nefs for us, and we in like manner for him, if we beheld 7 this excellent Perfon expofed to Cruel Torments, to Dif grace and Death it felf for our fakes, how would we be concerned and moved, and now that the Son of God fhould exprefs his Love to us in Blood and Wounds, that he fhould ftrip himself of all his Glory, and be made a Spectacle and a Gazing Stock to Men and Angels by that Shameful, Cruel and Accurfed Death of the Crofs, and all this for the Love of us vile and wretched Sinners, how can we think upon it without an Extafie, and all the Rom. Expreffions of Love and Joy and Gratitude; For foarce5.7,8. ly for a Righteous Man will one die: yet per adventure for a good Man fome would even dare to die. But God come mendeth his Love towards us, in that while we were jet Sinners, Chrift died for us. The Mafter for the Servant, John the Phyfician for the Patient,the Judge for the Criminal, and the Shepherd for his Flock: As it is written, I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth his Life for the Sheep. Thus our bleffed Saviour fuffered for my Sins and for thy Sins, O Chriftian; our Hypocrifie was the Kifs that betrayed him; our Idolatry, Superftition and Lukewarmness in Religion the Knee that mocked him; our Pride and Covetoufnefs, the Thorns that wounded him; our obfcéne Speeches and Blafphemous Oaths, the Spear that goared him; our Intemperance,the Spittle that defiled him; our inordinate Paffions, the Vinegar thát diftafted him;and our wallowing in Uncleannefs made him to wallow in his Blood: So that our Sins were the Caufe (however the Jews and others were the Inftruments that crucified the Lord of Glory. 2 O how Careful then fhould we be to guard against Sin which coft the Son of God fo much Blood and Suffering, which was the moft proper and effectual Way by this Exemplary Punishment for our Sins, in the molt Excellent Perfon that ever lived, to demonftrate God's Infinite Difpleasure against Sin, to vindicate his Sacred Juftice and Honour from the Infolency of wicked Men, and to prevent the Violation of his Holy Laws any more, which is the proper End of Punishment, that all the People fhould hear and fear, and do no more Prefumptuoufly. Therefore faid he to the devote Women that followed him to his Crofs weeping and lamenting, Daughters of Jerufalem weep not for me, but weep for your Selves and for your Children, for if they do thefe Things in a green Tree, what shall be done in the dry? That is, if I fuffer fuch things for the Sins of others, what may impenitent Sinners expect to fuffer for their own Sins. If the Father hath fo afflicted his most innocent and obedient Son, what may the wicked and perverfe Servant expect. Therefore Chrift died for all, that 2 Cor. they which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, 5. 15. but unto him that died for them, and rofe again. In the laft Place, let us confider the Benefits of Chrift's Paffion, which are great and many Bleffings of this Life, and Bleffings of the next. For as the Greatness of Chrift's Sufferings, fo the Dignity of his Perfon (being the well-beloved and only begotten Son of God, the Prince of Glory, and Heir of all Things) did enhanfe their Value, and raife their Worth, to reconcile us to God, and to obtain eternal Redemption for us For if the Blood of Bulls and of Goats, and the Ashes of an Heifer fprinkling the unclean, fanctifieth to the purifying of the Flesh and outward Pollutions under the Ceremonial Law, how much more fhall the Blood of Chrift, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without Spot to God, purge your Confcience from dead Works, to ferve the living God. Here all our Debts are cancelled, and that Handwriting of Ordinances that was againft us is now blotted out and nailed to his Crofs.. Here Here is that Fountain ftreaming forth Blood and Water that was opened to the Houfe of David, and to all Believers, for Sin and Uncleannefs. Here is that Tree of Life, whofe Fruit is for Food, and the Leaves thereof for the healing of the Nations. Here is that brafen Serpent which Mofes lifted up in the Wilderness, whereon whofoever looketh with the Eye of Faith, fhall be cured of his Wounds wherewith he hath been flung by that fiery Serpent the Devil, as it is written, Look unto me and be ye faved, all the ends. Ifa. 45. of the Earth; for I am the Lord, even thy Lord, and befides me there is no Saviour. 22. Here is that Ladder whereon Jacob faw Angels afcending and defcending, uniting Heaven to Earth, and God to Man. ་ See, O my Soul, how he bows his Sacred Head to invite thee, and fpreads his Arms to embrace thee, and opens his Side to hide thee in his Heart from the Wrath to come: Crying as it were at his Death, as he did in his Life, and faying, Come unto me all ye that labour and Matth. are heavy laden, and I will give you Reft: Take my Toke 11. 