of Judicature but were a concourse of Bloody Murderers He knew as he was God that whatsoever he should answer they would pervert to an accusation against him and that by his answer he should rather irritate than appease them and that the more he satisfied 'em the greater would be their Sin especially that it was written of him in the Evangelical Prophet z Isai 53.7 He was oppressed and Afflicted and yet he opened not his mouth He is brought as a Lamb to the Slaughter and as a Sheep before her Shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth Cajaphas the more enraged at his silence supposing it was done out of contempt to his Person and vext that neither the Witnesses nor his own Authority could draw an answer from him which might bear colour of Censure collects all his Malice and Rage together and darts it at him in one terrible Exorcism a Mat. 26.63 I adjure thee by the living God that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ the Son of God agreeable to the last refuge of Satan in the distracted and furious man b Mark 5.7 I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not Our Saviour not mov'd by the Power of Exorcism for if there were no c Numb 23.23 Inchantment against Jacob much less cou'd there be against his God but least it might not consist with the honour which is due and ever to be paid to the Sacred Name or he might seem wanting to the saving Truth which he came down on Earth to reveal to the World or the Jews might take occasion thereby to defend their perfidiousness and propagate their error after his departure saying That Nazarene being askt by our High Priest and adjur'd by the Tremendous Name whether he were the true expected Messiah would not answer that he was otherwise we had believ'd him and receiv'd him as such For these Reasons he would not here be silent that he might leave them without Excuse but in two Sayings declares the Truth d Mat. 26.64 Thou hast said or it is true which thou hast said I need not answer thou thy self hast said it Or rather he directs it to his wicked Conscience Why seekest thou so deceitfully to draw from me that which thou knowest already so well I need not tell thee I am the Christ since e John 11.47 because I raised up Lazarus from the Dead thou would'st put me to death Thou hast not hitherto believed me for my Miracles and intendest never to believe me for my Words Nevertheless I will yet more clearly confess and I tell you plainly Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting at the Right hand of Power Å¿ Mat. 26 64. and coming in the Clouds of Heaven But none could thus ascend to equal Power with God none could again descend with the Clouds of Heaven which the Jews themselves expounded of the Glorious Attendance of the Angels unless the true Messiah and Son of God With these words he passionately endeavours to move 'em with the Terrors of the Lord at the consideration of that just Judgment they must at last undergo before his Tribunal how Vile and Abject soever he now appeared since he had tried in vain to reduce 'em by his Innocency and Benefits But now Hypocrisie and Ostentation as well as Obstinacy reign in Cajaphas q Mark 14.63.64 He rent his Clothes and said what need we any further Witnesses Ye have heard the Blasphemy What think ye And they all condemned him to be guilty of Death Why What have ye heard O ye blood-thirsty men but that great Truth of the coming of Christ's Kingdom which the Patriarchs Prophets and all good men long'd for with earnest expectation Where is your Anointing ye Priests and Sons of Aaron Where are the Prophecies ye Scribes and Teachers which long before mentioned these things of the Messiah Where will be your portion ye Sons of Israel who renounce an Interest in the Saviour of the World and condemn the Son of the Great King and think by killing him to seize upon his Inheritance r 1 Chron. 22 8. David was not suffer'd to build the Temple because his hands had shed Blood And how shall you build up the House of the Lord who imbrue your hands in the blood of God What Herod thô otherwise cruel will not dare and what Pilate tho' a Barbarian shall be afraid of you have wilfully pronounc'd against the Lord of Life Therefore shall the Samaritans and Heathen be your Judges yea out of your own mouth shall ye be Judged how much your impiety was greater than theirs and your Injustice crueller than that of Herod or Pilate It was the first time that Cajaphas had heard he call'd himself the Son of God and declar'd himself to be come from Heaven as appears by manifest Å¿ John 5.18 passages in the Holy Evangelists He might much more easily have believed that Truth knowing how he had raised Lazarus from the Dead then the poor blind Man for the cure of his sight or Nicodemus from the general report of his Miracles who t John 3.2.9 33. both confess that if he had not been of God or God had been with him he could have done nothing But here out of Vain Glory he rent his Clothes a sad Presage