ΣΤΑΥΡΟΔΙΔΑΧΗ ΚΑΙ ΣΤΑΥΡΟÎΙΚΗ THE Doctrine Dominion OF THE CROSSE In an Historical Narration and Spiritual Application of the PASSION of IESUS Written first in Latin by John Ferus Publique Preacher in the City of Mentz Now turned into English for the good of this Nation By Henry Pinnell Together with a Preface of the Translator containing the Necessity of knowing and conforming unto the Cross of Christ Short considerations of Predestination Redemption Free-will and Original sin He that serveth in his Generation faithfully answereth the end of his Creation fully and shall never lose the hope of his salvation finally LONDON Printed by Robert White 1659. THE PREFACE Reader THE Transcription of the following Treatise is an Account of some vacant time when I was sequesterd from other imployment The subject matter of it did generally concur and sute with that state and measure of Faith I was then in and being perswaded that it may yet be usefull for them whose growth in the Mysterie of the Cross is not come to that perfection as not to need Counsell and Encouragement therein I have for their sake made it publique And though I cannot minister to the strong yet I would gladly be serviceable to the weak What I have here prefixt agreeable to the nature of the ensuing Discourse is done to satisfie the desire of many friends and in hope to profit others The sum of what I have to say is comprehended in this Proposition viz. That there is a Necessity of knowing and conforming unto the death of Christ 2. There doth not want full and pregnant proof of Scripture to confirm the Truth of this Proposition It is a faithfull saying For if we be dead with him we shall also live with him If we suffer we shall also reign with him If we deny him he also will deny us 2 Tim. 2.11,12 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death c. If we be dead with Christ c. Rom. 6.5,8 Let none dream of Justification unto life or of the new birth which only entereth into the Kingdom of God without the likeness and image of Christ in his humiliation And therefore the Apostle doth not content himself with the knowledge only that Christ died but desires also a conformity to his death Phil. 3.10 A strong curb and smart scourge to all notional and licentious Gospellers The reasons also of this Proposition are weighty and considerable 1. As first 3. We can have no benefit of the life of Christ but by conformity to his death Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be manifest in our body c. 2 Cor. 4.10,11 What need we carry the death dying and marks of the Lord Jesus in our body and mortal flesh if the life of Christ could otherwise or more easily appear The life of a Believer is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 There 's no coming at the full Glory of this life but by breaking thorow death unto it See Rom. 6.3 c. the place before cited The dead men of God are quickned by the dead body of Christ Isa 26.19 No future Resurrection unto life but by an antecedent death in the body Except the grain of Wheat die it abideth alone and is not quickened John 12.24 1 Cor. 15.36 The touch of a dead Prophet revived the body of another dead man 2 King 13.21 Who is this dead Prophet but the true and spiritual Elisha my Lord that saveth the Lord of my salvation my saving Lord Jesus Christ the great Prophet of the most high God who died for our sins and was raised again for our Justification This Elisha this Jesus let us follow not only from Galilee to Jerusalem but from Jerusalem also here below the outward and litteral Service and Worship unto Mount Calvery and from thence to the Sepulchre thither let us hasten with Mary Magdalen aad the two other Disciples and there let us wait we shall have some Angelical invitation to come near and see the place where the Lord lay The Lord is risen and hath left room enough in his grave to receive all that inquire into the Mysterie of his death Into this Sepulchre let us descend by a true operating saith working a conformity in us unto his death Let us touch not the flesh but the bones of this great Elisha Let us not lay bold on the weakness of the mortal nature but upon the Power of his endless life 2. Secondly 4. Without this conformity there is no freedom from sin We must resist unto Blood striving against sin for without blood there is no Remission And that our minds may not be weary nor faint Let us consider him that suffered such contradiction of sinners Heb. 12.3,4 1 John 1.7 Lev. 17.11 Heb. 9.22 The Prophet Ezekiel describeth the Sickness and Remedy of a sinner under the borrowed speech of a new-born Child Ezek. 16. Which place of the Prophet I think is much mistaken by many who understand it of the natural birth and accordingly from thence conclude all Children guilty of original sin in the common acceptation of it which to me seems most improbable For Children by natural as well as spiritual Propagation are an Heritage and Reward of the Lord Gen. 30.2 Psalm 127.3 Acts 17.28 Our very bodily Being Substance and Existence is the Workmanship of God Psalm 119.73 Psalm 139.5,13,16 Now if Children be guilty of sin as soon as they draw breath yea before they be born this would be some stain upon the Work-manship of God according to whose Will and not according to mans it is that Children are propagated Again One of Gods Laws would be broken by observing another Ordinance of his own which would bring confusion upon the orderly works and methodical ways of God For God hath made a Law That the son shall not bear the Iniquity of the Father Ezek. 18.20 Now if Children should be guilty of Adams sia as soon as they be born it would make many religious and consciencious persons be at a stand concerning marriage which is the first and great Ordinance of God for fear lest they should be Instruments to fill the world with sinners rather than with Saints And indeed how can that state be honorable and the bed undefiled if it should produce nothing but such an unclean Off-spring Heb. 13.4 5. I shall only add this Quaere viz Is Marriage an Ordinance of God instituted among other ends for the propagation of Mankind I suppose it granted I ask then Did God ever make and intend such an Ordinance the observation whereof doth unavoidably increase sin in the world If so How is he acquited fram having a hand in mans sin The wicked heart of man hath shifts and evasions to extenuate and excuse his sin Why He is not so much to be blamed 't was his Fathers and Mothers fault rather then his Hominum quoque
his head that is from his Humanity to his Divinity But whereas it is said that she anointed the head also of Christ it is plain that it was no common Oyntment for such would rather have besmear'd him but some pleasant and sweet-scented Liquor or rich water as hath been said 6. Lastly She wiped the feet of Christ with her hair as if she had been drunk with love not knowing which way to do him more service but willing to do more if she could It was therefore justly said she hath done what she could Mar. 14.8 Thus this woman indeed doth fill the whole house of God with the good smell of her pious work whereby the Elect are yet refreshed and stirred up to do the like 1. Christ yet holds his peace and lets her alone yea he takes it in good part not that he was taken with such kind of pleasures nor that the thing was so much worth in it self but because it proceeded from so great faith and devotion for that is it which Christ most regardeth in our works 2. Also Christ therefore suffered himself to be anoynted because that Unction prefigured his death and burial as shall more largely appear hereafter Although Christ behaved himself most lowly all his life time yet would he honour death too which he did not suffer by any necessity but of his own accord for the health of the whole world and by which he would conquer the Devil Hence it is that when he drew near his death he was carried with triumphant pomp into Jerusalem and hence also it was that he would be anoynted with costly oyntment before his death and when he was dead would be buried in a new Tomb cut out of a Rock and be wrapt in clean linnen by a Noble man And therefore would he give more honour to his death than to his life viz. for the comfort of his people that they might know the death of the Saints is precious even when their life is in glory and that then they do most truly approach unto glory when they draw neerest unto death But this Unction of Christ doth in some sort represent the Unction of his Father wherewith he was anoynted to be a King and a Priest with the oyl of gladness above his fellows Psal 45.7 viz. with the holy Spirit and the fulness of all grace as it is Isay 11. The hairs of Gods head that is the Elect do wipe the drops of his Unction Of the fulness of Christ do all receive John 1. The Saints are truly called the hairs of Gods Head For as the hair in it self is dead yet sticketh fast to the head and adorneth it So the Saints in themselves are dead They mortifie their members upon earth and die daily Col. 3. 1 Cor. 15. that is they are alwayes ready to dye for Christ yet they cleave close to God as to their head and in him they This their Head they do also beautifie for they glorifie God in word and work and God is glorified in them 1. And from hence ariseth a twofold comfort unto us in that we know assuredly that this same Christ who was so much despised of the Jews was anoynted by God the Father and that with the most precious Oyntment of all the very smell whereof refresheth the whole world Again because we know that the drops of his Oyntment did and yet do fall upon us 2. Furthermore This History doth also shadow out the whole state of the Church The Allegory Simon the Leper in whose house these things were done who also signifieth hearing or obeying doth represent the people of the Jews who first heard the Word of God Vnto them were committed the Oracles of God Rom. 3.2 This people while they remained pure had a most spacious house wherein God was pleased to dwell Psal 76. viz. the Assembly of Believers for then was God known only in Jury But this people of the Jews became leprous through their unbelief and so were rejected out of that house but the house remained yea became greater For out of the Synagogue of the Jews sprang the universal Church of Believers In this house are three sorts of men Some are converted and risen from the death of sin These are set forth by Lazarus Others are fain to work hard for a livelihood who thereby also do glorifie God These are held out by Martha Some give themselves only to God and spiritual things These signified by Mary The Morality Indeed every Christian should have in himself and bear about these three persons First Lazarus by rising out of and flying from sin Secondly Martha alway exercised in good works Thirdly Mary anoynting Christ The Oyntment wherewith Christ should and would be anoynted is faith yet not any kind of faith but the best sort viz. the Christian faith This faith must be made up of Spikenard that is it must be fervent that so it may work by love it must not be adulterate by mixture of Errours It must be compleat even a full pound lest it doubt in any one Article We must anoynt both the head and feet of Christ believing his Divinity and Humanity These things we ought to perform to Christ in his own Person but yet we have not honoured whole Christ For he hath a mystical Body the Church in which he is Head and all that Believe in him are the feet The Oyntment wherewith this body must be anoynted is charity out of a pure heart and faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 Anoynt then both head and feet viz. love God and thy neighbour For charity from the heart is not enough unless there be the hairs also by which are signified outward riches not only because they do outwardly adorn but because they neither live nor give life nor deliver from death Again most commonly they are superfluous as the hair is and as the hair may be cut off without pain so should we not be troubled to part with our worldly goods for the good of our Neighbour seeing Christ bestowed himself on us Or thus the hair is a kind of dead thing so if thou hast any dead thing in thee as sin do as Daniel bids thee Break off thy sins by righteousness and thy iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor Dan. 4.27 In short this Oyntment signifieth that good savour of good works which we that believe ought to bestow on the Body of Christ the holy Church and members of Christ after the example of that woman from faith unfeigned according to that In as much as ye have done it to one of these little ones ye have done it unto me Mat. 25. Thus not only Origen but Augustine refer that Unction to the good works of Believers and it doth well agree For as that house in Bethany was filled with the smell of the Oyntment John 12. 2 Cor. 2. so the good works of the Church which is the true
up the ghost He bowed his head First as taking his leave of the world Secondly he would thereby comfort us by letting us know that he is not cross or froward towards us First it is very significantly expressed in that it is not said that he died but that he gave up the ghost for he had power to lay down his life John 10. Secondly he is said to give up the ghost to let us know that when our souls are loosed from the flesh they should be commended to the Divine Goodness as into the hands of a most dear Father Thus innocent Abel is slain by his brother Thus is Isaac offered Gen. 4. 22. Thus Joseph escapes naked to his fathers protection being spoiled of his garment of flesh by the Adulteress Synagogue Thus our High-Priest hath finished his evening Sacrifice Thus the Life of the world died the Fountain of true Light was ecclipsed thus the Spring of all Life in whom all things live waxed dry that he might deliver them that were subject to death Thus that celestial Wedlock between the holiest soul and the purest flesh was dissolved and divorced by the sword of Death that we who were condemned might be recovered to the indissoluble Union of his Beatitude Thus the Organ of Divinity the Harp of the true David the most melodious Voyce of Jesus sunk into the silence of cruel Death Thus those Heavenly Lights of his most gracious Eyes were darkened by Death Thus that most sacred Breast of Eternal Wisdom and the Store-House of the Treasures of Grace is deprived of his life Thus he Redeemed us from our sins with so great a price a greater then which is not to be found among all the creatures in the world thus did he satisfie the Father for our disobedience with such obedience as was even unto death O how great was that grief when that most holy Soul which was Wedded and United to that most holy Body with an indissoluble bond of Love must be separated now and torn asunder by a violent death and that most holy Life die Never was there death more bitter because never was there man so sensibly sensible of it 1. Wo be to thee therefore O thou ungodly Synagogue who art more fierce and cruel then any wild beast thou hast devoured the life of Jesus who out of the Paternal Piety was sent unto thee to be thy Father and thy Husband 2. O how grievous will thy Accusation be for rending and tearing the body of Christ And wo be to thee thou ingratefull heart thou hard heart harder then any stone who dost not break and melt at the remembrance of so great a Sacrifice for the expiating thy hainous sins how strictly will that innocent blood be required at thy hands Here then O man O generation of Adam here knock thy bosom and beat thy breast consider well and think of this death The chiefest and choisest good doth here hang upon the Cross Here the Eternal Wisdom offereth it self to be seen naked Here the tree carried the Treasure and Price of the whole world O sinners here dieth the Son of God I say here the Son of the most High the King of Heaven and Lord of Earth dieth Nay he dies on the Cross like a Malefactor in the midst of Thieves in greatest misery and anguish and shame It was we O ye sons of men that brought this just One to this unjust and unworthy suffering Our sins were the cause of this his great Passion Here the word of the Sacrament is made good This is my body which is given for you This is my blood which is shed for you for the remission of sins Here now we understand what Christ meant by these sacred and holy words because all things are here seen with the eyes Here that Article of our most holy Faith hath its Foundation He suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried Think on this O man imprint these things in thy heart that thy very inward parts may be made sensible how that we men we sinners were guilty of this death We should have hung on the cross and died yea and have been eternally scorcht in Hell but that our most holy Lord stept in and said I will hang on the cross and die for all men Take me and smite me the Shepheard but let the sheep go free I will pay what I own not I will undertake other mens debt I will even all accounts I will make peace and bring all things to a good end and issue Think seriously on these things Believers Be pleased to accept this Ministry of Christ and highly prize it For this his death is your life For us thus to die is to live and escape death This weakness is our strength and fortitude These wounds and scars are our health and soundness This malediction is our benediction this cursing is our blessing This shame is our glory This cross is our celestial Court and Palace These Nayles are our Salvation Lift up your hearts O ye Faithfull lift up your hearts in consideration of these wonderfull things There was War between Christ and the Devil the field was pitched the battel set and Christ got the Victory Let us therefore give him thanks who was pleased through his infinite love with such hazard and hardship to Redeem us 1. In this expiation of Christ first we see that verified which he said before in John 10 I have power to lay down my life 2 Here we see that the works of God are against reason For who ever hearing that Christ was the son of God and seeing such great Miracles which he had done before could at all believe that God should so far wink at wicked men as to let them kill so great and so worthy a man Again who would believe that the true had then its beginning seeing him die so shamefull a death But this is the ancient and usual custom of God to promote and carry on his works by strange unlikely and contrary means It was indeed the pleasure of God to cause great and mighty boughs and limms to grow on this tree of Christ He intended to build up and quicken the Church This he did by a work disagreeable and repugnant to life and nothing of kin to it to wit the death of Christ by which he quickened and made the Church alive Hence is that of John 12. Except a grain of wheat die it bringeth forth no fruit but if it die it beareth much fruit The Edifice or building of the Church did not then indeed appear while Christ yet hanged on the cross for here you see nothing but his death and burial as at Seed-time there is no shew of Harvest But as in Summer the seed that was sown doth spring up so after the Resurrection the living Church sprouted out of the dead and dry body of Christ 3. From this Expiation of Christ we are diligently to confider what punishments we shall endure if we
that every man shall rise again in his own time The Evangelist doth Emphatically add that they who thus arose came into Jerusalem and appeared unto many that none might think it was a phantasme or delusion By this likewise was foreshewed that many snners should rise out of their sins and the death of their souls to a new life Rom. 6. so as to be seen afterward in the holy Church exercising themselves in the works of Life and Spirit to wit good works whereby others may be moved to glorifie the Father Mat. 5. The graves were therefore opened to shew that death was swallowed up by the death of Christ for so it was foretold by the Prophet O death I will be thy death Hos 13. Thus we see 1. That when Christ died every creature suffered with him Only the Jews hearts remained hard whom obstinate sinners also do now imitate who by their sins do still crucifie the Son of God notwithstanding they have heard and seen so many signs and wonders they do not yet fear nor rend their hearts so far are they from rising again and confessing Christ to be the Son of God 2. Here we see that the glory or glorifying of Christ did begin presently upon his death so also will our glorifying begin immediately after our death and we who now seem to be despised in this life shall then appear gloriously in glory as may be seen in the begger Lazarus who when he lived was hated of all men but when he died he was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosom Luke 16. It is to be noted that at the death of Christ there were seven Signs which do yet likewise concur in every justified person For the Sun is darkened at noon the vail is rent the earth shaketh the Rocks cleave asunder the Graves open the Dead arise and the Gentiles make a good confession For 1. Whosoever will be justified must have no hope or confidence in any worldly thing he must loath and cast them out of his sight this is to have darkness made when worldly things seem to be colourless and dark unto us 2. Internal things must be revealed to him that is he must have a true sight of his sins acknowledge his own filthiness this is to rend the Vail under which such sins were hid that they did not appear so foul and filthy as they are 3. Then he must fear and be astonished at the sight of such ugly sins and so defiled a conscience this is for the Earth to quake for no man is afraid or troubled in conscience but he that sees his sin and feels the weight thereof 4. The rending of the Rocks is next to wit Contrition Hatred and dislike of sin and he that before was a Rock is now cleft and broken and so the Rock sendeth forth waters of weeping and tears 5. The Graves are opened when the mouth maketh confession and discloseth what was before concealed 6. He must come forth by Absolution and go into the City Jerusalem i. e. the Holy Church and be again reconciled unto it by a spiritual Life 7. Lastly He must confess and witness by word and work that Christ is the Son of God as the Centurion here did concerning whom it follows Now when the Centurion which stood over against him Mat. 27.54 Mar. 15.39 Luke 23.47 and they that were with him watching Iesus saw that he so cryed out and gave up the ghost and saw the Earth-quake and those things that were done they feared greatly and glorified God saying Truly this was a Righteous man and the Son of God And all the people that came together to that sight beholding the things that were done smote their breasts and returned And all his acquaintance and the women that followed him from Galilee stood afar off beholding these things Among whom was Mary Magdalen and Mary the mother of James the less and the mother of Joses and Salome the mother of Zebedees children who also when he was in Galile followed him and ministred unto him and many other women which came up with him from Galile to Jerusalem Hitherto of the Signs which happened at Christs death Now we shall see what fruit followed from thence First the Centurion and they that were with him which were Romans were hereby converted to the Faith glorified God confessed that Jesus who was crucified was a just man and the Son of God consequently that he was put to death wrongfully And what wonder Should such great Miracles which were wrought in Heaven and in Earth and in the Temple and on the Dead have no effect and bring forth no fruit Blessed therefore are they that search out his wondrous things Psalm 119.18 Now if Christ could do these things with the Elements at his death what might he have done upon them that crucified him What Iew can say but that God did here manifestly shew himself Great were their ancient Miracles in Aegypt in the red Sea at Mount Sinai and in the Wilderness But compare them with those that were here wrought at the death of Christ with those at his Resurrection which was the greatest Miracle of all with those for forty dayes after at the Ascention and sending of the Holy Ghost and you will see that the rise and beginning of the New Testament was far more excellent and glorious then that of the Old Testament 1. The Centurion and they that were with him could think no other but that all these signs were wrought for the sake of this Jesus Therefore they excuse his innocency pronounce him Righteous and do not conclude him to be such a one as the Jews accused him to be and as Pilate had condemned him And which is more they confess him to be the Son of God which they gathered and concluded from the signs which they saw Lo this did the Gentiles believe who had neither the Law nor the Prophets 2. The people which came together to that sight for so is Christ truly with those that are his made a Spectacle to the world 1 Cor. 4. A sign and wonder Isa 8. smote their breasts and returned as if they had said O God what strange and new things have we seen and heard to day Truly truly this shall be our Messias O how basely have we used him to whom we did owe and should have done all honour and respect This innocent blood will be required of us and our generation Here then was fulfilled what Christ had foretold When ye have lift up the son of man then shall ye know that I am he John 8. even the Messias Here we see that he that dieth for the Truth doth more at his death then when he lived Thus Christ converted more at his death then in his life For when he shed his blood it never ceased crying Whence it is that the Elect who do through ignorance afflict the godly yet obtain they mercy but the Reprobate are damned His acquaintance especially those Women
Psalm 51.5 it will not be altogether lost labour to consider whether that Text will not admit of another genuine reading besides that which our Translators render The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here rendred I was fashioned may as well be turned I have been afraid sore troubled grieved c. And so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In sin hath my mother conceived me may be read In sin hath my mother warmed me or Calefacta est mater de me my mother hath been warmed heated by me so Pagnin My mother hath brought me forth with sorrow and pain Cum dolere parturiit me mater so Symmachus and Aquila two of the ancientest Translators as Theodoret cites them So thaet the Text with the Context may admit this Paraphrastical reading i. e. Against thee thee only have I not my mother but I sinned taking all the shame and guilt upon himself not charging his Mother with the cause of his sin against Uriah and his Wife And now behold in by or for this iniquity viz. the sin of evil concupiscence as the Chaldee cals it the Original of his Actual sin I am exceedingly afflicted and very much grieved My Mother indeed brought me forth with sorrowfull labour and painfull Travel Gen. 3.16 for she hath sinned against thee and she perhaps being in sin conceived me But her sin was not the cause of my Adultery and Murther that was my own Act nor did her sin make me guilty for the child shall not bear the iniquity of the Father but when I had lusted I sinned and when I had committed the sin I became liable to the condemnation of death My father and mother are not to be blamed To this purpose Anselmus reasoneth the case If Adam saith he could not traduce or convey over his original Righteousness to his posterity neither could be transmit his original unrighteousness but he could not the one nor the other But this may seem to contradict what was said of Adams begetting Seth. Therefore I say that it is not in the Will and at the pleasure of man to beget Children which shall prove either good or bad however a good or a bad man may beget such as may be good or evil And they are good either as they continue as God made them or else by returning again into that state by Repentance and Faith in Christ or they are bad by consenting unto the motions aâ—d temptations of sin and Satan So Cain was not evil as he came out of Gods hands but as he was born and became a child of the devil That heat wherewith David warmed his mother as Pagnin reads it was not any sin of him in her womb for there the child doth not defile the mother but as they say the mother the child But his mother might well be troubled to see her son commit such hainous sins as Adultery and Murder and say as another doth Prov. 31.1,2,3,4 5. What my son the son of my womb Give not thy strength unto women c. It is not for thee O David my son it is not for thee to commit such wickedness against the Lord who hath saved thee from the Lion the Bear and the uncircumcised Philistin and hath made thee King over Israel it is not for thee so to requite thy God it doth not become thee I am sorry to hear such things of thee So that David might justly complain against himself and say Against thee only have I even I sinned and done this evil in thy fight for which I am now so greatly perplexed and for which my mother is incensed and so highly displeased with me What violence is offered to this Text and Context or to the general scope of the whole Scripture by this manner of reading I do not yet understand This might further be insisted upon but that I am not about a Treatise but a Preface I do not peremtorily and arrogantly impose these things but meekly offer them to the consideration of those who are more learned and illuminate if happily the Truth aud glory of God by this occasion may be brought more to light I know I have trod besides the beaten road but if curiosity and singularity rather then simplicity and integrity were my guides I should not adventure any further 7. Wherefore I rather take that place of the Prophet Ezek. 16. to signifie and demonstrate the corrupt fallen and sinfull state of man into which he is begotten by the deceitfull and destructive spirit after he hath received the natural life from his Parents Not denying but that literally and historically it holds forth the Idolatrous state into which Judah and Jerusalem were then degenerated Canaan signifieth Humility or a Merchant And this spiritual sense seems to be most aimed at by the Allegory For there is a time when we all wander into the land of Canaan when we are seduced by a voluntary shew of Humility Col. 2.18 to become Merchants for Heaven by our chosen Righteousness and legal works are rather Factors for Satan selling our selves to iniquity and sin for naught and parting with our precious souls for no money In this Cananitish Countrey we find ten native lusts answerable to the number of the Inbabitants in Canaan Gen. 15.19,20,21 standing in opposition to the ten Precepts and seed of God These disobedient properties are begotten by that Amorite the vain Talker great Pratler cruel Rebel that Father of lyes the Devil who was a lyar from the beginning who by his sleights and cunning craftiness fair speeches and subtile delusions lay in wait to beguil our first parents and cheat them of the pearl of their innocency being now an Amoritish father unto them begetting them into the disobedience and rebellion of his own nature having been himself a cursed Rebel before To this Amoritish father the Hittite our whorish heart the true Hittite being broken asunder from God joyneth and becomes a mother is bring forth the sinfull brood Lust when it hath conceived bringeth forth sin and when it is finished bringeth forth death James 1.15 And thus we come to be denominated sinners and Children of wrath And so neither do I deny original sin but grant there is a time for sin to have its original and beginning in us as it had in Adam 8. Thus we have found out mans sickness what it is how he catcheth it and is infected with it His Remedy and Recovery is there also described I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness yea I sware unto thee and entred into Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine verse 8. The skirt wherewith God covereth us before he entreth into Covenant with us is the death of Christ the blood of the everlasting Covenant as will appear anon when the signification of the skirt shall be explained I have yet further to shew you that all our freedom from sin is by the death and blood of Christ whether we consider sin First In respect
