To the Readers, and More Particularly to the Inhabitants of the City of Glasgow, of All Ranks

Though the whole field of the Sacred and infallibly inspired Scriptures be very pleasant and beautiful (a spiritually cool and cleansing, a fructifying, fresh, refreshing and wholesome air breathing continually there), yet if we may compare some parts thereof with others, those wherein the treasure, precious Jesus Christ lies most obvious and open, are certainly most pleasant and beautiful. And among these, such as hold forth his sufferings, and himself as crucified, most evidently before men's eyes, have a peculiar and surpassing pleasantness and beauty in them. If so, then surely this fifty-third chapter of the prophecies of Isaiah cannot but be looked at as a transcendently pleasant, beautiful, sweet-smelling and fragrant piece of divine Scripture, wherein the evangelical prophet discourses of the sufferings of Christ as particularly and fully, as plainly and movingly, even to the very life, as if he himself had been a spectator and eyewitness of them. However, this sweetest chapter from beginning to end, as also the three last verses of the foregoing, is by the greatly learned Grotius most miserably perverted, while he industriously diverts it from the Messiah, and by stretching and curtailing thereof at his pleasure (as the cruel tyrant Maezentius did the men he laid on his bed to make them of equal length with it) wholly applies it to the prophet Jeremiah in the first place, only not denying that it has accommodation to Christ, of whom too he takes but little or no notice in all his annotations thereon. The impertinencies and distortions of which application are convincingly held forth by famous Doctor Owen (who looks on this portion of Scripture as the sum of what is spoken in the Old Testament concerning the satisfactory death of Jesus Christ) — that hammer of Socinians — in his Vindiciae Evangelicae against Bidle and the Racovian Catechism, who was a burning and shining light in the Reformed churches, though now alas, to their great loss, lately extinguished. And indeed the dealing of that very learned man, professing himself to be a Christian, with this most clear, and to all true Christians most comfortable Scripture, is the more strange and even stupendous, considering: 1. That several passages in it are in the New Testament expressly applied to Christ, but not one so much as alluded to in reference to Jeremiah. 2. That the ancient Jewish doctors, and the Chaldee Paraphrast (as Doctor Owen in the foresaid learned and savory book gives an account) do apply it to him. 3. That a late doctor of great note and honor among the Jews, Arabinel, affirms that in truth he sees not how one verse of the whole (several of which he touches on) can be expounded of Jeremiah; and wonders greatly that any wise man can be so foolish as to commend, let alone to be the author of such an exposition (as one Rabbi Gaon had been) which is (says he) so utterly alien and not in the least drawn from the Scripture. 4. That several Jews do profess that their Rabbins could easily have extricated themselves from all other places of the prophets (a vain and groundless boast) if Isaiah in this place had but held his peace, as Halsius (very lately if not presently) Hebrew professor at Breda, declares some of them did to himself. 5. That a Rabbi by his own confession was converted from a Jew to a Christian by the reading of this 53rd chapter of Isaiah, as the excellent Mr. Boyle in his delicate discourses on the style of the Holy Scriptures informs us; indeed that diverse Jews have been convinced and converted to the Christian faith by the evidence of this prophecy, as learned and laborious Mr. Pool affirms in his lately published English annotations on this Scripture. 6. That the Socinians themselves have not dared to attempt the accommodation of the things here spoken of to any other certain and particular person than the Messiah, though, being so much troubled thereby, they have shown good will enough to it. And 7. That himself had before written a learned defense of the catholic faith concerning Christ's satisfaction against Socinus, wherein also he put to notable purpose several verses of this same chapter; but in these later annotations being altogether silent as to any use-making of them that way, he as much as he can delivers that desperado and his disciples from one of the sharpest swords that lies at the very throat of their cause (for if the chapter may be applied to any other, as he applies it wholly to Jeremiah, no solid nor cogent argument can be drawn from it for confirming Christ's satisfaction); and by his never reinforcing of that defense of his against the assaults made upon it by the Socinian Crellius (though he lived twenty years thereafter) he seems for his part quite to have abandoned and delivered it up into the hands of these declared enemies of Christ's satisfaction, indeed and of his Godhead. By which annotations of his, as by several others on other Scriptures, how much (on the matter at least) great Grotius has by abusing his prodigious wit and profound learning subserved the cursed cause of blasphemous Socinus; and further hardened the already alas much and long hardened poor Jews; and what bad service he has done to our glorious Redeemer, and to his church satisfied-for and purchased by his blood, by his sad sufferings and deep soul-travail, most clearly and comfortably discoursed in this chapter — let the Lord himself and all that love him in sincerity judge. I wish I could and had reason to say no worse of this admirably learned person here, than that, Quandoque dormitat Homerus.

