fourth part they called the ninth houre This much for the diuision of the daye and night after the fashion of the Iewes To apply this to our purpose In this Historie of the Passion of Iesus Christ yee shall finde mention of all these foure partes of the first the third sixt and ninth In the first houre or in the morning the LORD IESVS was led into the Common-Hall to Pilate to bee accused His accusation continued the first three houres and much of the third houre or second quarter as wee counted it His accusation continued about the space of fiue houres Then alitle after the sixt houre in the ende of the thirde houre as IOHN in his nineteene Chapter sayes The doome and sentence of damnation was giuen out against the Lord In the same third houre as MARKE in his fourteenth Chapter sayes The Lord Iesus was crucified so that He was both condemned crucified in the end of the third houre So betweene eleuen and twelue a short space passed betweene the sentence of damnation and the execution In the sixt houre which was the thirde part of their day yee see there falles out a fearfull and terrible darknesse on the face of the earth and according to our account the darknesse remaines from twelue houres to three in the afternoone the space of three houres for so long hang the Lord vpon the Crosse Then yee haue mention here of the ninth houre the fourth part of their day The Lord then vttered His complaint to His Father My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee This is according to our account when it was three after noone and hastily after this Hee yeeldes His blessed Spirit in the hands of His Father So the Lord Iesus died and yeelded the Spirit betweene three and foure houres afternoone Now this shortly for the better vnderstanding of the Historie Nowe to speake of this wonder and darknesse His heauenly Father would testifie by this darknesse that whilst His glorious Son was humbled on that vile ignominious Crosse as Paul to the Philippians 2. sayes Whilst as He was weakned and made of no reputation at this time His Father would testifie not onely of His innocencie as Hee was man but also of His glorie as He was God In humbling of Him the Father would glorifie Him But will yee looke to the Sunne and the senslesse creatures of Heauen and Earth the very Sunne and senslesse creatures would testifie that they were addebted vnto that glorious Creator they would testifie that sorrowe that they had that the Lord of glorie should suffer such an ignominious death The senslesse creatures were moued the Sunne gloomes hides his face at that wicked action the earth shiuers and quakes readie to swallow vp and deuoure those miserable persons and the Sunne and the senslesse creatures beginne to teach that senslesse and hardened people with whom they had to doe Not with a man but with the Lord of glorie but teach what they would teach heere is a miserable example of induration this miserable people for all this darknesse was not moued they would not turne So Brethren see what it is once to be giuen to a reprobate sense if the LORD giue thee vp to a reprobate sense the earth shall not be so senslesse as thou and though the earth should stand vp and teach thee thou shalt not heare nor see what it sayes Of all judgements that falles on the soule this reprobate sense is the heauiest and most dangerous and if thou continuest in it it were a thousand times better for thee when thou werest made a man or a woman to haue bene made a stocke or a stone for if there be not a wakning in time out of so dead a sleepe ere euer thou beware the wrath of God from Heâ—uen shall ouertake thee when thou criest peace then shall the wrath come thou shalt not get leasure to thinke of mercie The Lord waken this senslesse generation for there was neuer a generation more senslesse than this generation is notwithstanding of so many voyces sounding not only voyces of men but of the heauen the earth and senslesse creatures I will speake sparingly of this darkning and as the Philosopher calles it the ecclipse of the Sunne for it serues not much to edification Onely thus far that yee may see the greatnesse of the wonder and that ye may wonder at the Lord Iesus hanging on the Crosse This Ecclipse was not naturall for the naturall Ecclipse of the Sunne falles out when the Moone is in the changing at the which time there is a concurse and conjunction betweene the two Planets the Sunne and the Moone The Moone goes vnder the Sunne and takes away a great part of the light of the Sunne from the Earth But this Ecclipse falles out in the full moone The Law commanded the Passeouer to be celebrate in the moneth of March the fourteenth day of their moneth in the which time the Sunne and the Moone are as far asunder as they can be the one beeing in the one side of the Heauen the other on the other side so that betweene them the whole Globe of the Earth is cast in But in this Ecclipse against Nature the Moone which was now opposite to the Sunne turnes her suddenly about and comes vnder the Sunne and hides the sight thereof and brings on a terrible darknesse on the world So that as yee will read in prophane writings during that darknesse the starres were seene at the Noonetide as at Midnight And to be short it is written that the Philosophers in Athens marking this Ecclipse endeuoured to search the cause of it could not finde out the naturall cause and one Dionisius Areopagita saide It behooued to be that either the God of Nature suffered or els the worlde should suddenly be dissolued and be lied not The Lord Iesus the GOD of Nature suffered and they raised vp an Altar then and wrote on it To the vnknowne God whereof ye read in the Actes 17. This for the wonder Nowe let vs come to that that fell out in the ninth houre that is our three houres afternoone Marke This serues for our edification ye heard the Lord Iesus was in extreame agonie and anguishe in His soule and also Hee suffered great paine in His bodie yet all was nothing to that extreame bitternesse that Hee felt in His soule when as Hee hung on the Crosse Nowe in this agonie Hee vtters this voyce with a crie Eli Eli lamasabachthani that is My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee These are the first wordes of the XXII PSALME for Dauid beeing the Type of Christ and feeling that vexation of spirit in some measure which Christ felt out of measure hee cryes out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me This place these words minister occasion vnto vs to speake of the inward conflict passion that Iesus had in His soule And that yee maye vnderstande this matter the better I
if we saw Him we would count the least euill thought to be indignitie against Him by reason of the worthinesse of His person What euer was done against Christ it was indignitie No this world was not vvorthie of Him and I say more what euer euill is done to His members for His cause it is an indignitie because there is a dignitie in them It is another kinde of thing to vse a Christian man as thou wilt than to vse a Turke thou thinkest it a small thing to sticke him yet one day thou shalt know that he is a worthie personage especially if he suffer for Christ Take heede what the Apostle sayes They crucified the King of glory and the Lord of life how agree these two together the King of glorie and then to be crucified He countes that the greatest indignitie was done to Him that euer vvas done in the worlde Then the Apostle sayes of His Sainctes Heb. 11. They haue persecuted them and slaine them with the sword whom the world was not worthie of And I say more The godly who see the worthinesse of Iesus Christ and of His Sainctes and then sâ—es the indignitie that is done against IESVS CHRIST and His Sainctes it is no vvonder that they cannot comport with it Villane if thou werest a King that regardest not to offend Him they cannot comporte with thee the offending of Him is the sorest vvound that euer came to their heartes and vvhen they see any thing done against His Sainctes they cannot comport with it No it could not bee possible that the godly could comport or suffer these things vnlâ—sse they knew all these things were done by His prouidence O villane who boastest thou wilt doe to the Saincts of God what thou pleasest what art thou but His rod and thou shalt bee casten into the fire and suppose thou sette thy selfe against His glorie yet Hee shall make thee in despight of thine heart to serue to His glorie Then thou who art the childe of GOD in such cases shouldest saye I see the finger of GOD in this for this tyrannie coulde doe nothing vvithout the prouidence of my GOD. Looke how PETER speakes in the ACTES Chap. 2. vers 23. hee sayes They crucified him But this is his comfort That they did nothing but according to the determinate counsell of GOD. And the godlie knowe that all comes from Him and for His glorie and thou that vvilt not glorifie Him Hee shall bee glorified in thy destruction and shame euerlasting Nowe to this glorious and blessed GOD bee glorie for euer and euer AMEN THE XXXVIII LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 21 But wee trusted that it had beene hee that should haue deliuered Israel and as touching all these thinges to daye is the thirde daye that they were done verse 22 Yea and certaine women among vs made vs astonied who came earlie vnto the sepulchre verse 23 And when they founde not his bodie they came saying that they had also seene a vision of Angels who saide that hee was aliue verse 24 Therefore certaine of them who were with vs went to the sepulchre and founde it euen so as the women had saide but him they sawe not verse 25 Then hee saide vnto them O fooles and slowe of heart to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken verse 26 Ought not CHRJST to haue suffered these thinges and to enter into his glorie WEE continue yet BRETHREN in this Historie concerning the two Disciples of CHRIST vvho that same daye of His Resurrection not knowing of it vvent out from the rest of the Disciples that vvere conuened at Hierusalem to a Village called EMMAVS not farre from Hierusalem We haue hearde of their outgoing and of their meeting with Christ howbeit Hee knewe them yet Hee let them not knowe that Hee knewe them but Hee bounde vp their senses their eyes and their eares that vvhen they looked to Him and hearde Him speake they knewe him not but they tooke him to bee a passenger and no question hee appeared vnto them in the habite and vveede of a passenger And meeting vvith them hee askes vvhat vvas their communication and vvherefore they vvere so sadde and discomforted One of them named CLEOPAS takes the speach in hand and beginnes to speake roughlie vnto Christ That hee vvas come from Hierusalem and knewe not these thinges vvhich vvere fallen out vvithin fewe dayes It is halfe a refusall of an answere Yet the Lorde vvill not leaue them off but hee askes What are these thinges vvhich haue fallen out Hee answeres OF IESVS OF NAZARETH Of him is the whole summe of their talke Then hee comes on and hee makes it more cleare to the passenger as hee thought and first hee lets him see vvhat a man Iesus vvas There vvas neuer such a man Hee was a Prophet mightie in worde and deede No man euer spake as hee spake and no man euer vvrought such miracles as hee vvrought so that hee had an approbation both of God and man Then next hee comes to these thinges vvhich had befallen so vvorthie a person such indignitie as neuer vvas seene hee sayes Our high Priestes and Rulers haue condemned him to die and haue dispatched him by the moste vile and ignominious death that coulde bee They haue crucified that Prophet that was mightie in worde and deede like a villane Thus farre hitherto Nowe the rest of this narration that followes containes three partes the Historie is plaine and therefore wee shall goe shortly thorow it Cleopas gathereth a sore and a comfortlesse conclusion vpon the crucifying of Christ a conclusion of desparing that Iesus should haue redeemed the world it is said Wee hoped that hee should haue redeemed Israel from their sinnes But now He is taken away and He is dead and therefore our hope is gone and we can looke no more for Him to be our Redeemer Marke this if hee reasones well or not Iesus is crucified and therefore Hee cannot be our Redeemer we cannot hope that euer He shall redeeme the world By the contrarie hee should haue reasoned IESVS is crucified and therefore Hee is the Redeemer for as the Apostle Heb. Chapter 9. and twentie two verse sayes Without shedding of blood there is no remission of sinnes for if Hee had not suffered Hee could not haue beene the Redeemer and haue redeemed vs but Cleopas and the other knew not what the Redeemer should haue suffered they knewe not what the Redeemer meant and therefore beeing deceiued with the false opinion that the people had concerning the Messias that Hee should bee like a King Iulius Caesar the Emperour by an earthly power to deliuer them from the tyrannie of the Romanes This false opinioÌ„ made them to gather this that He could not be the Redeemer seeing that Hee was crucified And indeede if this ground that they laide had bene true Hee could not haue deliuered them beeing crucified I spake of this the last day if thou followest the multitude and
