hands make light worke but if we would piercingly and exactly look upon this Passion upon this murthering of a King we shall finde many hands indeed but for work the heaviest that ever was read of and how could it well be other when the miseries of this poor King was to satisfie the malice of two parties Mat. 27.1 When the morning was come all the chief Priests and as the Greek hath it the lay-Presbyters or the Elders of the people took counsell against Jesus to put him to death they who prepared plotted and purposed their Kings destruction they who raised an Army and sent Swords and staves to apprehend him these were you see an Assembly of Priests and Elders yet these were not they that did the deed these were not the Executioners these Voted but these did not Crucifie Now in verse 27. of the same Chapter you shall find the Souldiers of the Governours took Jesus into the common Hall and gathered unto him the whole band of Souldiers and they stripped him they fooled him verse 28. they crowned they mockt him they spit upon him verse 29. and when they had sported enough at his sorrowes then in the 35. verse of the Chapter They Crucified him they not the Presbyters or Elders but the Souldiers brought him to the block they Crucified him Not barely and simply put him to death but they put him ad mortem erucis to the death of the Crosse and indeed this had not been Envies Master-piece had it not been so had they not cloathed him with shame as well as macerated him with pain had they not put him as well to an ignominious as an irksome death Envy would have seemed too dull and too cool a persecutor And therefore to expresse the zeal and activity of their cruelty it is not said here they slew but they Crucified him that is they inflicted on him the extremity of shame sorrow death To a person of Honour and especially to the fountain of Honour to a King shame and dishonour it is bitterer then death so that indeed it is hard to say whether the disposition to and manner of his death was not more affliction to the King then death it self for if we look upon these three particulars though we must passe over a thousand bitternesses 1. What was done before they brought him to the Court of Justice 2. What was done there 3. What after Sentence we shall finde there was nothing done but what speaks Tyranny and Malice For first to take off the appearance of their Envy and to make Malice seem zeal unto the publick behold the King must be brought as a Prisoner to the Barre and as a Malefactor before the Court of Justice but if we observe the Tryall we shall finde nothing but envy and Malice in it For in a place I now cited Mat. 27.7 I shewed unto you how the Priests and Elders took counsell against Jesus to put him to death before ever they brought him to the Court of Justice before ever any Processe drawn or witnesses found out the Priests and Elders had resolved upon the question they sate in Councell and had agreed the King must die the President must and should give the Sentence of death upon him So that indeed the bringing him before a Judge the bringing the King before Annas Caiaphas Herod and Pilate this his appearance at four severall Courts it was only to put a faire Face upon an ugly Sentence it only was by the mockery of justice to cloak the cruelty of malice for before ever he came thither the Councell had determined Jesus their King must die Secondly see the carriage of the businesse when it came there and we shall finde that he was not tryed by any course of Law or by any legall principles for if we look upon him as before Caiaphas before the chief Priests and the Elders Mat. 26.59 we shall find that all his Judges were parties for the Scripture expresly saith the chief Priests and Elders and all the Councell sought false witnesse against Jesus all the Councell all that sate his Judges or that did rise up in Judgment against him they conspired and plotted how to put their King to death or look we upon him as he stood before Pilate before the President and we shall finde it was the Multitude it was the Tumult it was Voices not Law that carryed the cause against him When Pilate saw that he could not prevail any thing but that rather a Tumult was made Mat. 27.24 then he released Barabbas and delivered Jesus to be Crucified Tumult and Votes not Law or Justice brought the King unto his Crosse Indeed in the 25. ver. of the said 27. Chapter of St. Matthew it is written Then answered all the people his bloud be on us and our children the chiefe Priests and Elders the prime and close managers of this designe they interest and intitle the people to it as if this had been an Act of the whole people as if it had been the peoples desire to have their King cut off all the people said his bloud be upon us and upon our Children Whereas indeed if we look close into the story we shall find that had the people been let alone they would have been as they were some five dayes before all for the King they would have prosecuted their former engagement and have brought their King to his City with safety and honour they were more inclinable as it is in Mat. 21. to cry Hosanna then Crucifie and had rather have strowed their garments in his way then have imbrewed his in bloud Mat. 27.20 The chiefe Priests and Elders perswaded the multitude the Leaders and Commanders they over-ruled the people yea if it were as hard to get into Pilates as it was into Caiaphaâ— Court there might then be more or at least but few present at his tryall but such who were the Creatures and followers of the chief Priests and Elders for you shall finde in the 18. of Saint John and the 17. verse