but it was the flesh of the Word himself And the same Athanasius hath another expression to the same purpose They do erre saith he who say that there was another Son which did suffer and another which did not suffer for there was not another besides the Son of God who underwent death and sufferings for us The Word the second Person in Trinity was conjoyned with the flesh Though the flesh only was capable of suffering yet the Word was in conjunction with the flesh therefore our Saviour saith It is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world Joh. 6. It was his own flesh and not the flesh of any other To illustrate and confirm this yet farther we ought to consider that in the sufferings of Christ there was the voluntary humiliation of that great Person who was God as well as man He who was in the form of God emptied himself taking on him the form of a servant and he humbled himself and became obedient to the death even the death of the Cross Phil. 2.6 7. Here are two Acts spoken of 1. His emptying himself 2. His humbling himself His emptying himself was discovered in his Incarnation and taking on the form of a servant His humbling himself was seen in his sufferings and in the work of his Satisfaction in being obedient to death even the death of the Cross Not but that his Incarnation was also a part of his humbling of himself but the Apostle speaks of these two distinctly He tells us That he who was in the form of God emptied himself taking on him the form of a servant and he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross Now both these Acts of his his humbling and his emptying himself they are the Acts of the Person they are the acts of that Person who was in the form of God It was he who being in the form of God who emptied himself by taking upon him the form of a servant and it was he that was in the form of God that humbled himself and became obedient to the death even the death of the Cross So that in the Satisfaction of Christ we ought to consider more than the bare oblation of the humane nature we ought to consider the conjunction of the Word the second Person in Trinity with the flesh and we ought to consider the voluntary humiliation of that glorious Person the Son of God who being in the form of God did not only stoop so low as to come into our nature but being in that nature humbled himself so far as to become a Sacrifice for us I say in the Sacrifice of Christ we ought to consider the will of the Person who being God as well as man there was the condescension of the Divine will as well as the concourse of his humane will The Son of God being in our nature voluntarily offers himself in that nature as a Sacrifice for our sins 4. The fourth Particular to be spoken to is this The form of Christs Satisfaction and that consists in this That Christ made a full compensation to the Justice of God for the sins of his people There are three things that concur to make up this 1. That Christ suffered the substance of what we ought to suffer Hence it is said That Christ suffered for us 1 Pet. 2.21 And The chastisement of our peace was upon him Isa 53. And By his stripes we are healed 1 Pet. 2.24 The stripes that should have been laid upon us were laid upon Christ so that Christ suffered the substance of what we ought to suffer The Law pronounced a Curse upon all the transgressors of it Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them Now Christ was made a curse for us Gal. 3.10 If Christ did not suffer the whole punishment due to us for our sins then that part of the punishment which he did not suffer remains still for us to be suffered for this is certain Not one iota or tittle of the Law shall pass away till all be fulfilled Mat. 5.18 The whole preceptive part of the Law must be fulfilled the minatory or threatning part of the Law must be fulfilled Therefore if there be any part of that punishment which the Law would inflict upon us not undergone it remains to be fulfilled by us But now Christ hath redeemed us from the whole Curse of the Law Gal. 3.10 Therefore Christ hath born the punishment that we ought to undergo but of this more hereafter 2. Christ hath suffered what Divine Justice could demand otherwise there was not a full compensation to Divine Justice But now this is the excellency of Christs Satisfaction that in the Satisfaction of Christ there is as much given as Divine Justice could demand Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood The scope of the Apostles argument tends to this That it is a righteous thing with God to forgive sins when he hath received satisfaction for them Now if the compensation had not been perfect that was given the Righteousness of God had not so much appeared in the forgiveness of sins but God having received a full compensation having received whatever Divine Justice could require at the hand of Christ now he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins It being therefore a part of Gods Justice to give remission of sins to as many as Christs Satisfaction is applied it is a certain sign Christ hath suffered as much as Divine Justice could demand or require 3. Lastly Christ having suffered the substance of what we were to suffer and Christ having suffered what Divine Justice could demand God is perfectly pleased and satisfied in what Christ hath suffered and hath nothing more to lay to the charge of his people Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed When the debt is fully paid the Creditor hath full satisfaction he desires no more Thus Christ having fully discharged our debt God expects no more from us to answer his Justice he is fully satisfied in what Christ hath done that is the fourth thing in the description 5. The fifth and last thing is this What the effects of Christs Satisfaction are and they are three 1. The averting and turning away of Gods wrath 2. The purchase of pardon of sin 3. The procuring of eternal life for us 1. One effect of Christs Satisfaction was the averting and turning away of Gods wrath God is highly offended and displeased with us as we are sinners Sin
