Christ Crucified, Sermon 28
SERMON XXVIII.
ISAIAH LIII.VIII.
Verſ. 8. He was taken from priſon and from judgement, and who ſhall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the land of the living, for the tranſgreſſion of my people was he ſtricken.
WE need not tell you of whom the Prophet is ſpeaking here, every verſe and every word almoſt do make it manifeſt that he ſpeaks of Chriſt the Saviour, and indeed it can be applyed to none other; It's the ſame verſe, Acts 8.34. from which Philip proceeds to preach Chriſt to the Eunuch: The Prophet hath been largely holding forth Chriſt's ſufferings in the former verſe, and we conceive he takes a turn to ſpeak of Chriſt's exaltation and out gate from theſe ſufferings; It's true (as if he had ſaid) He was brought to Priſon and Judgement, He was indeed ſtraitned, and pinched, and laid very low, but Priſon and Judgement did not keep him; He was taken, or as the word is, He was lift up, from both; And for as deſpicable as he was in man's eyes, yet he was not ſo in himſelf, for who ſhall declare his generation? There is a wonderfulneſs in him who ſuffered, that cannot be reached, but muſt be left with admiration; And a wonderfu… glory whereunto he was after his humiliation exalted; and there is a reaſon of this given for preventing of offence; if any ſhould ſay, how then could he ſuffer and be brought ſo low in ſuffering, if he was ſo glorious a perſo…? He anſwers, it is true that he was cut off out of the land of the living,, but for no offence in himſelf, but for the tranſgreſſion of Gods Elect was he ſtricken, or as the word is, The ſtroak was upon him; Yea this (as we conceive) is given as a reaſon of his exaltation. Becauſe in the loweſt ſteps of his humiliation he condeſcended to fulfil his ingagement to the Father, in ſatisfying Juſtice for the ſins of the Elect, according to that of John 10.17. Therefore doth my Father love me, becauſe I lay down my life that I might take it again; Becauſe according to his ingagement he ſuffered for the ſins of his Elect People, therefore he could not but have a comfortable and glorious outgate.
There are theſe three things in the words, 1. Somewhat aſſerted concerning Chriſt Jeſus, He was taken from Priſon and from Judgement. 2. Something hinted at which cannot be expreſſed, Who ſhall declare his generation? 3. There is a reaſon given in reference to both, For he was cut off, &c. which we ſhall expound when we come to it.
For the firſt, He was taken from Priſon and from Judgement; We conceive theſe words look both to his humiliation and to his out-gate from it, the one being clearly ſuppoſed, that he was in priſon or ſtraits, and brought to judgement, and the other being expreſſed, that he was brought from priſon and from judgement: 1. Priſon here may be taken generally for any ſtrait pinch or preſſour tha… one may be brought unto, which we conce…ve both the Words and the Prophets ſcope will clear; Chriſt never having been properly in priſon, at leaſt for any conſiderable time, but ſtraitned and pinched; And he was taken from that, being in his humiliation, and in his ſufferings in the room of the Elect purſued by the Law and Juſtice of God, 2. Judgement is taken paſſively for Judgement paſt on him, and it looks not only to the procedour of Pilate, of the Chief Prieſt, and of the Scribes and Phariſees, but to a Judicial Proceſs which the Juſtice of God led againſt him, in which reſpect he anſwered (as the words after will clear) for the ſins of God's people. 3. The word, He was eaken, ſometimes ſignifies to deliver, as a Captive is delivered when he is taken from him that took him Captive, as it is, Iſai. 49.24. Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? To which the Lord here anſwers, It, or he ſhall be taken.
So then, the ſcope and meaning of the words is, that the Prophet ſubjoyns a narration of Chriſt's Exaltation upon the back of his Humiliation, as it is uſual in the Scripture to put theſe together, and in this order, as namely, Philip. 2.8, 9. He bumhled himſelf, and became obedient unto death, even to the death of the croſs; Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name, &c. He was exceedingly ſtraitned and pinched for the Elects ſins, but death had no dominion over him, he had a glorious out-gate; He was taken out and ſet free from the priſon or ſtraits wherein he was held, And from theſe judgements that paſt upon him; The reaſon of the Expoſition is drawn from the plain meaning of the words, which muſt run thus, He was taken from judgement, the very ſame which is in the following expreſſion, He was cut off out of the land of the living, that being the ordinary ſignification of the prepoſition from, the meaning muſt be this, that he was taken out of the condition wherein he was; It agrees alſo beſt with the ſcope of the very next words, Who ſhall declare his generation? Wherein he propoſeth an admirable aggravation of this delivery.