Which very many and various, very great and most grievously aggravated sufferings, were endured by him, not only in his body, nor only in his soul, by virtue of the sympathy it had with his body from the intimate and close union between them: but also, and mainly, in his blessed human soul immediately; since he redeemed, satisfied for, and saves his people's souls as well as their bodies; and the soul having principally sinned, and being the spring and source of sin; sinners also deserving punishment in their souls as well as in their bodies; and, being without the benefit of his mediation, to be punished eternally both in their souls and bodies, and mainly in their souls; there is no doubt, the same cogent reason for the Mediator's suffering in both parts of the human nature assumed by him, that there is for that nature's suffering which sinned: which, his sad complaints of the exceeding trouble of his soul, putting him to say these strange and stupendous words, What shall I say? And of the great sorrow and heaviness thereof, even to death, his amazement, strong cries, and tears, with his agony and sweat of blood, (and that before any pain was caused to his body by men, and his conditional deprecating of that bitter cup, put beyond all reach of rational contradiction: and to think or say, that only the fear of his bodily sufferings quickly approaching him, did make these sad impressions upon him, and draw these strange expressions from him, would make him who is Lord and Master to be of far greater abjectness of spirit than many of his servants the martyrs were, and to fall hugely below that holily-heroic and magnanimous courage and resolution with which they ventured on extreme sufferings, and most exquisite torments; which would be very unworthy of, and a mighty reflection upon him, who is the valiant Captain of salvation, made perfect through suffering, who drank of the brook in the way, and therefore lifted up the head: but here is the great and true reason of the difference between his sad and sorrowful deportment under his sufferings, and their comforting, cheerful and joyful deportment under theirs; that they through his sufferings and satisfaction, were persuaded and made sensible of God's being pacified towards them, and were mightily refreshed by his gracious comforting presence with them amidst their sufferings; while he on the contrary looked upon himself as one legally liable to punishment, [reconstructed: cited] before the terrible tribunal of the justice of God, highly provoked by, and very angry at the sins of his people, who was in a most signal manner, pouring out upon his soul the vials of his wrath and curse, which made him lamentably and aloud to cry out of desertion, though not in respect of the personal union as if that had been dissolved, nor yet as to secretly supporting; yet as to such a measure at least of sensibly comforting and rejoicing presence, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Here faith was in its meridian, though it was dark midnight as to joy); with which, as such, his body could not be immediately affected, spiritual desertion not falling under bodily sense. From this we may see how justly the doctrine of Papists is to be rejected, who deny all suffering in his soul immediately, to save their cherished dream of his local descent as to his soul, while his body was in the grave, into Hell, and to Limbus Patrum to bring up from there into Heaven the souls of the fathers; whom, without giving any reason, or alleging any fault on their part, they foolishly fancy, after their death till then, to have been imprisoned there, though quiet and under no punishment of sense, yet deprived of all light and vision of God, and so under the punishment of [reconstructed: loss], the greatest of punishments, even by the confession of some of themselves, whereby they put these holy and perfected souls (for there they say there is no more purgation from sin, that being the proper work of their profitable Purgatory) in worse condition all that length of time after their death, than they were when alive on the earth, where doubtless they had often much soul-refreshing fellowship with God, and the light of his countenance lifted up upon them.

Neither were these his sufferings in soul and body, only to confirm the doctrine taught by him (if that was at all designed by him as an end of his sufferings so much stumbled at in the time — which yet I will not debate, let alone peremptorily deny — his doctrine being rather confirmed by his miracles and resurrection) and to leave us an example and pattern how we should suffer (as non-Christian and blasphemous Socinians [reconstructed: aver]) which were mightily to depreciate and disparage, indeed to enervate and quite to evacuate his sufferings, by attributing no more to them than is attributable to the sufferings of his servants and martyrs (it's true his example was an infallible directory, the example of all examples, but theirs not so, yet this does not at all influence any alteration of the nature of the end;) but also and mainly by them undergone for his people and in their room, and as sustaining their persons, place and stead, truly and properly by the sacrifice of himself to satisfy divine justice for their sins: And who I pray can put any other comment on these Scripture expressions, without manifest perverting and wresting of them? He has made him to be sin for us who knew no sin: Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, (which is by the apostle subjoined as a superior end of his sufferings to that of leaving us an example, discoursed by him immediately before) He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, and the chastisement of our peace was upon him; The Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all; For the transgression of my people was he stricken; When you shall make his soul an offering for sin: He bore the sins of many; In whom we have redemption through his blood: Who is the propitiation for our sins; and the like.

