CHRIST’S AGONY

CHRIST’S AGONY

By Jonathan Edwards

Luke 22:44

And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was as it were great
drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Subject: That which I shall make the subject of my present discourse is Christ’s
agony.

OUR Lord Jesus Christ, in his original nature, was infinitely above all suffering, for
he was “God over all, blessed for evermore.” But when he became man, he was not only
capable of suffering, but partook of that nature that is remarkably feeble and exposed to
suffering. The human nature, on account of its weakness, is in Scripture compared to the
grass of the field, which easily withers and decays. So it is compared to a leaf, and to the
dry stubble, and to a blast of wind. And the nature of feeble man is said to be but dust
and ashes, to have its foundation in the dust, and to be crushed before the moth. It was
this nature, with all its weakness and exposedness to sufferings, which Christ, who is the
Lord God omnipotent, took upon him. He did not take the human nature on him in its
first, most perfect and vigorous state, but in that feeble forlorn state which it is in since
the fall. And therefore Christ is called “a tender plant,” and “a root out of a dry ground.”
Isa. 53:2, “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry
ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty
that we should desire him.” Thus, as Christ’s principal errand into the world was
suffering, so agreeably to that errand, he came with such a nature and in such
circumstances, as most made way for his suffering, so his whole life was filled up with
suffering, he began to suffer in his infancy, but his suffering increased the more he drew
near to the close of his life. His suffering after his public ministry began, was probably
much greater than before. And the latter part of the time of his public ministry seems to
have been distinguished by suffering. The longer Christ lived in the world, the more men
saw and heard of him, the more they hated him. His enemies were more and more
enraged by the continuance of the opposition that he made to their lusts. And the devil
having been often baffled by him, grew more and more enraged, and strengthened the
battle more and more against him, so that the cloud over Christ’s head grew darker and
darker, as long as he lived in the world, till it was in its greatest blackness when he hung
upon the cross and cried out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me! Before this,
it was exceedingly dark, in the time of his agony in the garden, of which we have an
account in the words now read, and which I propose to make the subject of my present
discourse. The word agony properly signifies an earnest strife, such as is witnessed in
wrestling, running, or fighting. And therefore in Luke 13:24, “Strive to enter in at the
strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” The
word in the original, translated strive, is áãùíéæåóèå. “Agonize, to enter in at the strait
gate.” The word is especially used for that sort of strife which in those days was
exhibited in the Olympic games, in which men strove for the mastery in running,
wrestling, and other such kinds of exercises. And a prize was set up that was bestowed
on the conqueror. Those, who thus contended, were, in the language then in use, said to
agonize. Thus the apostle in his epistle to the Christians of Corinth, a city of Greece,
where such games were annually exhibited, says in allusion to the strivings of the
combatants, “And every man that striveth for the mastery,” in the original, everyone that
agonizeth, “is temperate in all things.” The place where those games were held, was
called Áãùí, or the place of agony; and the word is particularly used in Scripture for that
striving in earnest prayer wherein persons wrestle with God. They are said to agonize, or
to be in agony, in prayer. So the word is used Rom. 15:30, “Now I beseech you,
brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive
together with me in your prayers to God for me:” in the original óõíáãùíéæåèáé ìïé,
that ye agonize together with me. So Col. 4:12, “Always labouring fervently for you in
prayer, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” In the original
áãùíéæùí, agonizing for you. So that when it is said in the text that Christ was in an
agony, the meaning is, that his soul was in a great and earnest strife and conflict. It was
so in two respects:

1. As his soul was in a great and sore conflict with those terrible and amazing views
and apprehensions which he then had.

2. As he was at the same time in great labor and earnest strife with God in prayer.

I propose therefore, in discoursing on the subject of Christ’s agony, distinctly to
unfold it, under these two propositions,

I. That the soul of Christ in his agony in the garden had a sore conflict with those
terrible and amazing views and apprehensions, of which he was then the subject.

II. That the soul of Christ in his agony in the garden had a great and earnest labor
and struggle with God in prayer.

I. The soul of Christ in his agony in the garden had a sore conflict with those terrible
amazing views and apprehensions, of which he was then the subject.

In illustrating this proposition I shall endeavor to show,

First, what those views and apprehensions were.

Second, that the conflict or agony of Christ’s soul was occasioned by those views
and apprehensions.

Third, that this conflict was peculiarly great and distressing; and,

Fourth, what we may suppose to be the special design of God in giving Christ those
terrible views and apprehensions, and causing him to suffer that dreadful conflict, before
he was crucified.

I proposed to show,

First, what were those terrible views and amazing apprehensions which Christ had
in his agony. This may be explained by considering,

1. The cause of those views and apprehensions; and,

2. The manner in which they were then experienced.

1. The cause of those views and apprehensions which Christ had in his agony in the
garden was the bitter cup which he was soon after to drink on the cross. The sufferings
which Christ underwent in his agony in the garden were not his greatest sufferings,
though they were so very great. But his last sufferings upon the cross were his principal
sufferings. And therefore they are called “the cup that he had to drink.” The sufferings of
the cross, under which he was slain, are always in the Scriptures represented as the main
sufferings of Christ, those in which especially “he bare our sins in his own body,” and
made atonement for sin. His enduring the cross, his humbling himself, and becoming
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, is spoken of as the main thing wherein
his sufferings appeared. This is the cup that Christ had set before him in his agony. It is
manifest that Christ had this in view at this time, from the prayers which he then offered.
According to Matthew, Christ made three prayers that evening while in the garden of
Gethsemane, and all on this one subject, the bitter cup that he was to drink. Of the first,
we have an account in Mat. 26:39, “And he went a little farther, and fell on his face and
prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless,
not as I will but as thou wilt.” Of the second in Mat. 26:42, “He went away again the
second time and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass from me, except I
drink it, thy will be done.” And of the third in verse 44, “And he left them, and went
away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.” From this it plainly
appears what it was of which Christ had such terrible views and apprehensions at that
time. What he thus insists on in his prayers, shows on what his mind was so deeply
intent. It was his sufferings on the cross, which were to be endured the next day, when
there should be darkness over all the earth, and at the same time a deeper darkness over
the soul of Christ, of which he had now such lively views and distressing apprehensions.