The 2d. thing hath a connexion with the former, and therefore take a word or two for clearing of it; What to underſtand by Generation here, is ſomewhat difficult to determine, the word in the Original having ſeveral meanings, yet generally it looks to one of two, as it is applyed to Chriſt, 1. Either to the time paſt, and ſo it's uſed by many to expreſs and hold forth Chriſt's God-head, and ſo the meaning is, though he was brought very low, yet he was and is the eternal Son of God: Or 2. (as commonly it is taken) it looks to the time to come, and ſo the meaning is, who ſhall declare his duration or continuance? Generation is often taken thus in Scripture for the continuance of an Age, and of one Age following another ſucceſſively, as Joſhua 22. This Altar ſhall be a witneſs to the generations to come; So then, the meaning is, he was once low, but God exalted him, and brought him thorow, and who ſhall declare this duration or continuance of his exaltation? As it is Phil. 2.8, 9. He humbled himſelf, &c. Therefore God highly exalted him; As his humiliation was low, ſo his exaltation was ineffable, it cannot be declared nor adequatly conceived, the continuance of it being for ever; There is no inconſiſtency betwixt theſe two Expoſitions; His duration or continuance after his ſuffering neceſſarily preſuppoſing his Godhead, brought in here partly to ſhew the wonderfulneſs of his ſuffering, it being God that ſuffered, for the man that ſuffered was God; Partly to ſhew Chriſt's glory, who notwithſtanding of his ſuffering was brought thorow and gloriouſly exalted: And theſe reaſons make it evident, 1. Whatever theſe words, Who ſhall declare his age or generation do ſignifie, certainly it is ſomething that can be ſpoken of no other, but of Chriſt, and that agrees to him ſo as it agrees to no other; Now if we look ſimply to the eternity of his duration or continuance, that agrees to all the Elect, and will agree to all men at the Reſurrection; Therefore the Prophet muſt look here to his continuance and duration as he is God. 2. Becauſe, Who ſhall declare his genaration? is brought in here, to ſhew the ineffableneſs of it, and ſo to make his ſufferings the more wonderful, it was he who ſuffered, whoſe continuance cannot be declared. 3. It's ſuch a continuance as is brought in to ſhew a reaſon why death could not have dominion over him, nor keep him, according to that, Rom. 1.4. He was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the ſpirit of holineſs by his reſurrection from the dead; And the reaſon ſubjoyned to this will ſomeway clear it, for he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the tranſgreſſion of my people was he ſtricken; Thereby inſinuating, that becauſe of the great work which he had to do, there behoved to be ſome ſingularneſs in the perſon that had the work in hand, who notwithſtanding of the greatneſs and difficultneſs of it, came thorow, and was hereby exalted: However it be, the Prophets ſcope being to ſet out Chriſt's Humiliation and Exaltation, his Humiliation before, and his Exaltation after, which is, as we ſaid, ordinary in Scripture; We conceive the meaning we have given is ſafe, and agreeable to the Prophets ſcope.
