Bridge's remains, being VIII sermons

Soul-Resignation, Into the hands of God.

These are the last words of Christ on the Cross the seventh speech: and of all others the most exemplary for us. Into thy hands, that is, into thy Charge, Care, and Tuition. God hath no hands at all, for he is a Spirit; but by his hands we are to understand his Keeping, Charge, and Custody, Numb. 33.1. Its said, The Children of Israel went forth out of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses ⟨p. 162⟩and Aaron; that is, under the charge of Moses and Aaron; so the Translators do interpret it. For whereas Chap. 31.49. Its said by the Officers of the army, Thy Servants have taken the sum of the men that were under our charge; the Margin tells you, That in the Hebrew it is under our hand So Psal. 91.11, 12. He shall give his Angels charge over thee, and they shall bear thee up in their hands. By the hands of God therefore, understand his keeping and tuition, Father into thy keeping and tuition I do commend my spirit; the word is [Greek or Hebrew], I will commend; but our Saviour follows the Septuagint, and the Septuagint the Hebrew of the 31 Psal. whence these words are taken. And its ordinary with the Hebrew to put the future for the present time. I will or I do commend my spirit, that is, my soul, my self, but especially my soul, The thing commended was his soul; The person to whom he did commend his soul, was his Father; The Time when he commended his soul, was at the instant of his death, for having said so, he gave up the Ghost. Now if ye ask why Christ did at this time especially commend and resign himself and soul up to God, I answer for many reasons.