A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 103 (Question 27 cont.)
SERMON CIII.
WE have taken a General Account of the Death of Chriſt, which was the laſt part of his Humiliation. It follows that we look more Particularly into the Parts of it.
AND in General let it he obſerved, th… though the Excellency of Chriſt's Perſon … an infinite value into his Sufferings. yet th… did not excuſe him from ſuffering … Eſſence of the whole Curſe which the … had declared againſt us: and therefore … read, Gol. 3.13. Chriſt hath redeemed as fr… the curſe of the law, being made a … for as: for it is writter, Curſed is every … that bingeth in a tree. Which Curſe is ſ… marily comprized in the Threatning, Gen… In which there are two ſorts of Death … tained, the firſt and the ſecond, or b…d… … ſpiritual b…th of which but Redeemer, … and did undergo. As for that which is ea… eternal Death. it doth not denominate a th… kind; nor is it primarily, but only … quentially contained in the Curſe; and … Chriſt could ſatisfy Juſtice, without ſuffer… of it: For the ground of the Eternity of th… ſinners miſery lies in this viz. the Law … b… ſatisfied or the ſinner muſt he in Pr… till it be; but ſi…s guilt is too big the off… is too: finite, to be exp…ated by the … re… rary ſuffering of the Offe…der; he ther… ſuffers eternally, becauſe he is inſolves When therefore Chriſt preſented t… Juſt … Price ſufficient: He dies and riſes agains, … Death cannot h…ld him: But as for a … and ſpiritual Death, he ſuffered them … Only is verting the Order: Sinners firſt … fer the Perfection of a bodily Death, beſ… they undergo the utmoſt of that which ſpiritual; but Chriſt compleated that w… is ſpiritual firſt. The Sinner alſo, … ſuffers theſe Deaths. firſt in the l…ch…ati… and after in the Perfecti…n, ſo alſo did Ch… Only let it be remembred, that in all th… Chriſt ſuffered, there was nothing but S… row, there was no Sin at all; for in that … never became like unto us.
THE Firſt thing then we have to take … tice of in the Death of Chriſt, is the In… of his ſpiritual Death: And this is exhibi… to us in that bitter Agony of his which ſuffered a little before his bodily De… And there is a particular account gives it by Three of the Evangeliſts. Math. 22.36. … Mar. 14.32, &c. Luk. 22.29, &c … which we may gather ſome Remarks, to forth this part of his Sufferings. And …
1. THE Name put upon it, will give ſome light into the nature …f …t. It is … an Agony. Luk. 22. …. It comes of a … which ſignifies a Conflict, Strife, or Co… and is uſed to expreſs the Anguiſh of ſp… which with Horror & Trembling ſeizeth … that is about to encounter his Enemy, and juſt entring the liſts. It therefore tells what a dreadful E…gagement Chriſt had the Garden: He now began to grapple … the Wrath of God, and enter a close ſ… with the Powers of Hell. It muſt needs … terrible thing, that could ſet the man Ch… united to the Perſon of the Son of God, i… ſuch an amazing Conſternation. If his S… ings had been no other but b…dily, & me… …plary, and not penal, as ſome pretend, his …ience and reſolution had been but lit… then pared with his Marryrs, who have … …cateſt cheerfulneſs gone to and thro … cruel ſufferings: but it tells us that … preſent combat, was horrible, which put … into …ch an Agony.
2. HENCE, we may take notice that Chriſts …ah, and Soul Sufferings began wiſh has Agory. … in was Spara…nal. They that were with his a …, could ſee no more reaſon for it than …; but his Soul is now ſeized upon; and … ſpiritual Death began upon him, in both the parts of it.