a plain sign and token that he was looked upon and dealt with as a person accursed of God Maledicti symbolum crux Crux signum maledictae mortu The Cross was a Symbol of the Curse the Cross was a sign of an accursed death Now it is well observed by a Learned man The death of the Cross simply and in it self considered was no more accursed than any other kind of death but therefore was the death of the Cross an accursed death because the person that was to undergo it was an accursed person Transgressio pendentis maledictionem contrabit The transgression of him that was hanged upon the tree was that which did contract the curse If a person had committed a sin worthy of that death he was an accursed person If Christ had not taken upon him the guilt of our sins the death of the Cross could not have rendred him accursed Maledictum cones peccati The Curse is that which accompanies sin and follows upon it therefore it is an elegant passage of one of the Ancients Non ideo maledictus quia pendet sed ideo pendet quia maledictus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maledictio Dei upensus A person is not therefore accursed because he hangs upon the tree but he is therefore hanged upon the tree because he is accursed The Text from whence the Apostle takes this is Deut. 21.23 He that is hanged is cursed of God so we render it and so the Septuagint renders it Cursed of God Arius Montanus renders it A person that is hanged is the curse of God He is the curse of God that is the curse of God is upon such a person and because the curse of God is upon him therefore doth he suffer that punishment The Chaldee Paraphrase therefore renders it well For as much as he hath sinned against the Lord therefore he is hanged upon the tree Sin preceding brings the curse and the curse of God being upon such a person that kind of punishment was to be inflicted Our Saviour therefore being carried to the Cross and crucified saw plainly that the punishment of our sins was laid upon him our sins were imputed to him as our Surety and he being by this means led to the Cross saw plainly that he suffered the punishment that was due to us The Cross was a sign and Symbol of Christs being made a curse for us And Learned men have this apprehension that in this place in Deuteronomy the Lord did before-hand in his infinite Wisdom point out that kind of death hanging upon the tree as an accursed death because he intended that the death and sufferings of Christ should be signified thereby and that Christ dying in this manner his death should be the expiatory Sacrifice to expiate and take away the Curse that lay upon the whole world By way of admonition Vse 1 Let us be admonished to take heed of being offended at the Cross of Christ Flesh and blood carnal reason are apt to be offended at the Cross of Christ the wisdom of this world is apt to be offended at Christs sufferings carnal reason cannot bear that he that is the Saviour of the world should be exposed to so much shame and contempt Christ crucified saith the Apostle was to the Jews a stumbling-block and to the Greeks foolishness 1 Cor. 1. The Jews in derision call Christ He that was hanged up Talui suspensus But we may say with the Apostle God forbid that we should glory in any thing save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ He that is ashamed of the cross and sufferings of Christ let him be ashamed of his own Salvation Christ suffering what he did was the cause of our Salvation if ever we saved We may speak to such as are offended at Christs cross and at the shamefulness of his sufferings in the words of Tertullian Parce unicae spei totius orbis quodcunque Deo indignum est mihi expedits Tertul. Be contented to spare the only hope of the whole world thou that destroyest so necessary a pillar of faith whatsoever it is that may seem unworthy of God that was most necessary and expedient for man This is plain and evident if Christ had not been crucified and born the curse of the Law the curse of the Law had still lain upon us and remained to be born by us The Law saith expresly Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written therein to do them and as many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse Therefore if we are under the curse as certainly we are if Christ hath not born the curse for us we must have been still left to bear it Therefore we have reason to be so far from being offended at the sufferings of Christ and at the ignominiousness of his death that we have infinite reason to be so much the more thankful Quantò major est injuria tantò major debetur gratia by how much the greater injury and indignity Christ underwent for us by so much the more thanks we owe to him for suffering so much for us for what relief or comfort could we have had against the pains of Hell and that curse which we deserved if Christ had not suffered the pains of Hell and been made a curse for us Therefore take heed of being offended at the Cross of Christ Vse 2 This shews us how sad and deplorable our condition by nature is Hath Christ been made a curse for us then we by nature are all under the curse Christ that was most blessed in himself was made a curse for us Christ was not born for himself nor lived for himself nor suffered nor dyed for himself but all that Christ did and suffered was for us If therefore Christ was made a curse for us it is a certain sign we are all by nature under the curse and O what a sad and deplorable thing is it to be under the curse of God! The curse is the comprehension of all evil it is the Epitome of all misery the curse comprehends in it all the miseries in this life and eternal damnation in the next The Apostle opens the nature of the Curse to us at large when he saith Rom. 2.8 9. Indignatin and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil This is but a Paraphrase on the Curse and this is the curse that all of us by nature are subject to Indignation wrath tribulation anguish who can bear the thoughts of these things Who of us can think of remaining and abiding under the wrath of God at present and of suffering eternal damnation hereafter Of how much concernment then is it to every one to see that he come out from being under the curse For this is certain we are all by nature under the curse and what will it be to lye under the power of the curse and under the power of the
wrath of God for ever O it is of infinite concernment to us to make haste to him and to embrace him that was made a curse for us that we might be delivered from the curse Christ was made a curse for us that he might deliver them from the curse who flee for refuge to the hope set before them Nothing can pacifie the sin-revenging Justice of God but holding up Christ in the arms of our faith who was made a curse and upon whom the curse hath spent all its venom all its force and strength He that believes on the Son is not condemned Joh. 3.18 Oh let the Doctrine of the Curse which hath been opened make Christ more and more precious to us let us embrace him with both the arms of our faith If we can hide our selves in the Righteousness and Satisfaction of Christ the curse which we have deserved shall never overtake us The end of the ninth Sermon SERMON X. Joh. 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends I Come to a third Particular to shew you how it was that Christ was made a curse for us The third Particular is this In Christs being made a curse the wrath of God was consummated upon him Christ in being made a curse for us bare the whole punishment that was due to us It was not part of the punishment only but the whole punishment which was due to us that Christ underwent All the curses of the Law did as it were meet upon him and there was nothing wanting which the Law would inflict upon sinners as sinners but the curse brought upon Christ as our Surety The curse notes the utmost execution of evil upon the sinner It is in the nature of the curse to imprecate the greatest evil upon a person and to bring the utmost evil upon him that it can Therefore Christ being made a curse for us he bare all the punishment that the Law could inflict Maledictio Christi continet omnem poenam nostram Christs being made a curse says a Learned man contains in it all our punishment Whatever punishment was due to us was contained in this That Christ was made a curse And another Judicious Divine hath a passage to this purpose In Christs being made a curse the fulness of Gods wrath and the dregs of that horrible cup was wholly poured out upon that sacred head of his when together and at once Heaven and Earth and Hell seemed to conspire together to exact from our Surety that punishment that was due to our sins in that cursed kind of death which was a sign or Symbol of the Divine curse that lay upon him The whole punishment that was due to us for our sins was laid upon Christ in his being made a curse Hence is that expression Isa 53.6 10. