A Body of Practical Divinity, Sermon 27
CHRIST's Priestly Office.
Quest. XV. HOw doth Christ execute the Office of a Priest?
Resp. In his once offering up of himself a Sacrifice to satisfie Divine Justice, and reconcile us to GOD, and in making continual Intercession for us.
Heb. 9.26. Now once in the end of the world hath he appear'd to put away sin; by the Sacrifice of himself.
Quest. What are the parts of Christ's Priestly Office?
Resp. Christ's Priestly Office hath two Parts, his Satisfaction and Intercession.
1. His SATISFACTION, and this consists of two Branches: 1. His Active Obedience, Matth. 3.15. He fulfill…d all righteousness. Christ did every thing which the Law required; his holy Life was a Perfect Commentary upon the Law of God; and he obeyed the Law for us.
2. His Passive Obedience: Our Guilt being transferred and imputed to him, he did undergo the Penalty which was due to us: He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. The Paschal Lamb slain, was a Type of Christ who was offered up in Sacrifice for us. Sin could not be done away without Bloud, Heb. 9.22. Without bloud is no remission. Christ was not only a Lamb without spot, but a Lamb slain.
Quest. Why was it require there should be a Priest?
Resp. There needed a Priest to be an Umpire, to mediate between a Guilty Creature, and an Holy God.
Quest. How could Christ suffer being God?
Resp. Christ suffered only in the Humane Nature.
Quest. But if only Christ's Humanity suffered, how could his suffering satisfie for Sin?
Resp. The Humane Nature being united to the Divine, the Humane Nature did suffer, the Divine did satisfie: Christ's Godhead as it did support the Humane Nature that it did not faint, so it did give Vertue to his Sufferings. The Altar sanctifies the thing offered on it, Matth. 23.19. so the Altar of Christ's Divine Nature sanctified the Sacrifice of his Death, and made it of infinite value.
Quest. Wherein doth the Greatness of Christ's sufferings appear?
Resp. In the Sufferings of his Body, he suffered truly, not only a foreign, an Appearance; the Apostle calls it Mors Crucis, The Death of the Cross, Phil. 2.8. Tully when he speaks of this kind of Death, Quid dicam in crucem toilere? though he were a great Orator, he wanted words to express it. The thoughts of this made Christ sweat drops of Bloud in the Garden, Luke 22.44. It was an ignominious, painful, cursed Death; Christ suffered in all his Senses, 1. In his Eyes, they beheld two sad Objects, he saw his Enemies insulting, and his Mother weeping. 2. In his Ears, his Ears were filled with the Revilings of the People, Matth. 27.42. He saved others, himself he cannot save. 3. In his Smell, when their Drivel fell upon his Face. 4. In his Tast, when they gave him Gall and Vinegar to drink, Bitterness and Sharpness. 5. In his Feeling, his Head suffered with Thorns, his Hands and Feet with the Nails, —Totum pro vulnere Corpus; Now was this white Lily dyed of a Purple colour. 2. In the Sufferings of his Soul, he was pressed in the Wine-press of his Father's Wrath. This caused that Vociferation and Outcry on the Cross, My God, my God; Cur deseruisti? Christ suffered a double Eclipse upon the Cross, an Eclipse of the Sun, and an Eclipse of the Light of God's Countenance. How bitter was this Agony? The Evangelist useth three words to express it, foreign, He began to be amazed, Mark 14.33. foreign, He began to faint. foreign, To be exceeding sorrowful, Matth. 26.37. Christ felt the Pains of Hell in his Soul, though not locally, yet equivalently.
Quest. Why did Christ suffer?
Resp. Surely not for any desert of his own, Dan. 9.26. The Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself; it was for us, Isa. 53.6. Unus peccat alius plectitor; He suffered that he might satisfie God's Justice for us. We by our Sins had infinitely wronged God, and could we have shed Rivers of Tears, offered up Millions of Holocausts and Burnt-Offerings, we could never have pacified an angry Deity; therefore Christ must dye that God's Justice might be satisfied.
It is hotly debated among Divines, Whether God could not have forgiven Sin freely without a Sacrifice? Not to dispute what God could have done, but when we consider God was resolved to have the Law satisfied, and to have Man in a way of Justice as well as Mercy; then, I say, it was necessary that Christ should lay down his Life as a Sacrifice:
1. To fulfil the Predictions of Scripture, Luke 24.46. Thus it behoved Christ to suffer.
2. To bring us into Favour with God: 'Tis one thing for a Traytor to be pardoned, and another thing to be made a Favourite. Christ's Bloud is not only called foreign, a Sacrifice whereby God is appeased, but foreign, a Propitiation whereby God becomes gracious and friendly to us. Christ is our Mercy-seat from which God gives Answers of Peace to us.