sweet council together and walked unto the house of God in company c. Though it sound somewhat harsh that wicked men should be in Christs company yet 't is more pleasant to hear that there was but one bad man there And the praise of the other Apostles is so much the more in that they had so naughty a fellow among them yet none of them was seduced by him For no doubt but he attempted to set them against Christ On the other side the condemnation of Judas was so much the heavier in that he lived among godly men and was never the better That odour of the Oyntment which refreshed the rest was the savour of death unto death unto him yea because he was already dead and buryed in his sins he could not endure the savour of life Well then what doth he He takes his course and wholly forsakes the Apostles He departs from God and sideth with the Devil quits the Apostleship Acts 1. Psalm 1. and leaveth his Bishoprick to another He went over to the council of the ungodly he stood in the way of sinners and sat down in the seat of scorners He went to the chief Priests whom he knew certainly that they had resolvedly conspired the death of Christ Jesus and that nothing would hinder the execution if they could but apprehend him without disturbance Which to do none was more sit than one of Christs familiar companions who well knew where Christ was wont to retire himself And one there was among them who loved base lucre above a bountifull Lord. So pernitious a thing is covetousness if it once get into the heart Thus this base fellow runs from the Apostles to the Priests those enemies of Christ and back again from them to the Apostles this notorious Hypocrite thereby endeavouring to cover his wickedness conversing all the while with the Apostles under pretence of Piety Those that would be accounted Christians counterfeit their form and porofession though they still be in league with the enemies of Christ these are dissembling Hypocrites This wretch was not content to cast off his Master and curry favour with his enemies but he must treacherously betray him into their hands What will ye give me saith he and I will deliver him unto you This he said of his own accord without inticing Promises but spitefully and maliciously against Christ As if he had said I understand you have a design to put Jesus to death I shall be ready to assist you therein I am one of his privy Council I know his secrets and retirings I can closely convey him to you without any stir or tumult c. Where observe the malice of this wicked man and his notorious contempt of Christ First In that he came before he was sent for Secondly In that he disdains to call Christ Master but only saith I will dever him unto you Thirdly In that he left the price to their pleasures as one ready to betray Christ for a small matter See what covetousness will do Surely it is the root of all evil 1 Tim. 6. Well may we cry out upon this wretched man that was so careless of his own happiness O miserable wretch what hast thou said What is thy plot Dost thou so love and hunt after money What Doctrine didst thou preach to others when Christ sent thee forth Dost thou love Gold better then Jesus If all Jerusalem and the wealth therein had been offered thee oughtest thou to have done this villany against Christ against thy Lord and Saviour But envy and covetousness will so blind a man that for a little revenge or gain he cares not to sin against God himself It follows Mar. 14.11 And when they heard it they were glad Mat. 26.15,16 And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver Luke 23.6 And he promised and from that time he sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude Behold this Tratour so small a reward as thirty pieces of silver tempts him to commit this cursed fact so basely did he esteem of that precious blood for which a Believer will part with all that he hath and himself too Yet wicked men make no acconnt of it A figure of this sale we have before in Joseph Gen. 37. who was also sold by his own brethren But divine Providence so ordered it that Joseph who had only a body and a soul should be sold for twenty pieces of silver But Christ who besides a body and a soul had also a divine Nature was valued at and sold for thirty pieces of silver Note 1. Where note what kind of Judges those Priests were It was their part to have checkt that Traitour with a just Rebuke and made him an example to all to beware of so doing But they gladly received him encouraged him on enticed him with reward and bribes to make him more bold Such are Magistrates and Princes for the most part who do what in them lyeth to cherish animate allure and reward evil men for their wicked service But the words have an Emphasis in them They rejoyced They rejoyced indeed not so much that Christ was delivered into their hands as that he was betrayed by his own Disciple For now they thought at once to suppress Christ and with him all his followers 2. Note also That the Seller and the Buyers were such as of all men were least to be suspected to do any such thing He that sold him was an Apostle They that bought him were even the chief Priests who by their office were a figure of Christ And we shall hear anon that the Elders of the people who were to administer Justice did not condemn him to death No other Nation denyed and blasphemed him but that which received the Promises of him and were the people of God Whereby is plainly intimated that Christ suffereth more by those that seem to be his friends than by any other as was long since complained of and foretold by David I was a reproach among all mine enemies but specially among my Neighbours c. Psal 31.11 which did now plainly appear to be true For none did more basely account of Christ and more vilifie him to others than those that represented him on earth None more corrupt than those that should do justice None more pervert the Word of God and the Gospel then those that most glory of it who boast that they are Judas that is true confessors of the name of God but are indeed Iscariots that is such as will do any thing for gain In a word None more blaspheme Christ than ticular Christians Let us not then be so angry with Judas and the Jews seeing we do the same our selves and worse They tore his body but kept his coat whole But we rend and tear every member of Christ and break the unity of the faith and of the Church with cross peevishness Briefly We who do now so vilely
honest men if they were but compared with this perfidious wretched Villain for what was all their Treasons to this 1. Now this Treachery of Judas was figured out in Joab who also betrayed and cut off two famous men 2 Sam. 3.20 Abner and Amasa with a kiss 2. To conclude this Treason of Judas did prefigure the crafty devises of Hereticks who indeed counterfeit themselves to be the friends of Truth but are the Betrayers of it For by flattery and fair speeches they beguil the hearts of the simple Jer. 6. They say as in the Prophet Peace Peace where there is no Peace They have Christ much in their mouth but most of all oppose the faith of him very like the Traytor Judas who are also appointed to the same condemnation Jesus therefore knowing all things that should come upon him John 18.4 went forth and said unto them Whom seek ye They answered him Jesus of Nazareth Jesus saith unto them I am he And Judas also which betrayed him stood with them Assoon then as he had said unto them I am he they went backward and fell on the ground Then asked he them again Whom seek ye And they said Jesus of Nazareth Jesus answered I have told ye that I am he if therefore ye seek me let these go their way That the saying might be fulfilled which he spake Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none All these things were thus done and written that by most manifest Arguments we might see that Christ came to the Cross willingly and of his own accord For if he had been compel'd to the Cross by humane force or fraud the world would have appeared to be more crafty and stronger than he and consequently that Christ had not been God For what kind of God is he against whom the world is able to prevail Again He had not manifested so much love if he had suffered death unwillingly and by constraint But it is most plain in that the Evangelists do every where shew that he could not be surprized by fraud or humane force till he himself pleased I say it is plain that he was both wiser and stronger than the world and so his love did thereby shine forth more clearly All which make much for our comfort For as he said before John 13.1 that knowing his hour was now come that he should now pass out of this world c. having loved his own c. So now also although he truly knew not only some things but all that should come upon him yea and knew them most perfectly too and that they were hard at hand yet did he not shrink or flee or hide himself but continued his love to us unto the end And therefore he went out to meet his enemies single by himself against many without any weapon against those that were armed that they might all see he did not fear death At other times we often read that he made an escape Joh. 8. 11. and hid himself but now he doth voluntarily meet his enemies The time which his Father had prefixed was now come In both he was our example For by his flight and hiding himself he taught us not to tempt God but by meeting his foes he instructed us readily to resign our selves to the Will of God and to obey him with all cheerfulness of mind Thus Paul sometimes fled without intreaty but at last he would not be perswaded when the Brethren earnestly intreated him with many tears to make his escape What mean you saith he to weep Acts 9. Acts 21.13 and to break my heart here he offered himself to the Will of God there he would not tempt God rashly Doing both in faith For we can do neither without the help of God We cannot avoid an imminent danger if the hand of God rescue us not neither can we resign our selves to the Will of God except the Spirit of God assist us It is also to be observed John 6. that Christ conveighed himself from them that would have made him a King and no marvel For he that exalteth himself shall be brought low Kingdoms and Empires for the most part are nothing but steep places for men to fall from and break their necks Contrariwise when they sought to crucifie him he came out to meet them For he knew that the Cross was the way to the Father Let us also learn in the hope of future happiness not to be affrighted at present and momentany evils and not so much regard what we suffer but consider that by our sufferings we are going toward our Father See how forward Christ was to suffer For he doth not only meet his Adversaries but first asks them whom they sought He might have rebuked them sharply and cast his former benefits with their ingratitude and impiety in their Teeth yea he might have destroyed them all at one beck However he doth not so but with fair words he asked them what they sought as if he knew nothing of their design This was not the time of his Judgement but of his shewing Mercy He would not be passionate but patient and overcome evil with good Therefore he speaks to them in a familiar manner Whom seek yee 1. By which word he did warn them that they should take heed what they did Saith he Whom seek ye even an innocent person and him whom ye know by his Signs and Miracles which he did Gen. 4. that he is more and greater than a man Consider well t is no small offence to seek the death of the innocent For the blood of the innocent reacheth unto Heaven But t is much more hainous to sin against God If one man sin against another the Judge shall judge him 1 Sam. 2.25 but if a man sin against God who shall entreat for him 2. By this word Whom seek ye Christ jeereth their needless preparations he mocketh at their fear Whom saith he do yee seek i. e. What need these arms Whom do you fear Is it me who have no Weapon about me or do ye seek for my Disciples who also are unarmed men He doth not tell them at first sight I am he whom ye look for though he knew their enterprize but first asketh them that he might take occasion from their answer to confute them and that all the world might see and know that such a huge multitude went out to take one single man as they themselves confess that they did seek but for one 3. He first askt his Adversaries whom they sought after before he let them lay hands on him because thereby he might yet extend and offer Grace unto them q.d. To this end was I sent that I might hold forth unto all men and bestow it too upon them And as many as have sought me with a good heart hitherto know it full well to be true Therefore if ye also seek for Grace lo here I am and ready to
who should guard me as their Generall with their Swords in this my necessity and would hazard their lives for me Or 2. If I sought a worldly Kingdom the Angels themselves would defend me from the violence of the Jews But I have no need of the help of Angels or men My own right hand is able to supply me with ayd sufficient Here the weakness of a worldly Kingdom is seen which hath no strength of it self but all from its Subjects and Officers and if these fail a King is but in an ill case But if they do list themselves under him they may prove false and betray him many wayes But the Kingdom that is from above is sufficient of it self and needs not the help of any From all this Christ concludeth that his Kingdom is not from hence as if he had said Thou mayst certainly assure thy self by this Argument that my Kingdom is not worldly or earthy What ever thou or thy Caesar hath shall be in no danger for me I covet nothing of yours I care not for all the glory and riches of the world which you so highly esteem These things were spoken to Pilate but they do as much concern us 1. For if Christs Kingdom be not from hence Why then O Christian dost thou seek after the Riches and Honours of this world 2. If the Kingdom of Christ be not of this world then Christians must expect to suffer in the world so long as they have the peace of their consciences in Christ John 16. Wonder not then that the godly meet with so much trouble in the world A good man in all his afflictions should comfort himself with this word saying My Kingdom is not from hence 3. If Christs Kingdom be not from hence they are much mistaken then who place the Kingdom of Christ in outward things and the Elements of the world The Kingdom of God saith he is within you Luke 17. Which is not so to be understood as if this lower world were not created by God or did not belong unto God as having nothing to do with it as Manichaeus was of opinion For it is certain that all the ends of the earth are his the sea is his and he made it c. Psalm 95. But however Christ put a clear difference between his Kingdom and the kingdom of the world yet the name of King did stick in Pilates stomack For he was never wont to hear in all the dubblings of honour amongst their Princes that ever any did usurp the Royal Title And he conceived that this Title ought not to be given to any without Caesars consent and approbation Therefore he saith Art thou then a King notwithstanding thy Kingdom be not of this world He stickles much at the Title King this he could not bear For he saw it would follow that if his Kingdom were not from hence it must be from somewhere else Let the Kingdom be whence it will a Kingdom it was and would be Wherefore by way of conclusion he infers upon him Art thou therefore a King The question had been better put thus where is then thy Kingdom Where is that other world thou talkst of He might perhaps have had an answer to this question that might have done him some good But he asked not after any of these things he was afraid of his own kingdom and office Christ therefore doth undauntedly answer him Thou sayst that I am a King as if he had said what need I tell thee when thou thy self sayest it Is it not enough that thou sayest it thy self which is all one as if he had plainly said I am I grant that I am a King Christ doth Emphatically repeat the name King to shew us that he did not repent him nor was he ashamed of his Celestial and Spiritnal Kingdom but had rather that by all means it should be known to Caesar himself as well as to all men For inasmuch as the salvation of us all doth depend on this Kingdom it ought not to be denyed or concealed And it is a sweet comfortable word for Christ to say that he is a King He is truly a King as it is said I have set my King c. Psalm 2. Again Thou madest him to have Dominion over the works of thy hands Psalm 8. Wherefore if thou sinnest do not presently despair for thou art not without the Kingdom of Christ till thou ceasest to be the work of God Hence saith the Wise man Though we sin we are thine Wisd 15. He will acknowledge thee for his possession if thou wilt acknowledge him to be thy Lord. But that Pilate might not further be offended at the Title of King Christ proceedeth to explain his Kingdom yet more fully as if he had said Pilate understand this business well and lay aside all suspition of a worldly Kingdom and Tyranny Thus stands the case I will not deny that my Kingdom is altogether and wholly Spiritual whether before thee or before Caesar himself Only know this that t is not my purpose to molest any with Arms or to Raign in State like other Kings but only to raise up and establish the truth of God upon earth To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world that I might bear witness unto the Truth I say I came for that end and was born for that cause and not to fight with the Sword but that I might teach and preach the Gospel and the Truth of God which is his power to salvation to every one that believeth Rom. 1. And as I publish the Gospel so I rule by the Gospel in the hearts of Believers over Sin Death and the Devil that for sin I might bestow Righteousness for Death Life for the Cross Joy and Heaven instead of Hell These are the Tenures or customary Holds and Priviledges of my Kingdom of which none can be partaker but he that heareth my Voyce and believeth with his heart I do not endow my followers with Riches Cities and other Fee farms Manours c. but through my Word I bestow upon them Joy Peace Life and Heaven it self My Gospel is the Scepter of my Kingdom And what prejudice are these to the Roman Emperour Would Caesar have none born would he have no man come into the world that should bear witness unto the Truth Would it be any stain to his honour if any of his Souldiers should hear his voyce that is a witness of the Truth Who would not utterly detest and abhor him that should harbour such a thought in his breast The very Name of Truth is am able yea the Nature of man it self agreeth to this that the Name of Truth is most honourable and though arrant knaves hate the thing yet never any had the face to dislike or find rault with the Name of Truth 1. And truly Christ testified the Truth with a witness For the Testimony of Truth is the confusion of falshood The world was mistaken
cross death hell And he so blessed all these things by his touching them and so sanctified them that they shall never more burt but help never more be for evil but for good to them that believe And therefore whensoever any of these afflict thee see that above all things thou look to Christ in thy cross and tribulation which if thou doest thou shalt not only bear up in thy affliction or against the cruel rage of persecutors but shalt withall glory and triumph in thy adversity and affliction Rom. 5. A figure hereof was in the Waters of Marah which were so bitter that none could drink of them but when Moses had cast the wood which God shewed him into them they became sweet and pleasant Exod. 15.25 This is that Tree of Christs cross which sweetens all bitter things to us So the poverty of Christ makes our poverty comfortable his death makes ours joyfull c. Learn hence patiently to endure thy travell in the way to Heaven And cheer up thy self from this that thou maist be able to bear thy cross Come hither I say whosoever thou art that art hunted and hurryed to death either for Righteousness-sake or Innocency For in this leading of Christ away to the cross yea even at the cross thou shalt there by faith find thy self that even as Christ seemed to the world to be led to a most filthy and shamefull death and yet indeed was guided to a glory far more glorious then all glory so if thou art a member of Christ by Faith thou wilt seem to be carried away into extream misery but yet thou shalt be convoyed unto eternal Joy For to this end Christ came unto this hour that he might lead thee along with himself thorow death unto life This is our comfort that Christ bare his cross Let none therefore despair under his sins or faint under his outward sufferings but in both conditions let him look up unto Christ it will lighten his burden and he shall receive strong consolation But observe this that it is not enough to bear a cross For every cross doth not lead to life but only the cross of Christ There are four sorts of men that carry the cross First Some bear it willingly as godly men do Some unwillingly as wicked and worldly men for they also are not without their cross but they carry it very unwillingly like Simon Others bear the cross but t is other mens not their own this they utterly refuse and reject as the Hypocrites do There are others who bear the cross indeed yet they follow not Christ but the Devil rather as all ungodly men do Look thou therefore to it that thou bear thine own cross and follow Christ also But hear what follows And as they came out they found a certain man passing by c. Here we see that verified which Paul saith 1 Cor. 10. God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able but will with the temptation make a way of escape that ye may be able to bear it In this respect that Simon here named was sent to meet Christ Nor shalt thou want some Simon or other to ease and comfort thee if thou constantly hold out in persecution and temptation Therefore do the Evangelists so punctually describe this man by his name his countrey and his condition for the greater confirmation of our Faith and that we may not doubt but that we shall find some to succour us in our distress His name was Simon which signifieth attentive or obedient None but the attentive and obedient do bear the cross profitably By countrey he was a Cyrenaean from Cyrene which was a Pentapolis or one of the five Cities This Simon happily might be a Proselite or perhaps some Jews might then dwell there Moreover his children are here named that none may doubt of what was done The Souldiers laid hold on him and compell him to bear the cross which no man else would so much as touch they were all so affrighted with that word of Scripture concerning the curse of the Tree Therefore they compell this Simon to bear the cross not out of any good will to lighten or ease Christ in the least of his heavy burden but either because Christ went so falteringly and feebly they had not patience to go so slowly all delay was tedious and they thought long before they came to the place or else because they would reserve him for greater tortures Thus whom the world doth cheer up make merry for a time those it doth torment afterward with its courser usage So the Aegyptians at first entertained the Israelites with greatest respect and honour but into what streights and troubles did they force them afterward Read Exod. 1. 2. And David was first sent for from the sheep-fold to the Kings Court but afterwards was forced to flye for safety of his life The friendship and good will of this world doth end in enmity and hatred 1. But that which is here reported of Simon The Mystical meaning did not fall out without a Mysterie For first this Simon may be a Type of all obedient Christians who with Christ do carry their cross although their flesh stand in such reluctancy that it must be compelled to that which is for its welfare And therefore Origen calls this a wholsome compulsion For our flesh will not bear the cross except it be forced and mortified by the Spirit of God which compulsion is yet very profitable for it 2. Whereas Simon did indeed bear the cross but did not dye upon it he is a figure of those who for a time do carry the cross with Christ but do not persevere and hold out to the end 3. Nor doth it want a Mysterie that Christ did first carry the cross and afterward Simon For none of us had been able to bear the cross if Christ had not born it first But what more did yet happen in this progress And a great multitude saith he followed Jesus It behooved and t was fit that all the people should be present when the High Priest did offer and compleat his Sacrifice But they did not all follow him with the same mind and affection The High Priests who had so earnestly importuned his death did follow him being glad to see him dye The women followed him as they that loved him when he lived and desired that he might yet live longer but when he was going to dye when he was dying and when he was dead they greatly lamented his loss But it did not cause the women only to bewail him so as if they alone and not very many men too were most sorrowfull for his suffering but because the female sex which is least taken notice of in such cases might be more bold to express their grief when the Rulers were present The women then did religiously lament him but they bewailed only his humanity And indeed what Unbeliever what Infidel so he