striue to preach in publike that all the men and women of the worlde may heare euen to preach in the most publike places of the world and if it were for no other thing than this that thou mayest answere to the Lord if it fall out that the light come to bee challenged for darknesse theÌ„ thou maiest appeale say We haue teached nothing in holes and that the enemies of the trueth may be conuicted in their conscience and compelled to beare witnesse of the trueth I meane not that at no time it is lawfull to preach in secret places and as though the trueth of God had euer a free course and were publikly preached for experience hath teached that the trueth of God hath fled to the wildernesse in time of persecution and the Saints of God haue bene glad to goe to holes to get the comfort of the worde but I meane this that so farre as possibly can be is to bee preached openly and if that libertie of the trueth be restrained let vs bee content to suffer and deliuer in secret consolation by the word Then marke againe in Christes answere albeit the Lord suffereth willingly offereth Himselfe to be taken giueth his hands to bee bound yet yee may see that the Lord will not yeeld to the enemies that He is a false teacher or that He is a seducer or that that light is darknes or that the trueth is a lie It is true that if it please the Lord that we suffer for the trueths sake wee are bound to suffer patiently and willingly but looke to this againe let neuer the trueth of God be saide to be a lie neuer yeeld to the enemies that the trueth of God is false for all the torments of the world Peter sayeth Let vs suffer for a good cause and not as theeues and murtherers 1. Pet. 4. 15 16. It is a paine to suffer for an euill cause so long as the Lord giueth vs a mouth let vs protest that the trueth is trueth Paul sayes 2. Tim. 2.9 I am in bands and I am afflicted in bands as though I were an euill doer yet the word of God that He hath put in my mouth is not bound all the enemies in the world so long as I haue a mouth shall not restraine it The Martyres were neuer brought to this to coÌ„fesse that they suffered for an euill cause albeit thou yeeld hands and foot to any torture beware of this that thou neuer confesse that it is an euill cause wherefore thou diest let euer the veritie be free in all our suffering When the Lord makes this answere One of the officers which stood by smote Iesus with his rod and saide Answerest thou the high Priest so Meaning that the Lord had not answered him so reuerently as Hee should haue done The Lord answereth If I haue euil spoken beare witnes of the euil but if I haue well spoken why smitest thou me Alwayes whether He had well or euill spoken He findeth fault with him that he should haue smitten Him so rashâ—y so brethren this is another part of the suffering of Iesus Christ He suffers not onely of the high Priest but of his seruants also Hee suffers of all men all this was done without any order of law The high Priest speakes to Him against order of Law and the officer strikes Him against order of Law he failes in this because he strikes Him for well doing for He maintained the trueth of His father TheÌ„ againe why should he haue strucken Him till He had bene judged and then if He were judged yet it was no place to punish a man in judgement though he were neuer so euill So yee see in how many things these men faile What shall I say Ye shall commonly find the most innocent man who hath bene brought before euill men and corrupted judges of the worlde of all sort of men haue beene handeled most vnformally vnreasonably A thiefe or a murtherer hath not bene so euill handeled as the moste innocent for they will let a murtherer or the wickedest man in the world tell his tale in patience and they will delay striking of him till the place of execution but experience hath taught this that wheÌ„ an innocent man is judged all the proceeding is without order as we see in this example of Christ the most innocent man that euer was And such like in the Martyrs of God neuer thiefe nor robber was so vnreasonably handled as they What is the cause of this Euen this the malice of the heart of man was neuer so bent against an euill man as the wicked man is against the innoceÌ„t yea a just judge hates not so much vnrighteousnes as a wicked judge hates innoceÌ„cie And therfore it is a wonder that the judgemeÌ„t of the wicked proceedes vnorderly against the godly the Lord answeres If I haue spoken euill thou shouldst not strike mee without order if well why smitest thou me The Lord binds him that he hath done wrong howbeit Hee suffered most willingly patiently but Hee strikes not againe Yet marke in this patient suffering Hee will haue wrong appeare to be wrong that which is vnjust to be vnjust In all our patient suffering let ay right appeare to be right and wrong to be wrong Let not a man y t suffers be so dumbe that he say not that wrong is wrong No let them speake that the coÌ„science of the wicked man may be conuict and brought to some remorse The Lord no doubt pities this man that strook Him would haue had his conscience coÌ„uict y t he might repent So let the wicked see that wrong is wrong in the most patient suffering that the wicked may bee conuict and God glorified Nowe is subjoyned that Annas had sent Him bounde to Caiaphas Hee returnes to the grounde of His accusation and the grounde is this Annas sent Him bounde vnto Caiaphas howbeit in the house of Annas the Lord was not struckeÌ„ yet Annas was not blamelesse for these words are registrated to his euerlasting shame that he sent such an innocent man to such a burrio this makes him guiltie of the blood of the Lord Iesus Meddle nothing with the suffering of an innocent man for if once thou seemest to consent to his death thou art guiltie and if thou rejoycest in the wracke of the innocent for if thou shalt once consent vnto it thou art guiltie of all the innocent blood froÌ„ the blood of Abel that was shed vnto the end of the world for whosoeuer will consent to the blood of an innoceÌ„t man he may easily be brought on to consent to the shedding of the blood of all innocents y t euer was keepe therefore thine hands thine eyes thine heart cleane from any assent to the wracke of the innocent Now to come to the second part of our text which containes the two denialls of Peter All this time Peter is standing warming him with the officers of the High
hurt him not which are done by the hands of the Emperour Who executes them in the Inquisition The Kinges the Popes holy hāds are cleane of all Excuse as they will I pronounce and the Lord shall ratifie it in that Great day that they are greater murtherers than the secular power Away with their vaine excuses When they haue murthered the man they will put the fault in the Magistrate Wil God accept such excuses In the next vers Iohn subjoynes wherfore y e Iewes would not take vpon them to judge of y e life or death of Iesus Christ and saies that they answered so that that might be fulfilled that the Lord spake signifying what death he should die When He was conuersant with His Disciples He fore-told them that He should die vpon the Crosse Now the Iewes will not take vpon them the right of the judging Him that these words might be fulfilled If the Iewes had taken it vpon them they would not haue crucified him because it was not vsuall among the Iewes they vsed to stone a deceiuer or blasphemer to the death according to the lawe as they did Steuen afterwards This death of the Crosse was familiar and vsuall among the Romanes Then Brethrē we see here the God of Heauen is the disposer of the whole action of the persecution passion of Christ what euer be mans part There is not a word vttered nor an action done either by Pilate or any of the Iewes which the Lord did not dispose All that Pilate did all that the Iewes did as that spitting and buffeting of Christ were all disposed by the Lord And this is it that ye reade in that prayer in y e Acts of the Apostles cap. 4. vers 28. The princes of the earth are gathered against thine anointed Herode Pilate and the Gentiles Whereto That they should doe that thing that thine hand and thy councell hath ordained Neither Herode Pilate nor any of the Iewes or Gentiles did anie thing in this execution but that vvhich God appointed The vnderstanding herof serues to this that there was nothing done to our Redeamer but that which His father appointed they were but persecuters appointed by God euen as the hang-man the Iewes Pilate Herod were like as many hangmen to execute that decree of God This would seeme a very light word that the Iewes say We haue no power to sit ouer the life or death of men yet this is a meane whereby the Lord bringes to passe that forme of Cursed death Brethren we may speake as lightly of thinges as wee please and many times to little purpose but there is nothing that passes GODS decree Looke to that prouidence that GOD hath in His creatures The LORD disposes the lightest wordes that thou speakest He rules thine hand so that whatsoeuer thou doest He makes al to effectuate produce that which He hath decerned the thing that thou wilt speake or doe it will serue for some purpose to Him how beit little for thee In the meane time let no man thinke that when men speake or doe euill that they shall bee the more excusable for if there were no more but this it shall make thee vnexcusable because in speaking euill and in doing euill thou hast not the LORD before thine eyes Thou doest it not for obedience to His vvill Take this lesson Let euerie man and vvoman take good heede that they bee vvell exercised and if our GOD employe vs let vs take good heede that vvee bee in a good seruice in speaking good and doing good Lende not thine heart thine hande nor thy tongue to the Deuill in vnrighteousnesse And seeing thou canst not sleepe from morning to euening but must bee speaking and doing praye that the LORD maye employe thee to doe vvell and to speake vvell and saye LORD let mee bee an instrument to doe well And more in doing vvell bee not content of the outwarde face of the action but in doing vvhether it bee little or much goe euer to the heart and see the disposition thereof and looke thou doe it in sinceritie hauing regarde to GOD. Thinke it not enough and if the LORD vvorke a good vvorke by thee as an instrument but looke still that Hee vvorke in thee that thou mayest finde a good motion in thine heart For alas vvhat auaileth the outwarde action if the heart bee foule vvhich defileth all Indeed vvee maye not thinke that there is anie perfection in vs or in our actions in this life but this is the perfect ground that makes that action to smell sweetelie in the sight of GOD to vvit Faith in IESVS CHRIST If that thou findest that thou hast IESVS CHRIST in thine heart by Faith albeit vvith great vveakenesse in thy selfe yet in CHRIST all the imperfection and vveakenesse is hidden and vvhen the action commeth before the LORD it is pleasant and acceptable to Him All thinges are pleasant that come to the Father thorowe the Sonne there is the grounde of all grace and acceptation Sticke to the LORD IESVS and haue Him not in thy mouth onelie as the Hypocrites doe but let Him also bee inclosed in thine heart and dwell therein for then thou shalt bee acceptable to GOD through Him To vvhome vvith the Father and the Holie Spirit bee all Praise Honour and Glorie for euer and euer vvorlde vvithout ende AMEN THE SIXT LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XVIII verse 33 So Pilate entered into the common Hall againe and called IESVS and saide vnto him Art thou the King of the Iewes verse 34 IESVS answered him Sayest thou that of thy selfe or did other tell it thee of mee verse 35 Pilate answered Am I a Iew Thine owne nation and the high Priests haue deliuered thee vnto mee What hast thou done verse 36 IESVS answered My Kingdome is not of this world if my Kingdome were of this world my seruants would surely fight that I should not bee deliuered to the Iewes but nowe is my Kingdome not from hence verse 37 Pilate then saide vnto him Art thou a King then IESVS answered Thou sayest that I am a King for this cause am I borne and for this cause came I into the world that I should beare witnesse vnto the trueth euerie one that is of the trueth heareth my voyce THE last day Brethren we entered into the suffering of Christ vnder Pontius Pilate the Romane Gouernour Ciuill Iudge in Iudeae for the time Iesus is led into the Common Hall to the House of Iustice as ye heard where Pilate sate Now Pilate is not rash in judging but before he sit downe to judge hee will haue an inditement and will see what things the Iewes haue to lay to the charge of the Lord He saw the accusers of Him the Iewes in multitudes he saw no accusation therefore he goes out vnto them because they would not come to him and asketh what accusation haue they against Him hee receiueth little answere or at least little
heauenly power so goe like dogges to their vomite spues out the light they had receiued they are as guiltie of the blood of Christ as Pilate trampe the blood of the Couenant vnder their feete Woe to them that resist the Gospell woe to the apostate Lordes of this Land for thus resisting the light there is no light but this to leade thee to heauen I denounce woe to them if they continue the treasure of wrath and woe shall bee heaped on them they shall be as guiltie as Iudas or Pilate or the Iewes hastie sudden shall be their judgement except the Lord preuent them with repentance they their posteritie shall be cursed vnderly a terrible vengeance Woe to their friends who will joyne with them Separate thee frō them as thou wouldest see saluation Away out of Babylon Yee would thinke this a light worde Let his blood bee vpon our head As they wish the blood of the innocent to light on them so it neuer leaues them nor shall neuer leaue so many of them as repented not the blood of the innocent shall lye vpon their backes euerlastingly This should learne vs to take good heed to our wordes it was but a worde to cast off the God of glorie and to take on a Tyrant They got Caesar to be their King and he spoyled them Take good heede to thy words for thou who vsest against thy selfe imprecations and cursings and wilt say God plague mee Gods vengeance light vpon mee I giue my soule to the Deuill if this or that be not Well hast thou giuen thy soule to the Deuill he shall get it hast thou taken a curse vpon thy selfe thou shalt bee cursed it is a wonder that the earth should not open to swallowe such men The Lord makes these thinges to come to passe nowe and then Hee makes the cursed creature that vses such speaches to bee a terrible example And if thou be a prophane person who wilt say I giue my soule to the Deuill I saye and if the Deuill get thee not then and thou be not thrust into Hell but gettest repentance it is a wonder Such is the judgement of God that oft times He will let no reuersion be except that earnestly thou seeke for grace and mercie the Lord I say shall make that worde which thou sakest to haue no reuersion wilt thou or wilt thou not but like as thy foule mouth spake it so thou shalt bee giuen to the Deuill for there is nothing more effectuall to a mans destruction than the wordes which proceede out of his owne mouth Well Pilate is lying in securitie and hee thinkes himselfe well enough when he hath once disburthened himselfe he sits downe and giues out sentence and absolues a seditious vagabonde He letteth Barabbas loose vnto them Woe to them who will absolue a seditious lowne and a murtherer The next thing is more woefull he begins to giue out the sentence against the innocent he comes on and strikes Him hee scourges Him this is the seconde time and when hee hath done hee giueth Him into the handes of the Jewes to satisfie their wicked appetite As long as thou hast a wakened conscience and so long as it telles thee This is good and this is euill thou wilt not goe so boldly and forwardly in euill Well is that bodie who hath a wakened conscience suppose it terrifie thee and holde thee waking But after it bee once lulled in a sleepe and securitie then thou runnest on as the arrowe doeth out of the bow to a mischife there is nothing to holde thee but thou runnest swiftly to