We may obſerve three things from the firſt part of the words, 1. That our Lord Jeſus Chriſt in his performing the work of Redemption was exceedingly ſtraitned or pinſhed, or held in, as the word is elſewhere rendered, bound up and hemmed in as men are who are in Priſon; and by theſe ſtraitnings we mean not only ſuch as he was brought into by, and before men, (whereof we ſpoke before;) but eſpecially theſe that were more inward; and theſe being amongſt the laſt ſteps of his Humiliation, more immediately preceeding his Exaltation, and ſpoken of as moſt wonderful, we conceive they look to theſe preſſures that were upon his ſpirit; and we ſhall inſtance ſeveral places of Scripture that ſerve to hold them out; the firſt is that of John 12.27, 28. Now is my ſoul troubled, and what ſhall I ſay? Father, ſave me from this hour; here our bleſſed Lord is troubled in Spirit, and ſo pinſhed and hedged in as in a Priſon, that he is holily non-pluſſed what to ſay. The 2d Scripture is Matth. 26.38. My ſoul is exceeding ſorrowful even unto death, which is like the expreſſions uſed by the Apoſtle 2 Cor. 11.8. We were preſſed above meaſure, above ſtrength, in ſo much as we deſpaired of life, and we had the ſentence of death in our ſelves; there was no outgate obvious to humane ſenſe and uptaking; ſo is it here; wherein we are not only to conſider his Soul vexation, but that his Soul vexation was very great, extreamly pinſhing, vexing, and in a manner impriſoning to him. The 3d Scripture is Luke 22.44. He being in an agony prayed more earnestly, and his ſweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground; there was ſuch a ſtriving, wreſtling and conflicting, not with man without him, but with inward preſſures on his ſpirit, that he is like one in a Barrace, or Cockpit, or engaged in a Duel with a mighty Combatant, ſore put to it, very far beyond ought that we can conceive of; ſo that he ſwat great drops of blood, and ſays, father if thou be willing remove this cup from me, nevertheleſs, not my will but thine be done; it is in Matthew, if it be poſſible, and thereafter if it be not poſſible; which ſays, there was no winning out of the grips of the Law and Juſtice till they were fully ſatisfied; and theſe dreadful words uttered by him on the Croſs, My God, my God, why hast thou forſaken me? hold out that from the ſinleſs humane nature of Chriſt, the comfortable and joyful influence of the God-head for a time was in a great meaſure ſuſpended, (though the ſuſtaining power thereof was exerciſed mightily on him) ſo that he looks on himſelf ſome way as forſaken and left in the hand of the Curſe.
To clear this a little, we would conſider theſe preſſures that were on our Lords Spirit. 1. In reſpect of their cauſe. 2. In reſpect of their effects.
1. In reſpect of their cauſe; There is upon the one ſide his undertaking for the Elect as their Surety, and Gods Juſtice purſuing and holding him in on the other ſide, ſo that he cannot decline being ſiſted at the Bar of Juſtice, becauſe as it is verſ. 6. the ſins of all the Elect met upon him; and he having as it is verſ. 7. the bitter cup in his hand which by his engagement he was obliged to drink, he ſtands there by the Decree of God and by the Covenant of Redemption tying him to ſatisfie; and being purſued by Wrath and Juſtice, the words come out, Father, if it be poſſible, let this cup depart from me, yet not my will but thine be done; his engagement hemming him in, and wrath purſuing him, he ſtands betwixt theſe two as a priſoner; and upon theſe two the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all, and he was exacted upon and anſwered for them; follows well the third, that he was put in priſon; for in theſe Verſes, the ſteps of our Lords Humiliation are followed out in a legal way as before the bar of Gods Tribunal.
