32 He that spared not his own Son, but deliver-
274, Sacramental Meditations. the fulfilling thereof, what ground remains forany todeube the fulfillingof lefter promifes ?
Lastly, Is there any among you that defire to get up your affections at this table, to have your hearts in ameltingtemper, to awaken and rouze up all the powers ofyor fouls in fo great an occation for it as this ? Behold the Lamb ofGod! and this will do it.
Chrift calls off your eyes andthoughts from all otherobjects to himself; Ifa. lxv. 11. " I faid, Behold me ! behold
" me!" Fix theeyeoffaithhere,andyou willfeel apangquicklycominguponyour hearts like that, Cant. ii. 5. " Stay me
" with flaggons, comfortme with apples ; Iam fick with love."
Your eyes will affect your hearts; whilft you behold,your hearts will melt withinyou.
THE SIXTH
MEDITATION,
UPON Rom. viii. 32. He that sparednot his own Son, but delivered him up for us all ; howshallhe not with him alſofreely give us all things.
THIS ſcripture contains a mostweighty argumenttoencourage and confirm the faith of Chriſtians in the expectation of all ſpiritual and temporal mercies.
It proceeds from the greater to the leffer affirmatively: he that delivered hisSon for us, whatcan he denyusafter ſuch agift ? Every word hath its weight.
DidnotGod ſpare (i. e. abate) anythingwhich his juſtice could inflictupon his Son, his own Son, oppoſed here to his adopted fons, as being infinitely more excellent thanthey, and moſt dear to him above and beyond all others ; but, on the contrary, delivered himup, how dear ſoever hewas unto him, tohumiliation, contradiction of finners, to all forrows and temptations, yea, to death, and that of the croſs, and all this for us, for us finners, for us enemies toGod, for us unlovely wretches ? " How ſhall he notwithhim alfo freely give us all
" things ?" How is it imaginable that God ſhould with-hold after this, ſpirituals or temporals, from his people ? How ſhall henot call them effectually,juſtify them freely, fanctify there thoroughly, and glorify them eternally ? How ſhallhe nor cloath them, feed them, protect, and deliver them ?
Sacramental Meditations.
Surely if he would not ſpare or abate to his ownSon one ſtroke, one tear, one groan, one figh, one circumſtance of miſery, it cannever be imagined that ever he ſhould, after this,deny or withhold fromhis people, for whoſefakes allthis was ſuffered, any mercies, any comforts, any privilege, ſpiritual or temporal, which is good for them, and needful to them. So that in the words we find, 1. A propofition. 2.
An inference from it.
The propoſition opens the ſeverity of God's juſtice to Chriſt; the inference declares the riches ofhis mercy tous in Chrift.
1. We have here before us a propofition, containing theſeverity of divine justice towards Chriſt ; and this is expreſſed two ways, viz.
1st. Negatively ; he ſpared him not.
2dly, Affirmatively ; hedelivered him up forus.
1st, Negatively ; He spared not his own Son.
There is a threefold mercy ofGod, viz. Preventing mercy, which ſteps between us and trouble : delivering mercy, which takes us out of thehand oftrouble ; and ſparingmercy, which tho' it donotprevent nordeliver, yet it mitigates, allays,and graciouflymoderates our troubles ; and tho' ſparing mercy be defirableand ſweet, yet itis the leaſt and lowest fort of mercythat
God exerciſes towards any.
Tho' it be mercy to have the time offufferings ſhortned,or one degree offuffering abated, yet theſe are the lowest and least effects of mercy; and yet theſe were denied Jeſus Chriſt, when he stood in our room to fatisfyfor us : God ſparednot onedrop, he abated not one degree of that wrath which Chriſt was to fuffer for us.
2dly, Affirmatively ; but on the contrary, He delivered him upforusall.
Hedelivered him,as ajudge by ſentence of law delivers up the prisoner to be executed.
It is true, Pilate delivered him tobe crucified, andhe alſo gave himself for us : butbetwixtGod's delivering, Pilate'sdelivering, andhisown,thereis
this difference to be obſerved ; in God it was an act ofhigheſtjustice; inPilate an act of greatest wickedness ; inhimfelf, an act ofwonderful obedience.
God, as by an act ofhighestjustice,deliveredhim upforus.