mischiefe Ephes 4.19 After they once lost feeling they ranne out to all wantonnesse commiting all vncleannesse with griedinesse There was neuer any creature so griedy of any thing in the world as men who liue without conscience will be of filthinesse As thou wouldest keepe thy selfe so keepe feeling in thy conscience count it more precious than all thinges in the worlde Nothing can guarde thy soule from Sathan but the approbation of a feeling conscience Thou wilt come out with thy Pearles and with decked cloathing but if thou want this conscience thou art a preye to the Deuill Fy on these men who lye in such a senselesnesse shame and confusion shall light vpon them Was there euer such a dead and senselesse Generation as this It is a token that Hell is ouer-taking them seeing they lye all in such a senselesse securitie Marke notes a word here that would bee considered Chap. 15. vers 15. Pilate did this to gratifie an euill people hee would not displease the Jewes This is the common fashion of Princes to seeke to be populare to seeke the fauour of the people Looke that a Prince seeke not by euill meanes the fauour of the people for he will hang an innocent man and let a murtherer goe free for the fauour of the people thou buyest it too deare with the losse of the fauour of God Woe be vnto the man though he were a King that mischieuously falles abacke from the Trueth and so looses the fauour of God for the fauour of Idolaters But will yee come on yet Got Pilate the fauour of the people No they persecuted him to the death they delated him to the Emperour and hee was banished and for feare of greater shame hee put handes in himselfe and slew himselfe Yea if he were all the kings in the world who seekes to gratifie a wicked people in an euill cause namely in Idolatrie and if the LORD haue not mercy on him that same people shall be his destruction The Lord graunt Kinges and Princes to see that howbeit they haue the fauour of the people by vnlawfull meanes and want the fauour of God that all the fauour of the people that they can haue without Gods fauour is nothing that they may seeke Gods fauour aboue all things And the Lord be mercifull to our King for Christes sake To whom be all Honour and Glory foreuermore AMEN THE XIII LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVII verse 27 Then the Souldiers of the Gouernour tooke IESVS into the common hall and gathered about him the whole bande verse 28 And they stripped him and put about him a skarlet robe verse 29 And platted a crowne of thornes and put it vpon his head and a reede in his right hand and bowed their knees before him and mocked him saying God saue thee King of the Jewes verse 30 And spitted vpon him and tooke a reede and smote him on the head verse 31 Thus when they had mocked him they tooke the robe from him and put his owne rayment on him and led him away to crucifie him verse 32 And as they came out they found a man of Cyrene named Simon him they compelled to beare his Crosse MARC CHAP. XV. verse 16 Then the souldiers led him away into the hall which is the common hall and called together the whole band verse 17 And clad
in the Lord Cursed are they vvho die not in the Lord let them be hanged beheaded or die in their bed terrible shall be that death that followes after this death The death that He died vvas a sore odious kinde of death to a man to be taken quicke and nailed quicke on the Crosse and no doubt Hee hang for the space of three houres so as y e death of those vvho are not in Christ is accursed so it is sore He suffered not only this paine in body No the chiefe torment vvas in y e soule it vvas tormented vvith that bitter sense of the vvrath of the Father It is not a death of the body that sinne brings on it brings an extreame bitter paine to the soule The Lord dies not in a moment hee is dying and not dead a viue image of the death of hell thou shalt die in the paine of hell and neuer get an end Those vvho die in Christ die vvhat death they will bee they beheaded or hanged or drawne in raxes or burnt they shall neuer die a cursed death their death is a sweete death and all the joyes that euer was shall issue of their death It must be so What makes a cursed death but sinne and if thou be in Him as IESVS was crucified so thy sinne is nailed vpon His backe and therefore beeing taken away what must followe but that thou must be glorified And either thou shalt bee crucified thy selfe No not in the Earth but in the Hells euerlastingly or els thou must haue thy sinnes crucified on the Crosse of IESVS CHRIST and be partaker of his death and therefore if any of vs would die a blessed death it is certaine that wee must die let vs see whether our sinne was crucified with Christ or not Shall I haue no warrand of the death of sinne in mee and that I was crucified with IESVS CHRIST and am freed of all paine eternallie thorowe His Crosse Will yee that I shall tell you howe yee shall get the certaintie of this Looke if thou findest a continuall death of sinne looke if thou findest this regeneration and a newe life and loue of GOD and a delite to serue Him in some measure then assure thy selfe that thy sinne was crucified on the Crosse with IESVS CHRIST and if thou liuest in wantonnesse and gettest no mortification thou shalt bee crucified in the Hell yea though thou were a King Our lordes and gentlemen will passe their time but I denounce albeit thou bee an Emperour thou shalt bee tormented and consumed awaye by that eternall vvrath of GOD in Hell Goe on thy vvayes O the vvorlde is sleeping Shall they neuer knowe vvhat they are adoing What are these oppressors doing these murtherers doing these adulterers and fornicators doing Is there anie care of Heauen in them Is Heauen or Hell but tales No no it shall bee the terriblest sight that euer thou sawe It is not as men saye to wit Hell is but a boggarde to scarre children onelie No thy miserable soule shall finde in wofull experience the dolour and woe of that place Nowe it restes that I speake about the houre in the which Hee vvas crucified Onelie Sainct MARKE calles it About the thirde houre Then apparentlie the LORD IESVS vvas nayled on the Crosse betwixt eleuen and twelue of the clocke And a little before twelue Hee vvas mounted vp vpon the Crosse for betwixt the sentence of Condemnation and Execution there passed not an houre For there vvas a malicious earnestnesse to hasten Him to the Crosse neither vvoulde they giue Him leasure to drawe His breath This lets vs see the fearcenesse of the vvrath of the Father vvhen Hee judges sinne After that Hee vvas once condemned Hee gotte no rest but vvas hastened to the place of Execution to suffer paine and shame Looke still to the grounde This judgement is the type of the latter judgement if the sentence of condemnation bee passed immediatelie thou shalt bee pulled awaye looke to it as yee vvill to euerlasting torment Therefore blessed is that soule that hath part of the suffering of IESVS CHRIST To Him therefore vvho once vvas ignominious and now is glorious bee all Honour for euermore AMEN THE XV. LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVII verse 35 And when they had crucified him they parted his garmentes and did cast lots that it might bee fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet They diuided my garmentes among them and vpon my vesture did cast lots verse 36 And they sate and watched him there verse 37 They set vp also ouer his head his cause written THIS IS IESVS THE KING OF THE IEVVES verse 38 And there were two thickes crucified with him one on the right hand and another on the left MARKE CHAP. XV. verse 24 And when they had crucified him they parted his garments casting lottes for them what euerie man should haue verse 25 And it was the thirde houre when they crucified him verse 26 And the title of his cause was written aboue THAT KING OF THE IEVVES verse 27 They crucified also with him two thieues the one on the right hand and the other on his left verse 28 Thus the Scripture was fulfilled which saieth And hee was counted among the wicked LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 33 And when they were come to the place which is called Caluarie there they crucified him and the euill doers one at the right hand and the other at the left verse 34 Then said IESVS Father forgiue them for they knowe not what they doe And they parted his raiment and cast lottes verse 35 And the people stood and behelde and the Rulers mocked him with them saying Hee saued others let him saued himselfe if hee be that Christ the Chosen of God verse 36 The souldiers also mocked him and came and offered him vineger verse 37 And said If thou bee the King of the Iewes saue thy selfe verse 38 And a superscription was also written ouer him in Greeke letters and in Latine and in Hebrew THIS IS THAT KING OF THE IEVVES IHON CHAP. XIX verse 18 Where they crucified him and two other with him on either side one and IESVS in the mids verse 19 And Pilate wrote also a title and put it on the Crosse and it was written IESVS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE IEVVES verse 20 This title then read manie of the Iewes for the place where IESVS was crucified was neare to the Citie it was written in Hebrew Greeke and Latine verse 21 Then said the hie Priests of the Iewes to Pilate Write not The King of the Iewes but that he said I am King of the Iewes verse 20 Pilate answered What I haue written I haue written IN these dayes past beloued in the LORD IESVS wee haue brought this Historie of the Passion of Iesus Christ to the verie act it selfe to the crucifying of Him vpon the Crosse The last daye we spake something of His crucifying and last wee spake of the houre of
and therefore I deserued not death yet it is not so euill as malice for whereas malice prouokes the wrath and judgement of the Iudge for it is a terrible thing to haue an malicious heart and of set purpose to sinne against the Iudge Ignorance will mooue the Iudge to pitie and commiseration and so ye see the LORD seeing the poore ignorant multitude Hee pities them and as Hee pities them so Hee prayes for them Ignorance mooued Him to pittie and to praye for them In a worde The Christian man that is persecuted wrongfullie either hath to doe with malicious men wee may finde this in experience ere wee die who persecute of malice or with enemies who are not so much malicious as ignorant if hee haue to doe vvith malicious persons patience is required but if hee haue to doe with ignorant bodies then not onelie patience is required but also rueth and loue Wouldest thou haue patience then commit vengeance vnto Him vvho judges justlie for if thou vvouldest bee patient looke to thy GOD and saye I commit thee in the hands of the Iudge And if thou haue to doe vvith an ignorant see that thou bee pittifull looke to the ignorance of them that persecute thee and thou shalt not so soone looke to their blindnesse but thou shalt not onelie bee patient but also pittifull and the ignorant vvill seeme to bee miserable and to bee pittied for this is certaine that the innocent man vvho is persecuted is not so much to bee pittied as hee vvho of blinde ignorance persecutes him Alas What is to bee pittied but that vvhich procures damnation before GOD So ignorant blinded bodies are moste to bee pittied Nowe consider howe all rankes and sortes of people shame Him and first Pilate shames Him and commaundes an inscription and title to be vvritten on the Crosse bearing the crime and cause of His death It is saide that Pilate the Iudge Writeth a title to bee fixed on the Crosse and bee writeth it in Hebrew and in Grecke and in Latine to the ende that men of all Languages might reade it and vnderstand it and the effect thereof is this IESVS of Nazareth the King of the Jewes This was in Hebrewe in Greeke and in Latine three Languages to bee read by Hebrewes Graecians Romanes There is no question but this was written according to the fashion of that time for among the people of GOD both the judgementes and also the punishmentes vvith inscriptions containing the cause thereof vsed to bee publicked And this vvas a commendable and allowable custome that vvhen a man vvas condemned to die they alwayes vsed to put vp an inscription containing the crime and cause to testifie that hee vvas vvorthilie executed According hereunto they handle the Lord IESVS for they lead y e whole proces in the sight of y e people went not into a corner to judge Him but in the presēce of y e whole people they led Him out of the Portes of Hierusalem to execute Him Reade of this custome Iosh Chapter 7. verse 19. Of Achan who stolle the Babylonians garment how hee was judged of the whole people Read of that blasphemer in the wildernesse Leuit. 24.23 how before the whole people hee was executed publikly Reade of Ionathan how hee was judged and condemned of his father Saul in the sight of the whole people 1. Sam. Chapter 14. verse 5. As the Iudgement was publicke so they vsed to put an inscription aboue them to testifie to the people their crime and the cause of their death that they died justly It is no small matter to slay a man albeit hee were the poorest that euer was and there is not a Prince in the face of the earth that may slay a man without a good cause No not the Emperour hath that power And as no man should bee slaine lightly so if there bee a just cause of execution the man may not be executed priuily at the pleasure of the Iudge but if there bee good justice the Iudgement must be before the people The people haue their owne right and entresse in judgement seates Yee know in that great Iudgement of the world which shall be at the latter day not one shall be judged and condemned without the approbation and consent of the whole Elect which shall stand round about their Lord. Then how much more hath the people at the least the best part entresse in earthly Iudgements to see good administration of justice and Iudgement and that the Iudge vse no Tyrannie This then was the cause of this Inscription euen that the cause of the death of Iesus should bee made manifest to the people according to common commendable custome But Pilate had another respect Pilate did this not so much that the people should know the cause of His death for his conscience tolde him that He was innocent as he put it vp to reuenge him on the malicious Iewes who compelled him against his heart and conscience to condemne Him Hee will haue this put vp that their King was hanged and that they hanged Him with their owne hands But GOD hath His part heere and all was gouerned by that heauenlie Prouidence Neither is Pilate nor the Iewes heere so much to be looked to as the dispensation of the Father As Pilate did it for one ende so the LORD did it for another ende Men will doe a thing vpon an euill intent GOD will doe the same thing by a wicked instrument to His good ende by His effectuall prouidence Hee will haue this to be put vp to ratifie the Heauenly and Spirituall Kingdome of IESVS CHRIST and Hee vvill let them all see that IESVS is the onely King and inspeciall by this inscription the LORD vvill haue it testified to the vvorlde that as IESVS hung vpon the Crosse vvith paine and shame that so likewise vpon the same Crosse He triumphed gloriously ouer His enemies ere Hee came to Heauen on the Crosse Hee gotte victorie and Hee triumphed ouer them all and ledde them all captiues on the Crosse as it is vvritten to the COLOSS. CHAP. 2. VERS 15. More than this The LORD did it to this ende To fore-shaddowe that the preaching of the Kingdome of IESVS CHRIST to followe on His Ascension should bee to all Nations Kingdomes and Languages for immediately after that Hee passed out of the vvorld IESVS vvas proclaimed to all Nations the King of Glory and continues to this day and shall bee for euer Pilate is a preacher heereof albeit hee haue little minde of it but hee vvas like Caiaphas vvho prophesied that it vvas expedient that one shoulde die for the sinnes of the vvhole people CHAP. 11. VERS 40. And this is done by the speciall prouidence of GOD no doubt The constancie of Pilate in his sentence and vvriting notwithstanding the strong opposition of the Scribes and the High Priestes vvho desired him to alter and change the title and for that vvhich vvas vvritten by Pilate to vvit This is