That the doore was shut and Sainâ— Peter got not in but upon the interest of St. John and no wonder if they spake as they were taught Crucifie him Crucifie him yea St. Peter in Acts 3.17 imputes it to the ignorance of the people which Pilate flatly layes to the fury of Rulers and indeed no People nor Rulers but were extreamly ignorant of what they did when they did this the foulest of attempts Crucifie their King Thirdly as you have seen what they did before they came unto the Court and how things were carryed there even so if we look upon what was done after Sentence we shall finde nothing but Cruelty nothing but a studiyd mixture of Infamy and Sorrowes And this wil appear from these two things 1. The place 2. The Instrument of his death First the place Jerusalem the Royall City the City of David and must it not needs be an aggravation of shame and sorrow for the Sonne of
{non-Roman} {non-Roman} James 2.8 The Kingly the Royall Law and indeed the King in my Text as an employment truly regall fulfilled it to a title and for proofe I shall need appeal no further then to these his last words Father forgive them them who those even under whose Tyranny I now suffer those that have been the causes and contrivers of my death those who have flead my skin those who have furrowed my back those who with Thornes have crowned my head those who with their nailes wounds and Crosses have brought me to this present extremity even them forgive them O my Father Nor only doth he pray but plead for their forgivenesse for he not onely saith Father forgive them but therefore forgive them because they know not what they doe Should we look into our own souls or almost into any but a Royall breast we shall finde another accompt another temper for we do not use to extenuate but to aggravate our injuries we do not use to excuse but to accuse our adversaries what was done casually we are apt to say was done purposely and what was done ignorantly we are apt to say was done wilfully Whereas if you look upon the carriage and charity of the King you shall finde him so far from heightning that he lesseneth all his injuries forgive them for they know not what they do what Pilate attributed to Envy the King extenuates and imputes to ignorance forgive them for they know not And indeed Subjects do not know what it is to take away a King Rege incolumi mens omnibus una est Amisso ruperâ— fidem Look what the Poet sayes of the King of Bees the same is as true of the King of men in his safety lyeth theirs for though the Crown be to him that wears it a wreath of cares yet to the Subject it is vinculum pacis his bond of peace the Hive so long as the King of Bees reigneth it aboundeth with Honey abides in safety every even the poorest Bee enjoyes its Cell no plundering Droans no sequestring Hornets no dissension while he is in power but amisso take him away then it just happens to the poor Bees as it did to the Subjects of this despised King Mat. 26.31 Smite the Shepherd and the Sheep shall be scattered Crucifie the King and farewell the Kingdom so that very well might the Soveraign say they did not know what they did when they thus barbarously murthered and slew their King Father forgive them for they know not what they do And have not we here a lesson well worth the learning Shall God and the King be charitable and shall not we Shall they forgive and we persecute Shall they be Mercifull and we Tyrants one to another It was worthy a King and a King worthy our remembrance who said I thanke God I never found but my pity was above my anger Had not the King in my Text been a King whose wrath was much below his pity of all men we had been most miserable If so then we would have that in us which we commended in others that in us which we glorifie in our King we must then not only magnifie but imitate our King we must judge charitably forgive heartily our very enemies Our late Kings charity perswaded him that it was not his person but his errors which his Subjects Rebelled against it was not their malice but their scruples that put them upon it just like the King in my Text rather to weaknesse then wilfulnesse rather to infirmity then to obstinacy rather to ignorance then envy he imputes the high miscarriages against him Father forgive them for they know not what they do I shall conclude this point with that Heroick and remarkable death of Phocion in Plutarchs Moralls who when his Citizens had brought him to his last draught a little before he took off his Hemlocks they asked him if he had any thing else to say whereupon addressing his speech unto his Son he thus said I charge thee and beseech thee not to carry any Rancor and Malice in thy heart to the Athenians for my death he charged him as a King and besought him as a Father to bury all injuries in the grave with him His last Memento his last remembrance to his Son was remember thou revenge not Now if Magnanimity in a Heathen did this what should charity in a Christian especially being animated with such Royall Presidents as we are Though our blessed King in my Text suffered such indignities even the foulest that malice could impose on Majesty though they spit upon him Whipt him and upon his very Crosse derided him yet in the bitternesse of that pain behold his charity Father forgive them And so I passe to the last use of this point and that is that it should make us penitent for it will appear that it was not his but our sins not his but our Enormous crimes that Crucified the King 1 Sam. 12.25 the Prophet tels the people thus If ye shall do wickedly ye shall be consumed both you and your King not only ye but your King so that you see