Christ Crucified, Sermon 33
SERMON XXXIII.
ISAIAH LIII. IX.
Verſ. 9. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, becauſe he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
EVery paſſage of our Lords way in proſecuting the work of Redemption hath ſomewhat wonderful in it; we heard of ſeveral of them, eſpecially in his Humiliation, how very low the bleſſed Cautioner condeſcended to come for relief of the captivity; how he was put to wreſtle and fight, and what great Strengths or ſtrong Holds he was put as it were to take in; there is one ſtrong Hold (to ſpeak ſo) not ſpoken of as yet which muſt alſo be ſtormed, and the fortifications of it pulled down by the Mediator, and that is the Grave; the Prophet tells us, that as he declined not death, ſo neither did he decline the Grave, but as he was cut off out of the land of the living as a wicked man in the account of men, ſo in the account of men he was taken down from the croſs with the Thieves and buried in the Grave as one of them.
I ſhall not trouble you with diverſity of interpretations, but ſhall only hint at two things for your better underſtanding of the words, in which the difficulty lyeth, The 1. is this, Whether doth this relate to his Humiliation only, or to his Exaltation, or to both? for it cannot be reaſonably thought but his being buried with the wicked is a piece of his Humiliation; to make it only an evidence of his Humiliation, ſeems not to ſtand with the next part of the words, becauſe he had done no violence, &c. which is a cauſal reaſon of that which goeth before: But we anſwer, that there may be here a reſpect had unto both; the firſt words reſpect his Humiliation, comparing them with the truth of the Hiſtory as it is ſet down Matth. chap. 27. where it is clear that he was deſtinate in the account of men, and by their appointment, to be buried with wicked men: for they thought no more of him than if he had been a wicked man. The next words, And with the rich in his death, look to his Exaltation, and the meaning of them is, that however he was in the account of men buried with Thieves, and laid in the grave as a Malefactor or wicked Man; yet in God's account and by his appointment and over-ruling providence it was otherwayes, for he put a difference betwixt him and others, and gave him a honourable burial with the rich, though he was deſigned by men to be buried with thieves; yet as we have it Matth. 27.57. Joſeph of Arimathea went to Pilat and begged his body and wrapped it in clean Linnen, and laid it in a new tomb; which in God's providence was ſo ordered, both to ſhew a difference betwixt him and thoſe thieves, and alſo to declare that he was innocent, as the reaſon ſubjoined tells, Becauſe he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth; and to make way for the clearing of his Reſurrection, he being buried in ſuch a remarkable place where never man had been buried before.
So then the ſum of the words is this, he was …n…led in coming to the grave, and in mens account and deſtination was buried as a wicked man, yet by God's Decree and Providence it was ſo ordered, that though he was poor all his days, he had a honourable Burial ſuch as rich men uſe to have, becauſe he had done no violence, neither was the…e any deceit in his mouth: God will not have it going as men deſigned, but will have him honourably buried and laid in the Grave, that thereby there might be the greater evidence of his innocency, and a more full clearing and confirmation of the truth of of his reſurrection.
What is rendered death here in our Tranſlation, is deaths in the plural number in the Hebrew; to ſhew the greatneſs and terribleneſs of the death which he underwent, and the ſore ſpiri…u…l as well as bodily exerciſe that he was put unto, at, and in, his death, ſo that it was a complication of many deaths in one, and at once which he ſuffered. 2. Where it's ſaid in our Tranſlation, that He made his grave; In the Original it is, He gave his grave with the wicked; ſo that the Pronoun He, may be meaned, rather of the Father his giving, or it may be underſtood of the Mediator himſelf his giving; and ſo the meaning is, that it came not to paſs by gueſs on God's ſide, but was by him well ordered; and upon the Mediators ſide it ſets out his willingneſs to go to the Grave, and his having an over-ruling hand, as God, in his own death and burial; as he ſaith John 10.18. No man taketh my life from me, but I lay it down of my ſelf; His death and burial were determined and well-ordered as to all the circumſtances of both, by a divine decree and by an over rul…ng hand of Providence; and this agrees well with the reaſon ſubjoined, becauſe he willingly con…eſcended to die; God put a difference betwixt him and others, as is clear in that of John 10.17. Therefore does my father love me, becauſe I lay down my life for my ſheep. The Verſe hath two parts, 1. Something foretold concerning the Meſſiah, and that is, that he ſhall make or give his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death. 2. There is a reaſon ſubjoined, eſpecially to the laſt part, taken from his innocency, and from the difference that was in his life betwixt him and all men in the world, that therefore God put a difference betwix… him and them in his death and burial.
