fhall fee of the travail of his foul and shall be fatisfied,' (i. e.) he fhall have great content and pleasure from the iffues and fruits of his fufferings, as Pfal. cxxviii. 2. Thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands,' (i. e.) the fruit of thy labours. So here, He fhall fee the travail of his foul,' (i. e.) the fruit and effects of his travail; and to fee this fhall be to him the reward and recompence of all his fufferings. Now, among the fweet refults of the fufferings of Chrift there are especially these three, which he forefaw with fingular content and de Jectation. Firft, That in his fufferings there would be made a glorious display. and manifeftation of the divine attributes; yea, fuch a glorious diplay of them, as was never made before to angels or to men, nor ever fhall be any more in this world. For though, 1. The wifdom of God had made itself visible to men in the crea tion of the world, yet there it fhone but in a faint and languishing beam, compared with this. Here divine wifdom put itself as it were into a visible form, and reprefented itfelf to the life. See I Cor. i. 24. and Eph. iii. 10. Behold, in the death of Chrift, the wifdom of God in its highest exaltation and glory: O the manifold wisdom of God! O the depth of his unfearchable wisdom! which I touched in fome particulars before. Behold here the wifdom of God, raifing more glory to himself by occafion of the breach of the law, than could ever have rifen to him from the most punctual obfervation of its commands, or the most rigorous execution of its threatenings; from the occafion of the fall, which was our undoing, raising us to a far better eftate, and with a much better fecurity to enjoy it, than that from which we fell. Yea, behold and wonder, God by the death of Chrift recovering his elect from all the danger and mifchief of fin, and yet making the way and manner of their recovery the fairest glass to reprefent the horror and evil of fin to them, that ever was fhewn them in this world. Oh, the triumph of divine wildom. 2. Though the love of God had appeared before in our creation, protection, and provifion, yet nothing to what it doth in our redemption by the death of Chrift. Lo, here is the love of God in its ftrength and glory, 1 John iv. 10. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and fent his Son to be the propitiation for our fins. Herein is love, i. e. Here is the higheft expreffion of God's love to the creature; not only that ever was, but that ever can be made; for in love only God acted to the uttermoft; whatever his power hath done, it can do more; but for his love, it can go no higher, he hath no greater thing to give than his Chrift. It is true, in giving us a being, and that in the nobleft rank and order of creatures on earth, herein was love: In feeding us all our life long by his affiduous tender providence, herein is love. In protecting us under his wings from innumerable dangers and mifchiefs, herein is love; much love; and yet fet all this by his redeeming love is Chrift, and it feems nothing. When we have faid all, herein is the love of God, that he fent his Son,' &c. This was free love to undeferving, to ill-deferving finners: preventing love; not that we loved him, but that he loved us. Juft as an image in the glafs, faith Facinus, that is imprinted there by the face looking into it; the image does not look back upon the face, except the face look forward upon the image; and in that the image does feem to fee the face, it is nothing elfe but that the face does fee the image. O the inexpreffible glory of the love of God in Chrift! 3. Though God had given feveral fad marks of his justice before, both upon the angels that fell, clapping upon them the chains of darknefs; in the overthrow of Sodom and the neighbouring cities, turning them to afhes, as you may read in Jude, ver. 6, 7. yet never was the exactnefs and feverity of juftice fo manifefted before, nor ever fhall be any more, as it was at the death of Chrift. Chrift did not only fatisfy it fully, but he alfo honoured it highly, making that attri bute which was once a bar, now to be a bottom of our peace, Rom. iii. 25. Never did fuch a perfon as Chrift ftand at the bar of juftice before the blood of God was poured out to appeafe and fatisfy it. When Chrift fuffered, he did both give and take fatisfaction; he gave it to the juftice of God in dying; he took it, in feeing juftice fo ho noured in his death. Secondly, Another delightful profpect Chrift had of the fruit of his fufferings, was the recovery and