prophetically foreshewing that the Priesthood shou'd be rent from him and that Nation and crys as if he had heard some strange thing which personated Admiration became also the type of his own punishment and consign'd the Nation to utter destruction and the whole Assembly devoted to his will the Priests the Pharisees the Scribes and Elders â— Mark 14.64 all conspir'd in the same Guilt Whereby it is evident whatsoever he had said they were all ready to confirm it when immediately with one Voice without any Hesitation all condemn him to be guilty of Death There was no body here had a word to speak for the Innocent none desir'd a time for defence of the Prisoner neither Reason nor Justice nor Humanity are regarded but Cajaphas will have it so and Christ must die Thus was our Saviour suppposed guilty of Blasphemy who in all things sought his Father's Glory and proclamed worthy of Death who did no Sin neither was guile found in his Mouth and that holy Name abus'd and vilifi'd which is above every Name and to which every knee should bow Because we were really Blasphemous and Wicked and had transgrest all the commandments of our God from the guilt of which he came to deliver us by his Condemnation Prayer O Spotless Innocence who wert judged wrongfully but shall come to judge the World in Righteousness Grant Impartialtiy to all the Judges of the Earth that they Administer true Justice without Covetousness or Respect of Persons Sincerity to all Witnâ—sses that they may bear Testimony to the Truth Integrity to all the Professors of thy Holy Precepts that they may serve thee in purity
a Psal 109.6 Let Satan stand at his right hand Prayer Great Judge of all Men Thou hast made but two Ends one in Heaven and the other in Hell one with thy self and the other with the Devils and all our Motions are always tending to these We no sooner leave thee the Center of our Happiness but we wander into those unfortunate Labyrinths of Misery which lead at last to the Abyss of Torment O let me abide for ever in thy Presence fixed there by a strong Faith an earnest Hope and an endless Charity that the Suggestions of Satan may never have Opportunity to withdraw me from those Pleasures which are at thy Right Hand but passing the time of my Sojourning here in Fear and Caution assisted by thy Grace and guided by thy Spirit I may safely arrive at the Consummation of thine Elect. SECT V. Of the miserable Departure of Judas from the Presence of Christ and his selling him to the Chief Priests AGitated by the Prince and Powers of Darkness b Joh. 13 30. He went out immediately and it was Night hoping to cover himself with the Shades of that to act his more horrible and black Designs But alas poor Disciple where can he find Rest who goes out of the Presence of his Saviour How can he chuse but stumble and fall who hideth himself from the Sun of Righteousness who is absent from the Light of the World who wanders out of the way of Life who is beyond the Voice of that Word which only succours instructs and guides A lost Sheep out of the Care of the Shepherd will soon meet with the Infernal Lion and the Opportunity will invite him to the Assault The Devil was a c Joh. 8.44 Murderer from the Beginning and never fails to promote any Evil Purpose takes hold on this Advantage to ruin Judas the Jewish Nation and if it were possible the Messiah He leads this fugitive and desolate Wretch with the strong Chain of imaginary Profit his d 1 Tim. 6.10 surest Snare to draw us from the Faith to the Chief Priests who out of e Joh. 11.47 Mark 11.18 Envy to Christ's Miracles had frequently taken Counsel to put him to Death and waited only for an Opportunity in the f Mat. 26.5 Absence of the People As was the Seller such were the Buyers the Chief Priests and Elders of the People excecated by the just Judgment of God to g Mat. 23.22 fill up the Measure of their Fathers Iniquity Otherwise they could never have found fault with Innocence deny'd the Truth or envy'd a Divine Power all employ'd only to do them good So far does the Punishment of Sin reach to many h Exod. 20.12 Generations of them that hate God Which made the Evangelical Prophet foretelling the coming of Christ foretell also the Blindness and Obduracy of this People i Mat. 13.14 15. From Isa 6.9 10. Their Heart is waxen gross their Ears are dull of hearing and their Eyes they have closed lest at any time they should see with their Eyes and hear with their Ears and understand with their Hearts and be converted and I should heal them A mutual Inclination soon makes a Bargain Judas says k Mat. 26.15 What will you give me And they knowing his avaricious Mind covenant with him for Thirty Pieces of Silver l Dr Hammond in loc Which according to the Greek and Latin Manuscripts being equivalent to Staters or Shekels amounted to Three Pound Fifteen Shillings which was the common Price of a Servant in those days a Freeman being valued at twice that Rate So truly did he who was in the m Phil. 2.7 Form of