2. For the matter of his prayer, "Let this cup pass from me," some interpret thus, "Let this cup pass from me, Oh that I might not taste it." But others thus, "Let this cup pass from me, though I must taste it, yet, Oh that I may not be too long or tediously annoyed by it!" That which leads us into this last interpretation, is that of the apostle, "Christ in the days of his flesh offered up prayers and supplications, with strong cries and tears, unto him that was able to save him from death, and he was heard in that he feared,” Heb. 5:7. How was he heard? Not in the removal of the cup, for he drank it up all; but, in respect of the tedious annoyance, or poisoning of the cup; for though it made him sweat drops of blood, though it grieved him, and pained him, and made him cry out, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Though it cast him into a sleep, and laid him dead in his grave, and there sealed him for a time, yet presently, within the space of forty hours, or thereabouts, he revived, and awakened as a lion out of sleep, or as a giant refreshed with wine; and so it passed from him, as he prayed, in a very short time; and by that short and momentary death, he purchased to his people everlasting life. 3. For the limitation of his prayer," If it be possible, if it be thy will;" he knows what is his Father's will, and he prays accordingly, and is wil ·ling to submit unto it: if the passing of the cup be according to the last interpretation, we shall need none of those many distinctions to reconcile the will of God and Chirst: "if it be possible," signifies the earnestness of the prayer; and "if it be thy will "the submission of Christ unto his Father. The prayer is short, but sweet: how many things needful to a prayer do we find concentered in this one instance; Here is humility of spirit, lowliness of deportment, importunity of desire, a fervent heart, a lawful matter, and a resignation to the will of God. Some think this is the most fervent prayer that ever Christ made upon earth, "If it be possible, O, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me;" and I think it was the greatest dereliction and submission to the will of God that ever was found upon the earth, for whether the cup might pass or not pass, he leaves it to his . Father; "nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt," q. d. Though in this cup are many ingredients, it is full red, and hath in it many dregs; and I know I must drink and suck out the very utmost dreg; yet, whether it shall pass from me in that short time, or continue with me a long time, I leave it to thy will. I see, in respect of my humanity, there is in me flesh, and blood; O I am frail and weak, I cannot but fear the wrath of God, and therefore I pray thus earnestly to my God, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." But what was there in the cup, that made Christ pray thus earnestly that it might pass from him? I answer,— 1. The great pain that he must endure, buffetings, whippings, bleedings, crucifying; all the torments from first to last throughout all his body; why, all these now came into his mind, and all these were put into a cup, of which he must drink. 2. The great shame that he must undergo; this was more than pain, as "a good name is better than precious ointment, and loving favor better than silver and gold," so is shame a greater punishment to the mind than any torture can be to the flesh. Now came into his thoughts, his ap * Quod dicit, transfer calicem istam a me, non hoc est, non adveniat mihi: nisi enim advenerit, transferri non poterit; sed sicut quod peterit, nec intactum est, nec permanens; sic salvator leviter invadentem tentationem flagitat pelli. Sic, Dionysius Alexandrinus. prehending, binding, judging, scorning, reviling, condemning; and oh, what a bloody blush comes into the face of Christ, whilst in the cup he sees these ingredients! 3. The neglect of men, notwithstanding both his pain and shame, I look upon this as a greater cut to the heart of Christ than both the former, when he considered that after all his sufferings and reproaches few would regard. O this was a bitter ingredient; naturally men desire, if they can. not be delivered, yet to be pitied; it is a kind of ease, even to find some regard among the sons of men; it shows that they wish us well, and that they would give us ease if they could; but, oh, when it comes to this, that a poor wretch is under many sufferings and great shame; and that he finds none so much as to regard all this: now, verily, it is a heavy case, and hence was Christ's complaint, "Have ye no regard, O all ye that pass by the way? Consider and behold, if ever there was sorrow like unto my sorrow, which was done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the days of his fierce anger," Lam. 1:12. Christ complains not of the sharp pains he endured; but he complains of this, "Have ye no regard?" He cries not out, “Oh deliver me and save me; but Oh, consider and re. gard me" q. d. All that I suffer I am contented with, I regard it not, only this troubles me, that you will not regard; why, it is for you that I endure all this, and do you look so upon it, as if nothing at all concerned you? Suppose a prince should pay some mighty price to redeem a slave from death, and the slave should grow so desperate, as after the price paid, to throw himself upon his death, yea, with all the strength and might he hath, to offer a death upon his very redeemer. Would not this trouble? Why, thus it was, Christ is willing to redeem us with his own precious blood, but he saw many to pass by without any regard, yea, ready to trample his precious blood under their feet; and to "account the blood of the cove. nant as an unholy thing," Heb. 10:29. Oh! this was another spear in the heart of Christ, or a bitter ingredient in this cup. 4. The guilt of sin which he was now to undergo; "upon him was laid the iniquity of us all," Isa. 53:6. All the sins of all believers in the world, from the first creation to the last judgment, were laid on him: Ob! what a weight was this? Surely one sin is like a talent of lead; oh then, what were so many thousands of millions? The very earth itself groans under the weight of sin until this