Vol. II. Chrift's Sufferings: For fince the whole World lay in wickedness; fince we are still so fubject to it; and fince the Wrath of God is fo juftly inflam'd against it, we may readily infer, that without fhedding of Blood there could be no Remiffion; that the Redeeming a loft World was a Design worthy of the Goodness of the Father, and fit to be accomplisht even by the Death of his dearly beloved Son. And fo I pass on to my Second General.

II. The Paflion of Christ, and the great End of it.

1. His Paffion, He died.

I will not pretend to give you the History of our Lord'sSufferings; the bare Recital of fome few General Heads of his Affliction and Calamity, will be enough to conduct our Meditations, and to let our Thoughts in to those Scenes of Sorrow, which will fill us with the tendereft and livelieft Senfe of his Humiliation and Love, and juftifie_the Description of him in the Prophet, Ifaiah 53. 3. He is defpifed and rejected of Men; a Man of forrow, and acquainted with grief. Many were the Troubles

of

of his Life. The Meannefs and Nar- Vol. II. rowness of his Fortune; the Labours and Travels of his Prophetick Office ; the Scorn and Infults of the Herodians and Sadducees; the Calumnies, Snares, and Perfecutions of the Scribes and Pharifees; the Obduracy of the Jewish Nation; and the Stupidity and Incredulity of his own Difciples, were things could not but affect him. But Imust confine my felf to his last Sufferings and Death. He was betray'd and forfaken by his Disciples; malicioufly and impudently charg'd with the worft of Crimes by the Jews; mock'd and infulted, fpit upon and buffeted by the Gentiles. Nor were these any other than Preludes to his Tragedy. The Spittle and the Palm of the Hand carried much of Indignity in it, but little of Pain. The Reed, Scourge, and the Crown of Thorns, were as cruel and painful, as the other were contumelious and infolent. But thefe were nothing to the Spear that pierced his fide and heart; much less to the Nails of the Crofs which wounded and tore his Hands and Feet: and the weight of the Body hanging upon them, exasperated and enraged the Wounds.

Vol. II Wounds. These were the Sufferings ~of his Body, to which those of his Soul were nothing inferiour. We find him, as he went up to Jerufalem, extreamly afflicted and caft down. We hear him complaining, that his Soul was forrowful pithin him, even unto death. His Agony in the Garden, wherein his Sweat was as great drops of blood falling down to the ground. His breaking out into strong Cries and Groans upon the Crofs, My God, my God, why haft thou forsaken me; are all manifest Expreffions of the unspeakable Anguish of his Soul.

Nor are we to wonder that the Tyde of his Sorrow fhould fwell fo high; many are the Reasons that may be affigned of it. I cannot, I confess, conceive how the Despair and Horrors of the Damned fhould feize upon the Soul of the dearly beloved Son of God. His Father was ever well-pleased with him, and furely never more than when he humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the Cross; and our Lord well knew that he was fo: whence it was that he affur'd the Thief that confefs'd him, To day fhalt thon be with me in Paradife. Nor can I think, that the Anguish of his Soul fprung

fprung meerly from its Sympathy and Vol. II. Communion with the Body, how great foever the Sufferings of this were. For then the Patience and Courage of many Martyrs would feem not only to have equal'd, but exceeded Chrift's. I deny not, but it must be an Aggravation of his Sufferings, to fee himself made an infamous Spectacle, expos'd to mockery and derifion; but I believe his Soul was too holy, too pure, too heavenly, too elevated, to be extreamly mov'd by the Reproach and Scorn of a foolish and vicious World. And that Expreffion of St. Paul, Heb. 12. He defpifed the fhame, does evidently countenance my Opinion. I do not, lastly, doubt but the Grief of his Mother, the Confufion of his Relations and Friends, the Weakness and Cowardice, the Faithless Fears and Diftreffes of his Difciples, were an Addition to the Pain and Trouble of his Soul: For he who wept over Jerufalem, who was tenderly affected, even by a distant prospect of the Calamities of his Enemies, could not furely be infenfible of the Sorrows and Afflictions of his Friends, at the very time when they were overwhelmed by them. But all these

Vol. II. these things do not yet fufficiently ac count for the unparallel'd Agony of our Saviour's Soul; what then shall we affign further for the Reasons of it.

1. The Scripture feems to affert, and all I think grant, that God retir'd from him for a while, and as it were, hid his Face from him; that he was left to bear the Crofs by the ftrength of Faith, and ordinary Grace, and to tread the Wine-prefs of God's Wrath alone; the Wrath I mean of God, not against his Son, but against the Sins of the whole World, which Chrift now fuftain'd like a Victim, and bore in his Body upon the Crofs. Otherwise I cannot fee, why he, who could have commanded Legions of Angels to rescue his Body, might not have commanded more than a common Strength and Affistance to rescue his Soul too. But the bleffed Jefus was willing to drink off the very Dregs of the bitter Cup, to bear all our Fears and Sorrows, and fuffer all the Frailties and Weaknesses of HumaneNature, that he might be a more familiar and imitable Example of Obedience, and a more merciful and compaffionate HighPrieft.

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