God and thought it no Robbery to be equal with God make himself of no Reputation and take upon him the Form of a Servant that he might exalt us to the Privilege of of Sons So sordid and vile the Heart of the Betrayer to undervalue his Master in the Bargain of his Blood How unlike was this Action to that of the n Luk. 7.37 Noble Convert o Mat. 26.13 never to be forgotten while the Gospel shall be preached who when Jesus was in the House of Simon the Leper came with an p Mark 14.3 Alabaster Box of Ointment of Spikenard very precious and worthy the greatest Monarchs for such had Cambyses sent to the King of Ethiopia and when she had first shed a Flood of Tears enough to q Luk. 7.38 wash his Feet and had wiped them with her hairs and kissed his Feet in an Extasie of Love Sorrow and Admiration she brake the Box and poured it upon his r Mat. 26.7 head and Å¿ Luk. 7.38 anointed his feet to the great amazement of all the Beholders and t Mark 14.4 indignation of some who lookt upon it as Wast It had not yet been used to anoint the Feet of Kings and was afterwards when received into the Roman Prodigality by Otho in Honour of Nero lookt upon as a Prodigy of unnecessary Profusion But she thought nothing rich enough for his Sacred Feet whom she acknowledged above all the Potentates of the Earth and not to be valued but to be loved above her Life She now melted in the Limbeck of holy Desire and her Heart distilled out by her Eyes her Hairs which were the Nets wherein so many Captive Souls had sigh'd under the Yoke of wanton Love are now trampled under the Feet of her Conqueror the Kisses which carried the Poyson of a Luxurious Passion now breath from her nothing but the Delicacies of Chastity her pleasing Odors which were before vow'd to Sensuality are now become the sweetest Exhalations and bring an odoriferous Perfume to Christ Judas on the contrary thought it more worth than his Head and under pretence of Charity to the Poor because he was a u Ioh. 12.5 6. Thief and had the Bag and bare what was put therein would have had it sold that he might have stoln from the Price Covetousness aims at base and low Purchases whilst Holy Love is great and comprehensive and designs at nothing less than Infinity The Love of God is a Holy Fountain limpid and pure sweet and salutary lasting and eternal The Love of Money is a vertiginous Pool sucking all into it self to destroy 'em it is troubled and uneven gidy and unsafe serving no end but its own and that in a restless and unequal Motion The Love of God spends itself upon him to receive again Reflections of Grace and Benediction the Love of Riches spends all its Desires on it self to purchase nothing but unsatisfying Instruments of Exchange supernumerary Provisions and Occasions of Sin and ends in Dissatisfaction Emptiness of Spirit and a bitter Curse O ye unhappy Treasures of the World which cause the same Barrenness in the Hearts of Men as ye do in the Mountains in which ye grow and consume all Natural and Divine affection and become the * 1 Tim. 6.10 Root of all
so great as for a Man to conquer his Passion under Affronts and Injuries suffers it with absolute composedness of mind and as much Clemency and Commiseration opening his Mouth with the greatest Sweetness while his Face is smitten with a servile Hand If I have spoken evil bear Witness of the evil but if well why smitest thou me That I have well answered thou thy self confessest in that thou canst object nothing against my Words and therefore I admonish thee to be more wary for the future and not to act contrary to undeniable Truth Thou strikest me who hast nothing to lay to my Charge Thou strikest me who art not Judge over me Thou strikest me whom once thou didst admire Thou strikest me who have done thee no injury at all And yet I rail not against thee I revenge not my self but freely pardon thee and advise thee to be sorry Ah Christian Such are thy Saviour's Sentiments and shall the least word of disdain raise a storm in thy mind and every rash action a clap of Thunder how long wilt thou say he has injur'd me he has struck me I cannot put it up I will have his Life Knowest thou not that Revenge is only proper to weak minds and that Clemency resides always in a strong Spirit that Cruelty is Tyranny but Meekness a true Empire That to want power of retaining any bad Resentment is to be truly Invulnerable but Malice cherished fills the Soul with Darts Wounds and Putrifying Ulcers that neither God nor Man have any compassion for those who cannot grant a Pardon to an inconsiderate Action but sooner or later there are Treasures of Graces bestow'd upon those amiable Inclinations which are Mortal Enemies to Revenge and Cruelty Prayer O Dearest Lord who wast smitten Extrajudicialy with the circumstances of Despite in the Presence of a Judge yet barest the Insolency and Cruelty of the Affront with an Admirable Compassion towards the rashness of the Transgressour Give me the like Temper that I may look on Injury with