falvation of all the elect by his death; and though his fufferings were exceeding bitter, yet fuch fruit of them as this was exceeding fweet: upon this account he affumed his name Jefus, Matth. i. 21. yea, and his human nature alfo, Gal. iv. 4, 5. Souls are of great value in his eyes; one foul is of more worth in his account than all the world, Mark viii. 36. What a pleasure then muft it be to him, to fave fo many fouls from the everlafting wrath of the great and terrible God! Add to this, Thirdly, The glory which would redound to him from his redeemed ones to all eternity; for it will be the everlafting pleafant employment of the faints in heaven, to be afcribing glory, praile, and honour, to the Redeemer: "To him that loved us, and washed us from our fins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priefts to God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever," Rev. i. 5, 6. The improvement of all this will be in a word or two. This truth then, in the firft place, may convince, fhame, and humble the very best of Chriftians, who find fo little delight in the moft eafy, fweet, and fpiritual duties of obedience, when Chrift undertook and went through the most difficult task for them with fuch cheerfulnefs and readinefs. "Lo, I come, thy law is in my heart, I delight to do thy will" and yet the work he fo applied himself to, was a work full of difficulty, attended with reproach and shame, as well as anguish and pain. Did Chrift find pleasure in abafement and torment, in suffering and dying for me, and can I find no pleasure in praying, hearing, meditating, and enjoying the fweet duties of communion with him? Did he come fo cheerfully to die for me, and do I go fo dead-heartedly to prayers and facraments, to enjoy fellowthip with him? Was it a pleafure to him to fhed his blood, and is it none to me to apply it, and reap the benefits of it? Oh, Lord, what an heart have I? How unfuitable is this frame of heart to the nature of God, whofe effential excellencies make him the fupreme delight, the sweet repose, folace, and reft of fouls! Pfal. xvi. 11. How unfuitable to the principles of regeneration and holiness, purpofely planted in the foul, to make fpiritual performances a pleasure to it! How unfuitable to the future expected state of glory, which brings the fanctified foul to a fweet complacential reft and fatisfaction in God! In a word, how unfuitable is this temper of spirit to the heart of Jefus Chrift! O, methinks I hear Chrift thus expoftulating with me this day: Is this thy zeal and delight in the duties of obedience? Is it rather the awe of confcience than the pleasure of communion that brings thee to this duty? Doth thy hard heart need fo many arguments to perfuade it, even to the fweeteft, eafieft, and muft pleafant duties in religion? Well, I did not love thee at that rate; my heart readily echoed to the Father's call, to die for thee, to drink the very dregs of the cup of trembling for thee. "I come, I come, I delight to do thy will, thy law is in the midft of my bowels." 2. Ufe, of exhortation. If it be fo, how great a motive have the people of God before them, to make them apply themfelves with all cheerfulness and readiness of mind to all the duties of active and paffive obedience! O, let there be no more grumblings, lazy excufes, fhiftings of duty, or dead-hearted and liftless performances of them, after fuch an example as this. Be ready to do the will of God; yea, be ye alfo ready to fuffer it. Let the fame mind be in you, which also was in Chrift Jefus. The more pleasure and delight you find in doing or fuffering the will of God, the more of Chrift's spirit is in you, and the more of his image is upon you. Are not all holy duties expreffed in fcripture by the faints walking with God? Gen. xvii. 1. And is not this an angelical life? Can it be a burden to the ear to hear fweet ravishing strains of melody; or to the eye, to behold variety of pleafant and lively colours ; or to the palate, to relifh the delicious fweetness of meats and drinks? Oh, reader, were thy heart more fpiritual, more deeply fanctified, and heavenly, it would be no more pain to thee to pray, hear, or meditate on the things of God, than it is to a bird to carry and use his own wings; or to a man, to eat the most pleasant food when he is af hungry; "I have rejoiced (faith David, in the way of thy commandments, as much as in all riches." Pfal. cxix. 14. And as to fufferings for Chrift, they should not be grievous to Christians, that know how Chrift came from the bofom of the Father to die for