The greatest guilt that ever was contracted upon a trembling, shaking conscience, can stand before the efficacy of the blood of Christ no more, than the sinner himself can stand before the justice of the Lord, with all that guilt upon him.
Reader, the word assures thee, whatever thou hast been, or art, that sins of as deep a dye as thine, have been washed away in this blood. " I was a blasphemer, a persecutor, injurious ; but " I obtained mercy," saith Paul, 1 Tim. i. 13. But it may be
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thou wilt object ; this was a rare and singular instance, and it is a great question whether any other sinner shall find the like grace that he did. No question of it at all, if vou believe in Christ as he did ; for he tells us, ver. 16. " For this cause I obtained mercy, " that in me first, Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering, " for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to " life everlasting." ' So that upon the same grounds he obtained mercy, you may obtain it also.
Those very men who had a hand in the shedding of Christ's blood, had the benefit of that blood afterwards pardoning them, Acts ii. 36. There is nothing but unbelief and impenitency of heart can bar thy soul from the blessings of this blood.
Inf. 2. Did Christ die the cursed death of the cross for believers, then, though there be much of pain, there is nothing of curse in the death of the saints. It still wears its dart, by which it strikes; but hath lost its sting, by which it hurts and destroys. A serpent that hath no sting, may hiss and affright, but we may take him in our hand, without danger. Death poured out all its poison, and lost its sting in Christ's side, when he became a curse for us.
But what speak I of the innocency and harmlessness of death to believers? It is certainly their friend and great benefactor. As there is no curse, so there are many blessings in it. " Death is " yours," 1 Cor. iii. 22. Yours as a special privilege and favour. Christ hath not only conquered it, but is more than a conqueror ; for he hath made it beneficial, and very serviceable to the saints. When Christ was nailed to the tree, then he said as it were to death, which came to grapple with him there, " O death, I will " be thy plague ; O grave, I will be thy destruction :" and so he was ; for he swallowed up death in victory, spoiled it of its power. So that, though it may now affright some weak believers, yet can- not hurt them at all.
Inf. 3. If Christ died the cursed death of the cross for us, how cheer- fully should zve submit to, and bear any cross for Jesus Christ ? He had his cross, and we have ours * ; but what feathers are ours com- pared with his ? His cross was a heavy cross indeed, yet how pa- tiently and meekly did he support it ! " he endured his cross," we cannot endure or bear ours, though they be not to be named witli his. Three things would marvellously strengthen us to bear the cross of Christ, and bring up a good report upon it in the world.
First, That we shall carry it but a little way. Secondly, Christ bears the heaviest end of it. Thirdly, Innumerable blessings and mercies grow upon the cross of Christ.
* Omnis Ckristianus est crucianus, i. e. Every Christian is a cross-bearer,
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First, Vfe shall bear it but a little way. It should be enough to me (saith * a holv one) that Christ will have joy and sorrow halfers of the life of the saints. And that each of them should have a share of our davs, as the night and day are kindly partners of time, and take it up betwixt them. But if sorrow be the greediest halfcr of our days here, I know joy's day shall dawn, and do more than recompense all our sad hours.
Let mv Lord Jesus, (since he will do so) weave my bit-and-span length of time -with white and black ; well and woe. — Let the rose be neighbour with the thorn. — " When we are over the water, Ci Christ shall cry? down crosses, and up heaven for evermore; " down hell, and down death, and down sin, and down sorrow ; " and up glory, up life, up joy for evermore. It is true, Christ u and his cross are not separable in this life ; howbeit Christ and 6i his cross part at heaven's door : for there is no house-room for fc- crosses in heaven. One tear, one sigh, one sad heart, one fear, " one loss, one thought of trouble cannot find lodging there.'" — Sorrow and the saints are not married together ! or suppose it was so, heaven shall make a divorce. Life is but short, and there- fore crosses cannot be long. Our sufferings are but for a while, 1 Pet. v. 10. They are but the sufferings of the present time, Rom. viii. 18.
Second!?/* As we shall cany the cross of Christ but a little way, so Christ himself bears the heaviest end of it. And as one hap- pily expresses, he saith of their crosses, half' mine. He divideth sufferings with them, and takes the largest share to himself. — " O how sweet a sight (>aith one sweetly) is it to see a cross be- u twixt Christ and us. To hear our Redeemer say, at every sigh, " at every blow, and every loss of a believer, half mine. For they " are called the sufferings of Christ, and the reproach of Christ, " Col. ii. 24. Heb. xi. 26. As when two are partners or owners " of a ship, half of the gain, and half of the loss, belongeth to '• either of the two. So Christ in our sufferings, is half gainer, " and half loser, with us : yea, the heaviest end of the black tree " lieth on your Lord. It falleth first upon him, and but rebounds u from him upon you :" " The reproaches of them that reproached " thee, are fallen upon me," Psal. lxiv. 9- Nay, so speak as the thing is, Christ doth not only bear half, or the better part, but the whole of our cross and burden. Yea, he bears all, and more than all; for he bears us and our burden too, or else Ave would quickly sink, and faint under it.
* If twenty crosses be written for you in God's book, they will come at last to nine- teen, and after that to nothing. Put your head betwixt Christ's breasts for evermore, and his own soft hand shall dry your face, and wipe away your tears.
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Thirdly, As we have not far to carry it, and Christ carries the heaviest part; yea, all the burden for vis; yea, us and our burden too; so, in the last place, it is reviving to think what an innumera- ble multitude of blessings and mercies are the fruit and offspring of a sanctified cross. Since that tree was so richly watered with the blood of Christ; what store of choice, and rich fruits doth it bear to believers?