Nor did he undergo these sad sufferings for all men in the world, to satisfy justice for them, and to reconcile them to God, but only for the elect, and such as were given to him.

For first, the chastisement of their peace only was laid on him, who are healed by his stripes, as it is (verse 5 of Isaiah 53). For the iniquities of my people was he stricken, says the Lord (verse 8). The same who are called the Mediator's people (Psalm 110:3), for says blessed Jesus to his Father (John 17:10), "All mine are yours, and yours are mine" — who shall, without any doubt or possibility of misgiving, be made willing in the day of his power; he only bore the iniquities of those whom he justifies by his knowledge (verse 11). For otherwise the Prophet's reasoning would not be consequent; he only bore the iniquities of as many transgressors as he makes intercession for (verse 12). And that he does not make intercession for all, but for those only who are given to him, that is, all the Elect, is undeniably manifest from (John 17:9), where he himself expressly says, "I pray not for the world, but for those whom you have given me." Now God's eternal electing love, and his giving the Elect to the Mediator in the Covenant of Redemption, to be satisfied for and saved by him; and his intercession for them, are commensurable and of equal extent, as is most clear from (John 17:6), where he says, "Yours they were" (to wit, by election) "and you gave them to me," to wit, in and by the Covenant of Redemption (God's decree of election being in order of nature prior to this donation or gift of the Elect in the Covenant of Redemption) — compared with verse 9, where he says, "I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for them whom you have given me, for they are yours." It is observable that he says twice over, "I pray for them," manifestly and emphatically restricting his intercession to them, and excluding all others from it: why then should not also his sacrifice (the price of the redemption of those elected and given ones, agreed upon in that Covenant between these two mighty Parties) be commensurable with the former three? Especially since he says (verse 19), "For their sakes I sanctify myself," or "separate myself to be a sacrifice." 2. Christ's satisfaction and his intercession being the two parts of his priestly office, and his intercession being founded on his satisfaction, as it is clearly (verse 12 of Isaiah 53); (indeed, [reconstructed: a] very learned man affirms that Christ's appearance in Heaven and his intercession are not properly sacerdotal acts, but in so far as they lean on the virtue of his perfected sacrifice) — what just, relevant, or cogent reason can there be to make a disjunction between these parts of his office, and to extend the most difficult, laborious and costly part to all men, and to narrow the other which is the more easy part, as that whereby he only deals for the application of what he has made a purchase of by his satisfaction, which put him to much sad and sore soul-travel, and to restrict it to the elect and gifted ones? 3. Does not the Scripture hold forth his death, and the shedding of his blood, as the great demonstration of his special love to his own elect people? As is clear elsewhere, so particularly (John 15:13), "Greater love than this has no man, than that a man lay down his life for his friends." In fact, purchased reconciliation through the death of Christ is by the Holy Ghost made a greater evidence of divine love in some respect than the glorification of the reconciled, according to what the Apostle says (Romans 5:10), "For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." 4. All the other gifts of God to sinners, even the greatest spiritual ones, fall hugely below the giving of Jesus Christ himself, that gift of God by way of eminency; as the Apostle reasons [reconstructed: irresistibly], for the comfort of believers (Romans 8:32), "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Will he give the greatest gift and not give the lesser? As justification, adoption, sanctification and glorification — which, however great in themselves, are yet lesser than the giving of Christ himself to the death; and if it is undeniably certain that he gives not these to all, which are the lesser and lower gifts, why should it be thought that he has given the higher and greater? 5. Shall that grand expression of the special love of God be made common, by extending it to all the world, the greatest profligates and atheists not excepted, not Pharaoh, nor Ahab, not Judas the traitor, nor Julian the Apostate, in fact, nor any of all the damned reprobates who were actually in Hell when he died and shed his blood? 6. If he died thus for all, it seems that the new Song of the redeemed (Revelation 5) would have run and sounded better thus: "You have redeemed us all and every man, of every kindred and tongue and people and nation to God by your blood" — than as it there stands by inspiration of the Holy Ghost: "You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." But who may presume by such a universality to extend and enlarge what he has so restricted, and to make that common to all which God has made peculiar to a few favorites? But the author having much to better purpose on this head in these sermons, I need add no more here.

