is the power of God, and the wisdom of God," 1 Cor. i. 24. But that which shines forth no less in this suffering, is the unfathomable love of God and of his Son; that God surrendered his Son, yea, that the Son surrendered himself to such bitter sufferings for such vile sinners as ye are how ardent was the love that urged him to this! could his love have manifested itself to you in a stronger manner? Christians, stand still awhile here, and let your souls endeav our to contemplate this love, and be assured, that it will overwhelm you with wonder and joy : therefore the apostle said, Eph. iii. 18, 19, "That ye may be able to comprehend with all the saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled with all the fulness of God." 6. Look at these sufferings, that ye may imitate Christ in his holy suffering: "For hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suf fered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps," 1 Peter ii. 21. Jesus suffered in obedience to his Father, Philip. ii. 8. "Not my will, but thy will be done," was his language. He suffered with meekness; "When he was reviled, he reviled not again, and when he suffered, he threatened not," 1 Peter ii. 21. Yea, he prayed for his enemies, who crucified him, Luke xxiii. 34. He suffered also very patiently: "He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth," Isaiah liji. 7. He suffered also from special love to his peo ple, Eph. v. 2. Behold this love of Jesus ought also to manifest itself in your mortal bodies, in your whole conversation as well as in your suffering. Doth the Lord subject you to suffering, "keep silence, because he hath inflicted it upon you," Lam. iii. 28. Are ye injured, be not displeased, render not evil for evil, insist not upon your utmost right, but abate somewhat of it; consider what Jesus hath done for you,though ye had injured him to the utmost, he forgave you. See how Paul exhorts you, Coll. iii. 12, 13, “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, if any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you, so do ye also." Read also, Eph. iv. 31 32. v. 1, 2. Doth the hand of the Lord press you with any heavy cross, open not your mouth to reprove his way; all that God doth is glory and majesty Jesus suffered more grievously than ye do, and he endured it: ye must "suffer with him that ye may be glorified with him," Rom. vii. 17. Doth the Lord expose you to the danger of losing your honour, property, ease aud life for his name's sake; suffer it from love to him, and do not shrink from it, as he also suffered for you in the most grievous manner from love to you. So that great follower of Christ would conduct, Acts xxi. 13, "I am ready, not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." So also the other apostles conducted; yea, "they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name," Acts v. 41. 7. Look at this suffering for your support; for this suffering hath taken away the wrath of God, and the curse from your sufferings. Doth he smite, it is only love; "For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth," Heb. xii. 6. Yea, Jesus knoweth by experience what ye feel, yea, he suffers with you: For we have not an high priest, which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin," Heb. iv. 15. ii. 17, 18. Are ye grieved on account of your iniquities, on account of the severe judgment of God, and on account of the curse of the law; the Lord Jesus hath fully satisfied for all your iniquities, and therefore God will declare his righteousness in the remission of your sins," Rom. iii. 25, 26. 1 John i. 9. Jesus was condemned, though innocent, and was made a curse for you, that ye might be delivered from the severe judgments of God and from the curse: "There is therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus; "who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? it is God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died," Rom viii. 1, 33, 34. Did he pray to his Father to forgive them who crucified him the evil which they did to him, Luke xxiii. 84; will he not then pray for you, when "he is your advocate with the Father, and when he is a propitiation for your sins?" 1 John ii. 1, 2. Or are ye concerned about your bodily wants, not knowing what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, or wherewithal ye shall be clothed? do ye not know," that if God spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for you all, he will also freely give you all things with him?" Jesus, even while he suffered, provided for his mother, when he commended her to his beloved disciple, John xix 26, 27, will he not then, now he is in heaven, his full treasury, provide for you?" Cast then all your care upon him, for he careth for you," 1 Peter. v. 17. Ye are indeed as dear to him as his mother was, Matt. xii. 50. Do ye often consider how ye shall pass through this howling wilderness to him in heaven? he, who when he was under the penal curse, said to the converted thief, "To day shalt thou be with me in paradise,” Luke xxiii. 43, even "he is gone before you, to prepare a place for you," which when he hath done," he will take you to himself, that ye may be where he is," John xiv. 2, 3. Is it matter of sorrow to you, that God delivers you up to desertions, God doth not however do this in his anger, which Jesus suffered for you, when he complained," My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Matt. xxvii. 