(1.) HERE was the puniſement of loſs. He … de…rred from that joy and delight, which the fruition of his Fathers co…forting …ace and Spirit, were won't to afford him; ſo that now, ſorrow, ſadneſs, and ſoul…neſs fell upon him, and had like to have … him, He therefore faith to his Diſ…ples, Mat. 26.38. Then ſaith be unto them, …y j…d it exceeding ſoer…fal, even unto which: tarry ye here and match with me
(2.) THERE was alſo a paniſh… at … ſenſe. … …ed the bitter wrath of God, and ſelt the divine diſpleaſure lying very heavy upon him: this was the Cup which he now took the ſuſt taſte of, and was very ſhortly to du…h off to the bottom. Now alſo he was is ſhe hands of the powers of darkneſs; and …th… account he ſaith, Luk. 22.53. but … is your boat, and the power of darkneſs. And therefore it is ſaid, Luk. 4.13. And when … had ended all the temptation, he de…d for a ſeaſon. Now alſo the ſpirit of … and miſery ſeized upon him: Only h… be obſerved,
[1.] THAT the Joy which Chriſt laſt, and the Serow which be ſelt, was only as to the activity of them, or …it preſent ſenſe. He now, and through all his Sufferings had the habit of … joy in God, which He loſt not in the …keſt time of his Sufferings, for He … now an …ghitual fulneſs of all Graces bey… …ſare. Though there was a preſent … of the activity of his Joy, yet it the no way wounded or impaired by his … Chriſt was holy ſtill, and therefore … without any part of Sanctification, of which ſpiritual Joy is one.
[2.] THAT Chriſt underwent the wath of … after a different manrer from sinners: Or … reſpect. For, Sinners, that dye … one damned, undergo the divine diſpleaſ…e, as they are the Objects of God's wrath and toper, Pſal. 7.12. Whereas Chriſt was not … or abſolutely the Object of God's …, but only the ſubject of this penalty, which is the effect of it. For, God was never diſple…d with Chriſt, ſo as He … with … but He loved him moſt entirely, even …, when he did actually withdraw the which of his love from him, and ſubjected him as the direful effects of his anger, when … ſtood as our Surety. Nay …deed, His Father was never better pleaſed with b… than now; it was that which he Covenanted with him to do. and made him a great promiſe in caſe he did it. Iſa. 52.1. So that here was he higheſt and moſt e… nent teſtimony of his obedience to his Fathers will, that be could poſſibly expreſs.
[3.] AND Chriſt was ſubjected at the Fran… of Darkneſs, after another manner then wa…ked men are. They are, and it is part of their ſpiritual Death that they are, ſubjected to Satan in a way of ſervitude and ſlarery. who rules over them, and leads them Copene… his will, 2 Tim. 2.26. They are his willing vaſſals; but Chriſt was never ſo. nor could the Devil ever by any temptations draw him into his ſnare; but he was aſſaulted by him, in a way of venation, and ſore grief of ſoul, Satan being let looſe upon him, to put him to ſorrow and trouble.
3. WE may t…ore part…arly take notice of the Combat which Chriſt was engeged it, in tis Agony; and that both in the Nature, and the Effect of it on him.
1. IN the Nature of it, let us obſerve,
(1.) IT is ſaid, that he began t…de ſerra… ful, Mat. 26.27. The word is uſed for the ſorrows of a woman that is in trarail, Job. 16.21. Chriſt was now compaſſed about with ſorrows on every ſide, and theſe very bitter: All the waters and billows of the wrath of God began to come over his Soul; He was not only filled with them, but caſt into a ſlood of them, when his ſinking Soul could find no footing or bottom Pſal. 69.2.
(2.) Tis alſo ſaid, that He was very be…y, Mat 26.37. Some ſuppoſe that the word ſignifies, to be without the ſociety of People, as men that are in bitter ſorrows, love to be alone. Heathen Writers uſe the word to expreſs the moſt corroding and deadly grief that can be thought of. He was ſo oppreſſed with the terror and terrible anguiſh of his account we read of an Angel that was ſent is ſtrengthen him under it, Luk. 22.43. All the faculties of his Soul were taken up with the apprehenſion of the bitter impreſſions of the wrath of God that he ſuſtained.
