and in the Sacrifices for Sin, the Bodies of the Beasts were burnt without the Camp, and their Blood brought into the Sanctuary. To which Examples if we add the exprefs Prophefies, He was brought as a Lamb to the Slaughter; He was cut off from the Land of the Living; He made *Ifaili,7,8, to his Soul an Offering for Sin *; we shall be satisfied that the Meffias was the Lamb flain from the Foundations of the World. That, in correfpondence to what was thus written of him, Chrift our Paffover, was truly flain, that our Jefus really died, his Murtherers were affur'd Spectators, were unquestionable Witneffes. The Chief-Priefts, the Scribes and the Pharifees, the Publicans and Sinners, all were fatisfied; the Sadducees moft of all, who hugg'd their old Opinion, and lov'd their Error the better, because they thought Him fecure from ever rifing again. But had they denied or doubted of it, the very Stones would cry out and confirm it. Why did the Sun put on Mourning? Why were the Graves open'd? Why were the Rocks rent? Why did the Frame of Nature shake, but because the GOD of Nature died? Why did all the People, who came to behold the Tragical Sight, beat upon their Breasts and return, but they were affur'd that it was finish'd? It was not out of Compaffion that the merciless Soldiers brake not his Legs, but because they found Him dead whom they came to dispatch; and when their impertinent Cruelty pierced his Side, they became stronger Witneffes of his Death than they would, by being lefs the Authors of it than they desired. Out of the facred Fountain of his wounded Side came Blood and Water, both no less evident Signs of his prefent Death, than cer tain Seals of our Future and Eternal Life. These are the two bleffed Sacraments of the Spouse of Chrift, each affuring Her of the Death of her Beloved. As many of us as are baptized into Jefus Chrift are baptized into his Death; and as often as we eat the (Euchariftical) Bread; and drink the Cup, we do fhew forth the Lord's Death till Cor. xi. 26. He come +. Rom. vi. 3. (b) For Chrift, who took upon Him all our Infirmi ties, Sin only excepted, had in his Body not only a Poffibility and Aptitude, but alío a neceffity of Dying, in cafe of external Violence able, according to the common courfe of Nature, to extinguish in the Body it's Difpofi fition to an Union with the Soul. It is true, He died most voluntarily, as He said of Himself, No Man taketh away my Life from me; but I lay it down of my felf: I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again *. * John x, 18, But when by an Act of his Will He had fubmitted to fuffer Death, when He had accepted and embrac'd his Torments to the laft, it was not in the Power of his Soul to continue any longer Vitality to the Body, whofe Vigour was totally exhaufted. So, not by a neceffary Compulfion, but voluntary Election, He took upon Him the neceffity of dying. He died not by, but with, a Miracle: Nor did He fo anticipate the time of Expiration, as to hinder the Jews from being the actual Causes and immediate Authors of his Death. (c) Our Life appeareth principally in two Particulars, Motion and Senfation; and while both, or either of thefe, are perceived in a Body, we pronounce that it lives. Not that Life it felf confifts in either, or both, of these, but in the Original Principle of them both, which we call the Soul, and the intimate Union of that Soul unto the Body is the Life of the Man. Death therefore, the Receffion and Privation of Life, can be nothing else but the Solution of this Vital Union, or the actual Separation of the Soul, the Fountain of all Vital Perfection and Influence. That the unfpotted Soul of Jefus was really and actually separated from his Body, appears at once from his own Refignation, Father, into thy hands 1 commend my Spirit; and from the Evangelift's Expreffion, And having faid thus, He gave up the Ghaft *. (d) The Union of the Parts of Human Nature was diffolv'd, but the fubftantial Union of the Natures, Divine and Human, remained still to the Parts, by the Subfiftence of the Word. And it is therefore the Language of the Scriptures, That GOD redeem'd us with his Blood; and of the Church, That GOD died for us; because the Soul and Body, in the inftant of Natural Separation, were united to the Deity. When our Saviour cries out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ? should that Dereliction have diffolv'd the former Union of his Natures, the Solution had then been made not at * Luke xxiii. 46; his Rev. iii. 14. 1 Tim. vi. 13. † Heb. viii. 6. Luke xxii. 20. Heb. ix. 10. *John x. 17. his Death, but in his Life. We can only infer from thole Words, That He was bereft of fuch Joys and Comforts from the Deity, as might have affwaged and mitigated the Acerbity of his prefent Torments. Thro' the Imbecillity and Frailty of our Nature, by which Life cannot long fubfift with exquifite Pain, the Difpofition of the Body fail'd the Soul, and the Soul deserted the Body. But because no Power hath any Force against Omnipotence, what disjoin'd these one from the other, could disjoin neither from Him that took them both together: But rather by virtue of this remaining Conjunction, they were again united after their Separation. (e) The Neceffity of this Belief is evident, in as much as the Death of Chrift is the most intimate and effential Part of his Mediatorial Office, confider'd in all his three Capacities, of Prophet, Prieft, and King. 1. As Prophet; to confirm his