persevere in iniquity inasmuch as God did suffer his innocent Son to be so cruelly and inhumanly dealt with for others sins Daughters of Jerusalem saith he weep not for me but for your selves i.e. Learn ye by my suffering what ye have deserved If this be done to me who am guiltless and harmless and blameless what shall be done to you who are faulty and guilty The Text follows 〈◊〉 27.51 And behold the Vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom and the earth did quake and the Rocks rent and the graves were opened and many bodies of Saints Which slept arose and came out of the graves aster his Resurrection and went into the Holy City and appeared unto many Hitherto we have seen the weak things of Christ Now his Majesty shines forth and shews it self discovering who what and how great a one he is that now hangeth on the tree Here then consider what mighty Signs and Wonders were wrought at the death of Christ For those signes do shew the Righteousness and Innocency of Christ and withall do reprove and condemn the hard hearts of unbelievers Men would not be troubled at the death of this man but lo the Elements are much disquiered at it Flinty stones were here softened yea broken and thou heart of flesh art thou turned into a stone dost thou stand gazing on the Passion of thy Lord and art nothing afflicted or moved thereat There are some who say we should be jocund and jovial laugh and be merry at the Passion of Christ Surely it was then no time for the Inhabitants of Jerusalem to laugh when Heaven and Earth were thus disturbed and moved at the death of Christ Indeed afterwards we may well rejoyce for the saving death of Christ as that by which we are redeemed from eternal death But nevertheless the same Passion ought to affect and move us as we are men unless we should altogether become inhumane and from men be degenerated into stones to say nothing of what great joy it might be unto us if we did but consider the cause of this miserable Death even our sins which ought bitterly to be bewailed in this Passion of Christ Now all these terrible Signs which are here described were both within and without the Temple and did manifestly declare the wrath of God against the unrighteousness of the whole world for the purging where of the most High Majestie gave his only begotten Son to die And because men would not acknowledge the same therefore the Elements publish it If these saith he should hold their peace the stones would cry out Besides by the Passion of Christ and after it God intended to make a great alteration in the world Which alteration these Signs did foreshew and usher in 1. The Vail of the Temple was rent to shew that by the death of Christ the Holies of Holies are revealed that by Christ there is an open entrance for us unto God that the way to the Temple of God is made open and plain that the flaming Sword is removed from Paradise that the Wall of partition is broken down that those things that separated us from God are taken out of the way that what was hid and kept close before Ephes 3. is now made known to wit that the Gentiles should be co-heirs copartners and incorporated and become one body with the Jews Finally that all shadows and figures were now ceased and that the Truth it self was come and did shine forth Therefore the Vail of the Temple was rent So that now we may look into the Sanctuary which the Vail hindered before The Mysteries of the Kingdom of God which in the Old Testament were vailed and covered are now brought to light by Christ who came a Light into the world Henceforth therefore the Gentiles may behold the Mysterie of God that is they may acknowledge and learn the word and truth of God because the Vail is rent and the Jew is not better then the Gentile Would to God also that Vail that is upon the hearts of the Jews were spiritually rent that they might truly both hear and understand the Scripture 2 Cor 3. And that they also might acknowledge Jesus Christ Origen speaks of a twofold Vail as Paul also doth the first of which is rent already and taken away but the second yet remaineth and hideth those things which we shall see in the life to come For now we know but in part only but then we shall know perfectly 1 Cor. 13. I say the first Vail is taken away so that we may know many things of God which before were kept close from us But the second Vail yet remaineth therefore at present we cannot perfectly know the things of God In brief Moses and the Prophets are now made clear and plain but as to the Historical part the vail of the Temple is rent already Therefore the Romans might enter as also they did The High Priests of the Jews were wont to rent their garments when they heard any thing that was wicked or blasphemous This doth the Temple of God also now do renting its garment being as it were amazed and taking in great indignation the wrong and injuries offered to Christ 2. A second sign was the Earth-quake the earth abhorring as it were that such wickedness should be committed upon it and abominating the impiety of the Jews done to the Universal Creator of all things It did also foreshew that the whole Earth should be moved and shaken at the preaching of the Apostles as was foretold in Haggai I will shake the Heaven and the earth and the desire of all Nations shall come Hag. 2. 3. A third sign was the renting of the Rocks This was somewhat more then the other For we read of many earth-quakes but not of any Rocks rent before which was now done to reprehend the obstinacy and hardness of the Jews And it did foreshew either that the writings of the Prophets should be so rent at the coming of Christ that all might see what was in the inside of them Or rather it did signifie that the hard hearts of the Gentiles should be rent that they might receive the seed of Gods Word For the Word of God and his Divine Power was now about to pierce all things that were never so hard never so fast and firm 4. A fourth sign was the rising of some dead bodies This exceeded all the foregoing signs In this sign there was a special kind of Gods power seen These dead Joh. 5. heard the voyce of the Son of God when he with a loud cry gave up the ghost At this cry their graves opened that the dead which yet lived might again go out of their graves not before but after the Resurrection of Christ For he was the first born of the dead and the first fruits of them that slept Whereby was foreshewed first that the hope of our resurrection is only by the death of Christ secondly
mors est quae nes cunque promunt alieno imponere tergo they begat and brought him forth in sin how could he help it Nay rather then take shame to himself God must bear the blame of all as one that destin'd him to that Event And this is not counted for Blasphemy Well But if thou couldst not hinder or prevent thy Fathers fault must thou needs commit the same thy self Why wilt thou marry to make the world more sinfull and cause thy Children to cry out against thee for infecting them with sin But he that can understand the fifth Chapter of Genesis and also Wisdom 7. 8. Chap. he will not be bound to the Traditions of men concerning original sin Wherefore when we find sin in us let us not complain of our Parents curse not the very Devil lest it fall on thy self Ecclus. 21.27 Much less impute it to God Jam. 1.13,14 But let us take shame to our selves this will keep us low and humble and watchfull over our selves 6. If any shall object and say that Children cannot come clean into the world because of the uncleanness of their Parents who are the Instruments of their Propagation for which they urge Psalm 51.5 I was shapen in iniquity in sin did my mother warm me I answer 1 With the Examiners of the Assembly of Divines Confession of Faith Had David no father and another but Jesse and his wife 2 What if David like his son Solomon was fashioned in the womb to be flesh and compacted in blood Wisd 7.2 Doth it therefore follow that he was made sinfull and born sinfully unclean Might he not have a good spirit and a clean soul breathed into an undefiled body Wisd 8.19,20 Is not a fresh fish spawned in the brackish sea And when the spirit of life enters into it doth the salt water change the fresh property of its nature It is God that formeth us in the belly we are his work-manship and be though none but he can bring a clean thing out of that which is unclean His work is perfect Deut. 32.4 He can produce a fresh fish in a brinish sea But 3 If the strength of the Argument for a personal pollution of Children in their conception and birth do lie in this Proposition viz. That the Instruments of their generation are unclean and from hence an affirmative conclusion be inferred viz. Therefore the Children also must be inherently and really sinfull then I say a very great inconvenience if not a gross absurdity will follow from the like way of arguing in a matter of greater moment As for example The Redemption of mankind by the blood of Christ was a pure perfect holy and undefiled work and the fore Knowledge Counsel and Purpose of God that he should be delivered to death was an unspotted Act in God yet the death of Christ being effected and brought about by the Interposition and Conjuction of wicked hands Acts 2.23 that oblation of Christ for sin to work out our Redemption must if the former reasoning hold good be stained and consequently become imperfect and insufficient to accomplish that which he did intend and undertake by reason of those wicked Instruments which had a hand in bringing it to pass Now if there be such a Critical and Spagyrick skill in the divine Wisdom as to separate the precious thoughts of God and keep them distinct from the vile plots and purposes of wicked men in the sin-offering of Christ whereby that sacrifice became no way defective why can he not bring forth Children of the womb which are the work of his hands without any hereditary defilement notwithstanding the inordinate affections and unruly passions of their parents 4 Add hereunto That there is a spiritual begetting of a holy seed and righteous people into the life of God a nourishing of their Faith Hope c. in that life unto a full measure and perfect growth and stature of Christ by the Spirit Word of God in the true preaching of the true Gospel 1 Cor. 4.15 Eph. 4.11,12,13 Col. 1.28 So that the state and life of a Believer as a Believer must be perfect here or never unless we grant a Purgatory Which state and life of the Believer is here compleated by the concurrence and co-operation of the Ministers of Christ 2 Cor. 6.1 But these Preachers you will say according to the opinion of those who say there is or can be none perfect upon earth are not without their particular failings and infirmities none of them no not the best of them and yet you dare not deny but that the work of God in their Repentance Faith Hope c. is perfect notwithstanding the Ministers imperfection If the wise and holy God knows how to distinguish the work of his Spirit and Grace and preserve it intire and pure from tht Obliquity of the Creature in the greater and more difficult work can he not do so in things of lesser moment For doubtless the Serpent is more desirous and industrious to blend and mingle his lyes and the deceit of his false Prophets with the Truth of God in the Conversion of a sinner then he is studious and diligent to defile the minds of Parents and inject a venomous quality into their Children in the womb although his malicious endeavour is not wanting in this also because he well knows that if a man be once turned from the error of his ways and perfectly united unto God he is then quite out of his reach he hath no hopes of ever gaining such a one but though God bring a man as clean into the world as he did Adam yet he thinks he may have time and opportunity to seduce him by his subtilty as well as he did prevail against Eve in the beginning Again 5 Let it be granted that some Children are and have been conceived and brought forth guilty of their parents sin it doth not follow that all have been and are so born unless you conclude with the fore-mentioned sort of men that there are none so redeemed and sanctified as to know one another with pure and undefiled souls or else that there is no such mutual Knowledge after Conversion and Regeneration which you will not I suppose affirm Or else you must say that a good Tree and pure fountain may send forth bad fruit and filthy water True it is That Eve brought forth her eldest child and called his name Cain a wicked man in the figure of the fall Gen. 4.1 And 't is as true That Adam begat a son in his own likeness in the image of God after his Restauration or new Creation Gen. 5.1,3 What difference some men make now adays between the Children of Belâ—evers and Vnbelievers baptizing some and denying others grounding the reason of their so doing upon Acts 2.39 1 Cor. 7.14 is no negative Argument against the point in hand 6 Lastly Whereas the main proof to conclude Children guilty of sin in the womb is taken from that of David
of the power of it which is exercised either in with holding from good or drawing into evil of both which the Apostle speaketh Rom. 7.19,20 Secondly In respect of the filth of it Sin is a filthy thing an unclean corrupt rotten thing like the putrified matter of an Ulcer Sore Apostemation or running issue Lev. 15.2 Isa 1.6 Mat. 9.20 Thirdly In respect of the guilt of it Sin is alway accompanied with guilt it never goes without it either sensibly or insensibly How heavy did it lie on Cain Judas c. Fourthly In respect of the deformity of it Sin is an uncomly unseemly ugly thing it makes a man not look like himself it defaceth Gods Image in man so that he cannot he doth not or will not know him Verily I know ye not ye workers of iniquity Sin is a spot Deut. 32.5 which causeth a blot or blemish where it is It is no beauty spot and I could wish that the beauty-spots of our times did not arise from this filthy spot of sin Fifthly In respect of the enmity of it Sin stands in utter hatred and detestation to all good Purity and Holiness Gen. 3.15 Gal. 5.17 Sixthly In regard of the curse Sin hath a most dolefull and lamentable execration annext unto it In sorrow shalt thou conceive cursed is the ground for thy sake in the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat thy bread cursed art thou above all cattel and above every beast of the field Gen. 3. 9. Now there can be no deliverance from sin in any of these considerations without death The death of Christ is our original Copy acoording to which there is a necessity for us to write For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin 1 Pet. 4.1 No freedom from sin till there be a conformity to Christs sufferings in the flesh It is with us as it was with Israel of old We are strangers and bondmen in a sinfull Aegypt in an Aegyptian nature of sin we groan and would gladly be gone out of it but cannot nor shall we till the Paschal Lamb be offered Exod. 12. And as that Lamb was to be offered in the same land out of which Israel was to be delivered so must we by the oblation of Christ offer up our selves in that state out of which we would be set at liberty Let us present our bodies a living sacrifice and lay all our living lusts upon the Altar of the Cross Let us die in the body and live in the spirit suffer in the flesh and cease from sin Christ hath been as it were plainly pictured forth before our eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crucified in us in our nature Let us noe trample upon his blood Let us not turn this Grace of God into wantonness nor make Christ to become of none effect to us Thirdly 10. Without this knowledge of Christs death and conformity to it all our other parts and gifts let them seem never so great large spacious high strong excellent yea holy and spiritual they will all vanish and come to nothing if they be not confirmed to us in the blood of the Covenant 'T is the observation of a learned and (*) Mr. William Bridge pious man That an Hypocrite may pray away all his graces If our Gifts and Graces be not deeply rooted in the mortification they may easily evaporate in the hollow expressions of a verbal and empty prayer Knowledge will expire into pride and puff up the mind where it is true Humility will vanish into a voluntary shew of it Charity will be blasted with ostentation c. if it be not poised regulated limited and modified by a serious and unfeigned self-denial A man may borrow or steal he may filch flock and pilfer the Word of the Lord from his Neighbour Jer. 23.30 He may pick up a great many good sayings and sentences of grave and godly men and with them make a shift to patch and piece up a Prayer or Sermon and if the memory be good or the Notes fairly written a man may seem to be gayly adorned with the rich indowments of a large furnished mind 11. We read in 2 King 6. what the sons of the Prophets said to Elisha and what they did by his consent when they were straitned for room It is said they asked leave to fell timber at Jordan that they might inlarge their dwelling The Prophet grants their desire But one wiser then the rest among them bethought himself that it was wisdom to have the Prophets company and not to go about the business altogether upon their own head he asketh and the Prophet yieldeth away they go to Jordan every man with his Ax or Hatchet in his hand only one had none of his own but was fain to borrow his tool to work with down go the trees But this man lost his Hatchet before he could cut down his Beam the head flew from the helve and fell into Jordan yer he could finish his work he makes his moan to his Master complaining that it was borrowed the Prophet puts a stick of wood into the water and the Iron swimmeth the man recovers it again and makes an end of what he had began 12. All Scripture is spiritual for it was given by inspiration and therefore the spirituallest sense must needs come nearest the mind of the Spirit There is a spiritual use to be made of this spiritual part of Scripture which the holy Spirit of God hath directed to be written and taken care that it be kept upon Record The place where Elisha and the young Prophets were at first is supposed to be at Dothan which signifieth a Gift Satute or Law sometimes it is rendred a Defection or falling short of what it doth or should press unto And this latter sense will agree well enough with the former For the Law which was the gift of God from mount Sinai made nothing perfect Heb. 7.19 This place is mentioned but twice in all the Scriptures as first in Gen. 37,17 Hither Josephs brethren rambled without their fathers knowledge or consent even eight miles from Shechem where their business was like good husbands as they were and here they first conspire their brothers death Shechem signifieth a Lot Portion Shoulder or Tomb To teach us that when we gad and wander from the true Shechem the lot which God hath appointed us and the business which he hath set us to do when we omit our duty neglect our obedience when we withdraw our shoulder from the burden of Christ and pull our neck from his yoak it will be no advantage to run to Dothan all our Letter-learnedness and Scripture-knowledge will stand us in little stead yea it will incense and enrage us against the Mysterie of Christ and instigate us with an irregular zeal to conspire the death of our true Joseph it was by the learned
tells us Mat. 5.22 Gen. 4.6 Tit. 1.13 That whosoever is angry with his brother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rashly inconfiderately without a reason shall be in danger of Judgement Why art thou wrath and why is thy countenance fallen Indeed such may be the case that we ought to be highly displeased with our Brother and rebuke him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sharply bitterly as when he doth that which doth any ways hinder the Glory of God or the good of man Thus Christ was sorely displeased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was wroth or had indignation against his own Disciples Mar. 10.14 Get thee behind me Satan said he to Peter a sharp rebuke when he did but unwittingly and out of his respect to his Master too speak that which savoured not of God but tended to hinder the salvation of Mankind Mat. 16.23 But there is a causless anger proceeding from the flesh causing divisions and War 1 Cor. 3.3 Jam 4.1 This cannot be quenched but by crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 When the Apostle had exhorted to be kind and tender-hearted forgiving one another he proposeth a Pattern the following whereof will lead unto the end to which we are exhorted viz. Forgiving one another as God in Christ hath freely forgiven us This he would have us imitate in God as dear Children This forgiveness is by walking in love this love must be conformable to that of Christ to us Eph. 4 32. 5.1,2 There is a gracious Promise Isa 2.4 concerning the coming of Christ that men shall beat their swords into Plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks and the Naâ—ions shall learn War no more When Christ is formed in the hearts of men and they conformed to the heart of Christ we shall see Halcyon days then shall men live in Quietness Love and Peace When the root of Jesse shall stand up for an Ensign then Ephraim shall not envy Judah and Judah shall not vex Ephraim Isaiah 11.10,13 41. Lastly In this knowledge of and conformity unto the death of Christ there is Cornucopia abundance of all things fulness of satisfaction and plenty of all good No good thing will be wanting Psalm 84.11 34.10 Si Christum discis sati est si caetera nescis Si Christum nescis nihil est si caetera discis They that enter into Gods house through this door shall be abundantly satissied with the fatness and goodness thereof Psalm 36.8 65.4 Luke 15.17 John 10.9 All things come with this knowledge of Christ Rom. 8.32 Here is the fatted Calf the paschal Lamb the feast of fat things which the Lord makes unto all people in his holy mountain Isa 25.6 Which mountain may well have respect unto Mount Calvary where our Lord was crucified as the 7th 8th 9th verses of that Chapter seem to intimate for there the Lord feasted all mankind with the riches and sweetness of his love David saith Psalm 17.15 That he should be satisfied when he did awake with Gods likeness God likeness or image is Holiness and Righteousness We must first sleep in Jesus 1 Thes 4.14 by dying with him and then awake unto Righteousness and sin not 1 Cor. 15.34 The Apostle seems to affirm that they have but little knowledge of God who continue in sin It s a great shame and a sign that men are grosly ignorant of the Grace of God and the death of Christ when they shall so audaciously affirm that there is no living without sin so long as we are in the body They deny the first Resurrection in Deed though not in Word They err concerning the Truth and seek to overthrow the faith of some who say that the Resurrection is past already 2 Tim. 2.18 For though Christ be risen as the first fruits from the dead yet the Resurrection is not compleat in the body although it be in the head There 's much of the Harvest to come in when the first fruits are gathered As there are sufferings of Christ behind Col. 1.24 so is there also a Resurrection behind We must suffer too if we will reign with him 2 Tim. 2.12 Great is the Glory that doth follow the sufferings of Christ Luke 24.26 1 Pet. 1.11 When Ruth lay dewn at the feet of Booz it was at an heap of corn and when she arose she was laden therewith Ruth 3.6,7,15 If we humble our selves in conformity to the death of Christ we shall have more then six measures of Barely we shall have an hundred fold here and inherit everlasting life Mat. 19.29 Vnto which blessed state of Rest and Glory God of his infinite Mercy bring us all through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen WHat I have more to say to you in particular my ancient Friends and Acquaintance of * And elsewhere Brinkworth may not seem so pertinent and agreeable to the Subject in hand yet I shall here insert it because I know not whether ever I shall make use of the Press any more hereafter My endeavour is to give you satisfaction concerning those things about which there hath been some disagreement in our Judgements of which I shall give you my understanding and present apprehension very briefly 42. That there is a Prescience and Prevision in the most Holy and only wise God whereby he did and doth fore-know and fore-see from all Eternity all things that are or shall be unto Eternity this I deny not But that there is such an absolute and peremptory Decree in God either according to the Supralapsarian or Sublapsarian opinion reprobating some men irrecoverably and unavoidably to Eternal damnation hating them before they were and necesstating them by vertue of such a Decree to sin after they had a Being unto this I cannot consent 43. For if God had hated any thing before it was be would never have given it a Being as the wise man saith Thou hast Mercy upon all for thou canst do all things and winkest at the sins of men because they should amend for thou lovest all the things that are and abhorrest nothing which thou hast made for never wouldst thou have made any thing if thou hast hated it Wisd 11.23,24 Nor can I believe that there is any impulsion as some say in the Decree of God as a cause or an occasion for man to sin For we must not say that it is through the Lord that we fall away or that he hath caused us to erre for he hath no need of the sinfull man Eccl. 15.11,12 44. These two Texts of those Wise men though Apocryphal prevail more with me then the contrary assertions of all others whatsoever And the Apostle James is positive and clear in this Truth Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evils neither tempteth he any man Jam. 1.13 So that to affirm there is an inherent coercion in the Decree of God necessitating men unto or towards their final Ruine is to impute
a greater and more inevitable cause of mans destruction to God irresistibly subjecting him thereunto then to the Devil who can but tempt and entice him to sin having no power at first to force him to commit it Again 45. Some of you suspect me to be an Arminian that I hold Free-will and a power in man to do good And this ye think is a departing from the Faith a denying of Principles a contradiction to what I wrote against Baker a forsaking my first Love which hath made you decline my Ministry I have waited now about two years to give you satisfaction and have solicited a private Discourse but could never yet obtain it Surely that opinion is much to be suspected that is unwilling to come to trial John 3.20 But I shall not now insist much on these things The Points in question have been and are in debate already between godly and learned men from whom you may expect further satisfaction All that I have to say if only this i. e. 46. Josh 22. When Joshua had sent the Reubenites the Gadites and the half Tribe of Manasseh unto their possession which Moses had appointed them in the promised Land their lot fell on the other side of Jordan and thither they go The rest of Israel stay on this side Jordan Shortly after the devout Reubenites c. build an Altar of which the Israelites have quick intelligence and grow jealous They conclude them Rebels without further examination they arm themselves against their brethren and resolves to deal with them as with Idolaters How easie is it for good men of the same Religion to mistake one anothers intention But when the Reubenites had given an account to the Ambassadors of Israel wherefore they erected that Altar and that tho reason and end thereof was not to divide from their brethren but to preserve a Vnion with them not to separate to other Gods but to preserve an interest with their brethren on this side the River in the worship of the true God unto posterity when their intention was cleared all thoughts of Hostility were laid aside and a brotherly league and amity joyfully confirmed So my friends I hope it shall be between us 47. I know ye are zealous for God and the glory of his Truth ye are jealous of the Blood of Christ and the Grace of the Gospel lest it should be undervalued ye suspect every notion that seems to detract from the Honour of it T is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good thing Concerning the things for which ye have me in suspition I was alwayes ready and often offered to give you a reason of my Faith according to the Scriptures 48. And whereas ye impute a contradiction in my present judgement to what I formerly declared in my book against Baker in reference to the state of man both before and after his fall I suppose ye will not find my faith or opinion in that point to be changed but improved For I still affirm it as my belief That Adam even in his innocency and much less any man since his Delinquency had no wisdom power righteousness ability holiness or any manner of good whatsoever of or from himself Iam. 1.17 but what he received originally from God and 1 Cor. 15. that he was of the earth earthy from the beginning Nor is there any now 2 Cor. 3.5 sufficient to think so much as a good thought as of himself but by that sufficiency which is of God 49. Yet I say not that the first Adam was at first made a corrupt or sinful earthy man but rather that he was of so pure a mould that although he was not constituted in or of an Heavenly Nature yet be was created in such a capacity that he might have improved that earthy state unto an Heavenly if he had taken of the Tree of Life which he might have done with free leave and licence and not tasted of the Tree of Knowledge of which he was strictly commanded not to eat Gen. 2.16,17 This Adam in his primitiue state was a pure clean unpolluted earth and the Law of God which is of an undefiled Nature circled it about like the incorruptible Heavens To this innocent state we hope to be reduced and confirmed in with an addition of Heavenly glory by Christ 1 Cor. 15.22 who will change 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the body of our Humility or our humble body Phil. 3.21 For in and by Christare all things renewed Isa 43.19 Rev. 21.5 God will give a new heart Eze. 36.26 there is the new earth I will put my Law into their inward parts and write it in their hearts Ier. 31.33 there is the new Heaven this was promised Isa 65.17 chap. 66.22 So that according to his promise we look for New Heavens and a New Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness 2 Pet 3.13 50. And therefore also do I not deny but that man even after his fall had sufficient succour and supply sent him from God in the incorporate inspoken or as I may so say the incarnate Word whereby he might and still may if he will convert and turn himself to God Gen. 3.15 Verse 8. Nor was God slack concerning the promise of the Seed but hastily pursued man with it and overtook him in the cool of the day not suffering the Sun to go down upon his wrath 51. T is true God first examined the matter of fact and shewed his justice displeasure and indignation against sin in sentencing Adam to death and casting him under the curse thus he was a God that forgave him yet he took vengeance of his inventions Psalm 99.8 And as Adam was to pass under the curse and death before he received the Promise and as our Fathers died according to the Faith Heb. 11.13 before they saw the personal appearance of Christ so must we first die unto sin and live unto Righteousness before we can see or enter into the Kingdom of God John 3. Rom. 6. If we live after the flesh we shall die but if we through the Spirit of God do mortifie the flesh we shall live Rom. 8.13 Heb. 4.1 Let us therefare fear lest a promise being left of entering into his Rest any of us should seem to come short of it 52. In wrath he remembreth mercy Hab. 3.2 Now I say when God had thus strictly and narrowly sifted out the business and had executed his Justice according to the mans demerit he presently runs after him with a Promise in his hand to comfort and recover his creature which he had cast down as if he thought it long before he shewed himself a God of mercy pardoning iniquity Exod. 34.6,7 His bowels seemed to be troubled ever since he spake against him Thus he that had torn did heal he that had smitten did bind up again Jer. 31.20 Hos 6.1,2 This is He that will revive us after we have lain one day dead in sin and another
