(Continued from p. 253).
“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”—Gal.vi. 14.
The sorrows He suffered, and the benefits He purchased, are equally beyond description. Though we describe His hands and His feet mangled and pierced, who can describe how in one hand, as it were, He grasped multitudes of souls ready to sink into ruin, and in the other hand an everlasting inheritance to give them? or how these bruised feet crushed the old Serpent’s head, and trampled on Death and Hell, and Sin the author of both? We may describe the blood issuing from His body, but not the waters of life streaming from the same source,—oceans of spiritual and eternal blessings. We may paint how that blood covered His body, but not how it sprinkles the souls of others, yea, sprinkles many nations. We may paint the crown of thorns which He wore, but not the crown of glory He purchased. Happy were it for us, if our faith had as lively views of this object, as our imaginations oft-times have of incomparably less important objects; then would the pale face of our Saviour show more powerful attractives than all the brightest objects in nature besides. Notwithstanding the gloomy aspect of death, it would discover such transcendant majesty as would make all the glory in the world lose its relish with us; we should see then, indeed, the awful frowns of justice; but these frowns are not at us, but at our enemies, our murderers—that is, our sins. The cross shows Christ pitying His own murderers, but it shows no pity to our murderers; therefore we may see the majesty of eternal justice tempered with the mildness of infinite compassion. Infinite pity is an object worth looking at, especially by creatures in distress and danger. There Death doth appear in state, as the executioner of the law; but there he also appears deprived of his sting with regard to us. There we may hear also the sweetest melody in the world to the awakened sinner; that peace-speaking blood, that speaks better things than that of Abel; the sweetest and loudest voice in the world, louder than the thunder of Sinai. Its voice reacheth heaven and earth, pleading with God in behalf of men, and beseeching men to be reconciled to God; speaking the most comfortable and the most seasonable things in the world to objects in distress and danger,—salvation and deliverance.
Of the various views we can take of this blessed work, this is the most suitable—to consider it as the most glorious deliverance that ever was or will be. Other remarkable deliverances of God’s people are considered as shadows and figures of this. Moses, Joshua, David, and Zerubbabel, were types of this great Joshua. According to His name, so is He, Jesus, a Deliverer. The number of the persons delivered shows the glory of this deliverance to be unparalleled. It was but one single nation that Moses delivered, though indeed it was a glorious deliverance, relieving six hundred thousand at once, and a great deal more; but this was incomparably more extensive. The Apostle John calls the multitude of the redeemed, a multitude that no man could number (Rev. vii. 9), of all nations, kindreds, people and tongues. The unparalleled glory of this deliverance appears not only in the number of the delivered, but also in the nature of the deliverance. It was not men’s bodies only that He delivered, but immortal souls, more valuable than the world (Matthew xvi. 26). It was not such a bondage as that of Egypt, but one as far beyond it as eternal misery is worse than temporal bodily toil, so that nothing can equal the wretchedness of the state from which they are delivered, but the blessedness of that to which they are brought.
But here we should not forget the opposition made against this deliverance: it was the greatest that can withstand any good design. The Apostle (Eph. vi. 12) teaches us to consider the opposition of flesh and blood, as far inferior to that of principalities and powers, and spiritual wickedness in high places. The devil is called the god of this world (II. Cor. iv. 4), and himself and his angels the rulers of the darkness of this world (Eph. vi. 12). They had obtained a dominion over the world (excepting that small corner Judea), for many ages, by the consent of the inhabitants. They found them not only pliable, but fond of their chains, and in love with their bondage. But they had heard of this intended enterprise of supreme power and mercy, this invasion and descent upon their dominions; they had heard of the design of bruising their head, overturning their government, making their slaves to revolt. Long experience had made them expert in the black art of perdition; long success had made them confident; and their malice still pushed them on to opposition, whatever might be the success. As they were no doubt apprised of this design of deliverance, and alarmed at the signs of its approach, they made all preparations to oppose it, mustered all their forces, employed all their skill, and, as all was at stake, made their last efforts for a kind of decisive engagement. They armed every proper instrument, and set every engine of spiritual destruction at work—temptations, persecutions, violence, slander, treachery, counterfeit Messiahs, and the like.