they would say It is impossible to Him who now hangs so ignominiously to saue Himselfe After them came the men of warâ—e and in derision They offer Him vineger to drinke And they say this is very like a King How can He doe the dutie of a King to deliuer the people who cannot deliuer Himselfe This they saide because Hee had called Himselfe a King to the prejudice as they thought of Cesars Kingdome And lastly one of the thieues rayled on Him to wit He that hang at His left hand saying So like as thou art that Christ who can neither saue vs nor thy selfe Nowe because the rayling of the whole is all to one effect therefore shortly I shall obserue some things in generall as the Lord shall offer In all this rayling out against Him yee see the extreame humiliation of IESVS CHRIST for our sinnes Hee is made of no reputation No He is trodde on as a worme And no question that extreame torment of bodie was not so grieuous to Him as was this rayling on Him They speake to Him as a verie reprobate and so farre as lay in them they endeuoured to make Him to despare of all helpe So yee may seee this rayling was a thing most grieuous to Him And Dauid beeing His type he complaines on this shame that they heaped on Him in the 22. Psalme All this lets vs see howe dearely the Lord hath bought our life and Saluation And wee are more than miserable if we see not this And also it lets vs see what should haue become of vs if He had not satisfied for vs and what should become of thee if thou bee not in CHRIST in that great day And it tells thee seeing all this is for thy sinne that thou shouldest haue a sadde heart to haue such a Redeemer made such a spectacle and thou shouldest groane vnder the burthen of sinne and when thou readest of the Crosse thine heart should bee sorrowfull that euer thou shouldest haue moued the GOD of glorie to such vengeance of His deare Sonne for thee Thinke not that euery man shall bee relieued of his sinne by Him No onlie those who learne to groane vnder the burthen of their owne sinnes by the which they haue pierced Him and turne to the LORD vnfainedly and get fauour So if thou learnest not at one time or other to groane vnder the burthen of thy sinne thou shalt neuer be relieued by Him But to marke something of this railing I see that these things they cast vp to Him is the verie verdict whereupon they accused Him They accused Him because He called Himselfe the Christ and because He called Himselfe the King of the Iewes and because He said that He would destroy the Temple and build it vp againe the third day So the very thing y t they cast vp to Him in despite is y e very crime wherefore they condemned Him Men would thinke y t it should haue coÌ„tented them to had Him hanging in torment but Brethren alas the malice of the enemies of Iesus Christ is endlesse there is none end of it it will not bee the death of one Christian y t wil satisfie them it wil not be thy blood that wil quench their thirst but in thy torment they will raile on and striue to cause thee to despare that thy soule may perish There is such an extreame despite in their heartes that they would haue thine ashes and thy bones to be exponed to opprobrie and shame which hath lyen so long in the graue See wee not this howe the bones of faithfull Christians haue beene taken vp and burnt by the Antichrist The LORD saue vs from their crueltie But here I lift vp mine eyes and looke vnto GOD. The Lord Iesus He suffered most justly who was cled with our sinnes and bare them on the Crosse for our cause and it learnes thee this that if thou sufferest opprobrie and shame and men raile on thee that thou goe euer to see if thou be in Christ in thy suffering for if thou be out of Christ woe is to thee for that is but the beginning and forerunner of that paine and shame that thou shalt suffer in Hell I tell this more in that latter day when y e reprobate shal be coÌ„demned their sin which was the cause of their death shall euer be had in memory but if once thou goest to Hell y e remembrance of thy sin shall neuer be buried but thy verdict shal be cast in thy teeth thy coÌ„science shal taunt thee and shal say to thee Murtherer thou delitedst in murther now goe to murther nowe free thy selfe out of Hell if thou canst and to them who followed Harlots Thou delitedst in Harlotrie and in offending of GOD thou vvho couldest not bee satisfied in pleasuring thy foole lustes nowe satisfie thy selfe vvith these extreame tormentes nowe goe to thy harlotrie let see And to the blasphemer Thou delitedst in blaspheming of GOD nowe let see if thou dare blaspheme goe thy way nowe and blaspheme And to the Idolater Thou delitedst in worshipping of Idolles and leftest the worshipping of the true GOD nowe goe thy waye to Idolatrie c. Nowe woulde to GOD the worlde coulde thinkâ— Hell to be earnest This torment and rayling in the death of CHRIST is an image of the torment of Hell I see heere further that besides this there is a grounde of all their opprobrie to wit that shamefull Crosse which IESVS was hanging on They thought that seeing IESVS was crucified it was impossible for Him to cast downe the Temple and to build it vp againe They thought it was impossible for Him to saue the worlde seeing Hee coulde not saue Himselfe and that Hee coulde not doe the duetie of a King vvho was alreadie hanged How becomes it a King to bee hanged The cause of their offence vvas that shame which Hee suffered and that they sawe that Hee could not deliuer Himselfe The Crosse of Iesus is foolishnesse to the worlde blessed are they who will not take offence at the Crosse of Christ Looke howe they are deceiued in their judgements Because the Crosse was the onely meane whereby Hee shoulde haue done all things when Hee was hanging was He not destroying the Temple of His body that after three dayes by His glorious resurrection Hee might builde it vp againe And when Hee was on the Crosse did Hee not the office of Christ that is of an anointed Priest for then Hee was offering that Sacrifice of His body to the Father And was He not by the Crosse purchasing to Himselfe and to vs a glorious Kingdome Yea on the Crosse Hee like a glorious King triumphed ouer the Deuils and made an open shew of them for Hee had a battell with the Deuils on the Crosse and triumphed ouer them all Col. 2.15 This same blindnes of the world remaines still in it for when the world sees a body vnder afflictioÌ„ in pouerty buâ—nt or martyred for Christs sake then the world thinkes
it is impossible that that body can attaine to glory They thinke him as an out-cast and will scorne his profession They will saye Are these your Christians of all men they are the moste miserable if that be the waye to Heauen I will renounce to goe that way this is rather the waye to goe to Hell This is the voyce of the worlde And the cause is because miserable catiues know not what sinne is which at that time behooued to bee purged by the Crosse for the justice and Majestie of GOD beeing offended required that it shoulde bee so and nowe in vs sinne thorowe manifolde crosses and afflictions must bee mortified Let the vvorlde thinke and speake as it pleases the onely waye whereby thou shalt come to life is suffering and affliction and thou must thinke this that wee must bee racked thorowe Hell ere wee come to Heauen Our redemption is wrought by the Crosse thou shalt not come to Heauen but by the Crosse The ground of all is sinne But alas the world sees it not The word will teach thee that there is no other vvay to come to Heauen but by affliction and it will thee that if thou bee not purged and changed by trouble and affliction thou shalt neuer see Heauen Alas that wee coulde once grone vnder sinne And blessed is the soule that hath a sight of the weight of sinne and vvoe to that soule that hath no sight of sinne To goe forwarde I see in this Thiefe vvho rayles on Christ some speciall thing hee hath a particular of his owne hee is in torment and therefore hee saies Jf thou bee that CHRIST saue thy selfe and vs. Brethren a torment vvhatsoeuer it bee if it bee not the better sanctified it vvill mooue the creature to fall out in blasphemie thou vvilt blaspheme both in heart and mouth and thou vvilt saye that there is no power in GOD to saue thee And the Thiefe in effect saide this There is no power in thee to saue mee I renounce thee as a Sauiour and if thou confesse His power thou wilt denie His mercie and vvilt saye GOD is but a Tyrant And if thou vvilt saye Hee is mercifull bee mercifull to vvhome Hee vvill Hee cannot bee mercifull vnto mee This last distrusting of mercie to thy selfe is a great sinne And that to saye altogether that there is no mercie in GOD it is a plaine blasphemie And last to saye there is no power in GOD it is to denie GOD to bee GOD For howe can Hee bee GOD if Hee vvant power So I thinke that this catiue hath beene a great blasphemer of that Majestie and vvhen I looke on it I see in him the image of the death of the reprobate vvhen they are dying and changing this life The Lord giue vs grace to die well The reprobate shall thinke that in their doing God hath no power to saue them for of all men in the worlde the reprobate is the most Ioath to die for either they shall thinke that God is not mercifull at all or else at least that there is no mercie in Him for them and so the miserable creature will turne his backe on GOD and immediately shall cast himselfe into Hell and damnation Wee reade of Sidrach Mesach and Abednego that they were so farre from this blasphemie that when the Tyrant falles out in blasphemie they meete him and saye Our GOD is Almightie and Hee hath power to deliuer vs if Hee please Neuer come thou to despaire though thou shouldest die tenne thousande deathes but sleepe in His bosome hang on Him and saue His honour and thinke not that which maye derogate His honour and saye Though thou shouldest slaye mee LORD yet will I trust in thee and so die sweetlie resting in His armes Well I see this hath beene a miserable bodie and hath died miserablie blaspheming the God of Glorie and this is euen as the reprobate shall doe at the latter Iudgement And yet when I compare him with the Pharises and Priests I find their blasphemie greater than his Well shall it bee to the Thiefe in respect of them for they had knowledge and hee wanted Who shoulde haue had knowledge but they They had no torment hee had sore torment What neede had they to blaspheme Therefore their condemnation shall bee greater than his And vvhen I compare this blasphemie of the Thiefe with the blasphemie of some men in these dayes vvho when anie crosse falles vpon them without their expectation vvill saye What can GOD doe more vnto mee so in effect denying power to bee in GOD and in IESVS CHRIST I count the blasphemie of these men to bee greater than his vvas For nowe IESVS is in Glorie and the Thiefe saw Him on the Crosse in miserie vvith himselfe If thou now blasphemest Him so it were well done that thy mouth were sowed vp that thou neuer spakest a vvorde Nowe to ende vvith this The LORD giue vs grace that neither in thought nor in vvorde vvee dishonour that MAIESTIE but maye acknowledge His mercie and power towardes vs in IESVS CHRIST To vvhome bee all Honour Glorie Praise Power and Dominion both nowe and euermore Worlde vvithout ende AMEN THE XVII LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 40 But the other answered and rebuked him saying Fearest thou not GOD seeing thou art in the same condemnation verse 41 We are indeede righteously heere for wee receiue things worthie of that we haue done but this man hath done nothing amisse verse 42 And hee saide vnto Iesus Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome WEE heard the last day Brethren of all these railings and blasphemies that the Lord Iesus suffered of all rankes and estates of persons whilest Hee hang on the Crosse naked liuing in torment Pilate began fixed on the Crosse an ignominious inscription That Iesus was a Traitor against Caesar and that He suffered death for His treason Then the Hang-men foure in number in despite and in His sight tooke his garmentes and diuided them in foure partes and because his coate had no seame but was wouen thorowout therefore they cast lottes for it who shoulde haue it whole Then comes on the people with their part and raile vpon Him and blaspheme Him saying Nowe if thou bee that Christ come downe and saue thy selfe Then followe the high Priestes the Scribes and the Elders who raile on Him and saye Is this hee who will saue others let see if hee can bee able to saue himselfe Then the men of warre and Gentiles beginne to raile if thou bee the King of the Iewes saue thy selfe and come downe from the Crosse And then one of the Thieues railes out on Him If thou be that Christ saue thy selfe and vs both but nowe so like as thou art the Christ thou art adying as vvell as vvee and art neither able to sâ—ue thy selfe nor vs and therefore thou art not a King Nowe Brethren yee maye perceiue that it was no prayer that