2. The manner in which this bitter cup was now set in Christ’s view.

(1.) He had a lively apprehension of it impressed at that time on his mind. He had an
apprehension of the cup that he was to drink before. His principal errand into the world
was to drink that cup, and he therefore was never unthoughtful of it, but always bore it in
his mind, and often spoke of it to his disciples. Thus Mat. 16:21, “From that time forth
began Jesus to show unto his disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer
many things of the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and be raised
again the third day.” Again chap. 20:17, 18, 19, “And Jesus going up to Jerusalem, took
the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to
Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests, and unto the
scribes, and they shall condemn him to death. And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to
mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.” The
same thing was the subject of conversation on the mount with Moses and Elias when he
was transfigured. So he speaks of his bloody baptism, Luke 12:50, “But I have a baptism
to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!” He speaks of it
again to Zebedee’s children, Mat. 20:22, “Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall
drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto
him, We are able.” He spoke of his being lifted up. John 8:28, “Then said Jesus unto
them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I
do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.” John 12:34,
“The people answered him, We have heart out of the law that Christ abideth for ever:
and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man?” So he
spoke of destroying the temple of his body. John 2:19, “Jesus answered and said unto
them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” And he was very much in
speaking of it a little before his agony, in his dying counsels to his disciples in the John
12 and 13. Thus this was not the first time that Christ had this bitter cup in his view. On
the contrary, he seems always to have had it in view. But it seems that at this time God
gave him an extraordinary view of it. A sense of that wrath that was to be poured out
upon him, and of those amazing sufferings that he was to undergo, was strongly
impressed on his mind by the immediate power of God; so that he had far more full and
lively apprehensions of the bitterness of the cup which he was to drink than he ever had
before, and these apprehensions were so terrible, that his feeble human nature shrunk at
the sight, and was ready to sink.

(2.) The cup of bitterness was now represented as just at hand. He had not only a
more clear and lively view of it than before, but it was now set directly before him, that
he might without delay take it up and drink it. For then, within that same hour, Judas was
to come with his band of men, and he was then to deliver up himself into their hands to
the end that he might drink this cup the next day, unless indeed he refused to take it, and
so made his escape from that place where Judas would come, which he had opportunity
enough to do if he had been so minded. Having thus shown what those terrible views and
apprehensions were which Christ had in the time of his agony, I shall endeavor to show,

Second, that the conflict which the soul of Christ then endured was occasioned by
those views and apprehensions. The sorrow and distress which his soul then suffered
arose from that lively, and full, and immediate view which he had then given him of that
cup of wrath, by which God the Father did as it were set the cup down before him, for
him to take it and drink it. Some have inquired, what was the occasion of that distress
and agony, and many speculations there have been about it, but the account which the
Scripture itself gives us is sufficiently full in this matter, and does not leave room for
speculation or doubt. The thing that Christ’s mind was so full of at that time was,
without doubt, the same with that which his mouth was so full of. It was the dread which
his feeble human nature had of that dreadful cup, which was vastly more terrible than
Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace. He had then a near view of that furnace of wrath, into
which he was to be cast. He was brought to the mouth of the furnace that he might look
into it, and stand and view its raging flames, and see the glowings of its heat, that he
might know where he was going and what he was about to suffer. This was the thing that
filled his soul with sorrow and darkness, this terrible sight as it were overwhelmed him.
For what was that human nature of Christ to such mighty wrath as this? It was in itself,
without the supports of God, but a feeble worm of the dust, a thing that was crushed
before the moth, none of God’s children ever had such a cup set before them, as this first
being of every creature had. But not to dwell any longer on this, I hasten to show,

Third, that the conflict in Christ’s soul, in this view of his last sufferings, was
dreadful, beyond all expression or conception. This will appear,

1. From what is said of its dreadfulness in the history. By one evangelist we are told
(Mat. 26:37), “He began to be sorrowful and very heavy; and by another (Mark 14:33),
“And he taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and began to be sore amazed, and
to be very heavy.” These expressions hold forth the intense and overwhelming distress
that his soul was in. Luke’s expression in the text of his being in an agony, according to
the signification of that word in the original, implies no common degree of sorrow, but
such extreme distress that his nature had a most violent conflict with it, as a man that
wrestles with all his might with a strong man, who labours and exerts his utmost strength
to gain a conquest over him.

2. From what Christ himself says of it, who was not wont to magnify things beyond
the truth. He says, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death.” Mat. 26:38. What
language can more strongly express the most extreme degree of sorrow? His soul was
not only “sorrowful,” but “exceeding sorrowful;” and not only so, but because that did
not fully express the degree of his sorrow, he adds, “even unto death;” which seems to
intimate that the very pains and sorrows of hell, of eternal death, had got hold upon him.
The Hebrews were wont to express the utmost degree of sorrow that any creature could
be liable to by the phrase, the shadow of death. Christ had now, as it were, the shadow of
death brought over his soul by the near view which he had of that bitter cup that was
now set before him.

3. From the effect which it had on his body, in causing that bloody sweat that we
read of in the text. In our translation it is said, that “his sweat was, as it were, great drops
of blood, falling down to the ground.” The word rendered great drops, is in the original
èñïìâïé, which properly signifies lumps or clots. For we may suppose that the blood
that was pressed out through the pores of his skin by the violence of that inward struggle
and conflict that there was, when it came to be exposed to the cool air of the night,
congealed and stiffened, as is the nature of blood, and so fell off from him not in drops,
but in clots. If the suffering of Christ had occasioned merely a violent sweat, it would
have shown that he was in great agony. For it must be an extraordinary grief and
exercise of mind that causes the body to be all of a sweat abroad in the open air, in a cold
night as that was, as is evident from John 18:18, “And the servants and officers stood
there, who had made a fire of coals (for it was cold), and they warmed themselves; and
Peter stood with them, and warmed himself.” This was the same night in which Christ
had his agony in the garden. But Christ’s inward distress and grief was not merely such
as caused him to be in a violent and universal sweat, but such as caused him to sweat
blood. The distress and anguish of his mind was so unspeakably extreme as to force his
blood through the pores of his skin, and that so plentifully as to fall in great clots or
drops from his body to the ground. I come now to show,

Fourth, what may be supposed to be the special end of God’s giving Christ
beforehand these terrible views of his last sufferings. In other words, why it was needful
that he should have a more full and extraordinary view of the cup that he was to drink, a
little before he drank it, than ever he had before. Or why he must have such a foretaste of
the wrath of God to be endured on the cross, before the time came that he was actually to
endure it.

