But could no other Perfon be found, that might fuffer for the Sins of Man, but the Son of God? Or if the business of our Salvation must be tranfacted by him alone, could it not be without fuffering, and fuch fuffering as this? No. As there was no other Name given under Heaven, by which we might be faved, nor was there any found befides in the compafs of the whole World, that could expiate for one fin of Man; but it must be the Arm of the Almighty, that muft bring Salvation Ifa. 63. 5. So if the bleffed Son of God will undertake the Business, and become Captain of our Salvation, he must be made perfect by fuffering, Heb. 2. 10. Heb. 5. 9. And if he will ftand inftead of Man, he must bear the Wrath of his Father: If he will become fin for Man, though he knew no fin, he must become a curfe for Man. And doubtlefs this great Mystery of the Perfon that fuffered, cannot chufe but be a very high and excellent fubject of Knowledge; fo full of Wonder and Astonishment, that the Angels gaze into it: 1 Pet. 1. 12. And as it is a strange and wonderful thing in it self, so doubtless it was ordained to high and wonderful Ends, bearing a fuitableness unto the greatness of the Inftrument. This therefore is the first Confideration that advanceth the excellency of this Knowledge; the Perfon that was crucified.

II. What be fuffered. Chrift Jefus, and him crucified; though all the courfe of his Life was a continual fuffering, and the preamble or walk unto his Death, which was the end of his Life; yet this was the compleating of all the reft, and the Tide and Waves of his Sufferings did ftill rife higher and higher, till it arrived in this; and the feveral teps and afcents unto the Crofs, though they began from his Birth, yet thofe that were more immediate began with the preparation to the Paffover. The Council held by the chief Priefts and Scribes, for the Crucifying of our Saviour, was fat upon two days before the Paffoever, Matth. 26.2, Mark 14. 1. And this was the firft ftep to Mount Calvary: And doubtless it was no small addition to our Saviour's Paffion, that it was hatched in the Council of the chief Priefts and Scribes; the then external visible Church,

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the Husbandmen of the Vineyard: Matth. 21. 33. But this is not all; as the vifible Church of the Jews is the Conclave where this Council is formed; fo Judas, a Member of the visible Church of Chrift, one of the Twelve, is the Inftrument to effect it; Matth. 26. 14 He contrafts with them for Thirty Pieces of Silver, to betray his Mafter unto them: And furely this could not choofe but be a great Grief to our Saviour, that one of his felet Apoftles fhould turn Apoftate, and thereby bring a Blemish upon the rest.

Upon the day of Eating the Paffover, called the firft day of the Feast of unleavened Bread, our Saviour and his Difciples keep the Paffover together in Jerufalem; and there the two Memorials of our Saviour's Paffion meet; that of the Paffover inftituted by God, and the Ifraelites going out of Egypt; and the Bread and Wine after Supper, inftituted by our Saviour, to fucceed in the place of the former, and each did queftionlefs make a deep impreffion upon our Saviour, in which he anticipated his Paffion, and lively represented to him that breaking and pouring out his Blood and Soul, which he was fuddenly to fuffer: And doubtlefs here began a great measure of our Saviour's Paffion, in the apprehenfion which he had of that eminent Storm, that he muft fpeedily undergo. From the Supper they go together to the Mount of Olives, and there he acquaints his Difciples of a fpeedy and forrowful parting they muft have; the Shepherd is to be fmitten that Night, and the Sheep to be scattered; and as he forefaw Judas's Treachery, fo he forefees Peter's Infir mity; the Storm fhould be fo violent, that Peter himself, the refoluteft Apoftle, fhall deny his Mafter that Night, and deny him thrice: And furely the forefight of the Diftraction that should befal his poor Difciples, could not choose but add much to their tender Mafter's Affliction, Matth. 26.31. All ye shall be offended because of me this night.

And now let us follow our Bleffed Lord from the Mount of Olives in the Garden, called by the Apostles Gethsemane, with the Affections of Love and Wonder, in fome measure becoming fuch an Entertainment of our

Thoughts.

