Second!?/, Christ died this, rather than any other kind of death ; to fulfil the types, and prefigurations that of old were made with respect to it All the sacrifices were lifted up from the earth, upon the altar. But especially the brazen serpent prefigured this death, Numb. xix. 9. Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole. And, saith Christ, John iii. 14. " As Moses lifted " up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lift- " ed up," that so he might correspond with that lively type, made of him in the wilderness.
Thirdly, Christ died this, rather than any other death, because it was predicted of him, and in him must all the predictions, as well as types, be fully accomplished. The psalmist spake in the person of Christ, of this death, as plainly as if he had rather been writing the history of what was done, than a prophecy of what was to be done, so many years afterwards, Psal. xxii. 16, 17. " For dogs " have compassed me about, the assembly of the wicked have in- " closed me : they pierced my hands and feet ; I may tell all my " bones ; they look and stare upon me." Which hath a manifest re- ference to the distension of all his members upon the tree, which was a rack to him. So Zech. xii. 10. " They shall look upon me, " whom they have pierced." Yea, Christ himself had foretold the death he should die, in the forecited, John iii. 14.. saying, " He must be lifted up," i. e. hanged between heaven and earth. And the scriptures must be fulfilled.
Thus you have a brief account both of the kind, manner, and reasons of this death of Christ. The improvement of it, you have in the following inferences of truth, deducible from it.
* Potissima causa malcdictionis hujvA est, quia Christies i?i wjsterio prcesignabatur, Masius.
SSKV. XXVI. TIIF, FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 327
Inference 1. Is Christ dead? and did he die the violent, painful,
shameful, cursed, slow, and succourless death of , ■, .
the cross ? Then surely there is forgiveness ,. ,. •,
7vlth GocL and plenteous rederni)t'i<))i fitr the >>'rc(U- ,. ,r * .
. ,. . fr ,7 x -,j i /, i, , ,-lt for the greatest
est of sinners ; that byjaitk apply the blood of the ,J ,. . &.
cross to their poor guilty souls. So speaks the **
apostle, Col. i. 14. " In whom wu have redemption through his
"blood, even the forgiveness of sins." And 1 John i. 7. "The
" blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin." Two things will make
First, That there is a sufficient efficacy in this blood of the cross, to expiate the greatest sins.
Secondly, That the efficacy of it is designed and intended by God for believing sinners. How clearly do both these propo-. sitions lie in the word ?
First, That there is sufficient efficacy in the blood of the cross, to expiate and wash away the greatest sins. This is manifest, for it is precious blood, as it is called, 1 Pet. i. 18. " Ye were not re- " deemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold ; but with " the precious blood of the Son of God." This preciousness of the blood of Christ riseth from the union it hath with that person, who is over all, God blessed for ever. And on that account is stiled the blood of God, Acts xx. 28 : and so it becomes royal, princely blood : Yea, such for the dignity, and efficacy of it, as never was created, or shall ever run in any other veins but his. The blood of all the creatures in the world, even a sea of human blood bears no more proportion to the precious and excellent blood of Christ, than a dish of common water, to a river of liquid gold. On the account of its invaluable preciousness, it becomes satisfying and reconciling blood to God. So the apostle speaks, Col. i. 20. " And (having made peace through the blood of his " cross) by him to reconcile all things to himself; by him, I say, " whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." The same blood which is redemption to them that dwell on earth, is con- firmation to them that dwell in heaven. Before the efficacy of this blood, guilt vanishes, and shrinks away as the shadow before the glorious sun. Every drop of it hath a voice, and speaks to the soul that sits trembling under its guilt better things than the blood of Abel, Heb. x. 24. It sprinkles us from all evil, i. e. an unquiet and accusing conscience, Heb. x. 22. For having enough in it to satisfy God, it must needs have enough in it to satisfy con- science.
Conscience can demand no more for its satisfaction, nor will it take less than God demands for his satisfaction. And in this blood is enough to give both satisfaction.
328 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SERM. XXVI*
Secondly, As there is sufficient efficacy in this blood to expiate the greatest guilt -, so it is as manifest, that the virtue and efficacy of it, is intended and designed by God for the use of believing sinners. Such blood as this was shed, without doubt, for some weighty end, that some might be the better for it. Who they are for whom it is intended, is plain enough from Acts xiii. 39. u And by him all that believe, are justified from all things, from " which they could not be justified by the law of Moses."
That the remission of the sins of believers was the great thing designed in the pouring out of this precious blood of Christ, ap- pears from all the sacrifices that figured it to the ancient church. The shedding of that typical blood, spake a design of pardon. And the putting of their hands upon the head of the sacrifice, spake the way and method of believing, by which that blood was then applied to them in that way ; and is still applied to us in a more excellent way. Had no pardon been intended, no sacrifices had been appointed.
Moreover, let it be considered, this blood of the cross is the blood of a surety ; that came under the same obligations with us, and in our name or stead shed it : and so of course frees and dis- charges the principal offender, or debtor, Heb. vii. 22. Can God exact satisfaction from the blood and death of his own Son, the surety of believers, and yet still demand it from believers ? It can- not be. " Who (saith the apostle) shall lay any thing to the " charge of God's elect ? It is God that justifieth. Who shall " condemn ? It is Christ that died," Rom. viii. 33, 34. And wlr, are faith and repentance prescribed as the means of pardon ? Why doth God every where in his word, call upon sinners to re- pent, and believe in this blood ? encouraging them so to do, by so many precious promises of remission ; and declaring the inevi- table ana eternal ruin, of all impenitent, and unbelieving ones, who despise and reject this blood ? What, I say, doth all this speak, but the possibility of a pardon for the greatest of sinners ; and the cer- tainty of a free^ foil, and final pardon for all believing sinners? O what a joyful sound i- this ! What ravishing voices of peace, par- don, grace, and acceptance, come to our ears from the blood of the cross?