I shall only further say of these astonishing, in a manner nonplussing, and surpassing great sufferings of blessed Jesus, that, as they were equivalent to what all the elect deserved by their sins, and should have suffered in their own persons throughout all eternity, consistently with the innocency and excellency of his Person, and with the dignity of his Mediatory Office; Therefore it is said, (verse 9) And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, or as it is in the original, In his deaths, in the plural number, as if he had died the death of every one of the elect, or as if there had been a conjunction and combination of all their deaths in his one death; And (verse 6) That the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all, or as the word is, made the iniquity of us all to meet on him, there having been a solemn tryst, convocation, and rendezvous (as it were) of all the iniquities of all the elect more common and more peculiar, in all their various aggravating circumstances, not so much as one committed since Adam's first transgression, or to be committed to the day of judgment, being absent in the punishment of them upon his person; no wonder that such a load of innumerable thousands and millions of iniquities made him heavily to groan, and that the consideration thereof made great Luther say, That Christ was the greatest sinner in all the world, to wit, by imputation of the guilt of all the sins of all the elect to him, and by his having had the punishment of them all laid upon his person: So we may from them be instructed in these things.

First, Concerning the height of holy displeasure and detestation, that the Majesty of God has at sin, the only thing in the whole world that his soul hates, and which in the vile and abominable nature of it has an irreconcilable antipathy with, and enmity against, his infinitely pure, holy, and blessed nature, and has a tendency, could it possibly be effected, to seek after the destruction and annihilation of the very being of God, and is interpretatively Deicide; The language of it being, O that there were not a God; That he cannot behold it in his own sinless innocent, and dearly beloved Son, though but by imputation (for he was not made formally the sinner, as Antinomians blasphemously aver) but he will needs in so terrible a manner, testify his great dislike of, and deep displeasure at it, and take such formidable vengeance on it, even in his person: Ah! the nature of sin which God who is of pure eyes, cannot, wherever it be, behold, without perfect abhorrence of it, is but little thoroughly understood and pondered; Would we otherwise dare to dally and sport with it, or to take the latitudes in committing of it at the rate we do? I have sometimes thought, that it is an error in the first concoction (to say so) of religion in many professors of it and pretenders to it; that we have never framed suitable apprehensions of the most hateful, vile, and abominable nature of sin (which has a great influence on the superficiariness and overliness of all duties and practices of religion) and that many of us had need to be dealt with as skillful schoolmasters use to deal with their scholars that are foundered in the first principles of learning, lest they prove but smatters all their days; to bring them back again to these; even to be put to learn this first lesson in religion better and more thoroughly to understand the jealousy of God, as to this cursed thing Sin; For which, though he graciously for the sake of these sufferings of Christ, pardon the guilt of it to his people, and hear their prayers, yet will needs take vengeance on their inventions, be they never so seriously holy, and eminently serviceable to him and to their generation according to his will, whereof Moses the Man of God, is a most memorable instance: That ancient conceived rightly of the nature of sin, who said, That if he behooved necessarily either to commit the least sin, or go to Hell to be tormented there eternally, he would rather wish to desire to go to Hell, if he could be there without sin.

Secondly, Concerning the severity of divine justice in punishing sin, whereof its punishment in the Person of the Son of God at such a rate, is one of the greatest, clearest, and most convincing evidences imaginable, to whom he would not abate one farthing of the elect's debt, but did with holy and spotless severity exact the whole of it; And though he was the Father's fellow, yet he would needs have him smitten with the awakened sword of sin-revenging justice and wrath: As if all the executions that [reconstructed: had been done] in the earth on men for sin, as on the old world of the ungodly drowned by the Deluge. On the miscreant inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah and of these other cities, upon whom he showered down liquid flames of fire and brimstone, even somewhat of Hell in a manner out of Heaven (Coelum pluebat Gehennam) burning them quick, and frying them to death in their own skins: On Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and their associates, upon whom the earth opened and swallowed them up in a most stupendous manner alive, the rest being consumed by fire sent down from Heaven. On the one hundred eighty-five thousand men of Sennacherib's army, all slain in one night by an angel: And on the Israelites, who, by many and various plagues were wasted and worn out to the number of six hundred thousand fighting men in the short space of forty years; Reflections on which made Moses, a witness of all, with astonishment to cry out, Who knows the power of your anger? As if, I say, all these terrible executions of justice, had been done by a sword asleep, or in the scabbard, in comparison of the execution it did on Jesus Christ the elect's cautioner, against whom it awakened was unsheathed, furbished, and made to glitter; So that we may say, had all the sons and daughters of Adam, without the exception of so much as one, been eternally destroyed, it would not have been a greater demonstration of the severity of the justice of God in punishing sin.