Firſt then, This point of Doctrine is implyed here, that coming to the Grave is a thing common and certain to all men; I mean, that death, or a ſtate of death and to be in the grave, in an ordinary way is common to all men; and whoever want the priviledge of burial, their condition in that reſpect is rather worſe then better; it's ſupponed here that wicked men come to the grave, therefore our Lord is ſaid to make his grave with them; and it is alſo ſuppoſed that rich men come to the grave, therefore it's ſaid, and with the rich in his death; that which Solomon hath Eccleſ 8.8. of death, may well be applyed to the gr…ve; there is no man that hath power over the ſpirit to retain it, nei…her hath he power in the day of death, and the…e is no diſcharge in that war, neither ſhal… wickedneſs deliver theſe that are given to it; the moſt powerful wicked man cannot prevail over it, nor is he able to reſiſt and withſtand it; theſe who conquer moſt of the World, are conſtrained at length to be content with ſome few foots of ground, and their Bodies are turned into duſt: Job in the 3d Chapter of his book ſpeaks of it as common to all, to rich and poor, to high and low, to the King and the Beggar, all are there in one Category; if any were freed from it, it would readily be rich men, but as it is Pſal. 49.6, 7. their riches will nor be a ranſom for them; They that trust in their wealth and boaſt themſelves in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother nor give to God a ranſom for him, ſo precious is the ſoul tha… the redemption of it ceaſes for ever: Amongſt all Mortals there is none that can buy himſelf from coming to the Churchyard, or from coming to the grave; but were he never ſo rich and honourable, he muſt be ſaid in a hell as well as the poor man; the braveſt and beſt guided Tomb is but a grave; that ſentence paſt by God muſt ſtand and will ſtand, Duſt thou art and to duſt thou ſhalt return; The tranſlation of Enoch and Elias who old not ſee death, do not alter the common rule, though it ſhew the ſoveraignty and power of God what he can do.
Uſe 1. O! think more on Death and on the Grave, theſe ſure would be much more profitable ſubjects of thoughts, then many things which our thoughts run ordinarily on, It's appointed for men once to die, and thereafter cometh the judgment: As we walk over and trod on the Graves of others now, ſo ſome will be walking over and troding on ours ere long; and within a few years our bodies will be turned into duſt, and our duſt will not be known from the duſt of others that lived before us; it were good to have the faith of this more rooted, and that we did meditate more frequently and ſeriouſly on it.
Uſe 2. It reproves the pride of men and women, and their luſting after earthly vanities; When death and the grave come, where will all their brave Houſes, and Cloaths, and well dreſt Beds be? And what will become of your Silver and Gold? Theſe things will not go to the grave with you, As ye brought nothing into the world, ſo its certain that ye ſhall carry nothing out of it; The conſideration whereof would be a reſtraint and aw band to mens exorbitant deſires; The time is coming when ſix or ſeven foot in length, and two or three foot in breadth of ground will ſerve the richeſt and moſt honourable; And within a few years the Lord Provoſt's duſt will not be known from the duſt of the poor body that got a ſhare of the common Contribution; the duſt of both will be alike; Dreſs and pamper the body as ye will, that beauty will not abide with you; Wherefore then ſerves all this pride, …anity and …ravity? Seing a very little whiles time will lay it all in the duſt; and when all our projects will take an end, as Job ſaith, Chap. 17. M… purpoſes are broken, and what did break them off? The grave (ſaith he) is waiting for me, I have ſaid to corruption, to the rottenneſs of the earth, thou art my mother, and to the worms, ye are my brother and ſiſters; they and I muſt ly together; Theſe that now cannot get their bed made fine and ſoft enough, the worms and they will lye together ere long in the grave, the Cheſt or Coffin will not be ſo cloſs but they will win in, nay, they will breed in their own bodies, do we not ſee this daily? Were it not then good that when ye are going to the burials and graves of others, ye were thinking on your own lying down in the grave? And what will be your thoughts in that day of all things in this world? If dead Corpſes could ſpeak out of their graves, they would preach ſharp warning to them that are alive, and would ſay to ſuch as are carrying them thither, Beware of putting off thoughts of death and of the grave. Though this be a common point of truth, yet few walk ſuitably to it, but we are generally in our practice as if it were not a truth, no more minding death and the grave than if we were eternally to live here.
