3. AH was finished that was necessary to make him a fit pattern of patience to us ; for he had borne the extremity of his enemies' malice, all that man or devils could by the permission of God execute upon him ; for he saith, Luke xxii. 53, ' This is your hour, and the power of darkness.' Yea, he had drunk up the cup which the Father had put into his hands, to the very dregs. One end of Christ's death was to give us an example: 1 Peter ii. 21, 'Christ also suffered for us,
VOL. XIX. c
34 SERMON UPON JOHN XIX. 30,
leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps/ Now here is a full copy and pattern of the right way of suffering for all his own to imitate.
[1.] From the matter. Are you tempted and opposed by Satan and his instruments ? so was Christ. Have you discountenance from men ? Christ had much more. Doth God seem to forsake you ? so he did by Christ. Are you fain to lie on your knees crying for mercy ? Christ 'in the days of his flesh offered up prayers and supplications, with strong cries and tears, to him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared,' Heb. v. 7. Are you mocked, reviled, buffeted, contumeliously used ? so was Christ. Are you scourged, put to death by violence ? so was Christ.
[2.] From the manner ; with meekness and constancy. With meek- ness, not as swine, but as sheep: Isa. liii. 7, 'As a sheep before the shearer is dumb, so he opened not his mouth ; ' 1 Peter ii. 23, ' Who when he was reviled, reviled not again ; when he suffered, he threatened not ; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.' Though he had not in the least kind offended either God or man, yet he was handled as a sinner ; and when foul crimes were laid to his charge, he did not repay his slanderers in their own coin, but resigned himself to God to deal with him and his persecutors as he saw fitting ; he vented no carnal passion. So for constancy ; he continued till all was finished, and ' became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross,' Phil. ii. 8. When he was tempted to descend from the cross, he would not, but stayed there as long as it was necessary ; to show us that we should not descend from our cross, and free ourselves from tribulation by sin till all be finished. If God keepeth us long in an oppressed state without relief or deliverance, do not make haste, but tarry his leisure. If by providence you are unequally yoked, bear your cross as long as God seeth fit to continue it to you. If it be a long imprisonment, a long tedious sickness, or any other afiliction, do not descend from your cross till God take it off, and help not yourselves by sin out of afiliction.
[3.] From the end ; the bitterest trouble will at length have an end. Christ was a man of sorrows all his days, tempted, despised, persecuted, censured, scourged, crucified, but at length the TereXearat,,' It is finished,' coraeth, and there is a kind of triumph over all his enemies and calamities ; to teach us to finish our course with perseverance and patience, that at the last we may say we are come to the end of our sorrows. His laborious pilgrimage was now over, and there will a time come when ours shall be over also. Christ's life was a continual cross and constant affliction, but at length all was finished, and the sorrows of thirty-three years recompensed with glory and honour, and great fruit and success in the affairs of his kingdom. What is a little momentary suffering to the rest of eternity ? For a little while he was the despising of men, and the leaving-otf of the people ; but after- wards God exalted him, and gave him a name above all names. The perfidious Jews rejoiced for a while, but a sad reckoning came after- wards. Judas had small time to enjoy his thirty pieces ; Pilate within a while rued his facility and yielding to the importunity of the Jews. But as to afflictions holily suffered, stay a little, and all the bitter part will be over.
SERMON UPON JOHN XIX. 30, 35
4. All was fulfilled winch God determined to be don« for tlie expia- tion of sin ; so that no more ransom is to be paid ; our debt is satisfied ; divine justice hath no more demand to us ; sin, Satan, and death are spoiled and disarmed, and way is made for our salvation to be owned, as coming: from Christ alone, This is the main circumstance, and therefore I shall explain it a little — (1.) Negatively ; (2.) Positively.
[1.] Negatively; and there — (1.) In regard of Christ himself ; and (2.) In respect of us.
(1.) In regard of Christ himself. Not as if all the necessary acts of his mediation were now past. Death was just at hand, and was com- prised in the expression ; his lying in the grave was but the continua- tion of his abasement, till the time of his exaltation should come. But in the way of satisfying justice he had no more to do; whatever was done afterwards was by way of reward, not to satisfy justice, but to satisfy the world of the dignity of his person. He was to rise from the dead, and ascend into glory ; that is, for our more abundant com- fort. His resurrection was his solemn acquittance ; our surety was let out of prison ; Rom. iv. 25, ' Who was delivered for our offences, and I'ose again for our justification.' His ascension was that we might have a friend at God's right hand to appear for us : Heb. viii. 1, * We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens ; ' Heb, ix. 24, ' For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us ; ' that being in a glorified and exalted condition, he might power- fully apply his purchase, and by his Spirit communicate the fruits thereof to believers. And he is to come to judgment, to bless and reward his people and to punish his enemies. But all the sufferings are now completed, or about to be completed, which he was to suft'er for our sins.