510 BAXTER'S FAREWELL SERMON._ of that particular sin, usurpation of dominion, and treason against Cwsar, which his heart and life were as contrary to as light to darkness? And was it not enough for Christians to suffer so great calamities of bodies for righ,eousness' sake, but they must also suffer the reproach ofbeing the seditious followers of a cruci- fled malefactor whom they would have made a king? 1Vo ! our Lord would stoop to the lowest condition for our sakes;which was consistent with his innocency and perfection ! Sin is so much worse than suffering, that we may take this for the greatest part of his condescension, and strangest expression of his love, that he should take not only the nature and the sufferings 'ofa mán, but also the nature and the imputation of sinners. Though sin itself was inconsistent with his perfection, yet so was not the false accusation and imputation of it : he could not become a sinner for us ; but he could be reputed a sinner for us, and die as such. And when our Lord bath submitted to this most ignominious kind of suffering, it is not fit that we should be the choosers ofour sufferings, and say, Lord, we will suffer any thing except the reputation of being of-. fenders, and the false accusations of malicious men! If in this we must be made conformable to our Head, we must not refuse it, nor repine at his disposal of us. 3. And their sorrow for Christ's departure was the greater, be- cause they had so little foresight of his resurrectiôn and return. It is strange to see how dark they were in these articles of the faith, for all their long converse with Christ, and his plain foretell- ing there his death and resurrection ; and how much of their teach- ing Christ reserved to.. the Spirit after his departure from them. " Then took he unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, wego up to Jerusalem; and all things that are written by the proph- ets-concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished ; for he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and sháll be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spit upon, and they shall scourge him and put him to death, and the third day he shall rise again ;" John xii. 16. Luke xviii. 31-34. And they understood none of these things, and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. Had they known all that would follow, and clearly foreseen his resurrection and his glory, they would then have been troubled the less for his death; but when they saw him die, and foresaw him not revive, and rise, and reign, then did their hearts begin to fail them, and they said, " We trustedthat it .had been he which should have redeemed Israel ;" Luke xxiv. 21. Even as we use to lament immoderately, when we lay the bodies of our friends in the grave, because we see not whither the soul is gone, nor in what triumph and joy it is received unto Christ; which
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