3. Christ dyed that he might make good his last Will and Testament with his Bloud: There were many Legacies which Christ bequeathed to Believers, which had been all null and void had not he dyed, and by his Death confirm'd the Will, Heb. 9.17. A Testament is in force after Men are dead: The Mission of Spirit, the Promises, those Legacies, were not in force till Christ's Death; but Christ by his Bloud hath sealed them, and Believers may lay claim to them.
4. He died that he might purchase for us Glorious Mansions: Therefore Heaven is called not only a promised, but a purchased Possession, Eph. 1.14. Christ dyed for our Preferment; He suffered that we might reign; he hung upon the Cross, that we might fit upon the Throne; Heaven was shut, &c. Crux Christi clavis Paradisi: The Cross of Christ is the Ladder by which we ascend to Heaven. His Crucifixion is our Coronation.
Use 1. In the Bloudy Sacrifice of Christ, see the horrid Nature of Sin: Sin (it is true) is odious as it banish'd Adam out of Paradise, and threw the Angels into Hell, but that which doth most of all make it appear Horrid, is this, it made Christ vail his Glory and loose his Bloud. We should look upon Sin with Indignation, and pursue it with an Holy Malice, and shed the Bloud of those Sins shed Christ's Bloud. The sight of Caesar's Bloudy Robe incensed the Romans against them that slew him: The sight of Christ's bleeding Body should incense us against Sin; let us not parly with it, let not that be our Joy which made Christ a Man of Sorrow.
Use 2. Is Christ our Priest sacrific'd, see God's Mercy and Iustice displayed: I may say as the Apostle, Rom. 11.27. Behold the goodness and severity of God: 1. The Goodness of God in providing a Sacrifice. Had not Christ suffered on the Cross, we must have lain in Hell for ever satisfying God's Justice.
2. The Severity of God: Though it were his own Son, the Son of his Love, and our Sins were but imputed to him, yet God did not spare him, Rom. 8.32. but his Wrath did flame against him. And if God were thus severe to his own Son, how dreadful will he be one day to his Enemies? Such as dye in wilful Impenitency must feel the same Wrath as Christ did; and because they cannot bear it at once, therefore they must be enduring it for ever.
Use 3. Is Christ our Priest who was sacrificed for us, then see the endeared Affection of Christ to us Sinners: The Cross (saith Austin) was a Pulpit in which Christ preached his Love to the World. That Christ should dye was more then if all the Angels had been turned to Dust: And that Christ should dye as a Malefactor, having the weight of all Mens Sins laid upon him: That he should dye for his Enemies, Rom. 5.10. The Balm-tree weeps out its precious Balm to heal those that cut and mangle it; Christ shed his Bloud to heal those that crucified him. And that he should dye freely; it is call'd the Offering of the Body of Jesus, Heb. 10.10. And though his Sufferings were so great that they made him sigh, and weep, and bleed, yet they could not make him Repent, Isa. 53.11. He shall see of the travel of his soul, and be satisfied. Christ had hard travel upon the Cross, yet he doth not repent of it, but thinks his Sweat and Bloud well bestowed, because he sees Redemption brought forth to the World. O infinite amazing Love of Christ! a Love that passeth Knowledge! Eph. 3.19. That neither Man or Angel can paralel. How should we be affected with this Love, if Saul was so affected with David's Kindness in sparing his Life? How should we be affected with Christ's Kindness in parting with his Life for us? At Christ's Death and Passion the very Stones did cleave asunder, Matth. 27.5. The rocks rent. Not to be affected with Christ's Love in dying, is to have Hearts harder then the Rocks.
Use 4. Is Christ our Sacrifice? then see the Excellency of this Sacrifice: 1. It is perfect, Heb. 10.14. By one offering he hath perfected them that are sanctified. Therefore how impious are the Papists in joyning their Merits, and the Prayers of Saints with Christ's Sacrifice. They offer him up daily in the Mass, as if Christ's Sacrifice on the Cross were imperfect; this is a Blasphemy against Christ's Priestly Office.
2. Christ's Sacrifice is meritorious, he not only died for our Example, but to merit Salvation: The Person who suffered being God as well as Man, did put Vertue into his Sufferings; and now our sins are expiated, and God appeased. No sooner did the Messengers say, Uriah is dead; but David's Anger was pacified, 2 Sam. 11.21. No sooner did Christ dye but God's Anger is pacified.
3. This Sacrifice is beneficial; out of the dead Lyon Sampson had Honey; it procures Justification of our Persons, Acceptance of our Services, Access to God with Boldness, Entrance into the Holy Place of Heaven, Heb. 10.19. Per latus Christi pa…escit nobis in coelum. Israel passed through the Red Sea to Canaan; so through the Red Sea of Christ's Bloud we enter into the Heavenly Canaan.
