of Sampson he lost his former unconquerable strength so that he might be held with cordes and bound with withes so when the sinne of Adam whereby he swarved from the will and deviated from the wayes of God came once upon the head of Christ Teneri potuit ligari His enemies had power to hold and binde him so that he may complaine as in the Prophet He hath hedged me about so that I cannot get out and he hath made my chayne heavy Lament 3.70 The false hands and the foule fingers of the first Adam were lift up after a theevish manner wrongfully to take and cause the mouth to taste of Gods forbidden fruit without the good leave and liking of him the lawfull owner which gave occasion to our second Adam willingly and readily to permit and suffer his holy and righteous hands to be bound as a Theefe that so he might make full satisfaction for that so foule transgression of the first and loosen the hands of him and his posterity in which by reason of the former offence they were fast tyed and bound before according to that of the Poet Adae primi vincla se quatiunt Adam novum cum nexus ambiunt That is The first Adams bands begin to loose When to the second they knit the noose c. Sed proh regem vinctum pro furum seelere What a thing is this nay what a strange thing to see the King bound for the Theeves offence strange indeed but that we are taught and told that the love of Christ does stranger things for the love of us then this and all that he might draw sinfull mankinde to the love of him againe as one saith Ligari voluit pro nobis ut nos sibi alligaret vinculis charitatis He would be bound for us that so he might binde us unto himselfe in the chaynes of charity yea as the holy Scripture saith In funiculis Adam traham eos in vinculis charitatis I drew them with the cordes of a man and in the bands of love Hosea 11.4 To draw then towards an end of this point Tu vinciris ut vinctos liberes Vincla mea tu fers in manibus Tuis rogo me liges funibus Since thou art bound the bond to free And that my chaynes are borne by thee With these thy cordes Lord tye thou me Yea knit not onely me but all thy whole Church so fast unto thy selfe in thy faith and feare and love unfeigned that neither height above nor depth beneath nor death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor any other creature as Saint Paul saith be able to make a separation or to dissolve the union And let these thy cords and chaynes so farre loosen the bands of mine and of all our sinnes as that they may never rise up against us to condemne us either in this world or that which is to come Yea so strengthen us with thy heavenly grace and powerfull assistance of thy holy Spirit that we doe not conspire with these thine enemies to binde thee againe our selves by resisting of thy gratious motions and most holy instincts or disobeying of thy will in any thing but enable us in all things to doe as we say when we pray as thou hast taught us Lord let thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Da quod jubes jube quid vis Enable us to performe and then command what thou wilt Draw us with these the everlasting chaynes and cords of thy love and then wee will runne after thee in the savour of these thy sweet oyntments and perfumes as thy Spouse professeth on our behalfe to doe Cant. 1.3 4. And once more let us pray in our mother tongue I meane our mothers the Churches language Thou O gratious Father whose nature and property is ever to have mercy and to forgive receive our humble petitions and though we be tyed and bound with the chayne of our sinnes yet let the pitifulnesse of thy great mercy loose us by the meanes and merit of these bonds and chaynes and other the sufferings of our blessed Saviour and for the farther honour of him the said Jesus Christ our Mediator and Redeemer Amen And this sufficeth to have beene spoken of the apprehension and binding of Christ as the first part and parcell of those corporall indignities which for our sakes He suffered under Pontius Pilate In the next place he is carried to the seate of Judgement and before an whole Bench and Court of Judges which are foure in number two spirituall and two temporall All wicked and very unjust as by the sequell of this discourse it will plainly and manifestly appeare especially the two spirituall ones Annas and Caiâ—phas which were so farre from upright Judges in this cause as that they were indeed most violent and partiall adversaries malitiously affected towards him that was here brought before them to bee judged according to the Law For who ever heard before that Judges did act the parts either of pleaders or accusers or went about to enquire for false witnesses and suborne them to come in against a prisoner at the Barre or one that stood before them to answer for his life as these Judges did For Saint Matthew and Saint Marke both tell us that aswell the chiefe Priests and Elders as the rest of the Counsell sought for false witnesses to put him to death Matth. 26.59 and Marke 14.55 whereby it appeares that they were very enemies unto him upon whose life they meant to sit as Judges which was a most wicked and unlawfull act in them and such as made Saint Chrysostome upon a like occasion to refuse to stand to Eccl. Hist lib. 8. c. 17. saying Se nolle temerarium aliquid subire manifestos inimicos ferre judices as Sozomen relates That he would not abide by any judgement or censure that should be given by his enemies And it is an ordinary and usuall practise in the Courts of Justice amongst our selves for a prisoner if he know or but suspect any of the Jury to be his enemies to challenge them and they shall be put by from passing upon his life or cause And in some cases if a man doubt of the integrity or uprightnesse of any Court whether Spirituall or Temporall he may remove his action and cry with Saint Paul Appello Caesarem I appeale unto Caesar or some higher Bench whereas our Saviour ye see here does none of these things but is content to let them take their course against him though his own innocency be never so eminent and evident and their injustice and iniquity never so great But indeed the truth is these were the supreamest Courts of that place and time in which his cause was to be tryed aswell Ecclesiasticall as Imperiall of Caesar as the Synagogue so that from these except to the Throne of Heaven there lay no appeale Now if this be not a great degree of suffering
