Gospel Revelation, Treatise 2 · Sermon 4
The Fourth SERMON ON The Excellency of Chriſt.
Iſaiah 9.6. And his Name ſhall bee called Wonderful.
Christ is Wonderful in regard of the glory of the Father that ſhines in him.
WEE proceed: The Name of Chriſt is Wonderful in regard of the wonderful glory of the Father that ſhines in him; It is in Jeſus Chriſt that God reveals himſelf, and appears both to men and Angels: It is true, ſomewhat wee might know of the inviſible things of God by the things that are ſeen, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks in Rom. 1.20. by his great Works of Creation and Providence: but there is as much difference between the Glory of God that ſhines in all his Works of Creation and Providence, and the Glory of God that ſhines in the face of Chriſt, as between the glittering of a Glow-worm in a dark night, and the glory of the Sun in the full ſtrength of it. Now onelyonly take this along with you, that God expects that thoſe that do ſee his glory in Chriſt, ſhould glorifie him in another manner than thoſe that ſee his glory onelyonly ſhining in the Works of Creation and Providence; that as there is much difference between the ſhining of the Sun in its full ſtrength, and a Glow-worm, even ſo there ſhould bee as much difference between beleevers glorifying God, and heathens, as there is between the Glow-worm, and the glory of the Sun; you ſhould not ſatisfie your ſelf except you finde that there is ſome ſuch proportionable difference; for certainly if you have ſeen God in Chriſt, you have ſeen him wonderfully indeed; therefore in 2 Cor. 3.18. ſaith the Apoſtle, But wee all with open face bebolding as in a glaſs the glory of the Lord, are changed into the ſame image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. This Scripture hath very much in it, hee ſpeaks of the Goſpel, and compares that to a Glaſs, wherein the glory of God ſhines, ſo as wee may behold it with open face, and ſo behold it, as that we are changed into the very ſame image of it, from glory to glory, from one degree unto another. Wee may behold the glory of God in the glaſs of the creature, and never bee changed into the ſame image; but when wee behold the glory of God in the glaſs of the Goſpel, wee then come to bee changed into the ſame Image, and ſtill to bee changed more and more; and with open face wee do behold it. And in chap. 4. verſ. 6. For God who commanded the light to ſhine out of darkneſs, hath ſhined into our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jeſus Chriſt. Mark it, hee is the knowledge of God, the light of the knowledge of God, and the light of the knowledge of the glory of God; and all this is, in the face of Jeſus Chriſt; in the face of the creature there may bee the knowledge of God, but the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, this is in the face of Jeſus Chriſt. Hee that hath ſeen mee, hath ſeen the Father, ſaith Chriſt to Philip; It was a maxim among the Fathers in the time of the Law, that no man could ſee God, and live, God was ſo glorious, that they thought that hee could not bee ſeen, but it would overwhelm any creature that was in the fleſh that ſhould ſee him; but now mark in that Prophecy that wee have of the times of the Goſpel in Iſa. 40.3. There is a Prophecie of Chriſt that is apparent, The voice of him that cryeth in the wilderneſs, prepare yee the way of the Lord (which is in expreſs words applied to John the Baptiſt the forerunner of Chriſt; And in the very ſame words) make ſtreight in the Deſart a high way for our God, every valley ſhall bee exalted, and every mountain ſhall bee made low, and the crooked ſhall bee made ſtreight, and the rough places plain; Then it follows in the fift verſe, And the glory of the Lord ſhall bee revealed, and all fleſh ſhall ſee it together; before no man could ſee God and live, Fleſh was not able to behold God, but now when the Word was made Fleſh, when the times of the Goſpel came wherein God would make himſelf appear through his Son more clearly and fully, now all Fleſh ſhall ſee it, ſhall ſee the glory of the Lord; now the glory of God appears wonderfully in Chriſt in theſe four or five particulars.
The Power of God appears in Chriſt.Firſt, The glory of Gods Attributes do ſhine more brightly in the face of Chriſt than any other wayes; As for inſtance, The power of God appears infinitely more in Chriſt, than in making heaven and earth; for God to unite God and man together in one Perſon, is a greater work than making heaven and earth; there is more power of God put forth in the hypoſtatical union of the Natures of Chriſt, beſides all the power of God that appears in the great Works that Chriſt did do, and in carrying Chriſt through all thoſe great Works that hee was carried through, than in making of heaven and earth. There is more power of God appears in the converſion of one ſoul to Chriſt, than in making heaven and earth: Then what power of God appears in Chriſt himſelf?
