A Difcourfe of Divine Meditation, 905 l1im and-bad him Propheq· w~ore hin~~: Priet1:~1oathed~ with a lon1; Robe, which 'was an en1blem of that Office. The lgnonJitr} of our Sa-.Chap 9: viours Su ftC rings, rcfj,eEh:rh the kind of his Death , the place of his Death, and the~ Companions of his Dead1; If you refpct1: the kind of it ; it was Hanging on a T ree, that Death which rendered rhe Perfon, and fhewed the FaB: ro be abominable. If you rcfj,ca rhe place of his Death, he was not Crucified in a Corner, but upon the Top of Mount Calvary, fa that he was expolcd to the view of the World. If you rcfi,e8: the Companions of his Death, they were the dregs and worlt 0f Mankind, Thieves and Robbers: Thus yOu fee he rhar was the Glory of Hea'lltn, is made the Shame of Earth; and he· who was the Adoration of Angels, is the S~orn of Sinful Wretches. 2. The Second Circum!tanceis the Curfe of his Death. The Scripture doth 21l'ert this, Cur(d is every one thttl Hangeth on a Tree. There was both a Ceremonia l a1~dG 1 . 1 a Moral Curf~ in the Death ofChrilt : the Ceremo1:ial Curfe was his Hangin~ 11pm1 J • ~ 3 ' a CrofS: For the Cuflom of the Je,vs was th is, upon any Notori~us Fact, the Male· fatter was firft put to Deat h, by ftoning, or the like; and rhen !HS Body was Hanged up be~ ore the Sun: fo that the Hanging of a PerfOn 1 wa~ a l_<ind of Second Death, and this the Lord Jelus endured. The Moral Curie Jdrewife d1d concur to the Death of the Lord Jefus, he bare the iniquity of us all. l· The Mtferyofit , which was inexpreffible. E1•ery part of Chri!t was a receptacle of Pam: ThofC Dea ths which are Lingering, there is a flow pace in them~ hut a q uick T orment. So it was with the Lord Jefi1s, his Hands, and his Feet wereNaiJ. cd ~o the <:_rofs ; they were thofe parts which were moll diftam from the Vi1al~, and Ammal Sp1rits, a nd fo his Death was an extended Torture. Now by Mcdltat on the Soul fhould repreftnt this Crucifixion of Chri!t to it ii:lf. Secondly, If you come to the Suffer ings of his Soul, Chrilt had area! Tart of the Bittcrnefi of the fecond Death He drank up the Cup of Horror, he endured the i~~d: 0;e~e~~ ~~~~~h d~~r~~~ci;Joe~g~0l~:edfJ n!:f~~~1r ~l_~~t~e~~d~~~ ~~e f~ffe~~~ tbi~~~rhm;;;,,f. a P::enal Hell. Thus reprefent thefe things to yo~r Souls, by the _help of Meditation.~;~,fs:,~:. ~;: To gather tJf the Sum. The Gracious Son!,when It would warm It fdfwith the Confideration of Chri!ts Death ; let it make it felf a party in every paifage of the Story of his Paffion; and let the Soul mix its affections with all the Occurrences of it : as for Example. Firlt go to the Garden, and there let thy Soul confider the Sweatthat dropt from him, hear his Groans, and fee his_.Agomes. Then foll0w him to the Rulers and Soldiers; and there confider all thofe aC:bons of theirs, which contained the greateft Scorn, Slighting, and abufe of him. W :1en the Thorns are platted upon his Head, lee them pierce thy Heart. Then go from the Rulers Houfe to mount Ca/vary, 'and let thy Soul take up pa rt of the Crofs; and when thou come!t there let it be Nailed to the Crofs, and bleed with Love for thy Saviour. The Soul by reBex a& is able in fame degree, to produce the fame Paffion and Sorrow, which it would produce if the Objea were vifible to om bodily Eye. Now there's none of you but Fancy if you had a vifible reprefentation of Chrift Hanging upon the Crofs, expendmg his Blood, bowing his Head, fending forth his Spirit, this would affe8: you. By Meditation reprefent this to the Eye of thy Soul, and Oh let it produce fuitable Paffions anJ afli:Ctions. 2. Another Rule I gave you was this, when you M editate upon a Spiritual Subject do ir by way of Argument ; con£idering the cau{Cs and effeCts of it: fo here, confider the caufes and eff'efrs of Chrift's Sufl'erings. The caufes of his Suff'erings are two, the Love of the Father, and the Love of Chri!t : I know the Sin of Man was the occafion cf it. There was Miferanda Nece/fitas a miferable ncceffuy on our parr, but the caufe was Commijirans Volunt&, Commiferating Mercy on God's parr. 1. To fpeak of the Love of the Father. The Scripture reprefents this to us as the Rom. S· s. Original caufe of Chrilts Death. Herein God declared /;is Loue to tu, that IPhen :ve su mm of wert yet Sinners, Cbrijl d]ed for us. this i1:rhe Har~ N~~v ~~~\~ ~~:se ~e?~1~fta;a~~~?a~~~c~fintl~~;riftA~s ~fv~~a;ehi~fe~F't:~~~t~~~~~~: f£:;f{c/!a~i; J;~~se~~~~Sfo~u~~~~fi~:a~r! ·!~~~1t! ~~~ ~fa~~~~w{;en ~~~:e 3~0° d~~:~,fl'~ti~ :; %~~J:~~Z~ rr.~ · God. Obedience to his Father and Love: to Man, was che caufe of Chrifis Suffer· Hcb. 10 " 7 • ings. Thereiore although the Death of Chri!t was violent in relpeC\ of Men, it. was Y y y y y 2 · volun·
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