meekness, lowliness, heavenly-mindedness, and of all other the graces of thy Spirit. Surely thou art an heaven of grace, full of bright shining stars. Oh that of that fulness thou wouldst give me to receive even grace for grace: I pray, Lord, with an humble expectation of receiving from thee: Oh let me feel the droppings of the two olive trees into the golden candlesticks; yea even into my soul." 5. Be we assured that our prayer (if it be in faith) is even now heard: never any came to Christ with strong expectations to receive grace, or any benefit prayed for that was turned empty away. Besides, Christ hath engaged himself by promise to write his law in our hearts: to make us like himself; "As he which hath called us is holy, so should, (yea, and so shall) we be holy in all manner of conversation," 1 Pet. 1:15. Oh let us build on this gracious promise: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, before one jot or tittle of his word shall fail:" only understand we his pro inise in this sense, that our conformity must be gradual, not all at once, 2 Cor. 3:18. We all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory," (i. e.) from grace to grace, or from glory inchoate in obedience, to glory consummate in our heavenly inheritance. 6. If, notwithstanding all this, we feel not for the present this conformity in us, at least in such a degree, let us act over the same particulars again and again: the gifts of grace are therefore communicated by degrees, that we might be taken off from living upon received stock of grace; and that we might still be running to the spring, and drinking there: why, alas! we have a continual need of Christ's letting out himself and grace into our hearts, and therefore we must wait at the well-head Christ; we must look on Christ, as appointed on purpose by his Father to be the be ginner and finisher of our holiness; and we must believe that he will never leave that work imperfect whereunto he is ordained of the Father. "We may be confident, (saith the apostle) of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in us, will perform it, or finish it until the day of Jesus Christ," Phil. 1:6. Oh then, be not weary of this work until he accomplish the desires of thy soul. I have now done with this subject: only before I finish, one word more. Sometimes I have observed that many precious souls in their endeavors after grace, holiness, sanctification, have been frequent in the use of such and such means, duties, ordinances: wherein I cannot say, but they have done well; and for their help, I therefore composed that piece called Media: but of all the ordinances of Christ, this looking unto Jesus is made least use of, though it be chief of all; it is Christ, (when all is done) that is that great ordinance appointed by God for grace and holiness; and certainly those souls which trade immediately with Jesus Christ, will gain more in a day, than others in a month, in a year. I deny not other helps, but amongst them all, if I would make choice which to fall upon, that I may become more and more holy, I would set before me this glass, (i. e.) "Christ's holy life," the great exemplar of that holiness: we were at first created after his image in holiness, and this image we lost through our sin, and to this image we should endeavor to be restored by imitation: and how should this be done, but by looking on Christ as our pattern? By running through the several ages of Christ, and by observing all his graces, and gracious actings? In this respect I charge thee, O my soul, (for to what purpose should I charge others, if I begin not at home, and with thee?) that thou make conscience of this practical, evangelical duty; O be much in the exercise of it! not only in the day intend Christ, but when night comes, and thou liest down on thy bed, let thy pillow be as Christ's bosom, in which John the beloved disciple was said to lean: there lean thou with John, yea, lie thou between his breasts, and "let him lie all night betwixt thy breasts," Sol. Song 1:13. Thus mayest thou "lie down in peace and sleep, and the Lord only will make thee to dwell in safety," Psal. 4:8. And when the day returns again, have this in mind, yea, in all thy thoughts, words and deeds, ever look into Jesus as thy holy exemplar, say to thyself, "If Christ my Saviour were now upon earth, would these be his thoughts, words and deeds? Would he be thus disposed as I now feel myself? Would he speak these words that I am now uttering? Would he do this that I am now putting my hand unto? O let me not yield myself to any thought, word or action, which my dear Jesus would be ashamed to own!" Yea, (if it were possible for thee to be so constant in this blessed duty) going and standing, sitting and lying, eating and drinking, speaking and holding thy peace, by thyself, or in company, cast an eye upon Jesus: for by this means thou canst not choose but love him more, and joy in him more, and trust in him more, and become more and more familiar with him, and draw more and more grace and virtue and sweetness from him. O let this be thy wisdom, to think much of Christ, so as to provoke thee to the imitation of Christ! then shalt thou learn to contemn the world, to do good to all, to injure no man, to suffer wrong patiently; yea, to pray for all those that despitefully use thee and persecute thee, then shalt thou learn