Forus, notes thevicegerency of his fufferings, not only for our good, as the final cause; noronly for our fins,asthemeritorious cauſe; but for us, (i e.) in our room,place, or ſteadaccordingto
Pet. iii. 18. and 2 Cor. v. 14.
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2. We have alſo here before us a moſt ſweet and comfortable inferenceand concluſion from this propoſition: IfGod have ſo deliveredhim, howshallhenot withhimfreelygive us allthings ? For Chrift comprehends allother mercies inhimſelf; therefore in giving himfor us, all other mercies are neceſſarily withhim given to us.
Andtheſe mercies the pooreſt,weakest believer intheworld maywarrantably expect fromGod ; for as Goddeliveredhim forusall,ſo the treaſures of all ſpiritual and temporal mercies are thereby freely opened to us all, to theweak as well as tothe ſtrong.
: He faith not, Chriſt was delivered for all abſolutely, but forusall; i. e. allthatbelieve, all that are electedand called; in whoſeperſon it is manifeft the apostle here ſpeaks, asParaeus on the place well obſerves.
Hence theſe two doctrinal concluſions fairly offer themſelves.
Doct. 1. That the rigour andfeverity ofdivine justice was executed upon Jesus Christ, whenhesufferedfor us.
Doct. 2. That believers may strongly infer the greatest of mercies to themselves, from the severity of God'sjustice to Jesus Christ.
Iwouldwillinglyſpeakto boththeſe points atthistime,each affording fuch proper matter ofmeditation to us in fuchafeafon as this.
To begin therefore with the firſt obſervation.
Doct. 1. That the rigourand severity ofdivinejustice was executedupon Jesus Christ, when he sufferedfor us ; God didnot spare him.
In Zech. xiii . 7. you have God's commiſſiongiven tothe ſword of justice, to ſmite his own Son, and that withoutpity; " Awake, O fword, against my Shepherd, and againſt " the manthat is my fellow ; ſmitethe Shepherd," &c. And whenthis commiſſion came tobe executedupon Chrift, the text tellsus, Goddidnot spare him ; allthe vials ofhis wrath werepoured out to the laſtdrop.
Two things require our attention in this point : 1. Wherein the ſeverity of justice to Chriſt appeared.
2. Why must justicebe executed on him inſuch rigour and ſeverity ? Why there could be no abatement, mitigation, or ſparing mercy ſhewnhim in that day ?
1. Whereintheſeverityofdivinejuſtice to Chriſt appeared?
Andthiswillmanifeſtitſelfinthe confiderationofthe following particulars.
First, Let us conſiderwhat Jeſus Chriſt ſuffered, and we ſhall ſeethe ſeverityofjustice inhis fufferings, forhe ſuffered
Sacramental Meditations.
all kinds of miſeries, andthat inthe moſt intenſe degree of them:His ſufferingswere from allhands, from heaven, earth, andhell; from his enemies, who condemned him, buffeted him, reviled, ſcourged, and crucified him ; from his own dif ciplesandfollowers, one of whom perfidiouſly betrayed him, another openly denied him, and all in the hour ofhis greatest trouble forſook and abandoned him.
Heſufferedinhis bodythe moſt exquifite torments;the croſs was a cruel engine oftorment, and more ſo tohim than any other,by reaſonoftheexcellentcrafis and temperament ofhisbody,andhis moſt acute and delicate ſenſe ; for, as the ſchoolmen trulyſay, he was optime complexionatus, ofthe moſt exact and exquifitecomplexion; and his ſenſes remained acute and vigorous, nowayblunted, during the whole time ofhis fufferings, but fullof lifeand ſenſe to the lastgaſp, as may be gatheredfrom Mark xv. 39. " Whenthe centurion,which stood
" over against him, ſawthat he ſocried out, and gave upthe " ghost, he said, Truly this manwas the Sonof God."
Heſuffered in his foul ; yea, the ſufferings ofhis foul were thevery foul ofhis ſufferings ; he felt inhis inner manthe exquiſite torments and inxpreſſible anguiſh ofthe wrath ofGod.
Hencewas thatpreternatural bloodyſweatinthe garden ; and hencethat heart-rending out-cry upon the croſs, My God! myGod ! why hast thouforsaken me ?