(3.) It is further added that he was ſorrowful to death: They are his own words, who beſt underſtood his own burden & bitterneſs, Mat. 26.38. The weight of divine Vengeance which fell upon him, drunk up his ſpirits. and almoſt overwhelmed and ſwallowed him up. Sorrow is in it ſelf a piece of Death, being one of the fruits of Sin, but for which it had never been heard of. Now ſo direful were the ſorrows that came upon him, that they drank up his ſpirit, and were ready to ſink him into his Grave, and had not a mighty power fuſtained him, they had certainly ſo c…ne.
(4.) IT is morcover expreſſed of him that he was ſore amazed, Mat. 14.22. which word is uſed to expreſs, both fear and wonder: and it is therefore improved to ſet faith the greateſt aſtoniſhment, of … that is bey…t meaſure affrighted. All Chriſt's ſa… were …eized upon by the ſuffering that he was now engaged in: the ſedden ſeizure of it upon him, was exceeding formidable and dreadful to him; His whole humane nature did, as it were, start at, and fly back from it, not in rebellion, but in a deep ſenſe of the aſtoniſhing weight of miſery that …he was now called to undergo, and combat withal. And from this heap of expreſſions uſed about it, we may ſafely infer theſe four Concluſions,
[1.] THAT the Serr…us which Chriſt ſelt, did not only fall upon the inſertour jaculties of his ſenſitive Soul, but on the ſuperiour ſaculties of his re ſonable Soul. And that he intended theſe when he ſaid, Mat. 26.38. My ſoul, &c. may be concluded, heth becauſe he ſtood in our room, and bare our ſorrows, who were curſed in Soul as well as Body, whoſe rational powers were chieſly concerned in ſin, and therefore to be principal ſufferers in the puniſhment of it: as alſo, becauſe the inferiour powers in the Man Chriſt, were emirely ſubordinated to the ſuperiours, and were accordingly acted by them. He was not ſ…rrewſal & ama…ed without reaſon, …amp;c. J…b. 11.34.
[2.] THAT this agony and conſint of his Seal, was not meerly an act of ſympathy with his body; but it hid its proper and immedrate ſufferings. We may well ſuppoſe that Chriſt did not at this time ſurfer in his Body, any pain or torment; but the wrath of God ſell upon his Soul itſelf, his Heart was oppreſſed, and the Soul within him as ſm…tten with it: that was ſilled with trouble, Pſal. 69.1. He was now fallen into the hands of God's Juſtice, armed with Vengeance, and it was very terrible to him.
[3.] NOR was it im compiſſion to others that be was thus ſorrowful; but it was his own proper Paſſion that he underwent. He had taken upon him to be our Surety, and put himſelf in our place; And now the Great GOD came to demand the Satisfaction of him which he owed to his revenging Juſtice; God himſelf row clapt the Arreſt upon him, and put the Cup into his hand, which was filled with all the bitter ingredients, the dregs whereof he was to drink. God now began to make his Soul and ſſering for ſin, Iſai. 53.10. We may reckon him to be intended in the Antetype, making that bitter moan, Pſal. 40.12. For innumerable evils have compaſſed me about, mine iniquitles have taken hold upon me: ſo that I am not able to look up … they are more than the hairs of mine head, thereſore my heart ſaileth me. For though he had no ſin of his own, vet all the ſins of all the Elect, were his by Impuration, and they all tool falt hold of him.
[4.] NOR was it the fear and horrer of a bodily Death approaching, that made him in ſuch an agony and bitterneſs at the apprehenſion …f it. For, though Death it ſelf be that which humane nature reſents with conſternation, accounting it in itſelf a great evil, ver meetly as ſuch, the Grace of Chriſt beſtowed on his People, hath made them to every me this ſear, even then when it hath been ſet before them, with all the ſhame and … roas cruelty attending it, that all … and malice of Men and Devils could … Surely then, he in whom all this Gra… … fountained, and who received the Sp… yond meaſure, muſt needs be able to c… it in himſelf; but it was the ſenſe of a ritual Death ſeizing of him, and a felt paration ſponſ the favourable prefea…e God, that did thus amaze him: God now … gan to forſake him. and he is ſorely di… and dreadfully amazed at it.
