SERMON UPON JOHN XIX. 30. 45
3. This would finish his labours. Death was Christ's last enemy, of his person, as well as of his kingdom. He had been harassed and worn out with sorrows ; the grave was a place of rest ; it was finished as to him : Isa. Ivii. 2, ' He shall enter into peace ; they shall rest in their beds.' Death was the end of Christ's journey, and all his labours in the flesh. The grave was a dark dismal place till Christ went into it ; ever since it is but a chamber of rest, and Christ keepeth the key of it : Isa. xxvi. 20, ' Enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee ; bide thyself, as it were, for a little moment.'
4. This furthered his triumph, and made it every way more complete. By dying, Christ carried the war into his enemies' land, and foiled death in its own territory, and made death itself mortal by lying in the grave. The cross and the grave were the means of Christ's triumph ; by these the devil thought to foil him, and by these he triumphed : he conquered Satan and sin when they seemed to have most power upon him ; like angry bees, they stung him, and disarmed themselves : Heb. ii. 14, ' That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil ; ' Col. ii. 15, ' And having spoiled prin- cipalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it,' eV uvtm, i.e., aravpcp. On the cross : Eph. ii. 16, ' Hav- ing slain the enmity thereby ; ' that is, by his cross, formerly spoken of. When he was slain himself, then he slew death and the law. Christ's crucifying was his exaltation and preferment. It is twice expressed by lifting up : John iii. 14, ' So shall the Son of man be lifted up ; ' John xii. 32, 33, ' I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men after me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.' The grave was consecrated and sanctified by Christ's lying there. Duo in cruce affixi intellir/unhcr, saith Origen ; Christus visihiliter sfonte sua ad tempiis, diaholiis invisihiliter invitus in perpetimm — There were two crucified at once ; Christ visibly of his own accord, for a time only ; the devil invisibly, against his will for ever. Christ received a slight hurt in his heel, but he bruised Satan's head,
5. He was hastening to his own glory : Heb. xii. 2, ' For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.' He was thinking of his welcome to heaven. Oh, what sweet embraces there would be between the Father and him ! Ps. ex. 1, * The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand till I make thy enemies thy footstool ; ' Dan. vii. 13, 14, *I saw in the night-visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him ; and there was given him dominion and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him ; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.' How the angels should usher him into glory, though there were two left with shining garments to give satisfaction to his disciples ! Acts i. 10, 11, ' While they looked steadfastly towards heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel, which said, Ye men of Galilee ! why stand ye gazing up into heaven ? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so return in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.' Christ was thinking
46 SERMON UPON JOHN XIX. 30.
how his Father would embrace him, put the crown upon his head, bid him sit down at his right liand, and how there he was to be ro3'ally attended. And this doth not derogate from his love to us, for he went to prepare a place for us, and, as our forerunner, is entered into glory, and because he lives, we shall live also.
Use 1. To commend the love of Christ to us.
1. That he should die, this was an incomparable condescension of his love. Simeon suffered himself to be bound for his brethren, Gen. xlii. 24 ; Lot proffers his daughters to save his guests, Gen. xix. 8 ; but Christ would lay down his life. If it were in our choice, who would die ? Who would be tumbled into a pit of darkness, a cold hole, where he should see the sun no more ? We would live for ever. It is not put to our choice, but it is in our wishes. But Christ might have chosen whether he would die or no, and yet he died.
2. Christ had more reason to love his life than we have. He had a delicate body, and the social presence of the Godhead. The poorest worm in the world desires to keep its life : Job ii. 4, ' Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for liis life ; ' that is, a man would part with all, for skins were the barter of those days. And the more excellent the life is, the more desire men have to keep it ; as young men, whose marrow is in their bones, to them life is life indeed. The woman that was broken and spent with old age yet spent okov top fiiov, 'all her living on physicians,' Luke viii. 43. Christ had reason to love life upon a natural respect ; he was about thirty- three years old ; and upon a spiritual respect, his human nature eujoyed the near pre- sence of the godhead ; but when he was in his full vigour and strength, he willingly died.