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all or as it is in the Margent He hath made the iniquity of us all to meet upon him The sins of all the Elect did meet on Christ that is God did charge all the sins of the Elect upon Christ Christ was reckoned a sinner by imputation as it is in the last verse of that Chapter He was numbred with the transgressors and he bare the sins of â—â—ny He was numbred with the transgressors Christ though he was no sinner in himself yet he was reckoned a sinner 1 Cor. 6.20 He made him to be sin that knew no sin Now as all the sins of the Elect were charged upon Christ in a way of imputation so the punishment of their sins was laid upon him Hence is that expression The chastisement of our peace was upon him Isa 53.3 that is the whole punishment due to us was laid upon Christ and this is called the chastisement of our peace because Christs undergoing of this punishment was that which was necessary to make our peace the Justice of God required satisfaction and unless the punishment which the Law threatens were some way born and undergone God would not be at peace with us therefore saith the Prophet The chastisement of our peace was upon him that is the punishment that was due to us was inflicted and laid upon our Surety that so we that were at variance with God before might now be brought into peace with him Therefore it follows in the same place By his stripes we are healed the chastisement of our people was upon him and by his stripes we are healed Christ bearing that which we should have born he undergoing our punishment this is the means to make our peace with God Hence also is that expression of the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree Christ our Surety bare all our sins he hath born the guilt and punishment of all the sins of the Elect and that wholly and fully whatever the Law and Divine Justice would inflict upon us as sinners that Christ our Surety hath born for us Hence is it that our Saviour immediately before his death uttered these words It is finished Joh. 19.30 It is finished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acta transacta omnia Beza consummated or perfected all things were done and transacted by Christ that were necessary to be done by him Christ did not make an end of his sufferings until he had suffered all that he was to suffer It is finished that is as another expounds that expression Christ fulfilled all the Scripture-prophecies the subst ance of the Types were fulfilled in him and he fulfilled all that which God determined to be paid for the expiation of sin Christ finished the whole work of our Redemption he left nothing undone and unsuffered that was to be done and suffered in order to the accomplishment of our Salvation It is finished as much as if it had been said Nothing remains more to be suffered but the very act of dying and giving up his life which he was now just about to do all that the Law and Justice could inflict upon him was inflicted upon him and therefore he said It was finished Hence are those expressions we have in the Book of Daniel Dan. 9.24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sin and to make reconciliation for iniquity Consider those expressions to make an end of sin and to make reconciliation for iniquity That expression which we translate to make an end of sin it is in the Originai to seal up sin Christ hath sealed up sin in respect of the guilt of it as to condemnation Christ by his death hath so sealed up sin that sin hath no more power to condemn those who believe on him he hath perfectly taken away the condemning power of it Hence is it said That Christ hath rased out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing
till we are brought to eternal life therefore the Satisfaction of Christ is of constant Use to us The end of the twelfth Sermon SERMON XIII Joh. 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends THat which we were last upon was Why we ought to live by faith upon the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ Two Considerations have already been offered 1. Consid 1 Because the Satisfaction of Christ is the only means of our reconciliation with God 2. Consid 2 Christs Sufferings and Satisfaction are the food and nourishment of our souls the means to continue us in the favour of God as well as to bring us into it at first I shall only add a third and then proceed 3. Consid 3 God hath ordained and appointed the death of Christ as the means of reconciliation and offers it to us for that end That the death of Christ is the means of our reconciliation with God hath been shewn at large heretofore that it is so by Divine ordination and appointment and that God propounds and offers it to us to be received by faith on our part is that which I am now to speak of and for this we must have recourse unto that Text Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quem proposuit Deus Whom God hath set forth or propounded as a propitiation This expression Whom God hath set forth may have relation to two things 1. It may have relation to the Eternal Decree of God namely that God from Eternity hath decreed Christ to be our propitiation and decreed his death to be the means of our propitiation 1 Pet. 1.18 Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world Consider that expression Who verily was foreordained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ was foreordained before the foundation of the world to be a slain Lamb his death was decreed and foreordained to be the means and only means of our reconciliation with God 2. This expression Whom God hath set forth may have reference and respect to the revelation and tender that is made of Christ in the Gospel Whom God hath propounded or set forth that is God hath propounded Christ and his death in the Gospel as the means of reconciliation The Apostle speaking of the Gospel saith That therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 God hath revealed the righteousness of his Son in the Gospel as the great object of our faith Now Christs righteousness is nothing else but the result of his obedience active and passive as it is commonly called Christ giving that obedience to the Law which the Law requires Christ suffering and undergoing the punishment which the Law exacts from us for the breach of it this is the righteousness of Christ and this is that which the Gospel tenders