And the wiſdome of God appears more in Chriſt, than in the creation of heaven and earth.The Wiſdome of God appears in Chriſt. Now for God to finde out ſuch a glorious way of Reconciliation as hee hath found out in his Son, in this the wiſdome of God is more glorious than in all his works infinitely, the glory of Gods wiſdome in other things is darkned in compariſon of his wiſdome in this; If God had put it to Angels to finde out a way of Reconciliation, they could never have gueſt at ſuch a way as this is; that wee ſhould bee reconciled in Chriſt, here is the glory of wiſdome.
There likewiſe doth appear the glory of Gods holineſs more in Chriſt than in any other way; it is true,The Holineſs of God appears in Chriſt the Law is a glaſs of Gods holineſs, and thoſe that caſt reproach upon the Law, they ſpit in the very face of Gods holineſs; I but that is no ſuch glaſs as Jeſus Chriſt is, there wee ſee the holineſs of God in another manner than wee can do it in the holy Law that God hath made. God never ſhewed his hatred of ſin ſo much as hee did in Chriſt, and it cannot bee deviſed by all Angels and men how it were poſſible to have ſuch an Argument to manifeſt the hatred of ſin ſo as it is manifeſted in Chriſt, that God ſhould deal ſo with his Son, as hee hath done for the ſin of man; I ſay, if an infinite Wiſdome ſhould ſet it ſelf on work never ſo much to finde out an Argument to manifeſt the hatred of ſin, there could not bee a greater Argument: So that when God ſent his Son into the world to dye for mans ſin, hee did as it were ſay, I have many wayes to manifeſt my holineſs to the children of men, how infinitely I do hate ſin, but here is a way that it ſhall appear to the uttermoſt, they ſhall ſee it in my dealing with my Son; certainly in Chriſt Gods wiſdome hath found out an Argument to make us all to bee convinced of the infinite holineſs of God, that God hates ſin more than hell its ſelf, and that wee ſhould do ſo too.
Again, the Juſtice of God appears in Chriſt, more than in any thing elſe: It appears not ſo much in all the torments of the damned, as in Gods dealings with Chriſt,The Juſtice of God appears in Chriſt. in that hee required ſuch ſatisfaction from him as hee did; when as wee hear of the dreadful curſes of the Law, and of the torments that are in hell, wee may thereby be put in minde of an infinite Juſtice; Oh how righteous is God in his wayes there, and his Juſtice ſeems to bee wonderful unto us: But when you behold in this red glaſs of the blood of Chriſt, Gods Juſtice, it is a great deal more glorious here, than in all the damned in hell. If God ſhould grant to any of you to ſtand upon the very brink of hell, and there to look into the pit, and ſee all the torments and tortures there, and hear all the cries there, then you think your hearts would bee affected with the Juſtice of God, to fear it. I but when God makes himſelf known to you in Chriſt, when you hear of the ſufferings of Chriſt for ſin, God would have you to bee more affected with his Juſtice, and to fear it more, than if you ſaw all the Torments of hell. And the truth is, there is no ſuch way to ſet out the Juſtice of God, as to ſhew the dealing of God with his Son for the ſin of man. If I would preach but one Sermon that ſhould bee my laſt, of the Terribleneſs of Gods Juſtice, I would ſpeak of ſome Scripture that ſhould ſhew the terribleneſs of the dealing of God with his Son, and that would ſet out the Juſtice of God to bee a great deal more glorious than any thing elſe.
The glory of Gods Mercy appears in Chriſt.And ſo the glory of Gods mercy and goodneſs is more in Chriſt than any other thing; wee injoy theſe outward comforts as a fruit of the bounty and goodneſs of God; I but what are all theſe to all the love of God in his Son? I remember a learned man compares all the good things wee receive from God, from his general bounty and providence, and his love and mercy that appears in Chriſt, with a few ſparks that come out of a burning furnace, and the heat of it within; look what difference there is between them, ſuch difference is there between the love of God to us in all the comforts in this world, and the love of God in Jeſus Chriſt; God hee would have an Argument to manifeſt the infiniteneſs of his love unto his creatures, and no ſuch Argument as this, So God loved the world that hee ſent forth his onelyonly begotten Son.Joh. 3.16.