in him thus to fall into the hands not onely of his enemies but such as were unrighteous Judges also yea so many of them all foure such never an upright one amongst them and yet to have no other place to appeale unto judge yee If any should demaund of mee Plus vident oculi quà m oculus what is the reason that in our Courts of Justice there are usually so many deputed by the supreame authority to sit as Judges together I might reply with one that amongst divers this surely is none of the least Quod ubi pauci Judices sunt Machiavâ—l de Râ—pub Venet. l 1. cap. 7. facilè à paucis corrumpi in suam sententiam pertrahi queant That if a single man or two of them perchance should either for favour or friendship pâ—ece vel precio either by intreaty or reward bee drawne aside to the perverting of justice or not be ready and willing upon all occasions to right the cause of the innocent yet they should not all be such But that the one halfe of them might stand up for truth and equity against the others or if it should so fall out which God forbid that major pars should vincere meliorem The greater part should sometime oversway the better yet that one at the least should speake his conscience freely and plead the cause of the innocent boldly that so the injustice and unrighteousnesse of men might not altogether prevaile against the truth which is of God but that aequum bonum that which is right and good might take place and true judgement and justice bee seene to flourish in our Land For where all are such as in this case of Christ that there is never an honest or righteous man upon the Bench there righteousnesse it selfe is sure to be arraigned and innocency condemned Justice perverted and all Lawes be they never so sacred and religious violated and broken Now in our Saviours case I say besides that some of them had declared and manifested themselves to be his enemies why the others also aswell as they were wicked and unjust too there being not one of them ready patrocinare or to defend the cause of this innocent no nor to speake a word to purpose on his behalfe although he were the most righteous and harmlesse person that ever the world brought forth but he suffered some kinde of injury and indignity or other from them all every one of them apart as shall appeare unto you more plainly by that which followes and succeeds For howsoever Pilat made a shew indeed of pleading his cause against the Jewes for a time yet the catastrophe and close of all will make it manifest that he was as wicked and unjust in his degree and kind as any of the rest But let us take them in their order For Saint Iohn tels us that they led him away to Annas first who was father in law to Caiaphas which was high Priest the same yeare Iohn 18. â—3 So that howsoever the cognisance of the cause at this time belonged properly to Caiaphas as being the present high Priest yet the catchpoles and souldier that tooke and haled him along carryed him first to Annas non tanquam ad judicem sed ad hostem veluti praedam ostentantes In locum as Erasmus speaks not as to a Judge that had power to censure him but as to an adversary that had a desire to see him thus under arrest and in his enemies hands And therefore as bragging and vaunting of their prey and glorying in their conquest over him they carry him unto him who they knew would rejoice together with them and give them praise and thanks rather then the least discountenance for what they had done unto him And besides Annas as it is probably to be thought was of the conspiracy to take him being one of those that had hired Judas to betray him and procured the band of souldiers from the civill Magistrate to assist and helpe him in the action and imployment For three of the Evangelists viz. Matthew Marke and Luke doe all tell us That he went to the high Priests in the Plurall number and They not He appointed unto him thirty pieces of silver c. as Mat. 26.14.15 Now then There being more then one of these high Priests that had done thus Annas must needs be the second man because we reade not of any other about this time but onely of Annas and Caiaphas who by turnes as it should seeme had managed the high Priests office for some while together as appeares by the relation of Saint Luke who saith That Annas and Caiaphas were the high Priests when the word of God came unto John the Sonne of Zacharias and he began to preach in the wildernesse Luke 3.2 Now then if these were the men that had promised Judas his pay and it may be the souldiers some gratuity for their paynes why then they had reason to repayre unto them both to give an account of their imployment and undertaking and especially to Annas first as being the Elder man and one whose habitation was neerer then the other In locum as Saint Austine and some others doe imagine and conceive But whatsoever were the true cause it is evident and apparent by Saint Johns relation that to him he was first carried and brought Neither did he take himselfe to be so voyded and deprived of all jurisdiction but that he had power and durst presume