28, upon you, and learn of me, for I am Meek and Lowly, and 29, 30. ye shall find Reft unto your Souls: For my Toke is eafie, and my Burden is light. Here likewife on the Crofs we have an excellent Copy to tranfcribe, when we behold thefe Vertues which fhined though Chrift's Sufferings, like fo many: fcattered Rays of Light under a Cloud: Such as profound Humility and Meeknefs, Patience and Refignation of Spirit, intire Obedience and univerfal Charity. Let Phil. 2. this Mind be in you, which was also in Chrift: Who being in the Form of God, thought it not Robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no Reputation, and took upon him the Form of a Servant, and was made in the Likeness of Men: And being found in Fashion as a Man, he bumbled 5, 6, 8. 7, humbled himself, and became obedient unto Death, even the Death of the Crofs. And again, Chrift alfo fuffered 1 Pet. for us, leaving us an Example that ye should follow his 2. 21, Steps: Who did no Sin, neither was Guile found in his 22. Mouth. And again, Hereby perceive we the Love of God, because he laid down his Life for us, and we ought to lay i John down our Lives for our Brethren, and to love one another, 3. 16. as Chrift loved us. In fine, our bleffed Saviour died and defcended into Hell and the State of the dead for our fakes, that he might fanctifie the Grave for our Reft, and fhut the Gates of the Bottomlefs Pit, and triumph over all the Powers of Darkness, that henceforth we fhould not be afraid to follow the Captain of our Salvation through all the Shades of Death and Darkness, whither he hath paffed before us, and will not leave us behind him: Therefore we may boldly fay with the Pfalmift, I will not fear though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death; for thou art with me, thy Rod and thy Staff they comfort me. Now, our blessed Saviour and Redeemer through Death hath taken away the Sting of Death, which is Sin, and hath deftroyed him that had the Power of Death, that is the Devil; and delivered them, who through Fear of Death, were all their Life fubject to Bondage as he faid to St. John, Fear not, I am the first and the last, Tam be that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore, Amen, and have the Keys of Hell and of Death. What remains then, but in all our Solitudes and Sufferings, to look up unto Jefus, the Author and Finifber of our Faith, who for the Joy that was set before; him, endured the Crofs, defpifing the Shame, and is fet down at the right Hand of the Throne of God. For confider him that endured fuch Contradictions of Sinners against himself, left ye be weary and faint in your Minds. This This Day when we remember our Lord's Sufferings, we should not think it ftrange concerning the fiery Trial which is to try us, as if fome ftrange Thing had happened unto us, which had not happened unto him; but we ought to rejoice, in as much as we are Partaker's 1 Pet. of Christ's Sufferings; that when his Glory shall be revealed, 4. 13. that we may be glad also with exceeding for... The Difciple is not above his Malter, nor the Servant above his Lord: Therefore faid he, If any will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross daily, and follow me. Are we deferted of our Friends? Destitute of all worldly Comforts, in Hunger and Thirft, reproached and perfecuted unto Death, fo was he; and the more we are like to him, who fuffered all Luke his Life, and went from his Crofs to his Crown: For 26. as 24. the Scriptures were fulfilled in his Sufferings, as it John is written, Ought not Chrift to have fuffered these things, 19. 28. and to have entred into his Glory. So they are fulfilled Acts likewife in our Sufferings, faying, Through many Tri19. 22. bulations we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. And 2 Tim. again, All that will live godly in Christ, shall fuffer 3. 12. Perfecution. This Day 1. Meditations in all Ages, they fpoke of his Paffion ofttimes in their own Perfons, and were touched with the feeling of his Sufferings, as if they had been crucified together: Yea this Day the very dumb Creature, without Life and Senfe, feemed to be afflicted in his Afflictions; the Sun was clothed with Darkness and Blackness, as it was, foretold by the Prophet Amos, Amos faying, It shall come to pass in that Day, faith the Lord, that I will caufe the Sun to go down at Noon, and I will darken the Earth in the clear Day. Behold how the Vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the Top to the Bottom, and the Earth did quake, and the Rocks rent, 8.9. |