this thiefe made to CHRIST as some thinke Wee spake of this thiefe the last day now we haue to speake of the part of the other thiefe he is twitched with repentance in an instant hee becomes penitent and the inward conuersion of the heart to GOD hee vtters outwardly in sundrie effects First perceiuing the other thiefe his companion to blaspheme GOD the first action that he does he defends the honour of the LORD against the other thiefe and rebukes him and after that giues a free confession of his sinnes and last hee turnes to Iesus Christ hanging on the Crosse and sayes LORD remember mee when thou commest to thy Kingdome The LORD answeres immediatly to the thiefe Verily thou shalt be with mee this day in Paradise To come then first to the rebuke hee giues to the other thiefe Fearest thou not GOD The meaning is Thiefe fye on thee seeing thou hangs in a common miserie and torment with mee and this man fearest thou not GOD who wilt blaspheme and rayle on Him seeing thou art shortly to appeare before that Tribunall and giue an account of all thine euill deedes chiefly of the blaspheming of the innocent So hee takes vp the blaspheming from the fountaine and hee lets him see that his heart was voyde of the feare of GOD for if hee had any sponke of the feare of GOD he had not fallen out in rayling against the GOD of glorie We learne this lesson that when the hand of GOD is lying on any man and pressing him to the death then it is time to be humble and to feare the LORD and that terrible Iudgement wherein thou must stand immediatly after this life and if there appeare no feare of that Iudge in thee and if thou vtterest a plaine rebellion that testifies that his hande shall neuer leaue thee vntill it bruise thee in powder and thrust thee to the lowest Hells This is the thing that affliction should worke in vs Humiliation and the feare of GOD. Learne the lesson at the thiefe Proud soule and proud creature if thou wilt not learne at others But as this rebuke testifies that this should be so the rayling of the other testifies that it is not ay in men There are some men whome all the torments in the worlde will not moue ere they be the better they will bee in Hell hang them naile them to the Crosse teare them with pincers they shall neuer bee the better What is the cause of this It is a wonderfull thing that such trouble torment should not worke some feare of GOD in the creature But how can any affliction presse out of the creature that which was neuer in it The feare of GOD is not in the hearts of many and therefore howe can they vtter it a rotten and withered sticke was neuer more meete to be burnt than thou by nature So we beeing by nature like as many rotten stickes albeit wee were pressed with mountaines we shall neuer yeeld a sweete sappe or any repentance No before we yeelde any droppe of repentance we shall be bruised in powder fye on nature if thou werest a Prince thou shalt goe to Hell if thou haue no more but nature if thou gettest not one dâ—oppe of grace Yet yee see that the other thiefe when hee is pressed yeeldes one droppe of sappe hee becomes penitent and is zealous of the glorie of the Lord IESVS These are good effects The Crosse that wrought euill in the other thiefe workes good in this thiefe But who made the difference Who discerneth thee saith Paul Not nature They were alike in nature alike in misdeedes alike in a wicked life the one had liued as wickedly as the other alike in torment It was IESVS that made the separation it was a happie time for the one thiefe that euer he was crucified beside the LORD of glorie The Lord IESVS made the difference out of that fulnesse Hee powres out one droppe of His grace He giues none to the other Learne this that all troubles and afflictions crosses and all the torments in the worlde shall neuer make thee better All the torments in the world shall not worke one droppe of spirituall moysture out of thee the torments may vvell pâ—esse out sowre and bitter sappe as blasphemie rayling and despare but no good sappe as Faith or Repentance except thou get it of the fulnesse of IESVS CHRIST and therefore my counsell is When thou feelest the hand of the Lord on thee namely in the houre of death a dangerous houre turne thee to Iesus Christ and say thou mayest presse mee downe but long ere I yeelde one droppe of grace except thou giue it me Lord therefore giue me one drop of grace Another thing I marke in the rebuke of the other thiefe Common miserie should worke a mutual compassion thou should pitiâ— them who are in a like miserie with thee and if thou doest it not thou doâ—st as the euill thiefe did I say thou hast no feare of God if thou raylest on him who is in miserie with thee thine heart is full of the gall of bitternesse By nature we are all alike in miserie there is not a thing that becomes a sinner better than to haue compassion on others an heart without pitie shall neuer be pitied not neuer shall see life Now to goe forward when he hath said Thou art in like damnation lest that y e thiefe rebuked should haue thought y t Christ should haue deserued that paine as well as hee thinke not that they who are alike in miserie are alike guiltie No no ye are deceiued Well he meetes this we suffer nothing but that which we demerite I thou are iustly in this common condemnation but this man hath done nothing amisse This rayling and paine this man demerites not yet if ye will weigh the wordes narrowly wee shall see other two arguments whereby hee rebukes this blasphemous companion The first is from their merites The second from the innocencie of Christ The first thou meritest this torment and therefore should not thy merite worke a feare of God and a feare of an heauier judgement Lord saue vs from the merite of sinne When a man is in torment and chiefly in death the paine should worke a feare of God and then considering the merite there should strike a greater feare in the heart that there should ensue a greater damnation afterward The consideration of merite should worke a feare and the conscience should not so soone stand vp to accuse vs of sinne but wee should be striken with a feare of that terrible Iudge but euery man hath not this sense the thiefe hath not that sense of the merite of the present paine nor yet of the greater paine that was to insue What is the cause of this that euery man feeles not this The conscience of the merite of sinne is not giuen to euery man We are all sinners and merites all our paine we merite death and Hell But alas where
to worke this worke of redemption and saluation by base and naughty meanes that the world respects no more of than the dirt which they treade on Looke what is the difference betwixt the wisedome of GOD and the wisedome of man Will yee looke to the cause of our redemption to IESVS CHRIST or to the Professors and to Ministers they are the foolishest in the vvorlde sillie bodies and compare them vvith potent men they are but contemptible and of no valour and compare them with wise men they are but fooles So looke to the Crosse and to the Ministerie thereof whereby wee are saued all is weake base and contemptible and all to this ende that the LORD onelie maye gette the glorie and as the APOSTLE saies He that glorieth may onlie glory in the LORD And let euerie one of vs giue glorie to that LORD of Glorie To whome with the Father and the Holie Spirite bee all Honour and Praise for euermore AMEN THE XXI LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVII verse 47 And some of them that stood there when they heard it saide This man calleth Elias verse 48 And straightway one of them ranne and tooke a spunge and filled it with vineger and put it on a reede and gaue him to driâ—ke verse 49 Other said Let be let vs see if Elias will come and saue him verse 50 Then Iesus cryed againe with a loude voyce yeelded vp the ghost MARKE CHAP. XV. verse 35 And some of them that stood by when they heard it said Beholde hee calleth Elias verse 36 And one ranne and filled a spunge full of vineger and put it on a reede and gaue him to drinke saying Let him alone let vs see if Elias will come and take him downe verse 37 And Iesus cryed with a loude voyce and gaue vp the ghost LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 46 And Iesus cryed with a loude voyce and saide Father into thine handes I commende my spirite And when hee had thus said hee gaue vp the ghost IOHN CHAP. XIX verse 28 After when Iesus knewe that all thinges were performed that the Scripture might bee fulfilled hee saide I thirst verse 29 And there was set a vessell full of vineger and they filled a spunge with vineger and put it about an hyssope stalke and put it to his mouth verse 30 Now when Iesus had receiued of the vineger hee said It is finished and bowed his head and gaue vp the ghost DVRING the time that the LORD IESVS hung quicke on the Crosse which was three houres and large more yee may reade well-beloued in Christ sundrie voyces that He vttered When I looke thorowe the foure Euangelistes I finde in number sixe sundrie voyces and euery one of them is well to be marked for at that time Hee vttered nothing in vaine The first voyce wee reade of was a voyce of diuine power together vvith mercy when one of the Thieues who hung at His right hand said to Him Lord remember me when thou commest to thy Kingdome The Lord answered him like a King and like a powerfull and mercifull God Verily J say vnto thee this day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise The next voyce was a voyce of humane pittie and naturall affection toward His Mother she being by the Crosse with Iohn and other women He recommendes her to the custodie of His wâ—ll beloued Disciple The thirde voyce wee reade of was a voyce of sadnesse proceeding from an heart that was sadde on euery side to the death and from that agonie on the Crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee The fourth voyce in like manner was a voyce of sadnesse proceeding from a wonderfull heate in the soule and body I thirst The fifth voyce by all appearance was a voyce of joye seeing the worke of Redemption to bee wrought and the wrath of His Father to be asswaged He saies after He had drunken the vineger Jt is finished The sixt and last voyce in like manner was a voyce of joye for finding Hee was to giue vp the ghoste immediately and finding His Father sweetly to loose His soule from His bodie He saies Father into thine hands I commend my spirit Now Brethren all thâ—se foresaid voyces the Lord vttered during the time that He hung quick on y e Crosse Of these we haue heard the first the second the third which was that heauie complaint that Hee made to His Father My God my God c. This daye as God shall giue vs grace wee shall speake of the three other voyces one of them of sadnesse and the other two of joye But before wee come to these voyces which are the three lâ—st voyces wee haue to speake something of the misconstruing of the complaint of the Lord vttered to His God Nowe the Iewes that stood by Him and heard Him crie Eli Eli for Hee cryed aloude of maliciousnesse not of mistaking Him they begin to calumniate and to misconstrue His wordes because the worde Eli which is My God sounded like Elias Therefore they said Hee cryed for Elias when Hee cryed on His God Let vs see if Elias will come and take Him downe In the which wordes wee may see clearely that they sought not onelie to destroy His bodie but the Deuill in them sought to sunder and seuer Him both in soule and bodie from His God they woulde not heare Him crye vpon His God but they sought to destroy His bodie and His soule such was the insatiable malice of the hearts of these Iewes against Iesus Christ This is the common dealing of the Deuill and his instruments with the godly and chiefely in that last houre when the separation of the soule from the body is to follow Not only to get the body dead but the soule God separated if thou beginnest to pray call on God they will scorne thy prayer seeke to cut thee froÌ„ God all hope of life But to leaue them their bitter maliciousnes As in all the poinctes of the suffering of Christ I looke more to the disposition of His Father than to the Iewes to the deuil or his instrumeÌ„ts So I doe in this No question as His Father exercises Him inwardly with a bitter wrath eueÌ„ so wheÌ„ as the Lord by making an heauy mone seekes an outgaet cries My God my God c Hee will haue Him met outwardly with bitternes Aime where He wil He meetes Him with nothing but bitternes wrath inwardly outwardly hell inward outward no refuge nor escaping till y t ransome be payed to the least farthing Wel BrethreÌ„ if ye would see an image of hell see it here The Lord Iesus was for a time fealt nothing but extreame bitternes But the reprobate after they be once casten into hell there is nothing for them but bitternes let theÌ„ aime here there to escape houle cry they shal be met wiâ—h bitternes What if it were but for a time The Lord escaped His suffering
