gelists, Luke ii. 1. iii. 1. But it is shown, that Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate particularly to manifest that he, though innocent, was condemned by a temporal judge." Jesus was pronounced innocent by Judas, by Pilate's wife, by the centurion, and others: but Pilate did this several times as judge, See John xviii. 38. xix. 4, 6. Luke xxiii. 14, 15. Matt. xxvii 24. Pilate however condemned him, though he was innocent. The faith of Christians must conclude hence," that he hath delivered them from the severe judgment of God, to which they were exposed." The reason is, because he stood before Pilate, as their surety, who having no guilt of his own, was condemned on account of their guilt, that the judgment of God might not pass on them. Which we must believe the rather, because Pilate's tribunal was God's tribunal,in whose name, and by whose judiciary appointment, he was pronounced innocent and condemned: in this, and in no other light was the matter viewed by our Surety; for when "Pilate said to him, Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above," John xix. 10, 11.

III. He suffered under this judge crucifixion, the grievousness of which we must now consider, as our third general head, and show that "there was something more in his being crucified, than if he had died any other death." There were several kinds of capital punishments among the Jews and Romans; but the Romans inflicted most commonly upon odious malefactors the punishment of crucifixion, in which the criminal was raised up on an erect post, having his arms stretched out upon a cross-beam, and the lower parts of his body resting upon a prominence, his hands being nailed to the cross-beam, and his feet below to the post. This punishment was indeed (a) exceedingly grievous and painful; for it could not but be most excruciating to be pierced with nails through the tender sinews, and obliged to hang in this manner, until a person either died of hunger, or was devoured by wild beasts. The punishment of crucifixion was also (b) a most shameful death, as it was not a Jewish, but a heathen punishment, which they inflicted, not upon a citizen, but only upon their slaves. To be obliged to hang naked between heaven and earth, as unworthy of either, was sufficient to depress the heart of the most shameless, and the most stout-hearted. The death of the cross was also (c) an accursed death, yea, it was accursed of God himself, Deut. xxi. 23. "He that is hanged is accursed of God." Paul having respect to this saith, "For it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree," Gal. iii. 13 To

be a curse, and accursed is to be devoted and given up to destruction, Deut. vii. 25, 26. Joshua vi. 17. Deut. xxvii. 15-26. But how is he who is hanged accursed of God? Many and various are the opin ions of the learned upon this subject, which we will not recite at present, that we may not be too diffuse; we will only say, that he who is hanged is accursed of God, inasmuch as he is given up, offered and devoted to God and to his vindictive justice, for his destrućtion, in order that he may make satisfaction; and therefore he who is hanged is said, as it were to the honour of God, to be a curse to God, Deut. xxi 23. In the Hebrew it is killath elohim, a curse of God, as the sacrifices are called God's sacrifices, because they were offered up to God, Psalm li. 17. This is exceedingly plain from Numb. xxv. 4. "Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up to the Lord, laihovah, against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel," See also the same, 2 Sam. xxi. 6, 9. And this capital punishment was accursed of God more than any other, because the malefactor was lifted up toward heaven, the habitation of God, like the heave-offerings; so also the burnt offerings, and the devoted Jericho were sent up toward heaven by fire, See Joshua vi. 17-27. And thus was the Lord Jesus also made a curse, and truly a curse to God, when he was hanged on the cross, not for his own sins, but for the sins of the elect, which the Lord had laid upon him; for "he made him, who knew no sin, to be sin, for us ;" and therefore the apostle saith emphatically, that "he bore our sins in his own body on the tree," 1 Peter ii. 24. And so believers are assured, "that he took on him the curse which lay on them;" whereby they are also delivered from the curse; for "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree,” Gal. iii. And it was therefore also necessary, as likewise on account of the prophecies, which foretold that "they should pierce his hands and his feet, and pierce him through," Psalm xxii. 16. Zech. xii. 10. His crucifixion was necessary also, because it was typified by the heave-offerings, and also by the burnt-offerings, which were ordered upon the wood, and offered up to God. Many refer hither also the brazen serpent, which was lifted up upon a pole, according to John ii. 14, 15.

APPLICATION.

If there be any doctrine in the word of God, which is important, and requires our serious and diligent improvement, it is the doctrine of the suffering of Christ. And therefore,

