Twenty-Three Sermons, Lecture 16
THE SIXTEENTH LECTVRE VPONUPON THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORDS SVPPER.
WE are now to proceed through Gods aſſiſtance, (becauſe the next Sabbath is a Communion Sabbath) in that very buſineſs that we have in hand. 1. Cor. 11.26. For as often as you ſhall eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye ſhew forth the Lords death till he come. You heard even now the diviſion of this Scripture into two parts: the former part ſhewes an action to bee performed, the receiving of the Lords Supper: the latter part preſcribes a caution that this action is to be performed withall, You ſhew forth the Lords death: As oft as you eate this bread, and drink this cup, ye ſhew forth the Lords death till he come. We have finiſhed the former part, that which is contained in the former words of the verſe, namely, the action here to be performed. We are now to proceed to handle the latter part, namely, the caution or the condition that this action is to be performed withall, Ye ſhew the Lords death, &c. Wherein firſt we are to conſider the caution or the condition it ſelfe, that is, the ſhewing forth of the Lords death. Secondly, we are to conſider the frequenting, or the often obſerving of this caution. For though it be not ſaid here, you often ſhew forth the Lord death, yet that is neceſſarily implyed: for the word (often) uſed in the beginning of the verſe, is common to the latter part of the verſe as well as to the former: as if the Apoſtle ſhould ſay, As oft as you eate of this bread, and drinke of this cup, ſo oft you ſhew forth the Lords death. Then here is laſtly the continuance of it, how long this caution or conditiō is to be obſerved, ſurely ſo long as the world ſtands, till Chriſt come to judgment: As oft as you eate this bread and drinke this cup, you ſhew the Lords death, &c. or ſhew ye the Lords death till he come. Firſt, to begin wth the caution or cōdition, it ſelfe, you ſhew forth: wherein firſt conſider the matter that is to be remembred, it is the Lords death: Secondly, you muſt conſider the manner how it is to bee remembred, by a ſhewing of it forth, by a kinde of lively repreſenting and expreſſing of it, ye ſhew forth the Lords death till he come: this is our remembring of Chriſt his death: for Chriſt ſaith in the former verſe, Doe this in remembrance of me; and Paul in this verſe ſhewes how, that is, by ſhewing forth the Lords death till he come, or by a lively expreſſing of it.
Firſt, therefore to begin with the matter that is to be remembred or ſhewed forth, and that is the Lords death. Wherein firſt when the Apoſtle here names death, wee are to underſtand hereby theſe two things: firſt, the act of death in reſpect of Chriſt himſelfe: ſecondly, the benefit of Chriſt his death in reſpect of us; we muſt remember the Lords death, that is, the act of his death in reſpect of himſelfe: we muſt remember and ſhew forth his ſufferings in his ſoule and in his body, his agony, his obedience, his woundings, his nayling to the Croſſe, his ſhedding of his blood, his giving up the ghoſt. Secondly, withall we muſt underſtand by the death of Chriſt, the benefit thereof ariſing unto us, the forgiveneſſe of our ſinnes, the ſatisfaction of our puniſhment, our reconciling unto God, the perfect and abſolute redemption of our ſoules and bodies from that miſerable and damnable eſtate that we were in; this is the death of Chriſt, and the right remembring of his death; remember Chriſt dying, the act of his death; remember Chriſt dying, the benefit of his death to us; and this is the right remembring of Chriſt his death which is tendred unto us in the Sacrament of the Lord ſupper. But yet withall when it is ſaid remember his death, we muſt not take it ſo as if therfore we ſhold neglect or forget the remembrance either of that which went before his death, or of that wch came after his death, we muſt remember them alſo; we muſt remēber that wch went before his death, as his birth, his life, his meanneſſe, & other parts of his humiliation: alſo we muſt remember that which followed after his death, namely, his reſurrection, his aſcenſion, and other parts of his glorification: for Chriſt is given wholly unto us in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, and therefore we muſt receive him wholly, for all the paſſages of our Saviour Chriſt before his death, in his death, and after his death, they all make up together one and the ſame worke of our redemption, and therefore all theſe paſſages muſt bee wrapt up together in one and the ſame apprehenſion of ours. Wee muſt remember the death of Chriſt eſpecially in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, but yet under the comprehenſion of the death of Chriſt, wee muſt meditate upon thoſe things that went before his death, and thoſe things that came after his death, every thing in their kinde, and in their place and order: this we are to underſtand by the death of Chriſt.
