Englands duty under the present gospel liberty from Revel. III, vers. 20

1. The greatness of the sufferings of Christ discover the ardency of his affection. Christs sufferings are two-fold.

1. External, in his Body. 2. Internal, in his Soul.

Both together making up the fullness of his Sufferings: When you shall hear what Christ hath endured in both kinds to purchase you to himself, then you may guess what value he put upon you, what desire he hath after you. Now (1.) as to the external Sufferings of Christ in his Body they were exceeding great, for the Death he died was not a Natural but a Violent Death; indeed he could not dye a Natural Death, for there was no sin in his Nature to open a door to Death that way: His Body was intended for a Sacrifice to God, and as a Sacrifice it dyed; therefore it is said, 1 Pet. 3. 18. He was put to Death in the Flesh; his Soul and Body were violently rent asunder in the fullness and perfection of his strength and vigour; and this violent Death was also a cursed Death; He was made a Curse for us, For it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree, Gal. 3. 13. A ceremonial Curse was affixed to the Death of the Cross; He that is hanged is accursed of God, saith the Law: The intention of that Death was to show the person that dyed, to be so vile, that he was not worthy to touch Heaven or Earth, and therefore was hanged betwixt both. Moreover, this violent Death Christ dyed was a most painful Death; full of Torture, and very Slow and Lingering; the Cross was a Rack to the Body of Christ: I may tell all my bones, saith he, they look and stare upon me, Psal. 22. 17. But yet (2.) the Sufferings of his Body were but the Body ⟨p. 191⟩