Answer. It was needful, in order that he might take the cup and drink it, as knowing
what he did. Unless the human nature of Christ had had an extraordinary view given him
beforehand of what he was to suffer, he could not, as man, fully know beforehand what
he was going to suffer, and therefore could not, as man, know what he did when he took
the cup to drink it, because he would not fully have known what the cup was — it being
a cup that he never drank before. If Christ had plunged himself into those dreadful
sufferings, without being fully sensible beforehand of their bitterness and dreadfulness,
he must have done he knew not what. As man, he would have plunged himself into
sufferings of the amount of which he was ignorant, and so have acted blindfold. And of
course his taking upon him these sufferings could not have been so fully his own act.
Christ, as God, perfectly knew what these sufferings were. But it was more needful also
that he should know as man. For he was to suffer as man, and the act of Christ in taking
that cup was the act of Christ as God man. But the man Christ Jesus hitherto never had
had experience of any such sufferings as he was now to endure on the cross. And
therefore he could not fully know what they were beforehand, but by having an
extraordinary view of them set before him, and an extraordinary sense of them impressed
on his mind. We have heard of tortures that others have undergone, but we do not fully
know what they were, because we never experienced them. And it is impossible that we
should fully know what they were but in one of these two ways, either by experiencing
them, or by having a view given of them, or a sense of them impressed in an
extraordinary way. Such a sense was impressed on the mind of the man Christ Jesus, in
the garden of Gethsemane, of his last sufferings, and that caused his agony. When he had
a full sight given him what that wrath of God was that he was to suffer, the sight was
overwhelming to him, it made his soul exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. Christ was
going to be cast into a dreadful furnace of wrath, and it was not proper that he should
plunge himself into it blindfold, as not knowing how dreadful the furnace was. Therefore
that he might not do so, God first brought him and set him at the mouth of the furnace,
that he might look in, and stand and view its fierce and raging flames, and might see
where he was going, and might voluntarily enter into it and bear it for sinners, as
knowing what it was. This view Christ had in his agony. Then God brought the cup that
he was to drink, and set it down before him, that he might have a full of it, and see what
it was before he took it and drank it. If Christ had not fully known what the dreadfulness
of these sufferings was, before he took them upon him, his taking them upon him could
not have been fully his own act as man. There could have been no explicit act of his will
about that which he was ignorant of. There could have been no proper trial, whether he
would be willing to undergo such dreadful sufferings or not, unless he had known
beforehand how dreadful they were. But when he had seen what they were, by having an
extraordinary view given him of them, and then undertaken to endure them afterwards,
then he acted as knowing what he did, then his taking that cup and bearing such dreadful
sufferings was properly his own act by an explicit choice. And so his love to sinners, in
that choice of his, was the more wonderful, as also his obedience to God in it. And it was
necessary that this extraordinary view that Christ had of the cup he was to drink should
be given at that time, just before he was apprehended. This was the most proper season
for it, just before he took the cup, and while he yet had opportunity to refuse the cup. For
before he was apprehended by the company led by Judas, he had opportunity to make his
escape at pleasure. For the place where he was, was without the city, where he was not at
all confined, and was a lonesome, solitary place. And it was the night season, so that he
might have gone from that place where he would, and his enemies not have known
where to have found him. This view that he had of the bitter cup was given him while he
was yet fully at liberty, before he was given into the hands of his enemies. Christ’s
delivering himself up into the hands of his enemies, as he did when Judas came, which
was just after his agony, was properly his act of taking the cup in order to drink. For
Christ knew that the issue of that would be his crucifixion the next day. These things
may show us the end of Christ’s agony, and the necessity there was of such an agony
before his last sufferings.

APPLICATION

I. Hence we may learn how dreadful Christ’s last sufferings were. We learn it from the dreadful effect which the bare foresight of them had upon him in his agony. His last sufferings were so dreadful that the view which Christ had of them before overwhelmed him and amazed him, as it is said he began to be sore amazed. The very sight of these last sufferings was so very dreadful as to sink his soul down into the dark shadow of death. Yea, so dreadful was it that in the sore conflict which his nature had with it, he was all in a sweat of blood, his body all over was covered with clotted blood, and not only his body, by the very ground under him with the blood that fell from him, which had been forced through his pores through the violence of his agony. And if only the foresight of the cup was so dreadful, how dreadful was the cup itself, how far beyond all that can be uttered or conceived! Many of the martyrs have endured extreme tortures, but from what has been said, there is all reason to think those all were a mere nothing to the last sufferings of Christ on the cross. And what has been said affords a convincing argument that the sufferings which Christ endured in his body on the cross, though they were very dreadful, were yet the least part of his last sufferings. And that beside those, he endured sufferings in his soul which were vastly greater. For if it had been only the sufferings which he endured in his body, though they were very dreadful, we cannot conceive that the mere anticipation of them would have such an effect on Christ. Many of the martyrs, for aught we know, have endured as severe tortures in their bodies as Christ did. Many of the martyrs have not been so overwhelmed. There has been no appearance of such amazing sorrow and distress of mind either at the anticipation of their sufferings, or in their actual enduring of them.

II. From what has been said, we may see the wonderful strength of the love of Christ to sinners. What has been said shows the strength of Christ’s love two ways.

First, that it was so strong as to carry him through that agony that he was then in. The suffering that he then was actually subject to was dreadful and amazing, as has been shown. And how wonderful was his love that lasted and was upheld still! The love of any mere man or angel would doubtless have sunk under such a weight, and never would have endured such a conflict in such a bloody sweat as that of Jesus Christ. The anguish of Christ’s soul at that time was so strong as to cause that wonderful effect on his body. But his love to his enemies, poor and unworthy as they were, was stronger still. The heart of Christ at that time was full of distress, but it was fuller of love to vile worms. His sorrows abounded, but his love did much more abound. Christ’s soul was overwhelmed with a deluge of grief, but this was from a deluge of love to sinners in his heart sufficient to overflow the world, and overwhelm the highest mountains of its sins. Those great drops of blood that fell down to the ground were a manifestation of an ocean of love in Christ’s heart.

Second, the strength of Christ’s love more especially appears in this, that when he had such a full view of the dreadfulness of the cup that he was to drink, that so amazed him, he would notwithstanding even then take it up, and drink it. Then seems to have been the greatest and most peculiar trial of the strength of the love of Christ, when God set down the bitter portion before him, and let him see what he had to drink, if he persisted in his love to sinners; and brought him to the mouth of the furnace that he might see its fierceness, and have a full view of it, and have time then to consider whether he would go in and suffer the flames of this furnace for such unworthy creatures, or not. This was as it were proposing it to Christ’s last consideration what he would do; as much as if it had then been said to him, “Here is the cup that you are to drink, unless you will give up your undertaking for sinners, and even leave them to perish as they deserve. Will you take this cup, and drink it for them, or not? There is the furnace into which you are to be cast, if they are to be saved. Either they must perish, or you must endure this for them. There you see how terrible the heat of the furnace is. You see what pain and anguish you must endure on the morrow, unless you give up the cause of sinners. What will you do? Is your love such that you will go on? Will you cast yourself into this dreadful furnace of wrath?’ Christ’s soul was overwhelmed with the thought. His feeble human nature shrunk at the dismal sight. It put him into this dreadful agony which you have heard described. But his love to sinners held out. Christ would not undergo these sufferings needlessly, if sinners could be saved without. If there was not an absolute necessity of his suffering them in order to their salvation, he desired that the cup might pass from him. But if sinners, on whom he had set his love, could not, agreeably to the will of God, be saved without his drinking it, he chose that the will of God should be done. He chose to go on and endure the suffering, awful as it appeared to him. And this was his final conclusion, after the dismal conflict of his poor feeble human nature, after he had had the cup in view, and for at least the space of one hour, had seen how amazing it was. Still he finally resolved that he would bear it, rather than those poor sinners whom he had loved from all eternity should perish. When the dreadful cup was before him, he did not say within himself, why should I, who am so great and glorious a person, infinitely more honorable than all the angels of heaven, Why should I go to plunge myself into such dreadful, amazing torments for worthless wretched worms that cannot be profitable to God, or me, and that deserve to be hated by me, and not to be loved? Why should I, who have been living from all eternity in the enjoyment of the Father’s love, go to cast myself into such a furnace for them that never can requite me for it? Why should I yield myself to be thus crushed by the weight of diving wrath, for them who have no love to me, and are my enemies? They do not deserve any union with me, and never did, and never will do, anything to recommend themselves to me. What shall I be the richer for having saved a number of miserable haters of God and me, who deserve to have divine justice glorified in their destruction? Such, however, was not the language of Christ’s heart in these circumstances. But on the contrary, his love held out, and he resolved even then, in the midst of his agony, to yield himself up to the will of God, and to take the cup and drink it. He would not flee to get out of the way of Judas and those that were with him, though he knew they were coming, but that same hour delivered himself voluntarily into their hands. When they came with swords and staves to apprehend him, and he could have called upon his Father, who would immediately have sent many legions of angels to repel his enemies, and have delivered him, he would not do it. And when his disciples would have made resistance, he would not suffer them, as you may see in Mat. 26:51, and onward: “And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into its place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he will presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief, with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. But all this was done that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” And Christ, instead of hiding himself from Judas and the soldiers, told them, when they seemed to be at a loss whether he was the person whom they sought, and when they seemed still somewhat to hesitate, being seized with some terror in their minds, he told them so again, and so yielded himself up into their hands, to be bound by them, after he had shown them that he could easily resist them if he pleased, when a single word spoken by him, threw them backwards to the ground, as you may see in John 18:3, etc. “Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns, and torches, and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said unto them, I am he. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward and fell to the ground.” Thus powerful, constant, and violent was the love of Christ. And the special trial of his love above all others in his whole life seems to have been in the time of his agony. For though his sufferings were greater afterwards, when he was on the cross, yet he saw clearly what those sufferings were to be, in the time of his agony. And that seems to have been the first time that ever Christ Jesus had a clear view what these sufferings were. And after this the trial was not so great, because the conflict was over. His human nature had been in a struggle with his love to sinners, but his love had got the victory. The thing, upon a full view of his sufferings, had been resolved on and concluded. And accordingly, when the moment arrived, he actually went through with those sufferings.

