ページの画像
PDF
ePub

1 Pet. ii. 24.

Eph. ii. 1.

Once more; As the dire Effects of Sin are by no Images more lively reprefented, than by thofe of Wounds and putrifying Sores, of Sicknefs and Death; So neither are the Benefits of our Lord's Paffion at any time more fenfibly expreffed, than by his Stripes healing us, by his quickning them that are dead in Tref paffes and Sins, and our living in and by Him who died for us. And, to fhew, that the Virtue of this Spiritual Restorative knows he is faid, to justify Men from all things, from which they could not be justified, by any former Difpenfation, and to fave even the chief of Sinners.

1 Thef. v. 10.

no bounds,

Acts xiii. 39.

1 Tim. i. 15.

Thus much, I conceive, may very well fuffice for proving the Death of Chrift, not only a true, but a fufficient, Sacrifice and Satisfaction for Sin. It only remains now, that I fhew this Sacrifice and Satisfaction to have conlisted strictly in That, which makes the principal Subject of our Devotions this Day, his Dying upon the Cross for us.

Now, for a right understanding of this matter, we must again be beholden to the Guidance of thofe Rites and Offices, fo often referred to in this Epiftle; fuch as were peculiar to the Jews yearly Solemnity, on the Great Day of Atonement. But we muft, in the Contemplation of those Rites, be sure to take this Caution along with us; That our Lord is to be confidered in a double Capacity: As the Sacrifice offered; and as the Priest offering it. And therefore care must be had, to diftinguish between these two Relations; between the Acts and Effects proper to him, in the One, and in the Other, of thefe Qualities. These were indeed united in One and the fame Perfon, at the time of This Oblation; but they remained perfectly diftinct, and had different Subjects, in every other Oblation whatfo

ever,

Now,

being a perfect Revolution of Time, in which all Nature feems to have finished its Courfe; the allowing this Solemn Atonement to be yearly and no more, was the best Intimation, which that Oeconomy was capable of giving, that this Great Sacrifice fhould be offered but Once, and that it fhould fuffice to perfect for ever the Perfons factified by it.

Thirdly, The High-Priest, even at that Solemn Day, was not allowed to enter into the Holy Place, without Blood. By being denied familiar and constant Access to the Prefence of God, was intimated that State of Guilt, which rendereth Men unworthy to approach him. By being allowed it, after the flaying of the Sin-Offering, is fignified the removal of that Guilt and Unworthiness, by God's Acceptance of the Sacrifice. Sa that this Access fuppofes an Expiation: And the bringing in of the Blood is not the Making fuch Expiation, but the Evidence of one already made. This is the Type: And the Antitype exactly anfwers it. Human Nature, while polluted by Sin, was incapable of entring Heaven; Our Lord, by fuffering in this Nature, hath procured to it Immortality, and Admittance thither. He entred there, as Our Common Reprefentative; And, by that Entrance, He teftifies the Expiation finished: For fo it must be, or ever our Nature could gain accefs thither. The Afcent then to, and Refidence of our Nature in Heaven, is an Argument, that God is fully reconciled. The crucified Body of our Lord, dwelling for ever with God, is a continual exhibiting of the Merits and Efficacy of his Sacrifice; but the Act of Entring is not properly a Sacrificial Act in Chrift, or of an expiatory Nature; Farther than it declares the Sacrifice, and the Power of it. It is indeed an Act of Triumph after, and Reward for, having offered himself up in this Quality. The Death of our Lord on the Crofs answers to the Death of the Sin-Offering at the Altar. The Remiffion is obtain

ed

Rom. iv. 25.

Colof. ii. 15.

ed by means of, and confequently is to be dated from, the time of fhedding the Blood. Hence is our Saviour faid to rife again for our Justification. And how could that be faid of him, if we were not juftified, till fome time after he rofe; and if no Pardon were obtained, till his Ascent into Heaven? Hence it is faid, that the Blood of the Cross made our peace; and that in the Cross, (or his Body upon it, as fome underftand that Paffage) he defeated and triumphed over the Enemies of our Souls. Hence again, we read, that after he had by himself purged our fins, he fat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: And, in the very Scri pture I am upon, that, after he had offered one Sacrifice for fins for ever, he fat down on the right hand of God. And, Laftly, Hence we may reasonably prefume, he expired upon the Crofs, with thofe fignificant Words in his Mouth, It is finished. Of which more in the following Service for this Day.