the mildness which arises from a sense of my own frailty That tho' I be not able to bear it with Joy yet I may take it with Patience and pardon it and turn my eye to thee who wer't afflicted for me and wilt have me to be afflicted for thee and not to the man that persecuted and troubled me Then shall I be capable of that inestimable Benefit which thou hast propos'd on this condition the Forgiveness of my Debts as I forgive my Debtors and shall be acceptable to my Heavenly Father SECT XVI Of the False Witnesses that arose against Christ and the Wickedness of the High Priest ONE of the greatest Tragedies in the life of Man which makes the Curious to Question the Wise to Wonder the Good to Groan and the Wicked to Rejoyce is to see a Magistrate willfully pervert judgment and the Innocent opprest under colour of Justice Yet such was the Judge and the case of the Holy Jesus who being resolv'd to espouse our Miseries to the utmost would pass through the Rigors and Formalities of the Wicked cover'd with a pretext of Judgment and Equity m Matt. 26.59 The Chief Priests and Elders and all the Counsel sought false Witness against him to put him to Death Cajaphas had examin'd him about his Disciples and his Doctrine and because he had answered otherwise then he expected because he had so answered that he could lay no hold on it he resolves now to patch together an accusation out of the flying rumours of the People and therefore commanded that whatsoever they could say they should alledge against the Prisoner He had so much tenderness for his own Reputation as not to sentence him without cause but so much Wickedness as to be contented with a pretended one rather then he should escape out of his hands So there be but some Witnesses true or false he hopes it may excuse his Tyranny and Oppression Nevertheless tho' many n Matt. 26.60 false Witnesses came and according to the Psalmist o Psal 35.11 rose up against him and laid to his Charge things that he knew not yet found they p Matt. 26.60 none that is no sufficient Testimony upon which they might ground the least plausible accusation for whatsoever one spoke the next deliver'd it otherwise their Witness did not q Mark 14.56 agree together Such had been the Excellency exemplary Piety and Prudence of the Life of the Immaculate Jesus that if they pretended against him Questions of their Law they were not Capital in a Roman Court if they affirm'd he mov'd the people to Sedition and Affected the Kingdom they saw that all the World wou'd convince 'em of the Untruth At last after many attempts that his Innocency might more fully appear came two false Witnesses near the same and accuse him of a Trope or Figurative Speech which they neither understood nor his Intention when he spake it One said This Fellow r Matt. 26.61 said I am able to destroy the Temple of God and to build it in three days The Å¿ Mark 14.58 other I heard him say I will destroy this Temple that is made with hands and within three days I will build another made without hands But neither so did their Witness t Mark 14.59 agree together He had said indeed when the Jews desir'd a Sign u John 2.19 Destroy this Temple and in three dayes I will raise it up meaning the Resurrection of his Body the third day after his Death should be the Sign of his Veracity to the Whole World but the Witnesses both perverted it and added to it affirming it to be threatned against the Temple at Jerusalem and that he had a design to subvert their Worship Nor did the wiser Jews understand it otherwise which is plain from their words to Pilate after his Death * Matt. 27.63 Sir we remember that deceiver said while he was yet alive after three days I will rise again Only the Ignorant supposed it to be of the Temple and the Council willingly let it pass having no other occasion of accusation against him The High Priest being frustrated by this faultring of all the Witnesses and silence of Christ which prevented him the opportunity of laying hold on any thing from himself against him rises up in Passion his malice making him uneasie and x Mark 14.60 says answerest thou nothing What is it that these Witness against thee But there needed no reply for what should the Innocent answer against such lying and disagreeing Testimonies They had born false Witness out of his true sayings adding and diminishing what they pleas'd and yet the most Subtile and Industrious of his Enemies could not make it out that the Temple was in any danger from him Jesus therefore y Matt. 26.63 held his peace For as was the Judge such were the Witnesses as was the Council so was the Auditory they carry'd the Face of a Court