the wickednesse of a people may be the cause of a Kings destruction If you do wickedly not only you but your King also shall come to ruine ye and your King shall perish And indeed which of us that is a Christian doth not know that the King in my Text was not only slain by but even for his Subjects Isa. 53.3 He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities yea in vers. 7. He was cut off from the Land of the living but still it was for the iniquity of his people for iâ— straight followes for the transgression of my people was he stricken yea not only of this King in my Text but also of that good young King Josia in the vulgar Latin it is thus written Lam. 4.20 Capâ—us est in peccatis nostris The Anointed of the Lord is taken in our sins for the sins of the people God took away their King So that the losse of King and a good King may very well call for penitence That sad book of the Lamentations it is conceived to be principally penned for the slaughter of their good King Josiah for it is said 2 Chron. 35.25 Behold they are written in the Lamentations the Lamentations made for their good King they are upon Record for indeed his losse was as it appeares in the next Chapter the forerunner of the losse of all The King in my Text our blessed Lord and Saviour when he had his Crosse upon his back he was more troubled with the foresight of the misery of his people then with his own death and therefore saith in Luk. 23.28 Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me bvt weep for your selves weep not for me saith the King for I am passing unto glory where I go no disturbance can be no distuâ—bance in the World but to you the daughters and Inhabitants of
Princes So that to withdraw from the protection of a Soveraigne it is to despise and throw off a Saviour He who was the Saviour of the world he is also King of Kings and as St. Paul speaketh The only Potentate And he under whose wings we have been securely safe let the sad want of him now say it was Christus Domini the Lords Anointed the only Potentate the only supreme Governour of this Kingdome Or take the point thus Is it so that he whose Kingdome is not of this world hath for all that Power and Dominion over all the Kingdoms of this world Maugre then all the designes plots jealousies and fears that Devill or Man can set on foot Our Lord the King shall reach his end Our Lord the King shall break their Bonds in sunder and cast their Cords from him For to him all power is given Indeed if in the perusall of the Gospell we should stand to observe the Industrious malice of his Enemies we shall find their plot and designe was even root and branch to cut him off they endevoured to kill him with shame and to bury him with Infamy For when as a Malefactor they had put him to death their greatest care and thought of heart was to prevent his Resurrection And therefore their great suit to Pilate is Command that the Sepulchre be made sure Rebels are afraid of a King though he be in his grave And indeed they had cause so to be for though his Kingdom was not of yet I have shewed unto you it was over this world over their Designes over their Plots over their Malice in so much that you may read that very stone which they rejected it became the corner stone And that very Soveraign whom they ignominiously laid in the grave and thought to secure by Souldiers he had witnesse those very Souldiers a glorious Resurrection so that indeed there is no contesting against Soveraignty As the Kingdom of Christ is over this world even so Christ whose Kingdom is not of this world yet hath a Kingdom in this world If you peruse the Gospell you cannot but finde that even then when the major part and prevailing party was most against him even then this Soveraigne had some Loyall Subjects he had in his lowest condition some who though timorously yet most cordially stuck unto him so that he alwayes had a Kingdom even in this world And this is apparent from that last solemne prayer of his where when he prayed for these for these who were Loyall and true of heart his Petition runs thus I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world Out of the world he would not have his Subjects taken for though not of the world he was resolved and doth to this hour preserve a Kingdome in this world And this the Jews his Adversaries did too well perceive for such was his goodnesse such his meeknesse such his charity that he did indeed draw all men after him Whilest he was yet at liberty and the people might have accesse unto him they flocked unto him from all places and he healed them Multitudes followed him and he without respect to what part they took touched and cured such as came unto him In so much that his Malignant persecutors are not ashamed to vote what was done digito Dei with the finger of God to be done by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils not ashamed to say If we let him alone all men will believe on him If we let him alone the people will leave us if we let him alone he will recover his kingâ—ome if we let him alone what will becâ—me of us So apparent it was 〈◊〉 to his Jews that he had a party 〈◊〉 he had a Kingdome in this â—â—â—ld â—nd indeed a Kingdome he hath in this world a Kingdome whereof it concerns every one of us to be a Subject for those only who have been Zealous of his Laws and Loyall to his person Those only are they who shall sit upon Thrones those they who shall reign with him hereafter Indeed we have now amongst us a Generation of Saints who reckon much upon that old Millenary error who believe those thousand years are now approaching in which the earth shall abound