The Life of Faith in Times of Trial and Affliction, Consideration 12
CONSIDERATION. XII. Our Sufferings are nothing comparable to Christ's.
WHen we spoke to the last Consideration, we mentioned something of this: But because more is to be said of it, and it may be edifyingly Improven, for the ends designed; we shall speak alittle more to it here by it self, though it be but a branch of the former. And for this cause, we shall do these two things. 1. We shall mention some particulars, whereby the disproportion betwixt Christ's Sufferings and Ours, will appear manifest. 2. We shall shew how thoughts of these my prove advantagious unto a Christians spiritual life, in a day of Affliction and Tribulation.
In order to the understanding of the first, we would take notice.
1. That the disproportion is infinite, in respect of the Persons suffering: what are we, Yesterday-Nothings, base and worthless wormes, whose life is in our nostrils, vaine empty shadowes? But He is the standart-bearer amongst Ten Thousand Cant. 5. vers. 10. The wonderful Counsellour, the Mighty God; the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of peace Esai. 9. vers. 6. This maketh that all our Sufferings are not worthie to be compared with His. We know, that the Greatness, Nobility, Worth and Dignity of the Person, who is put to suffer, maketh the Sufferings more in the account of men, than otherwise they would be. That a poor, base, unworthy beggar is scourged, spit upon and buffeted, is nothing, or not much considerable; but to see a King, a Prince, or great Noble-man so used, that is a considerable matter, in the eyes of men. It is not much to see beggars sitting on dung-hils; but it is much to see such, as did feed delicatly, sit desolat in the streets; and to see such as were brought up in scarlet, embraceing dunghils; that is indeed matter of a lamentation. Lam. 4. vers. 5. To see base men contemned and slighted is not much; but to see Princes hanged-up by their hand, and the faces of Elders not honoured, that is sad and lamentable Lam. 5. vers. 12. So it is not much to see us, base, unworthy, sinful and nothing creatures, suffering, and put to hardships, disgrace, paine, shame, miserie and wants: But to see the Prince of the Kings of the earth in disgrace; to see the Lord of life killed, the Son of God despised, the King of Kings spit upon, and put to paine; to see the Heire of all things suffering want; that is an uncouth sight. This maketh Christ's sufferings incomparably great, and all our Sufferings nothing in comparison with these, even when ours are at the greatest. What are the sufferings of a beast, of a worme, or the like, unto the sufferings of the greatest Prince that ever was, or unto the sufferings of an Angel? And yet the worme being a creature, as well as the Prince or Angel, the difference is not so very great: but the difference is Infinitly more great, betwixt the sufferings of Christ, who is God, equal with the Father in power, and the sufferings of the greatest King or Emperour, or Angel that ever was, because there is no comparison betwixt Finite and Infinite, betwixt God and the Creature.
2. We know it is much more for one to suffer Death, while in the flowr of his age, and in the prime of his Strength, and who in all probability, according to his natural Constitution, might live many years; than for one, who is half Dead already, and is carrying about with him the Sentence of Death, his Body being decayed, and his clay-cottage ruinous, and almost fallen to the ground: So in this respect Christs Sufferings are far beyond ours; for our Clay-bodies are so rotten with Corruption, so broken with sicknesses and diseases, that a few years should put an end to our dayes, and we should quickly return unto dust, though no hand were streatched out against us; yea, though all imaginable meanes were used, to keep us in vigour and life. But Christs Body, though a true Body, yet was naturally free of these Corruptions, that come because of sin, which our Bodies are obnoxious unto: We never read of his sickness. And though his death was not wholly miraculous, yet we may not say, that He would have died naturally, as other men do, though no violent hands had been laid upon Him.
3. We use to think much more of his sufferings, who suffereth wrongously and without Cause, than of his, who suffereth deservedly; We will not be much moved to see a bloody Murderer put to Death; but it will move us much to see a man put to death, against whom nothing worthie of Death can be alleiged. So, in this respect, our Sufferings are nothing in comparison of Christs; for however, as to men, we should suffer innocently; yet there is ground for God to plead His controversie against us, and to use these, as Instruments of His Justice, to execute His righteous Sentence against us. But it was otherwayes as to Christ, who, though as standing in the room of the Elect, and made their Cautioner, and so made sin for them, or had their sin imputed to Him, He was smitten of Justice; yet as to His own Person, He was the Innocent Lamb of God, and without sin, Holy, Harmless, Undefiled. And as to men, He suffered most wrongously, as was seen above.