Thirdly, concerning the greatness, incomprehensible vastness, and unparalleledness of the love of God to the elect world, which he so loved (O wonderful so! Eternity will but be sufficient to unfold all that is enfolded in that mysterious so; an [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] that has not an [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], an ita that has not a sicut, a so that has not an as, that he gave his only begotten Son to suffer all these things, and to be thus dealt with for them; and of the Mediator who was content, though thinking it no robbery to be equal with God, to empty himself, and be of no reputation, to take on him the shape of a servant, to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, to be chastised, smitten, wounded, and bruised for their iniquities; to step off the throne of his declarative glory, off of his glory manifested to the creatures, and in a manner to creep on the footstool thereof in the capacity of a worm, and to become obedient even to the death, the shameful and cursed death of the cross: This is indeed matchless and marvelous love, greater than which no man has, to lay down his life for his friends; but he being God-man, laid down his life for his enemies that he might make them friends! O! the height and depth, the breadth and length of the love of Christ, of which, when all that can be said, is said, this must needs be said, that it's a love that passes not only expression but knowledge, its dimensions being altogether unmeasurable: So that we may say, if it had seemed good to the Lord, and been compatible with his spotless justice, and with his infinite wisdom, as supreme rector and governor of the world giving a law to his creatures, to have pardoned the sins of the elect in the absoluteness of his dominion that knows no boundary but what the other divine attributes set to it, without any intervening satisfaction to his justice at all, (which needs not to be debated here, especially since God has determined, and in the Scriptures of truth made publication of his determination, that he will not pardon sin without a satisfaction, and particularly without this satisfaction made by Jesus Christ); it would not have been a greater and more glorious demonstration of the freeness and riches of his love, than he has given, in pardoning them through the intervention of so difficult and toilsome, of so chargeable and costly a satisfaction, as is the sad sufferings, and the sore soul-travel of his own dear Son: who yet is pleased to account sinners coming to him, and getting good of him, satisfaction for all that soul-travel: And indeed, which of these is the greatest wonder and demonstration of his love, whether that he should have undergone such soul-travel for sinners, or that he should account their getting good of it, satisfaction to him for the same, is not easy to determine, but sure both in conjunction together make a wonder passing great, even a most wonderful demonstration of love.

Fourthly, concerning what dreadful measure all they may look for who have heard of these sufferings of Christ, and make not conscience in his own way to improve them for their being reconciled to God thereby, and whose bond to justice will be found still standing over their heads uncanceled in their own name as proper debtors without a guarantor; when the innocent Son of God, who had never done wrong, and in whose mouth no guile was ever found, having but become surety for the elect's debt, was thus hotly pursued, and hardly handled, and put (through sad soul-trouble) to cry, What shall I say? And falling face-down on the ground with the tear in his eye, in much sorrow and heaviness even to death, and in a great agony, causing a sweat of blood, though in a cold night and lying on the earth, conditionally to pray for the passing of that cup from him, and for his being saved from that hour; so formidable was it to his holy human nature, which had a sinless aversion from, and an innocent horror at what threatened ruin and destruction to it simply considered; and which, had it not been mightily supported by the power of the Godhead united thereto in his person, would have quite shrunk and succumbed under such a heavy burden, and been utterly swallowed up by such a gulf of wrath: what then will sinners, even all the insolvent debtors, not having seriously sought after, nor being effectually reached by the benefit of his suretyship, do, when they come to grapple with this wrath of God, when he will fall upon them as a giant, breaking all their bones, and as a roaring lion, tearing them to pieces when there will be none to deliver? Will their hands be strong, or their hearts able to endure in the day that he shall deal with them? Then, O! then they will be afraid, and fearfulness will take hold of them, and make them say, who can stand before the devouring fire, and who can dwell beside the everlasting burnings? And to cry to the hills and mountains to fall on them and to hide them from the face of the Lamb, and of him that sits on the throne, for the day of his fierce wrath is come, and who is able to stand? Then it will be found in a special manner to be a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God: all such men see in the great sufferings of Christ, as in the clearest glass, what they are to look for, and most certainly to meet with, for if it was thus done in the green tree, what shall be done in the dry? O! it's a sad, even one of the saddest subjects of thoughts, to think, that a rational creature shall be eternally supported, preserved, and perpetuated in its being, by the one hand of God's omnipotency, that it may be everlastingly capable of terrible vengeance to be inflicted by the other hand of his justice.