Heb. i. 3.

In the mean while I only add, that What hath been here advanced commits no Violence at all upon those Texts, where Chrift's Eternal Priefthood is afferted. For Sacrificing, tho' a part, was yet never the whole, of the Priestly Character. Bleffing and Interceffion are as effential Branches of it, as the Other. And these our Lord continues to discharge, with fuch fulness of Power; as not to be an humble Supplicant for, but the Author and Giver of Salvation. He is the Beltower, and not only the Afker of Bleffings, to them, for whom he vouchfafes to intercede. And an Eternal Prieft he thus far is, with regard to the Sacrificing part too; as he hath, by that One Offering for Sin, put an utter end to, and rendred all repetition of fuch, not only needlefs, but unfafe and finful.

Upon the whole matter it is very obvious, what mighty Confolations we may, we ought to take, even

in

32. Then came the foldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.

33. But when they came to Jefus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake mot bis legs.

34. But one of the foldiers with a spear pierced bis fide, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

35. And be that faw it bare record, and bis record is true; and be knoweth that be faith true, that ye might believe.

36. For thefe things are done, that the fcripture should be fulfilled, Abone of tim fhall not be broken.

37. And again another scripture faith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

TH

COMMENT.

HE Service of the Church, and the Scriptures already handled, have brought Us down to the laft Act of our Bleffed Saviour's Sufferings, and the particular manner of his expiring upon the Crofs. Thefe therefore shall make the Subject of our prefent Meditation, according to the defcription given in the Chapter now before us, (Ver. 28, 29, 30.) viz. That, Jesus, (feeling himself afflicted with a vehement Drought, ufual upon the approach of Death, but especially in that kind of Death, where extremity of Pain, and lofs of Blood, exhaust the Spirits in a more than ordinary degree) complained of Thirst. For the quenching whereof, when his infulting Enemies offered him Vinegar to drink, he meekly fubmitted to their cruel Mockery ; And having moiftned his holy Mouth with it, faid, It is finished; After which he prefently bowed his Head, and gave up the Ghost.

There are Two things efpecially obfervable from hence, which require our very attentive Confideration. First, The true Importance of that Saying, It is finished; And,

Secondly, The particular Manner of our Lord's Dying. Thefe I fhall first Explain, and then deduce from them fome proper Reflections.

I begin

I begin with the Former, The true Importance of that Saying, It is finished.

1. The First and most obvious Interpretation feems to regard the Prophecies concerning Chrift. Those were fo full and exprefs, that there was not any one Material Circumftance, in this great concluding Scene of his Life efpecially, which had not been moft exactly foretold many Ages before. This fhewed, that all these things, however cafual they might appear when they happened, were yet conducted all along, by a wife and fteady Providence; which fo over-ruled the Wills, the Malice, and the Wickedness of Men, as to bring about what God had determined, and what none but He could have fignified should be, fo long before they came to pafs. This was a Method, very agreeable to the Defign of Almighty God, whofe Revelations and Dealings all tended to the Mystery of Man's Redemption. That Great and Glorious Work; in which his Divine Perfections fhould be moft eminently confpicuous; Which was of greateft Confequence to the World; And Which he therefore kept conftantly in View, and made all other Difpenfations fubfervient to it.

This is the very Reafon, why the Apostles, in all their Arguings with the Jews, infift fo much upon the Topick of Prophecies. Because, according to the Jewś own Principles, that Perfon was to be look'd upon as the true Meffiah, in whom these Predictions were manifeftly and punctually accomplished. Hence St. John, Ver. 28. takes notice, that Jefus therefore said, I thirst, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. The other Prophecies relating to this matter, Such as, being betrayed by bis Friend and Companion, forfaken by his Kindred and Acquaintance, having his Hands and his Feet pierced, bis Garments parted, and Lots caft upon his Vefture; had all been made good already. But there remained One more ftill, One, acknowledged to belong to this Matter. For David, complaining of the Barbarity of

« 前へ次へ »