his glorie There is the necessitie It behooued that the Lorde Iesus by manie and sore sufferings shoulde enter into His glorie Marke this vvho can tell it clearer than Hee Himselfe tolde it So I will tell it againe Iesus by His suffering behoâ—ued to enter into His glorie IESVS CHRIST once leauing His glorie got no entrie againe into it till Hee was so inanited as neuer creature was The LORDE putteth to a necessitie of suffering saying Jt behooued him to suffer and so saye I There was such a necessitie layed vpon Him that Hee behooued to suffer and all the vvorlde coulde not saue Him from it beeing once come downe into this vvorlde Therefore the LORDE by His Prophets had fore-tolde this necessitie That hee shoulde suffer death and therefore seeing Hee fore-telles it it behooued him to suffer All the vvorlde shall not bring it backe againe The Lorde as Hee had fore-tolde it so Hee had ordained it from all eternitie Wilt thou call backe againe that that the LORDE hath decreede Thou mayest reduce the decreet of man but all the world cannot reduce the decreet of GOD. These are the causes of His suffering but I shall come to a lower and a subordinate cause I saye to thee thy sinne made this necessitie The LORDE taking vpon Him the burthen of thy sinne and becomming Mediator that immaculate Lambe that had no sinne neither in bodie nor in soule Hee taking once the burthen of our sinne vpon Him Hee was in a manner holden out of Heauen for a time and Hee was made accursed and therfore before He suffered for sinne He could not get entrie into Heauen for wheresoeuer sinne is there is death bee it inherent within thee if thou get not one to die for thee thou must die for this is plaine talke but would to God it were vvell learned death must euer followe sinne if thou laye it not on Him and Hee die not for thee thou shalt die for euer Thou makest but a pastime of harlotrie and murther and theft but I say There is no satisfaction of thy harlotrie and murther but death I saye to thee harlot thou art dead murtherer thou art but dead albeit thou be a lord I tell thee thou art but dead if thou get no reliefe in the Mediator without satisfaction for thy sins thou shalt neuer see HeaueÌ„ Christ saw not HeaueÌ„ after He tooke on our sin till He was dead and offeâ—ed His blood The high Priest durst not enter into Sanctum sanctorum without a basen full of blood vnder paine of death Euen so Christ entered not into heauen but with his owne blood And if thy sinne helde an innocent out of heauen O miserable bodie thinkest thou that thou who art altogether defiled canst come to heauen Nothing can enter there that is defiled Murtherer thou shalt neuer see heauen except thou goe to Iesus and laye on the burthen of thy sinne vpon him and saye Lord take this burthen from mee and if thou canst saye this from thine heart he will take it from thee Now Brethren a question would be asked If Iesus hath died for thy sinnes and mine that we might get an entrie Thou mayest say to mee What to doe haue I to suffer seeing the Lorde hath prepared the way What to doe haue I to suffer in soule or body or why shoulde I bee afflicted seeing the Lorde hath made the way patent I will not answere with the Papistes for they will saye Thou must paye one part but I saye to thee in despite of thine heart if thou paye anie part thou must paye the whole But I answere All these sufferinges is no satisfaction to bring thee to Heauen Then thou wilt saye Why should I suffer if it helpe not to bring me to HeaueÌ„ I answere All the afflictions which are laide on thee are laide on thee for the slaughter of the remaining corruption feelest thou not a remaining corruption within thee All th'afflictioÌ„s which are laid on thee as sicknesse want of goods losse of friendes c. all is laid on thee to slaye that remaining corruption Brethren I will tell you plainlie The death of Iesus and His suffering is the only meane to enter into Heauen in despite of all the Papistes Againe I saye Looke what neede wee haue of His death wee haue as much need of affliction in our owne persons to slaye that sin which remaines in vs Suppose there be manie wayes to slay sinne yet except thou be chastised and vexed with affliction outwardly and inwardly as it pleases the Lord to laye it on thee thou shalt neuer see Heauen So cast thee not to sleepe but make thee for affliction and trouble to mortifie thy sinne or else thou shalt neuer see Heauen And vvell is thee that art afflicted and made like Christ by thine afflictions What wordes can be tâ—uer than the words of Paul and Barnabas Act. 14. It behooueth you to enter into heauen by manie tribulations The Apostle sayes there is a necessitie And againe he sayes Heb. 12.14 without holinesse affliction brings holinesse no man shall see the Lord. Well thou that delitest to polâ—ute thy body I tell thee if thou be not holie thou shalt neuer see God And I saye more Without affliction either in soule or bodie thou shalt neuer bee holy Thou that sleepest securely and hast mind of nothing but thy dinner and thy supper good chiere and good companie I tell thee once twise yea thrise thou shalt neuer be holy and thou shalt neuer come to Heauen and if thou sleepest on in this estate thou art not one of His compt Booke Let him or her who is afflicted thanke God and take it out of His hand and saye The Lord hath sent it to sanctifie me Lord giue me thy Spirit that I may bee holy that I may see thy blessed face one day to my euerlasting joye in Iesus To whom with the Father and Holy Spirit be glory for euermore Amen THE XXXIX LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 27 And he beganne at Moses and at all the Prophets and interpreted vnto them in all the Scriptures the thinges which were written of him verse 28 And they drewe neare vnto the towne which they went to but hee made as though he would haue gone further verse 29 But they constrained him saying Abide with vs for it is towardes night and the day is farre spent So he went in to tarrie with them verse 30 And it came to passe as hee sate at table with them hee tooke the bread and blessed and brake it and gaue it to them verse 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew him and hee was no more seene of them verse 32 And they saide betweene themselues Did not our heartes burne within vs while he talked with vs by the way and when hee opened to vs the Scriptures WEE insist yet Beloued in Christ in this part of Historie concerning the two Disciples of CHRIST who in the
that as those things befell to Him of necessitie so of necessitie those things behooued to be preached to the world So He instructes them in these two necessities Then Hee comes on in the second part of His preaching and giues direction to them to be preachers and witnesses to the worlde of all these thinges promising againe to them that Spirit which He had promised them before His Passion and that they should haue the greater securitie He giues them commandement not to depart out of Ierusalem vntill they were endued with vertue out of Heauen this is the effect To come to the first part When they heard Him speake with a voyce familiar wherewith they had beene acquainted and that homely salutation Peace bee vnto you yet they would not knowe Him when they had seene His hands and feete yet they beleeued not that it was He when they had handled Him and felt Him yet they beleeued Him not for all this they were rauished with joy yet they beleeued not The Lorde will not leaue them in this vnbeliefe but He will let them vnderstand that it was He He teaches them by the sight of a bodily action Hee askes if they had aâ—y meâ—t They present to Him A piece of rosted fish and that was all the delicate they gaue Him and with it A piece of hony combe Hee takes and eates in their sight Hee eates the piece of the rosted fish and the hony combe Not that the Lord after His Resurrection had any need to eate any of their meat Hee who nowe vvas immortall after His Resurrection that was glorious and that vvas full of God and had all the powers of His soule filled with God What needed He their piece of fish or their hony combe to eate So it was not for any need He had that Hee eated but that He eated in their sight that they should beleeue that the Lord was a body a Spirit eates not neither drinkes The Lord therefore shewes them that He vvas no Spirit In doing this Brethren no question He humbled Himselfe beeing now immortall and glorious and full of God Was not this a humbling of Him an immortall bodie to take that mortall bread It is a wonderfull thing to see how Iesus Christ humbled Himselfe ay whilst He vvas yet still in this vvorld Beeing sayes Paul Philip in the forme of God thought it no robberie to be equall with God He made Himselfe of no reputation taking on Him the shape of a seruant That is the nature of man in the nature of man became obedient to the Father for vs to the death to a vile death euen to the death of the Crosse a foule deâ—th and a sore death Then vvhen after He vvas once â—â—ade and risen againe â—nd should haue entred to His glory and haue passed to Heauen immâ—diately after His Resurrection to sit at the right hande of that Majestie Hee would not immediatly doe so but did deferre and delay it the space of fourtie dayes and all this time humbling Himselfe it was a small thing that when He was mortall to humble Himselfe but when He was immortall that Hee should haue continued so long humbling Himselfe for the cause of man it is a wonder amongst all the partes of His humiliation this is one part that He ate this mortall food And thou when thou shalt be glorified thou shalt not bee so farre humbled as to eate any food of this world thou shalt not be so farre humbled as IESVS CHRIST was humbled Was this Brethren for the Apostles cause only Was it for Peters cause Iohn Iames and the rests cause No Paul sayes All is yours speaking to the Church whether it be Paul or Apollo or Cephas or thinges present or things to come or life or death all is yours and ye are Christes and Christ is Gods 1. Epist to the Corinthians the 3. Chapter and the 21. and 22. verses So all the Apostles themselues were for the Churches cause I speake to you Paul Iohn Iames c. were for your cause and all this homelinesse of Christ with them was for your cause as they were for your cause so seeing the LORD hath so farre and so many wayes humbled Himselfe consider if wee haue not great cause to meete Him or not If any will bowe so lowe as to take thee by the hand wilt thou not put out thine hande againe and meete Him and thinke ye that this humbling of the LORD of glorie hath taken an ende it endes not so long as this Ministerie continues Know yee what this Ministerie and this preaching is It is but an humbling of GOD from Heauen and that for thy cause looke what Paul sayes in the 2. Epistle to the Corinthians the 5. Chapter and the 20. verse We are Ambassadours for Christ as though GOD did beseech you through vs we pray you in Christs stead that ye be reconciled to God There ye see that by this Ministerie GOD humbles Himselfe to pray thee to be reconciled with Him is not this an humbling of God euen that He should pray thee to be reconciled with Him He becomes a suter and solister for thy cause sayes the Apostle We pray you that yâ— should be reconciled to Him what is it to God to humble Himselfe if not this when He beseeches and requests vs by His Messengers and Ambassadours that wee bee reconciled to Him This exceeding humbling of the LORD as it lets vs see His loue vnspeakable towardes vs so it requires a meeting on our partes as wee would eschew fearfull judgements If the first humbling of GOD when He humbled Himselfe in our nature will not mooue thee to make Him a meeting it shall bring on a judgement If the second wherein He humbled Himselfe after His Resurrection so many wayes will not mooue thee it shall double thy judgement if the third humbling of Him now in the Ministerie will not mooue thee if thou contemnest the word and the Ministerie it shall triple the judgement albeit thou werest the King of the world O that judgement and wrath that shall bee heaped vpon thee thou shalt be thrust downe and plunged in Hel to be tormented for euermore Can GOD humble Himselfe for nothing No either shall it be for passing mercie or els for a passing judgement to thee for euer more Then Brethren yee shall marke in this place and I shall onely touch it by the way The Lord after His glorious Resurrection eated the meate they gaue Him Hereof it followes That after His glorious Resurrection Hee kept these naturall powers as eating and drinking if Hee kept them not how could Hee eate at this time if there was not a power attractiue in His stomacke how could the meat goe ouer to His stomacke This I speake to let you see when we shall rise be glorified and see our Lord vvhen this humbled bodie shall be translated to the likenesse of His glorious body as vvee shall keepe the same
soule and body so vvee shall keepe all the naturall povvers and faculties of them Nothing shall bee lost in the Resurrection We shall keepe all but after another manner all these povvers nowe are infirme and weake all are vile vvithout glorie then all shall bee glorified facultie of eating and drinking shall bee glorified and made spirituall Wilt thou then desire meat wilt thou hunger as thou doest now vvill thy stomacke desire meat as it does now No all thy naturall povvers shall be filled vvith GOD. 1. Cor. Chapter 15. verse 28. God shall be all in all Hee shall bee meate and drinke and all thinges to thee In the 21. Chapter of the Reuelation and the 22. verse Hee shall bee the Temple Thou shalt not neede to goe to the Church Thy God shall be a Temple Thou shalt not neede Sunne nor Moone or a lanterne or a candle Thy God shall be all in all to thee So long as we are here we hunger we thirst we haue this meat and that meat and we must haue the Sunne by day and the Moone by night and a candle all this necessitie importes an imperfection Eatest thou drinkest thou all is an argument of imperfection and albeit God filles thee in a part GOD beginnes to fill thee in this world and thou wilt feele His sweetnesse yet He giues vs heere in this life but a litle taste GOD is not all in all to vs and therefore so long as vvee are heere we must eat and drinke but after that once GOD shall fully possesse vs and replenish our soules when vve shall see our Lord againe vve shall neuer hunger nor thirst there shall neuer be want againe there shall be fulnesse not of perishing joy but a fulnesse of such glory as no tongue can expresse and all the povvers of thy soule shall be replenished with an vnspeakable pleasure the vvorlde knovves not vvhat this meanes and vvhen it is spoken to them they thinke it vanitie To enter heere curiously about this meat and to dispute What became of this meat vvhether it vvas digested and turned to nutriture and vvhether it vvas auoided againe I thinke it needlesse But to speake it in a vvorde It vvas an easie matter to the LORD IESVS CHRIST vvho made all of nothing vvho made thee of nothing vvho made thy meate and drinke of nothing vvho made that piece of fish of nothing and vvho made that honey combe of nothing to turne it into nothing againe without a concoction or digesting in the stomacke Novve to goe forvvarde to the second part of the Text and to come to His svveet Sermon No question He deliuered it at great length but Luke hath summed it shortely Heere IESVS CHRIST preaches after His glorious Resurrection yee heard many of His preachinges before His suffering in Iohn heare this now after His Resurrection The first thing Hee does He informes His Disciples of a necessitie It behooued Christ to die it behooued Him to rise againe after His buriall the third day there is a necessitie Hee prooues this What euer thing sayes Hee vvas vvritten of mee in Moyses first in the Prophets next and in the Psalmes last all behooued to bee accomplished euery jote of it of necessitie vvould the LORDE say must bee accomplished Heauen and Earth must passe avvay ere one jote of that vvhich is spoken of Mee passe avvay but all must be fulfilled To touch this Hee takes vp all the vvhole Olde Testament into three partes First the bookes of Moses Secondly the Prophetes Thirdly the Psalmes of Dauid Commonly wee vvill heare the Olde Testament diuided in two partes First the bookes of Moses Next the Prophetes novve He makes the Psalmes the third In the Psalmes vve haue continuall prophecies of CHRIST yet I thinke this is the principall cause of it because the Psalmes are songs vvhich Dauid sung vnto GOD and thereafter put in vvrite and this is the chiefe purpose of the Psalmes It is true that in the Psalmes there are Prophecies contained concerning CHRIST and therefore the Psalmes vvere