Next, it is faid here, the Lords death. By the Lord wee are to underſtand the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, who is Lord over all, bleſſed for evermore. Chriſt is the Lord by nature and being: as the Father is Lord, and the Holy Ghoſt Lord, ſo alſo is Chriſt the Lord by nature and being: But yet Chriſt is intituled to the name Lord, by a kinde of excellencie, and ſpecialtie in regard of his office of Mediatorſhip, wherby hee is Lord over all; but eſpecially Lord over his Church. And wee muſt underſtand, that our Saviour Chriſt is more uſually called Lord at the time of his Death and Reſurrection, and afterwards, then hee was before. The Reaſon of it is this, becauſe howſoever our Saviour Chriſt was Lord alwayes, and even in the dayes of his fleſh, did many wayes ſhew forth himſelfe to be Lord, yet notwithſtanding at his death, and afterwards, he did then eſpecially and moſt certainly prove himſelfe to be the Lord; and then hee did moſt manifeſtly ſhew and declare himſelfe to be the Lord, by doing that then, which never any could doe but the Lord himſelfe. What the things are ſhall bee ſhewed (God willing) by and by.
The Lords death! ſome may ſay, this ſeemes to be a ſtrange ſpeech. Here are but two words, and yet they ſeeme to imply a flat contradiction one to another. If hee be the Lord, how could hee dye? And if he dyed, how could he be the Lord? Could the Lord dye?
For anſwer hereunto, wee muſt conſider, that our Saviour Chriſt conſiſteth of two natures, God and Man: he is perfectly God and Lord, and withall, hee is perfectly Man: and by reaſon of the union of theſe two natures, his Godhead and his Manhood in one and the ſame Perſon Chriſt, there ariſeth a certaine communion of the properties of both theſe natures, whereby that which is proper unto Chriſt as hee is God, is yet affirmed of him; even as he is Man: and whereby on the other ſide, that which is proper unto Chriſt, as he is man, is affirmed of him, as hee is God. It is a deepe myſtery of our faith, and yet a neceſſary point to be knowne; for without the knowledge of this, wee cannot rightly know Chriſt.
I deſire to make it plaine. Chriſt I ſay, is perfectly God or Lord, and perfectly man: and becauſe that theſe two natures his Godhead and his manhood are ſo nearly united into one and the ſame perſon of the Sonne of God, hence it comes to paſſe that there is a communication of properties, that is to ſay, thoſe things that are proper to him as he is God, are affirmed of him as hee is man, and thoſe things that are proper to him as he is man, are affirmed of him as he is God. To give an inſtance of the firſt: thoſe things as are proper to Chriſt as he is God, are affirmed of him as he is man. Iohn 3.13. For no man aſcended up to heaven, but he that hath deſcended from heaven, even the Sonne of man which is in heaven: Our Saviour Chriſt ſpeakes it of himſelfe, even the Sonne of man that is in heaven: when our Saviour Chriſt ſpake theſe words hee was upon the earth, and not in heaven as he was man, and yet there it is ſaid, the Sonne of man that is in heaven, as though then hee were in heaven at that inſtant, even as the Sonne of man. How can theſe ſtand together, he being man was on earth and yet in heaven at that inſtant? The doubt is clearly anſwered thus: Conſider Chriſt conſiſting of two natures, God and Man, perfectly God, and perfectly Man, and then you ſhall finde by reaſon of this union in one perſon, that well may the properties of the one be affirmed of the other: Chriſt the Sonne of man is alſo the Son of God: and as God, ſo he was then and alwayes in heaven; and becauſe God and Man in Chriſt are but one perſon, therefore Chriſt the Son of man is ſaid then to be in heaven: The Sonne of God was then in heaven; Chriſt the Son of Man is the Sonne of God; therefore Chriſt the Sonne of man was even then in heaven. One thing muſt be obſerved for the right underſtanding of this myſtery, and that is this, namely, that thoſe properties that belong to God are affirmed of Chriſt as he is man, and ſo on the contrarie: but we muſt underſtand it of the perſon of Chriſt, and not of the natures of Chriſt, that is to ſay, for the perſon of Chriſt, to ſpeak of Chriſt in his perſon it is a true and a neceſſary rule, the property of Chriſt as he is God is affirmed of him as he is man, but in regard of the natures it is contrary, that that which is proper to the nature of man is not to be affirmed of the nature of God: to ſay that the Godhead dyes, that is blaſphemy; but to ſay that the manhood dies, that is true: If Chriſt ſhold have ſaid, Ioh. 3.13 my manhood that in heaven; that had beene an untrue ſpeech, for that was not then in heaven: but that he in regard of his Godhead, and the union of the two natures, was in heaven, that is a moſt true and holy ſpeech: The reaſon why we muſt put this difference, is, becauſe Chriſt hath but one perſon, his manhood hath his ſubſiſtence in the perſon of the Sonne of God; ſo that Chriſt both God and Man is but one perſon: but the natures, that is to ſay, his Godhead and his manhood, are ſtill diſtinct and ſeverall things, notwithſtanding the union of the perſon.