would not hide this from ye Nor is there any cause for ye to be afraid No man will or can hurt you though they be never so mad against me For it is not your hour but mine that is come The Son of man shall be delivered In these words Christ foretold both the day and manner of his death that his Disciples when they saw it might not fear and faint in their mind as if some unexpected thing had come upon them Observe he doth not name the person The Son of man shall be delivered he doth not express who should deliver him and that not without cause For it was not one only that delivered him 1. Joh. 3.16 Rom. 8.32 Our heavenly Father moved with mercy and love delivered him for us 2. The Son out of his abundant charity delivered himself He delivered himself saith Peter 1 Epist ch 2. v. 23. to him that judged unjustly So the Vulg. Lat. hath it and then it must be understood of Pilate 3. Judas out of covetousness delivered him 4. The chief Priests full of envy delivered him to Pilate 5. Pilate out of humane fear delivered him to those that crucified him 6. We also have delivered Christ to death yea we most of all For neither had the Father delivered him for us Nor could his adversaries have done any thing against him if he had not taken our sins upon him Therefore he doth justly say to us Es 43.24 Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities Again 53.6 the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all And Paul saith 2 Cor. 5.21 He hath made him sin for us who knew no sin And Jeremy Lam. 4.20 The breath of our mouth the Lord Christ was taken in our sins Vulg. Lat. And in the Psalm he saith Psalm 69.9 The reproaches of them that reproached thee have faln on me ver 4. I restored that which I took not away Christ puts us in mind of all these when he saith The Son of man shall be delivered c. It is also to be noted that this word Passover is not taken from passion or suffering as some think but from the Hebrew word Phase which signifieth a passing over for the reason before mentioned And the same word Pascha or Passover is not alwaies taken in the same sense For sometime it signifieth the Lamb to be offered as when it is said Mar. 14.12 Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou maist eat the Passover Sometime it signifieth the feast day as Joh. 2.23 When he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Sometime it signifieth all the Paschal week as Act. 12.4 Intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people Sometime it signifieth the unleavened bread as where it is said Joh. 18.28 They themselves went not into the Judgement Hall lest they should be defiled but that they might eat the Passover Mat. 26.3,4 Then assembled together the chief Priests and the Scribes and the Elders of the people unto the Palace of the high Priest who was called Caiaphas and consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty and kill him Here the Evangelist discovereth what kind of men they were who for envy could not endure to see or suffer the Lord Christ to live He calleth them Priests Scribes and Elders of the people as also Princes and principal men from whom nothing less should have been expected For they were they that had the knowledge of the Law To them the predictions of the Prophets were known They I say were they whom one of them Nicodemus by name personated and said Joh. 3.2 Master we know that thou art a Teacher come from God for no man can do these Miracles that thou dost except God be with him Yet their envy so quelled all these things in them that they chiefly yea they alone were they that hunted Christ to the Cross Who can but wonder at such gross blindness of so many wise men Yea who can but tremble at that terrible judgement of God whereby he blinded them Esa 6.10 that seeing they might not see and hearing they might not hear yea that they should both shut their eyes and stop their ears against a most clear truth Observat Whence we may learn that the free gifts of God do more hurt then good to them that believe not Thus knowledge without faith puffeth up 1 Cor. 8.1 power without faith gives liberty to all wickedness It is not enough then to have knowledge or power unless there be also those justifying gifts Faith Hope and Charity Observat Hence also we see that the wise and great men of this world are for the most part nothing but vessels of Gods anger Thus Paul saith of the wise ones God gave them over to a reprobate sense Pharoah was therefore blinded that God might shew his power in him Boast not therefore of wisdom or power but fear It is one of Gods greatest works to Luke 1.51,52 scatter the proud in the imagination of their hearts and to put down the mighty from their seat The Evangelist doth neatly pile up their sin malice and blindness even in every word Then He begins first with an Emphasis when he saith Then were gathered together Then I say when Christ had omitted nothing that might make them happy Then when they had often seen the excellent doctrine and wonderful miracles of Christ Then I say when he came with godly works to be prepared worthily to celebrate the feast of the Paschal solemnity Thus wicked men have no regard of any Thing or Time but only how to fulfill their own lusts Assembled together But what did they They assembled together This had been no new or strange thing if this had not been added that they gathered themselves against Jesus nor simply so but that they might take him by subtilty and kill him They are truly evil that gather together againist Jesus Happy had they been if they had met together for Jesus to search the Scriptures Whether he were indeed the Messias as the first believers did Acts 17. And for what cause did they desire to take and kill Iesus the true Saviour who saved so many miserable men in body and soul Nothing is here exprest But it may be plainly collected out of John where when they consulted they said John 11.47,48 What do we for this man doth many miracles If we let him alone c. But more fully out of the Book of Wisdom where it is said Wisd 2.12 The wicked assembled against the righteous saying Let us lye in wait for him because he is clean contrary to our doings he upbraideth us with our offending the Law he was made to reprove our thoughts he is grievous unto us even to behold c. You see what they hated in him even the Light and Truth John
c. ye shew the Lords death ill he come Thus ye see after what manner at what time and with what words Christ instituted the Sacrament all which are of such concernment that t is strange if they kindle not in us a desire of so great good inflame our love to God and encourage us to give praise and thanks unto him We commend and thank him that giveth us an estate at his death to make us rich Why should we not do so here But sometimes we may find ingrateful heirs in the world so alas for it doth Christ find by experience that we are too unthankfull unto him Now the sleighting what is set before us is no small cause of this our ingratitude And so that is too often fulfill'd in us which Elisha once said to the incredulous Noble man 2 King 7.2 Thou shalt see it with thine eyes but thou shalt not eat thereof Are not these things fulfill'd in us We see and have these great things before our eyes and in our hands yet we perceive them not we taste them not What greater evil can befall a man than to have riches and not enjoy them Two things yet remain to be considered about this Sacrament viz. to what end it was ordained and how it ought to be received It was ordained 1. That our heart should more closely cleave to the words and Promises of God The Prophets promised that the time should come when God would dwell in us and that Christ by his death would take away our sins c. All which and the like Promises are confirmed by this Sacrament He instituted this Sacrament that we should not doubt of these things 2. It is a standing Monument of his Charity that so we might never doubt of his good will to us Whensoever then our consciences are ready to flag and fail which often happeneth specially at death they should be strengthened by this Sacrament 3. It is a perpetual Remembrance and Representation of that only sacrifice which was offered for us upon the Cross The benefit of this Sacrament may be taken out of the words of Paul when he saith 1. The bread which we break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ c. 1 Cor. 10. Whereby he sheweth that by this Sacrament we partake of all the good things of Christ 2. Another fruit of it is that we also are made one bread and one body even all that partake of one bread and of one cup that is This Sacrament doth put us in mind that we are made one meat and one drink and that we should wholly devote our selves to the good of our Neighbours that we should make the poverty of others our own and account the faults of others as our own c. Therefore in Greek it is called Synaxis that is a communication Whence we may easily gather what is requisite to the worthy receiving of it which is nowhere more clearly exprest than in the figure of the Paschal Lamb and the Manna The Paschal Lamb. Both which figures I shall briefly open Concerning the Lamb consider 1. The house must be sprinkled with the blood of the Lamb in three places Exod. 12.7 on the door and both the posts So he that will come to the Sacrament must first be sealed with the Seal of the holy Trinity which is done in Baptism Or thus he must be marked in three places that is he should have the three Sacraments Baptism Confirmation and Repentance Or the blood of the Lamb must be on his doors i. e. he should alwayes have the remembrance of Christs Passion before his eyes when he goeth out and when he cometh in according to that of Paul 1 Cor. 11. As oft as ye eat ye shall shew the Lords death c. Or he should have the Lambs blood on the doors i. e. he must not be ashamed of the Cross of Christ nor blush to keep the Commands of Christ but openly confess that he doth believe and keep them To that which the Author hath here observed The Translators Supplement Heb. 10.29 concerning this first circumstance the Translator further addeth viz. They were not to strike any of the Lambs blood on the threshold nor should we tread the blood of the Son of God under foot But they were to strike the blood on the lintel So should we alwayes have the blood of Christ over our heads above our own reason in higher estimation than the reach of our natural capacity or growth and stature of our earthly man our carnal mind It should be over our head to be seen only by Faith lifting our heads upward from earthy things thoughts desires affections confidence righteousness c. unto heavenly things looking on it as a Propitiation a Reconciliation a Mediation something between Heaven and earth between God and man as that which reconcileth us unto God Heb. 12.24 and giveth us boldness at his Throne of Grace speaking better things than that of Abel Again they were to strike both the side posts one as well as the other We should have the blood of Christ on either hand that we may see God on the lest hand where he worketh and on the right hand where he hideth himself Job 23.9 that we may be kept in prosperity and adversity knowing how to want and how to abound both in respect of the outward and inward man preserved from excess and all extreams swallowed up neither with presumption nor despair but fighting the good fight of Faith having the Armour of Righteousness on the right hand 2 Cor. 6.7 and on the left Now we proceed with the Author 2. They must eat the flesh roasted with fire that night The flesh of Christ must be eaten by night It must be by Faith alone and the eyes of Reason must be shut T is true our flesh would eat it in the day that is it coveteth to see all things but all in vain The flesh of Christ is eaten invisibly and in a Mysterie And the flesh of our Lamb may well be said to be roasted for it is roasted with the fire of Tribulation as also with the fire and operation of the Holy Spirit 3. It was to be eaten with unleavened bread The flesh of the Lamb must not be eaten alone that is we must not only consider what Christ did but what we also ought to do 1 Cor. 5. we must first of all cast out the leaven of malice and wickedness the Sacrament must be received with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth For this food is not provided for dogs but for Children only not for filthy persons but such as are clean They sin therefore who come to it not having first repented of their sins 4. With wild Lettice so the vulg Lat. bitter herbs or as it is in the Hebrew with or upon bitternesses i. e. with a bitter remembrance of our sins Thus the
Repentance should never be omitted For the way we go as the vulg Lat. hath it is polluted saith David 1 Sam. 2â—…5 The filthiness of Jerusalem is in her skirts in her feet saith the vulgar Latine Lam. 1.9 Therefore saith Paul 2 Tim. 2.21 if a man purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honour That which Christ addeth is enough to melt and move any man But is clean every whit How is he every whit clean that must yet wash his feet Yea how can one baptized be said to be clean all over when the Scripture often saith there is none without sin Is 64. 1 John â— It is most true that there is no man without sin yet withall t is as true that whosoever is purified by Faith is clean every whit He that is planted into the body of Christ doth partake of and possess by faith the holiness and purity of Christ Thus Paul saith to Believers Ye are washed 1 Cor. 6. Rom. 8. ye are sanctified by the Name of the Lord Jesus Again There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Those that be planted into Christ are called holy by Faith the Name and Blood of Christ But yet in themselves they are nothing but sinners and have yet many sins but no condemnation for God accounteth of them as clean by Faith in Christ So Paul saith of himself With my mind I serve the Law of God Rom. 7. but with my flesh the law of sin 1. Hence we conclude that the Apostles were baptized otherwise he would not have said to them he needeth not save to wash his feet 2. Baptism is not sufficient except also we wash our feet 3. Grace is of more force than sin Where Grace is a man is accounted just and pure before God notwithstanding he be not yet altogether without sin and imperfections in himself 4. Repentance is necessary to backsliders 5. That common cleanness by baptism and the profession of the Faith of the Gospel is not sufficient for a Gospel-Minister except his feet the affections of his soul also be purged from all the filth of this world from which a man shall find it a hard matter to keep himself pure unless he be still carefull to wash off the pollution contracted by converse with men with the blood of Christ Hitherto Christ spake in general He that is washed c. But presently he directeth his speech to the Apostles in special And ye saith he are clean but not all The Apostles were clean because baptized and cleaving close to Christ because they loved and followed him with unwearied desire But above all they were clean from the impiety and covetousness of the traytor Judas It soundeth sweetly when the Judge himself shall pronounce us guiltless But that which follows is full of terrour But not all whereby Christ doth not only smite Judas but also all such that live wickedly in the profession of Christianity For all is not Gold that glisters Judas had his feet outwardly washed and kept company with the Apostles he was with them in the body but not in the Faith Therefore he was cast with his filthy hands and feet into utter darkness It is also Emphatically added by John For he knew who it was that should betray him to let us know that Christ said this for Judas sake only ye are not all clean 1. Hereby he giveth us an Example of true charity and humility Christ saw the very heart of this wicked man he knew his bloody design yet he gave him like respect with others and washt his feet as well as the rest Hence learn to love your enemies and do good to them that hate you This wonderfull and absolute clemency is proper only to the nature of our Lord. Although he knoweth our sins yet doth he not presently punish us but many wayes recalleth us in his long-suffering patience Oft-times doth he good to his rebellious Traytors to make that good which he saith by the Prophet Ezek. 18. I will not the death of a sinner c. 2. He setteth forth the greatness of Judas his sin which Christ could not wash away because that wicked man resisted and withstood the same We admire at some mens sins and begin to examine their weight and hainous nature in that the Prophets could not cure them though they applied never so many Medicines as one of them complaineth Jer. 51. We would have healed Babylon and she is not healed How great then was Judas his sin who had so great remedies for it Christ the greatest Physitian of all and yet was never the better So after he had washed their feet and had taken his garments John 13.12 and was set down again he said unto them Know ye what I have done to you Ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am verse 13. If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet verse 14. ye also ought to wash one anothers feet For I have given you an Example verse 15. that ye should do as I have done to you Verily verily I say unto you verse 16. the servant is not greater then his Lord neither he that is sent greater then he that sent him If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them verse 17. I speak not of you all I know whom I have chosen verse 18. but that the Scripture may be fulfilled He that eateth bread with me hath lift up his heel against me Now I tell you before it come that when it is come to pass verse 19. ye may believe that I am he Verily verily I say unto you verse 20. he that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me Here Christ performed what he had before promise to Peter when he washt his feet Thou shalt know it afterward Now he shews him what this washing of the feet did signifie Thus every thing is to be done in its season Let the work be first done in it self then let the exposition and interpretation of it follow what is meant by it Christ did not presently tell them the signification of this washing that the Disciples might the more diligently attend and the more admire it before they knew it or the reason of it Now be layeth by the Bason and Towel and sits down again and setleth himself to preach to them 1. And first he prepares their attention by an interrogation for when we are askt what we know not we are as it were jogg'd to listen more attentively So Christ here Know ye what I have done to you Doubtless they did not know They knew their feet were washt but why or wherefore they were altogether ignorant This then they had need to be instructed in 2. Let us all in general suppose that it is said to us Know ye what I have done for ye Whereby
Luke 9. And this is much more excellent than what is said of Abraham and Lot who received but Angels instead of men Gen. 18. 19. Heb. 13. This Reception of the Apostles doth not consist only in civi usage and entertainment but chiefly in receiving and embracing their preaching of the Gospel In which sense we are to understand that He came unto his own and his own received him not John 1. Christ therefore comforteth his Apostles with these words to assure them that their authority should be had in great reverence among men notwithstanding Judas was so wicked Christ also here intimateth by what steps we ascend to God We cannot come to the Father but by Christ John 14. for he is the Way We cannot come to Christ but we must first receive the Apostles their word I mean We must begin at hearing the word He that receiveth this receiveth Christ He that hath Christ hath the Father He that hath the Father hath all good This place may also be understood of the poor whom we may then suppose to be sent to us of God when they meet us beg of us and make known their necessities to us He that receiveth such receiveth Christ and God and in the day of Judgement they shall hear this Matth. 25. What ye have done unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it to me Ye see then what great things are promised to those that receive the Apostles and the poor As it is said in Matthew He that shall give unto one of the least of these a cup of cold water to drink he shall not lose his reward Whereby Christ doth stir us up diligently to hear the Apostles Doctrine and readily supply the poors necessity John 13.21 Mar. 14.18 Mat. 26.22 John 13.22 Luke 22.23 Mar. 14.19 When Jesus had thus said he was troubled in spirit and testified and said to them as they sat and did eat Verily verily I say unto you that one of you which eateth with me shall betray me And they were exceeding sorrowful Then the Disciples looked one on another doubting of whom he spake And they beg an to enquire among themselves which of them it was that should do this thing And they say to him one by one Lord is it I Mat 26.22 And he answered and said unto them one of the twelve Mar. 14.20 that dippeth his hand with me in the dish the same shall betray me Mat. 26.23 Mat. 26.24 Mar. 14.21 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him but wo to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed good were it for that man if he had not been born Mat. 26.25 Then Judas which betrayed him answered and said Master is it I He said unto him Thou hast said When the Passion of Christ drew nigh the worst and most miserable case of that wicked Judas is first set down And let none wonder that there is so much said villanous varlet his vile fact required many words to set it forth for a warning and caution to all others Being then about to speak of the Traytors sin he is first troubled in spirit i. e. inwardly as elswhere it is said Now is my soul troubled For the word Spirit is here taken like that John 11.33 where it is said He groaned in the Spirit and was troubled which also is not to be understood of the Holy Spirit but of the inward man For certainly Christ took into or upon him those natural affections and shewed that he had them yet without sin Whence t is plain against the Valentinians that Christ had a true humane nature as elswhere when we read that he wept and was weary Luke 19. John 4. Therefore as Christ was troubled when he raised Lazarus John 11. and groaned against the power and tyrannie of sin and death wherewith all men were oppressed so here he is troubled at the execration and hardening of Judas who still went in his wicked resolution after so many warnings and such great kindness shewed to him This trouble then of Christ was 1. His hatred of Judas his sin as will easily appear if we consider the desire and care of Christ to save him yea and all the people of the Jews of whom Judas was a type and figure Well therefore might Christ take it ill at Judas his hands who was one much honoured among the other Apostles yet by a little pelse was enticed to reject Christs love nothing at all mindfull of his glory or the bonds of his fellowship or the devotion and reverence due to him as God or of any his Miracles but only looking at the odious and paltry pelf of the Jews for which he sold even his own soul and betrayed the most innocent and righteous blood into the hands of sinfull men 2. Christ was troubled at the greatness of the scandal that one of his chief Apostles should revolt and prove treacherous to him By reason whereof he foreknew that many weak ones would after this be estranged from him and have an ill opinion of him inasmuch as his familiar acquaintance and intimate friends revolt from him How near these things struck to the heart of Christ no tongue can express We learn hence what a Christian should be troubled at Not from any outward misery but out of a mercifulness toward his Neighbour whom he seeth obstinate in sin By this trouble of Christ it is evident enough that God hateth sin but most of all ingratitude and impenitency both which were notoriously in Judas Again This trouble of Christ shews that he had a most godly soul because men are punished and do perish sore against his will Is 1. as he saith in Isa Heu consolabor super hostibus meis Ah I will ease me of mine enemies Which is no small comfort to us to hear that God is not willing to punish us nor will he if we sin not obstinately He had rather shew us mercy and do us good 3. This trouble of Christ shews us how we should overcome all those envious passions of our enemies when they strive to do the worst they can against us without a cause to wit not by cursing and banning but by blessing and benefiting them as Christ here did and as Paul teacheth Overcome evil with good Rom. 12. What did Christ do Did he curse and revile Judas We need not curse wicked men Prov. 24. they are cursed long since and their destruction maketh haste But what doth he Doth he accuse and traduce him No such matter What then He doth piously warn him shewing him that his naughty will was well enough known Verily verily I say unto you that one of you shall betray me O the wonderfull goodness of Christ For we may here see how fitly he compared himself to a Hen Matth. 23. How often saith he would I have gathered thy children as a Hen and thou wouldest not This he doth
saith he I will smite the Shepheard c. In the Prophet it is thus Awake O sword upon my shepheard and upon the man that cleaveth to me saith the Lord of Hosts smite the shepheard and the sheep shall be scattered c. they are the words of God the Father speaking by a prosopopaeia to his Sword i.e. The wrothfull and mad Troop of the Jews who were armed with Swords and weapons of War to assault Christ when his time was come c. which is not spoken by way of command but Prophesie Let us distinctly consider the words of the Prophet 1. First he speaketh to the Sword and commands it to smite The Sword cannot strike Christ nor any Christian unless God command or permit it So Christ saith to Pilate Thou couldest have no power against me except it were given thee from above John 19. 2. He calleth Christ a Shepheard For he is that one and only Shepheard which God promised Ezek. 34. 3. God doth not call him a Shepheard only but the man which is his fellow by whom his Divine Nature is touched by the Humane For the Son is next of all to the Father he is one with him and altogether of the same substance and this none of the Jews could deny 4. Lastly The Prophet foretelleth the offence of the Apostles The sheep shall be scattered for what can they do when their Shepheard is smitten Christ did not a little affright the Apostles with these words which fear also was much aggravated by the night but lest they should be swallowed up of overmuch sorrow he doth comfort them withall Thus Christ suffers those that are his to be tempted yet will he not let them be wholly overcome And that he may solace them with the greater consolation he foretelleth his Resurrection thereby intending to comfort them again whom the thoughts of his death before had made sad his death being a Token of Gods chastisement for our sins Rom 4. But he was raised for our justification The meaning then is as if he had said It was as yee hear long since even from Eternity concluded in the counsel of God that I the Shepheard of Israel should be slain for the salvation of men and therefore I do most willingly yield my self to suffer It was also concluded in the same counsel of God that I should rise again As soon as ever this shall be accomplished I will be with you in Galilee yea more than that I will be there sooner than yee that I may gather my dispersed sheep together Take this for a Truth and believe it Matth. 18. Mark 16. c. And so indeed it came to pass as appeareth in Matthew and Mark. How great was he that had power to lay down his life and to take it up again John 10. The first shewed his Humanity the other his Divinity His humanity in that he dyed his Divinity in that he rose from the dead He could die and he could live again he could be buried and he could rise again In the one he was like unto us in the other he was not although as Paul saith We also shall rise again in our own order but not of our selves but of the Lord 1 Cor. 15. Now when proud Peter heard this he was again pufft up with the vain confidence of his own strength he answereth again and promiseth great matters Shall I saith he ever distrust thee desert thee be offended at thee Shall I be afraid to lay down my life for thee to die with thee I perceive Lord that thou dost lightly esteem my known and approved Faith Thou dost not know how highly I value thee But be thou sure of this that if all those my fellow-Brethren nay if all the world should be offended at thee yet will I never be offended Here is mans great presumption of himself though man be nothing but very meer vanity it self What dost mean Peter art not ashamed of this thy boasting why dost trust so much to thy own strength dost not hear Christ contradict thee who doth know thee better than thou dost thy self If thou dost esteem Christ at such a rate why dost not believe him and hold thy peace Didst thou ever find him false But his heat of Faith and ardent affection made Peter forget both the frailty of his own flesh and the verity of Christs words The same affection also emboldened the other Disciples to all constancy of service by an undaunted resolution of Faith Nor doth the Lord say any thing to the rest of the Disciples but accepts their good will and takes it in good part But he tels Peter again of his fall in the same words he did before that he might not say he was not warned beforehand but might become more wary for the time to come Verily I say unto thee c. Gods Word doth ever tend to the humbling and beating down our vain boasting in our own strength Jer. 17.5 Cursed be the man that maketh flesh his arm c. There is nothing more dangerous than this vain kind of confidence which yet is so rooted in our Nature that it can hardly be rooted out There be but few that with David can truly say from their heart I will love thee O Lord Psalm 18. my strength the Lord is my Rock c. Hence it was that the more Peter was warned of his own weakness the more pertinaciously did he persist in his presumption But he spake the more vehemently Yea though I should die c. Peter is here a figure of those who presume that they can go through all afflictions and death it self without assistance of Gods Grace These surely blaspheme against God and seek to make him a lyar nor are they able to stand to their own Resolutions Thus Peter 1. He said that he would break thorow stone walls and go thorow fire and water with Christ and all in his own strength 2. When Christ reproved his rashness he blasphemed and would have made Christ a lyar Thus it befals all those that will undertake to do any thing without the help of Grace So true is that of Christ Without me yee can do nothing It is God John 15. Phil. 2. saith Paul that worketh in us to will and to do c. These things happened to the Apostles for our admonition Christ let his Apostles fall fowly that if we have fallen we might not despair Peter fell that afterward he might deal more gently with the people of God Therefore it was said to him when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren It follows Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane Mat. 26.36 John 18.1 verse 2. Where was a garden into the which he entred and his Disciples And Judas also which betrayed him knew the place for Jesus oft-times resorted thither with his Disciples And said unto his Disciples sit yee here Matth. ibid. while I go and pray jonder We heard