with peace plenty pleasure in which the Saints shall reigne rule and enjoy what ever their souls lust after in which Christ shall descend manifest that he hath a Kingdome in this world And unlikely it is not but the conceit of this Epicurean paradise may be a cause that many run such mad couses as they do confidently believing they shall presently have a Kingdom in this world Job 19.25 I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day on the earth Now if it must be the last day before our Redeemer shall manifest himself and stand upon the earth Or if as it is Heaven must receive him untill the times of restitution of all things How then can he be a thousand years with his Saints upon earth before the last day Yea how can he be expected to live upon the earth at all whose last coming is described to be not on the earth but in an higher Element For The Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-angel and with the Trumpe of God And then observe the sequell The dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are olive and remain shall be caught up together with him in the clouds to meet the Lord Observe where not below but in the clouds not on the earth but in the Aire We shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the Aire and then lest peradventure it might be thoughts he would descend lower and live upon the earth with us it immediately followeth And so shall we ever be with the Lord As Loyall Citizens to entertain their long absent King put on their best roabs and go out to meet him Even so when Christ the King of glory shall return all who have been Loyall Subjects all who have been obedient Christians all who have faithfully kept their Allegeance to this Soveraign all such they shall be caught up in the clouds they shall go out to meet the Bridegroom yea they shall ever be with the Lord their King Rom. 8.17 If so be that we suffer with him we shall also be glorifyed with him Those who have stuck to their King in his low condition those who have been content to suffer for him those who looking upon his bitter sufferings have been moved by so patient an example to suffer with him those also shall fare as he fareth they shall be glorifyed with him Mat. 19.28 Verily I say unto you saith the King in my Text ye which have followed me in the Regeneration ye who for my sake have been Sequestred from Houses Lands and the comfort of wife and children When the Son of Man shall sit in the
here said My Kingdom is not of this world Sufferings not the Sword hath set up Christs Kingdome Pass we therefore to the second Observation which is Where there is such a King there is no Co-ordination for no Medium in the Text between Christ and his Servants If my Kingdome were of this world my Servants would do their duties my Servants would fight for me Since Authority hath been disputed though the Word hath been kept the Power of a King hath been much eclipsed so that now we may admit of this distinction a King Nominall and a King Reall a Person so called and a Personage that is so indeed Theopompus King of Sparta to take off the Odium of absolute Royalty brought in as Plutarch observes those five Members called the Ephori and these as is observed so ordered and moulded the Lacedemonian State that after Kings had nothing left but the Name only And indeed with such with Nominall Kings a Co-ordination may very well be but then they cannot take up the words of my Text and say My Kingdome My Servants or my Subjects But our Kingdome our Servants and our Subjects will fight for us For indeed no Nominall King can be the only Supreme nor hath any Nominall King more then his share and his personall interest in the Government Now such a King was not the King in the Text he was not only in Name but most really and in power a King God his Father who set him upon the holy hill of Sion he joyn'd none in Commission with him he appointed no Ephori no five Members no Committees for to over-see him to him was given {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the whole Authority all Power The Government was setled upon his and his only shoulder He and he alone was Princeps pacis the Prince of Peace He and he only it was that could settle his Kingdom in peace so that with such a King as he impossible it is there should be a Co-ordination as possible to have two Saviours of the world as two Soveraignes of one and the same Kingdome so that he might very well say My Kingdom for he had no compeer no fellow in it he might very well say My Servants for no Coequall he had to fight for him Indeed it is most apparent our King in the Text he had a Councell a great Councell a Councell inspired with the holy Ghost He had twelve Apostles yet though there were twelve of them he was Vniversis major he was greater then his body for Colos. 