2ly. This being our Lords poſture, we ſhall conſider the effects of this preſſure of ſpirit, which we may draw to theſe four heads. 1. He was under the ſenſe of great Soul-pain, ſorrow and trouble; for the cup of the wrath of God being bitter which he was to drink, it could not but deeply ſting his holy humane nature, which was the procuring cauſe of his agony, and that which made his ſoul ſorrowful and brought out the bloody ſweat. 2. Beſide his grief and dolour, there was a holy horrour; and conſidering the party that he had to do with, it was impoſſible it could be otherways, impoſſible for a finit though a ſinleſs creature, to look on an angry God, and on wrath poured forth into the cup which it muſt needs drink, and not to have a horrour at it; it were not becoming the ſinleſs humane nature of our bleſſed Lord not to be affected with a holy and ſinleſs horrour at that moſt bitter cup, which brought out that ſad cry, Father, let this cup depart from me; which did not proceed from any diſlike he had to fulfil his engagement, or from any rewing or unſuitable reſentment that he had ſo engaged himſelf, but from an apprehended ſinleſs diſproportionableneſs (to ſpeak ſo) in his finit ſinleſs humane nature, to encounter with the wrath of his Father; to which, though he moſt willingly yielded, yet in it ſelf it was dreadful. 3. There was a pinſhing and ſtraitning of holy fear, as if there had been in him a ſinleſs diſpute or debate, what will become of this? can a man win thorow this? (though he was God as well as man) how will this be gotten born? This looks as if death would get the victory; Thus it's ſaid Heb. 5.7. In the days of his fleſh he offtred up ſtrong crys and ſupplications with tears, and was heard in that which he feared, he put up ſtrong crys to be delivered, not from dying, but from the power of death, and was heard in that which he feared, to ſhew a holy care to prevent death, could that have been, and a ſinleſs fear of it leſt it ſhould ſwallow him up. 4. There was a pinſhing and ſtraitning from love to the Father and to the doing of his Will; and from love to the Elect and to their Salvation, which puſhed him forward to perform and fulfil his engagement; accordingly Luk. 12.41. he ſays, I have a baptizm to be baptized with, and how am I ſtraitned till it be accompliſhed, and hence it was that theſe words were uttered by him, Father, not my will but thine be done; and therefore though he had power to command twelve legions of Angels for his relief, yet, to ſpeak ſo, love binds his hands that he will not uſe his power for his own liberation. But to guard this Doctrine from miſtakes, take a fourfold advertiſement concerning this inward ſoul-pinſhing, which will help to clear ſomewhat of his Soul-ſuffering that followeth, And. 1. Think not that there was any ſinful or unſuitable confuſion or perturbation of mind in our Lord, ſuch as uſeth to be in us, there being no dreg of corruption in his mind to jumble or diſcompoſe his holy humane nature. 2. Beware of thinking that there was any fretting or anxiety in him, or any diſcontentedneſs with the Bargain, his expreſſions ſhew forth the contrary, for (ſaith he) I could command twelve legions of angels, yet he would not do it. 3. Think not that there was any jealouſie in him of the Fathers love, though there was a ſuſpenſion of the comfortable and joyful ſenſe of it, yet there was not the leaſt louſing of the faith of it, as is clear by his doubling of theſe words, My God, my God, when in his ſaddeſt pinſh he cried out as b… ing forſaken. 4. Ye would not look on this as holding out any diſtruſt as to the event. I have (ſaith he) power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it up again; and I will riſe again the third day; he knew that the Covenant of Redemption betwixt the Father and him ſtood firm and ſure: But it's the conſideration of God's now coming as his Party to exact the Elects Debt of him, and his ſtanding at the Bar to anſwer for it, which puts him in this agony; and though conſidering Chriſt as man perſonally united to the God-head (whereby he was keeped from ſinking,) he had no diſtruſt to be carried thorow; yet conſidering him as Man ſuffering, and that (to ſpeak ſo with reverence in ſuch a divine ſubject) there was an eclipſe of that ſenſible joy that proceeded from the two natures together, It's not poſſible to conceive of Chriſt in this poſture, but wrath and anger behoved to be ſome-way dreadful or terrible to him.
The Uſes are, 1. To evidence the truth of what our Lord ſuffered, and how ſeverely he was pinſhed and ſtraitned; It was not the Scribes and Phariſees purſuing him, nor the Souldiers buffeting and mocking of him, and carrying him to the high Prieſt's hall, and from Pilate to Herod and back again, that ſo much troubled him; but there was a higher H…nd that he had to look to, and a Judge and Court to which he was now anſwering, that was very far above theirs.
And therefore, as a 2d. Uſe of the Doctrine, Think it not ſuch a light thing (as many do) to ſatisfie Juſtice, or to give God a ranſom for Souls, ye ſee how it pinſhed the Cautioner, and put him as in a priſon; unſpeakably deceived are they who think that two or three formal words will make their peace with God, and that they will ſlip in to Heaven ſo; Be not carried away with this deluſion, but conſider ſeriouſly what will become of you if ye be put to anſwer for your own Debt, when he handled the Cautioner his own Son ſo roughly; ye that will ſleep on, and ſcorn to let any word pick at you or prick you, the Juſtice of God ſhall prick you and put you to ſtraits, out of which ye will not be able to extricate your ſelves; and he ſhall appear like everlasting burning when the great day of his wrath comes, and when it ſhall be ſaid by you, who can stand before it, or abide it? It were good that ye who are moſt atheiſtical, and who with a ſort of triumph and gallantry will needs deſtroy your ſelves, would lay this to heart, and remember that the day comes when ye will be brought to this Bar; and gravely conſider what a Hell that will be, to have the deſperateneſs of the outgate ſealed up in your Conſciences; and theſe evidences of Gods hatred, and theſe aggravations that our Lords holy nature could not admit of, in your boſome; when Wrath meets with Corruption, and Corruption with Wrath, and when theſe mingle, how dreadful will your caſe be?