4. The difference is great in this respect, That Mercy is Master of work, standing at the side of the fournace, and ordering the same, while His people are lying into it: But the Law-wrath and Justice of God was blowing at the coal of Christs Sufferings. We have to do but with men, whose Actions are over-ruled by the Omnipotent hand of a Merciful God? But He had to do with God, executing Law-Justice, because He stood in the room of the Elect. The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our Iniquities, the Chastisement of our Peace was upon Him. He bear the iniquity and sin of many Esai. 53. v. 5, 6, 11, 12. His own self bear our sins, in his own Body, on the tree 1 Pet. 2: v. 24. It is not so with the Lords People; He dealeth not with them, in pure Wrath, or in Justice; but in Mercy and in Moderation. The Cup, that Christ had to drink, was full of the purest Law-wrath, and so bitter, that His Holy Sinless Soul did scunner at it: But in the Cup of his Children, there is not one drop of the revenging Justice of God, or of Law-wrath; but much of His Fatherly Mercy, and it smelleth strongly of Love; for He is bringing about their good hereby. Therefore the disproportion betwixt Christ's Sufferings and ours is Infinite, upon this account.
5. Put the case (which yet will not be) that God should deal with any of His owne, according to strick Severity, and Law-Justice; yet could not their Sufferings be comparable unto Christs. Though they were pursued by pure Justice, and by Law-vengeance, and sent away to everlasting flames, they should not, for all that, endure what He endured; for they should but suffer, in that case, for their own particular and personal faults: But Christ bear the sins of many, even of all the Elect: And this would make the difference great: How much greater then must the difference now be, when their Sufferings are of a far other Nature?
6. This will be further clear, if we Consider, how Christ did not only undergo the Debt of the Elect, and wrestled with strickest Law-Justice; but by His Sufferings, He made full Satisfaction to Justice; which they all, for whom Christ died, had never been able in hell to have done; there had they lyen, for ever, and had never come out of prison; for they had never been able to have satisfied Justice: But what Christ Suffered was full Satisfaction to Iustice, that it could crave no more; the Bond and Obligation was cancelled on the Crosse, and Christ cried out, It is finished; intimating that the last penny was payed. Thus Christ suffered more, than all of them could have done, for all Eternity: and so certainly His sufferings were transcendently and surpassing great; and the hardest of our Sufferings ought not to be named in one day with His.
In Order to the Improving of this, (which is the Second Particular) we shall mentione these few things,
1. Were this Consideration rightly thought on, and improven, His people would not be so much troubled and affrighted, in a time of Sufferings, as usually they are. We see how Christ went up to Ierusalem, and set His face to go thitherward, resolving to go thither, notwithstanding of all Impediments in the way; and albeit His Disciples were averse from that journay, and would have disswaded Him from it; He went thither with a full Resolution, though He knew He was to grapple not only with the King of Terrours there, but with pure Law-Curse and Wrath, because of the Sinnes of His chosen ones: And what should make His people afraied, who have little or nothing to meet with, in comparison of what Christ did meet with; they have nothing of Law-wrath, and of pure Vindictive Iustice to meet with, as Christ had to rancountre with, in full measure: Iustice is now satisfied in their behalfe; and it is their mistake to think, that in and by Afflictions, God is pursueing them in wrath: It is true, there may be fatherly anger and displeasure in the Cup, Which they get to drink; but Christ drank-out the Curse, and satisfied Vindictive Iustice, and there is no payment to Iustice, no not one farthing required of them, in all their Sufferings. So that Beleevers have not so great cause to fear, as they suppose.
