Now, concerning these instances we may observe three things to our present purpose : —
(1.) These and the like gracious actings of the soul of Christ were the ways and means whereby, in his death and blood-shedding, ■ — which was violent and by force inflicted on him as to the outward instruments, and was penal as to the sentence of the law,' — he volun- tarily and freely offered up himself a sacrifice unto God for to make atonement; and these were the things which, from tJie dignity of his person, became efficacious and victorious. Without these his death and blood-shedding had been no oblation.
180 WOEK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN AND ON [bOOK IL
(2.) These were the things which rendered his offering of himself a " sacrifice to God of a sweet-smelling savour," Eph. v. 2. God was so absolutely delighted and pleased with these high and glori- ous acts of grace and obedience in Jesus Christ that he smelled, as it were, a "savour of rest" towards mankind, or those for whom he offered himself, so that he would be angry with them no more, curse them no more, as it is said of the type of it in the sacrifice of Noah, Gen. viii. 20, 21. God was more pleased with the obedience of Christ than he was displeased with the sin and disobedience of Adam, Rom. v. 1 7-21. It was not, then, [by] the outward suffering of a violent and bloody death, which was inflicted on him by the most honrible wickedness that ever human nature brake forth into, that God was atoned, Acts ii. 23 ; nor yet was it merely his enduring the penalty of the law that was the means of our deliverance; but the voluntary giving up of himself to be a sacrifice in these holy acts of obedience was that upon which, in an especial manner, God was reconciled unto us.
i/ (3.) All these things being wrought in the human nature by the Holy Ghost, who, in the time of his offering, acted all his gTaces unto the utmost, he is said thereon to " offer himself unto God through the eternal Spirit," by whom, as our high priest, he was consecrated, spirited, and acted thereunto,
r Eighthly, There was a peculiar work of the Holy Spirit towards the Lord Christ whilst he was in the state of the dead; for here our pre- ceding rule must be remembered, — namely, that notwithstanding the union of the human nature of Christ with the divhie person of the Son, yet the cominunications of God unto it, beyond subsistence, were voluntary. Thus in his death the union of his natures in his person was not in the least impeached ; but yet for his soul or spirit, he commends that in an especial manner into the hands of God his Father, — Ps. xxxi. 5, Luke xxiii. 46, " Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit," — for the Father had engaged himself in an eternal covenant to take care of him, to preserve and protect him even in death, and to show him again the " way and path of life," Ps. xvi. 11. Notwithstanding, then, the union of his person, his soul in its separate state was in an especial manner under the care, pro- tection, and pov/er of the Father, preserved in his love until the hour came wherein he showed him again the path of life. His holy body in the grave continued under the especial care of the Spirit of God ; and hereby was accomplished that great promise, that " his soul should not be left in hell, nor the Holy One see corruption," Ps. xvi. 10; Acts ii. 31. It is the body of Christ which is here called " The Holy One," as it was made a " holy thing" by the conception of it in the womb by the power of the Holy Ghost. And it is here spoken of in contradistinction unto his soul, and opposed by Peter unto the
CHAP. IV.] THE HUMAN NATURE OF CHRIST, 181
body of David, which when it died saw corruption, Acts ii. 29. This pure and holy substance was preserved in its integrity by the over- shadowing power of the Holy Spirit, without any of those accidents of change which attend the dead bodies of others. I deny not but there was use made of the ministry of angels about the dead body of Christ whilst it was in the grave, even those which were seen sitting afterward in the place where he lay, John xx. 12; by these was it preserved from all outward force and violation; — but this also was under the peculiar care of the Spirit of God, who how he worketh by augels hath been before declared.
Ninthly, There was a peculiar work of the Holy Spirit in his re- ^ surrection, this being the completing act in layuig the foundation of the church, whereby Christ entered into his rest, — the great testimony given unto the finishing of the work of redemption, with the satis- faction of God therein, and his acceptation of the person of the Re- deemer. It is, on various accounts, assigned distinctly to each per- son in the Trinity; and this not only as all the external works of God are undivided, each person being equally concerned in their operation, but also upon the account of their especial respect unto and interest in the work of redemption, in the manner before de- clared. Unto the Father it is ascribed, on the account of his autho- rity, and the declaration therein of Christ's perfect accomplishment of the work committed unto him : Acts ii. 24, " Him hath God raised up, having loosed the pains of death : because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." It is the Father who is spoken of, and he is said, as in other places, to raise Christ from the dead ; but this he doth with respect unto " his loosing the pains of death," — Xvaag rag oobTvag rou ^avdrou. These are the ni»*v3n^ which, with a little alteration of one vowel,^ signify the " sorrows of death," or the " cords of death;" for J^.}'?*" "?0 are the " sorrows of death," and ^.}?~"?C a-re the " cords of death." See Ps. xviii. 4, cxvi. 3. And the " sorrows of death" here intended were the " cords" of it, — that is, the power it had to bind the Lord Christ for a season under it; for the " pains of death," that is, the ud/]/ig, " tormenting pains," ended in his death itself. But the consequents of them are here reckoned unto them, or the continuance under the power of death, according unto the sentence of the law. These God loosed, Avhen, the law being fully satisfied, the sentence of it was taken off, and the Lord Christ was acquitted from its whole charge. This was the act of God the Fa- ther, as the supreme rector and judge of all. Hence he is said to