3ly. Let Believers ſee here what ye are obliged to Chriſt; Conſider what he hath payed, and what the ſatisfaction of Juſtice for you coſt him; Folks are ready to think that it was an eaſie thing to ſatisfie Juſtice, and to drink of the brook by the way; but if Sinners were ſenſible of challanges for ſin, and if they had the Arrows of the Almighty drinking up their ſpirits, they would think otherwiſe of Chriſts drinking out the cup of Wrath for them, not leaving ſo much as one drop of it; It's but the ſhorings or threatnings with ſome drops of it that any of you meet with in your ſharpeſt Soul-exerciſes; O! believing Sinners, are ye not then eternally obliged to Chriſt who drunk out this wrathful-cup for you?
4ly. There is notable conſolation here to poor Souls that would fain make uſe of Chriſt, As 1. That Chriſt hath ſtepped thorow this deep Foord, or rather Sea before them; and if the Cup come in their hand, it's empty; Freedom from the Wrath of God is a great conſolation, and yet it's the conſolation of all them that are fled unto him for refuge. 2. It's comfortable to them in their comparatively petty ſtraits and difficulties when they wot not what to do, when the Law ſeizeth and Juſtice purſueth, and when the Conſcience challengeth; to conſider that Chriſt was a priſoner before them, though he had no challenge for his own debt, yet he was challenged for ours, that he might be a compaſſionate high Prieſt, being made like to us, but without ſin; Juſtice purſued him, the Law arreſted him, wrath ſeized on him; ſo that when we are ſet upon by theſe he will be tender of us, for he knows our frame and that we cannot bear much; and therefore on this ground a believing ſinner may go with boldneſs to the Throne of Grace, becauſe Chriſt the Cautioner who hath payed his Debt, is there; it's a ſhame for believing ſinners to walk ſo heartleſly, even under theſe things that are terrible, as if Chriſt had not gone thorow them before them and for them. 3. There is conſolation here when they are under any pinſhing croſs and difficulty; as there is alſo ground for patient and pleaſant bearing of it, becauſe it was another ſort of priſon that Chriſt was put in for them; ye may I grant lament over the long want of ſenſible preſence, it being kindly to the Believer to miſs it, and to long for it, but ye ſhould not be heartleſs under the want of it, nor complain as the Lords people do lament, Is there any ſorrow like unto my ſorrow? but ſubmiſſively and contentedly bear it without fretting, ſeing our Lord bare ſo much for you.
5ly. There is here a notable encouragement to believe, and a notable ground for the Believer to expect freedom from ſin and from the pinſhing ſtraits that it deſerveth, becauſe Chriſt payed dear for it; wherefore was all this pinſhing but to pay Believers Debt? But when we come to ſpeak of his outgate, it will clear this more.