And ſo the glory of Gods Truth that is manifeſted in fulfilling Promiſes,The glory of Gods Truth appears in Chriſt. any promiſe that is fulfilled manifeſts the glory of Gods truth and faithfulneſs, but now the fulfilling that great Promiſe of God in ſending his Son into the world, here the truth and faithfulneſs of God appears more gloriouſly than in all other; for there was never a promiſe ſo difficult as this promiſe; many men can bee content to fulfil promiſes of ſmaller moment, when there is no great difficulty in the fulfilling of them, I but here is the greateſt Promiſe that ever was, and there was the greateſt difficulty for God to fulfil this promiſe of any thing that ever God did promiſe; and indeed when as wee hear that Chriſt was promiſed ſome four thouſand years before hee came into the world, and yet at length hee came into the world, it is a good Argument to teach us never to doubt of the fulfilling of Gods promiſes; And indeed the right apprehenſion of Gods faithfulneſs in this great Promiſe of his Son, will mightily ſtrengthen the faith of the people of God to beleeve any ſmaller promiſes, and not to ſtagger in them; and the reaſon why people are ſo ready to ſtagger in their beleef about ſmaller promiſes, it is becauſe they have not been acquainted with the work of faith in beleeving that great promiſe that God made with his people in ſending his Son into the world; ſo that theſe Attributes with all other, do ſhine gloriouſly in Chriſt. No marvel then though the Angels upon the birth of Chriſt, they cry out, Glory bee to God on high; as if they ſhould ſay, Oh Lord, Here is one come into the world, wherein thy glory doth appear, and by whom thou ſhalt have glory to all eternity: Though Chriſt was but a Babe in the Manger, yet the Angels did ſee more glory in him, than in the higheſt heavens; they did not ſee ſo much cauſe to cry, Glory bee to God on high, from any object that ever they ſaw, as when they ſaw the Babe in the Manger, then Oh glory bee to God on high, wee behold thy glory ſhining here, and bleſſed are thoſe that ſhall bee inabled to behold the glory of God in the face of Jeſus Chriſt; who would not but have beheld the glory of God in his great works? what man or woman that hath any knowledge of God at all, would for a world but have beheld ſo much of the glory of God as doth appear in the great Works of Creation and Providence; Oh what comfort have the Saints in beholding the glory of the great God, when they look up unto heaven, and upon the earth, and in the ſeas! Oh but then the ſweetneſs, and ſoul-ſatisfaction that there muſt needs bee in the beholding the glory of God in the face of Jeſus Chriſt!
And this by the way would bee a good evidence of your faith; have you beheld more of Gods glory in the face of Chriſt than ever you did in all the world beſides? Yea and hath the glory of God in the face of Chriſt, darkned all the glory of the world beſides unto you? Have your hearts been taken with that glory more, than with all the glory that there is in the world? Why here would bee a good evidence of faith indeed, that you have had a true and real fight of Jeſus Chriſt; wee cannot have a real ſight of Jeſus Chriſt, but wee muſt certainly ſee more of God in him, than in all things elſe.
The glory of Gods great works in bringing man to his eternal eſtate appears in Chriſt. Eph. 1.4.And then ſecondly, As the glory of Gods Attributes, ſo the glory of the great Counſels and Works of God, eſpecially in the governing of man unto his eternal eſtate, that appears in Chriſt above all.
As the great Counſels of God in Election, Wee are choſen in Chriſt, the great Counſels and Works of God in Vocation, Juſtification, Adoption, Reconciliation, Sanctification, and Glorification, theſe are the great Works that God doth glorifie himſelf in, theſe are the great things that the thoughts and counſels of God hath been from all eternity exerciſed about, whatſoever your thoughts are exerciſed about, yet I ſay, the thoughts and counſels of God have been exerciſed from all eternity about theſe great Works of his, Election, Vocation, Juſtification, Adoption, Reconciliation, Sanctification, Glorification, all theſe Works whereby hee doth order and guide mankinde unto an eternal eſtate. Now the glory of God in all theſe Works they are in Chriſt, Chriſt hee is the head of our Election, and all are choſen in him; what is Vocation but a calling unto Chriſt, and revealing Chriſt to the ſoul? And ſo Juſtification it is in Chriſt ſtill: And wee are made children, adopted in him, and reconciled in him, and ſanctified through him, and are to bee glorified through him; all theſe great Works about which the heart of God is ſo much buſied, the glory of God in all theſe, it doth ſhine in the face of Chriſt, and without the knowledge of Chriſt wee could never come to know any of theſe things. What could the heathen know of Gods eternal Election, or Vocation, or Juſtification, or Adoption, or Glorification, to ſpeak ſuch words to the Heathens as theſe are in reference to God, it would bee barbariſm; But now theſe are the great things of God that are revealed to Chriſtians by Jeſus Chriſt, wee come to have all theſe glorious counſels of God in theſe great works of his to bee opened to us, and Chriſt is wonderful in all them, and all thoſe that did know what theſe things mean, they ſee the glory of God wonderfully in them.
Thirdly, the glory of God is wonderful in Chriſt, in that all the good and mercy that is in order to eternal life, that God communicates to the children of men, it is through Chriſt.