Uſe 3. As this ſhould make folks ſober in proſperity, ſo it ſhould make them patient in adverſity; A iittle time will make us all equal, and what is the matter what our condition be if our peace be made ſure with God? Heathens may ſhame many of us that are profeſſing Chri…ians, who, by the conſideration of death, have been brought to be much more ſober in their carriage, then alace many of us are.
2dly, Obſerve. That the Meſſiah behoved to come to the grave and be buried; It was ſo deſigned fore-told, and fore-propheſied of, He made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; Hence the Apoſtle, Acts 2.30 citing Pſal. 16 8. gathers, that as there was a neceſſity of his being in the grave, ſo there was a neceſſity of his reſurrection out of it, becauſe he ſhould not ſee corruption in it, His foul was not left in hell, or in the grave, neither did his fleſh ſee corruption; And in all the Evangeliſts▪ It's clear, that after death he was remarkably laid in the grave, and very particular and ſpecial notice is taken of it: Take here ſhortly ſome few reaſons of this neceſſity according to the Lords appointment, and no further; The 1. whereof is this, that the unſtainedneſs and purity of Divine Juſtice may appear, and that thereby the compleatneſs and perfection of his ſatisfaction as Mediator, to the Juſtice of God, may be confirmed; If he had not been buried it might have been queſtioned whether that which folk ſuffer after death be a reality or not; But his three days lying in the grave is a greater evidence of the unſtainedneſs and purity of Juſtice, and of its impartiality, then the impriſoning of many Creatures for many t…ouſands of years would have been; This ſhews him to be a juſt God, when ſinners Cautioner is not only purſued to death, but to the grave; And therefore this is alwayes accounted the loweſt part or ſtep of his ſuff…rings; And in the Creed his deſcending into hell is ſpoken of, which in our excellent Catechiſm is expounded to be his continuing under the power of death for a time. 2 It is much for the manifeſtation of the great love of God, and of the rich condeſcending grace of the Mediator, who is not only content to die, but to come to the grave, and to ſuffer death to have a kind of dominion over him for a time; So that as death had power to ſeparate his ſoul from his body, ſo it prorogats that power during his being in the grave; His enemies, as it were, cry, Take him up now, and they ſeal the stone and ſet a watch to keep him in the grave. 3. It's for the conſolation of the Believer, and ſerves mightily to ſtrengthen him againſt the fear of death and the grave; So that the Believer needs not be afraid of death, but may ly down quietly in the grave, becauſe it was Chriſts bed, warmed, to ſay ſo, by him, he was there before him, and the grave is now to the Believer no part of the curſe, more than death is; The grave will not ſwallow him up with a ſort of dominion and right, as it doth the reprobate. 4. It ſerves to confirm the truth of the Reſurrection of Chriſt, more than if he had never been in the grave, as the Apoſtle proves, 1 Cor. 15. from the beginning to the cloſe, even till he come to that, O death, where is thy ſting, O grave, where is thy victory? Our Lord by dying and being buried, hath delivered his people from both; As neither a great Stone, nor a Seal put on it could keep him in the grave, but that he roſe again the third day, ſo no thing will be able for ever to keep Believers at under; and as he died to diſarm death, ſo his entering in the grave was to diſarm the grave, and to open a door for Believers to come thorow it, by his power who was dead and laid in the grave, but now is riſen and alive for evermore.