But there are two circumstances of Christ’s agony that do still make the strength of constancy of his love to sinners the more conspicuous.

1. That at the same time that he had such a view of the dreadfulness of his sufferings, he had also an extraordinary view of the hatefulness of the wickedness of those for whom those sufferings were to make atonement. There are two things that render Christ’s love wonderful: 1. That he should be willing to endure sufferings that were so great. And 2. That he should be willing to endure them to make atonement for wickedness that was so great. But in order to its being properly said, Christ of his own act and choice endured sufferings that were so great, to make atonement for wickedness that was so great, two things were necessary. 1. That he should have an extraordinary sense how great these sufferings were to be, before the endured them. This was given in his agony. And 2. That he should also at the same time have an extraordinary sense how great and hateful was the wickedness of men for which he suffered to make atonement; or how unworthy those were for whom he died. And both these were given at the same time. When Christ had such an extraordinary sense how bitter his cup was to be, he had much to make sensible how unworthy and hateful that wickedness of mankind was for which he suffered, because the hateful and malignant nature of that corruption never appeared more fully than in spite and cruelty of men in these sufferings. And yet his love was such that he went on notwithstanding to suffer for them who were full of such hateful corruption.

It was the corruption and wickedness of men that contrived and effected his death. It was the wickedness of men that agreed with Judas, it was the wickedness of men that betrayed him, and that apprehended him, and bound him, and led him away like a malefactor. It was by men’s corruption and wickedness that he was arraigned, and falsely accused, and unjustly judged. It was by men’s wickedness that he was reproached, mocked, buffeted, and spit upon. It was by men’s wickedness that Barabbas was preferred before him. It was men’s wickedness that laid the cross upon him to bear, and that nailed him to it, and put him to so cruel and ignominious a death. This tended to give Christ an extraordinary sense of the greatness and hatefulness of the depravity of mankind.

(1.) Because hereby in the time of his sufferings he had that depravity set before him as it is, without disguise. When it killed Christ, it appeared in its proper colors. Here Christ saw it in its true nature, which is the utmost hatred and contempt of God, in its ultimate tendency and desire, which is to kill God, and in its greatest aggravation and highest act, which is killing a person that was God.

(2.) Because in these sufferings he felt the fruits of that wickedness. It was then directly leveled against himself, and exerted itself against him to work his reproach and torment, which tended to impress a stronger sense of its hatefulness on the human nature of Christ. But yet at the same time, so wonderful was the love of Christ to those who exhibited this hateful corruption, that he endured those very sufferings to deliver them from the punishment of that very corruption. The wonderfulness of Christ’s dying love appears partly in that he died for those that were so unworthy in themselves, as all mankind have the same kind of corruptions in their hearts, and partly in that he died for those who were not only so wicked, but whose wickedness consists in being enemies to him, so that he did not only die for the wicked, but for his own enemies, and partly in that he was willing to die for his enemies at the same time that he was feeling the fruits of their enmity, while he felt the utmost effects and exertions of their spite against him in the greatest possible contempt and cruelty towards him in his own greatest ignominy, torments, and death; and partly in that he was willing to atone for their being his enemies in these very sufferings, and by that very ignominy, torment, and death that was the fruit of it. The sin and wickedness of men, for which Christ suffered to make atonement, was, as it were, set before Christ in his view.

1st. In that this wickedness was but a sample of the wickedness of mankind. For the corruption of all mankind is of the same nature, and the wickedness that is in one man’s heart is of the same nature and tendency as in another’s. As in water, face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.

2nd. It is probable that Christ died to make atonement for that individual actual wickedness that wrought his sufferings, that reproached, mocked, buffeted, and crucified him. Some of his crucifiers, for whom he prayed that they might be forgiven, while they were in the very act of crucifying him, were afterwards, in answer to his prayer, converted, by the preaching of Peter. As we have an account of in the 2d chapter of Acts.

2. Another circumstance of Christ’s agony that shows the strength of his love is the ungrateful carriage of his disciples at that time. Christ’s disciples were among those for whom he endured this agony, and among those for whom he was going to endure those last sufferings, of which he now had such dreadful apprehensions. Yet Christ had already given them an interest in the benefits of those sufferings. Their sins had already been forgiven them through that blood that he was going to shed, and they had been infinite gainers already by that dying pity and love which he had to them, and had through his sufferings been distinguished from all the world besides. Christ had put greater honor upon them than any other, by making them his disciples in a more honorable sense than he had done any other. And yet now, when he had that dreadful cup set before him which he was going to drink for them, and was in such an agony at the sight of it, he saw no return on their part but indifference and ingratitude. When he only desired them to watch with him, that he might be comforted in their company, now at this sorrowful moment they fell asleep, and showed that they had not concern enough about it to induce them to keep awake with him even for one hour, though he desired it of them once and again. But yet this ungrateful treatment of theirs, for whom he was to drink the cup of wrath which God had set before him, did not discourage him from taking it, and drinking it for them. His love held out to them. Having loved his own, he loved them to the end. He did not say within himself when this cup of trembling was before him, Why should I endure so much for those that are so ungrateful? Why should I here wrestle with the expectation of the terrible wrath of God to be borne by me tomorrow, for them that in the mean time have not so much concern for me as to keep awake with me when I desire it of them even for one hour? But on the contrary, with tender and fatherly compassions he excuses this ingratitude of his disciples, and says, Mat. 26:41, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak;” and went and was apprehended, and mocked, and scourged, and crucified, and poured out his soul unto death, under the heavy weight of God’s dreadful wrath on the cross for them.

