sure of his sufferings, that he suffered excessively beyond what ever any did. And thus we may well understand and take those words, ' He suffered.' That lamentation of the prophet, Lam. i. 12, is very appli- cable to Christ, ' Behold, and see if there be any sorrows like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.' Now, is it not enough for the apostle to say that ' Christ has suffered ; ' but will you yet ask what ? But pray, friends, be satisfied, and rather of the two ask what not ? For what sufferings can you think of that Christ did not suffer ? Christ suffered in his birth, and he suffered in his life, and he suffered in his death ; he suffered in his body, for he was diversely tormented ; he suf- fered in his soul, for his soul was heavy unto death ; he suffered in his estate, they parted his raiment, and he had not where to rest his head ; he suffered in his good name, for he was counted a Samaritan, a devilish sorcerer, a wine-bibber, an enemy to Caesar, &c. He suffered from heaven, when he cried out, ' My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?' He suffered from the earth, when, being hungry, the fig-tree proved fruitless to him. He suffered from hell, Satan assault- ing and encountering of him with his most black and horrid tempta- tions. He began his life meanly and basely, and was sharply perse- cuted. He continued his life poorly and distressedly, and was cruelly hated. He ended his life woefully and miserably, and was most grievously tormented with whips, thorns, nails, and, above all, with the terrors of his Father's wrath and horrors of hellish agonies.
Ego sum qui peccavi : ' I am the man that have sinned ; but these sheep, what have they done ?' said David, when he saw the angel de- stroying his people, 2 Sam. xxiv. 17. And the same speech may every one of us take up for ourselves and apply to Christ, and say, ' I have sinned, I have done wickedly ; but this sheep, what hath he done ? ' Yea, much more cause have we than David had to take up this com- plaint. For,
First, David saw them die, whom he knew to be sinners ; but we see him die, who, we know, ' knew no sin,' 2 Cor. v. 21. But,
Secondly, David saw them die a quick, speedy death ; we see him die with lingering torments. He was a-dying from six to nine, Mat. xxvii. 45, 46. Now in this three hours' darkness, he was set upon by all the powers of darkness with utmost might and malice ; but he foiled and spoiled them all, and made an open show of them, as the Koman conquerors used to do, triumphing over them on his cross as on his chariot of state. Col, ii. 15, attended by his vanquished enemies, with their hands bound behind them, Eph. iv. 8. But,
Thirdly, David saw them die, who, by their own confession, was worth ten thousand of them ; we see him die for us, whose worth ad- mitteth no comparison. But,
Fourthly, David saw the Lord of glory destroying mortal men, and we see mortal men destroying the Lord of glory, 1 Cor. ii. 8. Oh, how much more cause have we then to say as David, ' I have sinned, I have done wickedly ; but this innocent Lamb, the Lord Jesus, what hath he done ? what hath he deserved that he should be thus greatly tor- mented ? ' Tully, though a great orator, yet when he comes to speak of the death of the cross, he wants words to express it, — Quid
82 OF THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST IN HIS BODY.
dicam, in'Ctmcem toUere? What shall I say of this death? saith he. But,
Ans. 3, Thirdly, As the sufferings of Christ were very great, so ilie punishments loliich Christ did suffer for our sins, these were in their kinds and parts and degrees and proportion all those p>unishments which luere due unto us by reason of our sins, and which we ourselves should otherivise have suffered. Whatsoever we should have suffered as sinners, all that did Christ suffer as our surety and mediator, always excepting those punishments which could not be endured without a pollution and guUt of sin : ' The chastisement of our peace was upon him,' Isa. liii. 5 ; and including the punishments common to the nature of man, not the personal, arising out of imperfection and defect and distemper. Now, the punishments due to us for sin were corporal and spiritual. And again, they were the punishments of loss and of sense ; and all these did Christ suffer for us, which I shall evidence by an induction of particulars.
I. First, That Christ suffered corporal punishments is most clear in Scripture. You read of the injuries to his person, of the crown of thorns on his head, of the smiting of his cheeks, of spitting on his face, of the scourging of his body, of the cross on his back, of the vinegar in his mouth, of the nails in his hands and feet, of the spear in his side, and of his crucifying and dying on the cross : 1 Pet. ii. 24, ' Who himself in his own body on the tree bare our sins ; ' 1 Cor. xv. 3, * Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures ; ' Kev. i. 5, ' And washed us from our sins in his own blood ; ' Col. i. 14, ' In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins ; ' Mat. xxvi. 28, * For this is my blood of the 'New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.' Christ suffered derision in every one of his offices.
First, In his kingly office. They put a sceptre in his hand, a crown on his head, and bowed their knees, saying, * Hail, king of the Jews ! ' Mat. xxvii. 29.
Secondly, In his priestly office. ' They put upon him a gorgeous white robe/ such as the priests wore, Luke xxiii. ll.l
Thirdly, In his prophetical office. ' When they had blindfolded him. Prophesy, say they, who it is that smiteth thee,' Luke xxii, 64. Sometimes they said, ' Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil,' John viii. 48 ; and sometimes they said, ' He is beside himself, why hear ye him?' Markiii. 21.
And as Christ suffered in every one of his offices, so he suffered in every member of his body : in his hearing, by their reproaches, and crying, * Crucify him, crucify him ; ' in his sight, by their scoffings and scornful gestures ; in his smell, in his being in that noisome place Golgotha, Mat. xxvii. 33 ; in his taste, by his tasting of vinegar mingled with gall, which they gave him to drink. Mat. xxvii. 33 ; in his feeling, by the thorns on his head, blows on his cheeks, spittle on his face, the spear in his side,^ and the nails in his hands. He suffered in all parts and members of his body from head to foot. His head, which deserved a better crown than the best in the world, was crowned
^ Cf. Sibbes, vol. vii., p. 603, on note s, vol. ii., p. 195. — G.
* An oversight, as the Saviour was dead before his side was pierce 1, John xix. o4.— G.
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