confider the hifl:ory of Chrifl:s death, but the ayme of Chrifi in his death; many rea de the hifrory, and they are affected with it; ~here is a principle of humanity in men, wh1ch will H:ir up compaffion, and love, and pity towards all in mifery; whiles <.:hrif.l: was fuffering, the wome_n followed after him weeping, but this weeping, not being fpiritual or raifed enough, he faid co them, Daughters of(erufa!em, weep not for me, but for your [elves. the way offaith drawing vertue out of Chrifrs death, it is efpe~ cially to look to the fcope, and drift of Chrifr in his fufferings; As God looks principally to the meaning of th~ JPirit in prayer, fo doth faith look principally to the meaning of ChriH: in his fuffering: miihke not, my meaning is not that we fhould _be ignorant of the hifrory of Chrifrs death, or of the manner ofChrifrs fufferings; you ft'e we have opened it largely, and followed it clofe from firfr to lafr; but we mufr not fticke there, we · fhould above all look to the minde and heart of [hriU in all this: fome obferve, that both in the Old, and Ne.w TeH:ament we fin de this method ; firfr the hifiory, and then the myfrery; firfr the manner, and then the meaning of Chrifrs fufferings; as in the Old Tefl:ament. We havefir!t the hifroryin P[fll. 22. written by David; and then the myH:ery ; in !fa. 53. written by Jfaiah; Aad rn the New Teframent we have firfr the manner of hisfufferings written at large by all the Evangelifl:s; and chen the meaning, written by the Apofl:les in all their Epiftles. Now accordingly are the acts of faith, We mufl: firft fo6k_ Q/1 {ef Ul M lifted up, and then look at the end and meaning; why was this Jefus thus lifted up ? well, but you may .demand , what was the end, the plot, the great defigne of Chrift in this refpect? I anfwer forpe ends were remote, and others were more immediate; but omitting all thofe ends that are-remote, his .glory, our falvation, &c. I fhall only anfwer in tbefe particulars. r. One de6gne of Chrifl:s death was to redeem us from the (lavery ofdeath and hell, he hath redeemed m from the curfe cf the lmv, /Jeing made a wrfe form,. ~ i~ is writt~n, cur fed i.r rvery Ga!J. 13 , one th11t hflnr.cth on tltree ; hence 1t 1s that we fay, that by his · fufferings Chrift hath redumed m from hell, and b; his doings Chrift hath given UJ~t right to heaven: he wru made under the law Gal.3 ·•h4; 0 ooo that
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