Now wee mentioned ſomewhat like to this in the former, when wee ſhewed Chriſts endowments, that from him wee have all Excellencies; But now I onelyonly mention it to ſhew how the glory of God the Father is in him, becauſe that God hath appointed him for the communication of all the good that hee doth intend towards the children of men in order to eternal life; now the glory of God muſt needs bee eminent in him this way; for God accounts it a great part of his glory to communicate himſelf to his creatures, therefore that through which hee doth communicate himſelf, muſt needs bee partaker of abundance of glory; God hath honoured Chriſt in this, that hee hath choſen him to bee the inſtrument of the conveyance of all ſaving good to all the Elect. Now ſuppoſe there were a glaſs that all the beams of the Sun that ever could ſhine upon the world, were contracted in it, and no beam of the Sun could ſhine upon the world but thorow that glaſs, firſt it muſt come upon the glaſs, and ſhine thorow it, and ſo ſhine upon the world, ſurely this glaſs would bee very glorious. You may conceive of Chriſt thus, Conceive of God the Father as the Sun, and of all his elect ones as the world, and Jeſus Chriſt as the glaſs between the Father, and all the Elect; now all the beams of the love, and mercy, and goodneſs that ever ſhall come from God upon all his elect ones, they all come thorow this glaſs, thorow Jeſus Chriſt; Oh how glorious is Jeſus Chriſt, how wonderful is he then in that glory of the Father!
Fourthly, The glory of the Father is wonderful in him in this, that God the Father attains unto his greateſt deſign, the great deſign that God had in making of the world, and in the preſerving of the world; I ſay, God attains unto it by his Son, by Jeſus Chriſt, And that deſign would bee loſt, if Jeſus Chriſt did not bring things about for the glory of his Father. God hath made a world for his glory, and hee preſerves a World for his glory, but the main deſign that God had in making the world, and that hee hath in preſerving the world, it is to fetch about a great deſign that hee hath onelyonly by Jeſus Chriſt, and therefore it is that the Father is ſo well pleaſed in his Son, becauſe that by him hee comes to attain the great deſign that hee hath in making the world.
Queſt. You will ſay, What is that?
Anſw. Truth it is, wee underſtand but little of it for the preſent, but wee know in the general it is this, That hee might have his elect ones eternally with himſelf to behold his face, and magnifie him together with Angels for his mercy in Jeſus Chriſt, that is the great deſign that God had; other men have great deſigns in their heads, but the greateſt deſign that God hath of all, it is to fetch about his honour in his Son, and to glorifie himſelf in his elect ones to all eternity, that is the great deſign for which hee made the world, without which hee would never have made it. And God, as I may ſo ſay, is well enough ſatisfied in the midſt of all the diſhonour that is done to him in this wicked corrupt world, with this conſideration, Well, but my Son doth drive on my deſign, and this pleaſeth mee; no matter though I bee diſhonoured, though my Name bee never ſo much blaſphemed in the world, yet my Son carries on my great deſign, and the glory I foreſee I ſhall have in the accompliſhment of that great deſign of mine, it doth ſo pleaſe mee, that it is no great matter to mee what wicked men that belong not to mine Election do. Chriſt is wonderful in this, that hee carries on the great deſign that God had from all eternity in making the world.
And then laſtly, The glory of God is great in Chriſt, and therefore wonderful, becauſe it is through him that all the ſervices and praiſes that God hath from his elect ones, do all come through him: As there is a reflection of the glory of God in the deſcending of it, when it doth deſcend upon the elect through Chriſt, ſo in the aſcending of it again from beleevers it doth aſcend through Chriſt, there is as great a neceſſity that when we tender up any honour to God, that it ſhould come through Chriſt, as when God lets down any beams of his glory, that that ſhould come through Chriſt; Chriſt is as Jacobs Ladder, for God to come down as it were from heaven to us, and for us to aſcend up to heaven through him, Eph. 3. laſt, Ʋnto him bee glory in the Church by Chriſt Jeſus thoughout all Ages world without end. Unto him bee glory in the Church (but how) by Chriſt Jeſus; except the glory that you tender up to God goes through Chriſt, God accounts not himſelf glorified in it; For whatſoever comes from God to you, except it comes through Chriſt, it will bee to little purpoſe; ſo whatſoever comes from you unto God, except it comes through his Son, it is not accepted of God; therefore oh how wonderful is Chriſt in this, That ſuch glory of the Attributes of God do ſhine in him? the great Counſels, and Works of God about mans eternal eſtate are all in him: And all the good that God communicates to his elect ones, all is through him: And the great deſign that God had from all eternity, hee doth attain it by his Son. Laſtly, All the honour that hee hath from all his elect ones, it is through his Son. How wonderful is Chriſt then in regard of the glory of the Father in him? onelyonly as wee go along, remember that when wee ſet Chriſt thus before you, wee do it not meerly to your underſtandings, that you may conceive thus of Chriſt, but as an object of your faith, you muſt exerciſe your faith upon Chriſt, as ſuch a Chriſt in whom the glory of the Father doth ſo much appear.