Now on the other ſide, that which is likewiſe proper to Chriſt as he is man, the ſame is affirmed of him as he is God: As for example, Luke 1.35. That which ſhall be borne of thee ſhall be called the Son of God. That Chriſt ſhould be borne of the bleſſed Virgin, in reſpect of his Godhead, is blaſphemy to imagine; but becauſe Chriſt in reſpect of his manhood was borne of the bleſſed Virgin, and the ſame Chriſt man was alſo Chriſt the Son of God, therefore by reaſon of this neare union of the two natures in one and the ſame perſon of the Son of God, it is truly ſaid that Chriſt the Son of God was borne of the bleſſed Virgin.
Acts 20.28. there it is ſaid that God purchaſed his Church by his owne blood: if a man ſhould ſpeake this of himſelfe, it might ſeeme blaſphemie, but God ſpake it, and therefore it is true, it is ſpoken of Chriſt, for it is he alone that hath purchaſed it; and it is a proper thing to purchaſe it as he was man, but not as he was God; for man hath blood, God hath none: yet notwithſtanding by reaſon of the union of theſe two natures it is ſaid that God purchaſed his Church by his blood, becauſe the ſame Chriſt that is man is alſo God, and therefore truly may it be ſaid, God hath purchaſed it, &c. So here, the Lords death, ſaith the Text: that Chriſt dyed, this is a proper thing belonging to him as he was man, but as he is Chriſt the Lord it is not ſo proper; yet it is affirmed to be the Lords death, that is by reaſon of the neare union of theſe two natures, and therefore that which is proper to Chriſt as he is man, is affirmed of him as he is God, this is a deepe myſtery; and yet notwithſtanding it may reaſonably well bee conceived of us: it agrees with the whole current of the Scripture, and therefore we muſt hold it as an undoubted truth: the matter being thus cleare concerning the Lords death, let us come to the Doctrines that hence ariſe for our inſtruction, the death of the Lord, the doctrine hence to be obſerved is this:
Doctr. 1 That howſoever Chriſt Ieſus was ſhamefully crucified, and put to a moſt ignominious and cruell death upon the Croſſe as ever any man could be put unto, yet notwithſtanding even in that ſtate of his death he was then the Lord, and ſtill ſhewed himſelfe to be the Lord, even the glorious Lord of heaven and earth. The doctrine containes two branches, and each of them is to be proved ſeverally. The one is, that Chriſt was the Lord in his death; and the other is that Chriſt ſhewed himſelfe to bee Lord in his death: This I take to be the reach of the Text, that he was the Lord in his death. Acts 2.36. Let all the houſe of Iſraell now know for a ſurety, that God hath made him both Lord and Chriſt, this Ieſus I ſay whom ye have crucified. Marke it, he ſpeakes there of Chriſt in regard of his death, This Ieſus whom ye have crucified; and in that ſtate he calls him Lord, God hath made him Lord, even this Ieſus whom ye have crucified; ſo that Chriſt was Lord even when hee was crucified. See how the Apoſtle layes theſe termes together, the Lord, and Chriſt, and Ieſus. Some man may ſay, It may be he was the Lord before his death, but not in his death, or elſe after his death: but the Apoſtle ſhewes that he was Lord even in his death: ſo long as hee was Chriſt and Ieſus, ſo long he was Lord, but he was Ieſus and Chriſt in his death, and therefore he was Lord in his death. Acts 3.15. God hath glorified his Sonne Ieſus whom ye betrayed and denyed; ye have killed the Lord of life whom God hath raiſed from the dead. He ſpeakes there of Chriſt in the ſtate of his death; he calls him the Sonne of God, that is to ſay, hee was the Lord when he was betrayed, when hee was denyed, and when he was killed, yet he was the Lord ſtill in all that meane eſtate. When they had him in their bloody clutches, yet ſtill he was the Lord; when they killed him, yet ſtill he was the Lord of life: Ye have killed the Lord of life, ſaith the Apoſtle: 1 Cor. 2.8. Which none of the Princes of this world have knowne, for had they knowne him they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Mark, the Text ſaith, they have crucified the Lord of glory, though they knew him not to bee the Lord of glory, yet God knew it that he was the Lord of glory whom they crucified; hee called him the Lord of glory even when he was crucified. Marke it, glory and ſhame are moſt directly contrary one to another, even as the Eaſt is to the Weſt, or Heaven to Hell: to be crucified is the greateſt ſhame that ever can befall man; to be the Lord of glory is the higheſt and the greateſt degree of glory that ever can be conceived of God. Chriſt being crucified