The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption…

And as the Sufferings inflicted by the hand of God, so the Evils He endured from men, declare the infiniteness of our Redeemers Love to us. For the further discovery of it, 'tis necessary to reflect upon his Death, which is set down by the Apostle as the lowest degree of his Humiliation, in which the succession of all his Bodily Sufferings is included, it being the complement of all. And if we consider the quality of it, the Goodness of our Redeemer will be more visible in his voluntary submission to it. Two Circumstances make the kind of death which is to be suffered, very terrible to us, Ignominy and Torment, and they eminently concur in the Death of the Cross.

And as the Sufferings infflicted by the hand of God, so the Evils He endured from men, declare the infiniteness of our Redeemers Love to us. For the further discovery of it, 'tis necessary to reflect upon his Death, which is set down by the Apostle as the lowest degree of his Humiliation, in which the succession of all his Bodily Sufferings is included, it being the complement of all. And if we consider the quality of it, the Goodness of our Redeemer will be more visible in his voluntary submission to it. Two Circumstances make the kind of death which is to be suffered, very terrible to us, Ignominy and Torment, and they eminently concur in the Death of the Cross.

1. The greatest Ignominy attended it, and that in the account of God and Men. As honour is in honorante, it depends upon the esteem of others; so infamy consists in judgment of others. Now in the account of the World every Death inflicted for a Crime is attended with disgrace: But that receives its degrees from the manner of it. To be executed privately is a favour, but to be made a spectacle to the multitude, increases the dishonour of one that suffers. When Death is speedily inflicted, the sense of shame is presently past; but to be exposed to public view for many Hours, as a Malefactor, whilst the Beholders detest the Crime, and abhor the ⟨p. 178⟩Punishment, is an heavy aggravation of it. Beheading which is suddenly dispatched by a Sword, a military Instrument, and therefore more honourable, was a Privilege: But to hang on the Cross, was the most conspicuous mark of the public Justice and Displeasure: a special Infamy was concomitant with it. Among the Jews hanging on a Tree was branded with the Curse: Therefore God commanded that the bodies of those that were hanged on a tree,