before rekoned vvith the Prophecies and Dauid counted amongst the Prophets Luke Chapter 24. verse 15. Yet the chiefe purpose of the Psalmes is to sing vnto the LORD and then hee prophecies hee standes as a viue and expresse type of CHRIST wherein he differs from other Prophets vvho in their prophecying vvere no types of CHRIST But to returne What euer thing sayes CHRIST is written of Mee it behooued that to bee accomplished But so it is all these thinges haue beene vvritten and foretolde of Mee my suffering and my Resurrection Moses the Prophets and Dauid haue foretolde them Ergo of necessitie I behooued to suffer and to rise againe the third daye Yee see then vvhat Hee is doing Hee is binding the Faith of His Disciples to beleeue of Him that Hee vvas risen vrging them vvith such a necessitie that they could not escape It is not so easie a thing as the vvorlde thinkes it to beleeve Aske at a vvanton companion if Hee beleeues He vvill answere Why beleeue I not vvhen in the meane time His ovvne mouth nor His heart hath no more smell of Faith than the thing Hee touched neuer and yet the blasphemous knaue vvill say He hath Faith but to get Faith of all things thou shalt finde that it is the moste hard and difficill thing and ere euer thou beleeuest thou shalt be straitted The soule shall be so forced and constrained to beleeue that thou canst not say othervvise Well Brethren vvee haue done vvith it and vvee haue made shipvvracke of saluation if vve beleeue not this Gospell and this Historie of the death and Resurrection of IESVS CHRIST Beleeuest thou not that IESVS CHRIST hath died and hath risen againe for thee thou shalt neuer see Iesus to to thy comfort But ere euer thou or I beleeue that this is true that is written of CHRISTS suffering and His glorification ere euer thou beleeuest the Historie of the New Testament of the Passion and rising againe of Christ done and ended thou must be perswaded there is a necessitie that all these thinges that are spoken in the Olde Testament behooued to be done if then thou wouldest knovve the necessitie of these thinges cast thine eyes to the Olde Testament and cast it ouer Beginne at Moyses and then come to the Prophets and lastly to the Psalmes of Dauid Reade the Old Testament and that write shall shewe thee such a necessitie of these things that more possible had it bene that the world should haue vanished away than that these thinges should not haue come to passe and then vvhen yee take the New Testament and sees these things which are foretolde to bee accomplished yee will not beleeue with how great joy the heart will rest vpon Iesus and it will saye I vvill beleeue this that Christ hath suffered and is risen for mee then thy pleasure vvill be to turne ouer the Olde and Newe Testament that thy Faith may be the more
thou restrainest that grace that should bring poore soules to Heauen and saluation But to goe forward We haue heard the necessitie of preaching in whose name we should preach what we should preach and last to whome it should be preached to all Nations euen to the Gentiles O! if we Gentiles should not rejoyce that mercie and grace is preached vnto vs who were aliants from the grace of GOD. Now albeit this grace bee extended to all yet there is a difference in order of preaching for the Lorde sayes Beginning at Hierusalem As He would say this preaching must first be preached at Hierusalem and beginne there and before grace bee offered to the Gentiles grace first of all must be offered to the Iewes Grace pertaines first to the Iewes they were the people of God of olde and therefore they must haue their owne right and then when grace is offered to the Iewes grace is extended and runnes abroade ouer all the earth Paul sayes to y e Iewes It was necessary that the word of God should first haue beene spoken vnto you Actes 13.46 There is the order yet the Lorde loues Hierusalem forgets it not Hierusalem that crucified the Lord the Lord forgets it not the Lord will not cast it away but will send His Apostles to preach there first O how loth was He to cast away that Nation that He had chosen of olde from among all Nations a people that He hath once begunne with O how loth will He be to cast away that people Scotland hath a proofe of this I dare say it had not bene the patience that the Lord beares vnto this Land He had not spared vs so long because of the great contempt and disdaining of the Gospell But aboue all the rest that Nation which the Lorde hath chosen from among the rest to be a peculiar people to Himselfe He will offer grace to it first therefore the Iewes got this honour first to haue grace offered to them And as grace in this life is offered to the Iew so shall the Iew get first glorie in Heauen Paul Rom. 2.10 sayes Glorie and honour and peace shall be to euery man that doeth good to the Iew first and also to the Grecian And as the glorie shall belong vnto the faithfull Iew first so by the contrarie the vnfaithfull Jew shall first bee dishonoured for the Apostle sayes in the words immediatly preceeding Tribulation and anguish shall bee vpon the soule of euery one that doeth euill of the Iewe first and next of the Grecian But to ende heere I beseech you to striue vnto vnfained Repentance and to get an assurance of the remission of thy sinnes here if thou wilt be honoured in this life by grace and in the life to come by glorie in Heauen for neither grace nor glorie pertaines vnto impennitent sinners who lye like swine in sinne and delite in sinne But only to all penitent sinners where sinne aboundes grace and mercie superaboundes and that in the blood of Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and Holy Spirit be all honour and glorie for euermore AMEN THE XLIV LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 48 Now yee are witnesses of these things verse 49 And behold I doe send the promise of the Father vpon you but tarie yee in the citie of Hierusalem vntill yee be endued with power from high AFTER that the Lord belooued Brethren in Christ in His fift appearing after His Resurrection by sundrie euidences hath gone about to perswade His Disciples that it was Hee Hee vtters a sweete Sermon for their instruction wherein first Hee instructes and informes them in two necessities the first is that all thinges that befell to Him as His Passion and Resurrection behooued to befell vnto Him the second is that as these things befell to Him of necessitie so of necessitie these things behoued to be preached in the world Next Hee giues them a direction to goe out and to preach this Gospell to the worlde We haue heard alreadie of the two necessities First that it behooued Him to suffer the death and to rise againe from death because these things were foretold of Him in Moyses and the Prophets and the Psalmes therefore of necessitie they behooued to come to passe We heard thereafter of the necessitie of the preaching of these thinges Profane men thinke preaching is for the fashion but they deceiue themselues for if there be a necessitie that thou shouldest beleeue that thou mayst be saued there is as great a necessitie that there should be preaching of the word for Faith is by hearing and without hearing no Faith no life no saluation In opening vp of this necessitie of preaching we marked vnto you the particular circumstances that are set downe in the Text Namely first in whose name this preaching behooued to be to wit in the Name of IESVS CHRIST Next whereof it behooued this preaching to bee to wit of Repentance and Remission of sinnes for that is the summe of the Gospel Thirdly to whome this behooued to be preached not to the Iewes only but to all Nations and last in what order this doctrine should be preached first to the Iewes beginning at Ierusalem and thereafter to the Gentiles Now in the Text that we haue presently read the Lord comes to the second part of His Sermon wherein Hee giues direction to the Apostles to bee Preachers and witnesses to the world of all these thinges promising againe to them that Spirit which Hee had promised to them before His suffering and that they might haue the greater securitie Hee giues them a commandement not to depart from Ierusalem vntill they were endued with power and vertue out of Heauen But to come to the wordes after that Hee hath set downe the necessitie of preaching Hee giues them a direction and charge to bee preachers of these thinges vnto the worlde Now sayes Hee yee are witnesses of these things that is These things that yee haue heard and seene come to passe according as they vvere foretolde yee must not keepe them close and secret with your selues but yee must declare preach and testifie them vnto the world Nowe it is not without great cause that the Lord directes and sendes them out to preach for looke how necessarie it is that the word bee preached as necessarie it is that some bee directed and sent out by the Lorde to preach for How shall they preach sayes Paul except they be sent Rom. Chapter 10. verse 15. A man must not runne vnsent but before hee preach hee must haue a commission from God If we will enter in a particular consideration marke all things set downe in this Sermon we will finde there is nothing either concerning Christ Himselfe His suffering and rising againe or concerning the Gospell of Christ and preaching of it or concerning the Ministers Preachers of the Gospell falles out rashly or by fortoun chance but that all things come to passe by the
approached to them partly that Hee might take away all occasion of doubting from them partly that with the greater profite and commoditie He might instruct them and that His teaching might be the more powerfull and fruitfull for no question while He drawes nearer to them with His body offers Himselfe to be seene more clearly with y e bodily eyes in y e meane time He drawes nearer to them inwardly joynes Himselfe by His Spirit more powerfully and familiarly to their soules for this is the accustomed dealing of the Lord when by the word He is purposed to be effectuall and powerfull in the soule of any man He drawes neare them by His Spirit whereas by the contrarie when Hee is not of purpose to be effectuall by his word in the heart He approaches not inwardly to the soule but He holds Himselfe a farre off and giues them only a shew of His power and glory outwardly a farre off Now followes the Lords cōmuning with His Disciples wherein He giues them a commission to goe out and preach to the world baptizing them that beleeue But before He giues them this commission by way of preface He sets down the ground of this commission to wit that power and authoritie which He had for sayes He All power is giuen vnto me in heauen and in earth for it was necessary that the Apostles should be enformed of this His power and authoritie which He had giuen Him to the end that knowing that infinite power whereupon their commission and Apostleship was grounded they might the more chearefully and willingly with free heartes and open mouthes discharge their commission message beeing assured that they had Him who was Lord of Heauen and Earth to be their protectour maintainer Marke this Brethren This Ministerie of the Gospell albeit it be but a sort of seruice in the Church of God it is no Lordship and albeit men count very basely of it and esteeme it of all callings in the world to be the most vile and contemptible yet it is grounded vpon such a power as farre surpasses all the power of all the Kings and Monarches of the earth and it is the Lordes will that both the Ministers themselues and likewise the people that heares them haue their eyes fixed and be exercised continually in the contemplation and consideration of that incomprehensible and infinite power whereupon this Ministrie is grounded to the end that both the Ministers may the more chearfully and couragiously discharge their calling and also the people that heare them be not offended nor stumble at the basenesse of this outward forme of the ministerie not measuring the Majestie and glory of the Gospell preached vnto them by the outward shew and forme which they see but by the infinite and incomprehensible power of the Lord whereupon it is grounded Next it is to bee marked that Hee sayes All power is giuen me not in heauen only but also in earth He joynes them both together and that for the comfort of His Apostles whom Hee was to send out and of the Ministers who were to follow them to the end of the world for when He sayes that all power was giuen to Him in the earth it serues to encourage the Apostles and all Ministers in the Church faithfully and chearefully to discharge their calling so long as they remaine heere in the earth and grounding and anchoring themselues vpon that infinite power which the Lord Iesus hath vpon the earth to striue and fight couragiously and boldly against the assaults of Sathan against the allurements of sinne against the feare and terrour of trouble and persecution against the manners and behauiour of this vnthankfull world as assured that His almightie power in the earth shall guarde defend them in their calling so long as the Lord hath a worke adoe with them Againe when Hee sayes that all power was giuen to Him in Heauen it serues to comfort the Apostles Ministers vpon the hope of a reward that after they haue discharged their dutie in their calling after they haue striuen against all difficulties hath ouercome all tentations at last they should waite for the Kingdome of Heauen where they shall rest from their labours enjoy the presence of their Lord King for euer 1 Cor. 15.19 Jf in this life only we haue hope in Christ of all men we are the most miserable By the which words He meanes if the power of Iesus Christ whereupon wee repose anchore our selues extended no further than within the bounds of this present life then our estate condition of all men were most miserable yet ere we leaue these words it is to be considered what maner of power this is whereof he speakes whereupon their Apostleship is groūded that ye may vnderstand this the better ye must consider that there is a twofold power in the Lord Iesus the Sonne of God the first is heritably the other purchased The first He hath as the Sonne of God equall with the Father before the foundations of the world were laide of this He speakes in His Prayer to His Father before His Passion Father glorifie me with thine owne selfe with that glory which I had with thee before the world was Ioh. 17.5 The other the Sonne of God Iesus Christ purchased to Himselfe for our cause when Hee made Himselfe of no reputation and tooke on Him the forme of a seruant humbled Himselfe and became obedient to the death euen to the death of the Crosse for the Lord then exalted Him highly and gaue Him a Name aboue euery Name that at the Name of Iesus euery knee should bow both of things in heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth Philip. 2.6 Heere the Apostle speakes of that power which Hee as a Mediatour acquired by His perfect obedience in all things and of this acquired power it is which the Lord speakes in this place for frō this power which He purchased to Himselfe by His obedience in our flesh proceedes the Gospel from this power proceedes the Ministerie in the Church from this power proceedes Saluation to the world for that heritāble power which the Sonne of God had with the Father from all eternitie without the manhead of Christ and His acquired power by His obedience would neuer serue to bring life Saluation to sinners Nowe to come to the sending out of the Apostles Hee sayes Goe therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them In these wordes Hee giues them their commission and committes vnto them the Ministerie and office of the Apostleship commanding them to goe foorth to all Nations to teach and baptize them for the Lord sets downe here distinctly three points of their calling First y t they should goe foorth to all Nations of the world not holding themselues within y e narrow boūds of y e land of Iudea as they did before Next y t they should preach y e Gospel thirdly y t they should baptize
