low as hell, wbo can understand it ? Heaven, through its glory, could not contain him, man being miserable, nor hell's torments make him refrain, such was his perfect matchless love to fallen man. That Christ's love should extend to the ungodly, to sinners, to enemies that were in arms of rebellion against him, Kom. v. 6, 8, 10 ; yea, not only so, but that he should hug them in his arms, lodge them in his bosom, dandle them upon his knees, and lay them to his breasts, that they may suck and be satisfied, is the highest improvement of love, Isa. Ixvi. 11-13. That Christ should come from the eternal bosom of his Father, to a region of sorrow and death, John i. 18 ; that God should be manifested in the flesh, the Creator made a creature, Isa. liii. 4 ; that he that was clothed with glory, should be wrapped with rags of flesh, 1 Tim. iii. 16 ; that he that filled heaven, should be cradled in a manger, John xvii. 5 ; that the God of Israel should fly into Egypt, Mat. ii. 14 ; that the God of strength should be weary ; that the judge of all flesh should be condemned ; that the God of life should be put to death, John xix. 41 ; that he that is one with his Father, should cry out of misery, ' 0 my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me ! ' Mat. xxvi. 39 : that he that had the keys of hell and death, Kev. i. 18, should lie imprisoned in the sepulchre of another, having, in his lifetime, nowhere to lay his head ; nor after death, to lay his body, John xix. 41, 42; and all this for man, for fallen man, for miserable man, for worthless man, is beyond the thoughts of created natures. The sharp, the universal and continual sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, from the cradle to the cross, does above all other things speak out the transcendent love of Jesus Christ to poor sinners. That wrath, that great wrath, that fierce wrath, that pure wi-ath, that infinite wrath, that matchless wrath of an angry God, that was so terribly impressed upon the soul of Christ, quickly spent his natural strength, and turned his moisture into the drought of summer, Ps. xxxii. 4 ; and yet all this wrath he patiently underwent, that sinners might be saved, and that * he might bring many sons unto glory,' Heb. ii. 10. Oh wonder of love 1 Love is passive, it enables to suffer. The Curtii laid down their lives for the Komans, because they loved them ; so it was love that made our dear Lord Jesus lay down his life, to save us from hell and to bring us to heaven. As the pelican, out of her love to her young ones, when they are bitten with serpents, feeds them with her own blood to recover them again ; so when we were bitten by the old serpent, and our wound incurable, and we in danger of eternal death, then did our dear Lord Jesus, that he might recover us and heal us, feed us with his own blood. Gen. iii. 15 ; John vi. 53-56. Oh love unspeakable ! This made one cry out, ' Lord, thou hast loved me more than thyself ; for thou hast laid down thy life for me.' 1 It was only the golden link of love that fastened Christ to the cross, John x. 17, and that made him die freely for us, and that made him willing ' to be numbered among transgressors,' Isa. liii. 12, that we might be numbered among [the] ' general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven,' Heb. xii. 23. If Jona- than's love to David was wonderful, 2 Sam. i. 26, how wonderful must the love of Christ be to us, which led him by the hand to make him-
^ Dilexisti me Domine magis quhm teipsum. — Bernard.
OF THE GREAT SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST. 203
self an offering for us, Heb. x. 10, whicli Jonathan never did for David : for though Jonathan loved David's life and safety well, yet he loved his own better ; for when his father cast a javelin at him to smite him, he flies for it, and would not abide his father's fury, being very willing to sleep in a whole skin, notwithstanding his wonderful love to David, 1 Sam. xx. 33-35; making good the philosopher's notion, that man is a life-lover. Christ's love is like his name, and that is Wonderful, Isa. ix. 6 ; yea, it is so wonderful, that it is supra omnem creaturam, ultra omnem mensuram, contra omnem naturam, above all creatures, beyond all measure, contrary to all nature. It is above all creatures, for it is above the angels, and therefore above all others. It is beyond all measure, for time did not begin it, and time shall never end it ; place doth not bound it, sin doth not exceed it, no estate, no age, no sex is denied it, tongues cannot express it, under- standings cannot conceive it : and it is contrary to all nature ; for what nature can love where it is hated ? what nature can forgive where it is provoked? what nature can offer reconcilement where it receiveth wrong ? what nature can heap up kindness upon contempt, favour upon ingratitude, mercy upon sin ? and yet Christ's love hath led him to all this ; so that well may we spend all our days in admiring and ador- ing of this wonderful love, and be always ravished with the thoughts of it. But,
2. Secondly, Then look that ye love the Lord Jesus Christ with a superlative love, with an overtopping love. There are none have suf- fered so much for you as Christ ; there are none that can suffer so muck for you as Christ. The least measure of that wrath that Christ hath sustained for you, would have broke the hearts, necks, and backs of all created beings. 0 my friends ! there is no love but a superla- tive love that is any ways suitable to the transcendent sufferings of dear Jesus. Oh, love him above your lusts, love him above your relations, love him above the world, love him above all your outward contentments and enjoyments ; yea, love him above your very lives ; for thus the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, saints, primitive Christians, and the martyrs of old, have loved our Lord Jesus Christ with an overtopping love: Eev. xii. 11, * They loved not their lives unto the death;' that is, they slighted, contemned, yea, despised their lives, exposing them to hazard and loss, out of love to the Lamb, ' who had washed them in his blood.' i I have read of one Kilian, a Dutch schoolmaster, who being asked whether he did not love his wife and children, answered. Were all the world a lump of gold, and in my hands to dispose of, I would leave it at my enemies' feet to live with them in a prison ; but my soul and my Saviour are dearer to me than all. If my father, saith Jerome, 2 should stand before me, and my mother hang upon, and my brethren should press about me, I would break through my brethren, throw down my father, and tread under- foot my mother, to cleave to Jesus Christ. Had I ten heads, said Henry Voes, they should all off for Christ. If every hair of my head, said John Ardley, martyr, were a man, they should all suffer for the faith of Christ. Let fire, racks, pulleys, said Ignatius, and all the
1 Acts XX. 24, and xxi. 12, 13; 2 Cor. i, 8-10, iv. 11, and xi. 23 ; Heb. xi. 36-39. * Jerome ad Hcliodor, epist. 1.