The Uſes are 1. To ſhew the full conformity and agreeableneſs that is betwixt what was foretold of the Meſſiah, and what is fulfilled; and ſo ſerves to confirm our Faith in this, that he is the true Meſſiah, who was crucified, dead and buried; This is one of the Articles of our Faith foretold by Iſaiah, now fulfilled and recorded to be ſo in the Goſpel. 2. It ſhews the ſeverity of Juſtice, that when any perſon is made lyable to the laſh of it, were it but as Cautioner, it will exact of him ſatisfaction to the uttermoſt; Therefore when Chriſt enters himſelf our Cautionrr, it not only exacts death, and purſues him till he give up the Ghoſt, but after death purſues him to the grave; It will needs have that ſatisfaction of the Mediator, and he yields to it ſo as to lay himſelf by as a dead man: O what a revengful thing is Juſtice when a ſinner muſt anſwer to it? When the Mediator was ſo purſued by it, what will it do to others who are out of him? Here we may apply that word, Daughters of Jeruſalem, weep not for me, but weep for your ſelves and your children; If it be done ſo to the green tree, what will be done to the dry? When the fire of the vengeance of God ſhall kindle that lake that burns with fire and brimſtone, and when ſinners ſhall be caſt into it as ſo many pieces of Wood, or as ſo many pieces of dry ſticks, what will be their condition? It were good in time to fear falling into the hands of the living God, which is indeed a moſt fearful thing, Heb. 10.31.
3 It ſhews the Believers obligation to God that hath ſo fully provided a ſatisfaction for him, and hath furniſhed him with ſuch a ground of conſolation; Beſide what is done for the ſatisfying of Juſtice (which is the great conſolation) there is here ground of conſolation againſt all croſſes, pain, ſickneſs, death and the grave; There is not a ſtep in the way to Heaven but our Lord hath gone it before us; We have not only a Mediator that died, but that was buried; And O! but this is much when Believers come to think on their going to the grave; Will it devour them, or feed upon them for ever? No, he hath muzled it, to ſay ſo; They reſt in their grave as in a bed, in their bodies being united to him, and their duſt muſt be counted for; Its true, the bodies of the reprobate muſt be raiſed up, yet upon another account, and not by vertue of their union with Chriſt, and of Chriſts victory over death in their ſtead, as Believers are; In a word, they have many advantages that have Chriſt, and they have a miſerable life, a comfortleſs death, and a hard lying in the grave that want him; Therefore, as the ſhort cut, to have a happy life, and a comfortable death and burial, and the grave ſanctified to you; ſeek to have your intereſt in Chriſt made ſure, then all things are yours, and particularly death and the grave, which will be as a Box to keep the particles of your duſt till it reſtore them faithfuly to Chriſt, to whom it muſt give an account. But as for you that ſl ght and miſken Chriſt, ye have a dreadful lot of it, no intereſt in Chriſt living, no union with him in the grave, nor at the Reſurrection; And if ye did but ſeriouſly c…nſider that ye will die, ye would alſo co…ſider that it's good dying and being in the grave with Chriſt, and that it's a woful thing to be, and to be in it without him.
3ly. Obſerve That all the ſufferings of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, to the leaſt particular circumſtance of them, were ordered of God, and before hand determined and concluded upon; none of them came by gueſs upon him; That he ſhould ſuffer and die, and what ſort of death he ſhould die, and that he ſhould be laid in the grave, all was before concluded and determined; When we read thorow the Goſpel, it were good to take a look of the Old Teſtament-Propheſies of the Covenant of Redemption, and of the ancient determinations concerning him, as Peter doth, Acts 2.27. Him being delivered by the determinate counſel of God, ye have with wicked hands crucified; God's fore knowledge and determination fixed the bounds, and laid down the rule (to ſpeak ſo) to theſe wicked hands in the crucifying of him, without all tincture or touch of culpable acceſſion to their ſin; and in looking over his ſufferings, we would call to mind, that this and this was the Lords purpoſe, and that in theſe ſufferings, and in every part and piece of them, the Mediator is telling down the price that he undertook to pay; All which demonſtrats the verity of our Lords being the true Meſſiah.