day; David cried out, That "his iniquities were a burden too heavy for him to bear," Psal, 38:4. Nay, God himself complains, "Behold I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves," Amos 2:13. Now then no wonder, if Christ bearing all the sins of Jews and Gentiles, band and free, cry out, "My soul is heavy," for sin was heavy on his soul. In that I say, all the sins of all believers were laid on Christ, understand me soberly; my meaning is not that be. lievers' sins were so laid on Christ, as that they ceased to be believers' sins according to their physical, and real indwelling, but only that they were laid on Christ by law imputation, or by legal obligation to satisfacto ry punishment. I make a difference betwixt sin and the guilt of sin; for sin itself is macula, the blot, defilement, and blackness of sin, which I conceive is nothing but the absence and privation of that moral rectitude and righteousness which the law requireth: but the guilt of sin is some. what issuing from this blot and blackness, according to which the person is liable and obnoxious to eternal punishment. Some indeed give a dis. tinction of the guilt of sin, there is reatus culpo, the guilt of sin as sin: and this is all one with sin, being the very essence, soul, and formal be. ing of sin; they call it a fundamental or potential guilt; and there is rea tus panæ reatus, personæ, reatus actualis, the guilt or obligation to punishment, the actual guilt, or actual obligation of the person who hath thus sinned to punishment; and this guilt is a thing far different from sin itself, and is separable from sin; yea, and is removed from sin in our justification. Now, this was the sin or guilt which was laid on Christ, in which sense the apostle speaks, "Who his ownself bare our sins in his own body on the tree," 1 Pet. 2:24. How bare our sins on the tree, but by his sufferings?" And he hath laid on him the iniquity of us all," Isa. 53:6.-How laid on him but by imputation?" And he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin," 2 Cor. 5:21. How made sin for us? Sure. ly there was in Christ no fundamental guilt; no, no, but he was made sin by imputation and law account: he was our surety, and so our sins were laid upon him in order to punishment, as if now in the garden he had said to his Father, "Thou hast given me a body, as I have taken the debts and sins of all believers in the world upon me. Come now and arrest me, as the only pay-master; lo, here I am, to do and suffer for their sins whatsoever thou pleasest," Psal. 40:6,7,8. Heb. 10:4,5,6,7,8,9. Or as if he had said to his Father thus, "I am the sinner, O Father, I am the surety, all my friends' wants, and all their debts let them be laid on me; my life for their lives, my soul for their souls, my glory for their glory, my heaven for their heaven." Now, this was no small matter; little do we know or consider, what is the weight and guilt of sin. And this was another ingredient in Christ's cup. 5. The power and malice of Satan; the devil had a full leave and license, not as it was with Job, "Do what thou wilt, Satan, but save his life;" no, no, he had a commission without any such restriction or limitation: the whole power of darkness was let loose to use all his violence; and to afflict him as far as possibly he could; and this our Saviour intimates, when he saith, "That the prince of this world cometh," John 14: 30. Now was it that the word must be accomplished, "Thou shalt bruise his heel, Gen. 3:15. The devil could go no higher than the heel of Christ, but whatever he could do he was sure to do: he had been nib. bling a great while at his heel; no sooner he was born, but he would have killed him, and after he fell fiercely on him in the wilderness: but now, all the power and all the malice of hell conjoins. If we look on the devil in respect of his evil nature, he is compared to a roaring lion; not only is he a lion, but a roaring lion, his disposition to do mischief is always wound up to the height; and if we look on the devil in respect of his pow. er, there is no part of our souls or bodies that he cannot reach: the apostle describing his power, he gives him names above the highest comparisons, as" principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness above," Eph. 6:12. Devils are not only called princes, but principalities: not only mighty, but powers; not only rulers of a part, but of "all the darkness of all this world;" not only wicked spirits, but spiritual wickedness: not only about us but above us: they hang over our heads continually; you know what a disadvantage it is to have your enemy get the hill, the upper ground; and this they have naturally, and always. Oh then, what a combat must this be, when all the power and all the malice of all the devils in hell should (by the permission of God) arm them. selves against the Son of God? Surely this was a bitter ingredient in Christ's cup. 6. The wrath of God himself: this (above all) was the most bitter dreg; it lay in the bottom, and Christ must drink it also: "Oh! the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger;" Lam. 1:12. God afflicts some in mercy, and some in anger; this was in his anger, and yet in his anger, God is not alike to all, some he afflicts in his more gentle and mild, others in his fierce anger: this was in the very fierceness of his anger. It is agreed upon by all divines, that now Christ saw himself bearing the sins of all believers, and standing before the judgment seat of God; to this end are those words," Now is the judgment of this world, and the prince of this world shall be cast out," John 12:31. Now is the judgment of this world, q. d. Now I see God sitting in judgment upon the world; and as a right representative of all the world of believers, here I stand before his tribunal, ready to undergo all the punishments due to them for their sins; why, there is no other way to save their souls, and to satisfy justice, but that the fire of thy indignation should kindle against me; q. d. “OI know it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God;" Oh I know God is a consuming fire: "who can stand before his indignation; and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him." Nah. 1:6. But for this end came I into the world; O my Father, I will drink this cup, lo here an open breast, come prepare the armory of thy wrath, and herein shoot all the arrows of revenge. And yet, O my Father, let me not be oppressed, subverted or swallowed up by thy wrath; let not thy displeasure continue longer than my patience or obedience can endure; there is in me flesh and blood in respect of my humanity; "and my flesh trembleth for fear of thee, I am afraid of thy judgments: oh! if it be possible, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.' "And SECT. V. Of the dolors and agonies that Christ there suffered. CHRIST's passion in the garden was either before, or at his apprehension; his passion before is declared: 1. By his sorrow. 