47. Neither will it be always thus with you, for a time is coming, when ye shall be for ever with the Lord: ye shall not then be obliged to complain, like Jesus on the cross, “I thirst," John xix. 28. For since Jesus hath thirsted for you, therefore "ye shall not thirst any more; for the Lamb, which is in the midst of the throne, shall feed you, and shall lead you to living fountains of water; and God shall wipe away all tears from your eyes," Rev. vii. 16, 17. Do ye think that all would be well with you, if ye were not so deficient in sanctification, and did not come short so much? yea, it would indeed be exceeeingly ill with you, if your sanctification should be your righteousness before God: but behold, Jesus hath fulfilled the righteousness of the law for you, and proclaimed before the whole world, "It is finished," John xix. 30. And he hath thus cancelled the bond, having nailed it to the cross," and hath obtained that "the righteousness of the law should be fulfilled in you, and that ye should be perfect in him," Rom. viii. 3, 4. Coll. ii. 10—15, and "he is also made sanctification to you," 1 Cor. i. 30. There remains nothing for you to do, but to forget that which is behind, and to reach forth to that which is before. pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, that, laying yourselves as it were upon his cross, ye may pour forth your souls with him in death, and commend them into the hands of his Father, as he also did, Luke xxiii, 46. And truly, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them." Amen. CHRIST'S DEATH, BURIAL AND DESCENT INTO HELL. XVI. LORD'S DAY. 1 Cor. xv. 3, 4. For I delivered unto you first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures, and that he was buried. Q. 40. Why was it necessary for Christ to humble himself even to death? A. Because with respect to the justice and truth of God, satisfac-7 tion for our sins could be made no otherwise than by the death of the Son of God. Q. 41. Why was he also buried? A. Thereby to prove that he was really dead. Q. 42. Since then Christ died for us, why must we also die? A. Our death is not a satisfaction for our sins, but only an abolishing of sin, and a passage into eternal life. .Q 43. What further benefit do we receive from the sacrifice and death of Christ on the cross? A. That by virtue thereof, our old man is crucified, dead and buried with him, that so the corrupt inclinations of the flesh may no more reign in us; but that we may offer ourselves to him a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Q. 44. Why is there added, "He descended into hell ?” A. That in my greatest temptations, I may be assured, and wholly comfort myself in this, that my Lord Jesus Christ by his inexpressible anguish, pains, terrours, and hellish agonies, in which he was plunged during all his sufferings, but especially on the cross, hath delivered me from the anguish and torments of hell. It is T is related of Samson, that "the dead which he slew at his death, were more than they which he slew in his life," Judges xvi. 30. It was wonderful, that after the death of Elisha, when a dead man was cast into his grave, he was restored to life upon touching the bones of the prophet, 2 Kings xiii. 20, 21, but it was still more wonderful, not only that one man destroyed so many men in his life, but also that he slew still more in his death, when he lost his own life. We do not read, that, besides those whom he smote hip and thigh, he slew more than a thousand and thirty men in his life; but when he was brought by the Philistines into their idol temple, which was full of men and women, and of the lords of the Philistines, and upon the roof of which there were also three thousand men and women, he bowed the two pillars, upon which the house stood, and it fell upon himself, and upon all the people; and so the dead whom he slew at his death, were more than they whom he slew in his life. Truly this is a beautiful emblem, if not a type of the Lord Jesus, whose conception, and birth were announced by an angel, as well as Samson's; Jesus was an Israelite, as well as Samson: Jesus was also like Samson a Judge in Israel: was Samson strong, our Jesus is not less so, for he is the mighty God; did Samson surrender himself willingly to death, Jesus did so likewise, John x. 18. Were the dead whom Samson slew at his death, more than they whom he slew in his life, Jesus also slew more by his death, than in his life. It is true, he never, on account of his meekness, destroyed any man with a bodily death, though he once smote to the ground with a word those wicked men, who came to take him; but, which required more strength, he slew many spiritually "by the breath of his lips," Isaiah xi. 4, when he convinced them of their wickedness, and con demned them to death, so that they could not alledge, in vindication of themselves more than the dead, and many died to themselves by conversion; although he slew so many in his life, he slew still more at his death; for by his death he slew the law, and caused all the elect to die to themselves and to the law, Rom. vi. 6, 5. "He abol:shed death itself," 2 Tim. i. 10. Yea, "by his death he destroyed |