Their Adversary appeared in a form that did not seem terrible; not only as a man, but as one despised of the people (Ps. xxii. 6), accounted as a worm and no man; but this made the event more glorious. It was a spectacle worth the admiration of the universe, to see the despised Galilean turn all the artillery of hell back upon itself; to see one in the likeness of the Son of Man wresting the keys of hell and death out of the hand of the devil; to see Him entangling the rulers of darkness in their own nets, and making them ruin their designs with their own stratagems. They made one disciple betray Him, and another deny Him; they made the Jews accuse Him, and the Romans crucify Him. But the Wonderful Counsellor was more than a match for the Old Serpent, and the Lion of the tribe of Judah too hard for the roaring lion. The devices of these powers of darkness were in the event made means of spoiling and triumphing over themselves (Col. II. 15). The greatest cruelty of devils and their instruments was made subservient to the designs of the infinite mercy of God; and that hideous sin of the sons of men, over-ruled in a perfectly holy manner, for making an end of sin and bringing in everlasting righteousness (Dan. ix. 24). The opposition made to this deliverance did but advance its glory, particularly the opposition it met with from those for whose good it was intended, that is, sinners themselves; this served to enhance the glory of mysterious long-suffering and mercy.
It would take a long time to insist on all the opposition which this Deliverer met with, both from the enemies of sinners, and from sinners themselves; but at last He weathered the storm, surmounted difficulties, led captivity captive, obtained a perfect conquest, purchased an everlasting inheritance, founded an everlasting kingdom, triumphed on the cross, and died with the publication of His victory in His mouth, “It is finished.”
The world is represented as silent before the Lord when He rose up to work this great deliverance; and, as was shown before, no part of the world was unconcerned in it. The expectation was great, but the performance could not but surpass it. Every part of it was perfect, and every circumstance graceful, nothing deficient, nothing superfluous, nothing but what became the dignity of the person and the eternal wisdom of the contrivance. Everything was suited to the glorious design, and all the means proportioned to the end. The foundation of the everlasting kingdom was laid before it was observed by the men that opposed it; and so laid, that it was impossible for the gates of hell to prevail against it; all things adjusted for completing the deliverance, and for securing it against all endeavours and attempts to overturn it. The great Deliverer, in that low disguise, wrought through His design, so as none could oppose it without advancing it to the full satisfaction of that infinite wisdom that devised it, and the eternal admiration of the creatures that beheld it.
The Father was well pleased, heaven and earth rejoiced and were astonished, the powers of hell fell down like lightning. In heaven, loud acclamations and applauses, and new songs of praise began, that are not ended yet, and never will; they will still increase. Still, new redeemed criminals from the earth, saved from the gates of hell, and entering the gates of heaven with a new song of praise in their mouths, add to the ever-growing melody, of which they shall never be weary; for that is their rest, their labour of love, never to rest day nor night, giving praise and glory to Him that sits on the throne, and to the Lamb at His right hand who redeemed them from all nations and tongues, washing them in His own blood, and making them kings and priests unto God. But still, an objection may be made concerning the little honour and respect this work met with on earth, where it was performed. This, duly considered, instead of being an objection, is a commendation of it. Sin had so corrupted the taste of mankind, that it had been a kind of reflection on this work, if it had suited it. Herein the beauty of it appears, that it was above that depraved, wretched state which it was designed to cure; and that it did actually work that change on innumerable multitudes of all nations.
If the cross of Christ met with such contempt on earth, it met also with incomparable honour. It made the greatest revolution in the world that ever happened since the creation, or that ever will happen till Shiloh come again—a more glorious, a more lasting change, than ever was produced by all the princes and conquerors in the world. It conquered multitudes of souls, and established a sovereignty over men’s thoughts, wills, and affections. This was a conquest to which human power hath no proportion. Persecutors turned Apostles; and vast numbers of pagans, after knowing the cross of Christ, suffered death and torments cheerfully to honour it. The glowing light shone from east to west; and opposition was not only useless, but subservient to it. The changes it produced are sometimes described by the prophets in the most magnificent expressions. Thus, for instance (Isaiah xxxv. 7), it turned the parched grounds into pools of water; made the habitations of dragons to become places of grass, and reeds, and rushes; made wildernesses to bud and blossom as the rose. It wrought this change among us in the utmost isles of the Gentiles. We ought to compare our present privileges with the state of our forefathers before they knew this blessed object, and we shall find it owing to the glory of the cross of Christ, that we, who worship the living God in order to the eternal enjoyment of Him, are not worshipping the sun, moon, and stars, or sacrificing to idols.