2. By his sweat. 1. For his sorrow; the evangelists diversely relate it, "He began to be sorrowful, and very heavy," saith Matthew, Matth. 26:37. "He began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy," saith Mark, Mark 14:33. being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly, saith Luke, Luke 22:44. "Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour; but for this cause came I unto this hour," saith John, John 12: 27. All avow this sorrow to be great, and so it is confest by Christ himself: "then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death," Matth: 26:38. Ah Christians! who can speak out this sorrow?"The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity, but a wounded spirit who can bear?" Prov. 18:14. Christ's soul is sorrowful: or if that be too flat, his soul is sorrowful, exceeding sorrowful; or if that language be too low, his soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; not only extensive. ly, such as must continue for the space of seventeen or eighteen hours, even until death itself should finish it; but also intensively, such and so great as that which is used to be at the very point of death; and such as were able to bring death itself, had not Christ been reserved to a greater and an heavier punishment. Of this sorrow is that especially spoken, "Consider, and behold if ever there was sorrow, like unto my sorrow," Lam. 1:12. Many a sad and sorrowful soul hath, no question, been in the world, but the like sorrow to this, was never since the creation; the very terms of the evangelists speak no less; he was sorrowful and heavy, saith one; amazed and very heavy saith another; in an agony, saith a third; in a soul trouble, saith a fourth. Surely the bodily torments of the cross were inferior to this agony of his soul; the pain of the body is the body of pain; oh! but the very soul of sorrow and pain is the soul's sorrow, and the soul's pain. It was a sorrow unspeakable, and therefore I must leave it, as not being able to utter it. 2. For his sweat, Luke only relates it, "And his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground," Luke 22:44. In the words I observe a climax. 1. His sweat was as it were blood; Ethymius and Theophilact interpret those words as only a similitude or figurative hyperbole; an usual kind of speech to call a vehement sweat a bloody sweat; as he that weeps bitterly is said to weep tears of blood; Augus tine, Jerome, Epiphanius, Athanasius, Ireneus, and others, from the beginning of the church, understand it in a literal sense, and believe it was truly and properly a bloody sweat; nor is the objection considerable, that it was Sicut guttae sanguinis, "as it were drops of blood; for if the Holy Ghost had only intended that sicut for a similitude or hyperbole, he would rather have expressed it, as it were drops of water, than as it were drops of blood. We all know sweat is more like to water than to blood; besides, a sicut in scripture phrase doth not always denote a similitude, but some times the very thing itself, according to the verity of it; thus we "beheld his glory, the glory, as it were of the only begotten Son of the Father," John 1:14. "And their words seemed to them as it were idle tales, and they believed them not," Luke 24:11. The words in the original (hosei leros,) are the same; here is the first step of this climax, his sweat was a wonderful sweat, not a sweat of water, but of red gore blood. 2. Great drops of blood, (thromboi aimatos.) There is, sudor diaphoriticus, a thin faint sweat; and sudor grumosus, a thick, concrete and clotted sweat; in this bloody sweat of Christ, it came not from him in small dews, but in great drops, they were drops, and great drops of blood, crassy and thick drops; and hence it is concluded as preternatural, for though much may be said for sweating blood in a course of nature, *Aristotle affirms it; †Augustine grants, "That he knew a man that could sweat blood, even when he pleased:" in faint bodies, a subtile, thin, blood like sweat, may pass through the pores of the skin; but that through the same pores, crassy, thick and great drops of blood should issue out, it was not, it could not be without a miracle, some call them grumes, others globes of blood; certainly the drops were great, so great, as if they had started through his skin, to outrun the streams and rivers of his cross. 3. Here is yet another climax, in that these great drops of blood did not only distillare drop out; but decurrere, ran the stream down so fast, as if they had issued out of the most deadly wounds; they were great drops of blood falling down to the ground: here is magnitude and multitude; great drops, and those so many, so plenteous, that they went through his apparel, and all streaming down to the ground; now was it that his garments were died with crimson-red; that of the prophet, though spoken in another sense, yet, in some respect, may be applied to this; "Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine fat?" Isa. 63:2. O what a sight is here! his head and members are all on a bloody sweat; this sweat trickles down, and bedecks his gar ments, which stood like a new firmament studded with stars, portending an approaching storm: nor stays it there, but it "falls down to the ground:" Oh happy garden, watered with such tears of blood! how much better are these rivers "than Abana, and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus," yea, thar *Arist. L. III. de Hist. Animal, c. 29. |