The Substance of Christian Religion, Lecture 16
The sixteenth Lords day.
Joh. 10. 17, 18.
Therefore the Father loveth me, because I lay down my life▪ that I may take it up again: None taketh it from me; but I lay it down of my self. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. This commandment received I from my Father.
CHrist in these words expounds what he had said before of the duty, effect, and signe of a good Shepherd; to wit, that he layes down his life for his sheep. This he had applied to himself, verse 15. where two things were propounded; 1. The Object, to which this laying down of the life is referred, or which be those sheep of Christ? 2. The manner of this laying down the life. This is explained in the 16, and these two following verses. The death of Christ, or laying down of his soul or life, is explicated from the efficient cause; which is Christ himself. I lay down my life. 2. From the manner of doing of it, that Christ is a cause voluntary, and doing it from a counsell and deliberation, not of coaction. None taketh it from me, but I lay it down. 3. From the adjunct of this efficiency; that he did it not of weakness, but from power. I have authority to lay it down. This is shewn from another effect that followes this; to wit, from his resuming it again, or his resurrection. I have authority to take it up again; as if he would say, he that so layes down his life, that with power he takes it up again, he layes it not down out of coaction with weakness; but voluntarily of his own accord he doth it: But I so lay downmy life; ergo. Which is illustrated here from the impulsive cause; the Fathers commandment. This commandment I received of my Father. 4. From the end, and effect; to wit, the Fathers love and delight, or complacency in this. Therefore my Father loveth me, because &c.
Doct. 1. Christ so far humbled himself for us, that he underwent death it self for us.
I lay down my life, &c. Now he underwent a double death for us; a spiritual, and a corporal death. The spiritual is about Christ's descent into Hell▪ This consisted in the separation of God's favour from the soul of Christ for a time, not really, but as to sense and feeling, and that influence, from which comfort useth to be felt; as also in impressions of divine wrath, which with horror did strike all the faculties of the soul; so that for the time the soul was at so low an ebbe and concussion of all its happiness, as any creature could be, that was without sin formally inherent in it self. The death of the body is that which consists in the separation of the soul from the body; the confirmation and continuance was in the burial of Christ. Now such was the separation of the soul from the body in Christs death, that the conjunction and union of both of them with the divine person, remained the same that it was before; as if one drawing a sword, held the scabberd in the one hand, and the sword in the other▪ there would be there a separation between the scabberd and the sword; but of neither of them from the man, that so held them: So also in this mystery, there is a separation of the soul from the body; but neither of them was separated from the divine nature, nor person, but the person still sustained both in the unity of it self, as one person with him. The reason is, because if there had been any such separation from the di: vine person, then the second person had ceased to be God-man, and so could not for that time have been our Priest or Mediator. Also a new incarnation or assumption had been made again, in the resurrection of Christ. It is most true therefore, which is in the mouthes of many Divines, and used proverbially almost; That what the Son of God assumed he never laid aside again.
Reas. 1. Because the perfection and consummation of humiliation is in undergoing death, Phil. 2 8. And this also was the first reason, why he did not onelyonly undergo death, but the most vise, contemptible, and contumelious death; that is, the death of the Cross, as in that place is more especially set down.
Reas. 2. Because his charge of redeeming us required this; to wit, that he should pay that price to divine justice, which we did ow, and so be subject to the same punishment, that we were liable to. And this was also the reason, why he chose the death of the Cross, that he might shew, that he did not barely sustain death, but that cursed death that was due to us, and that in our place, or for us, Gal. 3. 12.
Reas. 3. That by the most convenient way he might procure the death of sin in us, by assimiliation, and making us conform to himself, Rom. 6. from verse 1. to the 8.
Use 1. Is of Information, for directing of our faith; …o wit, that while we seek remission of our sins, and reconciliation, and salvation in God; we so have our faith in Christ, that we may be specially united to him in his sufferings, blood-shedding, and death, Rom. 3. 25.
Use 2. Is of Consolation, to all those as have such true faith; because they are out of all hazard of death or condemnation, according to that of the Apostle, Rom 8. 34.
Use 3. Is of Direction, 1. In the study of Sanctification, that with Christ we may dy to sin. 2. In the study of all obedience, love, and humility, according to the example of Christ, in whom all the perfections of these vertues we have marvelously shining to us in a most eminent and excellent way.
Doct. 2. Christ ordained his own death from certain wise deliberation and power, to dispose of it as he pleased.