3d Inference. From what has been said, we may learn the wonderfulness of Christ’s submission to the will of God. Christ, as he was a divine person, was the absolute sovereign of heaven and earth, but yet he was the most wonderful instance of submission to God’s sovereignty that ever was. When he had such a view of the terribleness of his last sufferings, and prayed if it were possible that that cup might pass from him, i.e. if there was not an absolute necessity of it in order to the salvation of sinners, yet it was with a perfect submission to the will of God. He adds, “Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.” He chose rather that the inclination of his human nature, which so much dreaded such exquisite torments, should be crossed, than that God’s will should not take place. He delighted in the thought of God’s will being done. And when he went and prayed the second time, he had nothing else to say but, “O my Father, if this cup may not pass from me except I drink it, thy will be done.” And so the third time. What are such trials of submission as any of us sometimes have in the afflictions that we suffer in comparison of this? If God does but in his providence signify it to be his will that we should part with a child, how hardly are we brought to yield to it, how ready to be unsubmissive and froward? Or if God lays his hand upon us in some acute pain of body, how ready are we to be discontented and impatient; when the innocent Son of God, who deserved no suffering, could quietly submit to sufferings inconceivably great, and say it over and over, God’s will be done! When he was brought and set before that dreadful furnace of wrath into which he was to be cast, in order that he might look into it and have a full view of its fierceness, when his flesh shrunk at it, and his nature was in such a conflict, that his body was all covered with a sweat of blood falling in great drops to the ground, yet his soul quietly yielded that the will of God should be done, rather than the will or inclination of his human nature.

4th Infer. What has been said on this subject also shows us the glory of Christ’s obedience. Christ was subject to the moral law as Adam was, and he was also subject to the ceremonial and judicial laws of Moses. But the principal command that he had received of the Father was, that he should lay down his life, that he should voluntarily yield up himself to those terrible sufferings on the cross. To do this was his principal errand into the world. And doubtless the principal command that he received was about that which was the principal errand on which he was sent. The Father, when he sent him into the world, sent him with commands concerning what he should do in the world. And his chief command of all was about that, which was the errand he was chiefly sent upon, which was to lay down his life. And therefore this command was the principal trial of his obedience. It was the greatest trial of his obedience, because it was by far the most difficult command. All the rest were easy in comparison of this. And the main trial that Christ had, whether he would obey this command, was in the time of his agony. For that was within an hour before he was apprehended in order to his sufferings, when he must either yield himself up to them, or fly from them. And then it was the first time that Christ had a full view of the difficulty of this command, which appeared so great as to cause that bloody sweat. Then was the conflict of weak human nature with the difficulty, then was the sore struggles and wrestling with the heavy trial he had, and then Christ got the victory over the temptation, from the dread of his human nature. His obedience held out through the conflict. Then we may suppose that Satan was especially let loose to set in with the natural dread that the human nature had of such torments, and to strive to his utmost to dissuade Christ from going on to drink the bitter cup. For about that time, towards the close of Christ’s life, was he especially delivered up into the hands of Satan to be tempted of him, more than he was immediately after his baptism; for Christ says, speaking of that time, Luke 22:53, “When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me; but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” So that Christ, in the time of his agony, was wrestling not only with overwhelming views of his last sufferings, but he also wrestled, in that bloody sweat, with principalities and powers — he contended at that time with the great leviathan that labored to his utmost to tempt him to disobedience. So that then Christ had temptations every way to draw him off from obedience to God. He had temptations from his feeble human nature, that exceedingly dreaded such torments. And he had temptations from men, who were his enemies. And he had temptations from the ungrateful carriage of his own disciples. And he had temptations from the devil. He had also an overwhelming trial from the manifestation of God’s own wrath, when, in the words of Isaiah, it pleased the Lord to bruise him and put him to grief. But yet he failed not, but go the victory over all, and performed that great act of obedience at that time to that same God that hid himself form him, and was showing his wrath to him for men’s sins, which he must presently suffer. Nothing could move him away from his steadfast obedience to God, but he persisted in saying, “Thy will be done:” expressing not only his submission, but his obedience; not only his compliance with the disposing will of God, but also with his preceptive will. God had given him this cup to drink, and had commanded him to drink it, and that was reason enough with him to drink it. Hence he says, at the conclusion of his agony, when Judas came with his band, “The cup which my Father giveth me to drink, shall I not drink it?” John 18:11. Christ, at the time of his agony, had an inconceivably greater trial of obedience than any man or any angel ever had. How much was this trial of the obedience of the second Adam beyond the trial of the obedience of the first Adam! How light was our first father’s temptation in comparison of this! And yet our first surety failed, and our second failed not, but obtained a glorious victory, and went and became obedient until death, even the death of the cross. Thus wonderful and glorious was the obedience of Christ, by which he wrought our righteousness for believers, and which obedience is imputed to them. No wonder that it is a sweet penalty sown, and that God stands ready to bestow heaven as its reward on all the believe on him.

5. What has been said shows us the sottishness of secure sinners in being so fearless of the wrath of God. If the wrath of God was so dreadful, that, when Christ only expected it, his human nature was nearly overwhelmed with the fear of it, and his soul was amazed, and his body all over in a bloody sweat. Then how sottish are sinners, who are under the threatening of the same wrath of God, and are condemned to it, and are every moment exposed to it. And yet, instead of manifesting intense apprehension, are quiet and easy, and unconcerned. Instead of being sorrowful and very heavy, go about with a light and careless heart. Instead of crying out in bitter agony, are often gay and cheerful, and eat and drink, and sleep quietly, and go on in sin, provoking the wrath of God more and more, without any great matter of concern! How stupid and sottish are such persons! Let such senseless sinners consider, that that misery, of which they are in danger from the wrath of God, is infinitely more terrible than that, the fear of which occasioned in Christ his agony and bloody fear of sweat. It is more terrible, both as it differs both in its nature and degree, and also as it differs in its duration. It is more terrible in its nature and degree. Christ suffered that which, as it upheld the honor of the divine law, was fully equivalent to the misery of the damned. And in some respect it was the same suffering; for it was the wrath of the same God. But yet in other respects it vastly differed. The difference does not arise from the difference in the wrath poured out on one and the other, for it is the same wrath, but from the difference of the subject, which may be best illustrated from Christ’s own comparison. Luke 23:31, “For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?” Here he calls himself the green tree, and wicked men the dry, intimating that the misery that will come on wicked men will be far more dreadful than those sufferings which came on him, and the difference arises from the different nature of the subject. The green tree and the dry are both cast into the fire. But the flames seize and kindle on the dry tree much more fiercely than on the green. The sufferings that Christ endured differ from the misery of the wicked in hell in nature and degree in the following respects.

First, Christ felt not the gnawings of a guilty, condemning conscience.