4ly. From comparing the two parts of the firſt part of the verſe together, He made his grave with the wicked, as to the eſtimation of men, and with the rich in his death, in reſpect of Gods ordering it. Obſerve, That o…ten God hath one deſign, and men another, and that God will have his deſign to …and, and infruſtrably to take effect: When ſome would deſign ſh…me to his people, he will have them honoured.
The 1. Uſe ſerves to comfort Gods people when they are in their loweſt condition, and when their enemies are in higheſt power; our Lord is driving on his deſign, and making his and their en…mies to fulfill it: Pilate and the Chief Prieſts with the Scribes and Phariſees are putting Chriſt to death, the multitu…e ar… crying Crucifie him, and preferring a Robber to him; But in all this, they were fu fi ling what God had before determined to be done, which we ſay is m…tter of great conſolation both as to our own particular caſe, & as to God's general guiding of the World, and eſpecially of his Church therein; There is nothing wherein the malice of men ſeems to be moſt prevalent, but our Lord is ſtill gaining his point upon, and by them; They are all the while executing God's determination, though to their own ruine.
2. See here an exact correſpondency betwixt all the circumſtances of our Lord's ſufferings and God's determination, and a concurrence of all of them for the promoving of it in the Hiſtory of the Goſpel; A bone of him is not broken, when the bones of the two Thieves crucified with him are broken, a Spear is run at him, and his ſide is pierced, when they are not pierced; And all this, becauſe it was propheſied of him, that A bone of him ſhall not be broken, and they ſhall look upon him whom they have pierced; and when it comes to his burial, Pilate wots not what he is doing when yet he is fulfilling the Lords deſign in giving his body to a rich man Joſeph of Arimathea, when he aſked it from him to be buried by him, whereby the Propheſie of the Text is fulfilled; The wickedneſs of ſome, the contingent actions of others, and the ignorance of many, concurr all together, to make out the ſame holy and unalterable deſign and purpoſe of God.
And therefore 3dly, Let us ſtay our faith here, that our Lord is yet ſtill working in all theſe confuſions, and when matters return'd up-ſide down to humane appearance, our bleſſed Lord is not non-pluſſed and at a ſtand when we are, he knows well what he is doing, and will make all things moſt certainly, infallibly, and infruſtrably to work for his own glory, and for the good of his people.
From its being ſaid that He gave his grave with the wicked, as holding forth Chriſt's willingneſs to be buried, (as he ſaith of his death, John 10.17. No man taketh away my life from me, but I lay it down, and take it up again.) Obſerve, That in the whole performance of the work of Redemption, even in the loweſt and moſt ſhameful ſteps of it our Lord was a moſt willing condeſcender, He gave his grave with the wicked; He was a moſt free and willing undertaker, when as it were, the Queſtion was put, Who will ſatisfie for Elect ſinners? He comes in and ſayes (as we h…ve it, Pſal. 40.) Lo, I come, in the volume of thy book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God; I am here, Father, as if he had ſaid, I offer my ſelf and accept of the terms heartſomly and delightſomly; I rejoyced, ſaith he, Prov. 8.28. in the habitable parts of the earth, before the foundation of the world was laid my delight was with the ſons of men: So it may be made evident, that in all the parts of his ſufferings, and in every ſtep thereof, he did moſt exactly, and alſo moſt willingly perform whatever was carved out to him; He preached and wrought miracles, and did all with delight, as himſelf ſayes, John 4.32. It is my meat and my drink to do my Fathers will, and to finiſh his work; It refreſhed him when his body was hungry and faint to be carrying on the work of Redemption in ſpeaking to a poor ſtraying ſinner. If we yet look a little forward we will find that he ſo longed for the ſaddeſt part of this exerciſe, that he is pained till it be accompliſhed. Luke 12.50. I have a b…ptiſm to be baptized with, and how am I ſtraitned till it be accompliſhed? His heart longed ſo much to be at it, that he would approve nor admit of nothing that might ſtand in the way of it, therefore he rejected Peters advice with holy deteſtation, with a Get thee behind me Satan; He knew well what was in Judas mind, and yet would not divert him, but bid him do what he was about, quickly; He went to the Garden where he was known to reſort, and gave his enemies opportunity to rake him, and would not ſuffer his Diſciples to draw a Sword to oppoſe them; When he was before Pilate he would not open his mouth; When he was buffetted he gave his back to the ſmiters, and his cheeks to him that plucked off the hair, and hid not his face from ſhame and ſpitting; Becauſe he knew what was aimed at in all this, and accordingly ſaith Matth. 