1.18 He is the head of the body he is the Head of his Church And indeed as the head of no man is said to be the head of the Arme or the head of the hand or the head of any particular member but the head of the whole the head of the body even so the King in my Text he who is said to be the head of his Church he is not head of this or that particular Member or of every personall body but he is the head of the whole as they make one body It is most true every Member may say this is my Head and every subject may say this is my King but it is the Head and the Head only which can say This is my body the King and the King only who can say This is my Kingdome So that there may be as well two Heads to one Body as two co-ordinate Supremes in one Kingdome The King in my Text it is most clear approves no such where he hath to do for he saith peremptorily my Kingdome my Servants all but my self are Inferiours all but my self are Subjects If my Kingdome were of this World my Servants would fight for me Indeed if we look upon the great Councell of this King if we look upon the Apostles we shall finde they are in an hot contention and make great debate who should be the greatest among them For when the King in my Text told them Luke 23.22 Truly the Sonne of Man goeth It presently followes There was strife among them which of them should be counted the greatest Co-ordinate powers they will justle Take away this one King and we shall finde none For as plurâ—litas Deorum est nullitas As he who makes many makes no God even so he who in one Kingdom makes more then one makes indeed no King at all For Mat. 26.31 Smite the Shepheard and the Sheep shall be scattered Take away the head and the body like the limbs of Medea's Brother they will lie uselesse and scattered about the Kingdome For when the King in my text was but apprehended and taken away by Souldiers you shall find even of his dearest servants and of his Bosom Counsellors there was not a man stuck unto him So that indeed a Kingdome admits no other then of this Division Soveraigne and Servants King and Subjects for take Soveraignty from the King and the World shall soon find he will grow a Servant quickly for as the Disciples even so al Co-ordinates they are ambitious to write this stile my Kingdome my Servants And so to the last considerable How far Subjects are Servants which according to my Text hath this extent Servants to defend their Soveraign from both injury and imprisonment For saith the King in my Text If my Kingdome were of this world my Servants would fight and then adds for what That I should not be delivered to the Jews 1. They would fight 2. They would fight in this cause that I should not be thus abused that I should not be thus delivered to the Jews 1. My Servants would fight Our Blessed Soveraigne being to make his Plea before a Pagan Judge before one who regarded neither Moses nor the Prophets useth not Scripture but Reason to convince him and that such a Reason as the very Law of Nations had agreed upon viz. That Subjects ought to fight for their King And therefore concludes negatively In as much as none fight for me my Kingdome is not of this World for if it were my servants would fight My Servants This word Servant it may have a Despicable and it may have an Honourable estimate It may imply a Subject and somewhat more or it may imply a Subject and somewhat lesse In that phrase of Scripture Servants obey your Masters The word Servant there it implieth somewhat lesse than a Subject one who is either a Slave or serves for Hire or is under despicable and meane commands But in these places of Scripture where it is said My servant Moses David my servant O Zerubbabel my servant Here Servant is more then a Subject for it is an Honour even to Kings themselves to be Gods Servants Whereas then it is said in the Text My servants that is such who as I am not their Master but their King relate unto me By Servants we are not to understand such who are under a Despoticall or Magisteriall but such who are under a
man hath he ought in right reason to part with rather then his life for of all things pleasant and profitable Life is the dearest Indeed Bonum Honestum that good which is Honest Honourable Religious for those there are cases in which a man may dare to die for Vertue Piety and publick goods they may be dearer then life it self for seeing godliness hath not only a promise of this life but also of that which is to come a life lost or laid down for it may have what this World cannot give an heavenly recompence Rom. 5.7 Peradventure for a good man some would dare to die The Rule of Charity is Love thy Neighbour as not better then thy selfe so that indeed to lay down our life to save anothers unlesse there be in that other some excellency which may counterpoise a life we may not be so far wanting to our selves as to lay down a life So that in a word to give issue to the present point I conceive according to the Tenor of my Text it must be a publick person a person exalted either by Majesty or Piety above his Brethren a person whose life is of more consequence then are many particulars for whom many particulars may dare to lay down their lives for whom many particulars may dare to fight In the Body naturall right reason tells us we ought to venture any Member rather then the head for as much as the head it is the guide the Governour the preserver of the whole even so in the Body politick for as much as all but the head are Members for the Head for the Supreme for the Protector and Defender of the whole there is not a Member but may dare to fight yea not a Member which is able but when that 's in perill must fight For according to the vote even of all Nations saith our Saviour unto Pilate were I such a King as you take me for my Servants would take up Arms my Servants would not suffer me thus to be delivered to the Jews Act. 4. The Jews you may finde wâ—ere so averse unto their Soveraign and so extremely bent to destroy his memory that their great Councell the Sanhedrim forbade all further addresses to him straitly commanding vers. 18. That the Apostles should not speak at all or teach in the Name of Jesus They would have nothing done in the Name of their King Now here began the tryall of his Subjects here was the experience of the loyalty of his Servants for when it was now grown capitall and deemed as Treason to speak in the Name of their King when they were straitly commanded to take no Commission