not seen his sorrows before his Death and that by plain and manifest Tokens Yet did he not shew this his sorrow to all the Disciples lest his weakness should offend them more then they could bear Therefore he lets these three only see it who had before beheld his Divinity These could not be so much troubled at it at least they ought not but should rather remember the glory they had seen before Concerning this extraordinary sorrow of the Lord Christ so exactly set down many men have written many things and have variously contended about it but for our part we shall give credit only to the bare words of the Evangelists For no man can affirm that it was more than a humane and natural sorrow which may also befall us in greatest streights and misery For the Humanity which Christ assumed could neither be without such affections nor be believed by the world He had not been a true man if his nature had not trembled at death This sorrow of Christ is by Matthew and Mark exprest by three words The first is sorrow which the Greek cals Lipe whereby the sadness and trouble of the mind is exprest The second is Fear which in the Greek is Thambos The third is most sore Amazement which in Greek is Ademonia To these Luke adds a fourth viz. Agony of which anon Thus those three Disciples saw here a far other thing than what they saw on Mount Tabor For here the Father is not heard to speak Matth. 17. The Light doth not shine from Heaven His Face doth not glitter like the Sun His Rayment is not whiter than snow Moses and Elias talk not with him But as a man altogether destitute of any help he begins to fear to be weary of his life and to be sore troubled greatly bemoaning himself as they who are but meer men use to do when such a dismall storm of trouble hangs over them And this is that which Christ himself foretold Luke 12. I have a baptism to be baptized with and how am I streightened till it be accomplished Therefore now he saith My soul is sorrowfull even unto death A most Heavenly word worthy of all observation For here we see what it is that Paul saith Who being in the form Phil. 2. that is in the Wisdom Power Majesty glory of God he made himself of no reputation How could he more deeply a base and humble himself than to be made like unto us in all things Gal. 3. yea to be made a curse for us The fear of death is the fruit of infidelity and sin and a part of the first malediction For although Christ was altogether without sin yet he transfer'd the wages of sin upon him not that we should never have a sense thereof but that he might overcome and triumph over the same and that he might teach us how to be able in him to overcome all evil by Faith He was tempted like us yet without sin Heb. 4. that he might be able to have compassion on us So that as often as we are beset with the fear of Death or any other affliction we may safely say Behold God is our salvation we will trust Isa 12.3 and not be afraid for the Lord Jehovah is our strength and song he is our salvation In that he saith my soul is sorrowfull unto death this may be understood two wayes 1. First extensively in that this sorrow and anxiety continued even till the separation of the soul from the body 2. Secondly Intensively because it was as great as was possible to be in a living man or than which never any man had greater in this life And no wonder that his sorrow was so great seeing there were more than one and they very great causes of this his sorrow For 1. He was sorrowfull and sore troubled yet according to humane nature or rather sensibility because he saw his near approaching Passion as it were before his eyes with all the shame and bitterness thereof 2. He was sore troubled and sorrowfull for the sins of all men past present and to come all which he took upon himself The Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all Isa 53. 3. He was sad for the sins and unthankfulness of Judas and the Jews whose life glory and salvation was in danger 4. He was troubled for the fall and scattering of his Disciples and other friends and most for the desolate state of his holy Mother 5. Lastly He was sorrowfull for the ingratitude that would be found in Christians in time to come He saw that his Passion would be unprofitable to many men He saw also that many Christians would forget him as one dead in their hearts and quite out of mind and that very few would be thankfull to him for so great a benefit Psalm 109. but rather with a base requitall would render him evil for his good See what great cause he had to be sorrowfull Well then might he say My soul is sorrowfull unto death This is that which he foretold by David long since My bones are vexed Psalm 6. Psalm 55. my soul also is sore vexed Again Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me and horrour hath overwhelmed me my heart is sore pained within me and the terrours of death are fallen upon me See what fit Plaisters Christ doth apply to our wounds Sin is born in the heart lust bringeth forth sin and brought up in act James 1. and so finished So Christ was first inwardly sorrowfull and then outwardly that he might totally take away all sin and make full satisfaction for us What then doth Christ do in this his streight Why just like those that are suddenly surpriz'd with some great amazement he desireth those three Disciples to tarry with him and watch and pray in which words he doth variously express our infirmities Those that are in misery think it no small comfort to have a friend to whom they may be bold to complain of their misery Again It is a comfort to those that are astonished and afflicted if others will but stay and stand by them It is the greatest trouble to be left alone in trouble This affection Christ here expresseth Heb. 2. See into what a low condition the Son of God humbled himself and how he would be like unto us his brethren in all things Nevertheless although he chargeth them to watch and stand by him yet he doth not neglect to pray for aid also from Heaven to shew that vain is the wisdom of the flesh and that all carnal assistance is nothing worth if God be absent Therefore he went from them to pray and commanded them to pray also who doubtless could not but hear the dolefull and affectionate cry of his Prayers though they were at some distance from him So that here he taught us both by his Word and Example what to do in times of Temptation even to have
to strengthen him Luke saith That he was in an Agony that is he was as it were contending with death What man what tongue what understanding is able to comprehend fully this Agony I say not to express it We see with what great perplexity dying men struggle in whom their senses are almost dead already how much more anguish then was there in the heart of Christ whose senses were yet most lively who clearly perceived all the horrour of death and was perfectly sensible thereof O how hard sharp and bitter was it to the humanity in Christ What strugling what strife what horrour Lastly What and how full of Anguish was this perruption If thou doubt it consider the bloody sweat on every side flowing from his sacred body Where didst thou ever see the like When didst thou ever hear the like This greatest and most violent Agony squeezed out this sweat And if thou dost mind it well they were our sins that prest out this unusual sweat from the Lord Jesus All our sins were hanged about his neck and laid upon his shoulders Satan endeavoured with all his might utterly to overthrow both him and his kingdom Death would not die yet of necessity it must come to it One only Christ alone was to combate with all these evils and as another yea the true Hercules he was to shake off these most heinous and pestilent mischiefs from our necks Nor could any other do this but he Therefore by how much the greater these evils were so much the more pains was there required to overcome them Yea seeing they were the greatest evils there was need of the greatest labour This Luke signifieth when he saith He was in an Agony and did sweat blood Now that Agony of Christ signifieth nothing else Agon vel Agonia but the fear and dread of our Conscience before the face or presence of Gods Judgement For indeed when the time of Judgement is at hand the soul is toucht with the conscience of evil which being touched the whole soul begins to tremble the whole begins to perish when it is set single and alone before the eternal and wrathfull Tribunal of God Of which trembling Job speaketh Job 9. If he will contend who shall answer him This Trembling is also set forth and described in the Evengelical Banquet Job 9. Mat. 22. where he that had not the wedding Garment was struck speechless when the Lord ask'd him for it Sometimes the Saints are supprized with this Trembling as appears in Job Hence it is that David saith Psalm 6. Psalm 38.3 O Lord rebuke me not in thy anger c. for there is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger Thus Hezechiah I said In the cutting off of my dayes in dimidio dierum I shall go to the gates of the grave c. ad portas inferi vulg lat Therefore that we should not for ever be opprest with this Trembling Christ was cast into an Agony for us Therefore when this Temptation seizeth upon us let us pray with Hezechiah O Lord I am oppressed undertake for me Isa 38.14 Psalm 17.8 And with David Hide me under the shadow of thy wings But let us return to the bloody sweat We need not here shew any further how it could be that he should sweat blood Doubtless he was Supernatural But let us consider what Christ would shew unto us by this bloody sweat 1. First then that bloody sweat sheweth the great perplexity that Christ was in greater than which cannot be imagined Great pain will make men sweat For as we never read that any besides Christ did sweat blood though they were in never so great torment so there was never greater anguish than his And no wonder For although other men have certainly known that their death was at hand yet none could distinctly foreknow the sharpness of the pains of Death But Christ did distinctly in his inner sense taste beforehand the bitterness of Death as if it had been then present Consider this thou impudent sinner who art not afraid to renew thy sin daily for which thy Saviour was pleas'd to suffer this kind of punishment and consider the nature of the disease by the preciousness of the Remedy Consider I say the sharpness and bitterness of the Passion how great it was when it made him sweat blood but to think of it Consider how hard it was for Christ to make satisfaction for the sins of the heart which we lightly pass over without taking any notice of them Think what condition thou hadst been in for ever if Christ had not Redeemed thee Think upon what great anguish thou wouldst have been in at the hour of death therefore now while thou art in health arm thy self against it by the Passion and Prayer of Christ otherwise thou wilt not hold out in that distress For t is not for us to contend with death in our own strength It is too strong for us We must therefore flee to Christ that he may succour us in that streight which he tasted and conquered also for us The fear of Death is no other way to be vanquisht but by Faith in Christ and by long and strong prayer as Christ here did when he was in an Agony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he extended his prayer or he prayed more largely 2. By this bloody sweat Christ would shew his great Love to us which was so great in him that he made all the haste possible might be to pour out this medical blood even before his persecutors came to him that so he might the more speedily relieve lost man So ready was Christ to shed his blood for us 3. Lastly By this bloody sweat he did as it were foreshew that his Mystical body should sweat blood i. e. it should be exposed tosuch great afflictions that if it were possible it should sweat blood which we see fulfilled even at this day when wicked men live in all delights and pleasures but godly men are cast into a sweat of blood But this is their comfort that their time of suffering is but short and then they shall enter into glory Luke 22.45 Mat. 24.41,42 And when he rose up from prayer and was come to his Disciples he found them sleeping for sorrow And he saith 〈◊〉 them sleep on now and take your rest it is enough the hour is come Why sleep yee Luke 22.46 Behold the son of man is betrayrd into the hands of sinners Rise up let us go lo he that betrayeth me is at hand Christ returns again to his Disciples indeed how could he forget his own He was more thoughtfull for them than they were for themselves for he found them asleep again They might well be sad who lay under such failings They that sleep are ready to deny their life One evil is commonly a fore-runner of many more Spiritual sleep what it is and one sin is but the beginning of another Spiritual sleep is
with the late miracle which he saw when Christ with a word hurl'd all his enemies to the ground and not thinking of Christs answer draws his sword and falls about him as if he would valiantly perform what he promised Who would not take Peter for a very stout and valiant man that durst signly incounter such a company of armed men If we consider him carnally then he did notably discharge his Engagement that he would die with Christ Did he not lay down his life for Christ when he hazarded it in charging an army of men But his Lord did not so construe it Peter did this more out of carnal confidence than of spiritual faith Now indeed he was bold so long as he saw a divine Power in Christ but presently after Christ hid his Power Peters courage quickly grew cold Whence 't is plain that this his valour proceeded not from faith if it had it would have held out in danger For Faith is most couragious in difficulties There was love and zeal in Peter but not according to knowledge Christians are forbid to fight Mat. 5. If we would overcome the world it must be with another kind of weapon we can do little or nothing with a corporal sword Peter saw that the sons of Zebedee were chid for saying Master Wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume these Samaritans as Elias did Luke 9.54 Know ye not saith he of what spirit ye are of The son of man came not to destroy but to save mens lives This Peter heard and yet now he layes about him as if he would kill them all if he could The flesh ever loves fighting it seeks to revenge it self Peter did not yet understand that Christ must suffer Nay he did not know that Martial Discipline was never taught in the school of Christ but that patient submission was alwayes learned there Whereas Peter did that servant no more hurt no thanks to Peters good will but to Christs goodness who useth to do good to unworthy and unthankfull men otherwise fire from Heaven might more justly have consumed this servant or the earth have swallowed him up alive But whereas Peter did in special cut off this servants ear it was not by chance but by the Providence of God and that not without a Mysterie too 1. For First It signified that the Jews should from henceforth lose the true and right hearing or obedience of the Law and Prophets and should interpret all things in a wrong and not in a right sense which also is come to pass 2. But secondly Whereas Christ healed that servant it shewed that in due time they should be inlightned again by Christ when the fulness of the Gentiles was come in Rom. 11. 3. Thirdly Whereas he whose ear was cut off was the servant of the high Preist it she weth that this sort of men viz. the Parasites of great persons have for the most part but one ear only and that the left one whence it is that they only hear and report to their Masters those things only which are false wicked worldly c. but they will neither hearken to nor tell their Lords the truth the Word of God the Righteousness and good service of others 4. But lastly Whosoever is an enemy to Christ hath but one ear for he understandeth all things in a wrong sense and never cometh to the light of Truth The name also of this servant is exprest because of the miracle that was wrought on him in curing his ear again But let us return again to Peter who was now fallen under the power of the sword because he had taken up the sword And no doubt but he had felt the force of other swords if Christ had not protected him by his divine Power What doth Christ therefore do He reproved Peter and forbids him to use any such force or violence and that with many Arguments for Peter by this fact was many wayes to be reproved 1. First because every private person is forbid to use the sword 2. Secondly Because having been so long in the school of Christ he should have learned that the weapons of our warfar are spiritual mighty through God 2 Cor. 10. 3. Thirdly He was an Apostle yea the chief of the Apostles whose duty is to save not to destroy 4. Lastly Peter was most blame worthy in that he gave the first blow before any hurt was done either to him or to Christ Therefore Christ doth justly blame him more than the rest He speaks but one word to the rest Suffer ye thus far saith he q.d. It is a great work of Charity to preserve the life of our Neighbour and to defend him from violence but there is another business now in hand My Father hath appointed me to suffer and to die Let me alone therefore that I may suffer and accomplish those things which the Father hath determined to do by me for the salvation of men Suffer ye yet that I may be apprehended and perfect the work of your Redemption this he said to the other Disciples But he saith more to Peter at first Put up thy sword into his place q.d. Knowest thou not that I did chide thee before and called thee Satan for this very thing Mat. 16. Do not hinder my death but rather study to conform to it Throw away this thy sword with which thou dost kill and slay men My sword which I gave thee doth destroy and cut down sin but preserveth men Put up therefore that outward sword into the sheath or as the other Evangelists say into its place Now the proper place of the material sword is the ordinary Power Therefore hide thy sword here Let that Power use it not thou If the body be sick the Physitian is to cure it not the Plow-man So if any thing be amiss in the Mystical or rather the Politick body it concerns the Power to deal with it not every private person 1. Christ then doth hereby forbid all revenge to private persons as it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay it Deut. 32. 2. Secondly He teacheth us to overcome evil with good according to that Mat. 5. Ye have heard that it hath been said An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth But I say unto you Do good to them that hate you Christians ought not to defend themselves with swords and staves but with Humility Patience Gentleness Courtesies Learn of me saith he for I am meek and lowly in heart Mat. 11. 3. Again Christ doth hereby condemn our wrath and impatience who cannot put up and pass by a hasty word nor be content to requite with the like loss but must revenge our selves double and trebble contrary to that of Paul Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good Rom. 12. 4. Fourthly We are here taught that the Gospel is not to be fought for with worldly weapons and
hold his tongue but reproves him that smote him or rather courteously admonished him If I have spoken evil saith he bear witness of the evil Christ might have said How else should I answer thou base parasite What should I say or do more Wouldst thou have me fall down and kiss the toe of thy grand Idol this high Priest and call him the light of the world I answered to what he askt me what wouldst have more thou naughty man Thus I say and more sharply might Christ have rounded up this vise varlet But for our pattern he answers him very mildly and that with a forked argument which might have pinnioned and bound this fellow hand and foot Christs meaning is thus either I have spoken well or ill this thou thy self must confess If evil thou oughtest to shew wherein But if well thou shouldest not beat me contrary to Law and Equity Christ said not this out of anger or passion Nor did this contradict what he said at another time of turning the other cheek Matth. 5. For if you rightly consider that word you will find that Christ did fully and perfectly follow his own doctrine For that great command of patience is to be observed not so much in the bodily ostentation as in a hearty preparation and readiness to suffer and is thus to be understood If any man injure reproach or wrong thee thou shouldst be so far from rendring evil for evil or to revenge thy self that thou shouldst sooner and more readily suffer more wrong and pass by greater injuries This is to turn the other cheek to the smiter In this sense is Christs word to be taken Did he revenge himself In no wise Did he revile again No by no means Peter saith When he was reviled he reviled not again 1 Pet. 2. Thou hearest his defence but not his recrimination thou hearest his advice but not his reproach If I have spoken well why smitest thou me I will not strike thee again I will not avenge my self on thee but I warn thee that thou repent lest worse things befall thee from God Thou beatest me on whom thou wast not able to lay thy band Thou beatest me now whom thou didst admire before John 7. Thou beatest me who art no Judge Thou beatest and misusest me who never wronged thee in all my life Thou gettest nothing by this thy misusage of me but thy own condemnation Christ then did here shew his gentleness three waies First in that he avengeth not himself when he might easily have done it Secondly not being angry Thirdly in that he did admonish instruct and repay good for evil to him Here then in the first place our rashness is reproved who are ever greedy of revenge even for the smallest wrongs done to us Forgetting what is written The wayes of them that remember injuries tend to death Eccl. 10. Again Forgive thy Neighbour the hurt that he hath done unto thee so shall thy sins also be forgiven when thou prayest Eccl. 28.2 First then let us learn to bear wrongs patiently inasmuch as we are not the first nor they only who have been sufferers Secondly learn we to be silent in sufferings lest we murmur against God And whereas Christ took all things patiently besides this blow there is reason for it First he held not his peace now because that servant should not think that the Truth was to be smothered by outward persecution Secondly that he might think that it was lawfull for him and such as he was to do what they list to the poor Thirdly That he might not think that Princes were not to be reproved by the Word of God whereas the Word of God spares none for it is judge of all alike By this therefore he would teach us to bear our cross patiently yet so as that we conceal not what may tend to the salvation of our persecutors As also that we should never approve of an unjust cause though we suffer in bearing witness against it but to be instant in season and out of season and rebuke them that offer violence and be alwayes ready nevertheless to bear what our enemies shall inflict on us What hath hitherto been spoken concerning that blow and Christs answer was plainly foretold by Isaiah I hid not my face saith he from shame and spitting Isa 50. Again I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair Again I have set my face like a flint and I know that I shall not be ashamed c. So Micah chap. 5.1 They shall smite the Judge of Israel with a Rod upon the cheek Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high Priest John 18.24 Mat. 26.57 John 18.18 where the Scribes and the Elders were assembled And the servants and Officers stood there who had made a fire of coals for it was cold and they warmed themselves and Peter stood with them and warmed himself And another maid saw him Mat. 26.71 and said unto them that were there This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth They said therefore unto him John 18.25 Art not thou also one of his Disciples And another said Luke 22.58 thou art also of them And again he denyed with an oath Mat. 26.72 saying Luke 22.58 Man I am not I do not know the man Mat. ibid. And after a little while Luke 22 58. about the space of an hour after Luke 22.59 came unto him they that stood by saying Surely thou also art one of them for thou art a Galilean Mar. 14 70. John 18.26 and thy speech bewrayeth thee One of the servants of the High Priests being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off saith did I not see thee in the garden with him Then began he to curse and to swear Matth. 26.74 saying I know not this man of whom ye speak Mar. 14.71 And immediatly while he yet spake the Cock crew Luke 22 60. And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter And Peter remembred the word of the Lord Jesus how he had said unto him Before the Cock crow twice thou shalt deny me thrice Mar. 14.30 And he went out and wept bitterly Mat. 26.75 Christ is led bound to Annas from him he is carried prisoner to Caiaphas Among that sort of people the Trurb is ever in bonds For none dare say any thing to them but what they like and love to hear The wickedness of Annas is seen in that he did not release Christ after he had made a sufficient and full answer but suffered him to be manicled yea and bound him over to a greater and more potent Adversary Mark saith expresly chap. 14.53 that in the house of Caiaphas the chief Priests and the Elders and the Scribes were assembled earnestly expecting every moment when Christ should be brought prisoner before them This was the ground of their meeting that very Night when they should have thought of eating the Paschal Lamb in remembrance of their deliverance from
