MEDITATION X.

Of Christ crucified.

My foul, how tragical and affecting is the hif tory of our bleffed Saviour's crucifixion, recorded in all the evangelifts; as to the antecedents, concomitants, and confequences of it! that he who deferved beft of the world, fhould fare the worft from it that there fhould be fuch a combination even of all, (with cruelty and spight) to hurry him out of it; and not content to rid the world of him as a public enemy, who was the kindeft friend that ever it had; but to follow him with their base carriage, and injuries and affronts to the very laft, and put him to all the fhame and extremity they could in his exit. O how black, how difmal is the scene, and how keen and heart-piercing is the dolorous confideration!

But my foul, do not thou reft in the history, but dive into the mystery of Chrift crucified. For, be fure, there is fomewhat extraordinary in it: and therefore make a ferious fearch, and thorough inquifition after it. As upon the fight of a common execution, when any criminal goes off, the inquiry ufes to be made, what is it for? what has he done, that he comes to this end? fo here be curious to find out the meaning of this fuffering, "Who is this that "cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from "Bozrah? Wherefore art thou red in thy apparel? " and thy garments like him that treadeth the wine "fat," Ifa. lxiii. 1, 2. How comes it to pass; and what was the matter? that a perfon of the pureft in

nocence

nocence, and the higheft excellence fhould be fo persecuted and tormented, as if he had been the vileft creature, and the most intolerable malefactor? thou mayeft affure thyself, my foul, it could not be without the will of God." It pleased the Lord to bruise " him, and put him to grief," Ifa. liii. 10. For his enemies could have "no power at all against him, if "not given to them from above," John xix. 11. But he was delivered by the "determinate counsel " and foreknowledge of God," Acts ii. 23. Tho' by wicked hands he was crucified and flain. God was holy in fuffering them to act fo wickedly, as knowing how to bring good out of their evil; and to make even the greateft abomination, fubfervient to the world's falvation.

But the procuring caufe of his death, what was it but the fame, by which death firft entered into the world? for his foul was made an offering for fin, Ifa. liii. 1o. He was "wounded and bruised for tranf

greffions and iniquities," ver. 5. but none of his own. No, it was for ours. He bore the "fin of

many," ver. 12. "Bore our griefs, and carried "our forrows," ver. 4. Tho' he did no fin, yet he bore ours in his own body on the tree; that we "might be healed through his ftripes," Pet. ii. 22, 24. And fo thou feeft, my foul, not only what brought it upon him; his own love to put himself in the finner's ftead; but also what was defigned by him, even the finner's falvation, wrought and purchafed by his fatisfaction. For he was "delivered up "for our offences," Rom. iv. 25. He came to give "his life a ransom for many," Matt. xx. 28. And was "flain, to redeem us to God by his blood," Rev. v. 9. And has made "our peace, through the "blood of his crofs," Col. i. 20. And" put away "fin, by the facrifice of himself," Heb. ix. 26. And the "blood of Jefus Chrift the Son of God, cleanfes us from all fin," John i. 7.

Thus

Thus runs the whole ftream of the gofpel, carrying before it this great and precious truth, that the intention of Chrift's crucifixion, was for fatisfaction that the juftice of Heaven might be contented; and that his people in danger of it might be acquitted. What means then the Socinian struggle, to prove, that the death of Chrift our Lord was only exemplary, for ratification of what he taught; to feal his doctrine with his blood? if wretched creatures will be at fo much pains to difpute themselves, not only out of the truth of the gospel, but out of the sweeteft comfort of mind, and the strongest hope of heaven yet, my foul, do thou understand thy own need and intereft; and confult thy own peace and happiness better than fo. And having found the propitiation for thy fin, and a remedy for thy mifery, do not part with it fo eafily. O look unto thy bleeding, dying Saviour, as all thy hope and thy life. For as there thou mayeft fee the juftice of Heaven to terrify thee, and fin in its bloody colours to humble thee, to break thy heart for it, and to turn thy heart against it: foin thy expiring Lord, Redeemer, thou mayeft fee a love ftronger than death, because the most cruel death could not quench or cool it; but he would exprefs the greateft of all love, in laying down his life; and that not for his friends, but his enemies. For "when we were enemies we were "reconciled to God by the death of his Son," Rom. v. 20. And there mayeft thou also see a cordial, and reviving for thyfelf, when drooping under the fense of thy fins, and the dread of God's wrath. For, O what maladies cannot be cured by that all healing blood? and what fins fo deadly, that his meritorious death cannot discharge thee from? The Lamb of God takes away the fin of the world; and to " redeem "us from the curfe of the law, himfelf was made "a curfe for us," Gal. iii. 13. Heavy matters thou knoweft might be laid to thy charge; but he has