was the Lord of glory even in that low, and baſe, and meane eſtate, in that ſhamefull ſtate of his, ſtill hee was the Lord, the glorious Lord of heaven and earth, and ſo he ſhewed himſelfe to be the Lord of glory: which is the next point, and the other branch of the obſervation, and now to be proved. For proofe of that look into Phil. 2.6, 7, 8. there the Apoſtle tells us that Chriſt whileſt he was of no reputation, whileſt he was in the form of a ſervant, whileſt he humbled himſelfe to the death of the Croſſe, all this while he was equall with God, hee was the Lord all this while, even in all the time of his crucifying. In the ninth, tenth, and eleventh verſes, there you ſhall ſee he ſhewed himſelfe to bee the Lord of glory: wherefore the Lord hath given him a name above all names, that at the name of Ieſus ſhould every knee bow, both of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth: and that every tongue ſhould confeſſe that Ieſus Chriſt is the Lord unto the glory of God the Father. As Chriſt was the Lord when he was crucified, ſo hee ſhewed himſelfe to bee the Lord when he was crucified: for then was that done by Chriſt in regard of his obedience, by which, and for which hee did obtaine a name above all names, and he did juſtly deſerve to bee acknowledged a Lord of all Lords, a glorious Lord, that at the name of him ſhould every knee bow, and every tongue ſhould confeſſe that he is the Lordunto the glory of God the Father: So that Chriſt did doe that upon the Croſſe, whereby hee ſhewed himſelfe to be Lord. Rom. 1.4. there it is ſaid that Chriſt was declared mightily to be the Sonne of God. He ſpeakes there of our Saviour Chriſt, and calls him the Sonne of God, that is to ſay, the Lord. He ſaith, He was declared mightily to be Sonne of God: and how, I pray you? By the ſpirit of ſanctification, by the reſurrection from the dead. Now this you muſt underſtand, that the power whereby Chriſt raiſed himſelfe from death, was in him whileſt he was in the ſtate of death, and whileſt Chriſt lay in the grave, then was this power in him to raiſe up himſelfe; now by this power hee ſhewed himſelfe to be the Sonne of God, to bee the Lord; and it is a mighty declaration of him to be the Sonne of God, and therefore Chriſt declared himſelfe mightily to be the Lord, even in the ſtate of his death. Luke 23.42. the Thiefe he gives teſtimony to this truth: our Saviour being upon the Croſſe, he ſaith, O Lord remember mee when thou commeſt into thy kingdome. Thoſe that crucified him did not ſee nor take notice that hee was the Lord, but the poore Thiefe did ſee him to be the Lord, and did know that hee was the Lord, and he beleeved in him, and called upon him as the Lord; wee never reade that ever he did know before that he was the Lord; nothing brought him to know Chriſt to be the Lord, but that which he diſcerned in him upon the Croſſe. So the Centurion in Matth. 27.44. the Text ſaith, that the Centurion and others that ſaw thoſe fearfull things that came to paſſe at the death of Chriſt, Of a truth, ſay they, this man was the Sonne of God. The Centurion, for ought we know, did never know nor take notice that this man was the Sonne of God, till he came to behold his death; but when he came to behold him on the Croſſe by the eye of Faith, he ſaw ſuch evident ſignes of him to be the Lord, that hee perſwaded himſelfe and takes his oath of it, and ſaith, Of a truth, this man is the Son of God; howſoever it is that they killed him, yet of a truth this was the Sonne of God. In the 51. and 52. verſes, thoſe fearfull accidents that are mentioned there, as the veile renting, the Rockes cleaving aſunder, the graves opening, and many of the bodies of the Saints that ſlept aroſe, what did all this ſhew, but that Chriſt did clearly manifeſt himſelfe, and prove himſelfe to bee the Lord even in his death, that the dead and inſenſible creatures were ſenſible of it; the earth, the ſtones and graves diſcerned it, and the bodies of the Saints that were dead diſcerned it, and did acknowledge it in their kinde? What a fearfull upbraiding to the Iewes was this? that either they did not ſee Chriſt to be the Lord, or would not ſee him nor acknowledge him, when the very ſtones and other inſenſible creatures were ſenſible of it. So then you ſee the Doctrine is clearly proved by Scripture, that Chriſt Ieſus, howſoever he was ſhamefully crucified, and put to a moſt cruell and ignominious death, as ever any man could be putunto, yet (notwithſtanding) even in that ſtate of his death he was the Lord, and ſhewed himſelfe to be the Lord, the glorious Lord of heaven and earth.