to us as the object of our faith to be embraced and received by us Therein saith the Apostle is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as much as if he should say The Gospel reveals the righteousness of Christ to be embraced and entertained of us by faith on our part Now if God do propound the righteousness of Christ whereof the sufferings and satisfaction of Christ are a principal part as the great object of our faith it concerns us then to have a constant recourse to this and to make use of it and therefore that expression is very observable in the Text before mentioned The righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel from faith to faith Why from faith to faith The meaning I take to be that our faith ought to take a firm and fast hold of the righteousness of Christ and to take a deeper rooting in it from day to day We should not be content with some general apprehensions of this righteousness and that we have known a little of it but we should grow from faith to faith our faith should take deeper and firmer rooting in it continually I now come to the second thing propounded and that was to shew how we ought to make use of the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ so as to draw down the virtue and benefit of it unto our own souls I take this to be an inquiry of great moment because much of the life of faith consists in the right understanding and practice of it I shall therefore propound several things by way of direction to shew how we ought to make use of the satisfaction of Christ so as to draw down the benefit and virtue of it unto our own souls 1. If we would make use of the Satisfaction of Christ let us look upon our selves as guilty persons most worthy of Divine wrath and condemnation as considered in our selves Satisfaction supposeth guilt an innocent person need not to have any satisfaction made for him an innocent person hath done no wrong and therefore nothing need to be tendered for him by way of compensation If therefore we would have the benefit of Christs satisfaction we must first see that we are guilty and condemned persons in our selves This was shadowed forth in the Levitical Ordinances he that brought his offering to the Priest was to lay his hand on the head of the Sacrifice Levit. 1.4 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement This Rite of laying the hand on the head of the Sacrifice or Offering by him that brought it did carry in it a tacit or secret confession of the persons guiltiness he did hereby confess that he was worthy to be put to death for his sin He that brought the Sacrifice by laying his hand on the head of the Sacrifice did hereby profess that the beast suffered what he deserved That the beast being slain was an argument and token that he deserved to be so dealt with himself that he deserved to be destroyed for his sins therefore when we come to make use of the Satisfaction of Christ and his Sacrifice we ought to be sensible of our own guiltiness and worthiness of condemnation consider what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 11.31 If we judge our selves we shall not be judged of the Lord. If we would have benefit from Christs satisfaction we must first judge our selves worthy of condemnation Christs righteousness and satisfaction is sweet to none but a self-condemned person Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest saith our Saviour Mat. 11.28 We must be weary and heavy laden with the sense of our own guiltiness before we can prize the satisfaction of Christ We ought therefore when ever we come to make use of the satiffaction of Christ to see what
great thing for God to become man but it was a greater thing for that person who was God to put himself into the nature of man to dye for man Joh. 6.51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven and the bread which I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world Christ is said to come down from Heaven by his Incarnation when the Son of God took our nature into unity of person with himself this was his coming down from Heaven Now that the Word as he is called Joh. 1.1 In the beginning was the Word that the Word the second Person in Trinity should not only assume flesh but give that flesh for the life of the world this was the highest demonstration of love Hence is that expression of the Apostle 1 Joh. 3.16 Hereby preceive we the love of God that he lay down his life for us As if he should say This is the most illustrious and glorious manifestation of the love of God to us that that Person who was God laid down his life for us He that was God by nature took up the humanity in a voluntary way of condescension and having voluntarily taken up our nature voluntarily laid down the life of his humanity for us It was not possible for him to lay down the life of his Divinity but that Person who was God took up the humane nature and in that nature laid down the life of his humanity for us This is that which sets forth the greatness of Christs love that he should lay down his life for us What more contrary or unsuitable to the Nature of God than sin suffering and death and yet Christ who was God as well as man God and man in one person although he had no sin of his own no sin inherent in him yet was he content to be accounted a sinner He was numbered among the transgressors as the Prophet speaks Isa 53. yea He was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 Christ also who was above suffering and death exposed himself to suffering and death for us He tasted death for every man Heb. 2.9 Thus was the Son of God pleased out of the greatness of his love to us to put himself as it were out of Heaven into Hell and to descend from the height and top of happiness to the lowest degree of misery and abasement He humbled himself saith the Apostle and became obedient to the death even the death of the cross This Doctrine of the Cross is the greatest stumbling-block and offence to carnal reason to hear of a crucified God to hear that he that was to be the Saviour of the world should suffer and dye this is that which carnal reason cannot away with 1 Cor. 1.23 We preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling-block and to the Greeks foolishness A crucified Saviour was the great stumbling-block to the world and yet that which was accounted foolishness by the men of the world was the Wisdom of God to save the world by it This I say was the lowest degree of Christs humiliation or exinanition that the Lord of glory should expose himself to suffering and death for our sakes this is commonly expressed in that Article of our Faith That Christ descended into Hell When we say that Christ descended into Hell we are not to understand any local descension as if Christ did descend into the place of the Damned thus indeed Bellarmine and some others have understood that Article of a local descension but by Christs descending into Hell we are to understand the lowest degree of his humiliation his descending into a state of mortality and death first being content to put himself into a passible and mortal state who himself had been impassible