176 WOEK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN AND ON [BOOK II.
SeventUy, He offered himself iip unto God through the eternal Spirit, Heb. ix. 14. I know many learned men do judge that by the " eternal Spirit" in that place, not the third person is intended, but the divine nature of the Son himself; and there is no doubt but that also may proj)erly be called the eternal Spirit. There is also a reason in the words themselves strongly inclining unto that sense and acceptation of them : for the apostle doth show whence it was that the sacrifice of the Lord Christ had an efficacy beyond and above the sacrifices of the law, and whence it would certainly produce that great effect of "purging our consciences from dead works; " and this was, from the dignity of his person, on the account of his divine nature. It arose, I say, from the dignity of his person, his deity giving sustentation unto his human nature in the sacrifice of himself; for by reason of the indissoluble union of both his natures, his person became the principle of all his mediatory acts, and from thence had they their dignity and efficacy. Nor will I oppose this exposition of the words. But, on the other side, many learned persons, both of the ancient and modern divines, do judge that it is the person of the Holy Spirit that is intended.
And because this is a matter of great importance, — namely, how the Lord Christ offered up himself unto God as a sacrifice by the eternal Spirit, — I shall farther exj)lain it, though but briefly. Those who look only on the outward part of the death of Christ can see nothing but suffering in it. The Jews took him, and they Avith the soldiers both scourged and slew him, hanging him on the tree. But the principal consideration of it is his own offering himself a sacri- fice unto God, as the great high priest of the church, to make atone- ment and reconciliation for sinners, which was hid from the world by those outward acts of violence which were upon him; and this he did by the eternal Spirit, wherein we may take notice of the en- suing instances: —
1. He sanctified, consecrated, or dedicated himself unto God for to be an offering or sacrifice: John xvii. 19, " For their sakes," — that is, the elect, — " I sanctify myself." The Lord Christ was before this perfectly sanctified as to all inherent holiness, so that he could not speak of sanctifying himself afresh in that sense. Neither was it the consecration of himself unto his office of a priest; for this was the act of him who called him : " He glorified not himself to be made an high priest ; but he that said unto him. Thou art my Son," Heb. v. 5. He made him a priest by his death, " after the power of an endless life," chap. vii. 16, 20, 21. Wherefore, he consecrated himself to be a sacrifice, as the beast to be sacrificed of old was first devoted unto that purpose. Therefore it is said that he thus sanctified or conse- crated himself that we might be sanctified. Now, " we are sancti-
CHAP. IV.] THE HUMAN NATURE OF CimiST. 177
fied through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all," Heb. X. 10. This was his first sacerdotal act. He dedicated himself to be an offering to God; and this he did through the effectual operation of the eternal Spirit in him.
2. He Avent voluntarily and of his own accord to the garden ; which answered the adduction or bringing of the beast to be sacrificed unto the door of the tabernacle, according to the law : for there he did not only give up himself into the hands of those who were to shed his blood, but also actually entered upon the offering up of himself unto God in his agony, when he " offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears," Heb. v. 7; which declares not the matter, but the manner of his offering.
o. In all that ensued, all that followed hereon, unto his giving up the ghost, he offered himself to God in and by those actings of the grace of the Holy Spirit in him, which accompanied him to the last. And these are diligently to be considered, because on them depend the efficacy of the death of Christ as to atonement and merit, as they were enhanced and rendered excellent by the worth and dignity of his person ; for it is not the death of Christ, merely as it was penal and undergone by the way of suffering, that is the means of our deliverance, but the obedience of Christ therein, which consisted in his offering of himself through the eternal Spirit unto God, that gave efficacy and success unto it. We may, therefore, inquire what were those principal graces of the Spirit which he acted in this offer- ing of himself unto God ; and they were, —
(1.) Love to mankind, and compassion towards sinners. This the ^^ holy soul of the Lord Jesus was then in the highest and most incon- ceivable exercise of This, therefore, is frequently expressed where mention is made of this offering of Christ : Gal. ii. 20, " Who loved me, and gave himself for me." Rev. i. 5, " Who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood." And compassion is the first grace required in a high priest or sacrificer, Heb. v. 2. God being now upon a design of love (for it was in the pursuit of eternal love that Christ was sent into the world, John iii. 16; Tit. iii. 4-6), this love, that was now in its most inconceivable advancement in the heart of Christ, was most grateful and acceptable unto him. And this intenseness of love did also support the mind of Christ under all his sufferings ; as Jacob, through the greatness of his love unto Kachel, made light of the seven years' service that he endured for her. Gen. xxix. 20. And so did the Lord Christ " endure the cross and despise the shame for the joy" of saving his elect "which was set before him," Heb. xii. 2. And this was one grace of the eternal Spirit whereby he offered him- self unto God.