to condescend to the weak, to condole sinners' cases, to embrace the penitent, to obey superiors, to minister to all: then shalt thou learn to avoid all boasting, bragging, scandal, immoderate eating and drinking: in a word, all sin. Then shalt thou learn to "bear about in thy body the dying of our Lord Jesus Christ, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in thy body:" so the apostle, "for we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh," 2 Cor. 4:10,11. Why, this is to follow Christ's steps, he descended from heaven to earth for thy sake; do thou trample on earthly things, "Seek after the kingdom of God and his righteousness," for thy own sake: though the world be sweet, yet Christ is sweeter; though the world prove bitter, yet Christ sustained the bitterness of it for thee; and now he speaks to thee, as he did to Peter, Andrew, James, and John, "Come follow me;" O do not faint in the way, lest thou lose thy place in thy country, that kingdom of glery. Thus far we have looked on Jesus as our Jesus in his life, during the whole time of his ministry: our next work is to look to Jesus carrying on the great work of man's salvation, during the time of his suffering, and dying on the cross, until his resurrection from the dead. LOOKING UNTO JESUS, IN HIS DEATH. THE FOURTH BOOK. PART III. CHAPTER I. SECTION I. OF THE DAY OF CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS, DIVIDED INTO PARTS AND HOURS. Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold and see. Lam. 1:12. THE Sun of righteousness that arose with healing, we shall now see go down in a ruddy cloud: and in this piece, (as in the former) we must first lay down the object, and then direct you to look upon it. The object is Jesus, carrying on the work of man's salvation during the time of his sufferings. Now, in all the transactions of this time, we shall observe them as they were carried on successively in those few hours of his passion and death. As this work of man's salvation was great, so we cannot but observe how every piece of it was carried on in its due time, even from eternity to eternity. The very time of Christ's passion depended not on the will of man, for his enemies sought many a time before to slay him, as Herod in his infancy, Matth. 2:16. The Jews in his riper age, when sometimes they took up stones to stone him, John 8:59. and sometimes they would have broken his neck from an hill, Luke 4:29. but his time was not then come. We read of the Paschal Lamb that it was to be slain, Exod. 12:2.6. On the fourteenth day of the first month called Abib or Nisan, at the full of the moon, in the evening, or between the evenings:" some think this month answers to our March, others to our April, I shall not be too curious in the inquisition, for I think it not worth the while; only this I can. not but observe, that the same day that the lamb must be slain, must our Paschal Lamb begin his sufferings: and as then it was full moon, so it notes unto us the fulness of time which now was come; and as it was in such a month, as when light prevails against darkness and every thing revives and springs, so Christ (by his sufferings) was to chase away our darkness and death; and to bring in light, and life, and a blessed spring of grace and glory: and as it was to be slain in the evening, or between the evenings; so must Christ the true Paschal Lamb, be sacrificed about the very same hour that the mystical lamb was slain. To understand which we must know, that the Jews distinguished their artificial day into four parts, from six to nine, from nine to twelve, from twelve to three, from 1 three to six. This last part was counted the evening of the day; and the next three hours the evening of the night: now, in this last part of the day used the paschal lamb to be slain; and after it was slain, some time was taken up to dress it whole for supper; so Christ, at the fourth part of the day, at their ninth hour, that is, at our three of the clock in the after. noon, "between the evenings, with a loud voice, yielded up the Ghost." Matth. 27:50, For the whole time of these last and extreme sufferings of Christ, I shall reduce them to somewhat less than one natural day; or, if we may take the whole day before us, consisting of twenty-four hours, and begin with the evening, and according to the beginning of the natural days from the creation, (as it is said, Gen. 1;5. "The evening and the morning made the first day,") in this revolution of time, I shall observe these several passages, As, 1. About six in the evening, Christ celebrated and eat the passover with his disciples, at which time he instituted the sacrament of the Lord's supper; and this continued till the eighth hour. 2. About eight in the evening, he washed his disciples' feet, and then leaning on the table, he pointed out Judas that should betray him; and this continued until the ninth hour, 3. About nine in the evening, (the second watch in the night) Judas, that traitor, went from the disciples; and, in the mean time, Christ made that spiritual sermon, and afterwards that spiritual prayer recited only by John, John 14. 15. 16. 