and immortal and then actually undergoing suffering and death for us Eph. 4.9 That he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth What are those lower parts of the earth into which Christ descended Compare it with Acts 2.27 Thou shalt not leave my soul in hell that is thou shalt not leave it in the grave So that Christs descending into the lowest parts of the earth is his descending into the grave Christ indeed suffered the pains of Hell but we do not read he descended into Hell locally and Christ suffered the pains of Hell in this life as I had occasion to shew heretofore But his soul did not locally descend into Hell no his soul was taken into Paradise This day saith Christ to the repenting Thief shalt thou be with me in Paradise Thou shalt be with me that is as a Learned man understands it thy humane soul shall be with my humane soul in Paradise Christ as to the presence of his Divinity is every where therefore when he speaks of his being in Paradise this is most properly to be understood of his humane soul that his humane soul was to be in Paradise Christs descending into Hell therefore notes his descending into the state of the dead which was the completion of all his sufferings and the lowest state of his humiliation 2. The love of Christ in his sufferings and in the work of his Satisfaction appears in this That we were the offending persons and Christ a person most innocent It was we that had done the wrong and injury unto God and yet Christ who had not committed the least offence was content to suffer for us Isa 53.6 All we like sheep have gone astray and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all So in vers 9 10. He had done no violence neither was any deceit in his mouth yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him Hence also is that of the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ suffered for sin the just for the unjust Christ who was a just and an innocent person gave himself to suffer for us who were the unjust and nocent persons yea which is much more admirable Christ who was one of the persons offended unto whom the wrong and injury was done he comes to suffer and bear the punishment for them that had committed the offence The injured person is content to bear the punishment for them who had done him the wrong and injury Sin is an offence against all the Persons of the Trinity for as all the Persons of the Trinity have but one Essence one Majesty one and the same Will so sin strikes at all the Persons and is an offence against all because it is one and the same common Divinity that is offended in all and yet the Son of God who is one of the Persons of the Trinity and had received wrong and injury from men by reason of their sins was pleased to take upon him the nature of man and to bear the punishment which man had deserved for his offence against himself as well as against the other Persons Hence is it said
who was in the form of God and counted it no robbery to be equal with God Now this was the person that humbled himself as this person emptied himself in his Incarnation so the Apostle tells us He made himself of no reputation he took upon him the form of a servant so the very same person humbled himself in his sufferings he humbled himself and became obedient to the death Christs humiliation both in his Incarnation and in his sufferings redounds to the whole person of the Mediator who is God as well as man Zanchy observes from that He was in the form of God and took upon him the form of a servant That as Christ is Mediator according to both natures so the whole person by reason of his taking on him the form of a servant is become a servant Now as the whole person of the Mediator God manifested in the flesh is humbled in his Incarnation humbled in his assumption of our nature so the whole person of the Mediator is humbled in his sufferings in his being obedient to the death the death of the cross It is true this humiliation of the Son of God both in his Incarnation and in his sufferings properly agrees and belongs to the humane nature and the reason is because the Deity simply and in it self considered is not capable of humiliation or abasement but yet we must know by the communion of Idioms as they call it that being attributed to the whole person which is proper to either of the natures the whole person of the Mediator is said to be humbled both in his Incarnation and in his sufferings so that it was the person of the Son of God who humbled himself taking on him the form of a servant and it was the person of the Son of God who humbled himself being obedient to the death even the death of the cross Now it is a contemplation worthy of our most serious thoughts to consider how in the death and sufferings of Jesus Christ there was the humiliation of the whole person and this I shall endeavour to open in a few Particulars 1. This is evident That Christ as God willed his own sufferings as man If Christ had not willed his own sufferings no one could have brought sufferings upon him for no man takes away my life saith our Saviour Joh. 10.18 No man takes away my life that is no one hath power to take it away unless I first give it This therefore we may take for granted That Christ as God willed his own sufferings as man Now consider what a condescension was this that that person who was in the form of God and was equal with God and knew himself to be so should yet will the taking up of our nature and also will his own sufferings in that nature This was the greatest condescension that he that knew the dignity of his own person his equality with the Father should yet in a voluntary way will his own abasement that he who was equal with the Father in respect of his Divine nature should yet by taking on him the nature of man and office of Mediator make himself inferiour to the Father for as he was man and Mediator so the Father was greater than he Joh. 14.28 Compare these two Texts together Phil. 2. and that of Joh. 14. In Phil. 2. it is said He was in the form of God and counted it no robbery to be equal with God and in Joh. 14. it is said The Father is greater than I. How is this to be understood He that was equal with the Father in respect of his Divine nature the same person becoming man and Mediator so he made himself inferiour to the Father and so the Father was greater than he This was the condescension and love of this great person that he that was in an equality with the Father in respect of the Divine nature becoming man and Mediator makes himself inferiour to him this will appear yet farther in the next Particular 2. Christ by taking on him the office of Mediator became subject to the Father therefore doth the Apostle fay 1 Cor. 11.3 That the head of Christ is God Christ as he is made man hath God for his head is subject unto him is under God as his head Hence also is it said Phil. 2. That he became obedient to the death Christ taking on him the office of Mediator became obedient to his Father and he underwent suffering and death in a way of obedience to him Now this was the great condescension of this excellent person who when he knew himself to be