But what were the reasons why Christ would not give over till all was perfected ?
[1.] Love to his Father : John xviii. 11, ' The cup which my Father halh given me, shall I not drink it ? ' Christ loved the Father with unspeakable love, and was in like manner beloved by him. Therefore when this cup was put into his hands by his Father, he would drink it off to the very bottom.
[2.] Love to the church : Eph. v. 25, 26, ' Even as Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water, by the word,' &c. ; and Kev. i. 5, 6, ' To him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.' The church was given for a spouse to Christ, but we were polluted and defiled with sin ; he would not only cleanse it, but make it a * glorious church, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing,' Eph. V. 27. Christ loved the church, and therefore it was not grievous to him to wash it with his blood. Because Jacob loved Kachel, he served seven years for her in heats and frosts by night and day, and ' they seemed to him but a few days for the love he had to her,' Gen. xxix. 20 ; so the Son of God loved the church, and therefore endured all these indignities and grievous passions.
[3.] He had respect to that eminent glory set before him : Heb. xii. 2, ' Looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now set down at the right hand of the throne of God.' Though the way was rough, the prize was excellent ; and so he ran through all the pain and shame, and attained the eternal crown of glory. He endured cruel pains in his body, and bitter sorrows in his soul, such as never any man did suffer, never any angel could have borne as he did ; so dear did it cost our Saviour to make a propitiation for our sins. That which in all this did strengthen and encourage him was the joy set before him, namely, that happy and glorious estate which followed upon his sufferings, so that his burden was made the lighter, and his sorrows much abated. Oh, let us think of this ! It is not a lessening his love to us, for he needed not to put himself into this condition. Herein he was our example, to teach us how to sweeten the cross ; and as our Mediator he is gone to heaven to prepare a place for us : John xiv. 2, 3, * I go to prepare a place for you ; and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.'
2. Let it raise in us a confidence of the benefits purchased. For Christ expresseth himself as a conqueror, and in a kind of triumph over the devil and all the enemies of our salvation. The wrath of God is appeased: Rom. v. 9, 'Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.' The law is satis- fied: Gal. iv. 4, 5, ' God sent forth bis Son, made of a woman, made
SERMON UPON JOHN XIX. 30. 43
nnder the law, to redeem them that were under the law/ Satan is vanquished : John xii. 31, 'Now is the judgment of this world ; now shall the prince of this world be cast out.' Guilt is removed : Eph. i. 7, ' In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgive- ness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.' Sin is subdued : Eom. vi. 6, ' Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.' Death is unstinged : 1 Cor. xv. 55-57, ' 0 death ! where is thy sting ? 0 grave ! where is thy victory ? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law ; but thanks be to God, which giveth us the victoiy, through our Lord Jesus Christ.' The curse is removed : Gal. iii. 13, ' Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.' Surely where Christ beginneth he will make an end. We cannot have too high thoughts of the blood of Christ: Heb. ix. 13, 14, ' For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purify- ing of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, cleanse your consciences from dead works, to serve the living God.' Let us stand still now, and behold the salvation of God, and echo to Christ's cry, * It is finished ! it is finished '! ' What can the law crave more than the blood of the Son of God ? What will make us perfect as apper- taining to the conscience if this will not ? Being justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Christ hath so far obtained pardon and acceptance for us, that he hath made an end of sin for all that are willing to accept of his grace upon God's terms.