to examine him and question with him For so is it said That the high Priest asked him of his Disciples and of his Doctrine John 18.19 which the ancients generally allow to be Annas though Calvin I must confesse In locum and many other Neoterickes thinke otherwise viz. That he was not questioned at all till he came into the common Councell And then that Caiaphas was he that did it Annas being present and sitting by as his assistant upon the bench or at the least that this question was not demâ—nded him till then unto which hee gave that answer which occasioned a stander by to strike him For hereupon He the said Calvin takes occasion to observe the excessive rage and unrulinesse of these enemies of Christ together with the tyrannicall discipline that was exercised by these high Priests That while they seeme to sit as Judges Interea saeviunt ut truculentae belluae yet they are as savage as the most furious and fiercest beasts For in the midst of their Councell and Assembly where ought of all places to be exercised and shewne the greatest gravity and decorum in their proceedings a common officer or servant amongst them assumes so much license and liberty to himselfe as in the very time of examination and handling of the cause in the open face of the court and in sight of both the Judges to strike the prisoner even without any offence and that without any checke or reproofe from them againe for his so doing And
Word affirme That the bitter wounds of a lover are better than the sweet and sugred kisses of an enemy that hates thee to the death as you have heard before out of Proverbs 7.13 And therefore as the Prophet adviseth so let me trust not a friend neither put confidence in a Counsellor but keep the doores of thy mouth from her that lyeth in thy bosome For the son revileth the father the daughter riseth up against her mother the daughter in law against her mother in law and a mans enemies are they of his own house Mic. 7.5 6. And this sufficeth for the kisse of Judas But saith Christ ye be come out unto me as against a theefe with swords and staves Yea and which is more Lord as to the worst of theeves to a theefe of the night with lanthornes and torches Neither is there cause why thou shouldst either wonder or be troubled at it For seeing thou art not come to suffer for theeves aswell as for other sinners there is reason thou shouldst be handled as a theefe and beare their punishment although thou knowest no sin in thy selfe yet God hath made thee sin yea all sin for us that so we might be made the righteousnesse of God in thee saith Saint Paul 2 Cor. 5. ult And therefore thou must nay thou art contented to be nuâ—bred among the wicked as the Prophet foretold of thee Isa 53.12 And if among the wicked then among the theeves and robbers aswell as any other sinners whatsoever that so thou mayest save some of them that have bin such and deliver others from the hands of those that are and will be such for ever Thou hast told us thy selfe that the theefe commeth to steale kill and to destroy Iohn 10.10 by which words an old Postiller tels me Par. de tem 〈◊〉 3. post â—ent there are three sorts of theeves designed and described The devill death and the wicked man The devill Quia insidiâ—tur animae because he seeks to destroy our soules Death Quia insidiatur vitae because it seekes to kill us and deprive us of our lives and the wicked man Quia insidiatur bonis he seekes to steale from us and rob us of our goods Now the last of these thou savest so many of them as will repent with the good theefe and put their trust in thee And the other two thou vanquishest so that they shall not prevaile either against thee or thine to their destruction or confusion as will be manifested more at large in that which will follow and ensue upon this subject when we shall come to speake of thy death buriall and the like And therefore if these thine enemies use thee as a theefe in comming out against thee with swords and staves torches and lanthornes and such other instruments as whereby they used to take and apprehend theeves and robbers withall it is but thy fathers justice against our sins which thou camest into the world most cheerfully and willingly to satisfy undergo But yet I must confesse that seeing thou wert innocent as well from these as all other offences both thy sufferings and thine enemies sinnes are the greater in that they did these things unto thee without thy desert And therefore there is a great deale of reason that they should be punished and thou pitied accordingly For if it be a thing much to be condoled and lamented to see an innocent and honest man to be apprehended and violently laid hold upon yea drag'd and haled pinioned and manacled too and so carried to prison and thence afterward brought to the Barre and forced to answer for his life then much more when these things are done Coelorum Angelorum Domino to him that is Lord both of Heaven and Earth as it was unto our blessed Saviour who as the Prophet speaketh was led as a sheep unto the slaughter Esay 53.7 Wherefore our Saviour did but justly complaine of their injustice in saying They came out unto him as to a theefe when they came to take him For whereas it is the property of theeves first to steale and rob men of their goods and then to fly and run away after they have stollen according to that question and demand at the Barre Did he fly for the same as also to hide and conceale themselves in corners and obscure places and many times to lay violent hands yea to hurt and wound those that shall seeke to resist and withstand them in their robberies as it is said of the Bandettees in France that they seldome rob but they kill too Why Christ did never any of these things but was so farre from