Chriſt Wonderful in his Humiliation.
The next thing is, Chriſt is wonderful in his Humiliation; and indeed this may ſeem to bee the greateſt Wonder of all, at leaſt to our ſenſe it is, eſpecially if wee do underſtand what hath been ſaid before of Chriſt, what a Perſon Chriſt is; now to hear what wee ſhall hear of his Humiliation, will appear to bee an amazing, and an aſtoniſhing Wonder.
As firſt, The wonder of his Humiliation is in this, That Chriſt, God and man, as you have heard before, ſhould have all the ſins of all the elect ones from the beginning of the world, to the end of the world laid upon him. For ſuch a one as Chriſt is, infinitely beloved of the Father, and equal with the Father, Phil. 2.6.accounted it no robbery to bee equal with God, yet that he ſhould ſtand before God the Father with all the ſins of the Elect charged upon him, ſo the Scripture tells us, 2 Cor. 5.21. For hee hath made him to bee ſin for us, who knew no ſin: Hee hath made him to bee ſin for us; for Chriſt to bee made a worm was a wonderful Humiliation, but for Chriſt to bee made ſin was a greater Humiliation than to bee made a worm; ſurely this muſt needs bee a wonder to all the Angels in heaven, for them to ſee ſuch a one, whom they knew to bee the eternal Son of God, equal with the Father, to ſtand before the Father cloathed at it were with all the ſins of the Elect. Wee read in Zech. 3. a kinde of type of this, in verſ. 3. of Joſhua the High Prieſt, he was cloathed with filthy Garments, and ſtood before the Angel, ſo Jeſus Chriſt ſtands cloathed with filthy Garments, hee that is cloathed with Majeſty and Glory, yet hee muſt come and ſtand cloathed with filthy Garments before the Father. For one to bee cloathed with filthy garments, and yet to bee in ſome room alone, that no body ſhould ſee him, is no great matter, but to ſee a great Prince to come out before the world cloathed with filthy garments, it is a very great humiliation: But Chriſt that was infinitely above all the Princes in the world, hee comes and ſtands before Men and Angels, yea before God himſelf cloathed with theſe filthy garments. For a man to have ſin upon him before other men it is no great matter, but for him to come into the preſence of God with ſin upon him, it is a terrible thing. But now the Son of God muſt do it, hee comes into the preſence of the Father, and ſtands with all the ſins of the Elect upon him, what an object is here of Wonder? Luther calls Chriſt the greateſt ſinner that ever was in the world, I confeſs that is ſomewhat hard, for it was but charged upon him, but his meaning is onelyonly this that I am ſpeaking of: Chriſt had not onelyonly the ſins of David, his Murther and Adultery, and denial of Peter, and the like, but all the ſins of all the elect ones, from the beginning of the world, to the end of the world, which they were, or ſhould bee guilty of, charged upon him.
Secondly, The wonder of Chriſts Humiliation it is in this, that hee that was ſo high ſhould bee now brought down ſo low for the ſin of man; is not this a wonder, that hee that thunders in the heavens, ſhould bee crying in a Manger? Is it not a great wonder, that hee that framed the heavens and earth, ſhould work with a Carpenter in his Trade; that hee that is the great Judge of all the world ſhould bee accuſed, and ſhould bee condemned as a Malefactor, and crucified among Theeves? That hee that is the Lord of Life ſhould dye, that hee that dwelt in that light that is unapprochable, ſhould have darkneſs to cover him, that hee that is the bleſſed God ſhould bee made a curſe for the ſin of man, are not theſe things wonderful in Chriſtian Religion? and yet all theſe are things that may bee ſaid of Chriſt; for the Lord of Life to come and dye, and that accurſed death, this was a wonder that all the world ſeemed to bee affected with, the very inſenſitive creatures; for at the death of Chriſt the Sun withdrew his light as being amazed with this wonder, not able to behold it, and the earth ſhaked and trembled, and the graves opened at this wonder, the very ſtones clave in ſunder at this wonder; there was ſuch a mighty concuſſion of things at this time, that it made one that knew nothing of the cauſe of it, One Dionyſius, ſeeing the darkneſs at that time,Aut Deus naturae patitur aut mundi machina diſſolvetur. and ſuch great things which were done, cry out, Certainly either the God of Nature ſuffers at this time, or the world is at an end. So great a wonder it was that the Lord of Life ſhould thus dye an accurſed death; Angels, yea all inſenſitive creatures they ſtood amazed at it, and ſeemed to bee exceedingly affected with it.