end should he multiply words to such cruel minded men who intended nothing but mischief to him A man shall get nothing of such men nor prevail any thing with them no though God himsâ—… were his Advocate to plead for him For thou wilt be compelled to be not what thou art but what they feign and fancy thee to be So that thou hast need of nothing but patience to deal with such men No good could have been expected from them although Christ had spoken never so excellently of the Incarnate Word surely nothing but scorn and blasphemy had come of it and consequently greater wrath and rage in these furious men And it had been to as little purpose if he had askt them about those Prophetical Scriptures none of them would or could have answered him What did they answer him when he askt them about Johns Baptism Matth. 21. And so concerning the son of David and of that verse in the Psalms The Lord said to my Lord c. Also when he asked them whether it was lawfull to heal on the Sabbath Day Mat. 22. Luke 14. Christ must answer either as one accused or ask as one contriving his defence The belief of his Judges was requisite to his answer but to his question their answer only was sufficient But in this Council Christ had neither credit given to his words nor an answer to his questions why they should he speak much especially seeing he knew that they were peremptorily and obstinately resolved to kill him and never more to let him scape alive out of their hands And indeed how should they believe the words of Jesus who would not believe his Divine Works which were more effectual to perswade Therefore this was a time to keep silence so that he answered nothing but Ye say so by which reply he doth send them again to their own consciences Besides he doth thereby again inculcate that they must come to judgement for what they did Hereafter saith he the son of Man shall sit c. q.d. I shall say no more but this the time will come when ye shall see me Judge you and all the world though now you most unjustly Judge me At this they made a fearfull and hideous out-cry again What need we any further witness we our selves have heard out of his own mouth And what was it O ye blind and wicked men which ye did hear from his own mouth I dare say you heard no blasphemy come out of his mouth for which he deserved death but an awfull reverence of Gods Name for which he was much to be honoured and will ye for all that pass sentence of death against him Are ye so forward to commit that grand sin even to murther the innocent Son of God O ye High Priests and sons of Aaron what 's become of your Unction now Where is your Clemency Have ye cast away all pity and compassion from you David could not go forward with the Temple because he had shed the blood of enemies and dare ye who offer Sacrifices daily ye that so swell and are puffed up with such a conceit of sanctity who glory in the sanctimony of your life and height of honour how dare you I say to pass sentence upon that most innocent and spotless one the very Fountain of life as one worthy of death Herod who was a stranger and otherwise a very bloody beast yet gave him more reverence then ye and would not pollute his hands with the blood of this harmless man Pilate also that barbarous bruit was terribly afraid and excused himself and washt his hands from his blood But you and shall like your holiness you holy high Priests affirm that he is guilty of death O the Religion O the Righteousness that shines in you Doubtless the very Heathen and the Samaritans will be your Judges Nay out of your own mouth shall ye be judged how much your ungodliness hath beed more cruell then the unrighteousness of Herod and Pilate But let us leave those vile men and proceed The conclusion of that bloody Counsell was Jesus of Nazareth doth deserve to die The reason is because he proved himself to be the Messias and the Son of the living God who is blessed for ever and that by the very Testimony of their own consciences besides the Signs and Wonders which he had wrought This was the Judgement which was given by those holy Pharisees at Jerusalem in that Counsell And now they have no need of any more evidence For they carryed their own cause but Jesus lost his Wherefore they hale him out of hand before the secular Court and set him before the Roman Governour bound with cords chained spit on and therefore irrevocably determined to be worthy of death the scullions and rafscallions with a great concourse and clamour of the people egging on against him that it might be fulfilled which Christ said Mat. 20. The son of man shall be delivered to the chief Priests and they shall condemn him to death and shall deliver him to the Gentiles This they now fulfill The whole multitude saith he arose c. viz. to set the fairer gloss upon the proceedings that their cause might seem to be the more just and honest Then they present him bound to the Governour thereby to shew that they had condemned him already They carry all things with much pomp and state that so they might the better cloak their hatred and malice Lo here he that came to loose all mens bonds is now the third time bound himself He is often bound and manicled because we had many fetters and chains which he was to break with his bonds Here then let us a little remember and consider our selves For as Christ is here brought to his Judgement and Trial for life and death by one consent and with great rejoycing of his Adversaries without any mercy or pity without all hope of acquitment or release no man owning him or opposing the sentence against him so should we have been brought before Gods dreadfull Tribunal if Christ had not put himself in our place and stood in our stead Wherefore if thou wouldst stand with boldness in Gods Judgement cast thy self on Christ by Faith For without him none can stand before God in the day of Judgement For no man living is justified or found righteous before God Psalm 143.2 Let us therefore follow our Lord Christ also as he was tossed too and fro from Caiaphas to Pilate from the spiritual Court to the civil Magistrate from the Jews to the Gentiles from the wicked to the ungodly from the superstitious to the Idolaters Nor is there any cause why we should be afraid All things shall work for our good in the end But first let us hear what end Judas came to who was the Ring-leader and incendi ary of all this mischief It follows in Matthew Then Judas which betrayed him Mat. 27.3 when he saw that he was condemned repented himself and brought again
he had much more Authority and power then any of the Roman Praetors ever had And no doubt but he was a man of very great command and prudence Which doth most plainly appear by this History in that he behaved himself far more just and upright than all the High Priests Priests and Pharisees of the Jews The Jews then bring Christ to Pilates Judgement Hall imagining that if they did not put him to death themselves the guilt of the Fact would not be imputed to them Nor is be brought thither by one or two but by all of them together that so by their presence and multitude they might both amaze the Judge and vex and grieve Christ the more with their envy But they forsooth the Priests out of an implanted and inbred hypocrisie whereby they were ever superstitiously observant of small matters but altogether neglecting the weightier things would not go into the Judgement Hall for fear of being defiled but that they might eat the Passeover as if hitherto they had nothing polluted themselves at all by their unworthy dealing with Christ or as if the house only of an uncircumcised man would contaminate their Sanctity whereas they spare not by all ways and means to hunt and chase the innocent to death They had a murtherous minde and murtherous tongues they bribed the Traitor they hired a Band of Souldiers they procured false Witnesses they forged false accusations Besides they urge and threaten the Judge and yet all this while they wipe their mouth and what have they done they are pure and clean and fit to celebrate the Passeover but upon no other ground but because they refrained to go into the Judgement Hall A most egregious purity indeed or rather a stupid and sordid blindness could another mans house pollute them and would not their own wickedness defile them See how cleanly these hypocrites are how neat they make the outside of the cup when the inside is full of ravenous cruelty Mat. 23. See the preposterous and disorderly righteousness of these men which consisted not at all in the heart but altogether in the outward shew painted Sepulchers they were Their righteousness also consisted only in observing mens Traditions as though the precepts of God did conduce nothing to purity and righteousness It was an Humane constitution that no Jew should go into the house of any uncircumcised man that the unclean and uncircumcised might not defile him But Gods Law was Thou shalt not hate thou shalt not kill thou shalt not bear false witness This Law of God the Jews violate and contemn whilst they are zealous of mens Ordinances Thus the greater part among us rely more upon humane constitutions only and from thence flatter themselves into a conceit of righteousness and yet wholly sleighting the commands of God as being of no account with them Against these the 23. chapter of Matthew was written as well as against the hypocrites of old among the Jews For although for the most part they are wholly wicked yet they cloak and hide their wickedness just as the Jews here did with obedience to mens Traditions Who would not have thought that they were a very holy people and so had just cause against Christ who with so great Devotion and Religion did observe the Canons and constitutions of their Holy Fathers If they make conscience to keep a good mans Law how much less are they to be suspected to break Gods commands You see their hypocrisie But Christ taught us another manner of righteousness when he said Sanctifie them O Father with the truth Joh. 17. That is true Sanctification when the Father possesseth our hearts renewing and enlightening them with the knowledge of Christ Faith and the remission of sins The flesh will not acknowledge this sanctification but conceiteth some carnal kinde of holiness made up by abstinence from certain meats and the company of some sort of men as the Jews here did neglecting the true righteousness Now whereas it is said That they might eat the Passover it is not to be understood of the Paschal Lamb which they did eat the night before but of the unleavened bread which they use to eat all the seven days as also of the other solemn Sacrifices which was lawfull for such only as were clean to be eaten For Christ did not as some would have it prevent the use of the Paschal Lamb one day as doth plainly appear by Luke who saith expresly chapter 22. that the night wherein Christ did eat the Paschal Lamb it was necessary to kill and eat that Paschal Lamb. But enough of this already The Jews indeed did eat the most excellent Passover not to themselvs but unto us That true Lamb which they by their wicked act offered is sufficient for us For this is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world Joh. 1. and is our Passover 1 Cor. 5. Pilate therefore went out to those Jews which refused to come in unto him and that contrary to the custom of other Governours who were not wont to condescend so low to the people And though he was a Gentile and an Heathen and had only his reason and the Laws of Caesar to regulate his actions by yet he carried himself more justly and civilly than the Jews who had the Scripture and Law of God and were counted the people of God For 1. It was a great civility in Pilate to conform himself to the custom of the people and give place to their obstinacy For when he saw that they abhorred the house of an Ethnick he did not compel them by any tyrannical force to come into the Judgement Hall contrary to the custom they had received but waving his own power he went forth to them A Superiour must not always stand stifly upon his prerogative but sometimes accommodate himself to the manners of his Subjects And therefore 2. We read in Josephus concerning Pilate that he behaved himself as pliable to them when the Statues of Caesar were commanded to be set-up in the Temple at Jerusalem for when he saw that the resolution of the people was such that they would rather die than endure those Statues there he yielded to them and removed the Statues out of the Temple although he might have destroyed them all with that Army which was raised for that purpose unless they would have submitted Pilate shewed a great deal of Justice in that he did not presently condemn Christ before he heard him as they desired that brought him before him He did much disappoint their expectation for the Judge would do nothing rashly but would first sift out the bottom of the business Therefore he said What accusation bring ye against this man No man is said to be condemned if he be not first accused and have leave to answer for himself This Ethnick here observed the equity of this Law but on the contrary the Jews cry out If he were not a Malefactor we would not have delivered him unto thee
over me Who foretold it by the Prophet long since Awake O sword against my Shepheard and against the man that is my Fellow smite the Shepheard c. Zach. 13. And if he did not hold my right hand and dispose of me at his pleasure I could break thee as a Potters vessel with the Rod only of my mouth or with one beck or twinkling of mine eye Therefore because I am delivered into thy hands from above for the Father hath delivered me and hath not spared his own Son Rom. 8 do not thou glory and boast so for t is not thy power but Gods permission Besides it is no true power which thou dost exercise over me but Tyranny and Robbery Power is given for the praise and protection of them that do well and for the punishment of evil doers Rom. 13. Thou hast received power yet t is not lawfull for thee to use it as thou listest For as the Law is given or made for the lawless and ungodly only 1 Tim. 1. So the Magistrate hath right to use the Sword only against the wicked Now if he destroy the guiltless with the Sword it is no lawfull power but Tyranny it is Theft not Magistracy Whereas thou art let alone to abuse thy power do not brag and make thy boast of that for the Lord will not suffer the Rod of the wicked to rest upon the Lot of the Righteous Psal 125. Shall the Ax boast it self against him that heweth therewith Isa 10. A Thief hath no power over a true man no Law against an honest man yet he may lay wait for him fall upon him and kill him So thou hast no more power over me but by permission of my Father Hereby 1. Christ doth quell Pilate who boasted so much of his power but abused the same 2. He doth shew him that he did not suffer unwillingly nor was he compel'd to the Cross by mans power but his Fathers pleasure 3. He warneth all Judges that they do not proudly vaunt of their power Also that they should consider and know themselves to be but Judges not Tyrants And that they do not bear the Sword against the godly but against the wicked doers 4. But especially he doth hereby comfort the godly and confirm their consciences letting them know that the Kingdom of the world can do nothing against them but what the Father of his good pleasure alloweth to give them experience of his presence and assistance and to strengthen their Faith Therefore he saith I will be a wall of fire Zach. 2. But Christ tells him further Therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin q.d. Thou hast no power to crucifie me but thou hast much sin in so doing but yet Judas and the Jews have more sin then thou hast For it was he and they that laid hands on me and falsly accused me What they do is out of envy but what thou dost is for fear yet not without sin T is true thou art a friend to innocency but the baseness of the Iews carry thee captive another way They have the Law and do not ignorantly but wittingly abuse the permission of God but thou never hadst that Law and therefore t is not so much folly and malignity in thee to hate the Wisdom or be ignorant of the Sacraments of God Thou committest murther in shedding the blood of a man thou dost not know but they by delivering their King and Lord to death do add Sacriledge to their Murder Where we see that one sin is greater then another sins of knowledge are greater then sins of ignorance So he that sinneth maliciously doth offend more then he that sinneth out of infirmity And a wicked Counsellour doth sin more then an ignorant Prince or Judge A naughty Christian doth sin more then an Heathen and more grievously in the same kind of sin Pilate being troubled at these words of Christ doth labour yet more earnestly to set Christ at liberty For although he was a Heathen yet he was troubled at the denunciation against sin nor would he willingly sin against God although he knew him not no more then the Heathen could know him to wit by the things that are made Rom. 1. Now when the Jews perceived that Pilate was afraid lest he should offend God and polluet himself with sin they recur to the former cavil that he affected and desired a Kingdom that he would fain be King and supplant Caesar which they shew was not safe for him being Judge and Vice-roy to neglect and therefore they threaten him with Caesar that which doth most terrifie and compell wicked Judges If thou let this man go say they c. q.d. If it doth not concern thee that he hath sinned against God yet doubtless it is something to thee that he hath offended against Caesar Thou art a Royalist a Caesarian and dost reside here to the end thou mayest not diminish but defend and encrease the Name Honour Renown and Power of Caesar But this man doth directly set himself against Caesar For Caesars main drift is to be King of Syria especially over us Jews where thou O Pilate dost preside and command in the Name of Caesar Therefore if thou shouldest let this fellow escape and not punish this his affectation to be a King none could think otherwise but that thou thy self also wast Caesars back-friend in that thou dost not punish his open enemy For whosoever maketh himself a King speaketh against Caesar All this they said not for any love to Caesar for they hated him to the death and had often made insurrections against him but out of hatred to Christ only colouring it over with the pretence of Caesars Name and Honour that they might satisfie their lusts upon Christ This is the Weapon that wounded Pilates Justice with this Exclamation his constancy doth flag and shatter in pieces his justice is turned into injustice and all the reason and gravity of this man falls to the ground So that here it is plain that civil Righteousness is not able to hold out a true and full Tryal and so is nothing worth unless it stood it out to the utmost Thus we are now come to an end of that long Dispute of Pilate both with Christ and with the Jews which did wholly tend to the freeing of the innocent It follows therefore When Pilate therefore heard that saying John 19.13 he brought Jesus forth and sat down in the Judgement seat in a place that is called the Pavement but in the Hebrew Gabbatha And it was the preparation of the Passover about the sixth hour and he saith unto the Jews behold your King But they cryed out Away with him away with him crucifie him Pilate saith unto them shall I crucifie your King The chief Priests answered We have no King but Caesar When he was set down on the Judgement seat Mat. 27.19 his Wife sent usto him saying Have thou nothing to do with that just man for
and irksome was it to Christ to depart out of that City which he so highly esteemeâ— as to make it as it were equal to Heaven in Wealth Power Dominion Religion but would neither now nor henceforth afford it either his presence or assistance because of the iniquity thereof and would leave the Vine which his right hand had planted to be devoured by the Bore and every wild beast Psalm 80. This was Christs last farewell to the Jews nor hath he ever since unto this very day returned again to them Never man went so willingly to serve God as he hasted to Calvery to be crucified Let us go forth with him at least thinking upon his reproach Heb. 13. Most truly is it said of him that he did bear his cross for he did not bear it outwardly only but inwardly too Nor was there ever man carried such a heavy cross as Christ did For 1. First he carried an outward cross which being made infamous by the curse and burdensome by the weight of it did grievously press and gawl his raw and wounded shoulders It may well be thought that by this carrying of the cross all the skin of his shoulders to the very raw flesh was so fret and feak'd and rub'd that either all his sores were renewed afresh or were so extreamly torn that they were made all but one wound For the cross being long and heavy and Jesus quite tyred out he could not carry it but one end on his shoulders and the other dragging on the ground so that the continual jogging and jolting of it as he haled along over stones and rugged ground must needs wound the wounded shoulders of the Lord more deeply and sometimes hitting against his head put him to fresh pain by beating the prickles of the Thorny crown into his head Indeed no Tongue can tell nor is any man able to express what pain and torment Christ endured under this Cross and no doubt but that he was so weary and weakened that many times he fell down under the load and weight of the Cross All these things were thus done and written to shew us that they used Christ most unmercifully And thus should we have been tortured eternally without any hope of pity if Christ had not taken all upon himself in our stead Now they lay this Cross upon him 1. To put him to the greater pain and shame For they were so impatent that they could not stay till they came to the place of Execution 2. They lay the cross on him because no body else would so much as touch that wood it was so odious by reason of the curse Thus all of us do still abominate loth and fly the Cross of Christ which we should bear for Christ whereas for the most part we are forced to endure greater things in and from the world But 2. Secondly It was not this outward cross only that oppressed Christ There was another spiritual Cross which did cruciate and lye heavy upon the mind of holy Jesus with no less bitterness from the minute he was born to the very hour of his death without any refreshment of joy This cross was our sins For the sins of all men were laid upon the cross of Christ It was he that bear our sins in his own body on the Tree 1 Pet. 2. and upon him the Lord laid the iniquity of us all Isa 53. This Talent of Lead these cords of impiety these faggots of Thorns which were heavier then any Mountain did grievously surcharge Christ This huge load that would have broken the strength of Heaven bowed all the Spheres Orbs and Regions of the Firmament mouldred the foundation of the earth and crusht in pieces all things here below this heavy and intolerable burden was bound to the back of holy Jesus Where by the way we may take notice of our ingratitude We sin but avoid the cross and suffer it to lye on innocent Christ and never so much as give him thanks for all his pains How great therefore must our condemnation be Although Christ alone felt the load and weight of the cross yet he did not bear it for himself who had no sin but he bare it to us and for us and that two wayes 1. He carried the cross before us Ministerially serving and ministring to us thereby For his cross is our cross which he took from our shoulders and laid upon his own Now the appurtenance of the cross is the curse Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree Deut. 21. And this is that which is most intolerable in the cross For happily the cross might have been endured in respect of the pain but when the curse was added that made it become most extreamly miserable Wherefore when Christ took our cross upon him he undertook the curse also of the cross For he was made an execration a curse for us that we might be delivered from the curse of the Law The cross and curse both were ours but Christ bare them both Ministerially before us When thy sins affright thee thy conscience tormenteth thee and the curse oppresseth thee do but consider and think upon this and thou shalt never despair 2. Christ bare the cross before us for our Example that we should follow his steps Christ hath suffered for us leaving us an example 1 Pet. 2. And Christ himself saith He that will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross Matth. 16. Again He that taketh not up his cross and cometh after me he is not worthy of me Mat. 10. The cross must be born what ever come on 't For the Word is stedfast In the world ye shall have tribulation John 16. And through many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Act. 14. Object But the cross is too heavy for us and more then we are able to bear we are too weak and cannot carry it in our own strength Answ What must we do then Throw away the cross or shun it In no wise but rather look upon and behold the cross of Christ But thou askest how is that how must that be done Lo Christ who was the only begotten Son of God and blessed over all it could not be but that he did bless and sanctifie all things whatsoever he did but touch For as filthy cursed sinfull flesh whatsoever as it did touch it so it did torture it for to the impure all things are unclean whence all things are cursed to the first man after he sinned Gen. 5. so that God himself doth shew himself froward with the froward Psalm 18. Hence the sinner under the Law is loaden with many curses Cursed shalt thou be in the City and in the field c. Deut. 28. So on the contrary by the touch of the ever and above blessed Son of God are all things blest and sanctified even those things which in themselves were cursed before Now Christ touched hunger cold persecution reproaches sweat of blood the
be but a man would not be troubled to behold this miserable condition of Christ whereas godly men can hardly hold from weeping when they see deserved punishment inflicted upon others But Jesus takes no notice of the raging multitude but knowing who are his he turneth himself to the women who did both love and lament him and forbids them to weep Not that it was evil to lament so great suffering and such wrong that was done to Jesus but because it was not comely to bewail and weep for him as they use to do for others that are justly punished Daughters of Jerusalem faith he ye need not weep for me who am now finishing this my sad progress For I do not suffer these things for my own faults yea this my going away though you know it not shall bring joy and great good to all the world Mourning doth not sa it with Triumph nor doth sorrow become Victory But if ye are resolved to lament do it for your selves and for your children although ye go not or be not with me in this progress For I would have ye know that in this very place I foretell you of such sad dismall and dangerous times which are coming that all as well men as women as well yong men as old both rich and poor shall come into such great streights that they shall wish they had never been born Happy saith he shall that woman be who hath neither sons nor daughters for whom she must suffer so great sorrow Yea so great shall be the perplexity and distress that you will wish your selves under ground and to be hid in the close caverns of the Mountains and clefts of the Rocks where none might see or find you out For whatsoever shall be seen or found shall not escape death no though it had a thousand heads O therefore ye Citizens of this bloody City consider of what I say and weep and wail for those things that shall come upon you For if they do these things in the green tree what shall be done in the dry tree He calleth himself his Elect the green Tree but the dry Tree signifieth sinners and wicked If I saith he who have committed no sin who am justly called the Tree of life because I bring forth the fruits of Grace all the twelve moneths Rev. 22. If I leave not the world without passing thorow the fire of my Passion what torment do you think they shall have who are not only barren themselves but are so bold and so bad as to set on fire and burn down the very Tree of life it self If this be the time that Judgement begin at the house of God and all they that live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3. What shall be the end of those that obey not the Gospel of God 1 Pet. 4. But you will ask Whereto tendeth that terrible Prophesie of Christ Mat. 24. I answer It hath respect to the war of the Jews that is unto the great misery and desolation the like whereof was never read of or seen before which after fourty years did totally ruine the Jews even that notable and destructive war of the Romans against the Jews under the Emperors Vespasian and Titus which War neither Josephus nor Egesippus were able fully to describe This distress and utter ruine of the Jews Christ foretold not only here but elsewhere Luke 19. 21. And if Titus in his rage smote the Jews with such fear and lamentation with what terrour shall Christ who is the Judge of the quick and of the dead smite all Nations when he is angry who shall judge righteously as he was unrighteously judged Christ then is that green and fruitfull Tree spoken of Psalm 1. 52. For what was better and more fruitfull then he The Jews on the contrary were the dry and barren Tree Mat. 3. Luke 13. Men will not suddenly out down young and flourishing Trees especially if they be fruitfull but if such be hewen down wo to the barren fruitless old dry Trees And if the Roman souldiers dealt so cruelly with innocent Christ it may easily be concluded how miserably the wicked and sinfull Jews were to be destroyed Thus the Word of Christ is made good and effectually fulfilled Whence we learn 1. To lament and bewail our selves in and over Christ We should not weep for Christ but for our own sins which were so great that they caused Christ who was and is the Son of God to be put to death And if the Son of God was so cruelly punished for other mens sins what should we have endured for our own sins The days will come indeed when sinners shall wish that they had never been born c. Let us therefore lament us of our sins here The Passion of Christ doth certainly denounce this misery against us before hand except we convert and turn to him and so escape and be delivered by vertue of his sufferings 2. We are here taught that the present evils of this life which are but for a moment ought not to be any cause of our mourning or heaviness but that we should rather weep in consideration of future and eternal misery These are they that should be feared and bewailed Christ did deplore the misery of others upon the Cross and put them in mind of the Judgement to come who did not only refuse but persecute the Grace of God which was then offered them that thereby they might be terrified from sin It follows And there were also two other Malefactors led with him to be put to death Luke 23.32 And they bring him unto the place which in Hebrew is called Golgatha that is being interpreted the place of a Skull Mar. 15.22 John 19.17 And they gave him Vineger to drink mingled with gall Mat. 27.34 They gave him Wine mingled with Myrrh Mar. 15.23 And when he had tasted thereof he would not drink Mat. ibid. And they crucified him and with him two theeves one on the right hand and another on the left and Jesus in the midst Mat. 27.38 John 19.18 And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith And he was numbred with the transgressors Mar. 15.28 Dearest Brethren we are almost now come with our Lord Christ unto the very place where he was willing to die a most bitter death for all sinners and have followed hard after him treading in every step that he trode yet have we not gone without grief for our sins which were the cause of all this suffering to Christ inasmuch as it was not he but we that deserved the death The place where Christ suffered is exactly described by the Evangelists that all men might not doubt but give the more credit to the truth of the History Now that place in the Hebrew was called Gulgoleth or in the Chaldee Golgoltha which signifieth something that is round as is the head of a man or the Skull Brain-pan or Shell of the head And that place was so
