a pain and shame. And notwithstanding the pains and sorrows, both inward and outward, which he felt, were inexpressibly great; yet, after his resurrection, he would have gone into the garden again, gone over his agony again, drunk again that bitter cup which made his soul so sorrowful; he would have gone to Calvary, and been crucified again; he would have "poured out his life unto death' again and again, if it had so pleased God; had it been the will of his Father, that he should have repeated his sorrows and sufferings for the redemption of man: for he knew nothing but to be obedient, and perfectly resigned to the will of his Father. This is that "love of Christ which passeth knowledge;" love beyond compare, love beyond expressions or conceptions. And can there be a more natural, a more powerful engagement to selfresignation, than such a love? Did Christ so freely give himself for thee; and shouldest not thou most heartily, and willingly, give up thyself to him? Was all of Christ turned into a sacrifice for thee and shouldest not thou make an entire oblation of thyself, without any reserve, to him? it is not only ingenuity, but justice, wholly to live to him that died for thee, and bought thee with so dear a price. Did he suffer such inexpressible pains for us; and should not we be willing to endure some pain and smart; which at first will be in denying the solicitations of our fleshly mind, and in going about to cross our own will? And should not we also patiently undergo any sorrows the divine wisdom sees it meet to exercise us with; the worst we can Eph. iii. 19. a Matt. xxvi. 38. Isa. liii. 12. с undergo in this world being far short of our Saviour's sufferings in our behalf? CHAP. XII. That the high and holy example of Christ layeth a mighty obligation on Christians to self-resignation. In the last place, the high and holy example of our Lord Jesus Christ obligeth us very strongly to the practice of this duty of self-resignation. There never appeared in the world so, perfect and lovely a pattern and idea of the best life, as was the life of Christ. There never shined in the world such a light: nor was he in any thing a more bright and shining example to us, than in self-resignation: a famous instance whereof we have, not to name any other, in that one speech of his, in his agony in the garden, viz. "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup, (or, let this cup pass'd) from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.' How bitter this cup was; how great, beyond all comparison, the last sufferings of Christ were, which began in the garden of Gethsemane, and ended in his death on mount Calvary, may appear; First. By those significant words that occur in the story of his sufferings and agony, recorded in Matthew and Mark; that "he began," not only AUTODα, "to be sorrowful," but adnuove, "to ἀδημονεῖν, be very heavy," and indaußoda, "to be sore amazed;" even to "an agony," yevóμevos év άywvíą, d Matt. xxvi. 39. e Luke xxii. 42. f Matt. xxvi. 37. h Luke xxii. 44. as it is in Luke: and both in Matthew and Mark is that expression; περίλυπός ἐστιν ἡ ψυχή μου, &c. My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death."a 66 Secondly. In his agony By the great weakness of his body. "his sweat was as it were great drops of blood ;" an extraordinary, unnatural sweat: it falling from him in thick, viscous, clammy drops; and this in a cold season too. And so weak was his body at the same time, that "an angel" came down "from heaven to strengthen him.” This was a visible manifestation of excessive heaviness and a great colluctation within him; his mind so strangely affecting his body. ἐκτενέστερον, Thirdly. By his prayers and tears. He prayed thrice to this purpose; "Father, if thou be willing, let this cup pass from me:" And the third time he prayed inrevéσregov," with more earnestness and vehemence." And when he prayed, he "kneeled down," saith St. Luke; "he fell on his face," saith St. Matthew; "he fell on the ground," saith St. Mark: he lay prostrate on the ground, and put himself into the posture of lowest humiliation. And his " prayers and supplications" were " offered up with strong crying and tears;" as saith St. Paul to the Hebrews. By all this (and more might be added) it appears, that this cup was an exceeding bitter cup; that his sufferings and sorrows were beyond all comparison: and yet he was willing to undergo them. Though there was that in his human, natural will, which had a great antipathy against this cup; yet it was not overcome and carried away thereby but the divine principle in him did bring this will into a due acquiescence; and by the power thereof he freely resigned it up to the will of his Father. He was most willing to undergo these direful sufferings, notwithstanding they were inflicted without the least demerit of his own; he being perfectly innocent, and " without sin."k Now the consideration of his holy example lays. a great obligation upon us to follow him, as in every other grace, so particularly in his resignation. For the gospel represents him not only as ἱλαστήριον, 'a propitiatory sacrifice;" but also as Toygaòr, ' a pattern and example." The gospel doth not only represent the doctrine of Christ to be believed; but also the life of Christ to be followed: nor shall any have him for their advocate and propitiation, but such as are willing to have him for their pattern and example; to copy out and imitate his humility, patience, purity, benignity, and self-resignation. None shall be benefited by his death, that are unwilling to live his life. So far was it from being the intention of our Saviour's death, to make void or lessen the necessity of our being conformed to his life; that one of the great ends of his coming into the world, and clothing himself with human nature, was, that he might give us an example of living, and be a pattern for our imitation; as we may learn from 1 Pet. ii. 21-23. Matt. xi. 29. John xiii. 15, &c. That God might the more plainly and familiarly *Heb. iv. 15. 1 Rom. iii. 25. m 1 Pet. ii. 21. teach us, how to be like himself, he was pleased "to manifest" himself" in the flesh;" ozývwoev èv ἡμῖν, "to dwell" or have his tabernacle "among us, "b to go in and out before us in our likeness; and thus visibly exhibit himself, and become the most excellent pattern of purity and holiness; that "as he" was," so we" might be "in this world." And I heartily wish, that Christians did more seriously consider, what a transcendent privilege and advantage it is, that they have the Spirit and life of Christ set before them in the New Testament, to show what a spirit they should be of, and what a life they should live. This is such a favour as the people of God had not vouchsafed to them in the Old Testament. There were several manifestations of God to the Jews; but they were all far short of this manifestation of his in the flesh: there was nothing in those for imitation; and for the forming of their lives into a conformity to his. And therefore if our lives be not better than theirs, we do not live as becomes Christians; nor are we faithful to this and many other great advantages we have above them. But I fear we are too insensible of this privilege, and that we do not think sufficiently of this; that he who" was in the form of God, took upon him the form of a servant," clothed himself with humanity, put himself into the lowest and hardest ⚫ circumstances, "was in all points tempted like as we are ;" that so we might have a complete pattern and guide in those many varieties of conditions, difficulties, and temptations we may meet a 1 Tim. iii. 16. d Phil. ii. 6, 7. b John i. 14. C 1 John iv. 17. • Heb. iv. 15. |