In allwhich ſufferings from heaven, from earth, from hell, from friends, from enemies, there was no allay, or abatement ofthe least degree ofmisery. "God ſpared not his own Son,"
(faith the text) " but delivered him up."
Wherein the ſeverityofdivine juſtice to Jeſus Chriſt, is diſplayed intheſe five remarkable confiderations following.
First, God spared not.
If mercy, pity, and forbearance mightbeexpected from anyhand, ſurely it mightbe God ; he isthe fountainof mercy ; "Thatthe Lord is very pitiful, and " oftendermercy," faith the apostle, James v. 11. The moſt melting and tender compaſſions of a mother to her fucking child, are but cruelty in comparison with divine tenderneſs and mercy; Ifa. xlix. 15. "Can awoman forget her fucking
" child, that ſhe ſhould nothavecompaffiononthe fon ofher "womb ? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee."
Can awoman, the more affectionate ſex, forget her fucking child, her own child (and not a nurse-child) her only child, whilst ithangs on her breast, and, with the milk from herbreast, draws love from her heart ? Can ſuch a thing as this be in nature! Poſſibly it may ; ſome ſuch cruel mothers
Sacramental Meditationsmay be found, but yet I will not forget thee, faith God.
Though human corrupt nature maybe ſo vitiated, yet from thedivine nature, compaffionand mercy are inſeparable ; it flows as watersflow from their fountain, onlyhere itrestrained itſelf, and let not out onedrop toJeſus Chriſt, in the day of his fufferings . God, theGod of mercy, ſpared not.
Secondly, Godfpared not, faith the text ; i. e. heabatednot any thing which justice could inflict : Christ was not ſpared one ſtroke, one tear, one groan, one drop, one figh, one ſhame, one circumſtance, no, notthe leaſt which justice could demand as fatisfaction for man's fin.
Therebe divers kinds of mercy in God; there is inhim preventingmercy, delivering mercy, and ſparingmercy. Now ſparing mercy(as Mr. Caryl on Jobwell obſerves) is the loweſtmercy ofall the three ; it is leſs mercy to be ſpared or abated fome degreeor circumſtance ofmifery,thanto have miferypreventedby mercy's ſtepping in betwixt us and it; it is lefs alſo than to be wholly delivered out ofthehandofmifery:"
Either of theſe are greater acts of mercy, than to abate adegree, orſhorten an hour ofour trouble ; the leaſt abatement ofanyone circumſtance of miſery had been ſparing mercy, though it had been but the leaſt and lowest act of mercy ; and yet even this was denied to Chrift ; he was not abatedone minuteoftime, or the leastdegree of forrow. Godſparednot.
Thirdly, He spared not his own Son, τυιον ιδιον. So ſtiledfignanter, his own or his proper Son, inaſpecial and peculiar manner nearer anddearerto him than the angels, who are his fonsby creation, Job i. 6. or any of the faints, who are his fonsbygrace, inthe wayofregeneration and adoption, John
1. 12, 13. This was his own Sonby nature, a ſon ofan higher rank and order, Pfal. ii. 7. begotten in anineffable manner, fromall eternity, inhisowndivine eſſence; and ſo is hisSon by nature, having the ſame eſſence and nature with the Father, being co-equal, co-efſential, and co-eternal with the Father.
No relation innatureis ſo intimate, ſtrict and dear as this ; our children are not ſomuch our own children, ourbodies are not fomuch our own bodies, as Chriſt was God's own Son ; andyet, thoughhe were ſo dear to him, hisother ſelf, his expreſs image, his owndearSon, Hespared him not : Godfpared not his own Son.
Fourthly, Andthat which makes a farther diſcoveryofdivine feverity towards Jeſus Chriſt, is this, thatGod ſparednot
Sacramental Meditations.
his own Son in the day of his greatest diſtreſs, when he cried to his Father in an agony, that ifit were poffible the cup mightpaſsfrom him : For ofthat day, this ſcripture ismainly to be understood, the day when he fell to the ground and prayed, " That ifitwere poſſiblethehour might paſsfromhim .