I have power to lay down my li…e. From which words it appears first, that the death of Christ was voluntary. For though it was violent also, as it came from external agents, and was against Christs internal natural inclinations; and in some sort natural also, as it was wrought by external causes naturally producing such an effect: Yet it was voluntary, not onelyonly as to the willing disposition, and choice of it, whereby Christ set himself to suffer it; but also as he suspended his own power of hindering it, and averting death, and so gave way and power to the enemies inflicting it, in which respect also his death may be called miraculous, or wonderful; because he himself, who was dying, ordered his owne death, and willingly admitted the same: So that by doing he suffered, and by suffering he acted, and had his owne action in it all, without which he could not have suffered by any creature whatsoever.
Reas. 1. Because it became him to dy so, that was God. For since the humane nature subsisted in the f…me person with the divine, nothing could befall the humane nature either in doing, or suffering, but as the divine willed and ordained it.
Reas. 2. Because otherwise Christ in his death had not been together both Priest, Sacrifice, and Altar. For though it be the part of a Sacrifice to be passive, and to be offered up to the Father; yet it is the part of the Priest by being active about it, and ordering the whole, to offer up the Sacrifice.
Use 1. Is of Information, for arming our faith against tentations and scandals, which use to arise hence, in that Christ, in whom we believe, as our God, was subject to death. For Christ died not of weakness and coaction, but by certain resolution, and of his own proper will and power; so that the divine nature and power of Christ appeared not onelyonly in his resurrection, but if the thing be rightly considered, had as great a hand, and was as evident in his death also.
Use 2. Is of Direction, for our preparation to undergo death, in whatsoever way God would have it come to pass. For from these two things that were in Christ, that he both willingly underwent death; and then also ordered it himself; the first of these lies upon us all, out of duty; that we be ready at such time, and such manner to dy, as God is pleased we should. The other, though it cannot be performed by us, because we have not the power of laying down our lives, and ordering our deaths; yet by faith, and holy desire to our comfort, we ought to seek this of God, and look for it, that in Christ, who ordered his own death for us, he would order our death unto our salvation, and unto his own glory.
Doct. 3. Christ underwent this death by his Fathers command.
It is in the Text; This command I received of my Father. And this command was neither any of the law of nature, nor of the moral, ceremonial, or judicial; but it was a peculiar condition of the mediatory office, that was laid upon Christ by the Father, and of his own free consent. It was therefore a command to the Messias alone, as he was our Mediator.
Reas. 1. Because as by disobedience of the first Adam sin and death entered into the world; so by the obedience of the second Adam, righteousnesse and salvation shoud be brought us; and as the disobedience of Adam was the breach of the command given to him; so also the obedience of Christ, was to be in the keeping of that command that was given him with his office of mediatorship, or whereby the office it self was also imposed upon him.
Reas. 2. Because in Christ we were to have such an example of obedience, as was most perfect in keeping the commandments of God.
Use 1. Of Resutation against the superstition & presumption of popish Monks, who have devised a kind of perfection in obedience of councells, beside and beyond that, which stands in keeping of the commandments of God; when yet Christ himself, that hath given us the whole pourtraict and pattern of perfect obedience, confesses, that he went no further than to obey that, which the Father cōmanded him.
Use 2. Of Admonition, that we may set our selves to follow Christ in this point, that we may even unto death it self, cleave fast unto the commandements of God.
Doct. 4. God the Father loveth Christ for this obedience.
This is in the Text; Therefore the Father loveth me; that is, is delighted with this obedience, and so delighted, that he commends it to be looked upon by every Christian, and all such as are Christ's.
Reas. 1. Because by Christ's death, God was most glorified by Christ, Ioh. 12. 18. and 17. 4.
Reas. 2. Because by that death of Christ, the counsell of God was fulfilled, whereby he had from eternity appointed in himself to communicate his grace and glorious good will unto men, Ephes. 1. 5, 6, 7, 9.
Use 1. Of Resutation, against such as use to conclude from such phrases, whereby God is said to love men for this, and not for that; that such mens works were the first causes of Gods love. For Christ was the Son of God beloved of him from all eternity; and yet the Father is said to have loved him also for his obedience.
Use 2. Of Consolation, to all such as are in Christ by Faith. For as the Father loveth Christ, so will he also love them, that are in Christ.
Use 3. Of Exhortation, that with all chearfulness we stir up our selves to obey God; because God loveth such as obey him.