Second, he felt no torment from the reigning of inward corruptions and lusts as the damned do. The wicked in hell are their own tormentors, their lusts are their tormentors, and being without restraint (for there is no restraining grace in hell), their lusts will rage like raging flames in their hearts. They shall be tormented with the unrestrained violence of a spirit of envy and malice against God, and against the angels and saints in heaven, and against one another. Now Christ suffered nothing of this.

Third, Christ had not to consider that God hated him. The wicked in hell have this to make their misery perfect, they know that God perfectly hates them without the least pity or regard to them, which will fill their souls with inexpressible misery. But it was not so with Christ. God withdrew his comfortable presence from Christ, and hid his face from him, and so poured out his wrath upon him, as made him feel its terrible effects in his soul. But yet he knew at the same time that God did not hate him, but infinitely loved him. He cried out of God’s forsaking him, but yet at the same time calls him “My God, my God!” knowing that he was his God still, though he had forsaken him. But the wicked in hell will know that he is not their God, but their judge and irreconcilable enemy.

Fourth, Christ did not suffer despair, as the wicked do in hell. He knew that there would be an end to his sufferings in a few hours. And that after that he should enter into eternal glory. But it will be far otherwise with you that are impenitent. If you die in your present condition, you will be in perfect despair. On these accounts, the misery of the wicked in hell will be immensely more dreadful in nature and degree, than those sufferings with the fear of which Christ’s soul was so much overwhelmed.

It will infinitely differ in duration. Christ’s sufferings lasted but a few hours, and there was an eternal end to them, and eternal glory succeeded. But you that are a secure, senseless sinner, are every day exposed to be cast into everlasting misery, a fire that never shall be quenched. If then the Son of God was in such amazement, in the expectation of what he was to suffer for a few hours, how sottish are you who are continually exposed to sufferings, immensely more dreadful in nature and degree, and that are to be without any end, but which must be endured without any rest day or night forever and ever! If you had a full sense of the greatness of that misery to which you are exposed, and how dreadful your present condition is on that account, it would this moment put you into as dreadful an agony as that which Christ underwent. Yea, if your nature could endure it, one much more dreadful. We should now see you fall down in a bloody sweat, wallowing in your gore, and crying out in terrible amazement.

APPLICATION

II. From what has been said, we may see the wonderful strength of the love of Christ to sinners. What has been said shows the strength of Christ’s love two ways.

But there are two circumstances of Christ’s agony that do still make the strength of constancy of his love to sinners the more conspicuous.

First, Christ felt not the gnawings of a guilty, condemning conscience.

APPLICATION

Great improvement may be made of the consideration of the strong crying and tears
of Christ in the days of his flesh, many ways for our benefit.

I. This may teach us after what manner we should pray to God, not in a cold and
careless manner, but with great earnestness and engagedness of spirit, and especially
when we are praying to God for those things that are of infinite importance, such as
spiritual and eternal blessings. Such were the benefits that Christ prayed for with such
strong crying and tears, that he might be enabled to do God’s will in that great and
difficult work that God had appointed him, that he might not sink and fail, but might get
the victory, and so finally be delivered form death, and that God’s will and end might be
obtained as the fruit of his sufferings, in the glory of God, and the salvation of the elect.

When we go before God in prayer with a cold, dull heart, and in a lifeless and
listless manner pray to him for eternal blessings, and those of infinite import to our souls,
we should think of Christ’s earnest prayers that he poured out to God, with tears and a
bloody sweat. The consideration of it may well make us ashamed of our dull, lifeless
prayers to God, wherein, indeed, we rather ask a denial than ask to be heard. For the
language of such a manner of praying to God, is that we do not look upon the benefit
that we pray for as of any great importance, that we are indifferent whether God answers
us or not. The example of Jacob in wrestling with God for the blessing should teach us
earnestness in our prayers, but more especially the example of Jesus Christ, who
wrestled with God in a bloody sweat. If we were sensible as Christ was of the great
importance of those benefits that are of eternal consequence, our prayers to God for such
benefits would be after another manner than now they are. Our souls also would with
earnest labor and strife be engaged in this duty.

There are many benefits that we ask of God in our prayers which are every whit of
as great importance to us as those benefits which Christ asked of God in his agony were
to him. It is of as great importance to us that we should be enabled to do the will of God,
and perform a sincere, universal, and persevering obedience to his commands, as it was
to Christ that he should not fail of doing God’s will in his great work. It is of as great
importance to us to be saved from death, as it was to Christ that he should get the victory
over death, and so be saved from it. It is of as great, and infinitely greater, importance to
us, that Christ’s redemption, should be successful in us, as it was to him that God’s will
should be done, in the fruits and success of his redemption.

Christ recommended earnest watchfulness and prayerfulness to his disciples, by
prayer and example, both at the same time. When Christ was in his agony, and came and
found his disciples asleep, he bid them watch and pray, Mat. 26:41, “Watch and pray,
that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” At
the same time he set them an example of that which he commanded them, for though
they slept he watched, and poured out his soul in those earnest prayers that you have
heard of. And Christ has elsewhere taught us to ask those blessings of God that are of
infinite importance, as those that will take no denial. We have another example of the
great conflicts and engagedness of Christ’s spirit in this duty. Luke 6:12, “And it came to
pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in
prayer to God.” And he was often recommending earnestness in crying to God in
prayers. In the parable of the unjust judge, Luke 18 at the beginning; “And he spake a
parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; saying,
There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man; and there was a
widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying Avenge me of mine adversary. And
he would not for a while: but afterwards he saith within himself, Though I fear not God
nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her
continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.”
Luke 11:5, etc. “And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go
unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of
mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from
within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are
with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, though he will not rise and
give him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity, he will rise and give
him as many as he needeth.” He taught it in his own way of answering prayer, as in
answering the woman of Canaan, Mat. 15:22, etc. “And behold a woman of Canaan
came out of the coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son
of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word.
And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It
is not meet to take the children’s bread and cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord; yet
the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master’s table. Then Jesus answered and
said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her
daughter was made whole from that very hour.” And as Christ prayed in his agony, so I
have already mentioned several texts of Scripture wherein we are directed to agonize in
our prayers to God.

II. These earnest prayers and strong cries of Christ to the Father in his agony, show
the greatness of his love to sinners. For, as has been shown, these strong cries of Jesus
Christ were what he offered up to God as a public person, in the capacity of high priest,
and in the behalf of those who priest he was. When he offered up his sacrifice for sinners
whom he had loved from eternity, he withal offered up earnest prayers. His strong cries,
his tears, and his blood were all offered up together to God, and they were all offered up
for the same end, for the glory of God in the salvation of the elect. They were all offered
up for the same persons, viz. for his people. For them he shed his blood in that bloody
sweat, when it fell down in clotted lumps to the ground. And for them he so earnestly
cried to God at the same time. It was that the will of God might be done in the success of
his sufferings, in the success of that blood, in the salvation of those for whom that blood
was shed, and therefore this strong crying shows his strong love. It shows how greatly he
desired the salvation of sinners. He cried to God that he might not sink and fail in that
great undertaking, because if he did so, sinners could not be saved, but all must perish.
He prayed that he might get the victory over death, because if he did not get the victory,
his people could never obtain that victory, and they can conquer no otherwise than by his
conquest. If the Captain of our salvation had not conquered in this sore conflict, none of
us could have conquered, but we must have all sunk with him. He cried to God that he
might be saved from death, and if he had not been saved from death in his resurrection,
none of us could ever have been saved from death. It was a great sight to see Christ in
that great conflict that he was in his agony, but everything in it was from love, that
strong love that was in his heart. His tears that flowed from his eyes were from love. His
great sweat was from love. His blood, his prostrating himself on the ground before the
Father, was from love. His earnest crying to God was from the strength and ardency of
his love. It is looked upon as one principal way wherein true love and good will is shown
in Christian friends one towards another, heartily to pray one for another. And it is one
way wherein Christ directs us to show our love to our enemies, even praying for them.
Mat. 5:44, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, and pray
for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” But was there ever any prayer
that manifested love to enemies to such a degree, as those strong cries and tears of the
Son of God for the success of his blood in the salvation of his enemies; the strife and
conflict of whose soul in prayer was such as to product his agony and his bloody sweat?