doing them as that he did the cleane contrary For instead of flying he went to meet them when they came to take him and when the officers knew him not hee told them that he was the man Vliro se dans in manus eorum yeelding himselfe willingly and readily of his owne accord into their hands And instead of hurting or being any wayes in such kinde prejudiciall to any man he did infinite good to all men healing them of all manner of sicknesses and sores that stood in need of his helpe either of those wayes And lastly he was so farre from robbing or taking any thing unjustly from them as that hee would never be sole owner or possesse any temporall thing as his owne but rather spend and imploy all such things as he had as his gifts and graces his labour and his learning yea and his very life and all for the benefit and salvation of others and therefore I say it was a great point of injustice in them thus to come out unto him as to a theefe with swords and staves And that which is added by our Saviour himselfe in the text addes also an increase to their mischiâ—fe and his misery that is that while he was daily or in the day time teaching in the Temple among them they tooke him not but made choyce of the night to doe it in and therefore came with lanthornes and torches aswell as swords and staves to take and apprehend him which speeâ—h of Câ—rist howsoever it principally tend to shew his power and their weaknes in that they could not apprehend him nor lay hold upon him till himselfe was willing so that Stultum erat cum gladiis quaerere eum qui uliro se offert in nocte investigare quasi latentem qui quotidie in Templo docet that is It was but a foolishnes in them to hunt after him with swords and staves which did of his owne accord offer himselfe unto them or to seeke for him in the night as one that concealed himselfe and usually lay hid when as he was daily to be seene heard and had teaching in their Temples Yet withall it bewrayes their wickednes also and their base cowardise that when they durst not resist and withstand him in the day time among the multitude and before the people that rather then not doe it all they
Goe now thou proud and impatient man that art so suddenly moved at the least indignity and affront that is offered thee and canst not brooke nor beare a distastefull word nor put up the least and smallest offence without thy wrath and fury from thy friend or neighbour Inspice hoc vivum patientiae exemplum Looke upon this lively and lovely picture and patterne of patience and learne of him to be meeke and lowly in heart that so thou mayest finde rest unto thy soule as himselfe exhorteth thee Matth. 11.29 Consider the whole course and passage of his Passion from the first to the last from the beginning to the ending of it and you shall finde that he was not once Commotus in adversarios moved or stirred to the least choler against his adversaries but shewed all mildenesse and gentlenesse towards them that was possible both in his speech and looks his words and workes If ever we meane then to have a share and interest in his sufferings let us indeavour so neere as it is possible to conforme our selves unto them in meekenesse and patience and gentlenesse and lowlinesse of minde and all other christian vertues which he hath practised and performed before us For he is left unto us propter exemplaritatem virtutis for an example of patience that we should follow his steps saith Saint Peter 1 Pet. 2.21 And this sufficeth for this time John 18.24 Now Annas had sent Him bound unto Caiaphas the High Priest Annas idem quod affligens Boskier con de Pas AFter the injuries and indignities that our blessed Saviour suffered at the hands and in the house of Annas whose very name signifies Afflicting as a moderne Postiller hath well observed The History of the Gospell goes on and tels us how in the next place he was sent by the said Annas himselfe and carried bound to the catchpoles or officers unto Caiaphas the present high Priest for the same yeare where the Scribes and Elders were assembled and a Councell held which sought for false witnesses against him to put him to death Matth. 26.57 59. verses whereupon one in a compassionate and sympathizing manner cryes out Ad Tribunal duceris O Jesu Osariâ—â— cui flectitur omne genu Thou O Jesus at whose gratious name all knees doe bow aswell of things in Heaven and Earth as under the Earth as Saint Paul saith Phil. 20.10 art contented to be made to bend and bow thy selfe at the Barre and before the tribunall of mortall and sinfull man Immo pudendum planè indignum saith another quod Judex decretus vivorum mortuorum jam judicandus trahatur ad sacrilega nequissimorum Judicum subsellia which is a shamefull and unworthy thing that he which is decreed by the Parliament and Court of Heaven to be the supreame Judge of quick and dead as the Scripture testifieth saying The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement to the Sonne John 5.20 should yet be haled and dragg'd along by the violence and insolence of a raskall and scurrill multitude to the corrupt and sacrilegious Benches and places of torture rather judicature of most wicked and injurious Judges And yet thus our poore Saviour was contented to be served to be used and abused for our sakes yea he was carryed to the high Priest Cujus erat de lepra judicare To whom it belonged to judge and determine of the leprosie Deut. 17.8 Quia reputavimus eum quasi leprosum because the wicked doe esteeme no otherwise of him then as of one leprous and smitten of God as the Prophet foretold Esay 53.4 Nay false witnesses are also sought for to come in against him whereby under the colour of Law they might the more securely and without danger of uproare and