renounce my Will and bear with Evil which cannot be avoided in this miserable World Let not the Scoffs of Atheistical and Vain Persons move me any otherwise than to pity and pray for them nor any Disgrace or Persecution cast me down while I suffer with a clear Conscience For why should I refuse to endure with Patience Injuries so small in respect of those which thou hast willingly undergone for me or be loth to be conformable to thy sorrowful Image who hope to be assimulated to thy Glorious Likeness The Sufferings of this Life are not worthy to be compared with the Consolation thou sendest here much less with the eternal Happiness thou promisest hereafter Only do thou draw me and make me able to follow thee for the Flesh is weak and I will submit my head to be crowned with Thorns being fully persuaded thou wilt at last adorn me with a Caelestial Diadem of Glory SECT XXVII Of Pilate's second Declaration of Christ's Innocence PIlate seeing nothing found in him worthy of Death by Herod who was best skill'd in the Jewish Mysteries had a clearer sense of Christ's Innocence and of the Malice of his Accusers than before and grew more desirous to free him being sent back Insomuch that having call'd together the Chief Priests and Rulers he said unto them z Luk. 23.14 15 16. Ye have brought this Man unto me as one that perverteth the People and behold I having examined him before you have found no fault in him touching the things whereof you accuse him no nor yet Herod for I sent you to him and lo nothing worthy of Death is done unto him I will therefore chastise him and release him A great deal of stir here has been about this Man and ye have been instant with me to condemn him but have brought no Accusation that amounts to it and the Roman Tables have given me no Permission to put to Death an uncondemned Person or to condemn an innocent Man Herod has look'd upon him as more ridiculous than dangerous and I can find no fault in him Nevertheless that ye may not seem thus to have used him and to have made all this Noise about nothing this I will do I will order him to be chastised after our manner to Malefactors and so release him and clear our selves of him This is again the second Testimony Pilate bears to the Innocence of the Holy Jesus And if his Innocence without his Passion had been sufficient to have satisfied his Father's Anger incensed against the Sins of Mankind the Jews had acquiesced as well as the Gentiles in the Judgments of Herod and Pontius Pilate and Christ had been no further persecuted to Death But God would be pacified in the Nature which had offended and the Jews were permitted to encrease in their Wickedness to bring to pass the Redemption of the World They accuse him a Mat. 27.13 afresh laying many things to his Charge and are so much more vehement by how much he appears less Guilty and they are afraid he may be releas'd The Governour in the mean time is surpriz'd with wonder at the unaccountable Malice of his Prosecutors and his admirable Patience against their Railing Accusations and Contempt of Death proportionable to his Innocence b Mat. 27.14 for he answered to never a word of all their Blasphemies having never before met with any Prisoner who would not use all means to defend himself or desire Pardon and Deliverance But thus he has taught us to lay our hands upon our Mouths when we suffer for Righteousness sake and to yield an absolute Submission to God's Will which thinks fit to humble us by Injuries and Defamation That believing in him as the Trier and Judge of hearts we may know he will in due time suppress our Persecutors and exalt us in this or a better Life Prayer And blessed be God the Father of all Comfort in whom while we trust we have sufficient Confidence to bear up against the Malice of our worst Enemies and to lift up our Heads to the Recompence of Reward which those enjoy c Rev. 7.14 who came out of great Tribulation and have made their Robes white in the Blood of the Lamb. SECT XXVIII Of Pilate 's third Declaration of Christ's Innocence and of the Scourging of his Body NOW there was a d Mat. 27.15 Custom at the Feast of the Passover in memory of their Deliverance out of Egypt for the Governour to release a Prisoner to the People whomsoever they desir'd And when the Multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them Pilate was in hopes to prevail by this occasion to set him free by making it a Favour from them to Jesus and an Indulgence from him to their Nation And the more to induce 'em to it by a fair Opportunity he proposes the Choice only between the innocent Jesus whom he had twice declared such and a most notorious Villain call'd Barabbas who e Luk. 23.19 for a certain Sedition made in the City and for Murder was cast into Prison f Mat. 27.17 saying Whom will ye that I release unto you Barabbas or Jesus which is called Christ But insatiable was the Malice of the Chief Priests and Elders who g Mat. 27.29 persuaded the Multitude that they should ask Barabbas and so great the Execution of the whole Nation that they all h Luk. 23.17 cried out at once Away with this Man and release unto us Barabbas What was this but to say Destroy the Innocent and give unto us a Traitor and a Thief Away with the Prince of Peace and universal Charity and leave unto us the Author of Sedition Put him