And then in the third place, Why, Chriſt may dye, and yet not ſuffer ſo much to make us wonder, many of the ſervants of God have died cruel deaths; But then in the third place, There is a greater wonder in C…iſts humiliation, than in the ſufferings of the ſervants of God, becauſe though their bodies ſuffered, yet they had much freedome in their ſouls, they were filled with joy and comfort in the time of their ſufferings, ſo it was in the Martyrs; Oh but it was otherwiſe with Chriſt, though hee were the fountain of all conſolation, yet Chriſt ſuffers in his ſoul, hee was ſorrowful in his ſoul to the very death, hee gave his ſoul to bee an offering for ſin, and indeed the ſuffering of Chriſts ſoul, was the ſoul of his ſuffering, the chief of his ſuffering, when as Chriſt was in the Garden, there hee acknowledges that his ſoul was compaſſed round about with ſorrows,Matth. 26.38. his ſoul was very ſorrowful; and in another Evangeliſt hee began to bee amazed, and a third Evangeliſt ſaith,Mark 14.33. hee began to bee filled with ſorrow in his ſoul, and the very trouble of his ſoul was that that drew forth from him ſuch a wonderful ſweat as never was heard of in the world before, nor never ſince, nor never is like to bee, that a man from diſtreſs and trouble of his ſoul ſhould ſweat ſo: Many a man when hee is in fear and trouble of minde, hee may ſweat; but when did you ever hear of a man out of trouble of minde that did ſweat blood, that blood ſhould come and break through his skin, and run down upon him, and this through the trouble of his minde? for there was no bodily affliction upon Chriſt then, but meerly the trouble of his Spirit, and hee knowing what cup hee was to drink, and the trouble that hee ſuffered in his Soul, did cauſe the blood to break through his veyns, and come to trickle down; and not ſome thin blood, for ſo I have read of one in Paris that was condemned to dye, and the very trouble of his ſpirit did cauſe ſome blood to come out of his body, but thin; but the Scripture tells us that there was clodders of blood; and when was this ſweat? when hee was abroad in the night time, and lay upon the ground, and in the Winter ſeaſon: In a Winters night when hee was abroad, and lay upon the ground, hee ſweat this ſweat, and all from the trouble of his ſpirit: A man may ſweat in Summer, and in Winter in the day time, or in a warm room, or in a bed, but for Chriſt in a Winters night, and lying upon the ground to ſweat ſuch a ſweat, for clodders of blood to trickle down,☜ never was Garden watered as this Garden; now who would not have accounted this a Wonder of all Wonders?
Here upon this ground lyes groveling the Son of God, the ſame God that made the heavens and earth, lyes here in trouble and anguiſh of his Spirit, while hee ſweat clodders of blood; certainly there was ſome great matter upon the Spirit of Chriſt at this time. Wee know it by experience, a Porter when hee hath a great burden upon his body, hee carries it while hee ſweats again: Oh but when you ſee Porters ſweating under their burdens, remember Jeſus Chriſt ſweating under the burden of ſin.
Beſides that other expreſſion, If it bee poſſible let this cup paſs from mee, and then the ſecond time, and the third time to do it again: Why the Martyrs have gone chearfully to their deaths, whoſe deaths have been as cruel as the death of Jeſus Chriſt, and more cruel for the outward part of it, but here even the great Champion from whom all the Martyrs that ever were, had their ſtrength, hee, when hee comes to dye, If it bee poſſible let this cup paſs from mee, ſaith hee; certainly hee ſaw that which the Martyrs never ſaw: Hee ſuffered in his Soul.
Fourthly, Chriſt hee ſuffered theſe things from his Father, that makes the wonder greater, and ſo his ſufferings greater; hee did not ſuffer onelyonly from wicked men and devils, men indeed they are like themſelves malicious, the devils are like themſelves cruel, I but Chriſt hee might have looked up to his Father, and have ſaid, But oh bleſſed Father,Matth. 3.17. thou haſt ſaid from heaven, that I am thy well-beloved Son: Chriſt would have accounted it no great matter to have ſuffered from men or devils, ſo bee it that his Father had ſhined upon him; Oh no, but here is the wonder, and the greateſt thing for Angels, and men to admire at, that God the Father hee inflicts theſe ſufferings with his own hand upon him, and the chief ſufferings of Jeſus Chriſt they were inflicted by the very hand of God the Father himſelf; for a King to come and take his own childe, and ſcourge him, and put him to death with his own hand, wee would ſay, There was never ſuch a thing heard of! yet thus it was in the work of our Redemption, God the Father takes Chriſt with his own hands, and puts him to death, For hee made his Soul an offering for ſin, it was hee that bruiſed him: If you read Iſa. 53.10. you ſhall finde it was the Father that did it; And that was typified in Abrahams coming with his knife to ſacrifice Iſaac his Son, was not that a wonderful thing, that ſtory of Abraham? Iſaac muſt bee ſacrificed, and Abraham to ſacrifice Iſaac his onelyonly Son with his own hands, what a ſtrange hiſtory is that? but that was but the type, here is the Antitype, here God the Father takes his Iſaac, his onelyonly Son Chriſt, and ſacrifices him himſelf; ſurely there was ſome great thing to bee done, that God the Father ſhould do it thus himſelf.
