(2.) Secondly, Hoio should this covenant of redemption spirit ani- mate and encourage all the redeemed of God,, to do anything for Christ, to suffer anything for Christ, to venture anything for Christ, to part with anything for Christ, to give up anything to Christ, who, according to the covenant of redemption, hath done and suffered such great and grievous things, that he might bring us to glory, that are above all apprehensions, and beyond all expressions, Mark viii. 34, 35, 38 ; Heb. x. 34, and xi. Who can tell me what is fully wrapped up in that one expression — viz., ' That he poured out his soul unto death,' Heb. ii. 10, 11. Let us not shrink, nor faint, nor grow weary under our greatest sufferings for Christ. When suiferings multiply, when they are sharp, when they are more bitter than gall or wormwood, yea, more bitter than death itself, then remember the covenant of re- demption, and how punctually Christ made good all the articles of it on his side, and then faint and give out if you can. Well may I be afraid, but 1 do not therefore despair, for I think upon and remember the wounds of the Lord, saith one, [Austin.] Nolo vivere sine vulnere, cum te video vulneratum ; 0 my God, as long as I see thy wounds, I will never live without wound, saith another, [Bonaventura.] Crux Christi clavis paradisi ; The cross of Christ is the golden key that opens paradise to us, saith one, [Damascene.] I had rather, with the martyrs and confessors, have my Saviour's cross, than, with their per- secutors, the world's crown. The harder we are put to it, the greater shall be our reward in heaven, saith another, [Tertullian.] Gordius the martyr hit the nail, when he said, it is to my loss if you abate rae anything in my sufferings, [Chrysostom.] If you suffer not for religion, you will suffer for a worse thing, saith one. Never did any m;iri serve me better than you serve me, said another to his persecutors, [Vincentius.] Adversus gentes, gratias agimus quod d molestis domi- nis liberemur ; We thank you for delivering us from hard task-masters, that we may enjoy more sweetly the bosom of our Lord Jesus, said the martyr. It was a notable saying of Luther, Ecclesia totuin mun- dum convertit sanguine et oratione ; The church converteth the whole world by blood and prayers. They may kill me, said Socrates of his enemies, but they cannot hurt me. So may the redeemed of the Lord say, they may take away my head, but they cannot take away my crown of life, of righteousness, of glory, of immortality, Kev. ii. 10 ; 2
^ Mat. xiiv. 16 ; Luke xii. 32 ; Rom. ix. 11, 12, and li. 5-8 ; Horn. viii. 39, 40. * Deut. vii. 6-8, and ixxiii. 11 ; Rom. ix. 14 ; 2 Tim. i. 9 ; Eph. i. 4 ; Rom. viii. 29 30 ; 2 Thes. ii. 13 ; 1 Pet. i. 2.
VERY CLEARLY AND LARGELY OPENED. 401
Tim. iv. 8 ; 1 Pet. v. 4, 5. The Lacedemonians were wont to say, it is a shame for any man to fly in time of danger ; but for a Lacedemonian, it is a shame for him to dehberate. Oh, what a shame is it for Christians, when they look upon the covenant of redemption, so much as to deliberate whether they were best to suffer for Christ or no. Petrus Blesensis has long since observed, that the courtiers of his time suffered as great trouble, and as many vexations, for vanity, as good Christians did for the truth. The courtiers suffered weariness and painfulness, hunger and thirst, with all the catalogue of Paul's afflic- tions ; and what can the best saints suffer more ? Now shall men that are strangers to the covenant of redemption, suffer such hard and great things for their lusts, for very vanity ; and will not you, who are acquainted with the covenant of redemption, and who are inter- ested in the covenant of redemption, be ready and willing to suffer anything for that Jesus, who, according to the covenant of redemption, has suffered such dreadful things for you, and merited such glorious things for you ? But,
(3.) Thirdly, From this covenant of redemption, as we have opened it, you may see what infinite cause loe Jiave to be sioallowed up in the ad- miration of the Fathers love in entering into this covenant, and in mak- ing good all the articles of this covenant on his side. When man was fallen from his primitive purity and glory, from his holiness and happi- ness, from his freedom and liberty, into a most woeful gulf of sin and misery ; when angels and men were all at a loss, and knew no way or means, whereby fallen man might be raised, restored and saved ; that then God should firstly and freely propose this covenant, and enter into this covenant, that miserable man might be saved from wrath to come, and raised and settled in a more safe, high and happy estate than that was from which he was fallen in Adam, — oh, what wonderful, what amazing love is this ! ^ Abraham manifested a great deal of love to God in offering up of his only Isaac, Gen. xxii. 12 ; but God has shewed far greater love to poor sinners, in making his only Son an offering for their sins: for [1.] God loved Clirist with a more tran- scendent love than Abraham could love Isaac; [2.] God was not bound by the commandment of a superior to do it, as Abraham was, John X. 18 ; [3.] God freely and voluntarily did it, which Abraham would never have done without a commandment, Heb. x. 10, 12 ; [4.] Isaac was to be offered after the manner of holy sacrifices, but Christ suffered an ignominious death, after the manner of thieves ; [5.] Isaac was all along in the hands of a tender father, but Christ was all along in the hands of barbarous enemies ; [6.] Isaac was offered but in show, but Christ was offered indeed and in very good earnest. Is not this an excess, yea, a miracle of love ? It is good to be always a-musing upon this love, and delighting ourselves in this love. But,
(4.) Fourthly, From this covenant of redemption, as we have opened it, you may see tvhat signal cause ive have to be deeply affected with the love of Jesus Christ, ivho roundly and readily falls in with this cove- nant, and ivho has faithfully 'performed all the articles of this covenant. Had not Jesus Christ kept touch with his Father as to every article
' God 60 loved his Son, that he gave him all the world for his possession, Ps. ii. 8 ; but he so loved the world tiiat he gave Son and all for its redemption. — Bernard. VOL. V. 2 C
402 THE COVENANT OF REDEMPTION VERY CLEARLY OPENED.