in a state of equality with the Father would yet put himself into a state of subjection to him and in obedience to the Fathers will expose himself to suffering and death This is that which our Saviour himself intimates to us Joh. 14.30 31. Hereafter I will not talk much with you for the Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me But that the world may know that I love the Father and as the Father gave me commandment even so I do Satan or men had nothing to do with Christ they had no power over his life but Christ laid down his own life meerly in obedience to the Father and out of his love to us The Prince of this world comes and finds nothing in me Satan had no right or power to touch Christs life but Christ had the power to dispose of his own life as he pleased and having freely and of his own accord taken on him the office of Mediator he must be subject to the Father and dispose of his life as he pleased and his Father commanding him to dye he must give up his life in obedience to him Thus he that was the Author and Prince of life he that gives life to all others was content to give up his own life to be at the Fathers dispose and this speaks the humiliation of this great person that was in a state of equality with the Father that he would in a voluntary way of condescension make himself subject to him 3. To set forth the humiliation of the person how he humbled himself in the work of his Satisfaction let us consider that it is the person of the Divine Word or the second Person in Trinity subsisting in humane nature that tenders and offers the satisfaction by the operations of the humane nature To understand this we must consider that the operations and passions of the humane nature in Christ are not Non principium quod sed principium quo as the Schools call it the Principle that makes the satisfaction but they are the Principle by which satisfaction is made The Principle that as they call it which makes satisfaction is the person of the Word the second Person in Trinity which subsists in humane nature and the ground of it is founded upon this Logical Axiom That actions belong to persons Actiones sant suppose torum or actions
flow from persons It was therefore the person of the Word that made satisfaction for our sins Now that a person of that infinite worth and excellency as the Son of God the second Person in Trinity should come to subsist in our nature and being in our nature should be the person satisfying for our sins this was great condescension and abasement Thus the Son who was yet equal with the Father in respect of his Divine nature by his Incarnation and sufferings doth not only make himself inferiour to the Father but to himself also The Son though he was one of the persons offended yet he comes to make the satisfaction and considered as Mediator as God-man doth not only make satisfaction to the Father but to himself considered as God simply The fourth Consideration is this That whole Christ or the whole person of the Mediator was the price of our Redemption 1 Joh. 2.1 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins It is Christ then that is the propitiation for our sins Now Christ is the name of the person subsisting in both natures When we speak of Christ Christus est nomen personae in duabus subsistentis naturis we understand that person who subsists in both natures in the nature of God and in the nature of man Christ doth not signifie one of the natures simply but Christ is the name of the person subsisting in both natures Now this is he who is the propitiation for our sins that person who is God and man he is the propitiation for our sins Persona Christi sive Christus satisfecit pro peccatis tanquamquod It was the person of Christ or Christ that did satisfie for our sins as the Principle making satisfaction To understand this we must consider that which was before hinted That Christ is our Mediator according to both natures he is not our Mediator as to one of his natures only but according to both natures and as he is Mediator according to both natures so he gives himself for us according to both his natures For though it were the humane nature only that suffered yet it was the Divine nature that sanctified the sufferings of the humane nature and gave virtue to them therefore is it said Himself bare our sins in his own body on the tree and that by himself he hath purged our sins Heb. 1.3 It is not said By his humane nature meerly though it is true it was the humane nature only that was capable of suffering but it is not so expressed but by himself Christ himself is the Sacrifice for our sins Gal. 2. He loved me and gave himself for me and Christ was once offered up Heb. 9. And that expression of the Apostle Peter is very emphatical 2 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his body on the tree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ himself who was God-man made satisfaction for sins and laid down the price of our Redemption yea he himself was the price of our Redemption God hath redeemed the Church with his own blood To understand this two things are to be considered in the Satisfaction of Christ as Alvarez hath observed 1. One is that species or kind of humane actions by which Christ did satisfie and this proceeded from the humane nature as the formal principle of them Thus the Son of God obeyed suffered dyed in the humane nature 2. There is another thing to be considered in Christs Satisfaction and that is the infinite value and worth that was found in it Now the infinite value and worth that was in the Satisfaction of Christ proceeded from the person satisfying that is from the Divine Word or the person of the Son of God subsisting in the humane nature the actions and sufferings of the humane nature are the matter of his Satisfaction but that which gives the virtue and value to them is the Divinity Hence are those expressions of the Ancients If he had not been true God he had not brought a remedy for us Si non esset verus Deus non afferret remedium Quia ille qui moriebatur erat Deus Another observes That therefore did the death of Christ bring salvation to the world because the person who dyed was God And another hath a passage to this purpose Death saith he becoming as it were the death of God hath demolished death for the person that dyed was God and man both the sufferings of Christ being made the sufferings of that person who was God received their virtue from the Divinity As much as if he had said By virtue of the Divine person which suffered in the humane nature those sufferings received their virtue to save us and to make satisfaction for our sins This is another thing that discovers the humiliation of Christs person That he who was God and in his Divine nature simply considered was the person offended yet as God man was pleased to become a ransom for us 1 Tim. 2.6 He gave himself a ransom for all That person who gave himself a ransom for all is the Mediator and who is the Mediator but God-man 1 Joh. 1.7 The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin There is a great Emphasis upon those words Jesus Christ his Son It is the blood