Fifthly, concerning the very great obligation that lies on believers to love Jesus Christ, who has thus commended his love to them, by undergoing all these sad sufferings for their sakes; even out of love to them to become a Curse, to bleed out his precious life, and to pour out his soul to death for them; which to do he was under no necessity, nor in the least obliged by them, being infinitely removed from all possibility of being reached by any obligation from his creatures, whom he loved, and for whom he designed this grand expression of his love, the laying down of his life for them, before they or the world had any being: in fact, being by their sins infinitely disobliged: Ah! that most of these whom he loved so much, should love him (who is altogether lovely) their duty, his friends and interests for his sake so little; Even so very little, that if it were possible he could rue or repent of what he has done and suffered to commend his love to them, they would tempt him to it: And indeed there is nothing that more speaks forth the freeness of his love than this, that he should love them so fervently, and continue thus to love them, even to the end, who are often so very cool in their love to him; Sure, such when in any measure at themselves, cannot but love themselves the less, and loathe themselves the more, that they love him so little, and earnestly long for that desirable day, wherein he shall be admired in, and by all them that believe, and when they shall get him loved as well as ever they desired to love him, and as well as he shall will them to love him, and when they shall be in an eternal ecstasy and transport of admiration at his love.

Sixthly, concerning the little reason that believers have to think much of their small and petty sufferings undergone for him: For what are they all, even the greatest and most grievous of them, being compared with his sufferings for them? They are but as little chips of the Cross in comparison of the great and heavy end of it that lighted on him, and not worthy to be named in one day with his: All the sad and sorrowful days and nights that all the saints on earth have had under their many and various, and sadly circumstantiated crosses and sufferings, do not by thousands of degrees, come near to, let be to equal that one sad and sorrowful night which he had in Gethsemane (beside all the sorrows and griefs he endured before that time) where he was put to conflict with the awakened Sword of sin-revenging Justice, that did most fiercely lay at him, without sparing him; Which terrible Combat lasted all that night, and the next day till three a clock in the afternoon, when that sharpest Sword, after many sore wounds given him, killed him outright at last, and left him dead upon the place (who yet, even then when seemingly vanquished and quite ruined, was a great and glorious Conqueror, having by death overcome and destroyed him that had the power of death that is the devil, and having spoiled principalities and powers, making a show of them openly, and triumphing over them in his cross, the spoils of which glorious victory believers now divide, and shall enjoy to all eternity.) Ah! that ever the small and inconsiderable sufferings of the saints, should so much as once be made mention of by them where his strange and stupendous sufferings offer themselves to be noticed.

Seventhly, concerning the unspeakably great obligation that lies on believers, readily, pleasantly and cheerfully, not only to do, but also to suffer for Christ as he shall call them to it, even to do all that lies in their power for him, and to suffer all that is in the power of any others to do against them on his account, who did willingly and with delight do and suffer so much for them; they have doubtless good reason heartily to pledge him in the cup of his cross, and to drink after him, there being especially such difference between the cup that he drank and that which they are put to drink; his cup was stirred thick with the wrath of God, having had the dregs thereof in a manner wrung out to him therein, so that it was no wonder that the very sight of it made him conditionally to supplicate for its departure from him, and that the drinking of it put him in a most grievous agony, and cast him in a top-sweat of blood; yet says he on the matter, either they or I must drink it; they are not able to drink it, for the drinking of it will distract them and put them mad, will poison and kill them eternally; but I am able to drink it, and to work out the poison and venom of it, and though it shall kill me, I can raise up and restore myself to life again, therefore Father, come away with it, and I will drink it up and drink it out, this to the everlasting welfare of these dear souls; not my will but yours be done, for thus it was agreed between you and me in the Covenant of Redemption; when as theirs is love from bottom even to brim (whatever mixture may sometimes be of paternal and domestic justice proper and peculiar to God's own Family, and which as the Head and Father thereof he exercises therein) not so much as one gut or scruple of vindictive wrath being left therein: Ah! it's both a sin and shame, that there [reconstructed: should] be with such, even with such, so much shyness and shrinking to drink after him in the cup of his Cross especially considering that there is such a high degree of honor put upon the suffering believer for Christ, above and beyond what is put on the simple believer in him, so that in the Scripture account, the suffering believer is not only but also, according to what the Apostle says (Philippians 1:29), To you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.

Eighthly, concerning what mighty obligation lies on believers to mourn and weep, to be sad and sorrowful for sin, how can they look on him whom they have thus bruised, wounded and pierced by their sins without the tear in their eye, without mourning for him and being in bitterness as a man is for his firstborn, and for his only begotten son? When they think (as all of them on serious consideration will find reason to think) that if their sins kept the tryst and rendezvous when all the sins of all the elect did meet and were laid on him, then sure there came no greater company and more numerous troop of sins to that solemn rendezvous from any of all the redeemed than came from them; and that he had not a heavier load and burden of the sins of any than he had of theirs, whereby he was even pressed as a cart is pressed down under the sheaves, and was made most grievously to groan, even with the groanings of a deadly wounded man: and that if he was wounded and pierced by their iniquities, then surely he was more deeply wounded and pierced by the iniquities of none than by theirs. O, what mourning should this cause to them? Even such mourning as was at Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddo, on the occasion of the sad slaughter and death of that good and desirable king Josiah? This is indeed one of the most genuine and kindly, one of the most powerful and prevalent, one of the sweetest and strongest springs of, and motives to, true gospel-repentance, sorrow and mourning for sin.