Fifthly, Not onelyonly God hee comes himſelf upon him, and inflicts theſe evils, but hee doth not ſpare him at all.
You will ſay, If God himſelf muſt bee the Executioner, and come and lay his hand upon him, hee will lay his hand gently upon his own Son. Nay, when Jeſus Chriſt the Son of God came to take our ſins upon him, the Father would not ſpare him one whit, but lets out the fulneſs of Juſtice upon him, lets out his Juſtice to the full, Rom. 8.32. it is ſaid, That God ſpared not his own Son, certainly if God would have ſpared any, one would have thought it ſhould have been his Son: Oh here behold the Juſtice of God the Father, that when his own Son takes ſin upon him, and that by imputation, hee muſt pay to the uttermoſt farthing to Juſtice, yea though hee prayed with ſtrong cryings and tears, as in Heb. 5.7. Though it is true, the Father did carry him through, yet in this God would not ſpare him, notwithſtanding any of his cryes, but hee muſt ſuffer to the uttermoſt, and pay the uttermoſt farthing that Divine Juſtice did require for the ſatisfying of it for mans ſins. Many poor creatures think that having to deal with God who is a merc…ful God, though they have the guilt of great ſins upon them, yet if they cry out to God for mercy, that God wil ſpare them; why, art thou dearer to God than Jeſus Chriſt was, thy ſins are thine own, his was but by imputation, yet when hee cryed, hee muſt not bee ſpared? What thoughts muſt the Angels in He…ven have upon this when they ſee him whom they knew to bee the eternal Son of God under the hand of the Father, and the Father not ſo much as to ſpare him in any thing? Certainly if wee do not know theſe things, or beleeve them, if wee think to put off God lightly, if wee think that a few cryes to God at laſt will bee enough to cauſe God to ſpare us, and paſs by all our ſins, do but know God in Chriſt, and a thouſand of thy vain thoughts about God, and the pacifying God for thy ſin, will vaniſh away and come to nothing, did wee but know God aright in Jeſus Chriſt.
Sixthly, Yea but yet further, there is a further wonder in this humiliation of Chriſt. God did not ſpare him; I but when God deals thus with his Son, will hee leave him? For one to ſuffer much, yea and though it bee much from God, yet ſo long as they may have the preſence of God with them, that God doth not leave them it is not ſo much. But in all theſe ſufferings, God the Father leaves him, this is that is expreſt by that ſpeech, that wonderful ſpeech of Chriſt upon the Croſs, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken mee; There was never a ſpeech ſpoke in this world that had matter of ſo much admiration as that ſpeech of Jeſus Chriſt that was the eternal Son of God,Matth. 27.46. in the middeſt of his ſufferings, that hee ſhould thus cry out, certainly hee did not miſtake, what Chriſt apprehended to bee, was, wee many time may apprehend that God hath forſaken us, when there is no ſuch thing, but certainly Chriſt was never deceived in his apprehenſions, but what hee did apprehend, it was true: But now what this forſaking of God was, it is a very hard thing, a great myſtery, which is too deep for us to dive into, but that there was a forſaking, and that hee was not deceived, but that hee apprehended was real, that muſt needs bee granted, or otherwiſe wee muſt grant that Chriſt was deceived, which would bee blaſphemy for us to ſay.
Seventhly, Yea again yet further, the wonder in Chriſts humiliation was this, that all this Chriſt foreſaw, and yet did willingly undertake it to ſave mankinde, ſee what the heart of Chriſt in his ſufferings towards his elect ones, was, that rather than hee would ſee them to bee plunged into the bottomleſs gulf of eternal miſery, hee would put himſelf into it to keep them out, hee did it willingly; When hee did fir ſtundertake this great work with his Father, hee knew what hee ſhould ſuffer, A body haſt thou prepared mee, it is written in the volume of thy book I ſhould do thy will, Heb. 10 5, 7.and lo I come, I delight to do thy will, And what was it? It was the ſuffering of all theſe things that I have named unto you, and I have but even named them unto you.