2. While it's ſaid, That he was brought from judgment, which ſuppoſes and implyes, that he was once at, or under judgment, even the judgment of God, who is his great party all along; He laid on him the iniquity of us all; and verſ. 10. It pleaſed the Lord to bruiſe him; He was the Creditor that cauſed take and arreſt him; Obſerve, That in all the Soul-vexation, in all the pinſhing preſſure of ſpirit that our Lord ſuſtained, he was ſtanding judicially before the bar of God, and was judicially proceeded againſt as the Elects Cautioner and Surety; there was no acceſs to bring Chriſt to …udgment had he not engaged to be Surety, and had not God laid on him our iniquities, for it was for no Debt that he was owing himſelf, but for what by his engagement as the Elects Surety he came under and was made lyable to: That which I mean by his being brought to Judgment, is not only that he ſuffered & was occaſionally condemned by a Court of men, or by a humane Judicatory, which was rather like a tumultuary Meeting, or a company of men in an uproar, than indeed a Court; but whatever was before men, there was a legal and judicial procedure before God: For clearing whereof, ye would conſider, 1. The account whereon he ſuffered and was brought before Gods Court of Judgment, to ſpeak ſo; It was not for any thing that the Scribes or Phariſees, or Pilate had to lay to his charge; it was envy in them, the former at leaſt, that ſtirred them in what they did; but the next words tell us what it was, for the tranſgreſſion of my people was he ſtriken; The Prieſts and People had no mind of this, but this was indeed the ground of his judicial Challenge and Arraignment before God; the Elect were in their ſins, and he by the Covenant of Redemption ſtood lyable for their Debt, becauſe in it he had undertaken for them as their Cautioner and Surety. 2. Conſider who was his great party in his Sufferings; it was not Pilate and the Jews, he cared not ſo much for them, but it is God, and therefore he crys, My God, my God, why hast thou forſaken me? and therefore he makes his addreſs to God, Father if it be poſſible let this cup paſs from me; he cared not for anſwering them, but looks to a higher hand, and upon himſelf as ſtanding before another Tribunal; therefore it's ſaid v. 10. yet it pleaſed the Lord to bruiſe him; he looked not to Pilate but to the Lord purſuing him. 3. Co…ſider our Lords ſubmiſſion to his being brought to Judgment, not only nor chiefly before men, but before God, therefore ſays he, John 12.48. Father ſave me from this hour, but for this cauſe came I to this hour; come th…n F…ther and let us compt; he looks not only to the preſent diſpenſation, but alſo to the ground whence it came, and to the end that God had in it; for this cauſe came I unto this hour, even to have my ſoul troubled, and to be put to anſwer for the D bt of my elect People according to my Engagement; Lo, I come (ſaith he, in that often cited 40. Pſalm) in the volum of thy book, it is wretten of me, I delight do thy will. Conſider 4ly. The effects of his bringing to Judgment; A ſentence paſſes 1 Tim. 3. ult. Great is the myſtery of godlineſs, God manifested in the fleſh, justified in the ſpirit, not before Pilate, but in Gods Court, having ſatisfied for the Elects Debt according to his undertaking, he gets an abſolviture, which reaches not only to himſelf but to all them whoſe perſons he ſuſtained, as is clear 2 Cor. 5. ult. He was made ſin for us who knew no ſin, that we might be made the righteouſneſs of God in him; and the Elects obtaining eternal Redemption and Abſolution by his death, with the accreſcing of his ſatisfaction to their juſtification, clears that he ſtood there judicially at the Bar of God in their name to anſwer for them. And there are three ſteps of this his judicial anſwering, 1. He gets the Libel of the Elects Debt put in his hand; though there was no guile in his mouth, yet it pleaſed the Lord to bruiſe him, he laid on him the iniquity of us all, and for the iniquity of my people was he ſtricken; theſe are the perſons that he undertook for, and for their Debt he anſwers; the verity of the fact is clear, for they are under guilt; the Laws claim is clear, for it's broken, and upon this the Libel is put in his hand; hence it's ſaid, He died for us, He was made ſin for us, and he died for our ſins. 2. As the Libel is put in his hand, ſo a ſentence paſſes accordingly, he is found lyable to the Elects Debt and muſt anſwer for it, as the former word is, it was exacted on him, and 2 Cor. 5. ult. He was made ſin for us, and Gal. 3.13: He was made a curſe for us, that is, by the ſentence of Juſtice he is decerned to bear the curſe. 3. The ſentence is executed as it was paſt, the cup is put in his hand, and not only is he decerned and doomed to the curſe, but actually he is made a curſe, and all this as judicially ſuſtaining the perſons of the Elect, and as their Cautioner and Surety.
Here we have ſome ſweet and profitable Uſes, 1. See here and take up the way of Redemption contrived, ſo as it runs on Mercy and Juſtice, Mercy to the Elect, and Juſtice to the Cautioner, their Debt being fully exacted of him.