III. If Christ was thus earnest in prayer to God, that the end of his sufferings might
be obtained in the salvation of sinners, then how much ought those sinners to be
reproved that do not earnestly seek their own salvation! If Christ offered up such strong
cries for sinners as their high priest, that bought their salvation, who stood in no need of
sinners, who had been happy from all eternity without them, and could not be made
happier by them, then how great is the sottishness of those sinners that seek their own
salvation in a dull and lifeless manner; that content themselves with a formal attendance
on the duties of religion, with their hearts in the mean time much more earnestly set after
other things! They after a sort attend on the duty of social prayer, wherein they pray to
God that he would have mercy on them and save them. But after what a poor dull way is
it that they do it! They do not apply their heart unto wisdom, nor incline their ear to
understanding. They do not cry after wisdom, nor lift up their voice for understanding.
They do not seek it as silver, nor search for it as for hidden treasures. Christ’s earnest
cries in his agony may convince us that it was not without reason that he insisted upon it,
in Luke 13:24. that we should strive to enter in at the strait gate, which, as I have already
observed to you, is, in the original Áãùíéæåóèå, “Agonize to enter in at the strait gate.” If
sinners would be in a hopeful way to obtain their salvation, they should agonize in that
great concern as men that are taking a city by violence, as Mat. 11:12, “And from the
days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the
violent take it by force.” When a body of resolute soldiers are attempting to take a strong
city in which they meet with great opposition, what violent conflicts are there before the
city is taken! How do the soldiers press on against the very mouths of the enemies’
cannon, and upon the points of their swords! When the soldiers are scaling the walls, and
making their first entrance into the city, what a violent struggle is there between them
and their enemies that strive to keep them out! How do they, as it were, agonize with all
their strength! So ought we to seek our salvation, if we would be in a likely way to
obtain it. How great is the folly then of those who content themselves with seeking with
a cold and lifeless frame of spirit, and so continue from month to month, and from year
to year, and yet flatter themselves that they shall be successful!

How much more still are they to be reproved, who are not in a way of seeking their
salvation at all, but wholly neglect their previous souls, and attend the duties of religion
no further than is just necessary to keep up their credit among men. And instead of
pressing into the kingdom of God, are rather violently pressing on towards their own
destruction and ruin, being hurried on by their many headstrong lusts, as the herd of
swine were hurried on by the legion of devils, and ran violently down a steep place into
the sea, and perished in the waters! Mat. 8:32.

IV. From what has been said under this proposition, we may learn after what manner
Christians ought to go through the work that is before them. Christ had a great work
before him when that took place, of which we have an account in the text. Though it was
very near the close of his life, yet he then, when his agony began, had the chief part of
the work before him that he came into the world to do, which was to offer up that
sacrifice which he offered in his last sufferings, and therein to perform the greatest act of
his obedience to God. And so the Christians have a great work to do, a service they are
to perform to God, that is attended with great difficulty. They have a race set before
them that they have to run, a warfare that is appointed them. Christ was the subject of a
very great trial in the time of his agony. So God is wont to exercise his people with great
trials. Christ met with great opposition in that work that he had to do. So believers are
like to meet with great opposition in running the race that is set before them. Christ, as
man, had a feeble nature, that was in itself very insufficient to sustain such a conflict, or
to support such a load as was coming upon him. So the saints have the same weak
human nature, and beside that, great sinful infirmities that Christ had not, which lay
them under great disadvantages, and greatly enhance the difficulty of their work. Those
great tribulations and difficulties of their work. Those great tribulations and difficulties
that were before Christ were the way in which he was to enter into the kingdom of
heaven. So his followers must expect, “through much tribulation to enter into the
kingdom of heaven.” The cross was to Christ the way to the crown of glory, and so it is
to his disciples. The circumstances of Christ and of his followers in those things are
alike, their case, therefore, is the same. And therefore Christ’s behavior under those
circumstances was a fit example for them to follow. They should look to their Captain,
and observe after what manner he went through his great work, and the great tribulations
which he endured. They should observe after what manner he entered into the kingdom
of heaven, and obtained the crown of glory, and so they also should run the race that is
set before them. “Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud
of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and
let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus, the author and
finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Particularly,

First, when others are asleep they should be awake, as it was with Christ. The time
of Christ’s agony was the night season, the time wherein persons were wont to be asleep.
It was the time wherein the disciples that were about Christ were asleep. But Christ then
had something else to do than to sleep. He had a great work to do. He kept awake, with
his heart engaged in this work. So should it be with the believers of Christ. When the
souls of their neighbors are asleep in their sins, and under the power of a lethargic
insensibility and sloth, they should watch and pray, and maintain a lively sense of the
infinite importance of their spiritual concerns. 1 Thes. 5:6, “Therefore let us not sleep, as
do others, but let us watch and be sober.”

Second, they should go through their work with earnest labor, as Christ did. The
time when others were asleep was a time when Christ was about his great work, and was
engaged in it with all his might, agonizing in it, conflicting and wrestling, in tears, and in
blood. So should Christians with the utmost earnestness improve their time with souls
engaged in this work, pushing through the opposition they meet with in it, pushing
through all difficulties and sufferings there are in the way, running with patience the race
set before them, conflicting with the enemies of their souls with all their might, as those
that wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers, and the rulers
of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places.

Third, this labor and strife should be, that God may be glorified, and their own
eternal happiness obtained in a way of doing God’s will. Thus it was with Christ. What
he so earnestly strove for was that he might do the will of God without failing in it, and
that in this way God’s will might be done, in that glory to his ever great name, and that
salvation to his elect that he intended by his sufferings. Here is an example for the saints
to follow in that holy strife, and race, and warfare, which God has appointed them. They
should strive to do the will of their heavenly Father, that they may, as the apostle
expresses it, Rom. 12:2, “Prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of
God,” and that in this way they may glorify God, and may come at last to be happy
forever in the enjoyment of God.

