Seventh. If men will not believe that Christ hath removed the curse because he is risen again, they would much more strongly have doubted it had he been still in the grave. But, O incredible darkness! To make that an argument that his sufferings wanted merit, which to God is sufficient proof that he hath purged our sins forever—' For this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God (Heb 10:12).
Objection Fourth. But the Scripture saith, Christ is our example, and that in his very death (1 Peter 2:21).
Answer. Christ, in his sufferings and death, is both a sacrifice and an example.
First. A sacrifice—'Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.'
And again, 'He gave himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to
God, for a sweet-smelling savor.' And thus he made reconciliation
for iniquity and brought in everlasting righteousness (1 Cor 5:7;
Eph 5:1,2; Dan 9:24).
Second. He was also exemplary in his sufferings and several particulars—(1.) In his meek deportment while he was apprehended (Isa 53:7). (2.) In doing them good that sought his life (Luke 22:50,51). (3.) He prayed for his enemies when they were in their outrage (Luke 23:34). (4.) 'When he was reviled, he reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judged righteously' (1 Peter 2:23).
In these respects, he was exemplary and brought honor to his profession by his good behavior; and O, how beautiful would Christianity be in the eyes of men if the disciples of our Lord had more imitated him therein!
But what? Because Christ is our pattern, is he not our Passover? Or because we should, in these things, follow his steps and die he not for our sins? Thus, to conclude would not only argue thee very erroneous, but such a conclusion would overthrow the gospel, it being none other but a great sleight of Satan to shut out the whole by a part and to make us blasphemers while we plead for holiness.
Look, then, upon the death of Christ under a double consideration—1. As he suffered from the hand of God. 2. As he suffered at the hands of men. Now, as he suffered by God's hand, he suffered for sin, but as he suffered from men, he suffered for righteousness' sake.
Observe, then, that as he suffered for sin, so no man took away his life; but as he suffered for righteousness, so they slew him by wicked hands. What is it then? Christ must needs have suffered, and the wisdom of God had so ordained that 'those things which God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled' (Acts 3:18). Thus, therefore, we ought to distinguish of the causes and ends of the death of Christ.
Again, as Christ suffered for sin, so he would neither be taken at man's pleasure nor die at man's time. 1. Not at man's pleasure; and hence it was that they so often sought his life in vain, 'for his hour was not yet come'—to wit, the hour in which he was to be made a sacrifice for our sin (John 13, 17:1,2, 18:1,2). 2. Not at their time, but contrary to all expectation, when the due time came, 'he bowed his head and gave up the ghost' (John 19:30).
And for this last work, he had power given him of God—that is, power to die when he would. 'I have power,' said he, 'to lay down my life, and I have power to retake it.' This power never man had before. This made the centurion wonder and made Pontius Pilate marvel; indeed, they might, for it was as great a miracle as any he wrought in his life; it demonstrated him to be the Son of God (Mark 15:38,39). The centurion, knowing that he might have lived longer according to nature, concluded that his dying at that instant was not but miraculous. And when he 'saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.'
He had the power to die because he might have made his offering willingly and during the season. 1. Willingly—' If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord (Lev 1:3). 2. He must offer it at the season—' Thou shalt keep this ordinance,' the Passover, 'in his season' (Exo 13:10).
Now, both these offerings have immediate respect to the offering of the body of Christ for sin—for he came in the room of all burnt sacrifices—the Passover also was a type of him (Heb 10:3-6; 1 Cor 5:7,8). Therefore, he, being now the priest as well as sacrifice, must have power and will to offer his sacrifice with acceptation; and this the Scripture testified he did, where it saith, 'In due time Christ died for the ungodly' (Rom 5:6). In due time, that is, at the time appointed, at the acceptable time.
Thou must, therefore, unless thou art willing to be deceived, look upon the sufferings of Christ under a double consideration and distinguish between his sufferings as our example and his suffering for our sins. And know, that as he suffered as our example, so he suffered only for righteousness' sake from the hands of wicked men; but as he suffered for our sins, so he suffered, as being by God imputed wicked, the punishment that was due to sin, even the dreadful curse of God. Not that Christ died two deaths, one after another, but he died simultaneously upon a double account—for his righteousness' sake from men, for our sins from the hand of God. And, as I said before, had he only suffered for righteousness' sake, death had not so amazed him, nor had he been so exceeding heavy in the thoughts of it; that had never put him into an agony, nor made him sweat as it were significant drops of blood. Besides, when men suffer only for righteousness' sake, God doth not use to hide his face from them, to forsake them, and make them accursed; 'but Christ hath delivered us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.'
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