to Death who has rais'd up the Dead before us and give unto us a known Murderer And indeed as they desir'd it has been justly granted ' em They chose a Robber and were given up to Plunder They preferr'd a Murderer and were devour'd of the Sword They begg'd the Seditious and were massacred by one another their Misery during the Siege under Titus being greater from themselves within the Walls than from their Enemies without They rejected their Saviour and found none to deliver 'em but were broken to pieces with the Severities of God's Wrath. Pilate seeing their Obstinacy and Injustice in the Choice and i Luk. 17.20 endeavouring all he can to release Jesus says unto 'em again k Mat. 27.22 What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ If you will have me give you Barabbas the Murderer what will you have me do with the innocent Jesus With what Justice can I condemn the Guiltless when I shall have freed an egregious Malefactor In desiring Barabbas to be releast you desire or rather force me to release Jesus What is it therefore that you would have me do with him But these were the wicked Husbandmen of whom our Saviour had l Mat. 31.38 foretold they should
Saving Health to all Nations and that they submitting to the Kingdom of thine Ancinted and living in Obedience to his Holy Gospel may be saved with the Remnant of the true Israelites and all that confess him to intercede for us at the Right Hand of thy Majesty in Heaven SECT XXXIX Of the Partition of Christ 's Garments and the Irrision of the People IN the mean time the Souldiers who had nail'd him to the Cross and done the cruel part which belong'd to their Office took his d John 19.23 24. garments and made four parts to every Souldier a part and also his coat Now the Coat was without seam woven from the top throughout They said therefore among themselves let us not rent it but cast lots for it whose it shall be that the Scripture might be fulfill'd which saith e Psal 22.18 They parted my raiment among them and for my vesture they did cast lots These things therefore the Souldiers did And what could they do more They handled him most Barbarously to please the cruelty of his Bloody Persecutors They had nailed him to the Cross to make sure of Death which the Chief Priests had so much desired That they had seized the poor spoil of his dying body more out of lust then any great Advantage to show and boast of it afterwards to their Companions And now they seem to be at a loss how to torment him further When behold least any kind of Ignominy should be wanting to the lamentable acerbity of his Death the insulting multitude in a malicious derision call upon him to save himself f Mark 15.29.30 31 32. And they that passed by railed on him wagging their heads and saying Ah thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three days save thy self and come down from the Cross Likewise also the Chief Priests mocking said among themselves with the Scribes He saved others himself he cannot save Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the Cross that we may see and believe g Matt. 27.43 He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him for he said I am the Son of God It is a Divine thing to Sympathize and Humanity requires pity towards a real offender because we are all subject to the same infirmities but much more towards the Sufferings of an innocent Man and cruel mockings to an Afflicted person are as so many darts adding torture to the Soul into whose wounds we should rather pour the Balsom of the most tender and compassionate Speeches For who knows how soon if left of God he may stand in need of the same commiseration But his inhumane Murderers were not satisfied to have loaded him with reproaches during his Tryal and after sentence unless they prosecute him to the very grave and when his light is set ecclipse his Fame The pains of his body they thought too little unless they might vex his departing Soul herein exercising a malice purely Diabolical to pervert him from God in his last conflict They are no longer able to reach his Body with their Hands and now they would blast his Soul with their infectious Breath heaping together in one whatsoever before they had accus'd him of or now would have the ignorant People believe to root out the credit of his Miracles and Doctrine and to imprint in the Multitude a disbelief of his Truth As if they had said ye see now and nothing can be more plain what a notorious Seducer and Impostor he was who pretended to save others and cannot save himself and how little reason we have to believe his commission from God who is thus deserted and disowned by him For he is the God of Glory and not of Infamy the God of Life and not of Death And can he be any other then accursed of his Maker who dies this accursed Death for cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree Or will God redeem his People by such an accursed wretch In this therefore were fulfilled those several Prophecies