The Reaſons of the Doctrine are theſe: Reaſon 1 The firſt is this; Hee was the Lord, and ſhewed himſelfe to be the Lord over his Church. The firſt Reaſon (I ſay) is drawne from his Church: Chriſt Ieſus in his death was Lord over his Church, and ſo ſhewed himſelfe to be; for then indeed by his death he did purchaſe and redeeme his Church, he bought his Church; then the faithfull were his owne by actuall redemption. You know that thoſe things which a man purchaſes and buyes at a deare rate, and gives for them as much as they are worth, they are his owne by a true title. If ſo be that any man do redeem a man out of the gallies, he is truly his Lord, in the right kind of owning; and the other is his ſervant. Chriſt when he was upon the croſſe, then did he purchaſe and buy his Church by his blood, and then therein he ſhewed himſelfe in a moſt right ſenſe to bee the Lord of his Church: then were they his owne by actuall redemption: and this is that which the Saints did acknowledge, Revel. 5.9. Oh worthy art thou to take the Booke, and to open the ſeale thereof: and why is he worthy more than any other? Becauſe thou waſt killed, and haſt redeemed us to God by thy blood; and therefore thou haſt a true intereſt into us, and thou art ſurely our Lord, and worthy art thou ſo to bee acknowledged. And our Saviour gives ſome intimation of it in the 18. of Iohn, If I were lifted up from the earth, ſaith our Saviour, I would draw all men unto me: What is meant by lifting up? that is to ſay, his crucifying: If I were crucified I would draw all men after me. The reach of the place is this; That Chriſt by his crucifying, and his death, drawes all men, and gathers all his Church to himſelfe; he purchaſes them, and makes them his owne by redemption, that he may be acknowledged their Lord, and they his people, and ſervants: and ſurely as Chriſt did gather all beleevers from the beginning of the world, by the power of his word, and death, and bleſſed Spirit, ſo ſpecially in the actuall performance of his ſuffering, then chiefly did he draw all men unto him: for then his Lordſhip, after a ſpeciall manner was advanced, and the territories of his kingdome were much inlarged; and now no longer was it to be bound, and to be contained within the borders of Iudea, but to have dominion from ſea to ſea, unto the worlds end. Oh what a mighty Lord did he ſhew himſelfe to be even in his death!
Reaſon 2 Secondly, as he was Lord over the Church, ſo he was, and ſo hee ſhewed himſelfe to be even a Lord over his enemies. What is the greateſt honour of a Lord, or whereby doth a man come to be moſt juſtly and rightly called Lord, but by ſubduing his enemies under him. Pſal. 110. The Lord ſaid unto my Lord, ſit at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footſtoole. Here is a true and a right Lord, when he can ſubdue and trample his enemies under his feet. Chriſt being upon the croſſe in his death, then (indeed) did he eſpecially vanquiſh and trample his enemies under his feet, Satan and all his inſtruments. Then he tooke them downe to their greateſt ſhame, to their irrecoverable loſſe, and utter ruine for ever. See how the Apoſtle ſpeakes of it, Coloſſ. 2.15. Hee hath ſpoyled Principalities and Powers, and hath made a ſhew of them openly, and hath triumphed over them in the Croſſe. What bee the enemies that our Saviour Chriſt hath? why, they are Principalities and Powers; he hath vanquiſhed them all, the Devill and his Angells, not onelyonly as a man would ſay petty Devills, but Belzebub himſelfe, Principalities and Powers: and if there be any ſtronger, and mightier, and greater than the reſt, Chriſt hath ſubdued them all. And how hath hee ſubdued them? He hath ſpoiled them, ſaith the Text; he hath ſubdued them even as a man ſhould take away all that a man hath; ſo Chriſt, he hath ſpoyled theſe Principalities and Powers, he hath taken away their weapons, their forces, and power from them, yea and their hearts too in ſome ſort; they know they ſhall never overcome Gods children. He hath ſpoiled Principalities and Powers, and made ſhew of them openly. It is ſpeech that is drawn from a Conqueror, and hath beene in warre, and gotten the victory, and comming into the Citie, hee brings thofe that hee hath taken captives with him, and he rides in great jollity up and downe, as who ſhould ſay, theſe are my captives that I have overcome: ſo hath Chriſt ſpoiled Principalities and Powers, and made ſhew of them openly, and triumphed over them, ſaith the Text: he hath gotten himſelfe agreat victory. Chriſt did not onelyonly overcome them, but hee triumphed over them; that is to ſay, he trode them under foot as a baſe thing, never able to riſe up againe. But where, how, and when, and by what meanes, was all this done? Why, upon the Croſſe, ſaith the Text: So then Chriſt ſhewed himſelfe to be a Lord in his death upon the croſſe. Conſider the ſtate of the buſineſſe as then it was; conſider Satan, and all the powers of darkneſſe; they were then in the greateſt hope that could bee, as they thought; when they had once gotten Chriſt upon the croſs the greateſt poſſibility that ever they had againſt him. On the other ſide, Chriſt was in the moſt unlikelieſt condition to overcome, and to deliver us, and moſt likelieſt to have beene overcome, and to be made a prey unto them.
