^ Ambrose in 5 ad Rom. vi.
112 THAT JESUS CHRIST DID SUFFER TORMENT,
eternally ; and indeed it was impossible that Christ should be holden of death, Acts ii. 24, because he was both the Lord of life and the Lord's Holy One, 1 Cor. ii. 8; Acts ii. 27. But,
Am. 3. Thirdly, If the measure of a man's punishment were in- finite, the duration needs not be infinite. Sinful man's measure of punishment is finite, and therefore the duration of his punishment must be infinite, because the punishment must be answerable to the infinite evil of sin committed against an infinite God. 0 sirs, con- tinual imprisonment in hell arises from man's not being able to pay the price ; for could he pay the debt in one year, he needs not lie two years in prison. Now the debt is the first and second death ; and be- cause sinful man cannot pay it in any time, he must endure it eter- nally. But now Christ has laid down ready pay upon the nail to the full for all his chosen ones, and therefore it is not required of him that he should sufier for ever, neither can it stand with the holiness or justice of God to hold him under the second death, he having paid the debt to the utmost farthing. Now that he hath fully paid the debt himself, witnesseth John, chap. xix. 30, saying ' when he had received the vinegar, It is finished ; ' so ver. 28, ' After this, Jesus knowing that all things were accomplished.' Though there are many interpre- tations given of this place by Augustine, Chrysostom, Jansenius, and others, yet doubtless this alone will hold water — viz, , that the heavy wrath of the Lord which did pursue Christ, and the second death which filled him with grievous terrors, is now over and past, and man's redemption finished. He speaketh here of that which presently should be, and in the yielding up his ghost was accomplished.
And thus you see that Jesus Christ did feel and sufifer the very tor- ments of hell, though not after a hellish manner ; and you see also that Christ did not locally descend into hell. Shall we make a few inferences from hence :
1. Firsts then, Oh, how should these sad sufierings of Christ for us endear Christ to us! Oh, what precious thoughts should we have of him ! Ps. cxxxvi. 17^ 18. Oh, hoW should we prize him ! how should we honour him ! how should we love him ! and how should we be swallowed up in the admiration of him! As his love to us has been matchless, so his sufferings for us has been matchless. I have read of Nero, that he had a shirt made of a sala- mander's skin, so that if he did walk through the fire in it, it would keep him from burning. So Christ is the true salamander s skin that will keep the soul from everlasting burnings, Isa. xxxiii. 14 ; and therefore well may Christians cry out with that martyr, [Lambert], * None but Christ, none but Christ.' Tigranes, in Xenophon, coming to redeem his father and friends, with his wife, that were taken prisoners by Cyrus, was asked among other things, what ransom he would give for his wife. He answered, ' He would redeem her liberty with his own life ;' but having prevailed, as they returned together, every one commended Cyrus for a goodly man ; and Tigranes would needs know of his wife, ' What she thought of him.' ' Truly,' said she, ' I cannot tell, for I did not so much as look on him, or see him.' ' Whom then,' said he, wondering, ' did you look upon ? ' ' Whom should I look upon,' replied she, ' but him that would have redeemed my liberty
THOUGH NOT AFTER A HELLISH MANNER. 113
with his own life ? ' So every believer should esteem nothing worth a looking on, but that Jesus who hath redeemed him with his own blood, 1 Cor. vi. 20 ; Acts xx. 28 ; 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. Plutarch tells us,i ' That when Titus Flaminius had freed the poor Grecians from the bondage with which they had been long ground by their oppres- sions, and the herald was to proclaim in their audience the articles of peace he had concluded for them, they so pressed upon him, not being half of them able to hear, that he was in great danger to have lost his life in the press ; at last, reading them a second time, when they came to understand distinctly how that their case stood, they so shouted for joy, crying crcorrjp, a-MTr^p, a saviour, a saviour, that they made the very heavens ring again with their acclamations, and the very birds fall down astonished.' And all that night the poor Grecians, with instru- ments of music, and songs of praise, danced and sang about his tent, extolling him as a god that had delivered them. But oh, then, what infinite cause have we to exalt and cry up our dear Lord Jesus, who by the hellish sorrows that he suffered for us, hath freed us from that more dreadful bondage of sin, Satan, and wrath that we lay under ! Oh, prize that Jesus ! Oh, exalt that Christ ! Oh, extol that Saviour, who has saved you from that eternal wrath that all the angels in heaven, and all the men on earth could never have saved you from ! The name of Jesus, saith one, [Chrysostom,] hath a thousand treasures of joy and comfort in it, and is therefore used by Paul five hundred times, as some have observed. The name of a Saviour, saith another, [Bernard,] ' is honey in the mouth, and music in the ears, and a jubilee in the heart,' Dulce nomen Christi. Were Christ in your bosom as a flower of delight, for he is a whole paradise of delight, saith one, [Justin Martyr.] ' I had rather,' saith another, [Luther,] * be in hell with Christ, than in heaven without him, for Christ is the crown of crowns, the glory of glories, and the heaven of heaven.' One saith, [Austin,] ' that he would willingly go through hell to Christ.' Another saith, [Bernard,] * he had rather be in his chimney-corner with Christ, than in heaven without him.' One cried out, ' I had rather have one Christ than a thousand worlds.' Jesus, in the China tongue, signifies the rising sun, and such a rising sun was he to Julius Palmer, that when all concluded that he was dead, being turned as black as a coal in the fire, at last he moved his scorched lips, and was heard to say, ' Sweet Jesus,' Mai, iv. 2. It was an excellent answer of one of the martyrs, when he was offered riches and honours if he would recant : ' Do but,' said he, ' offer me somewhat that is better than my Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall see what I will say to you.' Now, oh that the hellish sorrows and sufferings of Christ for us, might raise in all our hearts such a high estimation, and such a deep admiration, as hath been raised in those worthies last mentioned ! It was a sweet prayer of him who thus prayed, ' Lord, make thy Son dear, very dear, exceeding dear, and only dear and precious to me.' Whenever we seriously think of the great and sore sufferings of Christ, it will be good to pray as he prayed. But,
2. Secondly, If Jesus Christ did feel and suffer the very torments of hell, though not after a hellish manner, then let me infer that certainly
1 Plutarch in vita Tit. Flam. VOL. V. H