Fourth, in all the great work they have to do, their eye should be to God for his help
to enable them to overcome. Thus did the man Christ Jesus. He strove in his work even
to such an agony and bloody sweat. But how did he strive? It was not in his own
strength, but his eyes were to God, he cries unto him for his help and strength to uphold
him, that he might not fail. He watched and prayed, as he desired his disciples to do. He
wrestled with his enemies and with his great sufferings, but at the same time wrestled
with God to obtain his help, to enable him to get the victory. Thus the saints should use
their strength in their Christian course to the utmost, but not as depending on their own
strength, but crying mightily to God for his strength to make them conquerors.

Fifth, in this way they should hold out to the end as Christ did. Christ in this way
was successful, and obtained the victory, and won the prize. He overcame, and is set
down with the Father in his throne. So Christians should persevere and hold out in their
great work to the end. They should continue to run their race till they have come to the
end of it. They should be faithful unto the death as Christ was. And then, when they have
overcome, they shall sit down with him in his throne. Rev. 3:21, “To him that
overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set
down with my Father in his throne.”

V. Hence burdened and distressed sinners, if any such are here present, may have
abundant ground of encouragement to come to Christ for salvation. Here is great
encouragement to sinners to come to this high priest that offered up such strong crying
and tears with his blood, for the success of his sufferings in the salvation of sinners. For,

First, here is great ground of assurance that Christ stands ready to accept of sinners,
and bestow salvation upon them. For those strong cries of his that he offered up in the
capacity of our high priest, show how earnestly desirous he was of it. If he was not
willing that sinners should be saved, be they ever so unworthy of it, then why would he
so wrestle with God for it in such a bloody sweat? Would anyone so earnestly cry to God
with such costly cries, in such great labor and travail of soul, for that, that he did not
desire that God should bestow? No, surely! but this shows how greatly his hearts was set
on the success of his redemption. And therefore since he has by such earnest prayers,
and by such a bloody sweat, obtained salvation of the Father to bestow on sinners, he
will surely be ready to bestow it upon them, if they come to him for it. Otherwise he will
frustrate his own design. And he that so earnestly cried to God that his design might not
be frustrated, will not, after all, frustrate it himself.

Second, here is the strongest ground of assurance that God stands ready to accept of
all those that come to him for mercy through Christ, for this is what Christ prayed for in
those earnest prayers, whose prayers were always heard, as Christ says, John 11:42,
“And I knew that thou hearest me always.” And especially may they conclude, that heard
their high priest in those strong cries that he offered up with his blood. And that
especially on the following account.

1. They were the most earnest prayers that ever were made. Jacob was very earnest
when he wrestled with God. And many others have wrestled with God with may tears.
Yea, doubtless, many of the saints have wrestled with God with such inward labor and
strife as to produce powerful effects on the body. But so earnest was Christ, so strong
was the labor and fervency of his heart, that he cried to God in a sweat of blood. So that
if any earnestness and importunity in prayer ever prevailed with God, we may conclude
that that prevailed.

2. He who then prayed was the most worthy person that ever put up a prayer. He had
more worthiness than ever men or angels had in the sight of God, according as by
inheritance he has obtained a more excellent name than they. For he was the only-
begotten Son of God, infinitely lovely in his sight, the Son in whom he declared once
and again he was well-pleased. He was infinitely near and dear to God, and had more
worthiness in his eyes ten thousand times than all men and angels put together. And can
we suppose any other than that such a person was heard when he cried to God with such
earnestness? Did Jacob, a poor sinful man, when he had wrestled with God, obtain of
God the name ISRAEL, and that encomium, that as a prince he had power with God, and
prevailed? And did Elijah, who was a man of like passions, and of like corruptions with
us, when he prayed, earnestly prevail on God to work such great wonders? And shall not
the only-begotten Son of God, when wrestling with God in tears and blood, prevail, and
have his request granted him?

Surely there is no room to suppose any such thing. And therefore, there is no room
to doubt whether God will bestow salvation on those that believe in him, at his request.

3. Christ offered up these earnest prayers with the best plea for an answer that ever
was offered to God, viz. his own blood, which was an equivalent for the thing that he
asked. He not only offered up strong cries, but he offered them up with a price fully
sufficient to purchase the benefit he asked.

4. Christ offered this price and those strong cries both together. For at the same time
that he was pouring out these earnest requests for the success of his redemption in the
salvation of sinners, he also shed his blood. His blood fell down to the ground at the
same instant that his cries went up to heaven. Let burdened and distressed sinners that
are ready to doubt of the efficacy of Christ’s intercession for such unworthy creatures as
they, and to call in questions God’s readiness to accept them for Christ’s sake, consider
these things. Go to the garden where the Son of God was in an agony, and where he
cried to God so earnestly, and where his sweat was, as it were, great drops of blood, and
then see what a conclusion you will draw up from such a wonderful sight.

VI. The godly may take great comfort in this, that Christ has as their high priest
offered up such strong cries to God. You that have good evidence of your being
believers in Christ, and his true followers and servants, may comfort yourselves in this,
that Christ Jesus is your high priest, that that blood, which Christ shed in his agony, fell
down to the ground for you, and that those earnest cries were sent up to God for you, for
the success of his labors and sufferings in all that good you stood in need of in this
world, and in your everlasting happiness in the world to come. This may be a comfort to
you in all losses, and under all difficulties, that you may encourage your faith, and
strengthen your hope, and cause you greatly to rejoice. If you were under any remarkable
difficulties, it would be a great comfort to you to have the prayers of some man that you
looked upon to be a man of eminent piety, and one that had a great interest at the throne
of grace, and especially if you knew that he was very earnest and greatly engaged in
prayer for you. But how much more may you be comforted in it, that you have an
interest in the prayers and cries of the only-begotten and infinitely worthy Son of God,
and that he was so earnest in his prayers for you, as you have heard!

VII. Hence we may learn how earnest Christians ought to be in their prayers and
endeavors for the salvation of others. Christians are the followers of Christ, and they
should follow him in this. We see from what we have heard, how great the labor and
travail of Christ’s soul was for others’ salvation, and what earnest and strong cries to
God accompanied his labors. Here he has set us an example. Herein he has set an
example for ministers, who should as co-workers with Christ travail in birth with them
till Christ be found in them. Gal. 4:19, “My little children, of whom I travail in birth
again, until Christ be formed in you.” They should be willing to spend and be spent for
them. They should not only labor for them, and pray earnestly for them, but should, if
occasion required, be ready to suffer for them, and to spend not only their strength, but
their blood for them. 2 Cor. 12:15, “And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you,
though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.” Here is an example for
parents, showing how they ought to labor and cry to God for the spiritual good of their
children. You see how Christ labored and strove and cried to God for the salvation of his
spiritual children. And will not you earnestly seek and cry to God for your natural
children?

Here is an example for neighbors one towards another how they should seek and cry
for the good of one another’s souls, for this is the command of Christ, that they should
love one another as Christ loved them. John 15:12. Here is an example for us, showing
how we should earnestly seek and pray for the spiritual and eternal good of our enemies,
for Christ did all this for his enemies, and when some of those enemies were at that very
instant plotting his death, and busily contriving to satiate their malice and cruelty, in his
most extreme torments, and most ignominious destruction.

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