gore blood and rankled wounds My hands still work wickedness as if I could never sin enough whilst thy most harmless hands are fastened to the Cross for me O ingratitude worthy of all manner of punishment to be inflicted Do we return thanks after this fashion How ought this crucifying of Christ to terrifie us from sin For what hope can we have of pardon if we be not only unthankfull here but do moreover crucifie Christ again with our sins Now there may be many reasons given why Christ would be crucified For 1. Being thus set between Heaven and Earth he might shew that he was the true Mediator of God and Man 2. Because sin was first committed by eating of the fruit of the Tree therefore would he expiate sin upon the Tree 3. Because the Devil overcame man by the Tree therefore would Christ conquer him upon the Tree 4. Christ would be crucified after this manner that by the very posture and form of his crucified body we might learn what we are to expect from him He stretched out his hands to shew that the way to his Heart and tender Love was open to us He let his feet be fastened to shew that he would not go back till we were fully Redeemed He stretched out his right hand because he came to bestow good things upon us and his left hand that he might take away all evil from us He let his right foot be nailed because he came to confirm and establish the good and his left because he would suppress all evil thoughts 5. He would be crucified to shew the fruit of his sufferings by the very fashion of the cross For as the cross hath four corners so there are four principal effects and fruits of the Lords Passion The upper end which points towards Heaven signifieth that the Angelical Ruin was repaired by the Passion of Christ and that Heaven was open for us The lower end signifieth that thereby the Fathers were redeemed out of Limbo Let not this expression offend thee but attend the weightier things or from the borders of hell The right corner sheweth that the dispersed children of God were by it gathered together in the world The left horn shews that by the cross even his enemies were reconciled 6. Christ would be crucified thereby to shew of what fashion the Christian life is to be For as the cross hath those four Dimensions to wit Length Breadth Height and Depth Thereby are signified the four principal Virtues in which the Life of Christianity doth consist By the Depth is signified Faith which is laid first in the bottom of the heart as a Foundation in Gods building by the secret and hidden Call of the Divine Will Perseverance is intimated by the Length by the Height is Hope signified and by the Breadth Charity For of these may that of the Apostle be understood Ephes 3. That ye may be able to comprehend what is the length breadth height and depth c. 7. He would be crucified to teach us that our whole body should be put forth to the utmost in the service of God and that we should crucifie the flesh as Paul saith I am crucified with Christ Gal. 2. Again I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus Gal. 6. To offer up a mans self is the most acceptable service unto God Rom. 12. Thus much for the fastening of Christ to the cross which when they had so done they rear up the cross with great shoutings with most bitter railings and revilings There was a hole cut out of the Rock to fasten the foot of the cross in Into which place they do not let the cross slide gently in but they jolt it in with great violence on a sudden that they might add one more and that the greatest torture too to all his other sufferings to shake his very entrails and to widen the wounds of his hands and feet again with so great and sudden a jogg which were filled before with the bluntness of the Nails causing those full and fertile Rivolets of his blood to gush out and overflow again Thus that Spring of Paradise the Fountain of Christs blood brake out from that pleasant Garden the place of pleasure even the body of the Lord dividing it self into four parts to wit into the clefts and holes of his hands and feet Gen. 2. By its plentifull and most abundant flowing it watered the whole earth washing away the sins of all Believers Here then was fulfilled that of Christ And I saith he when I am lifted from the earth will draw all unto me John 12. Again As Moses lifted the Serpent in the Wilderness so must the son of Man be lifted up John 3. that whosoever believed in him might not perish but have everlasting life Here that figure of the Brazen Serpent was fulfilled Numb 21. Here was Christ standing before God as the true Mediator between God and man as the High Priest offering himself for us and taking up that saying in Psalm 40. Sacrifice and offering for sin thou wouldest not then said I Lo I come in the Volume of the book it is written of me that I should do thy will as if he had said inasmuch as no other Sacrifices have hitherto been able to Reconcile thee unto man Behold I thine only begotten Son do offer up my self unto thee for man And we Brethren let us stand close to our High Priest with great devotion whilest he offereth himself for us Let us lift up the eyes of our mind and look upon his Sacrifice and from the bottom of our heart let us say Holy Father look down we beseech thee from thy Sanctuary and holy Place and from the height of thy heavenly Habitation Behold this sacred Sacrifice and Oblation which our great High Priest thy Holy child Jesus offereth unto thee for the sins of his Brethren and be thou appeased for the multitude of our wickedness which we have committed Behold the blood of our brother cryeth to thee from the cross Gen. 4. Behold the spotless Lamb which was dumb before the shearers Behold he that did no sin he hath born and taken away our sins Behold Lord the face of thine Anointed thy Christ who was obedient to thee even to the death and never do thou turn thine eyes away from beholding the marks of his wounds that thou mayest never forget what great and full satisfaction thou hast received from him for our sins Look O most mercifull Father upon him that doth suffer and remember gracious Father for whom he suffereth Most meek Maker look upon the Humanity of thy beloved Off-spring and take pity on the frailty of thy feeble workmanship Have respect to the torn members of thy most tender and acceptable Progeny and remember whereof I am made and what my substance is Look upon the penance and take notice of the sufferings of God and Man and relieve the misery of thy poor creature man Consider the Torment of
you want comfort here are ye disburdened of your sins and whatsoever separated is safely disposed of Dost thou fear like a slave to be punished for them Behold the punishment is taken away Art thou afraid to be dis-inherited as an hireling Lo here is a Thief received into Paradise Finally If thou dost thirst after and long for pregnant and full Sentences plenty and abundance of most wholesome Precepts or the very Fountain it self of all Knowledge then come hither and draw near to it here is brought to remembrance all that ever Christ taught at any time Here we are taught what to pray for what to sear what to hope for what to do what to avoid And that which thou shalt never find any where else here is a Doctor who at the same instant also infuseth what he teacheth one that rooteth out Vice and planteth Vertue that chaseth away errour sparkleth out the light of Faith inkindleth Charity and bestoweth all the gifts of Grace so that a man would wonder that so great a Treasure should lye hid under so few words and that seven drops should cause such mighty floods to flow from them But here that of David is fulfilled The Voyce of the Lord is powerfull the Voyce of the Lord is full of Majesty Psalm 29. And that of Paul The Word of God is quick and powerfull and sharper then any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow Heb. 4.12 Whosoever is of God let him hear keep honour and reverence these words of God Let the ears hear the words of him that created them let man keep those words that will preserve him let man honour those words from which mans Salvation doth arise Christ would be lifted up high in the ayr 1. that all might see and behold him He lifted up his Voyce like a Trumpet 2. that all might hear him He chose Jerusalem 3. that famous City in all the East to shew such great Mysteries in that from thence his sound might go forth into all the earth 4. and his words unto the ends of the world Psalm 19. Lastly He would suffer on the Jews Feast-day in a wide and open place without the City before such an Assembly of so many Citizens so many Forraigners before so many of so many several Tongues that the so great Mysterie of his Passion and farewell Speech might not be concealed from any of any Countrey State Language c. The Grace of God certainly is not in us nay we do very wickedly and therefore Wo be to us if either with Peter we betake us to our heels and run away from Christ or with the Jews fall a scoffing at him or with the Souldiers crucifie him and not with Mary the Virgin-Mother of God and John the Evangelist we hasten with all speed to this Sermon standing at the foot of the cross attentively listening hearkening with all diligence and let us treasure up those golden Words in a broken heart We are Christians whither shall we go but to that Master who hath the words of Life Iohn 6. By whom can we better stand to whom can we more justly cleave then to Christ our Lord and Friend hanging on the cross And if the very Heathen observe and keep those commands as religious holy and almost divine Precepts which are given in charge by parents and friends upon their death-beds how much more strictly ought we to mark and observe these last words of Christ and fasten them most deeply in our breasts For our greatest and chiefest Philosophie is To know Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2. For there is perfection of Righteousness to be had there is plenty of Knowledge there is the very Truth of Wisdom there all our Riches Righteousness Merits Mercies Salvation Life and Resurrection do consist Thus much by way of Preface Now let us hear every Word by it self Of the first Word viz. Father forgive them for they know not what they do WHen the Lord Jesus became that true and only Sacrifice and when he was now about to finish the work of our Redemption and Salvation although he lay under the pressure of unutterable distress and misery yet he did not forget why and for whom he suffered such Torments even for our sakes for which cause he went out to meet his Fathers wrathfull displeasure with his prayers as not minding his own pain and punishment he sets upon the Work and Office he begins to take the work of a Priest in hand he stands in the place of a Mediator between God and man he becomes an Intercessor a Protector for us and puts himself wholly as an invincible wall to withstand the Fathers anger For he could not possibly but remember his native and inbred goodness And therefore when others did curse blaspheme and bitterly revile he doth pray and make Supplications not for himself but for others and not for others only but for his most cruel enemies and crucifiers who yet were indeed most worthy to be destroyed and devoured with fire from Heaven or that the earth should swallow them up alive Hear and see how he doth stand and pray for us and thrust himself between the revenging God and us sinners saying Father forgive them for they know not what they do The meaning Father A short prayer indeed but very pithy and full of matter containing much in it It is all one as if Christ had said O Father I am thy Son begotten out of the womb of thine own Substance before Lucifer or the morning Star Psalm 110. I am the devout religious and devoted observer of thine Honour diligently doing all thy will and performing all thy pleasures although I hang here as the Prince and chief of all notorious Malefactors and as a blasphemer and enemy of thy glorious Name yet in the midst of all these so many calamities tortures torments deaths I cannot but think upon my duty and what I am to do forgetting all the wrongs which these of the City have done to me It is my part and office to interpose and stand between thy most righteous displeasure and the hainous sins of man It lyeth on me and t is my work to piece up make whole and firm reduce bring back and Redeem mâ—… the work of our hands a broken vessel a stray-sheep a poor captive creature It is committed and given in charge to me to Reconcile both the things that are in heaven and that are in earth At thy beck and command I came forth from thee and came into the world whom thou hast appointed and made the Mediator and the Peace-maker a Priest and Intercessor And that justly too For 1. I partake of both Natures I am one God equal with thee as also with men I am a true man and therefore I am the most worthy and fittest Mediator I can lay my hand upon both I can reach and touch thee the beginning
of all things with my Divinity and I can lay hold on man the workmanship of our hands with my Mortality So that I am neither coy nor strange to man that doth desire thy Grace nor unequal or inferiour to thee who art the giver of all Grace 2. Besides I am the fittest Priest the worthiest High Priest of any for I am holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners I am made higher then the Heavens Heb. 7. I pay that I never had I have no need to start or shrink back from reconciling my Brethren no man hath any thing against me none can lay ought to my charge no not thou Father nor yet these my Brethren which crucifie me I have wronged none I owe no man a farthing I possess no mans estate I am out of debt to all the world I have no need to make satisfaction or offer Sacrifice for my self Therefore I enter the Holy place bearing the Golden Censer and carrying much incense of prayers I lay down a price for many of my own blood I offer up my very self that unspotted Sacrifice and Priest for the people For certain I am never any whole burnt offering came up before thee more holy more acceptable more successfull then this Wherefore O Father I knowing thy mercies very well that they are over all thy works in the midst of these very Sacrifices I come forth to meet thee with strong crying and tears in Faith nothing doubting I humbly crave beseech intreat and beg this at thy hands pardon thy people spare thy people blot out the iniquity of thy people with this my blood Forgive Forgive them Father forgive them q.d. I confess Adam hath sinned Gen. 3. and all his posterity is become abominable Psalm 13. it is prone to evil from their youth Gen. 6 and wickedness is multiplyed upon the earth Charity is grown cold long since and will do more and more and iniquity will abound Our own people also whom we have chosen out of all Nations hath committed a great and grievous sin in tormenting me thy only Son with so many and so great Tortures they little regard whether I be thine or do belong to thee or no although I am about to give a clear Testimony make full proof of it to which one crime and horrid offence if all their other villanous acts and all the rest of their wicked deeds were compared they would seem as little as nothing How great is thy Majesty which is despised and my Dignity which is derided That people despiseth both and do heap up horrible iniquities to their Fathers Transgressions I acknowledge thy wrath hath hitherto justly raged by the offence of that one Adam Heaven was justly shut up the jaws of Hell opened and death entered into the world Thou hast justly armed the Heavens and all the Elements for vengeance against sinners justly hath fire from Heaven burnt up some alive justly hath the distemper of the ayr and the pestilence destroyed others justly hath the Sea over flown and drowned others with all the encrease of the fruit of their Land justly hath the earth with open mouth devoured others Righteous art thou and just are thy Judgements In Justice thou mightest have continued thy displeasure till thou hadst utterly destroyed and exacted the utmost farthing for full satisfaction And if all the men that ever yet lived to this very day had never so profusely and prodigally lavished out all their blood they could not have expiated or blotted out the least transgression Such and so great is the weight and hainousness of the unspeakable wickedness that no man could make satisfaction for it but God and none ought to have done it but man who had sinned Now I am he I am God and I am man In me only the whole salvation of man dependeth For that cause I became an exile in a strange Country I have been wearied and tired out with cold heat hunger thirst nakedness watchings weariness I have been tempted oppressed afflicted What pains what torments have I not endured in this poor slender thin body What sorrows what straits what disturbances and perplexity of mind have I not had experience of Was there ever any sorrow like to this of mine when there is no soundness from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head What remaineth therefore O Father but that thou lay aside thy anger appease thy diseleasure abate thy wrath forgive them take pitty on them pour out the abundance of thy Graces upon them seeing I have and do make such abundant satisfaction for them I invocate and pray unto thee as a Father not as a Judge I intreat thee not to punish but forgive them for my blood doth not cry for vengeance as Abels did Gen. 4. unless happily there shall be any that will not be saved by it I have forgiven them already who am now tortured for them do thou also pardon them whom that thou mighest pardon thou didst of purpose send me into the world Forgive Them those that are thine own Them whom thou didst promise to have mercy upon before the world began whom thou wilt also call and sanctifie in time Of which number are these that have crucified me and not only these Roman Souldiers and Jews and the rest of the Standers by but all men in the world besides Alam crucifieth me who sinned in Paradise David crucifieth me who offended in Jerusalem Every man crucifieth me for there is not a man but is a sinner I supplicate for all I suffer for all I sacrifice for all do thou pardon and forgive all that by my death it may appear that neither thou nor I do desire the death of sinners but rather that they should be converted and live Ezek. 18. But in a more special way of love I beseech thee for those my honest plain hearted Brethren for whose sakes thy pleasure was that I should be made a Gentile forgive them this grievous Crime The Fact I cannot excuse I confess they have sinned most exceedingly yet this I must plead for them that their mind was not so abominably mischievous They know not c. They know not what they do Wilt thou then destroy an ignorant Nation They are a blind and unthankfull people they do not yet see what they do but ere long they shall look on him whom they have peirced They cannot tell who I am they know not that I am thy Son The Devil yet by our permission and counsel hath hid from them those great Mysteries of my Divinity and Humanity Forgive them therefore for they know not what they do For had they known they would never have crucified the Lord of Glory 1 Cor. 2. Likewise forgive the rest too for they also know not what they do for all that work iniquity have been and are deceived In Adam they did proudly desire to know as much as we justly therefore are they become as ignorant as the bruit beasts
Have respect therefore to the sacrifice of thy Son that holy sacrifice which I the great high Priest offer unto thee that unspotted oblation which I present thee withall Consider the simplicity and ignorance of our Work-manship which was so miserably cheated and seduced by the craft and cunning of that old serpent and for thy infinite mercy sake restore it again graciously into thy favour and good Will reconciling it to thy self I will undertake to conquer death by my death to lay all Hell wast I will return to thee with rich spoils and glorious Triumph and unlook the Heavens with my blood Wherefore pardon them O Father for they know not what they do This was the first word of Christ this his prayer for us of which Paul saith Heb. 5. that he prayed with tears and strong cryings and was heard for the reverence which he shewed Here we see how truly it was said And he made intercession for the Transgressors Isa 53. that they might not perish To this prayer pertaineth what Paul saith I was a Blasphemer and a Persecutor but I obtained Mercy because I did it ignorantly 1 Tim. 1. This prayer hath so far prevailed that many thousands of those that persecuted Christ should be converted Acts 2. 3. Quest But you will say If Christ was heard why are not all his Persecutors saved Answ Mark it With desire did Christ desire the Cross to die for men but it was for such who by faith make themselves partakers of his prayer not for those that continue in their Unbelief And the Lord doth bestow faith at his pleasure Exod. 33. and as he will I will have Mercy on whom I will have Mercy Nor is God to be blamed if he make one Partaker of Christs prayer by faith and harden another through unbelief For whereas he bestoweth faith on some according to his pleasure it is of Grace not of debt And whereas he doth harden others it is the just and righteous Judgement of God and no more but what they that are hardened do deserve If God therefore hath set any at liberty let them be thankfull But Esâ— gilt hic nit zancken sonder danexen i. e. Let us not here raise a controversie but be thankfull Learn we then from this first word to confess and acknowledge our fins For we are the first true and principal Authors of Christs death and he doth mean and intend us all when he saith Forgive them c. For those souldiers were our souldiers even the Officers or Servants of our sins who imposed that upon him which our sins had deserved But who did then know or doth now think that our sins should crucifie the Son of God yet is it that which Paul plainly affirmeth speaking of some who crucifie Christ afresh and put him to an open shame Heb. 6. And this is that of which we are yet too ignorant how great he is that is offended and how grievous the sin committed is both as to the offence and also to the condemnation And because these things are hid from our eyes we do not indeed know what we do when we sin 1. First Then this word teacheth that we are the Crucifiers of Christ and such as know not God 2. Let us from this word strengthen our faith For if Christ did so fervently pray for them that crucified him how much rather doth he now intercede for those that call upon him and believe in him If he were so ready to forgive a sin committed against his own person he will much more readily forgive us We may therefore boldly now draw nigh unto God as having a Patron and an Advocate for us We may now avoid the wrath of God and dwell under the Protection of the God of Heaven under the shadow of the Almighty Psalm 91. For God is our Refuge and Strength Psalm 46. Hence is that of Paul We shall he saved from wrath through him Rom. 5.9 Again We have access through him unto the Father Eph. 2.18 And that of John But if we sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins 1 John 2. 3. From this word we may learn true Charity as well to serve the good of our Neighbours as Christ served us by his Passion as also to forgive those that are indebted to us Let them hear this word of Christ who when they are once exasperated do rage with such hardness of heart that they had rather pine themselves with perpetual Rancor than be reconciled to their Offenders whereas in the mean while they cease not to offend God with innumerable sins and yet dare to hope for Mercy But of this read Ecclesiasticus chap. 28. 4. Not of Devotion as some say By this word we see what great evils Ignorance doth carry with it and how much it is to be avoided For it is the mother of Errors the Mistriss of Scandals the Foster-brat of wickedness that which doth banish bashfulness fear awfulness and all the incitements of Vertue and hurleth those head-long that hold it into the deep and dirty ditches of Vice and wickedness and then strikes them dumb takes away their tongue and deprives them of all speech that they cannot call and cry out for help when it hath with held them from help it presenteth them to eternal darkness and death It is that which led the Jews into this extream wickedness to crucifie Christ the Son of God Of the second Word CHrist had scarce finished this first Word and loe it took effect and brought forth fruit presently that quick and quickning seed was as it were ripe in the sowers hand before it was seen to sprout up out of the earth that ground which without this seed was but stony and barren For one of the thieves which did hang on the right hand sucking in the first word of Christ with a greedy desire changed his barren land into a fruitfull field for immediately of a Murtherer he became a Martyr and was the first that of the last escaped forsaking all he followed the Lord even as he hung upon the Cross He brought and laid down all that he had his whole possession such as it was at the feet of crucified Jesus he himself also being crucified with him with his heart he believed unto Righteousness and making confession with his mouth he found salvation Wherefore he was accounted more worthy than all the rest to whom Christ spake his second word upon the Cross Of which word the Evangelists thus write And one of the Malefactors which were hanged railed on him Luke 23.39 saying If thou be Christ save thy self and us But the other answering rebuked him saying Dost not thou fear God seeing thou art in the same condemnation And we indeed justly for we receive the due Reward of our deeds but this man hath done nothing amiss And he said unto him Lord Remember me when thou comest into
The Disciples believed because they were incouraged by being promised to sit upon twelve Thrones Mat. 19. Thou never sawest any of all these things Thou hast not read the Scriptures thou hast seen no signs thou hast heard none of the Promises and yet thou believest nay thou dost make glory appear out of infirmity and innocency out of condemnation Have but a little patience thou shalt not stay long without a reward of so great a faith For although thou art now hard by the gates of death and the Ax is cutting down the tree of thy life yet thou art come in good time and seasonably enough There is place yet for pardon the gate of Mercy is not yet shut nay the fountain of Grace and Favour doth now flow more abundantly than it was wont to do Go to Be it unto thee according to thy Faith Faith stopt the womans issue of blood it shall cleanse thee from the contagion of all thy sins Faith freed the Cananitish daughter that was vexed with Devils it shall quit thee of the serpent that lurketh at thy heel deliver thee from the snare of the Hunter and from the expectation of thine enemies whom thou hast served By faith the Lepers were cleansed the blind made to see the sick of the Palsie restored to health thou by this thy faith shalt obtain eternal Glory and the salvation of thy soul By this thy faith thou shalt not with Enoch see the bitterness of death thou shalt he saved from the flood with Neah thou shalt with Abraham receive a place which thou knowest not for an Inheritance thou shalt not with Moses be smitten with the destroying Angel and shalt pass safely through the sea Thou like another Caleb shalt enter into a land flowing with Milk and Hony I Jesus will conduct thee thither It shall be better and more honourable for thee that thou hast hung by my side than if thou hadst sate before Caesar in golden Hangings and in his Ivory Chair Thou shalt have much more Honour and Renown than Augustus himself It shall be more sweet and pleasant to thee to partake with me in my torments than if thou hadst been Monarch and sole King of all the earth For what had it profited thee if the whole world had been subdued under thee for a moment and thy soul tortured with eternal pains and darkness Mat. 16. What good would a little paltry pelf do thee if thou shouldst lie under perpetual torments Verily I say unto thee Verily I say to thee I shall not bring thee into fools Paradise with tempting and inticing allurements rely upon what I say be secure my Word is as much as my Oath But because of the excellency of faith I did heretofore swear to Abraham and the Fathers and I will swear to thee also but much more happily I swear unto these that which I performed many Ages after but what I swear to thee I will presently perform To day To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise This shall be thy Reward To day I say lest long delay become tedious to thy expectation This day is salvation come into thine house Luk. 19. This day will I begin to exalt thee before all Israel that they may know that I am with thee This day shalt thou take the Land of the living which thou hast trampled upon with thy feet for thine eternal possession because thou hast followed the Lord thy God This petition of thine seems but a light Request to those that are without for what is more easie than to remember Thou thinkest that thou hast asked but a small matter but they are great things that thou suest for and such only as none but my faithfull servants pray for even to remember thee in my Kingdom For whom I remember they are not forsaken but whom I forget they are thrown aside out of my hand and do vanish away as the smoak Those on whom I have Mercy I remember them whom I remember on them also I have Mercy They cannot but be blessed whom I remember in my Kingdom So that in this short form of prayer thou hast asked more than thou art aware of for I ever give more than I am desired Wherefore remembring I will remember thee and bless thee Memory Thou shalt be had in everlasting Remembrance and shalt not be afraid of evil Tidings Psalm 112. With me Thou shalt be With me lest at any time thou shouldest slip out of mind mine eyes shall be still upon thee thou shalt be born upon my shoulders I will cover thee with my feathers and thou shalt put thy trust under my Wings Psalm 91. Thou shalt be with me with whom that the Saints might be they desire to be dissolved Thou shalt be with me thou shalt fear none ill for I the Hand of the Lord and as a mighty man of War am with thee Thou shalt be with me free from fear full of joy in peace and safety Thou shalt be with me who am every where and am All in All. Then thou shalt see what and how honourable a thing it is to be with me thou shalt overflow and thy heart shall be enlarged For In Paradise Thou shalt be with me in Paradise Nor shall that flaming Sword or guard of the Cherubins drive thee thence Adam who hid himself out of my sight was justly expelled that Garden Gen. 3. But thou who hast turned to me that I might remember thee shalt mercifully be led thereinto 1. Thou shalt be in Paradise not in the earthy but Heavenly garden of pleasure where thou shalt be enlightened with the inaccessible Rayes of Light which enlighteneth the eyes of Angels cheareth the youthfull minds of the Saints where thou shalt drink of and be filled with the Fountain of Life where thou shalt celebrate the Sabbaths and keep Holy-day in the celestiall Jerusalem in the pure and pleasant beauties of peace Thou art the first that entered that Kingdom prepared for good men before the world began No man shall go into it before thee None had ever so much and so many good things bestowed upon them before Thus they that honour me I will honour them 1 Sam. 2. And thou shalt be for a Sign that all may know from the greatest to the least how Saving how Honourable how fruitfull the Faith of Believers in me is 2. Thou shalt be with me in Paradise and the Kingdom of the Church which this day I erect with my blood 1. That whosoever shall know that thy wickedness is pardoned he may not despair of the forgiveness of his own but that he also may be turned to me that he may seek salvation and find it ask of me that he may receive pardon 2. I say thou shalt be an Example and a Spectacle of my mercy in whom all that are laden with sin shall see that my mercy is greater than mans frowardness so that they will but return to me that I also may
