doctrine and send it backe againe to hell from whence it came and let vs rely vpon the all-sufficient merites of Christ his sufferings for the saluation of our soules assuring our selues that Hee was made vnto vs Wisedome 1. Cor. 1 30. and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption Let vs acknowledge with that blessed Martyr Lambert in the midst of the fire * Foxe martyrol None but Christ None but Christ Secondly this great price that our Sauiour hath payed for our Redemption should mooue vs to godlie sorrowe and remorse for our sinnes It is true that the very bare consideration of our Sauiour Christ his sufferings without any respect to vs should worke sorrow and commiseration in our hearts For who is so hard-hearted that can but reade or heare the Storie of Abraham about to sacrifice his innocent sonne Isaac or the selling away of poore Ioseph by his most vnnaturall and cruell Brethren or the fearefull torments which many of the Martyres haue suffered and endured at the hands of cruell and bloody tyrants not be moued to ruth compassion Nay who can endure to behold euen notorious malefactors executed for their iust deserts without some sense of sorrow For the communion and mutuall participation of nature doeth so affect vs as wee thinke that part of our selues suffereth in them yea that very humanity that is bred with men cannot but bee troubled at the torments of brute beasts But when wee shall consider that our Sauiour suffered all that he suffered for our sakes and for our sinnes much more then ought we to greeue and sorrow It was ordained in the Law that when a man brought a beast to the doore of the Tabernacle for a burnt Offering he should put his hand vpon the head of it Leuit. 1 4. Thereby acknowledging that hee had deserued to die that the beast was to be slaine for his offences So should wee acknowledge that Christ was put to death nor for anie desert of his owne for as we haue heard before he was altogether without blemish but onely for our sinnes When Dauid saw the miserable death of his people by the pestilence and considered that his sinne in numbering of his men was the cause of it his tender heart was vexed within him and with great remorse hee cried thus vnto the Lord Behold I haue sinned yea I haue done wickedly 2 Sam 24 17. but these Sheepe what haue they done In like manner we haue all cause with bitternesse of heart to cry out in this case It is we Lord that haue sinned it is wee that haue done wickedly as for this innocent Lambe Christ Iesus alas what hath he done But that we may be the better affected it shall not be amisse a litle to consider the greeuousnesse of his sufferings And that will appeare first by the generality of them and that in diuers respects First hee suffered of all kinds and sorts of men Hee suffered of the Gentiles and of the Iewes of the Princes and of the people of masters and seruants of his acquaintance and strangers of male and Female So hee suffered in all things wherein it is possible for a man to suffer He suffered in his friends and followers who seeing him apprehended and carried away They all forsooke him and fled Mat. 26 56 58 Onely Peter followed him but it was a farre off and afterwardes most shamefully denied him He suffered in his good name which was wounded with blasphemies and reproches For besides the shameful indignities that were offered him whē hee was arraigned before the High-Priests and Pilate when hee hanged vpon the crosse and deserued to bee pittied of all that had but common humanity he was flouted and derided and scoffed at by all that behelde him a Lu. 23 36 37 by the souldiers b Ma. 27 41 42 by the high-Priests c Luk. 23 35. by them that stood and looked on d Math. 27 39 40. by them that passed by e Math. 27 44 Luke 23 39. yea by the very theeues at least by one of them that wer crucified with him He suffred also in his outward things such as he had for though he had nothing but the clothes to his backe Math. 27 35. yet the Souldiers stript him of them shared and diuided them before his face Thirdly he suffered in al his outward senses and in all the members of his body His glorious head was wounded to the braine with a crown of thorns his faire face was horribly defiled with the filthy spittings of the Iewes his bright eyes dazeled and languished in his head to beholde the outragious cruelty of his Tormentors his holy eares were wounded to hear the insulting blasphemies of the Iewes his sacred mouth which taught men all truth was put out of taste with Gall and vineger his hands which wrought so manie famous myracles and his feete that had wonderfully walked vppon the Sea were fastened vnto the Crosse with sharp nailes His blessed heart that was neuer defiled with the least euill thought was pierced with a speare In a worde his whole bodye was pittifully rent and torne with whipping and scourging so that we might say of him as the Prophet saith in another case Isaiah 1 verse 6. From the sole of his foote vnto his head there was nothing whole in him but woundes and swelling and sores full of corruption Secondly the bitternesse of his passion will appeare by considering the kinde of death that he suffered and that was the death of the crosse which the Apostle added as an augmentation of his torments Philip. 