(2.) That which principally acted him in the whole was his ^ln- ^
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178 AYOEK OF THE HOLY SPIEIT IN AND ON [BOOK II.
speaJcahle zeal for, and ardency of affection unto, the glory of God. These were the coals which with a vehement flame, as it were, con- sumed the sacrifice. And there were two things that he aimed at with respect nnto the glory of God: — [1.] The manifestation of his righteousness, holiness, and severity against sin. His design was, to repair the glory of God, wherein it had seemed to suffer by sin. Ps. xl. 6-8, Heb. x. 5-7, He came to do that, with full desire of soul, (expressed in these words, " Lo, I come,") which legal sacrifices could not do, — namely, to make satisfaction to the justice of God for sin, to be "a propitiation, to declare his righteousness," Rom. iii. 25. And this he doth, as to the manner of it, with inexpressible ardency of zeal and affections : Ps. xl. 8, " I delight to do thy will, O my God : yea, thy law is in the midst of my bowels." He doubles the expression of the intenseness of his mind hereon. And, therefore, when he was to prepare himself in his last passover for his suffering, he expresseth the highest engagement of heart and affections unto it: Luke xxii. 15, " With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer;" as with respect unto the same work he had before expressed it, " I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I strait- ened," or pained, " till it be accomplished ! " chap. xii. 50. His zeal to advance the glory of God, in the manifestation of his righteousness and holiness, by the offering up of himself as a sin-offering to make atonement, gave him no rest and ease until he Avas engaged in it, whence it Avrought unto the utmost. [2.] The exercise of his grace and love. This he knew was the way to open the treasures of grace and love, that they might be poured out on sinners, to the everlasting glory of God; for this was the design of God in the whole, Rom. iii. 24-26. This zeal and affection unto the glory of God's righteous- ness, faithfulness, and grace, which was wrought in the heart of Christ by the eternal Spirit, was that wherein principally he offered up himself unto God.
, (3.) His holy suhmission and obedience unto the ivill of God, which were now in the height of their exercise, and grace advanced unto the utmost in them, was another especial part of this his offering up of himself That this was wrought in him by the holy or eternal Spirit was before declared. And it is frequently expressed as that which had an especial influence into the efficacy and merit of his sacrifice: Phil. ii. 8, "He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." And when he "offered up prayers and supplications, though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered," Heb. v. 7, 8 ; that is, he experienced obedience in suffering. It is true that the Lord Christ, in the whole course of his life, yielded obedience unto God, as he was " made of a woman, made under the law," Gal. iv. 4; but now he came to the
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CHAP. IV.] THE HUilAN NATURE OF CHRIST. 1 79
great trial of it, with respect unto the especial command of the Father " to lay clown his life/' and to " make his soul an offering for sin/' Isa. liii. 10. This was the highest act of obedience imto God that ever was, or ever shall be to all eternity ; and therefore doth God so express his satisfaction therein and acceptance of it, Isa. liii. 11, 12; Phil. ii. 9, 10. This was wrought in him, this he was wrought unto, by the Holy Sj)irit; and therefore by him he offered hunself unto God.
(4.) There belongs also hereunto that faith and trust in God which, with fervent prayers, cries, and supplications, he now acted on God and his promises, both with respect unto himself and to the covenant which he was sealing with his blood. This our apostle re- presents as an especial work of his, testified unto in the Old Testa- ment: Heb. ii. IS, "I will put my trust in him." And, [1.] This resjDected himself, namely, that he should be supported, assisted, and carried through the work he had undertaken unto a blessed issue. Herein, I confess, he was horribly assaulted, until he cried out, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Ps xxii. 1; but yet, after and through all his dreadful trial, his faith and trust in God were victorious. This he expressed in the depth and extremity of his trials, verses 9-1 1 ; and made such an open profession of it that his enemies, when they supposed him lost and defeated, re- proached him with it, verse 8; Matt, xxvii. 43. To this purpose he declares himself at large, Isa. 1. 7-9. So his faith and trust in God, as to his own supportment and deliverance, with the accomplishment of all the promises that were made unto him upon his engagement into the work of mediation, were victorious. [2.] This respected tlie covenant, and all the benefits that the church of the elect was to be made partaker of thereby. The blood that he now shed was the "blood of the covenant," and it was shed for his church, namely, that the blessings of the covenant might be communicated unto them, Gal. iii. 13, 14. With respect hereunto did he also exercise faith in God, as appears fully in his prayer which he made when he entered on his oblation, John xvii.