Andheſaid, Abba, Father, allthings are poffible untothee, "takeawaythis cup from me," Mark xiv. 35, 36. He beheld his own dear Son ſweltering under the heaviestpreſſure ofhis wrath, ſweating greatdrops ofblood, crying, " Ifit flible, " let this hour, let this cup paſs ;" and yet it could not be granted. O the ſeverity ofGod! heheard the cry ofAhab, and ſpared him; heheard the Ninevites cry, and ſparedthem; heheardthecries ofHagar and Iſhmael,andſparedthem ; yea, he hears the young ravens when they cry, and feeds them ; but,whenhis Son criedwith the moſtvehement cry, that the cupmight paſs, he cannot be excused, he must drink it up, eventheverydregs ofthe cup oftrembling,and that to the laſt drop. O thejuſtice and ſeverity ofGod!
Fifthly, and lastly, Confider what the Father of mercies did instead ofſparing the Son ofhis love, and the textwill in- : formyou,that " he delivered himup for us all." So it is noted inActs ii. 23. "Him, being delivered by the deter- " minate counſel and foreknowledge ofGod, ye have taken,
"andbywicked hands have crucified and flain."
Therewas a conceffion or permiffion to thoſe wicked inftruments that ſhedhis blood, a loofingofthe chain to thoſe bandogs that compaſſedhim about; fuch a conceffion as never was given them before ; for till then theywere tied up from perpetrating their wickedneſs ; butnowthe restraints ofProvidencearetaken away, andhe is delivered unto their will ; his ownFather delivers him into the hands ofcruelty. And thus you fee wherein the ſeverityofdivinejuſtice to Chriſt was manifeſt.
Inthe last place, let us fee the ground and reaſon ofthis rigour and feverity to Chriſt. Now, there are, among others, three ſpecial reaſons why Chriſtcouldnotbe ſpared.
Thehonour of divinejuſtice required,that he ſhould fuffer theutmoſt degree ofpunishment.
It was meet that therights ofheavenſhould be vindicated to the full, andthatthe juftice ofGodſhould have the last mite it could demand for fatisfaction. And this was the ſpecial deſign and aim ofGod in the fufferingofChriſt, as the apostle ſpeaks, Rom. iii. 25, 26. It was " to declare his righteousness ;" and leſt we should loſe the emphatical word, it is doubled and repeated, " to declare,
Sacramental Meditations.
" I ſay, at this time his righteouſneſs." Andindeedherein God fullyobtained hisdeſign; for neverwasjusticeſo honouredbefore, to have ſuchaperſon as the Son ofGod ſtand at its bar,and fuch a ſum as his blood paid down atonce for ourdifcharge: fo that juſtice triumphs as well as mercy, and one attribute is not robbed to pay another.
Asitwas neceſſary to God's ſatisfaction, ſo itwas neceſſary toours alſo.
If the Lord Jeſus had notmade full paymentto the utmoſt mite,we could neverhavehad full fatisfaction in ourconfciences, about thatdeep and dear concernment ofour fouls, the remiſſion of fin. Man is a guilty and a fufpicious creature, andhard to be broughtto an entire confidence inthe pardoningmercyofGod.
Yea, it is impoffible to perfuade a convincedconfcience, ofthe poffibilityof remiſſion, exceptyou can alſo provethe fulneſs ofdivine fatisfaction ; for confcience requires as much to ſatisfy it, as Goddoth to fatisfy him.
If Godbe fatisfied,then confciencecan be fatisfiedtoo, and ſecurelyreſtuponthatground; but iftherebeanydoubt ofthat, there is no appeaſing of an anxious and jealous confcience: greatlythereforehathGod confulted our peace inthe ſeverity of his justice to Jeſus Chriſt. "Now the God of peace,
" who brought again fromthedead ourLordJeſus, that great " Shepherd of the sheep,through the blood ofthe everlasting
" covenant," Heb. xiii. 20. Let the words beweighed; he is ſtiled theGod ofpeace, when he brought back Chrift from thedead; itwas incenſed juſtice thatput him todeath, and appeaſed juftice that brought him back from the dead ; and that which pacifiedGod, is the only thing inthe worldthat is ableto fatisfythe confcience ofa finner.
3. ThereforedidGod proceed withſuch rigour and ſeverity with JeſusChrift, thatthereby thedemerit andeviloffin might be fullydifcovered to the world, and an everlasting caution left upon all hearts to beware of contracting new guilt.