Ninthly, concerning the notable and non-such obligation that lies on believers, to study the crucifixion and mortification of sin; was it not their sins that crucified and killed precious Jesus Christ, the prince of life? Was it not their sins that violently drove the nails through his blessed hands and feet, and thrust the spear through his side, to the bringing forth of water and blood? Shall they not in their burning zeal and love to him, and in the height of holy indignation at themselves, be avenged on that which brought such vengeance on him? Shall they not seriously seek to be the death of that which brought him to death, and of which the death and destruction was one of his great designs therein, on which he was so intent, that in the prosecution of it, he did amidst his dying pangs and agonies breathe out his soul? O, let it never be heard for shame, that ever any of them shall find the least sweetness in that accursed thing that was so bitter to him; that ever any of them shall be found to dally with, or to hug that serpent and viper in their bosom, that so cruelly stung him to death.

But this being the great subject of these following sermons, wherein the preacher being in a good measure wise, has sought to find out acceptable words, and words I hope of uprightness and truth (O that they may be to the readers as goads and nails fastened by him who is the great master of assemblies (Ecclesiastes 12:10-11)), I shall insist no further, only I think I may humbly say, that to my knowledge, none have preached on this whole chapter to better purpose every way. Many may have done virtuously, but it is probable he will be found to excel them all. Nay, if I should say, that for anything I know, this book for so much, is among the best books of this nature the world has seen, I suppose hardly will any judicious Christian, thoroughly exercised to godliness, after he has read it all over, and pondered it, think that I have greatly, if at all, hyperbolized.

There are in these choice sermons, depths as it were for elephants to swim in (whereof his [reconstructed: surprising], sublimely spiritual and very deep diving discourses concerning the nature of Christ's intercession, and the right improvement of it, in the last six sermons, is a notable instance) and shallows for lambs to wade in. There is in them milk for babes in Christ, and stronger meat for such as are of full age, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil (Hebrews 5:13-14). Nay, I may in a good measure say of these sermons, as it is said of the learned discourses of a late great man, that in the doctrinal part of several of them, you will find the depth of [reconstructed: Polemical] divinity, and in his inferences from there, the sweetness of practical; something that may exercise the profoundest scholar, and others that may edify the weakest Christian. Nothing readily is more nervous and strong than his reasonings, and nothing more sweetly and powerfully affecting than his applications. There is in them, much for information of the judgment, for warming of the affections, and for direction toward a gospel-becoming conversation. There is much for clearing and expediting the doubts and difficulties of more weak and more darkened Christians, and much for edifying, confirming and establishing of more grown ones. There is much for conviction, reproof, warning, humbling, for stirring up and provoking to the serious exercise of godliness, and much for the comforting and refreshing of such as stand in need, and are capable of consolation. There is much for discovering, rousing, awakening and all [reconstructed: alarming] of carnal, secure, unsound, hollow-hearted, and hypocritical professors of religion, and much for beating and hammering down of the pride of conceited self-justifying professors. Much for training on of young beginners, and much for advancing and carrying on in their Christian course such as are entered into it, and have made any tolerable progress therein. [reconstructed: In a word], he does in a great measure approve himself to God as a workman that needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15), and as a skillful and faithful steward giving to every one his portion in due kind, measure and season.

It may be some readers will think, that there are in these sermons, several coincidences of purposes, and repetitions; to which I shall but presume to say, that besides, that there is a great affinity among many of the purposes delivered by the Prophet in this piece of his prophecies, if not a holy coincidence of them, and a profitable repetition now and then of the same thing in different expressions; as there is in some other Scriptures, without any the least imputation to them, as that truly noble and renowned gentleman Mister Boyle shows in his elaborate, eloquent, and excellent Considerations, concerning the style of the Holy Scriptures: and that the same [reconstructed: points], and nearby in the same expressions, may very pertinently be made use of, to clear and confirm different points of doctrine; it will be found, that if there be in so many sermons or discourses on subjects of such affinity, any coincidences or repetitions, they are at such a convenient distance, and one way or other so diversified, and appositely suited to the subject of his present discourse, that the readers will not readily nauseate, nor think what is spoken in its place, impertinent, superfluous, or needless, though somewhat like it has been said by him in some other place. Or if there be any not only seeming but real repetitions of purposes and expressions, as they have not been grievous to the preacher, so he with the Apostle Paul judged them needful at the time for the hearers (Philippians 3:1).