Eighthly, And yet further, the wonder of Chriſts humiliation (my ſcope is now to preſent as briefly as may bee, as much of Chriſt as I can unto you, that you may have ſome help for your more clear apprehenſions of Chriſt, and how to make him the object of your faith) The wonder of Chriſt appears in this, that there ſhould bee ſuch a way to ſave men as this is, that the Son of God ſhould bee thus humbled, and this wee finde clearly in Scripture ſet out to us; but that God would have ſuch a way to ſave ſinners, and no other, this is as great a wonder as any thing, it is certainly the aſtoniſhment of the Angels, and the admiration of the Saints to all eternity; that the Lord ſhould look upon baſe man, and that hee ſhould have thoughts to ſave him, that was nothing; but when God ſaw that if hee bee ſaved, hee muſt bee ſaved after this way, that God ſhould as it were trouble heaven and earth for the ſaving of a poor wretched ſinful creature, and though God ſaw that it would coſt him ſo dear to ſave a ſoul, yet that hee ſhould go on with his work to ſave him, here is the wonder; but this is the way of ſalvation, and this is that that is infinitely above reaſon, not onelyonly above ſenſe, but above reaſon; which of the Heathens could have imagined that there ſhould have been ſuch a way to ſave man by as this; Why how wilt thou bee ſaved? I will cry to God for mercy, and break off my ſin, and bee ſorry with all my heart, why if this were the way there was no wonder in that; but know oh thou ſinner, whoſoever thou art, that if ever thou bee ſaved, that thou muſt bee ſaved by a wonderful way; and the truth is, conſidering that this is the way of ſaving ſinners, wee may ſtand and wonder that any are ſaved; when you hear of but few that go to heaven, and that moſt people in the world periſh, and when you come to hear the way of ſaving man, and what it coſt, and the great difficulty of it, you may then ſtand and wonder that any ſhould bee ſaved: Oh when ever you think of ſalvation, think wiſely of this, it is a wonderful work of God to ſave a ſinner, and the moſt wonderful work that ever God did do; why, becauſe the way of ſaving a ſinner is ſo ſtrange; and truly my Brethren, then doth God begin to work ſavingly upon the heart of a ſinner, when the ſinner begins to ſtand and wonder at the way of ſaving, and till that time it cannot bee conceived that God is beginning ſavingly to work upon your hearts. I appeal to your conſciences, you that have gone on in a ſecure dead-hearted way, when was ever your hearts taken up in admiring at the way of Gods ſaving ſinners? why, if it hath done ſo, that is a good evidence that God is beginning to ſhew himſelf unto you in a ſaving way. But now if you go on, and have but low thoughts about the way of ſalvation, if your hearts do not ſanctifie Gods Name in admiring at the wonderful way of ſalvation, know, that yet the Goſpel is hidden to you, certainly you yet do not underſtand the counſels of God about the way of ſalvation, when your hearts are not taken up with admiring at the glory of God in it.
A note of Trial.I will but leave this note of Trial with you, whether Chriſt bee revealed to you; have your ſouls wondred at him, My Brethen? there are divers things that men wonder at in the world, and their hearts are taken with them, and all becauſe they underſtand not Chriſt the great Wonder of the world. Wee read in Rev. 17. that when Antichriſt had gotten a great deal of power, that the world did wonder at him, verſ. 6. When I ſaw her, I wondred with great admiration, &c. Antichriſt having a great deal of power makes men to wonder much at him. Now in verſ. 8. The Beaſt which thou ſaweſt, was and is not, and ſhall aſcend out of the bottomleſs pit, and go into perdition, and they that dwell on the earth ſhall wonder, (whoſe names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world) when they behold the Beaſt that was, and is not, and yet is, ſaith hee, thoſe whoſe names are not written the book of life, that was written from the foundation of the world, they ſhall make a wonder at Antichriſt, and at his great power, and at the way of his falling too. So in Rev. 13.2, 3. And the Dragon gave him his power, and his ſeat, and great Authority, &c. When the Dragon had given his power to the Beaſt, that is the Civil ſtate and power, had given its power unto Antichriſt, unto their Church-ſtate, ſo that they had the Civil ſword in their own hands, and were able by that Civil power to force all to come in to their Dictates, now the Text ſaith, That they all wondred at it; but who are they? in Chap. 17. v. 8. thoſe whoſe names were not written in the book of life; ſo that carnal hearts now may bee taken with the wondring after the pomp and glory of the word, and after the power of Antichriſt, becauſe Antichriſt prevails in the world, but they are thoſe whoſe mames are not written in the book of life; thoſe whoſe names are written in the book of life, they will never ſtand wondring at the excellency of Antichriſt, becauſe of his outward glory; no, Thoſe whoſe names are written in the book of life, they have learned to wonder at Jeſus Chriſt, not at Antichriſt; let Jeſus Chriſt bee never ſo mean, and humbled, and low, and perſecuted in his members, in his Ordinances, yet they ſee that excellency in Jeſus Chriſt, as makes them wonder, and it is ſuch a wonder as it doth darken all the wonders in the world beſides.