22. The Prince of Life Lays Down His Own Life
22
The Prince of Life Lays Down His Own Life1
Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
—Mark 15:37
O Life! Wouldst Thou bear that blessed body company no longer? O Life of Life! Wouldst Thou be taken death’s prisoner? Oh to see that blessed head fall to the one side! Oh to see Life wanting life! To see Life lying dead! To see that blessed mouth silent! To see that fair corpse rolled in linen and laid in a tomb! Oh to see sweet Jesus, that blessed body, in Joseph’s arms! Come hither, come hither, believers, and see a sight that you never saw the like of! Oh, what would the disciples say but, “We are beguiled men! We thought that He should have restored the kingdom to Israel, and now He is gone away, and now He is dead, the One that raised Lazarus from the grave.” Oh, angels would think, “Our Master is dead.” There must have been much scarcity of life in the world (one might say), for Him to have died for want of it!
The whole guard about Christ might say, “Oh, what evil has He done?” O sun! Why would you not lend Him light? He never angered you, but gave you light! O floods, O rivers, O running streams! What has angered you at your Creator, that you would not send your Lord a drink? O bread! Why are you gall to Him? O drink! Why are you vinegar to Him? O worldly pomp and glory, what ails2 you at Him—that He is so ashamed? O life, where are you going? Why do you leave the Lord of Life? O joys! Why would you not cheer Him? O disciples, why did you leave and forsake Him? O Father, what ails Thee at Thy dear and only Son? O what evil way went these feet, that they are pierced? What evil have these hands done that they are pierced? O what evil and what vanity did these eyes behold, that death has closed them? O what sin has that fair face done, that it is spat on? O what did these hands steal, that they are bound? O what evil has that blessed Head done, that it is crowned with thorns?
1. An Exhortation at a Communion, to a Scots Congregation in London (Glasgow, 1804), 12–13.
2. ails: to be troubled by or at someone