in his name nor to teach in the Name of Jesus Behold even then Act. 8.28 They filled Jerusalem with their Doctrine not fearing to charge the very Councel with the bloud and infamy of their King ver. 30. saying whom ye slow and hanged on a Tree Now as the spirituall Subjects of Christ were thus tryed when Christianity was at stake even so then are secular and temporall Subjects tryed when Monarchy and Regality is in question As then Christians by suffering must uphold the spirituall even so Subjects by fighting must uphold the temporall for were I a temporall King saith our Saviour in my Text before the Jewes should thus insult over me my servants would fight My Servants for a Royall and a publick would not spare to lay down the lives of their private persons 2 Sam. 21. The men of David sware unto him Thou shalt go no more out with us to battell that thou quench not the Light of Israel They would spend their own lives rather then see the light of Israel put out they will much rather venture their own persons then the person of their King yea they plainly tell him and that to his face Thou art worth ten thousand of us So that you see in right reason to defend a King to defend him upon whose person depends the peace and prosperity of a Kingdome to defend him who is worth ten thousand that is all of us there is I say in conscience and right reason cause and warrant enough that the servants of such an one fight yea die for him Instances might be given and those not a few even of Pagans who albeit they had no after-hopes as Christians have yet for a publick good for the peace and safety of a Kingdome they have dared to die Codrus the Athenian Curtius the Roman both gave themselves up for the good of their Country And indeed whether it be to King or Country none of us are upon the tryall none of us can be said to be well affected till we are even upon our perill when the King is in danger to be delivered to his enemies then is the time then must his servants fight Were my Kingdome of this world now even now at this time saith the King in my Text my servants would fight for they would not now I should be thus delivered to the Jewes To close this point That same distinction which Chancellor Elsmore in his days pronounced dangerous and Judge Cooke in his pronounced damnable even that which those Patriots would not passe for Law some Divines of late have past for Gospell preaching it lawfull to fight against a King in his personall so they fight for him in his politick capacity I confesse I cannot make this to agree with my Text for my Text it speaks only of that capacity in respect to which a King may be taken delivered up Arraigned Condemned Crucifyed my servants would fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews saith my Text Now how our Saviour could be delivered in any but a personall capacity how he could be bought and sold apprehended and nayled to a Crosse but only in a personall capacity imagine I cannot And in this and this only capacity the Text requires that his Subjects fight for him my servants would fight that I that this very person of mine should not be delivered In a word to draw up all Every man who fights should seriously consider whether God will reward him for so fighting consider whether in the face of God he can say with St. Paul I have fought a good fight for without a good fight no Crown He who fights for his own ends and his private interest he who kils men as some do beasts for their skinnes for their estates he who without any regard to the Cause fights on such as these can hardly say I have fought a good fight The good fight which St. Paul fought it was against his Rebellious Members the Warre he waged it only was to reduce them into subjections and to bring them into obedience to the Mind And indeed the good fight supposed in the Text it is against Rebellious Members 't is against Traytors 't is against such who violate Soveraignty and are vexatious to the Lords Anointed For against such saith our Saviour in my Text
Shiloah that go softly for as much as this people for as much as the Jewes would not have him to reign over them who like the waters of Shiloah was meek calme and quiet behold what the Lord threatned and they found now therefore saith the Lord vers. 7. I will bring upon them Waters of the River strong and many they who could not be content with a calme behold the Lord threatneth to send them a tempest they who must needs make away a quiet and a peaceable King a King of their own upon such the Lord threatens and hath sent the waters of the River strong and many and these as it is in the same verse shall come up over all his Channels and go over all his bankes And indeed what is juster then an inundation even of bloud it self to sweep away such a people who have broken down all the bankes violated all the muniments and loosned all the ties of Religion Law Reason Conscience for thus did Pilate and thus did the Jewes when the one for fear and the other for envy delivered to death the Lord of life for as you have heard the Judgement and Conscience of both concluded it was not lawfull it was not warrantable to Crucifie a King And so passe from their Passion to our Saviours from their judgement to their Execution and shall thence evidently prove this second Generall That what Jew and Gentile do against Conscience and Judgement that they do most barbarously Crucifie a King Judgement Reason Conscience are those lights and gifts by which men are exalted and dignifyed above Beasts so that indeed when Men degenerate from these they became as Beasts making as they do only their Lusts and Passions to be