17. chapters; and this, together with a psalm they sung, continued at least until the tenth hour. Thus far we proceeded be. fore we had done with the life of Christ. That which concerns his passion follows immediately upon this; and of that only I shall take notice in my following discourse, The passion of Christ I shall divide between the night and the day, 1. For the night, and his sufferings therein, we may observe these peri. ods, or thereabouts, As, 1. From ten to twelve he goes over the brook Cedron to the garden of Gethsemane, where he prayed earnestly, and sweat water and blood, 2. From twelve to three he is betrayed; and by the soldiers and other officers he is bound, and brought to Jerusalem, and carried into the house of Annas, who was one of the chief priests. 3. From three till six, they led him from Annas to Caiaphas, when he and all the priests of Jerusalem sat upon Jesus Christ; and there it was that Peter denied Christ; and at last the whole Sanhedrim of the Jews gave their consent to Christ's condemnation, 2. The night thus despatched, at six in the morning, about sun rising, our Saviour was brought unto Pilate, and Judas Iscariot hanged himself, because he had betrayed the innocent blood.--About seven in the same morning, Christ is carried to Herod, that cruel tyrant, who, the year before, had put John the Baptist to death. At eight of the same day, our Saviour Christ is returned to Pilate, who propounded to the Jews, whether they would have Jesus or Barabbas let loose unto them.-About the ninth, (which the Jews call the third hour of the day,) Christ was whipped and crowned with thorns. About ten, Pontius Pilate brought forth Jesus out of the common hall, saying, “Behold the man:" and then in the place called Gabbatha, he publicly condemned Christ to be crucified, About eleven our Saviour carried his cross, and was brought to the place called Golgotha, where he was fastened on the cross, and lifted up, "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,"--About twelve (in that meridian which the Jews call the sixth hour) that supernatural eclipse of the sun happened, And about three in the afternoon, (which the Jews call the ninth hour) the sun now beginning to receive his light, Christ cried, "It is finished;" and commending his Spirit into his Father's hands, he gave up the ghost. I shall add to these, That about four in the afternoon, our blessed Saviour was pierced with a spear; and there issued out of his side both blood and water. And about five, (which the Jews call the eleventh, and the last hour of the day) he was buried by Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus. So that in this round of one natural day, you see now the wonderful transactions of Christ's sufferings. I shall take them in order, and begin with his sufferings in that night before his crucifying. "And Jesus said unto his disciples, all ye shall be offended because of me this night," Matth. 26:31. And he said unto Peter, "That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice," Mark 14:30. SEOT. II. Of the brook over which Christ passed. THE first passage of that night, was Christ's going over the brook Cedron to the garden of Gethsemane. "When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a gar den, into which be entered, and his disciples," John 18:1. In this passage observe we these particulars. 1. The river over which they passed. 2. The garden into which they entered. 3. The prayer he there made; and the dolors and agonies he there suffered, 1. He and his disciples went over the brook Cedron. So it was called (say some) from the many cedars that grew all along the banks; or (say others) from the darkness of the valley: so Kader signifies darkness: and this was done to fulfil a prophecy, "He shall drink of the brook in the way," Psal. 110:7. By the brook or torrent, we may understand mystical. ly the wrath of God, and the rage of men, the very afflictions which befel Jesus Christ; and by his "drinking of the brook," we may understand Christ enduring afflictions; or (as others) his enduring many afflictions, and not a few. 1. That afflictions are understood by waters, we find it very frequently in scriptures; "The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of Belial made me afraid," Psal. 18:4.-" Deep calleth unto deep, at the noise of the water-spouts, all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me," Psal. 42:7.--And, "Save nie, O God, for the waters are come in unto my soul," Psal. 69:1. “And if it had not been the Lord, who was on our side, then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our souls, then the proud waters had gone over our souls," Psal. 124:1.4.5. 2. As waters signify afflictions, so Christ drinking of those waters, it signifies "Christ's suffering of afflictions; or, as others, it signifies "Christ's suffering of many afflictions." Thus we find together two words with relation thereunto," Are ye able to drink of the cup (saith Christ) that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" Matth, 20:22. He that drinketh hath the water in him; and he that is baptized, dipped or plunged, hath the water about him: so it notes the va riety or universality of afflictions which Christ suffered; it was within him, and it was about him; he was every way afflicted. Not to speak yet of those sufferings, which yet we are not come to speak unto, we find here in the way, betwixt the city and the garden, that Christ went over the brook Cedron: in the night he wades through the waters, yea, in a cold night he wades through cold waters on bare feet; and as he |