651 Book.IV.Part-3- Looking unto :fefus. Chap.J. Sed. 5 the Chril.tian dyes; Chri!l: dyed a natural death, and a Chriil ian dyes a fpiritual death; Chrifl dyed for fin, and the Chrifiian dyes to fin; this was another end of the death of Chril.t; there i!Tues from hi> death a mortifying vertue, caufing the death of fit< in a beleevers foul ; one maine part of our fanCtific~tion. ' 0 my foul look to this, herein !yes the pith and m;trrow of the ·de:nh ofChriH, and if now thou wilt but act and exercife thy faith in this refpect, how mightefi thou draw the vertue and dficacy of his deathinto thy foul ? but here is the quefiion, how fi10uld I mannage my faith ? or how 1hould I act my faith, to draw down the vertue ofChrifls death, and fo to feele the vertue of Chrifts deat:h in my foul, mortifying, crucifying, and killing finne? I anfwer, 1. In prayer, meditation, felfe·examination, receiving of the Lords Supper, &c. I muff propound to my felfe and foul the Lord Jefus Chrifr, as having undertaken and per- ' formed that bitter and painful work of fuffering even unto death ; ~ ea that ofthe crolfe as it is held out in the hiftory and narrative of the Gofpel. 2. I mufi really and fteadfafl:ly beleeve and firmely alfent that thofe fufferings of Chrift fo revealed and difcovered, were real and true, undoubted, and every way unquefiionable as in themfelves., i· I mull: look upon thofe grievous, bitter, cruel, paineful, and with all opprobrious, execrable, 1hameful fufferings ofChrifr, as very ftrange and wonderful ; but efpecially confidering the fp1ricu~l part of his fufferings , vi~. the fenfe and apprehenfion of Gods forfaking, and afflicting him in thedayofhisfierceanger, I1hould even be afioni{hed and amazed thereat; what? that the Son of God :fhould lay his head on the block, under the blow of_divine juil:ice ? that he fhonld put himfelfe under the wrath of his heavenly Fa>her ? that he 1hould enter into the combate ofGods heavy d fpleafure, and be deprived of the fenfe and feeling of his l.O'Ve, and mercy and wonted comfort? how 11lould I but ftand ~gafl: at thefe fo wonderful fufferings ofJcfus Chrift? 4· I muft weigh and confider what it was that occafioned, and caufed all this, viz.. fin, yea my fin, yea this and that fin particularly. This comes nearer home,and from this I mull now gather in rhefe kvfral conclufions. As.--- r. It ,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=