THE IMPORT OF CHRIST'S
OFFERING HIMSELF A SACRIFICE

It signifies the voluntariness of Christ's sufferings, Eph. 5:2. "Christ hath given himself for us, an offering, and a sacrifice to God for sweet-smelling savour. He laid down his life of himself, that he might take it again. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth." For,

1. Though he well knew his sufferings before hand, and that dreadful storm of the divine wrath and indignation that was to fall upon him, and all the abuse, indignities, and torments, he was to meet with from wicked men and on the cross, yet he did not withdraw from that dreadful apparatus of a violent death when his time was come; he would not suffer his disciples, could they have done it, to rescue him from the impending danger: nay, his delivering himself up to his blood-thirsty pursuers, after he had exhibited a remarkable instance of his divine power, in making them fall to the ground with a word, John 18:28. was an evidence, that he was nowise constrained, but a hearty volunteer in his then intended offering. The cup of his sufferings was continually before his eyes; he never declined to drink of it: nay, he was pained and straitened till he drank it to the bottom.

2. The strong cry he uttered immediately before his yielding up his soul on the cross, was an evidence there was more than a natural power attending him in that important crisis. He was no criminal in eye of God and scripture, and could not have been put to death unless he had pleased, being the Most High God, and Sovereign of men and angels, and therefore having the whole creation at his command. The strong cry he uttered was not the effect of weakness or reluctance to part with his life, such as a criminal may be supposed to give, but rather a shout of triumph, proceeding from one who had spontaneously offered himself to such a dreadful death, testifying before God, angels, and men, his joy and exultation in having performed the arduous work he had of his own proper motion engaged to achieve.

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