2 8. Hee became obedient saith hee to the death euen to the death of the Crosse Now the death of the crosse was most greeuous in many respects First because it was an accursed death As the Apostle sayth Cursed is euery one that hangeth on a tree Galath 3 13. Not that all that were hanged if they did vnfeignedly repent were reiected and forsaken of God but because that kinde of punishment was accursed and hatefull to God and a spectacle of horrible malediction We do not reade any such thing of other kinde of punishments as stoning to death burning slaying with the sword c. onely God pronounced the hanging on the crosse to bee execrable and accursed And therefore Constantine the Great that good and mild Emperor * Tripartit histor lib. 1. cap. 9. made a law wherein he forbad that any Christian should be hanged vpon the crosse Secondly because it was also an ignominious and a shameful death For it was principally inflicted vpon slaues and seruants and therefore was called a seruile punishment either for accusing of their Masters or conspiring theyr death or for running away Such as were free men though otherwise verie vile and base were seldome punished with it vnlesse it were for some heinous and notorious crime As for robbery and therefore there were two robbers crucified with him Or
tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted And againe and 4 15. We haue not an high Priest which cannot be touched with a feeling of our infirmities but was in al things tempted in like sort yet without sin And therfore 16. hee inferreth this comfortable conclusion Let vs goe boldly vnto the throne of grace that we may receiue mercy and finde grace to help in time of need So that whatsoeuer misery it bee that we suffer whether pouerty or infamy or perplexity and heauines of minde yea the very agony and panges of death we neede not to be discomforted Christ himselfe hath felt and endured them all and therfore we shall vndoubtedly finde him both able and willing to releeue vs. Secondly he was called the Sonne of man not onely because hee was a true man but also because he was a vile and an abiect man For it is an Hebrew kinde of speech which for the most part hath vilenesse ioyned with it and signifieth an ordinary a mean mā As appeareth in diuers places of the Psalmes Psalme 8 4. What is man sayth Dauid that thou art mindfull of him and the Sonne of man that thou visitest him Psal 144 3 4. And againe Lord what is Man that thou regardest him Or the Sonne of man that thou thinkest vpon him Man is like to vanity c. And againe Put not your trust in Princes and 146 3 4. nor in the sonne of man for there is no helpe in him His breath departeth and he returneth to his dust c. But more plainly in the book of Iob Iob 25 verse 6 How much more man a worme euen the Son of man which is but a worm And this was as it were the proper name of the Prophet Ezekiel the lord calleth him almost in euery Chapter the Son of man Thou Son of man c. thereby to teach him humilitie that he might not exalt and lift vp himself by reason of the excellent gift of prophesie bestowed vppon him and the celestiall visions reuealed vnto him And for the same cause this name was also giuen to the Prophet Daniel Daniel 8 17. althogh he were descended of the kings stocke And hence it is that our Sauiour Christ doth so often call himselfe by this name especially when he would debase himselfe and manifest his humility as wee see in this place And to the Scribe that offered to follow him whither soeuer he went The Foxes saith he haue holes Matth. 8 20. the birds of the heauen haue nests but the Sonne of man hath not whereon to rest his head And he told Nichodemus Iohn 3 14. that as Moses lift vp the Serpent in the wildernes so must the Son of man be lift vp And this the Apostle insinuateth Philip. 