tumult among the people seeme to have some just cause to take away his life As Jezabell dealt with Naboth so doe these painted wals with Christ Because he would not give his Vineyard to the oppressor Set saith she two men sonnes of Beliall before him which may beare witnesse against him as if he had blasphemed God and the King 3 Kings 21. So because Christ would not give his Fathers honour unto the Devill when he bade him fall downe and worship him false witnesses by his and his instruments instigation and procuring are sought for to slander and accuse him unjustly laying to his charge things that hee did not that hee knew not saith the Psalmist Psal 35.11 So that the mouth of the wicked and of the deceitfull are opened against him speaking against him with a lying tongue Psal 109.2 compassing him about with words of hatred and fighting against him without a cause as there followes verse 3. without a cause indeed For though I have redeemed them yet they have spoken lyes against me as himselfe complaineth by his Prophet of them and their ingratitude Hosea 7.13 But there was a seeming shew and pretext I must confesse of much sincerity and uprightnesse in their proceedings against him For here is a Councell solemnly called and met as you see and that of the greatest and gravest the learnedst and the wisest men amongst them as of high Priests Scribes Elders besides the spectators and by standers before whom it could not be thought or once imagined but that all things should be fairely and uprightly carried by such an Assembly so that as one saith Quis non bona sperasset ab hoc coetu multitudine reverentia tam illustri Who could expect any thing but good from this so famous and illustrious a convention and meeting aswell in multitude and populousnesse as reverence and shew of honesty Speciosa enim hic multa Seeing here were met together so many faire and specious pretexts of nothing else but sincere and upright dealings as a congregation and gathering together of the most renowned and famous men of the City a certaine forme of judicature after an orderly and solemne sort a production of severall witnesses and the like Sed larvata haec omnia All these are but masked and dissembling appearances a vizard only and no true face of justice seeing the text tells us that for all their faire shewes their intent was foule even to put him to death so that he had his doome before his day of hearing and his judgement before his tryall For Ante coitionem consulta decreta facta fata sunt omnia saith one All things were determined and decreed concerning him before ever they came together which is a peece of the greatest injustice and a knack of the lewdest and vilest knavery that either the Devill can invent or his instruments actuate when a man shall have his cause sentenced before it be heard and himselfe condemned before he be legally convict this is right devilry indeed And yet this is our Saviours case in this assembly witnesses against him are pretended to be sought but yet they must be false ones speaking as the Court and Councell would have them or
face of the Court therefore let them speake if they know any thing that may tend to these abuses or disorders by me Then which there can be no more undoubted demonstration of the innocency of any man then when he is ready to appeale to his very enemies for testimony of the truth of that whereof he stands accused Hom. 8â— â—n c. 18. Ioh. Thus farre Theophylact. And Saint Chrysostome to the same purpose Id veritatis maximum est argumentum quum quis inimicos in testimonium adducit It is the greatest argument of verity to be contented to put the tryall of a mans cause to the testimony of enmity And therefore saith Christ Why do you ask me Aske them for behold they also know what I said which is as much as if he should say thus It is but a folly for me to make answer to your demaunds For you will not beleeve me though I should speake never so much or so often the truth unto you I am content therefore that you should aske these that are of more credit amongst you For mine owne testimony is of no validity seeing you have disabled it so farre as to account no otherwise of me then as of a theefe or robber and therefore have brought me bound unto your Bench and Barre of pretended justice that so I may be punished accordingly So that Cui detraxistis famam detraxistis etiam fidem Seeing you have taken away my fame you have detracted also from my faith A tricke not altogether a stranger to these times to accuse the innocent thereby onely to discredit and disable their testimony Nam quae sit fiducia capto saith the Poet There is no trust to be given to a captive but you will be ready to suppose Dum miserum fortuna Synonem Finxit vanum etiam mendacemque improba finget Virg. 〈◊〉 1. lib. 2. Since my fate hath made me wretched and miserable it will not leave me till it have made me wicked also and a lyer like your selves and therefore aske not me but aske these mine enemies for they all know what I said But how faire and true and just and reasonable soever this answer of Christ as also that other concerning his being the Son of God related by the rest of the Evangelists may seeme to us and all others that are his friends yet they are not so unto these his malitious adversaries but at these two answers offence is taken even at all hands Scandalum acceptum as I said before though not datum which occasioned a world of injuries and indignities presently to bee put upon him in the high Priests Hall and House yea and in his very presence too For some began to spit upon him and to cover his face and to buffet him and to say unto him Prophesie unto us who it was that smote thee And the servants did strike him with the palmes of their