2. Were this rightly considered, the people of God would carry more like Saints under Afflictions, than they do: They are oftentimes, when sore afflicted, saying within themselves, why doth the Lord deal so with me? Are not many worse than I am more gentlie dealt with. Oh! They consider not what Holy and Harmless Iesus was made to suffer. Sure, if they considered this, they durst repine and fret in their mindes no more. What though they have been innocent, as to men; and vvhat though they be sincere and upright, as to God? Yet they are sinners, and Christ, vvho never sinned, vvas othervvayes handled both at the hands of God and Man, than they are, though their Afflictions and Sufferings vvere many vvayes multiplied.
3. Right thoughts of this would teach them to carry the yoke with very great patience and submission of Soul: Holy Jesus had another sort of yoke upon His blessed neck; and yet he bore it with wonderful Patience, yea with Holy Delight. Why then should they be so impatient under their light and easie Yoke? It is little they have to bear, yea nothing, in comparison of what Christ stood under.
4. Seing Christ suffered so much, and bore the Curse, what have beleevers now to endure, or lye under? The height they can be reckoned to, is but small remnants of what fell on Christ in a full floud; and what they meet with is wholly free of Vindictive Wrath. They suffer but some little thing of that, which is behinde of the Sufferings of Christ Col. 1: vers. 24. Christ trode the Wine-press, He hath gone thorow the sea, and all the mighty waves thereof: The shoure of Law-vengeance fell on His face, in its full force and might; and there is nothing of that left, but small drops of the outward Affliction, freed of the Curse, left behinde for His Followers. Have not His Followers then cause of Rejoiceing, upon this account, in the midst of all their Afflictions?
5. Though trouble increase, yet they ought to be quiet, and possesse their Soul in Patience; for it will never increase to that height, that it will be equal to Christ's trouble: Though their Afflictions come to the heighest, that men can bring them to: Yet will they be infinitly below the Afflictions, that Christ suffered. Have any then cause to complaine, when they are so gentlie dealt vvith; and vvhen all their Afflictions are in a manner no Afflictions, in comparison of Christs?
6. We are oft ready to look upon our Sufferings thorovv a magnifying glasse, and take notice of all Considerations, that may serve to heighten them; and thus vve take a vvay to create much more trouble and vexation to ourselves, and to make our life more sad and bitter: But the right improvement of this Consideration vvould prevent all this; for vvould vve take a right vievv of the inconceivably great and unparalleled Sufferings of Christ, ours in comparison of these, would soon evanish out of sight, and disappear as nothing: And thus would we be brought to bear our Affliction with full Subjection of Soul, with silence, yea and with thankful acknowledgment of Gods Graciousness and Tenderness, who hath dealt so gently with us, when He might have made the yoke more, yea much more, heavy and insupportable.
7. Who, taking a right View of what Christ suffered, will not think themselves called to suffer for His sake, with great willingness and cheerfulness? May not every Beleever say, did Christ undergo the heavy weight of the Wrath of God, for me? Did He lye under the Law-curse, and bear the blowes of Vindictive Justice, for me? Stood He betwixt me, and the pure Wrath of a sin-revenging God? Did He drink the bitter Cup, the Gall and the Worm-wood of Law-vengeance, that I might be freed therefrom? Did He bear that, under which I should have lyen to all eternity, that I might never come into that place of torment? And what Affliction, Persecution, Tribulation, Distress, Sorrow, Paine and Suffering should I think too much for Him and His sake? Seing He endured for me the brunt of the battel, and stood-out the sharpest of the storm and hail of Divine Wrath, and Law-Indignation; why should not I be content to bear a drop of mans Wrath, or of the storme of mans Indignation, which is free of the Curse and of pure Wrath, for Him and for His Interest? Hath He suffered so much for me, and shall I think much to suffer such a small matter for Him? Is there no proportion betwixt what He willingly endured, to save me from Hell and from the Wrath of a Sin-revenging God, and what I can be put to suffer for Him, and His Testimonie? And shall I notwithstanding be unwilling to undergo such a small inconsiderable bit of suffering for His Glory, and for the Word of His Patience? Drank he the Cup of pure Wrath for me, and shall I think much to drink a drop of cold Water for Him? O how willing and cheerful would the right apprehension of this Consideration, make the Beleever, to undergo all that men could devise, for His Lord and Master?