2. It learns us how to eſtabliſh our Faith, and alſo gives us a ground of Believing; To make it diſtinct; Juſtice behoved to be ſatisfied, without which no Mercy could be ſhewed to the Sinner; and God hath laid down the way by the Cautioners interpoſing; even as it is among men, the Cautioners being impriſoned and ſatisfying, is the Debtors liberation; and as God hath condeſcended to deal with us by way of Covenant, ſo he condeſcended in the Covenant of Redemption to proceed legally and judicially with Chriſt, that we might have the clearer way to make application of it.
3. Are there any here that look for Redemption thorow Chriſt, and hope that their ſins were in the Libel given to him? O! how warming would this be to your hearts? and how ſhould it make them to melt in love and godly ſorrow, to behold Chriſt ſtanding at Juſtice-bar, and that for you? O! what an aſpect would his ſufferings have on us if we were clear about our intereſt in him, and could hear him in our name, ſaying, Father here am I, if thou take me let theſe go; thy will be done, for this cauſe came I here to anſwer for my peoples debt, to take with the challenges given in against them, and to undergo thy ſentence for them; then ſays Juſtice, thou muſt pay their Debt, Content ſays he, Here am I; and ſo he gives his back to the ſmiter, and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair, and hid not his face from ſhame and ſpitting: If we were clear that our ſhare was there, and that our iniquities came in among the reſt to make up the Libel, and if we could aright diſcern him ſo pinſhed and ſtraitned in ſatisfying for us, would we not think our ſelves eternally obliged to him, to hate ſin, and to glorifie him in our bodies and ſpirits which are his? as it it 1 Cor. 6. ult. If indeed ye be Chriſts (as ye are all ready to profeſs your ſelves to be) he pays dear for you, and if ſo, will not this ly upon you as a juſt Debt to him, to glorifie him in your bodies and in your ſpirits? for both in body and ſpirit he payed for you.
4. It's a notable ground of conſolation to Believers againſt diſpondency and fear to appear before the Throne of God…; becauſe our Lord Jeſus Chriſt hath been before us and in our name, and hath anſwered for us to the full, and hath ſatisfied all that Juſtice could crave of us: What wakens terror at Death, and makes the thoughts of Chriſt's appearing to be dreadful, but our looking on our appearing at the Bar of God? but it is a comfort againſt it, that Chriſt as our Cautioner was brought to Priſon & to Judgment, and was alſo brought from both; yea which is more, and without which the conſolation is but halved, he was brought to both for us, and he was alſo brought from both as our Surety, as Surety for all them that betake themſelves by F…ith to him: He was carried to Priſon and to Judgment as Cautioner for the Elect, and he was purſued as their Cautioner, and therefore his payment of the Debt as Cautioner muſt be accepted in name of them for whom he payed the Debt: Our Lord Jeſus not only died and was laid in the Grave, but he went further in (to ſpeak ſo,) he was even at the Bar of Juſtice, libelled, exacted upon and ſentenced, and the ſentence executed upon him, elſe, wo had been unto us; on this ground is that triumph, Rom. 8. Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? it's God that juſtifies; who ſhall condemn? it's Chriſt that died, year rather, who is riſen again, &c. and it's ſaid Rom. 7. That we are delivered from the law being dead to that wherein we were held; the Law had us in Priſon, and a lock on the door, and had us under irons, but our Lord came, and (as Sampſon did in another caſe) carried the ports and bars to the hill top, He ſpoiled principalities and powers, and triumphed openly over them on the croſs, ſo that now the prince of this world is judged; Theſe are the true and faithful ſayings of God: We have through Chriſt acceſs, and may with boldneſs come to the throne of Grace, having him as high prieſt who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and was in all things tempted like as we are; he knew not only what it was to be hungry and thirſty and weary, to be pained, and to die; but what it was to come before the terrible Tribunal of God, and to be libelled for ſin though not for his own ſin, and what it was to be ſentenced and to meet with wrath; which gives to ſinners a ſafe and refreſhful ſhelter under him, as under the ſhadow of a great rock in a weary land: This is the great deſign of the Goſpel, to make proffer of the benefite of theſe ſufferings to you, and to pray you in Chriſts ſtead to be reconciled to God: Now God himſelf perſwade you to it.