Father the Sonne and the Holy Spirit Indeed it is true that God was knowne in the Trinitie of persons in some sorte by the Fathers who liued vnder the Old Testament before Christs manifestation in the fleshe but the knowledge which they had was obscure and confused in respect of that knowledge which IESVS brought into the worlde at His comming but chiefely this distinct knowledge of the three persons of the Godhead was manifested after Christes Resurrection from the dead and His Glorification for Christ glorified is chiefely the image of the vnuisible God and the brightnesse of His glorie and the engrauen forme of His person And from Christ glorified especially proceedes th' effectuall operation of the Holy Spirit in the soules of His Elect. All tendes to this To let you see that the cleare and distinct knowledge of the Godhead in the Trinitie of the persons proceeded chiefely from the Kingdome of Christ and from His glory Nowe to this God one in essence in three persons The Father the Sonne and the Holie Spirit be all praise honour and glorie for euermore Amen THE LIV. LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVIII verse 20 Teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you and loe I am with you alway vntill the ende of the world Amen MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 16 He that shall beleeue and bee baptized shall bee saued but hee that will not beleeue shall bee damned verse 17 And these tokens shall follow them that beleeue In my Name they shall cast out deuils and shall speake with new tongues verse 18 And shall take away serpentes and if they shall drinke anie deadlie thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay their handes on the sicke and they shall recouer THE last daye Welbeloued Brethren in Christ we began to speake of the nine appearings of the Lord to the Disciples as it is set downe by Matthew and Marke Hee appeared to them in a Mountaine of Galilie vvhere Hee had appointed them to meete Him Wee hearde vvhat vvas the Disciples behauiour The sight of that glorious Majestie made them to fall downe and worship Him yet in the meane time some of them doubted and therefore the LORDE to confirme them drawes neare vnto them and enters into communication with them and in His communing first Hee telles what power and authoritie was giuen Him both in Heauen and earth to the ende Hee might mooue them the more willinglie and chearefullie to vndertake the office of the Apostleship Then when Hee has layed downe this power as a ground of their office and Ministerie Hee sendes them out in the worlde charging them first to goe to all Nations Next to preach to euery creature And thirdly To baptize in the Name and authority of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Spirit Nowe in these wordes first Hee telles them what doctrine they shoulde teach to the worlde then hee makes them a threefolde promise The first is of life and saluation to then that beleeue and are baptised The seconde is a promise of th'extraordinarie and miraculous giftes of the Holie Spirite The thirde is a promise of His owne glorious and powerfull presence with them in discharging of their calling that not for a season but to continue to th' ende of the vvorlde Then in the first wordes which vve haue read He telles them what they should teach not al things not euery thing that they pleased themselues but He sayes Teach them to obserue all thinges whatsoeuer J haue commanded you So Hee restraines the doctrine that they should teach vnto the world vnto that doctrine which Hee Himselfe first had taught them In the 14. Chapter of John vers 26. after Hee has first promised the Holie Spirit to teach His Apostles all thinges then Hee telles vvhat Hee meanes by All these thinges which His Spirite should teach and Hee boundes them and restraines them to that doctrine which Hee Himselfe had taught them before For sayes Hee hee shall bring all thinges to your remembrance which I haue tolde you Euen so here Hee restraines the preaching of th'Apostles to these thinges vvhich Hee Himselfe had taught them So marke this lesson The doctrine of Iesus Christ which Hee deliuered the time that Hee liued in the vvorlde and had His conuersation among men is the grounde the rule and the measure of all true doctrine The Spirit of the Lord Iesus vvhome Hee left behinde Him to bee His vicegerent in th' earth kept preciselie this rule Hee taught not so much as one sentence in substance but that vvhich CHRIST had taught before Th'Apostles vvhome Hee sent out into the worlde declined not one jote from this rule for they taught the vvorlde nothing but that vvhich the Holie Spirite had furnished and suggested vnto them before and that Spirite taught them nothing but that vvhich IESVS had taught them before So that the doctrine of the H. Spirit th'Apostles come all wholly from Iesus as th' only doctor teacher of His Kirke of whom the Father said in His baptisme trāsfiguratiō Heare him So it should be w t ministers and Teachers of the Church to the end of the world they should make Christes doctrine to bee the rule of all their doctrine they should teach nothing but that which Christ teached before them the faithfull Ministers of Christ in all ages haue striuen to doe so they confirmed all their doctrine so farre as they could to the doctrine of Christ Indeede it is true through processe of time corrupt men entred in the Church who respected not God nor His glory nor the well and saluation of men but their owne honour their owne lusts and their bellie who taught the world not the doctrine of Christ the way of life but their own fantasies dreames and traditions Wee may see this lamentable experience this day in the kingdome of the Antichrist What teaches the Pope and his Clergie to the world Not the word of God Not the doctrine of Christ Not that doctrine which the Holy Spirit furnished to the Apostles not that vvhich the Apostles haue left in register this day they make not that to be the rule of their preaching but they teach their owne vanities deuised by themselues they teach mens traditions they teach vnwritten verities as they call them vvhich are for the moste parte altogether repugnant to the doctrine of Christ The Lord saue vs from their doctrine vvherewith they poyson the world and bring men to perdition Now as the Pastors are obliged to teach nothing but the doctrine of Christ so are the people bound to heare and receiue none other doctrine but the doctrine of Christ and for this cause they shoulde pray earnestly for the Holy Spirit who is promised to His owne to illuminate their mindes and to giue them the gift of discretion to discerne spirits as also they should be diligently exercised in reading and considering the Olde and New Testament the writtings of the
Hierusalem according to the Lords coÌ„mandemeÌ„t til they got that promised Spirit with His graces Then assoone aâ— they haue receiued the H. Spirit with His graces and were sufficienly furnishâ—d theÌ„selues they goe out to coÌ„municate that grâ—ce to the world wherewith they themselues were replenished beginning at Hierusaâ—eÌ„ then going throughout all Judea then to Samaria last to the vtmost parts of th' earth This doing of the disciples serues to teach these who intende to entâ—r into that holy calling of the ministery how they ought to behaue theÌ„sâ—lues They must not suddeÌ„ly rashly goe out to preach the Gospel before they bee well furnished themselues but they should keepe themselues close vsing holy meanes and exercises till they find themselues to be furnished with grace in some measure but being once furnished with grace it is the Lordes will that they keepe themselues no more close but that they goe out and communicate that same grace vnto others for the Lord giues them no spirituall graces to keepe to themselues but to th' end that they may employ them to the weale edification of others Men should beware of these two extremities first that they presume not to goe out to preach to others till they bee first well furnished themselues next when they are furnished with grace that they let not Gods graces rest within themselues but that they vse them chearfully for the benefite of the Kirke But if we consider more narrowly this going out of the disciples we wil find it to be extraordinarie and miraculous it fell out altogether vnexspected of the Iewes no the Iewes neuer thought that thinges should haue fallen out so either concerning Christ Himselfe or His disciples for as coÌ„cerning Christ they thought they should neuer haue heard any more of Him except cursed and detestable speaches of Him for they had nowe handeled Him shamefully they had railed on Him and crucified Him putting Him to an ignominious death and after Hee was buried and risen they perswaded the guarde y t watched the sepulchre to noise abroad that his discipleâ— had come by night stollen him away so they thought there should haue bene no more of Him But beholde vpon a suddaine the Lord vnexspected of them by His powerfull prouidence makes His glory to be sounded throughout the whole world and whereas they thought He should haue bene buried for euer in shame Hee is exalted to a wonderfull glory And as concerning the disciples The Iewes thought they durst neuer haue presumed to haue opened their mouthes againe to speake of the Name of Christ for they thought they were all but sillie based bodies who sled away when their Master was taken and were offended at His ignominious death and terrified and astonished with that sorrowfull spectacle that they saw when He hung vpon the crosse neither durst they presume to meete together againe openly for feare of their liues But while the Iewes are thus thinking and beleeue that there shall neuer be any moâ—e worde of Christ behold vpon a suddain when they thinke nothing lesse His disciples come out publickly in their presence and before the whole world holding out bearing before them y t crucifiâ—d man boldly charging the worlde to beleeue in Him From whence comes this that they vvho before vvere so dâ—shed and based that sledde away before durst nowe meet together so openly and preach with such boldnesse and libertie Him of vvhome before they vvere ashamed Euen from that incomprehensible vvonderfull power of Christ their King who was now sitting in the Heauens in glory vvho according to His promise sent vpon them His holy Spirit and indued them vvith power froÌ„ an hight Now the last thing is the successe that the Lord giues vnto their preaching He saies The Lord wrought with them and confirmed the worde with signes that followed If ye reade th' Acts of th'Apostles ye vvill see the successe has bene marueilous for within a short space by their Ministery they brought gâ—eat multitudes not onely of the Jewes but also of the Gentiles to th' obedience of Christ and by them suddenly the face of the world was changed The cause of this great successe th'Euangelist marks to be the Lords vvorking vvith them confirming the vvord that they preached vvith signes and vvonders When it is said that the Lord wrought with them we may not thinke that they vvere the chiefe workers and the Lord but an helper to them No the Lord is euer the chiefe worker and His faithfull seruantes but worke together with Him in the building of that spirituall house vnto the Lord He being the chiefe builder and His seruantes but worke with Him So Paul calles them workers together with God 2. Cor. 6.1 All the successe of the Gospel is His His seruantes are only instruments vsing the meanes Paul plants Apollo waters but God giues th' increase 1. Cor. 3.6.9 Now as we saw in their going out to the worlde in their preaching with boldnesse that Christes power was wonderfully manifested euen so in this great and glorious successe that they haue in their preaching that same power of Christ is as wondefully manifested If we compare this successe which the Gospel had in that first age of the Kirke of Christ with that successe which it hath now adayes we will find a great difference Many more were called then than there are nowe for then at one preaching thousandes were conuerted but nowe at many preachings scarcely will one be conuerted And what meanes this seeing the Gospel is taught nowe in that same sinceritie that it was then Euen this that by all appearance the Lord hath gathered in alreadie the most part of them who are to bee saued and the number of these that rest to be called and saued is few in these dayes in respect of that great multitude of them who were called and saued in the dayes of th'Apostles The great haruest is gathered in already onely glaininges now remaine And on the other part it importes that there is a great number ordained to wrath and destruction and therfore they are not conuerted by the preaching of the Gospel If our Gospel saith Paul bee hidden it is hidden to them that perish 2. Cor. 4.3 Now to end here Seeing all the successe of the Gospel proceedes from the powerfull presence of Christ by His Spirit the Lord grant that so long as He giues vs liberty to vse these outward meanes He would make vs find the powerfull working of the Spirit concurring with the meanes that wee may turne to Christ and so bee assured that wee shall bee saued from that wrath which is to come in that great day of the appearing of the LORD IESVS To whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit bee all praise Honour and Glorie for euer and euer AMEN FINIS