1. See only the grievousness of his suffering. Pilate, after insulting him in a cruel manner by his officers, and clothing him in a ridiculous habit, showed him thus to the Jews, and said, "Behold the man," John xix. 5. But do ye also go near him, and follow him from his manger to his cross, and see how he was contemned, how the nation abhorred him; how he was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. One while Herod would slay him, another while the Nazarenes would cast him down headlong from the brow of their hill, and often the Jews took up stones to stone him now he was reviled as a Samaritan, who had a devil, and who cast out devils by the prince of devils, and then he was reproached as a glutton and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners, yea, even as a blasphemer: and to what a length did their scoffing and mocking proceed! when he was treated in the hall of Caiaphas and of Pilate as a fool, and when he was reproached to the utmost upon the cross with a wagging of their heads by the officers, the chief priests, the common people, yea, even by one of the thieves, who suffered the same condemnation with him. It was not there. fore so strange, that he complained, "Reproach hath broken my heart," Psalm lix. 20. And how grievous was it to him, to be bound with chains, to be dragged from one tribunal to another, to be buffeted, crowned with thorns, cruelly scourged, laden with his cross, and nailed to it by his hands and feet, yet all this he might have endured; but when the powers of hell also attacked him, while he was in a profound separation from God, whose sword of vengeance smote him on account of the sins of the elect, this was almost intolerable to him: this filled him with such anguish, caused his sweat to fall down from him, like great drops of blood, and forced him to complain so bitterly, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me." And what rendered his suffering still more grievous was, that every one attacked him, high and low, learned and unlearned, Jews and Gentiles, God, the devil, and men, friends and enemies were all against him," every one hid as it were his face from him," Isaiah liii. 3. None can imagine that he was so stout and unfeeling, that he knew but little of this; no, he was a man of like passions with us; his bitter complaints show the painful sensations of his heart,

and how grievous his sufferings were to him. See, believers, so hard was your Jesus beset, he who is the desire of your souls, the delight of your eyes, the joy of your hearts, the object of all the outgoings of your minds, and your only and perfect satisfaction. Doth it not affect your hearts, that your dearly Beloved, your Bridegroom and Husband, suffered so grievously? a heart of stone might relent

at this

2 But ye, who seek not yet the suffering Jesus, who pursue your happiness in your own works, to whom Jesus is not yet precious in his sufferings, who mind earthly things, and are thus enemies of the cross of Christ; who once seemed to have chosen his side, but have again loved the present world, and do thus crucify the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame; who withstand the people of Jesus, and therefore Jesus himself, see in these sufferings of Jesus what will betide you also: for "if these things were done in the green tree, what shall be done in the dry ?" Luke xxiii. 31. If the Son of God experienced so much wo, when he was guiltless, and had done all things well, how will ye, O vile wretches, endure, when he will attack you not as a man, but when he will stir up all his wrath, and bring you to his seat, that he may accuse you of all your misdemeanours, your sedition against him, your blasphemy, reproaching and transgressing of his law; that he may condemn you as guilty, and send you away as accursed, when he will say to you, standing on his left hand, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels," Matt. xxv. 41. How will ye then be crucified? for "your worm shall not die, and your fire shall not be quenched," Mark ix. 44. Either ye must suffer, or Jesus for you. Since now ye evidence by your behaviour, that ye have never sought him in truth, ye have therefore no proof, that he suffered for you: therefore be anxious and concerned, look unto him, that ye may be saved, He stretches out his hands, pierced with the nails, to you, and invites you to come unto him.

3. But with respect to you, O believers, to whom sin is so bitter, your heaviest cross, who condemn and detest yourselves on account of it; who have sought all your salvation in his sufferings, and who hate and curse sin, as a crucified one, see from what this grievous suffering of Christ proceeded; will ye be angry with the wicked Jews and Gentiles? or will ye complain of the Lord for causing his be loved Son and your dear Jesus to suffer in this manner? No, look at yourselves; your way, and your doings procured these things to him, and made it so bitter to him, and that it reached to his heart, Ye were the seditious persons, who broke his yoke, and burst his

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bonds; ye, by your wicked dispositions, opinions, and conduct, blasphemed God, your iniquities stirred up the Jews and Gentiles, and all the wrath of God against the Son of his love. It behooves you to see this, and to behold in it the dreadful nature of sin, it ought to incense you against it, and induce you to take vengeance of it, and to crucify it; yea, this should cause your hearts to bleed for shame and grief, that ye, even ye procured these grievous sufferings to Christ. He foretold this, "that ye should look on him, whom ye had pierced, and mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn," Zech. xii. 10.

4. Look deeper into this matter, and see the efficacy of Christ's sufferings for you, in your stead, and for your advantage. By his sufferings all your sins have been taken away in one day; your sins and iniquities, when they shall be sought, shall not be found; when ye were enemies, ye were reconciled to God by the death of his Son: he hath redeemed your body and soul from eternal damnation by his passion, as the only atoning sacrifice: God will be no more angry with you, nor rebuke you; in him ye have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace by his suffering he hath obtained for you an everlasting righteousness. This is your hope, your joy and boasting; "God forbid that ye should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ," Gal. vi. 14. Bathe, swim, delight yourselves in his suffering, yea, ye should wake and sleep in it, that ye may inhale the flavour and efficacy of it, with the spouse, Song 1. 13. "A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts." Behold therefore the sufferings of Christ for you, and in your stead, with Paul, Gal. ii. 20. "I am crucified with Christ, and I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." To cast away your hope with respect to this, after so many evidences of his love, and the witnessing of his Spirit, upon every casual thought, deprives your souls of the sweetness, relish and efficacy of Christ's sufferings.

5. Open your eyes, that ye may see how much of God ye can discover in this. The inconceivable and manifold wisdom of God is exhibited to you here, in devising this way of saving you by the grievous sufferings of his Son, when it was impossible for any created understanding to contrive this proper way. The supreme power of God is discovered here, in accomplishing it against all the power of the gates of hell: this is the sum of the whole gospel, that "Christ