2 7. when hee saith That he was made after the similitude of man that is to say none otherwise then any of the common people not onely a true man but in the iudgment of the world no better then one of the basest of the people According to that which Dauid saide as a type of him I am a worme Psalme 22 6. and not a man a shame of men and the contempt of the people And the Prophet Isaiah foretold the like Isaiah 52 2 3. He hath neither form nor beauty saith he when wee shall see him there shall be no forme that we should desire him Hee is despised and reiected of men we hid our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not Philip 2 6 7. And so the Apostle saith of him that being in the forme of God hee thought it no robbery to be equall with God But hee made himselfe of no reputation and took on him the forme of a seruant c. So that wee see there is great Emphasis and force in this Title For as it is more vehement to call a man the Son of destruction Iohn 17 12. 2 Sam 3 34. as Christ called Iudas The Son of wickednesse as Dauid called them that slew Abner Ephes 2 3. Psalme 79 11. the Sonne of wrath as the Apostle calleth all vnregenerate persons the son of death as it was said of the Martyrs rather then a destroyed or a wicked or a dead man c. For it signifieth one that is destinated to destruction and to wrath to death so it is more significant and forcible to call our Sauiour Christ the Sonne of mon rather then simply man Heere then appeareth the goodnes of Christ to vs-ward that for our sakes hee would stoope to so lowe a degree of humility and euen destinate himselfe to so base a condition And therefore one saith well that he was more ours then his owne beeing wholly deuoted and addicted to our good But of this wee shall haue fitter occasion to speake afterwardes And thus much for the title Came not Heere the end of our Sauiour Christ his comming is sette out negatiuely Hee doeth not deny that any body ministred vnto him or that they might not minister to him but he denieth that hee came for this end to be ministred vnto but rather in the whole course of his life hee debased himself Howsoeuer his second comming shall be most glorious and full of maiesty For he shall come in the clowds of heauen Matth. 24 30. with power and great glory yea he shall shew himself from heauen with his mighty Angelles in flaming fire c. yet his first comming was most base and abiect He came not in any outward pomp though he could if it had pleased him For Philip. 2 6. as we haue heard before He was equall with God and that without any iniury therefore hee could haue come in greater state and with greater maiestie then all the Kings and Emperours in the world but he came in the poore and base forme of a seruant He was born in a stable because there was no room for him in the Inne and he was laide in a cratch Luke 2 ver 7 for want of a better cradle And as his comming into the world was thus poore and base so all the while that he liued amongst men he did vtterly refuse all outwarde honour and authority as appeareth in many instances When two Brethren fell at strife and variance about the patrimony which their Father had left them and one of them came and intreated our Sauiour Christ that hee would bid his brother diuide the inheritance with him Luk. 12 13 14 he would not meddle with them but answered him in this manner Man who made me a Iudge or a diuider ouer you Iohn 8 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 And againe When the Scribes and Pharisies brought vnto him a woman taken in the act of Adultery and would haue had him to haue pronounced sentence against her he would not take so much vppon him but hauing taken them downe a little by conuincing their consciences of
fill the whole circumference We see the truth this in Adam who was not contented with the honour that God gaue him in Paradise though he made him Lord ouer all his creatures but ambitiously desired to bee like vnto God Neither were the euill Angels content with that glory which they had in the presence of God in heauen It is reported of * Plutar in eius vita Pyrrhus King of the Epyrotes that while he was making expedition for warre against Rome Cineas his cheefe fauourite asked him what he would do when he had conquered Rome then saieth hee I shall subdue all Italie and what when hee had subdued Italie then shall I take Sicile that is next adioyning and what when he had taken Sicile then we shall ouer-runne Affrica and Carthage and so easily make our selues Lords of all Greece And being asked again what he would do when he had ouercome al theÌ„ saith he merrily We will take our ease and be frolicK with our frieÌ„ds TheÌ„ Cineas replies what hindereth thee O King that thou maiest not do this now but that blinde ambition will not suffer thee to rest And surely if he had subdued all these nations and made himselfe Lorde and Ruler of them all yet hee would not then haue bene quiet As wee see in Alexander * Plutarch de tranquil animi who hauing conquered all Asia yet as if he had beene but a Begger he wept because he had not subdued the whole world For when he heard Anaxagoras the Philosopher disputing that there were infinite worlds he burst out into teares and being asked