Both together making up the fulness of his sufferings : when you shall hear what Christ hath endured in both kinds, to pur- chase you to himself, then you may guess what a value he put upon you, what desire he hath after you. Now (1.) as to the exter- nal sufferings of Christ in his body, they were exceeding great, for the death he died was not a natural but violent death ; indeed he could not die a natural death, for there was no sin in his nature to open a door to death that way : his body was intended for a sacri- fice to God, and as a sacrifice it died ; therefore it is said, 1 Pet. iii. 18. He was put to death in tJieJlesh ; his soul and body were violently rent asunder in the fulness and perfection of his strength and vigour. And this violent death was also a cursed death ; he was made a curse for us. For it is written, cursed is every one that han^reth on a tree. Gal. iii. 13. A ceremonial curse was affixed to the deatli of the cross ; He that is hanged is accursed of God, saith the law : the intention of that death was to shew the person that died to be so vile, that he was not worthy to touch heaven or earth, and therefore was hanged betwixt both. Moreover, this violent death Christ died was a most painful death ; full of torture, and very slow and lingering : the cross was a rack to the body of Christ ; / mar/ tell all my hones, saith he, they look and stare upon me, Psal. xxi. 17. But yet (2.) the sufferings of his body were but the body of his sufferings ; it were the sufferings of his soul that were the very soul of his sufferings. These inward sufferings of Christ may like- wise be considered two ways. (1.) In his bitter propassions in the garden ; O what agonies and conflicts, what shai-p encounters and distresses did his soul there meet with from the wrath of God there endured for your sakes \ once and again he cried out, Abba Father, all things are possible, let this cup pass ; Fa- ther, if it be possible, let this cup pass; thrice he returned to the same place, rolling himself on the ground. The sufferings of his soul cast his blessed lx)dy into a bkx)dy agony : " His sweat was as it " were <?reat drops of blood falling to the ground/' Luke xx. 4-3, 44.
(2.) In the fulness of his passion on the cross, there was his blessed soul for a time deserted of the Father, as to any sensible communis cations of joy and comfort from him ; which occasioned that bitter outcry, Matth. xxvii. 46, " My God, my God, why hast thou " forsaken me ?" Never was there such a cry heard since the heavens were spread over the earth ; never had Christ seen one frown in his Father's face, from eternity, before this time ; but now the smihng face of God was hid, and a strong impression of his wrath made upon him. And now, brethren, you see what Christ hath endured both in his body and in his soul ; and all for the sake of sinners. What think you now, is not Christ an earnest suitor ? Doth not all this fully and plainly speak the ardour of his love, the fervency of his desire after union and communion with us .'' If this do not, then nothing can demonstrate love and desire. That is the first thing, the greatness of the sufferings which he endured.
2. Let us next consider the use and intention of these sufferings of Christ, and how this also demonstrates the earnestness of his de- sire after conjugal union with us. Now there was a double use and end of the sufferings of Christ,
(1.) To make us free, that we might be capable of espousals. (2.) To win our affections by the argument of his sufferings.
(1.) One end of Christ's death was, to purchase our freedom, that we might be capable of being espoused to him ; for you must know that we were not in a capacity whilst under the curse of the law, to be married unto Christ: the apostle, Rom. vii. 2, 3, 4. compares the law to a husband, to whom the wife is bound as long as he liveth, and not capable of a second marriage until her hus- band be dead. The death of Christ was the death of the law, as a covenant of works holding us under the bond of the curse of it ; and so it gave us a manumission or freedom from that bond, and a capa^. city of espousals to Christ, as ver. 4. " Wherefore, my brethren, ye ^' also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye " should be married to another, even to him who is raised from <' the dead." A slave to another is not capable of being disposed in marriage, until made free ; you were in bondage to the law ; the slaves of sin and Satan ; Christ bought out your liberty (for his blood is called a ransom, Mat. xx. 28.) and so put you into a capa- city of being espoused unto himself: here you see Christ loved you not for any advantage he could have by you, for you had nothing to bring him ; nay, he must purchase you, and that with his own blood, before he can be united to you. O incomparable love \ O fervent desires !
(2.) Another design and end of the death of Christ was to win ^nd gain our hearts and affections to himself, by the arguments of bis death ; this himself hath declared to be the very end and in-
tention of it, John xli. 32. " And I, if I be lifted up from the " earth will draw all men unto me : this he said, signifying what ♦' death he should die/'' Christ endured all that you have heard, and infinitely more than the tongue or pen of man can express ; and all to draw thy soul, and win thy consent to come unto him : the Lord Jesus, by his sufferings, casts a threefold cord over the souls of sinners, to draw them to himself