And now, as for you, much honored, right worthy, and very dearly beloved inhabitants of the city of Glasgow, let me tell you, that I have sometimes of late much coveted, to be put and kept in some capacity, to do the churches of Christ, and you in particular, this piece of service, in putting to the press these sweet sermons on this choice Scripture before I die. And indeed after I had gone through a good number of them, not without considerable toil and difficulty (having all along, had no notes of his own, but the sermons as they were taken hastily with a current pen from his mouth, by one of his ordinary hearers, no scholar, who could not therefore so thoroughly and distinctly take up several of the purposes handled by the preacher) the Lord was pleased to give me a stop, by a long continued sharp affliction, not altogether without some little more remote and gentle threatenings of death. But he to whom the issues from death do belong, graciously condescended to spare me a little, that I might gather some strength to go through the remainder of them. I have much reason to think, that if poor I had been preaching the Gospel to you these twenty years past, wherein we have been in holy providence separated (which has been the more afflicting to me, that you were in my heart to have lived and died with you, and if it had so seemed good in the eyes of the Lord, it would have been to me one of the most refreshing and joyful providences I could have been trusted with in this world, to have had fair access through his good hand upon me, and his gracious presence with me, to have preached the Gospel to you a while before my going hence and being no more) I would not by very, very far, have contributed so much to your edification, as these few sermons may, and I hope through God's blessing shall. Several of you heard them preached by him when he was alive among you, and now when he is dead, he is in a manner preaching them over again to you (O that such of you as then were not taken in the preaching of them, might be so now in the serious reading of them) and by them speaking to these of you that did not then hear them, who, as I suppose, are now the far greatest part of the city inhabitants. You will find yourselves in them again and again ranked and classed according to your different spiritual estates, and the various cases and conditions of your souls, and wonderful discoveries made of yourselves to yourselves, that I somewhat doubt, if there be so much as one soul among the several thousands that are in Glasgow, but will find itself, by the reading of these sermons, spoken to suitably to its state and case, as if he had been particularly acquainted with the person and his spiritual condition (as indeed he made it a considerable part of his work, as the observing reader will quickly and easily perceive, to be acquainted very thoroughly with the soul-state and condition of such at least of the inhabitants as were more immediately under his own inspection and charge) and, as if he had spoken to the person by name. O, how inexcusable will such of you be, as had your lot cast to live under the ministry of such an able minister of the New Testament, of such a scribe very much instructed into the kingdom of Heaven, who, as a good householder knew well how to bring out of his treasure things new and old (Matthew 13:52), if you were not bettered and made to profit thereby. God and angels, and your own consciences, will witness, how often and how urgently the Lord Jesus called to you by him and you would not hear. And how inexcusable will you also be, that shall disdain or neglect to read these sermons (as I would fain hope none of you will) that were sometime preached in that place by that faithful servant of Christ, who was your own minister, which lays some peculiar obligation on you beyond others to read them. Or if you shall read them and not make conscience to improve them to your souls' edification and advantage; which contain more genuine, pure, sincere, solid, and substantial Gospel than many thousands have heard it may be in an age, though hearing preachings much of the while. Even so much, that if any of you should be providentially deprived of the liberty of hearing the Gospel any more preached, or should have access to read no other sermons or comments on the Scriptures, these sermons, through God's blessing, will abundantly store and enrich you in the knowledge of the incontrovertibly great mystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16), and according to the Scriptures make you wise to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:15), much insisted on in them. I would therefore humbly advise (wherein I hope you will not mistake me, as if by this advice I were designing some advantage to myself, for indeed I am not at all that way concerned in the sale of them) that every one of you that can read, and is easily able to do it, would buy a copy of these sermons. At least, that every family that is able, wherein there is any that can read, would purchase one of them. I nothing doubt, but that you will think that little money very well bestowed, and will find your old minister, desirable Durham, delightful company to discourse with you by his sermons now when he is dead, and you can see his face, and hear him speak to you by vive voce no more. Whose voice, or rather the voice of Christ by him, was, I know very sweet to many there now asleep, and to some of you yet alive; who, I dare not doubt, never allow yourselves, to expect with confidence and comfort to look the Lord Jesus in the face, but as seriously and sincerely you make it your business to be found in his righteousness, so much cleared and commended to you; and in the study of holiness in all manner of conversation, so powerfully pressed upon you, here.

That these sweet and savory Gospel sermons may come to you all, and more particularly to you my dear friends at Glasgow, with the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel, even of the word of his grace which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified (Romans 15:29; Acts 20:32), is the serious desire of

Your servant in the Gospel, J. C.