Conſider againe in the next place, the Devill and his inſtruments were in the height of their malicious pride and power; as Chriſt ſaith, Now is the very houre and power of darkneſſe: and Chriſt on the otherſide, he was in the deepeſt of his inſirmitie forſaken of God, in his apprehenſion, forſaken of all the world, made a prey to his enemies, no way to acquit himſelfe, or to raiſe up himſelfe, his ſoule being heavie euen to the death: conſider theſe things (I ſay) they being in this faire hope, and upon the top of their pride, and Chriſt in the deepeſt of his miſery: now that Chriſt ſhould free himſelfe from them all, ſo that not a bone of him was broken, nor a haire off his head did periſh, and not onelyonly ſo that he ſhould ſo acquit himſelfe from the Devill, but ſhould acquit all Gods children; and that this hee ſhould doe to the utter breaking of the power of Satan; for all thoſe that have true right and intereſt into the death of Chriſt; oh what a glorious Lord did Chriſt ſhew himſelfe to bee, when hee was upon the Croſſe, there he did breake the Serpents head. Iudges 16.12, 13. when the Philiſtimes had gotten Samſon, and had him in their power, that they could doe with him what they liſt, and had plucked out his eyes, and inſulted over him in that miſerable deſolation; now were the Princes of the Philiſtims in their greateſt jollity: the ſervant of God, (at leaſt for that buſineſſe he was the ſervant of God) what doth he in this caſe? He ſaid unto the ſervant that led him by the hand, Lead mee that I may touch the pillars that the houſe ſtandeth upon, and that I may leane to them; and after his prayer, he bowed himſelfe with all his might (ſaith the Text) and the houſe fell upon them all, and ſo they were ſlaine, and he killed more at his death, than in all his life. So Chriſt, hee was in the hands of Satan and his inſtruments, and they had him upon the croſſe, they mocked and ſcoffed at him, and did unto him as they would; but then he bowed himſelfe upon the Croſſe, and yeelded up the ghoſt, and brought deſtruction upon them all, and thoſe that he ſlew at the houre of his death were infinitly more than thoſe whom he overthrew all his life time.
Reaſon 3 The third Reaſon, is in reſpect of death it ſelfe; death we know is the commander of every creature that it hath any power over, no creature could ever overcome it; Chriſt overcame death by death, & therfore he was the Lord: no creature that is ſubject to death, can rid himſelfe from death: but Chriſt hee by death overcame death, and therefore he is the Lord of death. Act. 2.24. marke what the Text ſaith, He looſed the ſorrowes of death, becauſe it was unpoſsible that he ſhould be holden of death. There is no creature in the world that is ſubject to death, that can poſſibly bee rid of death; but Chriſt being ſubject to death, cannot be held of death, and therefore he was Lord even in his death. Heb. 2.14. Chriſt through death hath overcome him that had the power of death, that is the Devill. Hoſea 13.14. O death I will bee thy death. 1 Cor. 15.54. Oh death where is thy ſting? Mark the triumphing of Chriſt upon the croſſe; by his death that he ſuffered upon the croſſe hee overcame Death; none can overcome Death, but the Lord of Life: Death and Deaths ſting, that is ſin; Death and Deaths maſter, that is the Devill: Chriſt hath overcome them all together upon the croſſe, and triumphed over them, through the power of his humiliation.