hands and such like Marke 14.65 and John 18.22 And Saint Luke addes That many other things they spake blasphemously against him Luke 22.65 So that here you see then severall and sundry Acts not onely of force and violence but also of contempt and disgrace shamefully and undeservedly put upon our blessed Saviour As spitting upon him blind-folding him striking him with their hands and fists and lastly jearing and flouting him by saying Prophesie unto us who it was that smote thee Of the stroake with the palme of the hand or boxe on the eare I have spoken at large already I will adde a few words more concerning these other indignities and then I will proceed to their carrying and leading of him away to Pilate and his turning over to the sword of justice and temporall officers hands And first of their spitting in his face which to doe was accounted a matter of great infamy and reproach among the Jewes as is plaine and evidently that place in the booke of Numbers where God speakes unto Moses concerning his sister Miriam saying If her father had but spit in her face should she not be ashamed seaven dayes Numb 12.14 And againe The woman is allowed to spit in the face of that man as in his disgrace and infamy that will not raise up seed by her unto his brother Deut. 25.9 And even among our selves in these dayes we account it among the worst of injuries and affronts to be so serv'd And yet our Saviour yee see suffers it for our sakes answerable to that in the Prophet when he speakes as in his person saying I hid not my face from shame and spitting Esay 50.6 and Job likewise They abhorre me they flee farre from me and spare not to spit in my face Job 30.10 O let us behold then with horrour and dread that divine countenance which is so much honoured and adored in Heaven and the very aspect whereof cheeres the whole City of God how for our sinnes it is defiled and become deformed here on Earth by the contempt and scorne of sordid and shamelesse miscreants yea so farre abased and abused as that no place is thought so fit and convenient to voide their excrements in and to receive their filthy drivell as the face of the Saviour and Redeemer of mankinde And when they have fulfilled their malitious mindes in thus spitting their fill upon them then secondly they blind-fold him Vt audacius inverecundius eum percutiant saith one that so they may the more boldly and without shame smite him with their fists or as I should rather thinke with another They did it lest the admirable forme and beauty of his countenance being too long vexed and beheld amongst them should so farre at the last mollifie and lenifie the hard hearts of all beholders as that they should bee moved to mercy and drawne to take pity and have compassion upon him even whether they would or no. To prevent which inconvenience as they accounted it Faciem illam illectricem obnupsere They vayled and hood-wink't as it were that alluring and heart-winning countenance As knowing the power of 's beauty to be such To draw even iron like load-stones with the touch because Speciosus praefiliis hominum He is fairer then the children of men as you heard before out of Psal 45.2 Thirdly some thinke they might do it out of horror and shame to behold in what a pitifull plight they had made him themselves with their beastly spawling and spitting in his face as loathing and disliking any longer to looke upon him by reason nauseam etiam ipsis spectatoribus foeditas illa provocabat his foulenesse and filthinesse was such as that it made them ready to spâ—â— to see it But sive velarit horror sive splendor câ—udelitatem certe velantium velum hoc non velat sed revelat saith one whether it were his horrour or his splendor that occasioned this vaile over his face it is most evident that it doth not vaile nor cover their cruelty towards him but rather reveale it and make it
Gospell 31 32. verses we finde him thus saying unto his Disciples Behold we goe up to Jerusalem and all things shall be fulfilled to the Sonne of man that are written by the Prophets For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles c. Which prophesie I say is now accomplished in his being turned over from Caiaphas the high Priest of the Jewish Synagogue unto Pontius Pilate the Roman Deputy or President who was not onely a Gentile himselfe but his jurisdiction also was from the Gentiles as the Romans and all Nations except the Jewes were accounted in those dayes And this was pre-ordained by the fore-determined Counsell of God to be done accordingly for these two ends or reasons The first that hee might bee put to death which by the Jewes Law as they will seeme to affirme he could not For themselves tell Pilate in the very next words after our Text That it is not lawfull for them to put any man to death Verse 31. The second for the manner of his death that he might be crucified For so is it farther specified in the 32. verse viz That it was done that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which he spake signifying what death he should dye which is expressed to be crucifying Matth. 