2. WE may further ſee the turi… this Agony, it we conſider the Effects of which were men.
(1.) THE carneſtneſs which it pat hi… … in Prayer to his Father about it. How … mently doth he deprecate this Cup? … importunately doth he requeſt of his Fa… that if there were any other poſſible … the ſatisfying of divine Juſtice, He … excuſed from drinking off the botton of … Cup of Vengeance? In this Prayer of … He diſcovered a Soul deeply aſtoniſhed, … a nature extreamly averſe to the ſu… of the indignation of God which was … coming out againſt Him: And this vebe… cy of his in it appears, both in the … of that expreſſion, if it he poſſible; and … triplication of the requeſt in the ſame … He went a ſecond, and a third time, … 29, 44. and in that he grew every … more intenſe in it. Luk. 22.44. And do… it is to this Agony, that the Apo…le and reference, Heb. 5.7. Who in the days of fleſh, when be had offered up prayers and plications, with ſtrong crying and teat, … him that was able to ſave him from death, … was heard, in that be feared.
(2.) IN that bloody ſweat of his, which … from him in that Agony. We have the … of it given, in Luk. 22.44. And being … agony, be prayed more earneſtly, and his … to is as it were great dreps of blood ſalling … to the ground. The word ſignifies concre… … thick blood, which was an argume… … effect of an exceeding great and unpa… … fear & amazement. Great dread hath … put perſons in a ſweat; but to ſweat … geal'd blood is not uſual, and there … muſt needs be a declaration, that the … of God was inconceivably dreadful to … and that he could not tell how to end … and the Man Chriſt, had certainly … ken under it, had there not been an gr… ing Arm underneath.
WE may briefly reſlect upon ſome … ſlarees are impanying this Ageny, which … not be unproſitable for us to contemp…
1. THE Time when be entered upp… … Agony: Mat. 26.36. It was as ſoon … had inſtituted and adminiſtred the Sacr… of the Supper, and finiſhed that … Diſcourſe with his Diſciples which follo… … upon it, and had commended himſelf … them to God in a pathetical Prayer, Joh … The next thing that entertains him it … …dict. God ſometimes calls his dear… from the neareſt Communion …im, to the greateſt Trials; yea, and … Communion to prepare them for …ciſes. Such ſudden Changes there… to be expected, and not looked on as … things. The Captain of our Salva…s thus exerciſed, and well may we. … Place where this Agony was. It is …larly remarked, and it is not for …. We read, Mat. 26.36. Then c…weth with them unto a place called Gethſemene. …eppoſe the name to ſignify the place … preſ…; and it is certain, that Chriſt …ither to begin to tread the Wine-preſs Fathers wrath. Others think it to … a Valley of ſatneſs; which alluſion is …ry ſignificant, in that the fruits of …ufferings which he entred upon here, …y rich. It called a Garden. Job. 18.7. …hriſt repaired hither, partly for retire… be alone in his Agony; partly that …ght be found by Judas, who knew it to … place of his uſual reſort; partly that …ght be taken without a tumult. It was …en: One of the Fathers commenting …ith, 'As Sin began in a Garden, ſo did …'s Sufferings. Another ſaith, 'It was … that the Blood of the Phyſician ſhould …owed our, where the Diſeaſe of the … began. In a Garden Adam had his Sen …, and in a Garden Chriſt ſubmitted to Sentence, and entred upon his Paſſion. think it was that called the King's …, 1, Neh. 3.15. The Kings of Judab had …rdens for pleaſure at the foot of …, Olivet; here did the King of Kings …pon his Suffering. They came thither afore, and He for ſorrow. God can the ſame place a place of comfort or … to his People as he ſees meet: Yea, … the Son of God bitter ſorrow to put… us, all our comforts and delights. THE perfect and ſull Submiſſion of Chriſt, Fathers pleaſure, under all the reluctances innocent nature, againſt his Sufferings. … his conſternation was terrible, and …ti…ion very vehement and importunate, …es ſtrong and plereing, yet they did … whit put him off from his duty of ſignation to his Father in the determi… of this affair. Mat. 26.39. Neverthe… as I will, but as thou wilt. Earneſt …ation of affliction is very well conſiſtent … free ſubjection to God. It doth not …ily argue, that we are not obedient …d, becauſe we pray hard againſt an …n that looks terrible to us. We may, …metimes ought to pray againſt an …on, which God hath purpoſed that we …ffer, for not the purpoſe, but the pre… our rule, which hath made it our Our ſears and deſires are then regular, though never ſo earneſt, they leave the …ily reſolving its ſelf into God's will. THE great failing the three Diſciples … took with him, to be more nearly converſant in his Agory. Mat. 26.40.42. He had bid them to watch with hi…, but they tell aſleep, and inſtead of relieving him grieved him, though he pitied them. Thus God withdrew from Chriſt the creature relief. And it tells us, there is no ſecurity in the beſt and moſt faithful of men, to be our comſorters in an an hour of need: if God leave them, they ſhall prove miſerable comforters, as Job's friends did to him, and theſe three Diſciples to Chriſt.