If jufticehad deſcended ina viſible form, and hangedupmillions offinners inchains, ithad not been fuch a warning as this againſt ſin.
Nay, let me ſay, the grievous and eternal torment thatthe damned fuffer in hell, is not ſuch ademonſtration ofthe evil offin as this is; for thoſe torments are much unknowntomen till they feel them ; and whentheybegin to feel them, it is too latetobe convincedor cautioned against fin then.
But to ſee ſuch a perſon as Chriſt expoſed to the utmoſt ſeverity of God's wrath for our fin, to fee ſuch things done in the green tree, maywellmake us cry out, " Lord,
"whatwillbe doneto thedry tree ?" O the infinite evil of
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28f fin ! O the inflexible feverity ofdivinejustice! It is a fearful thingto fall intothe hands ofthe livingGod!
4. Inaword ; hereby Jeſus Chriſt is endeared the more to his people, by fuffering fuch great and hard things in their placeand for their fakes.
The extremity ofhis ſufferings for us,commands the ſtrength ofhis affection to us.
And thus you ſee the reaſons of all this ſeverity toJeſus Chriſt. God intended the ſweetest mercies foryou, andtherefore prepared the bittereſt ſufferings for Chrift: from his deep fufferings youmay confidently conclude thebeſt ofmercies are deſigned for you ; as you will hear in the profecuting ofthe ſeconddoctrine, which, for diſpatch, I purpoſe to handle as oneuſe ofthis point now before me.
O the admirable and aftoniſhing love of God to us poor worms ofthe earth, todeliver up his own Son into the hands ofhis enemies, that thirſted for his blood ! Long had they been reftrainedfrom fatisfying their wickedness, and executing their malice, till now ; and this was the hour which he often ſpake of, " My hour is not yet come."
But, oh ! what a diſmal hourwas itwhen itdidcome, when Providence let looſe both devils and menupon Chriſt, delivered him over to the will of his enemies ! Andthis was not all ; Chriſtwas not onlydeliVeredup intothe hands ofthe worst of men, but, which was much more terrible, into the ſevere hands ofdivinejuſtice, to grapple with the pure, unmixed, and unallayed wrath ofthe great and terribleGod.
Lastly, We will improve thispointby adouble uſe, byway ofinformation, and exhortation.
Ufe 1. Of information.
First, The ſeverity ofGod's justice to Jeſus Chriſt informs us what a dreadful evil fin is, which ſo incenfes thewrath of God even against his own Son, when he bare our fins, and ſtoodbefore the bar of God as our ſurety.
Come hither, hard hearts (hard indeed ifthis cannot break ( them;) you complain,you cannot see the evil of fin, ſo as to bedeeplyhumbledfor it: fix your eyes awhile here, and intently confider the point in hand: ſuppoſe you fawa tender andpitiful father come intoopen court with fury in his face, tocharge his own, his only, andhis moſt beloved Son, and to profecutehimtodeath,and nothing able to fatisfy him buthis blood, andbewellpleaſed when he fees it ſhed; would you not ſay, Oh ! whathorrid evil hath he done! It must beſome deep wrong, ſome heinous crime that he is gulty of, elfe i
VOL . VIII.
Sacramental Meditations. couldnever bethat his own father could forget his bowels of pity and mercy.
Yet thus did the wrath of God break forth against his dear Son, when he stood before the bar, as our furety, charged with the guilt ofour fins.
Secondly, Learn hence what a fearful thing it is to fall into the hands ofthe living God. Well might Luther cry out,
Nolo Deum abfolutum, Let me have nothing to do with an abfoluteGod.
Wo to them that ſtand before God in theirown perfons, without Chriſt, how willjustice handlethem ! " For " if theſethings weredoneinthe green tree, what ſhall be done
" in thedry tree ?" Luke xxiii. 31. Did the Son ofGod fear, tremble, ſweat clots ofblood ? Did he ſtand amazed, and fall into fuch an agony offoul when hedrank that cup, which he knew in a few hours he ſhould drink up, and then never taſte thebitterness of it more ? How fadis their caſe that must drink ofthat cup for ever, a cup that hath eternity to the bottom !