Doctrine, and enforce his Example. He was the true and faithful Witness, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good Confeffion *. He was the Author and Surety of a better Covenant, eftablished upon better Promifes +; and to be ra ified with his Blood, the Blood *Mat. xxvi. 28. of the new Teftament *, or Everlasting Covenant : For that Covenant was also a Teftament; and where a Teftament is, there must also of neceffity be the Death of a Teftator *. Again, Chrift fuffered for us, leaving us an Example, that we should follow his Steps +: An Example of Faith in GOD; by laying down his Life, that He might take it again: By commending his Spirit unto his Father, and by enduring the Crofs, and defpifing the Shame for the foy that was fet before Him†: An Example of Meeknefs, Patience, and Humility; by coming not to be miniftred unto, but to minifter, and to give his Life a Ransom for many *; by being led as a Sheep to the Slaughter, and, as a Lamb dumb before the Shearer, not opening his Mouth+; by enduring the Contradictions of Sinners gainst Himself; by humbling Himself unto Death, even the Death of the Cross : An Example of confummate Charity, in dying for his Enemies, and praying for his Crucifiers, Father, forgive them, for they know not what *Luke xxiii. 34. they do*: An Example of Univerfal Obedience, for He † Heb. xii. 2. *Matth. xx. 28. † Acts viii. 32, *Heb. xii. + Phil. ii. 8. 3. became became obedient unto Death †, and learnt Obedience by the † Phil. ii. 8. things which He fuffered *. Heb. v. 8. 2. As Priest: Every High-Prieft, taken from among Men, is ordained for Men, in things pertaining to GOD, that He may offer both Gifts and Sacrifices for Sin t. But † Heb. v. 1. it was not poffible that the Blood of Bulls and Goats fhould take away Sins: And therefore when Sacrifice and Of-Heb. x. 4fering GOD would not, then faid He, lo, I come, to do thy Will, O GOD. By the which Will we are fanctified, through the Offering of the Body of Jefus Chrift, once for all +. Thus the Death of Chrift was neceffary towards + Heb. x. 89, 10. the great Act of his Pricfthood, as the Oblation, Propitiation and Satisfaction for the Sins of the whole World; and not only for the Act it felf, but likewife for our af furance of the Power and Efficacy of it; (for if the Blood of Bulls and Goats fanctifieth to the purifying of the Flefb; how much more shall the Blood of Chrift, who through the Eternal Spirit offered Himself without Spot to GOD, purge our Confciences from dead works?*) and of the Happiness Heb.ix. 13, 14 flowing from it; (for He that spared not his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, bow fball He not with Him alfo freely give us all things *? Upon this Affurance we have *Rom. viii. 32. Freedom and Boldness to enter into the Holieft by the Blood of Fefus, by a new and living way which He hath confe crated for us through the Veil, that is to fay, his Flefb t. Heb. x. 19, 20. Again, the Death of Chrift was neceffary, because in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto his Brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High-Prieft*; and *Heb. ii. 17. having fuffered being tempted, might be able to fuccour them that are tempted t. And being thus qualified by the ut- Heb. ii. 18. moft fuffering, He was admitted to perfect his Offering: Chrift being become an High-Priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle, not made with hands, by his own Blood entred once into the Holy Place, having obtained Eternal Redemption for us *. 3. As King: O King live for ever, is either the loyal, or the flattering Vote for temporal Princes; either the Expreffion of our Defires, or the Suggestions of their own: Whereas Chrift, our King, never thewed more Sovereign Power than at his Death, when having Spoiled Principalities and Powers, He made a few of them openly, triumph *Heb. ix. 7, 11, 12. † Col.ii. 4. triumpbing over them in it t; never obtained more Glory than that which followed his Sufferings *, and into which Luke xxiv. 26. He entred by them †. 1 Pte. i. 11. I He fuffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried. I Believe the Only-begotten and Eternal Son of GOD, for the Confirmation of the Truth of his Death already paft, and of his Refurrection from the Dead fuddenly to follow, had his Body, according to the Custom of the Jews, prepared for a Funeral, bound up with linen Clothes, and laid in Spices; and after that accustom❜d Preparation, depofited in a Sepulchre hewn out of a Rock, in which never Man was laid before; and, by rolling of a Stone unto the Door thereof, there entomb'd (a). (a) That the Meffias was to be buried, appears not only from the Univerfal Custom of the Jewish Nation, but from the Type of Jonas, from the Prophefy of David, My Flefh fhall reft in hope; for why? thou wilt not leave Soul in Hell, &c. *; and still more exprefly from that * Pfal. xvi. 9,10. my of Ifaiah, He was cut off out of the Land of the Living ; and He made his Grave with the Wicked and with the Rick in his Death t. That our Lord Jefus, whom we believe to be the true Meffias, was thus buried, might feem repugnant to the manner of his Death, to which the Favour of Burial was ordinarily denied: but that by the Providence of GOD, they who petitioned for his Crucifixion, did likewife fupplicate for his Interment. For fince not only their general Cuftom and particular Law, required that the Bodies of those who fuffer'd Death Ifai. liii. 8, 9. fhould |