their guides and hence it comes that whereas every man should be homo homini Deus as a God and helper to another most men are as the inverted saying homo homini Lupus speak I of Job of David or of the Lion In my Text we have an example when the Superior fals in 〈◊〉 the handâ— of the Inferior Asperius nihil est humili quum surgit in altum Exalted beggery makes the exactest Tyrrannie Satis est prostrasse Leoni To the offended Lyon to injured Majesty submission may passe for satisfaction but if the Lyon himself chance to be brought under then as it is in the fable Calcat jacentem vulgus The very Asse will finde a heel to kick him Job 29.25 Job who when he dwelt as a King in the Army when it pleased God to suffer him to be Plundred Sequestred and brought low you shall read whose Fathers he disdained to set with the dogs of his flock Job 30.1 even these had him in derision King David though a good man and a good King yet in Psal. 35.15 In mine adversity saith he they rejoyced they who It followeth the Abjects the very scumme of the people gathered themselves together against me and would you know how they used him they did tear him and ceased not But what speak I of Job of David or of the Lion In my Text we have an example surpassing all for when the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah fell into the hands of the Beasts of the people when the King of the Jews fell into the hands of his Subjects when God himself yeilded up himself unto the power of men never was there such a piece of cruelty as was then committed never did Wolfe so use a Lamb as the Lamb of God was used for which is the sum and Catastrophe of this wofull Tragedy they Crucified their King Pilate who as you have heard had the examination of the cause when he had sifted and scanned all he could when he heard all that could be said and examined all that could be proved his conclusion is he could finde nothing but envy in the whole Pilate knew that for envy they had delivered him Mat. 27.18 And indeed this envy though it grew not mature and to the height till now yet we finde it begun even in the beginning of his reign for what was it but envy which moved Herod to make him runne before he could go what but ambition to the throne made him to seek his life and indeed run through all his reign and you shall find it was only the envy of his graces that occasioned all affrontâ— and disgrace unto him For in the very hour and power of darknesse such was the lustre of his innocence that the President evidently saw it was for envy they delivered him Gen. 37. you shall find how when Joseph the type of the King in my Text was envyed and hated of his Brethren though they knew no evill in the World by him yet they could not speak peaceably unto him ver. 4. Envy is the bitterest persecutor in the World Dan. 6.3 for as much as in Daniel there was an excellent spirit the Princes who envied him though they could quarrell at nothing but his piety never left plotting against him till they brought him to the Lions v. 16. Our Blessed Lord the Soveraign in my Text when envy took him to taske it never gave over till it brought him to the grave nor would envy bring him thither but after an envious manner Crucifying and killing him even all the day long exactly verifying this our second observation that what they did against Judgement and Conscience they did most barbarously A glimpse of it I shall indevour to give you under these two heads 1. The Nobleness of the sufferer A King 2. The ignoblenesse of his sufferings They crucifyed him First Let us look upon the Noblenesse of the sufferer A King It is a â—aâ— much commended in this Laâ— of ours that no man shall be tryed but per Pares by his equals by his Peeres and indeed there may be an excellent reason couched in it for it is only Peers only Equals only such who are liable to the same casualties who are truly compassionate and throughly sensible of the like miseries Indeed sometimes as the Father towards the Children even so pater patriae the Father of his Countrey the King and Ruler of his people he is touched with is tender and sensible of the grievances and pressures of his people and for this very end it was the King in my Text was born for this very end it was he dyed he was both the Saviour and Martyr of his people But so rare is a reciprocall Sympathy from the people to the King that it is not improbable therefore the King is above their Judgement because amongst his Subjects he can have no Peers none of his own rank no equals and therefore no impartiall Judges of his sufferings And of this there can be no greater President then the person in my Text for as there was never any sorrow like his sorrow even so never lesse regard then he had for behold a King upon the Crosse and his Subjects reviling mocking and deriding of him so that indeed before we can
