SKRM. XXXIir. THE FOUNTAIN' OF LIFF. 407
three hours: towards the end whereof his soul was so filled, dis- tressed, and overwhelmed, that this doleful cry brake from his soul, in bitter anguish, " My God, my God,"1 &c.
Secondly, The matter of the complaint. It is not of the cruel tortures he felt in his body, nor of the scoffs and reproaches of his name ; he mentions not a word of these, they were all swallowed up in the sufferings within, as the river is swallowed up in the sea, or the lesser flame in the greater. He seems to neglect all these, and only complains of what was more burdensome than ten thou- sand crosses; even his Father's deserting him, '• My God, my " God, why hast thou forsaken me ?" It is a more inward trou- ble that burdens him, darkness upon his spirit, the hidings of God's face from him, an affliction he was totally a stranger to till now ; here he lays his hand in this complaint. This was the pained place, to which he points in this dolorous outcry.
Thirdly, The manner in which he utters his sad complaint, and that was with a remarkable vehemency, " he cried with a loud " voice,1"1 not like a dying man, in whom nature was spent, but as one full of vigour, life, and sense. He gathered all his spirits together, stirred up the whole power of nature, when he made this grievous outcry. There is in it also an emphatical reduplication, which sheivs with what vehemency it was uttered ; not singly, my God, but he doubles it, " My God, my God,11 as distressed persons use to do. So Elisha, when Elijah was separated from him by the chariots and horses of fire, cries out, " My father, my father.11
Nay, moreover, to increase the force and vehemency of this complaint, here is an affectionate interrogation, " Why hast thou " forsaken me?11 Questions, especially such as this, are full of spirits. It is as if he were surprised by the strangeness of this af- fliction : and rousing up himself with an unusual vehemency, turns himself to the Father, and cries, Why so, my Father? O what dost thou mean by this ! What ! hide that face from me that was never hid before ! What ! and hide it from me now, in the depth of my other torments and troubles ! O what new, what strange things are these ! Lastly, here is an observable variation of the language in which this astonishing complaint was uttered ; for he speaks both Hebrew and Syriac in one breath, Eli, Eli, lama, are all Hebrew, sabachthani is a Syriac word, used here for emphasis sake. Hence we observe,
Doct. That God in design to heighten the sufferings of Christ to the uttermost, forsook him in the time of his greatest distress ; to the unspeakable affliction and anguish of his soul.
This proposition shall be considered in three parts : The desertion*
408 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SEEM. XXXIIT,
itself; the design or end of it; the effect and influence it had on Christ.
First, The desertion itself. Divine desertion generally consi- dered, is God's withdrawing himself from any, not as to his essence, that fills heaven and earth, and constantly remains the same ; but it is the withdrawment of his favour, grace, and love : when these are gone, God is said to be gone. And this is done two ways, ei- ther absolutely, and wholly, or respectively, and only as to mani- festation. In the first sense, devils are forsaken of God. They once were in his favour and love, but they have utterly and finally lost it. God is so withdrawn from them, as that he will never take them into favour any more. In the other sense he sometimes forsakes his dearest children, i. e. he removes all sweet manifesta- tions of his favour and love for a time, and carries it to them as a stranger, though his love be still the same.
And this kind of desertion, which is respective, temporary, and only in regard of manifestation, is justly distinguished from the va- rious ends and designs of it, into probational, cautional, castigatory, and pe?ial, Probational desertions are only for the proof and trial of grace. Cautional desertions are designed to prevent sin. Cas- tigatory desertions are God's rods to chastise his people for sin. Penal desertions are such as are inflicted as the just reward of sin, for the reparation of that wrong sinners have done by their sins. Of this sort was Christ's desertion. A part of the curse, and a special part. And his bearing it was no small part of the repara- tion, or satisfaction he made for our sins.
More particularly, to open the nature of this desertion of Christ by his Father, there being much of intricacy and difficulty in it; I shall proceed in the explication of it negatively, and positively.
First, Negatively. When Christ cries out of God's forsaking him, he doth not mean, that he had dissolved the personal union of the two natures. Not as if the marriage-knot which united our nature to the person of Christ was loosed, or a divorce made be- twixt them : No, for when he was forsaken of God, he was still true and real God-man, in one person.
Secondly, When Christ bewails the father's forsaking him, he doth not mean, that he pulled away the prop of divine support from him, by which he had till then endured the tortures and sufferings that oppressed him : no, though the Father deserted, yet he still supported him. And so much is intimated in these words of Christ, Eli, Eli, which signifies my strong One, my strong One. God was with him by way of support, when withdrawn as to mani- festations of love and favour. In respect of God's supporting presence which was with Christ at this time, it is said, Isa. xlii. 1. " Behold my servant, whom I uphold:" and John xvi. 32.
SEItM. XXXIII. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 409
"lam not alone, but my father is with me." So that this can- not be the meaning of it.
Thirdly, Much less is it his meaning ? that God had left him, as to inherent grace and sanctification ; recalling that spirit of holiness which had anointed him above his fellows : no, when he was forsaken, he remained as holy as ever : he had indeed less com- fort, but not less holiness than before. Such a desertion had irri- tated and made void the very end of his death. And his sa- crifice could never have yielded such a fragrant odour to God as it did, Eph. v. %
Fourthly, The love of God was not so withdrawn from Christ, as that the Father had now no love for him, nor delight in him. That is impossible, he can no more cease to love Christ, than to love himself. His love was not turned into wrath ; though his wrath only was now manifested to him as our surety ; and hid his love from him as his beloved Son.
Fifthly, Nor was Christ forsaken by his Father finally, upon what account soever it was that he was forsaken : no, it was but for a few hours that the dark cloud dwelt upon his soul ; it soon passed away, and the bright and glorious face of God shone forth again as bright as ever, Psal. xxii. 1, 24. compared.