Reaſon 4 The fourth Reaſon, as it was ſo that Chriſt was the Lord, and Chriſt ſhewed himſelfe to be the Lord in his death upon the croſſe, ſo we will adde one reaſon to prove the neceſſity of it, that it muſt be ſo, namely, becauſe of his office, he muſt be the head of the Church, hee muſt be our Mediator and Redeemer, and that in his very death, therefore he muſt be the Lord. It is true, that there be ſome things that he was to performe as he was man, and belonged to him as he was a Redeemer, but yet there were ſome things belonging to him as Redeemer, that could not be performed but as he was the Lord of heaven and earth: it was part of our Saviours office as hee was Mediator, to reveale the will of the Lord unto us; who knowes the will of the Lord, but the Lord himſelfe? It was part of our Saviours office to forgive ſinnes, who can forgive ſinnes but God alone? It is a part of his office to redeeme us, and deliver us out of the power of damnation; except he had beene the Lord he could not have done it; who can redeeme us but the Lord? to deliver himſelfe out of that great extremity that he was in, was more than the worke of a man: but if hee could have rid himſelfe as being a man of extraordinary grace and ſtrength to paſſe thorough ſuch pikes as never any other man could, yet he could not have beene our Redeemer, by delivering himſelfe to deliver us, without he had beene God: there muſt bee infinite knowledge in the Redeemer, that he may take notice of all the Saints of God from the beginning of the world to the end thereof, this cannot be in any but in God onelyonly. Againe, there muſt be infinite mercy in the Redeemer to forgive ſinnes, there muſt bee infinite wiſedome in him to make all the redeemed wiſe to God and to their owne ſalvation; in the Redeemer there muſt be infinite grace effectuall to call all thoſe that ſhall be ſaved; alſo there muſt be in him infinite power to ſave our ſoules; to ſave any one ſoule is a matter of infinite power, and therefore much more to ſave ſo many thouſand ſoules as are from time to time called and converted unto the Lord. Laſtly, there muſt be infinite dignity, infinite worthineſſe and merit in that blood that muſt redeeme all thoſe that God will ſave, this cannot be but by the blood of the Lord, that God which hath purchaſed us with his owne blood. None of all theſe infinities can bee found in any but in God onelyonly, therefore the REDEEMER muſt bee LORD.
The uſe firſt that ſhewes us that God doth oft times worke by quite contraries in the matter of ſalvation, as who ſhould ſay, he ſets one contrary againſt another, and brings the greateſt good out of the greateſt evill: Chriſt is the Lord in his very death, in his moſt cruell and ſhamefull death; he was much magnified when hee was moſt debaſed, the Lord of life and glory when he was killed and crucified: thus it was with Chriſt, and ſo it is in the members of Chriſt: it was ſo in him, that we may expect this in our ſelves, and ſo wee finde it by experience how God workes with many of his, children: are they not ofttimes moſt glorious in their greateſt abaſement, & moſt comfortable in their greateſt afflictions? and are we not then oft times moſt neare to God, when we thinke our ſelves farre from God? are we not moſt ſpiritually and heavenly minded even in the moſt helliſh temptations of Satan that we are exerciſed withall? thoſe that are in the ſtate of grace know this to be true: this is not ſenſible to the naturall man, nor yet to the ſpirituall man many times for the preſent, yet afterwards hee ſees it, and can ſay, Surely the Lord is with me, and I was not aware. Looke but into an example of Paul in the like temptation: 2 Cor. 12.9, 10. the Apoſtle prayeth againſt the temptations of Satan, the anſwer of God to him is this, My grace is ſufficient for thee, my power is perfect in thy weakneſſe: and thereupon the Apoſtle ſers his reſt, and ſaith, When I am weak, then I am ſtrong. Here you ſee that in matters of ſalvation God oft-times worketh by contraries, ſhewing himſelfe a ſtrong God in a weake man: a ſtrange thing that God ſhold perfect his ſtrength in mans weakneſſe: a man would think he ſhould perfect his ſtrength in our ſtrength, but he doth it in our weakneſſe: My ſtrength, ſaith hee, is perfect in thy weakneſſe: So in the caſe of Stephen, in the matter of perſecution, Acts 6. the laſt verſe, when he was there before the Councell, they that ſate in Councell looking upon him, they beheld his face as the face of an Angel, they admired him in that ſtate of his baſeneſſe, as a glorious Angell. It is not unſeaſonable for God ſo to worke by contraries, for it magnifies the great and almightie power and wiſedome of God, that can worke by contraries; and it magnifies the great mercy and goodneſſe of God, that he will doe ſo for us, that when we are weakeſt, then we are ſtrongeſt, that God commandeth light to ſhine unto us out of darkneſſe, and makes our greateſt miſery a meere ſtep to our greateſt glory.
Vſe 2 In the next place it teachethus how vaine the hope of wicked men is, that take part againſt Chriſt and his members; howſoever they may perſecute us, and bring us to death, yet by our perſecutions, and by our death, they themſelves oft-times receive the greateſt foiles. Pſalm. 2.1. Why did the Heathen rage, and the people murmur in vaine? their hope is but vaine, the Lord from Heaven laughes them to ſcorne, ſaith the Prophet: they get nothing by it, when they have done all they can, but deriſion; and therefore let not wicked men boaſt of whatſoever hope they have to doe hurt to Gods children, for their hope is but vaine; neither yet let Gods children be caſt downe with it, but comfort themſelves in this, that the wicked when they are in their greateſt hopes, they are neareſt to their fall and deſtruction.