what he ayled he answered he had cause to greeue seeing he had not yet conquered one worlde Whereupon one saith very wittily * Alexander or bi magnus Alexandro orbis angustus Alexander was great in the worldes conceite but the world was little in Alexanders conceit * Nemo quos vinâ—at sed a quibus vincatur aspicit illi non tam iuâ—undum est multos post se videre quam graue a â— quem ante se Habet hoâ— viliâ— omnis ambit o â—oâ— respicit Sen. Epist 74. And indeed this hath beene alwaies the nature and property of an ambitious person that he neuer considereth whom he excelleth himselfe but who excell him And it is not so much pleasure to him to see many after him as it is a greefe to see any before him All ambition hath this fault it neuer looketh back but alwayes forward * Sen. Epi. 85. And an ambitious man is as carefull not to see others before him as not to see himselfe after others * Tu ista credis excelsa quia longe ab illis iaces Et vero qui ad illa peruenit humilia sunt Mentior nisi adhuc quaerit ascendere Istud quod tu summum putas gradus est Sen. Epi. 118. They that are in meane low place when they see a man raised to honor they thinke he is aduanced very high but hee himselfe thinketh his estate is but low and therefore he seeketh stil to climbe higher and that which another man counteth the highest degree is but a step in his conceit And to speake the truth how can that honor satisfie and fill the minde of man which is deceitfull light and vaine * In Psalme 91 Serm. 15 as Bernard saith and therefore like to make him more empty rather then to replenish him as he that hath a great deale of winde in his stomacke is so far from being filled that he is made more hungry with it * Opta lib. 2. And therefore one compareth the throat of an ambitious man to an empty sepulcher and saith it is more insatiable For one corpes is sufficient for one sepulcher and then it is shut vp again but all the honor in the world cannot satisfie an ambitious minde This serueth for the iust reproofe of all those that doe so greedily gape after preferment and so eagerly desire to be aduanced aboue others The Apostle exhorteth euery man in meeknes of minde to esteeme another better then himselfe Philip. 2 3. But it is farre otherwise with vs we think our owne penny the best siluer account basely of our brethren in comparison of our selues Again Rom. 12 10. the apostle teacheth vs in giuing honour to goe one before another If he had said in taking honour goe one before another he should haue had followers enough euery one would haue bene his scholler For we all desire to bee preferred aboue others We haue all a spice of Diotrephes his disease 3 Iohn ver 9 We loue to haue the preheminence And we are too Pharisaicall in this case Mat 23 6 7. Luke 14 7. We loue to haue the chiefe seats and the chiefe places in all assemblies I do not deny but that it is lawfull for a man both to desire and to maintaine that honor which is due vnto him that a fit decorum coÌ„uenient order may be obserued Neither Philosophy nor Diuinity doth coÌ„demne the mediocrity of ambition which Aristotle calleth a vertue whereby men desire moderate honour as far as is meete and conuenient Onely these cautions are to be obserued * Pet. Martyr First that we rest not in it as in the main principall end but refer all to the honor glory of God Secondly that we seeke it not by vnlawfull meanes by hooke or crooke by right or wrong Thirdly that we desire no more then for our iust deserts is due vnto vs. But we stand in need rather to be restrained then any way encouraged in this case For we all offend rather in the excesse then in the defect and if there be but an inch giuen vs we are apt to take an ell * Lud. Viv. in Aug. de ciuit dei lib. 1. cap. 1. Though we can and do reproue ambition in others yet wee loue like it in our selues as Cato said in an oration that he made in the Senate for the people of Rhodes We are angry if we see any prouder then our selues * P. Iouius histor lib. 25. It is with the most of vs as it was with the Florentines wee are so inflamed and run mad with such an insatiable desire of honour that wee cannot endure any man that is aboue vs indignity but with enuious eyes beholde the aduancement of others because we thinke our selues worthie of the same honour It is reported of Iulius Caesar that as he passed ouer the Alpes in his iourney to Spaine he lodged one night in a little poor village where one of his company came vnto him and asked him merrily if hee thought there would be any contention in that place for the soueraignty Whereunto he maketh this stout answer * Mallâ—m hic esse primus quam Romae secundus Sabel lib. 5. Ennead 6. I had rather be the first man here then the second at Rome I fear there are many at this day thus