2. Use of Exhortation: Branch 1. Let us fiducially apply this Bloud of Christ: All the Vertue of a Medicine is in the applying; though the Medicine be made of the Bloud of God, it will not heal unless by Faith applyed. As Fire is to the Chymist, so is Faith to a Christian; the Chymist can do nothing without Fire, so there is nothing done without Faith. Faith makes Christ's Sacrifice ours, Phil. 3.8 Christ Iesus my Lord. It is not Gold in the Mine enricheth, but Gold in the Hand: Faith is the Hand receives Christ's Golden Merits. It is not a Cordial in the Glass refresheth the Spirits, but a Cordial drunk down. Per fidem Christi sanguinem sugimus, Cypr. Faith opens the Orifice of Christ's Wound…, and drinks the precious Cordial of his Bloud. Without Faith Christ himself will not avail us.
Branch 2. Let us love a Bleeding Saviour, and let us show our Love to Christ by being ready to suffer for him: Many rejoyce at Christ's Suffering for them, but dream not of their Suffering for him: Ioseph dreamed of his Preferment, but not of his Imprisonment. Was Christ a Sacrifice? Did he bear God's Wrath for us? we should bear Man's Wrath for him. Christ's Death was voluntary, Psal. 40.7. Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. Luke 12.50. I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitned till it be accomplished. Christ calls his Sufferings a Baptism: he was to be (as it were) baptized in his own Bloud; And how did he thirst for that time▪ How am I straitned! Oh then let us be willing to suffer for Christ! Christ hath taken away the Venom and Sting of the Saint's Sufferings: there is no Wrath in their Cup. Our Sufferings Christ can make sweet. As there was Oyl mix'd in the Peace-Offering: So▪ God can mix the Oyl of Gladness with our Sufferings. The ringing of my Chain is sweet Musick in my Ears, Landgrave of Hesse. Life must be parted with shortly, what is it to part with it a little sooner, as a Sacrifice to Christ, as a Seal of our Sincerity, and a Pledge of Thankfulness.
3. Use of Consolation: This Sacrifice of Christ's Bloud may infinitely comfort us. This is the Bloud of Atonement; Christ's Cross is, Cardo salutis, Calv. The Hing and Foundation of our Comfort. 1. This Bloud comforts in case of Guilt: O saith the Soul, my sins trouble me; why, Christ's Bloud was shed for the Remission of Sin, Mat. 26.28. Let us see our sins laid on Christ, and then they are no more ours but his.
2. In case of Pollution: Christ's Bloud is an healing and cleansing Bloud: 1. It is healing, Isa. 53.5. With his stripes we are healed. It is the best Weapon-Salve, it heals at a distance: though Christ be in Heaven, we may feel the Vertue of his Bloud healing our bloudy Issue. 2. And it is cleansing: 'Tis therefore compar'd to Fountain-water, Zec. 13.1. The Word is a Glass to show us our Spots, and Christ's Bloud is a Fountain to wash them away; it turns Leprosy into Purity: 1 Joh. 1.7. The bloud of Iesus cleanseth us from all our sin. There is indeed one Spot so black that Christ's Bloud doth not wash away, viz. The Sin against the Holy Ghost.—Not but that there is Vertue enough in Christ's Bloud to wash it away; but he who hath sinned that Sin, will not be washed, he contemns Christ's Bloud, and tramples it under foot, Heb. 10.29. Thus we see what a strong Cordial Christ's Bloud is, it is the Anchor-hold of our Faith, the Spring of our Joy, the Crown of our Desires, and the only Support both in Life and Death. In all our Fears let us comfort our selves with the Propitiatory Sacrifice of Christ's Bloud: Christ dyed both as a Purchaser and as a Conquerour: 1. As a Purchaser in regard of God, having by his Bloud obtained our Salvation. 2. And as a Conqueror in regard of Satan, the Cross being his Triumphant Chariot, whe…ein he hath led Hell and Death captive.
Use ult. Bless God for this precious Sacrifice of Christ's Death, Psal. 103.1. Bless the Lord, O my soul. And for what doth David bless him? Who redeemeth thy life from destruction. Christ gave himself a Sin-offering for us, let us give ourselves a Thank-offering to him. If a Man redeem another out of Debt, will not he be grateful? How deeply do we stand obliged to Christ, who hath redeemed us from Hell and Damnation, Rev. 5.9. And they sung a new Song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the Book, and open the Seals, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy Blood. Let our Hearts and Tongues join in consort to bless God, and let us shew our Thankfulness to Christ by Fruitfulness; let us bring forth (as Spice-Trees) the Fruits of Humility, Zeal, Good-works. This is to live unto him, who hath died for us, 2 Cor. 5.15. The Wise-men did not only worship Christ, but presented him with Gifts, Gold, and Frankincense, and Myrrhe, Matth. 2.11. Let us present Christ with the Fruits of Righteousness, which are unto the Glory and Praise of God.