Thoughts. The time that he chofe for his Retiremen was the dead time of the Night; a Seafon that might th more contribute to the Strength of that Sadnefs, whic the pre apprehenfion of his imminent Paffion muft need occafion. The place that he chofe, a folitary retired Gar den, where nothing might or could interrupt, or diver the intensiveness of his Sorrow and Fear: And to mak both the Time and Place the more opportune for his Ago ny, he leaves the reft of his Difciples, and takes with hin only Peter, and the two Sons of Zebedee, Matth. 26. 37 And to these he imparts the beginning of his Sorrow that they might be witneffes of it, Matth. 26. 37 My Soul is exceeding forrowful, even unto death; but ye commands their diftance, verfe 38. Tarry ye here an watch with me, and he went a little further. Watch wit me: The Confufion of his Soul was fo great, that the on ly Son of God diftrufts his own [humar] Ability to bea it; and yet his fubmiffion to this terrible Conflict [was] fo willing, that he leaves them that he had appointed to watch with him. He went a little further. The thre Disciples had doubtless a Sympathy with their Mafter Sorrow, and yet the Will of God fo orders it, that thei Excefs of Love and Grief muft not keep their Eyes wa king, notwithstanding it was the laft Requeft of their for rowful Mafter. The Disciples flept, Matth. 26. 40. And thus every Circumftance of Time, Place, and Perfon contribute to a fad and folitary Opportunity for this mof terrible and black Conflict. And now in this Garden the mighty God puts his Son to Grief, lades him with our Sorrows, Ifa. 53. 4. withdraws and hides from him the light of his Favour and Countenance; interpofeth a thick and black Cloud between the Divinity and the Human Nature, darts into his Soul the fad and fharp Manifeftati ons of his Wrath; overwhelms his Soul with one Wave after another; fends into him the most exquifite pre-ap prehenfions of those fad and fevere Sufferings he was the next Day to undergo, begins to make his Soul an Offering for Sin, and heightens his Sorrow, Confufion, and A ftonishment unto the uttermoft. In fum, the mighty God, the God of the Spirits of all Flesh, who knows the

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way into the Soul, and how to fill it with the most fad and black Aftonishment and Sorrow, was pleafed at this time to eftrange and eclipfe the Manifestation of his Light and Love to his only Son, as far as was poffibly consistent with his fecret and eternal Love unto him; to throw into him as fad and amazing Apprehenfions of his Wrath, as was poffible to be confiftent with the human Nature to bear; to fortifie and ftrengthen his Senfe of it, and Sorrow for, and under it, unto the uttermoft, that fo his Grief, and Sorrow, and Confufion of Soul might be brim-full, and as much as the exacteft Conftitution of a human Nature could poffibly bear. And thus now at this time the Arm of the mighty God was bruifing the Soul of his only Son: Ifa. 53. 16. And certainly the extremity of this Agony within, muft needs be very great, if we confider the ftrange Effects it had without: I. That pathetical Description thereof that our Saviour himself makes of it, My Soul is exceeding forrowful, even unto death, Matth. 26. 37. fo forrowful, exceeding forrowful, forrowful unto Death; and the Expreffions of the Evangelifts, Matth. 26. 37. He began to be forrowful, and very heavy. Mark. 14. 33. He began to be fore amazed, and to be very heavy. It was fuch a Sorrow as brought with it an Amazement, an Aftonishment. 2. Again, that ftrange Requeft to his Difciples, Tarry ye and watch with me; as if he feared the Sorrow would overwhelm him. 2. Again, his Prayer, and the manner of it, evidence a most wonderful Perturbation within, Matth. 26. 39. He fell on bis Face and prayed; and what was the thing he prayed? Father, if it be poffible, let this Cup pass from me; or as Mark 14. 36. Abba Father, all things are poffible unto thee, this Cup from me, &c. Although that this was the very end for which he came into the World: The Cup which in former Times he reached after, and was ftraitned till it were fulfilled; yet fuch a Reprefentation there is thereof to his Soul, that although in the Will of his Obedience, he submits; Not my Will, but thine be done : Yet his Nature fhrinks and starts at it; and he engageth Almighty God, as much, and upon as great Arguments 2s was poffible, to decline the feverity of that Wrath which

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Thoughts. The time that he chofe for his Retireme was the dead time of the Night; a Seafon that might more contributes to the Strength of that Sadnefs, wh the pre-apprehenfion of his imminent Paffion must n occafion. The place that he chofe, a folitary retired ( den, where nothing might or could interrupt, or c the intensiveness of his Sorrow and Fear: And to both the Time and Place the more opportune for his ny, he leaves the rest of his Difciples, and takes wi only Peter, and the two Sons of Zebedee, Matth. And to these he imparts the beginning of his that they might be witneffes of it, Matth. My Soul is exceeding forrowful, even unto death; commands their diftance, verfe 38. Tarry ye watch with me, and he went a little further. W me: The Confufion of his Soul was fo great, th ly Son of God diftrufts his own [humar] Abi it; and yet his fubmiffion to this terrible Cor fo willing, that he leaves them that he had watch with him. He went a little further Disciples had doubtless a Sympathy with Sorrow, and yet the Will of God fo orde Excefs of Love and Grief muft not keer king, notwithstanding it was the last Rec rowful Mafter. The Difciples flept, Mat thus every Circumftance of Time, Pl contribute to a fad and folitary Opportu terrible and black Conflict. And now in mighty God puts his Son to Grief, lades Sorrows, Ifa. 53. 4. withdraws and hides t light of his Favour and Countenance; inter and black Cloud between the Divinity and Nature, darts into his Soul the fad and fharp ons of his Wrath; overwhelms his Soul with after another; fends into him the most exquic prehenfions of thofe fad and fevere Sufferin next Day to undergo, begins to make his So for Sin, and heightens his Sorrow, Confuf ftonishment unto the uttermoft. In fum, God, the God of the Spirits of all Flesh, w