20.9 To which place this passage in Saint John doth allude Now the fulfilling of this prophesie of Christs owne selfe concerning himselfe shall afford us onely this Vse at this time because as I told you at the beginning I must point and passe my discourse upon this subject increasing to a bigger bulke then I aymed at or intended at the first To let us see and know That there was not the least circumstance of his passion which hee did not fore-see and fore-tell himselfe so that none of these things came unwittingly or unwillingly upon him or by chance as upon a meere man but all by the fore-determined Counsell of God as I say and his owne consent And therefore having so much fore-knowledge of his owne afflictions hee might have avoyded and shunned them many wayes if he would but to let us understand the greatnesse of his love unto us he would not refuse any torture or any trouble to doe us good but willingly and readily performe all things requisite for our salvation giving his soule as an offering for our sinnes as the Prophet fore-told Esay 53.10 So that without any tergiversation or regret he suffered himselfe freely to be presented before Pontius Pilate and the judgement seat of the Gentiles although he knew that he went but to his owne death and condemnation as Pilate told him That hee had power to crucifie him or to loose him John 19.10 unto whom notwithstanding Christ gave this answer viz. That hee could have had no power against him except it had beene given him from above Verse 11. of the same Chapter that is from the Court and Councell of Heaven of which himselfe was a principall member Secondly we may consider also a little of the season which they tooke to carry Christ unto Pilate in which is expressed to be the morning or as our text saith while it was early So that as it should seeme when the fatall night was once over they neglected no time but made haste to shed his innocent bloud and to deliver him over unto the sword not of justice but injustice as it is evident and apparent enough to all the world even to the very Judges themselves as will be shewne hereafter David in one place saith That howsoever heavinesse or sorrow may endure for a night yet joy commeth in the morning viz. Psal 30.5 when as our blessed Saviour here can finde none of this joy neither morning nor evening but after a dismall night as you heard before meets with as darke a day where we may observe that Christ our Lord suffered some injuries and indignities or others for our sakes at all times and houres both of night and day First from the evening which was the time of his appprehension till the morning as you have heard already and now againe from the very morning till the evening as here followes Tota nocte vexatus tota die sine intermissione cruciatus saith one Vexed all the night and tortured all the day without ceasing or intermission For at the first houre hee is carryed to the Judge and before him accused at the second examined at the third condemned at the fourth hee was scourged and crowned with Thornes at the fift hee had the heavy burthen of his owne Crosse laid upon his shoulders at the sixt he was crucified at the seaventh the Souldiers cast lots upon his garment at the eighth hee had Vinegar given him to drinke at the ninth he dyed at the tenth he had a speare thrust through his side whereout came water and bloud and at the evening or toward the latter end of the day he was buried O sweet Jesus there was some great cause surely why thou wouldest at every new houre thus suffer new punishments and afflictions for our sinnes and it can be no other but this because we doe every day of the yeare and every houre of the day yea every minute and moment of every houre of each severall night and day provoke thy heavenly father to wrath in one kinde or other by new transgressions and delinquencies And therefore that thou mightest satisfie and appease the said wrath of his as well for the circumstances as the substance of our sins thou wouldst be punished for them at all times aswell at morning and evening as at noone day It is but meet and right then that as thou sufferedst continually from one end of the day unto the other so on the other side that wee should pray continually as the Apostle exhorteth and sing prayses unto thee both night and day without ceasing for so great a benefit Thirdly let us observe that though these Jewes sent Christ unto the judgement Hall of Pilate yet they went not in themselves Their reason being this lest they should be defiled but that they might eate the Passeover as our text saith Because as it should seeme it was accounted an unlawfull and an unholy thing for a Jew at the time of that high and solemne Feast to enter into the houses or societies of any of the Gentiles which were esteemed no otherwise then as uncleane among them But hereupon Saint Austin cryes out O Impia stulta caecitas Tract 114. in Iohan. habitaculo videlicet contaminarentur alieno non contaminarentur scelero proprio O impious and foolish blindnesse to thinke that they could be more defiled by the habitation and externall society of strangers then by their owne proper and internall sinnes Alienigenae Judicis praetorio contaminari timebant fratris innocentis sanguinem fundere non timebant They were afraid to be contaminated by the judgement Hall of the Roman President yet feared not to shed the bloud of their owne innocent and undefiled brother
which is the right property of all hypocrites to straine at a Gnat and swallow a Camell to thinke it a more haynous thing Pulicem quam hominem occidere as Calvin speaketh To kill a flea at one time then a man at another To be over-curious and ceremonious yea and in very deed superstitious too about small matters and yet to let the weightier matters of the Law alone as mercy and judgement and fidelity and the love of God and the like for which neglect our Saviour himselfe condemneth the Pharisees Matth. 