them. What have we to leave or lofe, in comparison with him? What are our fufferings to Chrift's? Alas, there is no compare; there was more bitterness in one drop of his fufferings, that in a fea of ours. To conclude, Your delight and readiness in the paths of obedience, is the very measure of your fanctification. THE NINTH MEDITATION, Upon ZECH. xii. part of ver. 10. And they fball look upon me, ruhom they have pierced: and they fhall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only fon; and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firil-born. TH THIS promife is confeffed to have a fpecial refpect to the Jews converfion to Chrift: It was in part accomplished in the apoftles days, Acts ii. 37. yet that was but a fpecimen or handfel, of what fhall be, when the body of that nation fhall be called. But yet it cannot be denied, that all Chriftians find the fame pierceing forrows, and wounding fenfe of fin, when God awakens them by convictions, and brings them to fee the evil of fin, and the grace of Christ, that is here expreffed concerning them at their converfion. The words prefent us with three very remarkable particulars in evangelical repentance; viz. Firft, The fpring and principle of it. Firft, The fpring and principle of repentance, expreffed in these words, They hall look upon me, whom they have pierced. This looking upon Chrift, is an act of faith; for fo it is defcribed in fcripture, John vi. 40. Ifa. xlv. 22. and it refpects Chrift crucified, as its proper object: Yea, and that by them, not only as their progenitors involved them in that guilt, by entailing it on them, but as their own fins were the meritorious cause of his death and fufferings; they fball look upon me, whom they have pierced.. Secondly. The effects and fruits of fuch an aspect of faith upon Chrift, is here alfo noted; They fhall mourn and be in bitterness: i. e. it fhall melt and thaw them into godly forrow; it fhall break their hard and ftony hearts in pieces: The eye of faith fhall affect their hearts. For indeed, evangelical forrows are hearty and undiffembled tears, dropping out of the eye of faith. Thirdly, and lafly, The depth and measure of their forrow is here likewife noted. And it is compared with the greatest and most piercing forrows men are acquainted with in this world, even the forrow of a tender-hearted Father, mourning over a dead fon, yea, an only fon, and his firft-born; than which, no earthly forrow is more penetrating and sharp; Jer. vi. 26. Hence the note will be, Doct. That the fufferings of Christ are exceedingly powerful, to melt be lievers hearts into godly forrow. The eye of faith is a precious eye; and according to its various afpects upon Chrift, it produceth various effects upon the hearts of men. Eying Chrift as our complete righteoufnefs; fo it pacifies and quiets the heart: Eying him as our pattern; fo it directs and regulates our actions: Eying him as a facrifice offered up to divine juftice for our fin; fo it powerfully thaws the heart, and melts the affec tions. By meltings, I do not only understand tears; as if they only were expreffive of all spiritual forrow: For it is poffible, the waters of for row may run deep in the heart, when the eye cannot yield a drop. There be two things in repentance; trouble and tears. The first is effential, the laft contingent. The first flows from the influence of faith upon the foul; the last much depends upon the temper and conftitution of the body. It is a mercy, when our tears can flow from a heart filled with forrow for fin, and love to Chrift; yet it often falls out, that there is an heavy heart, where the eyes are dry. But that there is efficacy in faith to melt the heart, by looking upon the fufferings of Chrift for fin, is undoubted: And how it becomes fo powerful an inftrument to this end, I will fhew you in the following particulars. Firft, Faith eyes the dignity of the perfon of Chrift, who was pierced for us; how excellent and glorious a perfon he is. In the cap tivity, it was for a lamentation, that " princes were hanged up by the hands, and the faces of elders were not honoured," Lam. v. 12. We read alfo the lamentation of David, 2 Sam. iii. 38. as he followed Abner's hearfe," A prince, and a great man, is fallen in Ifrael to-day." But what was Abner, and what were the princes of Ifrael to the Son of God? Lo, here, by faith, the believer fees the Prince of the kings of the earth, the only begotten of the Father, equal to God, in nature and dignity, He, whom all the angels worship, hanging dead VOL. VI. 3 K D |