h Psal 35.15 16. In mine adversity they rejoyced and gathered themselves together yea the very abjects came together against me unwares making mows at me and ceased not With the ffatterers were busic mockers who gnashed upon me with their Teeth And again i Psalm 3.2 Many one there be that say of my soul there is no help for him in his God But God forbid that to prove himself the Messiah Christ should have descended from the Cross He might easily have done it and the Devil would have been glad of it for then the great work of Our Redemption had been hindred whereas now the grand accuser of our Elder Brother and all his evil Ministers have laboured in vain to suppress the Glory of out Lord. For the more they have endeavoured to diminish it the more it is encreased and and spread abroad in the World They derided him before Cajaphas Pilate and Hâ—rod They bound him as a Thief and represented him as a Traitor They spit upon him as a Toad and thirsted for his Death and to effect it prefer'd a Murderer They Buffeted Mockt and Crown'd him with Thorns They loaded him with his Cross Crucified him between two Thieves in the most Ignominious and Publick place They envyed him the very Title under which he Suffer'd and now all together Chief Priests Rulers Scribes Elders and People and all that had any occasion to pass by or curiosity to come thither except some few faithful exclaim'd upon him and slander'd him to obscure him in perpetual Oblivion But God has confounded all their Malice and the more they have contemn'd him has Glorified him the more and k Acts 5.31 exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of Sins and given him a l Phil. 2.9 name above every name to be ador'd by every creature Prayer O God the Father Merciful and Gracious whose pleasure it is we should confess thy Holy Child Jesus to be the Prince and Saviour of the World I Beseech thee root out of my wavering heart all Scruple Irreligion and Prophaness and from my Tongue Dispute and Blasphemy That whatsoever he has taught to be believ'd I may embrace whatsoever he has commanded to be done I may practise and in the ways of the Cross which he has sanctified I may follow him Lighten mine Eyes with the beams of that liberty which thou grantest to thy Children of serving thee in full assurance of Faith that I sleep not in the Death of Sin Call back my thoughts from their frequent wanderings in those barren Regions where the Truth is doubted and fix me by thine infinite Grace and Mercy that I may ever adore and love thee through my Crucified Lord. SECT XL. Of Christ 's Intercession to the Father for his Crucifiers OUR Blessed Saviour was now in the greatest Agonies to which the Actions or Slanders of his
Let them on their Knees approach him on the Cross and reverently cover his naked Body We cover him when our Charity clothes his Servants and hides the infirmities of his little ones Let them with diligence unfasten the Nails and gently draw them out of his Hands and Feet We draw them out when we freely obey his Will and loosen our Affections from cleaving to the World And when they have thus rescued their adorable Lord let them Nail themselves in his stead to the Cross And this we do when we put off the old Man and Crucifie the Flesh with its Affections and Lusts Prayer O Blessed Jesu whose Sacred Body was laid in a Sepulchre after thou hadst Suffer'd Death for the life of my Soul make me so frequently to renew in my mind the memory of thy precious Death and Burial as may put me upon a serious preparation for my own And since thou didst not design to stay any longer on Earth then till thou hadst made a way for thy ransomed to pass let not my heart be set on any condition how comfortable soever it may appear to my senses which may make my Soul desire to be absent from thee But cause me to grow daily less and less affected towards the uncertain pleasures of Life and more and more in love with thy Eternal Joys Grant me My Redeemer a true Penitent Heart for all my former neglects of Thee Deliver me from the punishment my Sins deserve and from the Sins that deserve those Punishments That when I close mine Eyes in Death I may rest in thee and being absent from the Body may be refresht in the Repositories of thy Mercy So shall my Time be govern'd with thy Grace and my Eternity Crown'd with thy Glory SECT XLIX Of the Sealing and Watching the Sepulchre of Christ NOW the Chief Priests and Pharisees upon mature Consideration revolving all the accidents of the past day and comparing the circumstances of his Words and Actions with the Predictions of the Prophets concerning the Messiah and the wonderful ways by which they were compleated and especially remembring those Mystical words which before they pretended they could not understand and z Vid. Sect. 16 r.s wrested to a seditious intent against their worship of his building again in three days the Temple they should destroy and that he had given such his restoration from the Dead as a a Luk. 