But the chief effects of the cross of Christ, and which show most its glory, are its inward effects on the souls of men. There, as was before hinted, it makes a new creation. Christ is formed in them the source and the hope of glory. This is a glorious workmanship, the image of God on the soul of man. But since these effects of the cross of Christ are secret, and the shame put upon it oftentimes too public; and since human nature is so much influenced by example, it will be useful to take such a view of the honour done to this object, as may arm us against the bad example of stupid unbelievers. The cross of Christ is such an object of incomparable brightness, that it spreads a glory round it to all the nations of the earth, all the corners of the universe, all the generations of time, and all the ages of eternity. The greatest actions or events that ever happened on earth filled with their splendour and influence but a moment of time and a point of space; the splendour of this great object fills immensity and eternity. If we take a right view of its glory, we shall see it contemplated with attention, spreading influence, and attracting looks from times past, present, and to come; from heaven, earth, and hell; angels, saints, and devils. We shall see it to be both the object of the deepest admiration of the creatures, and the perfect approbation of the infinite Creator; we shall see the best part of mankind, the Church of God, for four thousand years looking forward to it before it happened; new generations yet unborn rising up to admire and honour it in continual succession, till time shall be no more; innumerable multitudes of angels and saints looking back to it with holy transport, to the remotest ages of eternity. Other glories decay by length of time; if the splendour of this object change, it will be only by increasing. The visible sun will spend his beams in process of time, and, as it were, grow dim with age; this object hath a rich stock of beams which eternity cannot exhaust. If saints and angels grow in knowledge, the splendour of this object will be still increasing. It is unbelief that intercepts its beams. Unbelief takes place only on earth; there is no such thing in heaven or in hell. It will be a great part of future blessedness, to remember the object that purchased it; and of future punishment, to remember the object that offered deliverance from it. It will add life to the beams of love in heaven, and make the flames of hell burn fiercer. Its beams will not only adorn the regions of light, but pierce the regions of darkness. It will be the desire of the saints in light, and the great eyesore of the Prince of darkness and his subjects. Its glory produces powerful effects wherever it shines. They who behold this glory are transformed into the same image (II. Cor. iii. 18). An Ethiopian may look long enough to the visible sun before it change his black colour; but this does it. It melts cold and frozen hearts; it breaks stony hearts; it pierces adamants; it penetrates through thick darkness. How justly is it called marvellous light! (I. Peter ii. 9). It gives eyes to the blind to look to itself; and not only to the blind, but to the dead! It is the light of life, a powerful light. Its energy is beyond the force of thunder; and it is more mild than the dew on the tender grass.
But it is impossible fully to describe all its effects, unless we could fully reckon up all the spiritual and eternal evils it prevents, all the riches of grace and glory it purchases, and all the divine perfections it displays. It has this peculiar to it, that as it is full of glory itself, it communicates glory to all that behold it aright. It gives them a glorious robe of righteousness; their God is their glory; it calls them to glory and virtue; it gives them the spirit of God and of glory; it gives them joy unspeakable and full of glory here, and an exceeding great and eternal weight of glory hereafter. It communicates a glory to all other objects, according as they have any relation to it. It adorns the universe, it gives a lustre to nature and to Providence, it is the greatest glory of this lower world, that its Creator was for a while its inhabitant. A poor landlord thinks it a lasting honour to his cottage, that he has once lodged a prince or emperor. With how much more reason may our poor cottage, this earth, be proud of it, that the Lord of glory was its tenant from His birth to His death, yea, that He rejoiced in the habitable parts of it before it had a beginning, even from everlasting? (Prov. viii. 31).
It is the glory of the world that He who formed it dwelt on it; of the air, that He breathed in it; of the sun, that it shone on Him; of the ground, that it bore Him; of the sea, that He walked on it; of the elements, that they nourished Him; of the waters, that they refreshed Him; of us men, that He lived and died among us—yea, that He lived and died for us; that He assumed our nature, and carried it to the highest heavens, where it shines as the eternal ornament and wonder of the creation of God. It gives also a lustre to Providence. It is the chief event that adorns the records of time, and enlivens the history of the universe. It is the glory of the various great lines of Providence, that they point at this as their centre; that they prepared the way for its coming; that after its coming they are subservient to the ends of it, though in a way indeed to us at present mysterious and unsearchable. Thus we know that they either fulfil the promises of the crucified Jesus, or His threatenings; and show either the happiness of receiving Him, or the misery of rejecting Him.