Ans. [1.] There be some troubles that Christ sufiered, which we can- not ; as the curse of the law, and the wrath of God due to our sins. These Christ sufiered alone. ' He trod the wine-press of God's wrath alone,' Isa. Isiii. 3. In these there is no partaking.
Ans. [2.] There is another dying, a dying in his mystical body, his church. He sufiers affliction in every Christian. He was stoned when
2 CORINTHIANS OHAP. IV, VER. 10. 407
Stephen was stoned, Acts vii. 59. Christ was beheaded when John Baptist was beheaded, and in prison when Paul was in prison. Clirist suffered in nil the martyrs, by reason of that union between him and his church. So that besides that, he suffers in every Christian, this is called ' the dying of the Lord Jesus.'
Ans. [3.] Because he measures out to every one their cup. Afflictions are called a cup, and therefore they are his, because they are measured out by him.
Ans. [4. J And then they are his dyings, because by them they are made like mito him. He suffered first ; and then every Christian must express that suffering. As he suffered and entered into glory, so ' we must suffer with him, if we mean to reign with him,' 2 Tim. ii. 12.
Ans. [5.] And then again, they are called the dying of the Lord Jesus, because Christ hath a fellowship and communion with them in all their dyings. As a Christian hath communion with Christ when he dieth, we are * crucified with him ;' so Christ suffers with us. He is afflicted with us, reproached with us, as Moses, Heb. xi. 26, counted ' the rebukes of Christ' greater riches than all the treasures of Eg}-pt. Christ enters into prison with us, ' Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ?' Acts ix. 4. Christ takes upon him all the wrongs done to his children as done to himself. As it argueth madness in those that persecute, so a sweet comfort to them that do suffer, that they have Christ to sufler with them. The presence of Christ so sweetens everything, as he said, * The presence of Christ made the gridiron sweet unto Lawrence' (aa). A beam of Christ's presence that is now in heaven scatters all troubles. The presence of Christ made Paul sing in prison. Acts xvi. 25. The presence of Christ sweetens all condi- tions and all places whatsoever, because our dyings are the dyings of Christ ; Christ hath fellowship and communion with us in them.
Ans. [6.] Then again, they are the dyings of Christ, because iJieij divorce and wean lis from the ivorld. Now we being separated from worldly com- forts, are fitter for farther fellowship and communion with Christ, as you shall see afterward.
Thus we see some reasons why all the miseries of a Christian are called ' the dyings of our Lord Jesus.'
We see then there must be a dying of the outward man ; first there must be little dyings, and then a consummation of all. And why ? Because sin is so invested and so sunk into our natures, that without death it cannot be divorced. Afflictions are to make a divorce between sin and our nature, for ' no unclean thing can enter into heaven,' Kev. xxi. 27. As the Spirit did separate sin in the nature of Christ, so doth the Spirit of God purify the nature of every man by afflictions. Because grace needs help, there- fore afflictions join as fire Vvdth grace, to make a more perfect separation between the soul and sin. Together with the sanctified spirit there is a spirit of burning. When the canker hath seized deeply on metals, it must pass through the fire before it can be purged ; so the nature of cor- ruption hath so eaten into our natures, that we need fire to purge it out.
' Flesh and blood,' saith the apostle, ' shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven,' 1 Cor. xv. 50. What is the meaning of that ? That is, there be some remainders of corruption in it. Until this body be returned to dust, till the Lord make this body of ours new again, which is now so stained with sin, it shall never enter into heaven. Our blessed Saviour's body the third day, before he saw corruption, did rise again, because there was no sin in him, and therefore it was not necessary he should see corruption.
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Now divers reasons there were why he should not see corruption. But all our bodies must bo turned to dust, or changed, which shall have the force of a death, as 1 Cor. xv. 52 : ' And thcrclbrc wo bear in our bodies the dyings of the Lord Jesus.'
Use. This should sweeten all our ufllictions, that we arc dying with Christ, whereby Christ hath communion with us, and whereby we 'are fitted for communion with Christ ; as put case we have sickness or trouble, &c. Christ took upon him flesh, but what ? As it was in Adam unpassible ?''"' Christ took upon him our passible nature, as subject to suffer cold, and hunger, and pain, of weariness, and it is fit our bodies should be conformable to the body of Christ, ' for we are predestinate to be conformed to Christ,' Rom. viii. 29, and therefore when we are put to pain in our callings, or troubled for good consciences, and thereby wear out our bodies, it is but as Christ's body was used. He took a body that he might suffer, and going about doing good, and be put to hardship. Therefore, if we be put to hardship, it is no more than our Lord Jesus Christ did. And therefore those that be so delicate that will take no pains, endure no sickness, the wind must not blow upon them, the sun must not shine upon them, they love no saving goodness, nothing of the Spirit of Christ, who out of love took our nature upon him, obnoxious to all pain and labour ; though not infirmities of our particular persons, yet of our nature. He took upon him our miserable nature, our passible nature, and then he hath our nature in heaven. If ever we will be glorified with him in heaven, we must be content to take upon us his miserablef nature here, that our flesh may be used as his was, even to death if there were occasion. If we be humbled to death, happy is that mortification that brings us to conform with Christ, whatsoever it is. And therefore be not discouraged ; let what will come, come on this body of ours.