14.29 30. sign at their request to convince the World of his Truth they came to Pilate early on the next day that followed the day of the Preparation being the great Sabbath of the Pascal week wherein all other People were at their devotion and Prayers so restless and industrious were the Powers of Darkness to have buryed the Gospel in the Grave of Christ and said b Mat 27.63 64 65 66. Sir we remember that that deceiver said while he was yet alive after three days I will rise again Command therefore that the Sepulchre be made sure until the third day lest his Disciples come by night and steal him away and say unto the People he is risen from the dead So the last error shall be worse then the first Pilate said unto them ye have a watch go your way make it as sure as you can So they went and made the Sepulchre sure sealing the stone and setting a watch Thus did that obdurate and impenitent People harden themselves by those wonders which should have wrought their Faith and Conversion and justly feared the last error would be worse then the first hereby Prophesying ignorantly against themselves For their Sin became unpardonable because seeing they would not see But blessed be God all their obstinacy has been subservient to the Magistery of his Providence which orders all things prudently by the means of others They thought to have accomplished their malice against Christ and at the same time fulfill'd the determinations of his Will They thought by sealing the mouth of the Grave and setting a strict Guard over the Corps to have buried his Memory in perpetual silence and all the while were giving Testimony to his Resurrection and setting a sure seal to the Truth of his Divinity For securing and watching the Sepulchre with such diligence they have placed the Resurrection the Foundation of our Faith beyond doubt to future Ages and much firmer then if they had never watcht This is that which gives Glory to the Empire of Christ and whereby we perceive its Divine Power and the miraculous extent of its Conquests whose establishments have been so contrary to all humane ways When we consider how he was exalted by the lowest abasements glorified by his ignominies enriched by his Poverty lives by his Death and is Eterniz'd by his Sufferings And that our Religion ever oppos'd by the Wicked is nevertheless Victorious and Triumphant over impiety enricht by its Losses Glorious by its Persecutions establish'd by its Totterings and honour'd by its Wounds This is that which transports humane understanding into an admiration of the greatest of our Christian Profession Prayer O Crucified Jesu the Fountain of Love Let the wonders of thy Mysterious Incarnation and Death set all the Powers of my Soul on work that I may desire and pant after thee that I may Admire Adore and Imitate thee that I may take sweet and Heavenly delight in the Communion of thy Cross that I may with Praise and Thanksgiving receive thee into my Soul attend and watch thee till thou arise with thy Graces there There will I Love only Love always love to entertain thee SECT L. A Reflection on the foregoing History with Thanksgiving for the Death of Christ AND now my Soul thou hast seen this Great Mystery God Incarnate dying on the Cross to make satisfaction to the infinite Justice by the dignity of his Person Suffering in the Nature which had offended whereby thou art raised to a lively hope of obtaining Heaven which otherwise thou hadst lost and been for ever miserable in Hell with what words with what Affections with what Actions wilt thou glorifie the Author of so inestimable a gift as this O depth of Love Abyss unsearchable of the infinite Mercies of God! That God should delight to make his own Son a Sacrifice who would not suffer Abraham to offer his That God should design it from the foundation of the World foreseeing we should stand in need of it and without it perish Everlastingly That God should reveal it when we no ways deserv'd it nor could on any account hope for it and command us to seek the Benefits of it and enable us to obtain them by his preventing and assisting Grace O God Eternal who hast redeemed my Soul by the precious Blood of thy dear Son I am less then the least of all thy Mercies and of all that Truth which thou hast revealed to thy Servant I praise thee I bless thee I worship thee I extol thee I give thee thanks for thine infinite Compassion O Lord God Heavenly King God the Father Almighty O Lord the only begotten Son Jesu Christ Lamb of God Son of the Father that takest away the Sins of the World have Mercy upon me receivâ— my Prayer and unite me to thy self in the flames of Love For thou only art the Saviour thou only O Christ with the Holy Ghost art most high in the Glory of God the Father Glory and Honour and continual Thanks be given to Thee Lord God Almighty The Father the Son and the Holy Ghost for the Redemption of the World by the Death and Passion of Christ whereby thou mightst exalt us to Eternal Life Amen FINIS