that Whereas indeed would they as did the Husbandmen confesse and speak ouâ— All they do say or swear it only is that the Inheritance may be ours Ours not his Monarchy as founded in Unity is an enemy to division Anarchy as founded in Confusion is as averse to Unity as then the Heir would not meddle with the Dividing of an Inheritance so neither would he have had his own Divided But the Husbandmen who had none unlesse they could get his they who thought it ill that one should have so much and they so little one a whole Vineyard and they not a Cluster They like worldly wisemen cry out Divide impera Not his but ours Point 11 Here then in stead of a point of Instruction I may for Instruction change that question of our Saviours concerning the Baptisme of John into this Whether for One to have Rule over Many or for Many to take the Rule and Dominion from one be from Heaven or of Men Now the Text it is positive for One and for one onely one Vineyard one Heire one Lord of all Indeed this Lord was a Steward but as appeares in that Chapter not the Peoples but the Fathers He had power to call the Labourers but the Labourers had none to call him to an account So that not from Heaven but from Men not vox Dei but vox Populi It was not the voice of God but the voice of Men The voice of low and poor conditioned men the voice of labouring and Husbandmen who said Not one but many not his but ours Our Inheritance They who endure not an Inheritance in the Heir when themselves have got it then they could be well content to say Our Inheritance But see how differently unjust men and the just God account for that which the Husbandmen call ours and our Inheritance that the just God makes to them as Jonahs Gourd a thing of no continuance So that the Husbandmen when they cast out the Heir they were as farre mistaken as if the Mariners in Jonahs story had in stead of the Prophet cast out the Pylot For whom they cast out was not the cause but must have been the calmer of the Tempest One whose biding in the Ship one whose want in the Vineyard was the utter Ruine of it And therefore it followeth The Lord in stead of confirming their title shall destroy the Husbandmen and in stead of giving them Inheritances He shall take the Vineyard from them and give it to others Point 12 The point then for our Instruction is If we would have power to call any thing Ours if we would have a durable inheritance we must have a care that we come righteously by iâ— and that we spend what we have to Gods glory for being the sin of the Husbandmen was the denying to the Heir the profits of his Vineyard God will undoubtedly take that Vineyard from us which we shall deny him the fruit of There is a story of a certain Tradesman of Constantinople who gave all the wealth he had gathered in his whole life to wear the Imperiall Crown but for an Hour and so in an Hour became of a conceited King a reall Beggar The Husbandmen in my Text or all who as they did by Usurpation and unjust wayes seek Inheritances they perchance may as did that Foolish Tradesman aspire get and wear a Crown But as he 't will be but for an Hour For never were the Conveyances of any sound and firme Title writ in bloud Jezabel drew up the Conveyances of poor Naboths Vineyard in his own bloud but it was cancel'd quickly and washt out with hers Athalia like the Husbandmen in my Text with the bloud of Heirs with bloud Royall writ her clâ—â—me But for as much as bloud will not as Ink dry up after few years it was blotted out again Yea the Lord himself conplaines of some Who built up Zion with bloud and Jerusalem with iniquity some it seems would have had the reformation both of Church and State Zion and Jerusalem writ in Bloud and drawn up with deceitfull Hands Hands full of iniquity But then it straight followeth Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a Feild and Jerusalem shall become Heaps c. And indeed would time permit it were not hard to shew these Husbandmen who by the Red Sea of the Heirs bloud thought to bring themselves to Canaan in stead of Canaan brought upon themselves a Miserable Desolation The Priests and Presbytery those who first conspired and plotted against the Heir those who reckoned upon large Vineyards and golden Inheritances even these by their own stratagem were frustate in their hopes and deprived of their Inheritance For as they by pretence of Just and Holy men sought to undermine the Heir and to engrosse the richest Vineyards Even so another Generation under pretence of more zeal and under pretence of more purity Those whom Josephus cals the zealous they enter upon their possessions and they cast even them out of their Vineyards yea both the one and the other when the Romans came were themselves serv'd as they serv'd the Heir they were kill'd and were cast out of their Inheritance yea it was made capitall for any of these Husbandmen so much as to look towards their Inheritance So that of whatever shall be got by bloud Usurpation and unjust wayes of that God will not suffer us to have an Inheritance nor permit any of us long to say This is ours To conclude all The Lord knoweth the dayes of the upright and their Inheritance shall be for ever Whosoever desires to have a durable Inheritance whether it be here or hereafter the way to it is Righteousnesse and Vprightnesse He who would hold as an Inheritance and have the blessing of God to descend upon him and his he must be sure there be nothing in his Estate which belongeth either to God to Cesar or to the Poor who hath no Helper no Achanâ— Wedge no Devoted Treasure no Naboths Vineyard no Poor mans Acre no not the least parcell of the Heires inheritance For as you have heard those who so highly dared as to possesse his Vineyard and to call what was the Heirs their own in stead of being Heires the Father hath made them Vagabonds to this day so that what the Heir in his persecution said of himselfe the same may to this day be said of those rebellious Husbandmen The Foxes have Holes and the Birds of the ayre have Nests but in that Zion which they sought to build with bloud and in that Jerusalem which they thought to establish by iniquity those their children who slew the Heir they have not where to lay their heads And so Lord let it be to all those who have evill will to Zion so to them who delight in bloud Indeed the Inheritance of the Saints and that which all good men look after it was purchased with bloud and with