of that person who was no other than the Son of God and God which cleanseth us from all sin It is a memorable speech of Luther He gave saith he not silver not gold neither was it a meer man that he gave neither did he give all the Angels but it was himself that he gave as the price of our Redemption than which nothing was greater neither had he any thing greater to give Consider this price aright and we shall find it infinitely greater than the whole Creation 5. In the sufferings of Christ we may see the humiliation of his person from hence namely that in the death of Christ the glory of his Divinity seemed to be most obscured and darkened and suffered the greatest Eclipse What more unworthy of God than suffering and death What more absurd and incongruous in the eye of carnal reason than a crucified God Now herein did Christ commend the greatness of his love to us That he permitted the glory of his Divinity by means of his death and suffering to be eclipsed for our sakes That he who was the immortal God should expose himself to suffering and death for our sakes as if he had been no more than a passible and mortal man for though he were really and indeed the Son of God and God the Lord of Glory yet by reason of his death and sufferings he was by the generality of men thought to be but as an ordinary man This is that which the Apostle intimates 1 Cor. 2.8 Whom none of the Princes of this world knew for had they known it they would not
have crucified the Lord of glory The Apostle here speaks of Christ crucified as the Wisdom of God this the Princes of the world knew not The Rabbies among the Jews the Philosophers among the Heathen knew not this Wisdom of God they were not acquainted with it they little knew the Lord of Glory was in that body that was crucified pierced and that hung upon the Cross they were ignorant of the Divinity of Christs person the Son of God containing and keeping in the rays of his Divinity and permitting his flesh his humane nature to suffer they thought him to be but as another man Hence was it that the spectators mockt him with those words If thou be the Son of God come down from the cross they took it for granted that he that was the Son of God and God would not have suffered in that manner Now this was the great the wonderful and stupendious humiliation of this great Person that the Divinity in Christ hid it self and withdrew its lustre as it were in the time of Christs suffering that so the Humanity might suffer It is true there were some rays of his Divinity let forth in the time of his suffering that the veil of the Temple was rent from the top to the bottom that the rocks clave in sunder that the Sun was darkened and the graves were opened and the bodies of the dead Saints arose Such prodigious things as these were manifest tokens that the person that suffered was more than an ordinary person therefore the Centurion and those that were with him said Truly this was the Son of God But yet these things had not such an influence upon the generality of men but that the Cross of Christ was to the Jews a stumbling-block and to the Greeks foolishness the world hath not been able to bear the Doctrine of a crucified Saviour and as Luther hath observed There is no Doctrine of Faith that the world is so offended at as this That whereas the wisdom and love of God hath been laid out to the uttermost in this way namely to save men by the death of his Son this hath been the greatest offence to the world Such is the pride and ignorance of men that they cannot think of being saved by one that was crucified But what doth the Apostle say The foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men Christ crucified is the power of God and the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1.20 24. Whatever the world thinks of it this is the way of God and the wisdom of God to save men by the death of his own Son And herein did the greatness of Christs love to us appear That he who was so great a Person would suffer the glory of his Divinity to be obscured and darkened by his death and sufferings whenas he knew what he did and suffered for man would expose him to the disesteem of men and minister an occasion to them to think the more contemptuously of him than ever they would have done had he not stooped so low to do and suffer such things as he did for their sakes Behold Vse how great the price of our Redemption was the Word the second Person in Trinity was united to the flesh that suffered as we have heard God incarnate is the price of mans Redemption God hath redeemed the Church with his own blood Act. 20. This is notably set forth by the Apostle Peter We were redeemed not with corruptible things as gold and silver from our vain conversation but with the precious blood of Christ 1 Pet. 1.18 Precious blood indeed which was the blood of that person that was God as well as man It is well observed by Cyril It was not the blood of Peter or Paul or some other particular Saint that was but a meer man that we were redeemed by but it was by the blood of Christ God-man whose name is Emmanuel God with us Tanta medicina salus requiritur Divinitas incarnata sanguis ipse Filii Dei Luther This should teach us to have high thoughts of the work of our Redemption and of the price that was laid down for it O that the work of our Redemption should cost the death of so excellent a person as the Son of God! So great aremedy so great salvation says Luther was required that Divinity it self must be incarnate and the very blood of the Son of God must be shed for us O let us labour to get our hearts more deeply affected with these things The end of the eighteenth Sermon SERMON XIX Joh. 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends THE second Use is this Vse 2 Learn from what hath been opened how great a sin the contempt of Christs person and of his sufferings is If so excellent a person as the Son of God and God was the person that suffered for us and wrought out redemption for us how great a sin then must it be to contemn this person and his sufferings The Apostle joyns both these together Heb. 10.29 Of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant by which he was sanctified an unholy thing The Apostle here speaks 1. Of the contempt of Christs person Who hath trodden under foot the Son of God 2. Of the contempt of his sufferings And counted the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing So that to be guilty of the contempt of Christs person and of his sufferings must needs be the most hainous sin 1. As for the contempt of Christs person the Apostle calls it a treading under foot the Son of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Treading upon a thing is an argument of contempt and scorn we tread upon nothing but what is vile and of no esteem we tread upon a worm as upon a poor abject thing a thing of no account yea sometimes treading upon a thing is an argument of hatred thus we tread upon spiders and other venemous creatures Now that so excellent a person as the Son of God one and the same God with the Father that he should be contemned and looked upon as a vile person what an indignity is this which is offered to so excellent a person 2. The contempt of Christs sufferings is set forth in that other expression And hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he is sanctified an unholy thing We may render it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who hath counted the blood of the Covenant a common thing To count the blood of the Covenant the blood of Christ as common blood to count the sufferings of Christ but as the sufferings of a common ordinary man this is great contempt The blood of Christ is the blood of that person who is God as well as man and therefore to reckon his sufferings but as the sufferings