Vſe 3 Thirdly, this ſhould encourage us againſt the inſultation of the Iewes; they mocke us becauſe we beleeve in a crucified Saviour; O, ſay they, you doe beleeve in a crucified God, this is a goodly Religion. If we did beleeve in Chriſt onelyonly as a crucified man, then they might laugh at us, this were ſtarke fooliſhneſſe; but wee beleeving in Chriſt as God, the Lord crucified, therefore they have no cauſe to ſcoffe at us and at our faith: It is the Lords death, ſaith the Text, therefore this is the onelyonly ſaving wiſedome of God to beleeve in Chriſt crucified, or in our crucified Lord; and we are ſo farre from being aſhamed of it, as that it is our greateſt comfort, and wee rejoyce in it even in the Croſſe of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.
Vſe 4 Laſtly, the laſt Vſe is matter of exhortation to ſtirre us up that we ſhould looke to our ſelves in the meditation of Chriſt his death, alwayes to think upon Chriſt the Lord of glory, whenſoever thou doſt enter into meditation of the death of Chriſt either at the Sacrament, or not at the Sacrament, yet ſtill let thy eye of faith be fixed upon Chriſt the Lord: to meditate of Chriſt his death, is to meditate upon the Lords death: It is true indeed that wee cannot apprehend Chriſt dying for us but onelyonly as man, as God he could not dye; yet it is not ſufficient to beleeve in Chriſt crucified as man, for whoſoever beleeves in Chriſt as a crucified man, if he ſtay there, and if his faith goe not one ſtep further, to ſay I beleeve in the Lord crucified, he is in a moſt miſerable and damnable caſe. When once we come to relliſh the Lord in the death of Chriſt, then is his death moſt ſweet and comfortable unto us; this will make a great many of living ſprings of waters to riſe up in our hearts, when we meditate upon the death of the Lord Chriſt, that we can ſay, the Lord hath died for me; this will worke reverence and devotion in us, and therefore we muſt highly eſteeme of it, not as the death of a man, but as the death of the Lord: the Lord dyed for mee, Oh, how thankfull ought I to be to the Lord for this great kindneſſe! what am I poore ſinfull wretch, that Chriſt the Lord ſhould dye for mee! this will teach us to love the Lord; Oh, how ſhould wee love the glorious Lord of heaven and earth, ſeeing the Lord of heaven and earth hath ſo loved us as to dye for us! Alſo it teacheth us patience, ſeeing Chriſt the Lord hath dyed for us, therefore we muſt not thinke much to ſuffer temptation and affliction, yea death it ſelfe; Chriſt the Lord hath gone through theſe before, and therefore no doubt but he will bring us through the like, with joy and with comfort. Chriſt the Lord hath dyed for us, this will breed and worke faith and boldneſſe in us; we may be bold to hazard our ſoules upon Chriſt, knowing that our ſalvation is ſure and firme: it is the Lord that hath wrought it by his death, and it is not all the Devills in hell can diſanull that ſalvation which the Lord hath wrought for us. Againe, it miniſters matter of rejoycing, that we doe not onelyonly beleeve in Chriſt crucified, but we rejoyce in Chriſt crucified. Gal. 6.14. God forbid that I ſhould rejoyce, but in the croſſe unto me, and I unto the world: this Croſſe I oppoſe againſt all my feares, afflictions, and temptations, and perſecutions, againſt all that ever can come: I am crucified to the world, and the world to me, becauſe the Lord hath dyed for me. Laſtly, this is a matter of excellent comfort to Gods children, for hereby we may diſcerne the infinite worthineſſe of the death of Chriſt, and the infinite preciouſneſſe of his death: Why was the death of Chriſt ſo precious? why, becauſe it was the death of Chriſt the Lord; not the death of Chriſt as he was man, but of Chriſt the Lord of life and glorie. When wee conſider that ſo many thouſand ſhall be ſaved, wee thinke with our ſelves, how ſhall theſe bee ſaved; why, the infinite blood of the Lord is ſufficient for us al: this death, being the Lords death it muſt needs be of force and power, and vertue and merit, to procure mercy, and grace and forgiveneſſe of ſinnes to all thoſe that have a true faith, and doe earneſtly endeavour and deſire to be conformable to this death of Chriſt.
The end of the ſixteenth Lecture.