Thirdly, How incomprehenſible andraviſhing isthe love of God to men, that would rather be ſo ſevere to Jeſus Chrift, thedarling ofhis foul, than make us the objects of wrath for ever ? Which ofyou (though there be infinitely leſs tenderneſs in your hearts than God's)would lay your hands upon a child, the worst child you have, and put him todeath for the fake ofthebest friend you have inthe world ? ButGodwith his own hand delivered his Son, his only Son, that from everlafting was the delight of his foul, who never offended him, to death, the moſt curſed and cruel death, and all this for enemies : how unſpeakable is this love, and paſt finding out !
Fourthly, Did notGod ſpare his own Son ? then letnoneof us fpare our own ſins.
Sin was that ſword which pierced Chrift: O let forrow for fin pierce your hearts! ifyou ſpare fin, God will not ſpare you, Deut. xxix. 20. We ſpare fin whenwe faintly oppoſe it,when we excuſe, cover anddefend it, whenwe are impatient underjuſt rebukes and reproofs for it ; but all kindness to fin is cruelty to our own fouls.
Fifthly, and lastly, IfGoddid not ſpare Chriſt, certainlyhe intends to fpare believers for his fake.
The ſurety could not be ſpared, that the principal might be ſparedfor ever.
IfGodhad ſpared him, he couldnothave ſpared us; ifhe afflicts his people, it is not for fatisfaction to himfelf, but profit to us, Heb. xii. 10. Should God ſpare the rod of affliction, itwould not be for our advangtage; ſo many fanctified afflictions as are ſpared or abated,fo manymercies and ſpiritual advantages are withheld from us. But as for thoſe itrokes ofjusticethat are the effects ofGod's vindictive wrath,
Sacramental Meditations.
theyſhallnever be feltby believers for ever.
All the wrath, all thecurſe, all the gall andwormwood was ſqueezed into Chrift'scup, andnot one drop left to imbitter ours.
Ufe 2. Of Exhortation.
Did not God ſpare his own Son, butgive him up to the death for us all ! Thenpoſſeſs yourhearts fullyin the affurance ofthis great truth, That the greatest and best ofmerciesshall not be denied or withheldfrom you, if you be in Christ ; lay itdown as a fureconclufion offaith, and buildup your hope and comfort upon it.
This takes inthe ſecond obſervation ; and furely never was any truth better fortified, never any inference more ſtrongly inferred.
Henceforth ye may infer temporal, ſpiritual, and eternal mercies ; all mustbe yours, if : you be Chriſt's, 1 Cor. iii. 21, 22, 23. O, make fure that Chriſt's is yours, and never hefitate at any other mercy ! For,
First, God hath certainlya value and eſteem for his own Son infinitely above all other things ; he ishis own Son, his dear
Son, Col. i. 13. the Beloved, Eph. i. 6. the delight ofhisfoul, Ifa. xlii. 1. Nothing isvalued byGod at that rate that Chrift is valued. If therefore he ſpare not the moſt excellent mercy, but partswiththeverydarling ofhis foul for us, how shallhe deny, or with-hold, any leffer inferior mercy ? It is not to be imagined, for he is the mercy, emphatically ſo called, Luke i. 72.
Secondly, Jeſus Chriſt is a comprehenſive mercy, including all other mercies in himself; he is the tree of life, all other mercies are but the fruits growing on him; he is the fun of righteousness ; and whatever comfort, ſpiritual or natural, refreſhes your fouls or bodies, is but a beam from that fun, a ſtream from that fountain.
IfthenGod part with Chriſt to you, and foryou, he willnot withholdother mercies ; he will not give the whole tree, and deny an apple ; bestow the fountain itſelf, and denyyou the ſtreams.
All ſpiritual mercies are in him, and givenwith him ; Eph. i. 3. " Bleffedbe the " God and Father of our Lord Jesus Chriſt, who hath bleſſed
" us with all ſpiritual bleſſings, inheavenly places in Chrift " Jeſus."
All temporals are in him, and given with him, Matth. vi. 33. they are additionals to that greatmercy.
Thirdly, IfGodſpared not Chriſt, the best mercy, but delivered him up for us all when we were his enemies, then cer tainly he willnot deny leffer mercies when we are reconciled and made friends to him.
And this is the forcible reason of the apostle, which even compels affent ; Rom . v. 9. "Much
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