20.20. The Son of Man came not to be ſerved, but to ſerve, and to give his life a ranſome for many; When His Holy Humane Nature ſcarred at the Cup, and when he was thereby put to pray, Father, if it be poſſible let this cup paſs from me, he ſweetly ſubioyns, but for this cauſe came I unto this hour; And the nearer it came to his death he vented his deſire after it the more, With deſire have I deſired, ſaith he, or with ſpecial deſire have I deſired to eat this Paſsover with you before I ſuffer; Even when he was to eat the laſt Paſsover, and to take his laſt good night, and to be in readineſs for what was coming: What could have been the mean or motive to bring it about, if he had not been willing? It was this willingneſs that Jehovah was pleaſed with, and that made his Sacrifice to ſmell ſweetly to his Father, who loveth a cheerful giver, and it had never been ſatisfactory if it had not been willing but extorted, and therefore ſaith he, Joh. 10. No man taketh my life from me, but I lay it down; And I delight to do thy will, Pſal. 40.
Uſe 1. See here a great evidence of the love of God and of the Mediator; Behold what manner of love this is, that when it was not required, he ſhould offer and freely give himſelf to death and to the grave, this is the love of a friend and beyond it, that he ſhould have ſo loved his Church as to give himſelf for her to death, and to the grave; Well may he ſay as he doth, John 15.15. Greater love hath no man then this, &c.
2dly, It ſhews what great ground of conſolation and encouragement a ſinner hath that would fain be at Chriſt, to believe on him, and to expect Life and Salvation through him; Our Lord was moſt willing to lay down his life and to come to the grave for that end, and is it poſſible that he will refuſe a ſinner that comes unto him, and that would fain ſhare in the benefite of his ſufferings, which was his great end in ſuffering? This one thing, to wit the willingneſs that he had to ſuff…r, and the delight that he had in ſuffering, to purchaſe Redemption to ſinners, may be as a ſtrong cordial to ſtrengthen the heart of a ſwo… ing Sinner, and a great motive and encouragement to come forward to him. Thou wilt, it may be, ſay, I wot not if Chriſt loves me; O! Conſider theſe ſweet words, Rom. 5.10. If he died for us while we wer… yet enemies, how much more ſhall we be ſaved by his life? I ſhall cloſe this diſcourſe with theſe two words, the 1. whereof is, for encouragement; If there be any body here that would fain have Chriſts love, and partake of his death: Take courage, ſeing our Lord out of the great deſire he had to promove the Salvation of ſinners, Gave him ſelf to death and to the grave, will he not willingly make application of his purchaſe to them when they ſeek it? That he was willing to undergo all this is a far greater matter then to welcome a ſinner coming home to him; And if he did all that he did for this very end, will he ſtand on it when it comes to the application? The 2d. word is, that this is, and will be a ground of conviction to all who think little of our bleſſed Lord Jeſus, and of his love, and who will not part with a baſe luſt for him, and who will not make choiſe of him, but will refuſe, reject, undervalue and deſpiſe him, with all that he hath done and ſuffered; it will exceedingly aggravat your condemnation, that when he was ſo willing to die for the good of ſinners, ye were not willing to live for his ſatisfaction; Think on it, O! think ſeriouſly on it; Theſe things are the truths of God, and the main truths of the Goſpel, that ly very near the ingaging of hearts to Chriſt; And if ſuch truths do you no good, none other readily will; God give us the Faith of them.