23.23 and Luke 11.43 But howsoever it be these Jewes that they may seeme rightly to eate the Passeover do pretend to keepe themselves pure and clean from all forraine defilements Caeterum immunditiem includunt praetorii parietibus when as yet they confine this defilement onely to the walls of Palats hall or house of judgement not doubâ—ing otherwise in the publike face as well of Earth as Heaven to deliver the innocent over unto death and damnation But our Saviour himselfe tells them that knew best how to define defilement That such murthers and evill thoughts and false testimonies and slanders and the like which they practise here against him These are the things which defile the man Mat. 15.19.20 Lastly they doe honour the figurative passeover with a deceiveable and fained reverence when as they offer violence with their bloody and sacrilegious hands unto the true passeover indeavouring as much as in them lies utterly to overthrow him even with an eternall destruction But I must not dwell here Pilate therefore in the next place went out unto them and said What accusation bring you against this man Where let us observe That although this Gentile bore no great affection to that Religion which the Jewes at this time professed but rather disregarded it yea slighted and laughed at it in his minde Yet in his first hearing of the cause he discharges the part of an upright and just Judge amongst them in bidding them to shew what accusation they brought against the prisoner whom with such tumult and clamour they had brought bound unto him As if he should say thus Whereas you Jewes have brought here one of your owne Nation to be sentenced to death by me I tell you I cannot I must not I will not I dare not doe it except you can shew me some just and lawfull cause why I should For si accusassa sufficit quis innocens if to accuse alone were sufficient who should be innocent Neither is it the manner of the Romans to put any man to death unlesse he be first convicted and found guilty of some grievous and haynous yea capitall offence against their owne Lawes For as for your superstitious ceremonies of violating your Sabbaths eating of Swines flesh speaking against Moses the Prophets the Temple or your God I have nothing to doe with them Ad meum Tribunal non pertinent They come not within the compasse of my Inquiry And therefore bring him not to me but take him and judge him according to your owne Law verse 31. of this Chapter Aurea planè Pilati exordia saith one utinam par epilogus Pilate begins well and it were well for him if his end were answerable But they for reply and answer hereunto cry out and say If he were not a malefactour we would not have delivered him unto thee as if they were angry with Pilate because he would not rest satisfied with their examination and tryall of him without any more adoe as if hee were bound to stand to their prejudicate and unjust sentence and so become an instrument onely of their malice to execute whomsoever and whatsoever they with the consent of their arrogant and malitious high Priests should determine and decree Where we may behold as Calvin observeth the insolency of those men that without the feare of God are lifted up to great dignities and high places of honour in the world be they Ecclesiastical or Civill whether in Church or Common-wealth who being blinded with the splendor of their power and eminency thinke it lawfull for them to perpetrate and commit any injustice or iniquity whatsoever without controule As these take it as a check to their pride and greatnesse that Christ is not by Pilate accounted a malefactor onely because they accuse him If he were not a malefactor we would not have delivered him unto thee But O ingratefull and unhappy Jewes let us heare some relation from you of the evils which this your Messias hath done and the injuries and violences which he hath offered unto you for which you thus call and count him a malefactor and thinke him worthy of death Are they any other if you rightly examine them and your owne consciences then preaching the wordes of life unto you then healing all manner of your diseases by restoring sight to the blinde hearing to the deafe speaking to the dumbe going to the lame and life to the dead Aske them that have received these great blessings and benefits from him an also those other that were possessed with Devills and infected with leprosies The one cleansed and the other set at liberty by him Inquire of these I say whether Jesus be a malefactor or not and you shall heare them all make answer with one voyce and unanimous consent in the words of him that was borne blinde If this man were not of God he could doe nothing John 9.33 So that as a moderne Poet hath well observed If either of these could but any grace have wonne What would they not to save his life have done G. Flâ—tâ—ner Poem called Christs Triumph The dumbe man would have spoke and lame man would have runne And yet you say If he were not a malefactor we would not have delivered him unto thee But we that are Christians and professe to beleeve in him that is here accused for a malefactour by these Jewes may make better use of this their slander and false accusation brought against him if wee doe but seriously meditate and consider with our selves how truly in this he took the forme of a malefactour upon him whereby hee that knew no sinne became sinne for us that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him as Saint Paul speaketh 2 Cor. 5. ult like smooth and innocent Jacob presenting himselfe before his heavenly father in the rough and rugged habite of his sinfull brethren and the hairy skins and coates of reprobated and rejected Esau that so for a time hee might steale away the blessing from our elder brethren these wicked and accursed Jewes and conferre it upon us Gentiles that are but younglings in Gods favours in respect of them As also for ever entayle it upon his own heires by faith whether of Jewes or Gentiles from the elder brethren to us both the lapsed and fallen Angels which because he knew could never be throughly accomplished and effected by any other meanes then by taking unto him and putting upon himselfe this sinfull