The Context from vers. 24. to the end of the Chapter containeth, 1. An Assertion. 2. A Vindication thereof. The Assertion, That whosoever will come after Christ must take up his cross, and deny himself v. 24. The Vindication from three great scandals which this severe doctrine of the Cross was attended withal. 1. Death and this taken away, v. 25. Whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever will loose his life for my sake, shall find it. The way to attain life eternal, is to lay down a mortal life, when the glory of Christ and his service calleth us thereunto: 2. Another great scandal of the Cross is, that it strips us of the world, and the ⟨p. 4⟩comforts and delights thereof, this is removed, v. 26. Admit a man could not only escape the Cross by forsaking Christ, but exchange him away for all the world, and make himself master of all the comforts which a confluence of all worldly dominions could pour into his bosom, yet if after all this he must die, and lose his soul, and that for ever without possibility of recovery, he would in the issue find it but an unprofitable bargain. 3 .The last scandal of the Cross is the Ignominy, and shame of it. In which respect Christ is said to have taken unto him the form of a servant, Phil. 2.7. (because the death of the Cross was servile supplicium, 1as the Historian calleth it,) and to have despised the shame, Heb. 12.2. and this is removed, v. 27. The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works. As he, though he were put to shame on the Cross was yet after exalted unto glory, and sat down on a throne, Hebr. 12.2. so with the same glory he will reward those that suffer shame for him, and their reward shall be according to their works, the measure of there glory answerable to the greatness of their shame and sufferings. Of which, having according to his promise v. 28. given a short, but most ravishing taste unto some of them in his transfiguration, they afterwards esteemed it a great honour, that they were accounted worthy to suffer shame for his Name, Act. 5.41.
The Context from vers. 24. to the end of the Chapter containeth, 1. An Assertion. 2. A Vindication thereof. The Assertion, That whosoever will come after Christ must take up his crosse, and deny himself v. 24. The Vindication from three great scandals which this severe doctrine of the Crosse was attended withall. 1. Death and this taken away, v. 25. Whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever wil loose his life for my sake, shall finde it. The way to attain life eternal, is to lay down a mortal life, when the glory of Christ and his service calleth us thereunto: 2. Another great scandall of the Cross is, that it strips us of the world, and the ⟨p. 4⟩comforts and delights thereof, this is removed, v. 26. Admit a man could not onely escape the Cross by forsaking Christ, but exchange him away for all the world, and make himself master of all the comforts which a confluence of all worldy dominions could pour into his bosome, yet if after all this he must die, and lose his soul, and that for ever without possibility of recovery, he would in the issue finde it but an unprofitable bargain. 3 .The last scandal of the Cross is the Ignominy, and shame of it. In which respect Christ is said to have taken unto him the form of a servant, Phil. 2.7. (because the death of the Cross was servile supplicium, 1as the Historian calleth it,) and to have despised the shame, Heb. 12.2. and this is reomoved, v. 27. The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels, and then he shal reward every man according to his works. As he, though he were put to shame on the Crosse was yet after exalted unto glory, and sat downe on a throne, Hebr. 12.2. so with the same glory he will reward those that suffer shame for him, and their reward shall be according to their works, the measure of there glory answerable to the greatness of their shame and sufferings. Of which, having according to his promise v. 28. given a short, but most ravishing tast unto some of them in his transfiguration, they afterwards esteemed it a great honour, that they were accounted worthy to suffer shame for his Name, Act. 5.41.
- 1Liv. Tacit. vid. Casaub. ad Sucton. Aug. c. 67. & in Baron. Exercit. 16. c. 77. & Lips. de cruce Appian. de Bell. Civ. l. 3 Sucton. in Galba. c. 9.
