FURTHER DEMONSTRATION OF THIS TRUTH.
Before I pass this truth, I will present thee, courteous reader, with two or three demonstrations for further confirmation.
First, Christ did bear our sins and curses clearly because he died without a mediator.
He died—'The wages of sin is death' (Rom 6:23). Now if death is the wages of sin, and that be true that Christ did die and not sin, either the course of justice is perverted, or else he died for our sins; there was 'no cause of death in him,' yet he died (Acts 13:28). He did no evil, guile was not found in his mouth, yet he received the wages of sin (1 Peter 2:22). Sin, therefore, though not of his own, was found upon him, and laid to his charge, because 'he died.' 'Christ died for our sins,' Christ 'gave himself for our sins' (1 Cor 15:1-3; Gal 1:4).
The one who concludes that Christ did not bear our sins charges God foolishly for delivering him up to death, for laying on him the wages, when he deserved the same in no sense. He overthrew the gospel, for it hangs on this hinge—'Christ died for our sins.'
Object. But all that die do not bear the curse of God for sin.
Answ. But all that die without a mediator do. Angels died the cursed death because Christ took no hold of them, and they for whom Christ never prayed, they die the cursed death, for they perish everlastingly in the unutterable torments of hell. Christ, too, died that death which is the proper wages of sin, for he had none to stand for him. 'I looked,' saith he, 'and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me.—And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore his arm brought salvation unto him, and his righteousness it sustained him' (Isa 63:5, 54:16).
Christ then died, or endured the wages of sin, and that without an intercessor, without one between God and him; he grappled immediately with the eternal justice of God, who inflicted on him death, the wages of sin; there was no man to hold off the hand of God; justice had his full blow at him, and made him a curse for sin. He died for sin without a mediator. He died the cursed death.
Second. A second thing that demonstrated that Christ died the cursed death for sin is the frame of spirit that he was in at the time that he was to be taken.
Never was poor mortal so beset with the apprehensions of approaching death as was this Lord Jesus Christ; amazement beyond measure, sorrow that exceeded, seized upon his soul. 'My soul,' saith he, 'is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.' 'And he began,' saith Mark, 'to be sorely amazed, and to be very heavy' (Matt 26:38; Mark 14:33).
Add to this that Jesus Christ was better able to grapple with death, even better able to do it alone than the whole world joined all together. 1. He was anointed with the Spirit without measure (John 3:34). 2. He had all grace perfect in him (John 1:16). 3. Never none so soaked in the bosom of his Father's love as himself (Prov 8:23-30). 4. Never none so harmless and without sin as he was, and, consequently, never man had so good a conscience as he had (Heb 7:26). 5. Never none prepared such a stock of good works to bear him company at the hour of death as he. 6. Never none had greater assurance of being with the Father eternally in the heavens than he. And yet, behold, when he comes to die, how weak is he, how amazed at death, how heavy, how exceeding sorrowful! And, I say, no cause assigned but the approach of death.
Alas! How often is it seen that we poor sinners can laugh at destruction when it cometh; yea, and 'rejoice exceedingly when we find the grave,' looking upon death as a part of our portion; yea, as that which will be a means of our present relief and help (Job 3:22; 1 Cor 3:22). This Jesus Christ could not do, considered as dying for our sin, but the nearer death, the more heavy and oppressed with the thoughts of the revenging hand of God. Wherefore he falls into agony and sweats, not after the expected rate as we do when death is severing body and soul—' His sweat was as it were significant drops [clowders] of blood falling down to the ground' (Luke 22:44).
What, I say, should be the reason, but that death assaulted him with his sting? If Jesus Christ had been to die for his virtues only, doubtless, he would have borne it lightly. So he did as he died, bearing witness to the truth, 'He endured the cross, despising the shame' (Heb 12:2). How have the martyrs despised death, and, as it were, not been careful of that, having peace with God by Jesus Christ, scorning the most cruel torments that hell and men could devise and invent! But Jesus Christ could not do so, as he was a sacrifice for sin; he died for sin, and he was made a curse for us. O my brethren, Christ died many deaths at once; he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death. Look how many thousands shall be saved—so many deaths did Jesus die; yet it was but once he died. He died thy death, my death, and so many deaths as all our sins deserved who shall be saved from the wrath to come.