sufferings without this we have no life in us Let us therefore take heed how we have slight thoughts of the sufferings of Christ this is to slight them when we do not study the virtue of these sufferings when we do not see our need of them and do not apply our selves to them that we may be saved by them 4. Then are the sufferings of Christ contemned when we come unworthily to the Lords Table The Sacrament of the Supper it is the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ when therefore we rush upon the Sacrament in a rude manner we do in an eminent way contemn the sufferings of Christ The Supper of the Lord is called a shewing forth the Lords death 1 Cor. 11.26 As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the Lords death till he come This phrase of shewing forth the Lords death implies three things in it 1. It implies the inward assent of the mind that we do indeed with our hearts and minds believe that Christ did dye and suffer such things for us as we read of in the Gospel 2. This phrase of shewing forth the Lords death implies the profession and confession of our faith before the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we owne it and profess it before the world that we believe such and such things concerning Christ 3. It implies our faith in our our reliance upon the death and sufferings of Christ for salvation that is our expectation of salvation by the death of Christ and by that means only All this I take to be implied in this phrase of shewing forth the death of Christ the Sacrament therefore being a shewing forth of Christs death when we come to the Sacrament we have to do with the death and sufferings of Christ in a peculiar manner if therefore we rush upon that Ordinance in a rude or unworthy manner we must of necessity contemn the sufferings of Christ because the Sacrament is the special and peculiar Ordinance that is appointed to represent to us the death and sufferings of the Lord Jesus and that this is one way of contemning Christs sufferings the Apostle is exceeding clear and plain 1 Cor. 11.27 Whosoever shall eat and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. As much as if he should say Every unworthy Communicant every unworthy receiver at the Lords Table is guilty of no small sin he is guilty of the very body and blood of Christ that is he is as one that hath imbrued his hands in Christs blood he is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. The Ancients expound it to this sense Every unworthy receiver and Communicant that comes in a rude manner to the Lords Supper is like Judas that betrayed Christ like the Jews that buffeted and spit upon him like to Pilate that condemned him and like the Souldiers that crucified him these dealt unworthily with the body of Christ and so doth every unworthy Communicant deal unworthily with the body of Christ The others indeed abused and dealt unworthily with his natural body but every unworthy Communicant deals unworthily with his sacramental body and the sin of the one is so much the greater than the sin of the other because many of them that had a hand in the crucifixion of the body of our Saviour looked upon him as an ordinary man they did not look upon him as the Son of God Hence doth the Apostle say If they had known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 But now rude Christians who rush irreverently upon this Ordinance do profess they believe him to be the Son of God the Saviour of the world and yet offer indignity to him They therefore that come unworthily to the Lords Table do in an eminent manner contemn the sufferings of Christ But here it may be useful for us to inquire What is it to come unworthily Who are they that come unworthily Whosoever shall eat this bread 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily 1 Cor. 11.29 The Greek word as Peter Martyr observes Indecenter parùm congruè minùs apposité signifies in this place as much as indecently not congruously not in that fit manner as he ought to do he eats and drinks unworthily that comes in an indecent manner without due preparation to this Ordinance I shall more particularly shew what this unworthy receiving is in two or three things 1. Then do we come unworthily to the Sacrament when we have not a due reverence of those great and sublime Mysteries that are set before us in the Sacrament Whoever shall drink this cup of the Lord saith the Apostle this Cup of the Lord here is an accent that it is the Lords bread the Lords cup the bread that we partake of in the Sacrament is the Lords bread and the cup that we drink of in the Sacrament is the Lords cup. Some may say so is all our bread the bread that we live upon daily is the Lords bread and the cup we drink of daily is the Lords cup it is he that spreads our tables for us and causeth our cups to run over But we must consider that the bread here spoken of the sacramental Bread and the sacramental Cup are called the Lords bread and the Lords cup in a peculiar manner it is that bread that is instituted to signifie and represent the Lords body and it is that cup that is instituted to represent the Lords blood therefore when we look upon the sacramental bread as common ordinary bread when we drink of the sacramental wine as common ordinary wine this is a prophanation of this Ordinance We ought to be sensible of the Mystery that is in this Ordinance namely that the Lords body and his blood are represented to us by the outward signs The ancient Church were wont to call the Mysteries represented to us in the Sacrament tremendous Mysteries O here are tremendous Mysteries indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if we rightly consider what they are that are set before us in the Sacrament to see the incorporeal God assuming a humane body to see God personally inhabit in that flesh that suffered and offering that very body of his in which he was crucified dyed rose again and ascended into Heaven to be the food of our souls these are wonderful Mysteries indeed and yet these are the Mysteries that are represented to us in the Sacrament in the Sacrament we see the Son of God and God to have assumed a part of our flesh and then offering himself up in that flesh a Sacrifice for our sins and as we see the Son of God first giving himself for us upon the Cross so in the Sacrament we see him giving himself to us Here lyes the mystery of the Sacrament In the Sacrament we do not only see Christ giving himself for us but we also see