"taken

"taken away the hand writing that was against thee, "nailing it to his crofs," Col. ii. 14. Go then, my foul, and take shelter from all danger, under the shadow of thy crucified Saviour: that the deftroying angel may pass over thy doors fprinkled with his blood, and through faith in that blood thou mayeft be juftified and reconciled unto God; and having received the atonement, mayest joy in God, through our Lord Jefus Christ.

Here then is a bitter-sweet confideration for thee, my foul. Bitter, that there should be no forrows like to the forrows of thy dear Lord Jesus; and that thou fhouldest have thy fad fhare in procuring thofe forrows to him. O lay it to heart, and bewail it in his fight. And be fo crucified with him to the world, and to thy lufts that thou mayeft never (by returning to folly, and working iniquity) crucify the Son of God afresh. But how fweet is the thought, that he fhould look upon thee in thy blood, to redeem thee with his own blood! how mayeft thou chear up, and take heart and glory in the cross of Chrift? and there lay up thy reft, and let it be all thy truft. By it abide, for all thy pardon and peace with God; to it hold faft in life and death; and unto him that has loved thee, and redeemed thee, and washed thee from thy fins in his own blood; give glory and dominion, for ever and ever. Amen.

THE PRAYER.

Lord, the Lamb of God, who waft flain to take away the fins of the world! I arraign "and condemn myself, as guilty of blood, and ac"ceffary to thy cruel death: because I have had fo "large a fhare in that fin, which was its procuring "caufe. But thy precious blood cleanfes from all fin, even from that which fhed it. And what guilt fo foul that it cannot atone for? O what stains lo

"deep that it cannot fetch out? my Saviour, let "me, who do extremely need it, find the bleffed "benefit of it, fo to be cleanfed by it. And may "that death of the Son of God, which reconciles "enemies unto him, redeem me from the curfe;

and make my peace, and revive my drooping ❝ foul, and warm my heart with love to my dying "Lord; that I may never forget the ftrangeft kind"nefs of my greatest friend, and deareft lover; but "refent it with all admiration and gratitude for e66 vermore. Amen."

THA

MEDITATION XI.

Of the Bieffed Spirit's Inhabitation.

HAT all true believers, the living members of Christ, are endued with the Spirit of God, fo as to be the temple of the Holy Ghoft, I have affurańce, my foul, from Rom. viii. 9. and 1 Cor. iii. 16. yea, what is this more than our Lord himself promised, John xiv. 17. Though the world cannot receive the Spirit of truth, because it fees him not, nor knows him; yet ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and fhall be in you. Now this is true, not only of the faithful collectively, as conjoined in a myftical body, like fo many ftones to make up the fame building; but also diftributively, of every believer in particular, 1 Cor. vi. 19. "Your body is "the temple of the Holy Ghoft, which is in you.

He that had firft the ark, then the tabernacle, and after that the temple; now has as many houses as there are congregations; yea perfons of believers in the world. And as a man dwells in his house, so a temple is God's dwelling houfe. And the Spirit making that to be a temple, where he inhabits, fpeaks