# “Those three hours” by Thomas Goodwin

- Link: https://tollelege.net/2025/06/25/those-three-hours-by-thomas-goodwin/
- Published: 2025-06-25T08:00:00-05:00
- Author: tollelege

“‘_He took on him the form of a servant_,’ (**Phil. 2:7**).

And such a servant He was, as was not to have been hired amongst all the creatures.
They all could not do the work that He did; ‘_The government of the whole world 
is upon His shoulders_,’ (**Isa. 9:6**).

He easeth His Father of it for the present, and when He hath brought Him in infinite
revenues of glory, He will at last ‘_deliver up the kingdom to Him_,’ (**1 Cor. 
15:24)**, with a greater surplusage than else would have been had out of that begun
course of providence taken up at the creation.

And if you will not reckon that as part of satisfaction, yet consider the service
He did in the priest’s office, wherein God acknowledged Him His servant.

He dispatched more work in those thirty-three years wherein He lived, yea, in those
three hours wherein He suffered, than ever was or will be done by all creatures 
to eternity.

It was a good six-days work when the world was made; and He had a principal hand
in that, neither hath He been idle since; ‘_I and my Father work hitherto_,’ says
Christ, (**John 5:17**).

But that three hours’ work upon the cross, was more than all the other. Eternity
will not have more done in it, than virtually was done in those three hours; so 
as that small space of time was _τὸ νῦν æternitatis_ (‘_the now of eternity_‘).

As they say of eternity, that it is all time contracted into an instant, so was 
all time, past, and to come, into those few hours, and the merit of them. For He
then made work for the Spirit, and indeed for all the three persons, unto eternity.

He then did that which the Spirit is writing out in grace and glory forever, yea,
and all that ever was or will be done towards the saints, was then perfected:

> ‘_He perfected for ever them that are sanctified, by that one offering,’ ‘But 
> this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the
> right hand of God;’ ‘For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that 
> are sanctified_.’ (**Hebrews 10:12, 14**)”

–Thomas Goodwin, [_The Works of Thomas Goodwin, Volume 5_](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601788487?tag=toletaupanre-20)(
Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage, 1863/2006), 5: 102-103.

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