USE. I THE Conſideration of Chriſts Agory, ſpeaks awful terror to all Sinners act of Chriſt. And the very History of it as it hath been now laid open before us, may be a ſolema monitor to all impenitent ones. If Chriſt hath not born the brunt of God's anger for you, you your ſelves moſt certainly. ſuffain it in your own perſons; and little do you know what it is to enter into the liſts of contention with an angry God, armed with fury and revenge; to have all comforts taken away from you, and ſtoods of ſorrow to overtake and overſlow you at once, to loſe the preſence of God's favour for ever, and no more to taſte one drop of his Love. Would you have a glimpſe of what it is to meet an angry God in the field, ſix your thoughts upon Chriſt in the Garden, ſee him combating with divine fury, behold the bitter ſorrows of his heart, thoſe amazing ſears, that deep conſternation, thoſe deadly pangs of Souls, that ſore heavineſs, thoſe ſtrong cries that he uttered, thoſe congealed drops of blood, that ſell from him to the ground; and remember, that all this was from the ſenſe of the j… penalty of ſin, which he now began to undergo: they were the beginning of ſorrows. And could not he bear theſe ſcalding drops, without deadly amazement, how do you think to endure, when he ſhall meet you in ſury, and come upon you armed in the almighty Power, and implacable Vengeance. And if all theſe things were done to Chriſt, who yet was all this while his beloved Son, and had never diſpleaſed him, what ſhall be done to you, who are perſons hated of God, and moſt expect that your miſery ſhall continue to perpetuity. Oh then! Let Sinners improve this thought, to put them upon uſing no delays in ſeeking to eſcape this Wrath, whiles there is a door of Salvation ſtanding open to them.
USE. II. LEARN hence, how dear the Redemption of souls is. How much it coſt to ranſom poor ſinners from condemnation, and bring loſt man back to the enjoyment of peace and ſavour with God. If the beginning of thoſe ſorrows which Chriſt underwent for us, and the inchoations of that Death which He ſuffered on our account, were ſo deadly, and ſo amazing to him, certainly then, the going through the whole work of it, was unconceivable. None but the Son of God, could ever have undergone it: How vain then are they who think to obtain mercy at a cheap rate? Who ſuppoſe that an empty, God have Mere… upon …, will a maned their delivera are, and procare their peace with Him, and their eſcaping from the wrath to come? it we go no forther than the Gardea, and there ice and hear, the wreſtlings, the ſirag! age the amazements, the b…rers, and eat…ſt ſupplications of the Son of God is our atture, we ſhall not want fuſſcient matter of inſtruction, to teach us that it was a terrible thing, to become man's S…rety, and to engage a the brouging about of his Relempt…n. And let our Contemplation of theſe things, before we paſs to the more ſcarfed oves that are yet behind, help …s to per ſ…re imbittered, a… Chriſt to be more dear and pre… to … and living our ſelves by it under the move pet… Obi… …ations to aroid the …ia that c…lt him ſo dear, and to love and ſerte… on … …ach of life, all our days, who ſo lored us.
[NOVEMBER 14. 1…6.]