good but this one man Why therefore hast thou forsaken me Why hast thou exposed me to so many sorrows Do I suffer for this Thief alone O thy wonderfull Love indeed to mankind Thou hast no need of the goods of any creature Thou art most absolute perfect and blessed in thy self How wonderfull therefore is thy goodness by reason whereof thou hast set forth and offered me thy Son to and for all men Psalm 22. Behold I the fairest of men thy Delight the Joy of Angel am become a worm and a very abject of worms for the Salvation of Worms I admire thy wonderfull counsell in Redeeming man I admire thy unspeakable goodness Nor do I less admite that I of my own endeavour should so lovingly so exceedingly beyond measure obey thy commands and offer up my self for unthankfull and disobedient men But so it seemed good unto thee Wherefore if there be yet any more punishment beâ—…d inflict it I willingly accept of it and bid it welcome I acknowledge thee yet to be my God It is my will that thy will be done My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Behold my heart is ready to fulfill all thy commands I am in great pain but the greatness of my love doth far exceed it Yea though thou shouldest yet forsake me more and though they should be yet more ungratefull yet I cannot be separated from the love of thee and them whom thou hast called For who shall separate me from thy Love Shall tribulation or distress But thou hast forsaken me that thou mayest not forsake me thou hast humbled me that thou mayest make me great thou hast cast me off that thou mayest receive me most honourably Thou hast forsaken me and hast left me only this that I may though without comfort flee unto and call upon thee Wherefore let thy chastened Son be pleasing to thee and willingly hear him who doth in his great exercise of affliction send up his roaring cry of charity unto thee My God my God why hast thou forsaken me 1. Now concerning this place we may observe first that this cry Why hast thou forsaken me was not fictitious or feigned but most real and true and not only of the mouth but also of the heart and all the humane force and powers For Christ at this hour had stript himself of God not by casting him away but by not perceiving and feeling him acting the part of a pure man It was truly and overmuch an Humane voyce proceeding from Humane affection so to complain why God should forsake him and why he should suffer wicked men to do so much So David I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked Psalm 73. And Jeremiah Why doth the way of the wicked prosper Jer. 12. And Habbakuk Why dost thou shew me iniquity and cause me to behold grievance for spoiling and violence are before me How long shall I cry and thou wilt not hear Hab. 1. Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and holest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous then he Hab. 1.13 Thus Christ speaks here out of Humane affection And so he did sufficiently shew his true Humanity when he prayed before in the Garden But this miserable cry doth much more clearly shew the same against such Hereticks as should after spring up denying his Humane nature Let none therefore be offended at this complaint which was truly Humane but let every one think with himself that flesh and blood did here truly hang on the cross in the form of a servant Phil. 2. These things are tryed and proved on the cross by death and the pure Humanity But after three dayes you shall see and find much other things when the new and living and chearfull Body shall rise out of the Sepulchre So then it is plain that Christ as he was girt with greatest gladness so he was also compossed with extream sorrow And as he was endowed with the highest Truth so he was beset with the deepest and lowest infirmity and as he spent his life in the greatest peace so he lived also in sorest troubles I say as Christ enjoyed the sweetness of life so he tasted the bitterness of death 2. Observe that that Desertion of Christ is the fear and dread of our conscience for sin which we commit which doth find and feel the Judgement of God and eternal Wrath and is so affected therewith as if it were perpetually forsaken and cast out from the presence of God for ever according to that of David I said in my haste I am cut off from before thine eyes Psalm 31.22 Who can but despair when Judgement is revealed There is none can stand before the Judgement of God or is able to bear it For as the too great Splendor of the Sun will dazle and darken the eyes and loud noyse make one deaf so the Judgement of God is too loud for our mind and heart to endure and too heavy for our humane strength to undergo And therefore it forceth a man to despair because there is no way open to escape as Amos saith They shall not escape he that fleeth of them shall not flee away Though they dig into Hell thence shall my hand take them Amos 9. When the Lord comes thus to Judgement all the creatures obey him and further the Judgement of God to execute all fearfull plagues upon the damned as it is in Joel The Earth shall quake the Heavens shall tremble the Suu and the Moon shall be dark Joel 2. Again In that day the Sun shall go down at noon Amos 8. That is in the day of the Lords Judgement What is more miserable then man so judged of the Lord destitute of the counsel comfort and help of all the creatures and despairing This is the Judgement that all we deserved for our sins Christ therefore the only begotten Son of God did of his meer Mercy without any of our merit cast himself into our case and took that punishment which we had deserved upon his own shoulders Here we see on one hand the common people stand reviling Christ the Priests blaspheming the Thieves cursing the Apostles denying him his Friends forsaking him the Earth moved the Sun darkened in short all horrid things and all the creatures set against him On the other hand we see God also his Adversary and so forsaking him that he cryes out why hast thou forsaken me Which of us would not have despaired in such necessity But Christ took all this upon him that he might overcome our desperation and give us also hope in the like extremity So that this was our voyce or cry who by no means were able to bear the Judgement of God but must have despaired But Christ took that Cry upon himself and overcame our despair that now we may be sure God will never forsake us no though he seem so to do as Christ in that hour seemed to be
forsaken of God in that he could perceive no consolation from him whereas he was not indeed forsaken of him but was even then the most beloved Son of God So that here we are well assured that God is never more present then when he seemeth to be farthest of In a small moment saith he for a little while have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee Isa 54. Christ therefore that he might deliver sinners put himself in the stead of all sinners yet was he no Thief Adulterer Murderer c. but he undertook the wages punishment and desert of sinners which are cold heat hunger thirst fear trembling horrour of death and Hell Desperation Death Hell it self that he might conquer hunger with hunger fear with fear horrour with horrour desperation with desperation death with death hell with hell in brief that he might conquer Satan by Satan It is the gallantest kind of Victory to kill the enemy with his own Sword Hence saith Paul Godsent his own Son in the likeness of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin Rom. 8. So Isaiah Thou hast broken the Rod of the oppressor as in the day of Midian Isa 9. For the Midianites slew one another Judg. 7. Thus Satan was overcome by his own arms as David slew Goliah with his own Weapon 1 Sam. 17. 3. We are here taught how to behave our selves in Tribulations and Afflictions even to run to God in them all with a believing mind that he would be pleased to look on our Affliction 4. Here also we learn that we should freely follow Christ in the same way by which he entered into the Kingdom of Heaven and not grumble at our pressures forasmuch as the Disciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord. But then shall we be truly blessed when we partake of the sufferings of Christ suffer adversity for his Names sake when nothing is sweet unto us but Jesus nothing harsh but to be parted from Jesus and what wise man would not rather go with the King in a mourning Habit and with his Nobles clad in blacks into a most stately Palace of pleasure and joy then to be trimmed up in gay cloaths and with the rascall sort to be shut out of doors The Vestment of Christ is dyed purple with blood and so are the garments of the Martyrs for they pressed into the celestial Joy thorow many Tribulations and the most strict Life We see how little cause we have to complain of crosses and afflictions especially if we consider that we justly suffer for our sins 5. Lastly We are by this Word instructed how to quench the burning heat of lust To the beating down of which evil there is not a more wholsome and effectual Herb to be had then to consider that the Lord Jesus was thus forsaken of all yea of his very Father exposed to so many Torments void of all comfortable Refreshments and that he being guiltless should yet endure all manner of Tortures and Adversities for other mens faults But O ye Fornicators and Adulterers how do you requite your most miserably afflicted Christ If ye cannot endure to be deprived of some momentany and petty pleasures nor taste a little of some bitter or sharp potion for your health and eternal welfare how will ye be able to hazard blood body and life too for Christ and the brethren Where do ye fasten your affections Why do ye stick so fast to the earth whose birth and blood is higher then the Heavens O ye that dwell in the Vineyards of Engedi why perish ye like the dung in Endor Ye Citizens of Paradise why wallow you in the styes of Asphaltites why tumble ye in the mire and mud of the dead Sea Take a bundle of this Myrrhe meditate upon the Passion of the Lord that ye may be healed of that loathsome lust And so much for this Word It is added in the close that Christ even in this his dolefull and miserable cry did not want such as mocked him Behold say they this man calleth for Elias 1. Jerome is of opinion that these were the Roman Souldiers who understood not the propriety of the Hebrew Tongue 2. But others think they were Hebrews who did openly deprave and wrest the words of Christ against their conscience as if he now implored the help of Elias who before had said he was the Son of God If they had not been stark blind they might have seen that by this great cry he applyed to himself that place of Scripture where all things were foretold which they then saw to be fulfilled before their eyes and for the most part were already fulfilled Of the fifth Word MEn that are desolate and forsaken use to seek ease and ayd which way soever they turn themselves So Christ at the entrance into his Passion foreseeing and considering those things which he was to suffer fell into an agony the anguish of death sometime running to God by prayer then again returning to his Disciples seeking comfort from both So now here also when he found himself forsaken of God he doth seek for some small refreshment even from men especially by a little drink for of the two the want of drink is more tedious then that of meat to those that are weary and tyred out who sometimes are resreshed with a few drops Therefore Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished John 19 28. that the Scripture might be fulfilled saith I thirst Now there was set a Vessel full of Vineger and they filled a spunge with vineger and put it upon Hysop and put it to his mouth Christ is last of all tormented in his Taste as Eve in the last place sinned in her tasting Gen. 3. For before she had tasted the forbidden fruit she had sinned by lusting after it and reaching out her hand to take it Now this thirst of Christ was partly natural and partly Mystical For 1. First he was exceeding weary and had sweat abundantly besides he hung naked on the cross exposed to Sun and Wind So that questionless he must needs be grievously athirst which doth easily appear in that he doth so pittifully express the sharpness of his thirst by a mournfull intreaty as if he had forgot all his other pains although he did not do or say this so much to quench his thirst as to fulfill the Scripture That the Scripture might be fulfilled he saith I thirst But 2. He did spiritually thirst after our Salvation his desire was to overcome the Devil and to set man at liberty though he died for 't And this thirst he was never without but now in his Passion he did discover it more then before for here it doth truly appear how earnestly he thirsted for our Salvation however all his works also everywhere do witness this very thing The meaning then of the word is as if he had said The sense Dear Brethren whereas I am yours and do extreamly
the bitterness and impiety of the Jews hearts For as Vineger is but degenerate Wine so the Jews had degenerated from what they were at first My noble Vine how art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me Jer. 2. Again I looked that it should bring forth grapes and it brought forth wild grapes Isa 5. It is to be admired in those ministers of the Lords death yea in that Divine Counsell by which all these things were ordered that they should do every thing so regularly and so exactly as if they had sworn to fulfill all Prophesies in him And therefore it is here said That the Scripture might be fulfilled to wit that which saith They gave me Gall for my meat and in my thirst they gave me Vineger to drink Psalm 69 Hence we learn how the world dealeth with the godly in their extremity and distress ' For at this very day Christ cryeth and complaineth in the poor and those that are destitute of the like succour and assistance I thirst but the world doth give nothing but Vineger scoff at contemn reproach revile the afflicted Therefore it follows But others said Let be let us see whether Elias will come to save him The rest should have reproved those mockers which offered Vineger to Christ when he was in that distress and did so earnestly desire a little drink But there was not one to rebuke them Nay what these do with Vineger the rest do with bitter words Both sorts wounded Christ So unequally is Christ dealt with in this world But it lasteth but an hour c. Of the sixth Word WHen Jesus therefore had received the Vineger John 19.30 he said It is finished There were many things yet to be fulfilled as Death the opening of his side his Burial the Destruction of Hell which were also foretold in the Scriptures But inasmuch as they were how about to be finished therefore he saith It is finished There was the Resurrection Ascention and sending the holy Spirit yet behind But those belong to the Conquest not to the Contest They are the Laurels not the labours of the battel Christ then by this sixt word doth exceedingly fulminate and appale the Devil which yet makes most for our Consolation The meaning is all one as if he had said The sense Thou wicked soulhunter thou dost here spread thy net in vain thou shalt catch and carry away nothing but shame and confusion Hitherto thou hast done what in thee lieth to destroy me But now and hence-forward none of all thy cheating tricks shall avail any thing against me thy thousand weapons and wiles shall not hurt me thou hast bent thy bow thou hast sown the tares of envy thou hast planted the thorne of ingratitude thou hast stirred up the fury of the people thou hast blinded the Judges encouraged the Executioners thou hast spit thy venome and done the worst thou canst The Disciple by thy instigation hath betrayed his God his Friends have despised him the Souldiers crucified him Thou hast shot all thy Darts now thy Quiver is empty Thou hast opened the pit which thou hast digged but shalt fall into it thy self Thy wickedness shall come down upon thine own pate Thou shalt not only get nothing by me but shalt also lose many millions of souls by me I will be many a thousand out of thy way thy Power shall be weakened thy Kingdom wasted Iniquity shall come to an end My Wisdom shall overcome thy malice For lo whatsoever the Father hath determined praised be God is now accomplished I have fully suffered whatever the Law and the Prophets did foretell all that is necessary and may conduce to the Salvation of man The Sacrifice is offered the Types fulfilled the shadows are fled away The Fathers command is finished The Scripture is sulfilled The power is at an end which thou hast used or rather abused over men The rage and violence of the Jews against me is at an end Righteousness it perfected it is come up to the height greater then which cannot possibly be imagined Justice and Love is compleated it is raised to the highest pitch The Sacrifice by which alone God could be pacified is now perfectly finished Finally all things are now made ready Sin is at an end Everlasting Righteousness shall now take place The Law is at an end the Gospel shall now succeed Man is now redeemed and reconciled unto God Nothing hath been omitted all things have been vigorously executed nothing could hinder or withhold me from finishing the Mysterie of mans Redemption An end is now put to thy Kingdom The Kingdom of Christ and of God shall now begin Henceforth thou shalt not be so formidable nor shalt thou have such power upon earth The people that dwell in Sion shall not fear thee O Ashur The children also shall take up Rods they shall whip and scourge thee they shall be so strengthened by Faith in me that they shall be nothing afraid of thy temptations yea they shall tear thee all to pieces and spurn thee for it is finished 1. By this Word of Christ is our Faith confirmed against all Hereticks and Antichrist himself 2. Hereby also may we Triumph over all adversity whatsoever For if we be tempted with any lust of sin if death if hell rush upon us we may say Why ragest thou thus why art thou so mad Dost not hear that Victory is at hand and that all things are finished For however we may now be sensible of those things yet they are as a Serpent without poyson as a Bee without a sting Therefore we may boldly say Death where is thy victory Thou art swallowed up c. 1 Cor. 15. 3. Whereas heretofore we were by the Law we were very uncertain whither we should go and what should become of us after this life Nay we were most sure to be hurled into Hell now by this consummation we are ascertained that we shall be received into Heaven if so be we are graffed into Christ by Faith But Christ said that all things were finished in the same sense as the Lamb is said to be slain from the beginning of the world Not that he was then manifestly slain but that Christ being once slain his death and blood was sprinkled backward and forward even to Adam and to the end of the world Thus also is our salvation finished not fully yet and indeed but in Hope Man is begun to be justified and healed But mean while being justified and healed the sin which yet remains in his flesh is not imputed to him because of Christ who being without any sin and now become one with man intercedeth for him to the Father Rom. 5. So that there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. Now after that word It is finished let not the Jews expect any other who shall do more then what Christ hath done already Of the seventh Word AS Christ was now about to
a long time forborn the Lord doth by these and such like words shew that the wicked do prevail and get the upper hand in this world but so as that they kill themselves with their own Weapons The more they prosper in their projects the juster they take their cause to be Being blinded therefore they run headlong into the most heavy Judgement of God For as it is with a man in his sleep that dreameth he is fighting with and beating his enemy but when he awaketh he finds that he hath buffetted himself with his own fists so he that doth wrong a godly man doth seem indeed to have the better of him either because of the godly mans weakness or because vengeance is prolonged But if we well weigh it he doth wound himself with his own Weapon Pharaoh oppressed the Israelites but to speak more properly and more truly he did thereby oppress himself Saul persecuted David one may better say in so doing he did persecute himself The Iews pierced Christ but in deed and in truth they did more deeply pierce their own hearts according to that Whoso casteth a stone on high casteth it on his own head Eccl. 27.25 The wicked therefore shall look on him whom they have pierced and shall see that they did not kill and condemn the righteous but themselves It follows And now when the even was come because it was the Preparation Mar. 15.42 Mat. 27.57 Luke 23.50 Iohn 19.38 that is the day before the Sabbath Joseph of Arimathea a rich man an honourable Counsellour a good man and a just The same had not consented to the counsell and deed of them who also himself waited for the Kingdom of God being a Disciple of Jesus but secretly for fear of the Jews he came and went in boldly unto Pilate and besought him that he might take away the body of Iesus And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead and calling unto him the Centurion he asked him if he had been any while dead And when he knew it of the Centurion he gave the body of Iesus unto Joseph and Joseph bought fine linnen And there came also Nicodemus who at the first came to Iesus by night and brought a mixture of Myrrhe and Aloes about an hundred pound weight It was now time to bury the body of Christ but scarce any man durst undertake it because of the raging madness of the Jews Yet lo here are two who as it were unthought of offer themselves to do it but not without the counsell and pre-ordination of God The Evangelists do diligently set down and exactly describe both their person and their care in the burial of Christ It was and is a matter most worthy for us to know and imitate which was not done without great danger The first was called Ioseph who was of Arimathea whence Elkanah also in the first of Samuel had his beginning Now this Joseph was an honest and a just and a Rich man which three may well stand together though they are very rare to be found Nicodemus is not so much commended here because he is otherwise mentioned to his praise elswhere in the Gospel He was a Lawyer but Ioseph was a Senator But in this they agreed that both of them did affect and love Christs Doctrine and esteemed it as the Word of God yet they chose rather to be Christs Disciples secretly then openly And the reason was because of their riches and reputation wherein they did excel and which they could not presently forsake nor yet would they reject Christs Doctrine But that both of them loved Christ did sufficiently appear by what they did for him Nicodemus had formerly stood up in the Council of the Pharisees in desence of Christ Iohn 7. And Ioseph openly refused to consent to the death of Christ They were just men indeed endowed with great gifts of Nature in whom also the Spirit of the Lord did begin to sparkle out I wish we had more such men now in our Councils Parliaments Conventions Convocations Assemblies that would withstand wicked men and their Designs and would do but as these two here did We are therefore diligently to take notice of these two persons For first we see here that there is no time or age so bad but God doth preserve and deliver those that are his and that some good men at least are to be found in the worst of times Thus in the dayes of Elias when every place was full abounded with Idols and false Worships yet then God reserved to himself seven thousand men that had not bowed their knees to Baal So at the time of Christs death there was nothing but scandal impiety and distrust of Christ For some did wickedly revile others out of weakness denyed him Some were offended at his shamefull death and never expected any more good from him But these two Ioseph and Nicodemus do here openly shew themselves who stedfastly continued in the Faith being nothing shaken either by the impiety or unbelief of others Indeed the Faith of these men was to be admired which is made more manifest by the Antithesis or opposition For they were both rich men both Potent both accounted just men before the world The one a Senator the other a Pharisee But all these Riches Authority Power Repute and Worldly Honour they neglected regarded not and exposed themselves to trouble and danger to serve Christ even when he was dead Who compelled them to do this Who forced them to it Was it it their kindness towards Jesus Civil Friendship will go but to the Altar Death will put a period to it Faith only carried them thus far which is of such force and power that it will draw a Believer from all sensible things and set him upon things insensible Riches Power and Senatorian Dignity were sensible things But Faith fixt these two upon eternal Power and Wealth having pluckt them off from those things The same Energy and vigour of Faith was there in Abraham who forsook his Countrey his Fathers estate and his Friends and followed after those unknown and invisible things which God had promised Joseph therefore being instigated and strengthened with this Faith went boldly to Pilate and confidently craved of him the body of Jesus which none of his Disciples durst ask for Pilate presently grants it him for so was the Divine Grace pleased to work and order it Pilate had adjudged Christ to die but fore against his will Now he enquires of the Centurion whether Christ were already dead before he would grant his body to Ioseph He could not easily be perswaded that Christ should be dead so soon whereas others oftentimes use to live till the next day with their legs whole And because they were so long a dying they used to set Souldiers to watch the cross to keep them lest they should chance to make an escape which here also they did as the Evangelists witness But Pilate knew not that Christ had power to
lay down his life Joh. 10. Therefore he wondered that he should be so soon dead Nor do the Evangelists describe only the persons of these two men but also the care of them both and what either of them brought to the interring of Christ Ioseph brought linnen and Nicodemus brought a mixture of Myrrhe and Aloes about an hundred pound weight This Nicodemus is commended in the Gospel for other things for that he came to Christ by night and that he defended him before the Pharisees Therefore he doth happily finish what he had well begun Now Christ would have a glorious and sumptuous Funeral 1. Because he had made satisfaction for the sin of man and it was now time that his Glory should appear 2. That the Scripture might be sulfilled which saith And his sepulchre shall be glorious as the vulgar reading is or his Rest shall be Glory Isa 11.10 3. To let us know that our glory hath it rise or beginning from death For the glory of Worldly things is swallowed up in the grave 4. To give us to understand that there is a sure and certain Crown of Glory laid up for them that strive lawfully after their fight is finished as Paul saith I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give unto me 2 Tim. 4.7,8 It follows And they took the body of Iesus and wrapped it in clean linnen Mat. 27.59 Mar. 15.46 Luke 23.53 John 19.40 with the spices at the manner of the Jews is to bury Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified and in the garden a new sepulchre which Joseph had hewen out of the Rock for himself in which was never man yet laid There laid they Iesus therefore because of the Jews preparation day and the Sabbath drew on And they rolled a great stone upon the mouth of the sepulchre and departed And there were Mary Magdalen and Mary the mother of Joses sitting over against the sepulchre and beholding where he was laid And they returned and prepared spices and oyntments and rested the Sabbath day according to the Commandment The wicked get them gone and Jesus is now left to the godly but crucified These two therefore take the body of Jesus for a great Reward and Treasure nor are they ashamed to take him down from the cross or gallows when he was dead whom they loved so dearly when he was alive Nor do they regard what others say of them that such Noble men should undertake so mean a service but slighting all those things they take down Christs body from the cross with much weeping and many tears questionless Thus my Brethren if we would be Christians and true Gospellers indeed we must not be ashamed of such low and mean employments They wrap Christs body in clean linnen for so it became this purest body to be shrouded which was so clean that the very linnen was the cleaner for it They add also Oyntments and Spices which the Jews used to keep the bodies from rotting And this shewed that those two had yet but a weak and imperfect Faith For they had no higher thoughts of Christ but that he was an honest and innocent man and a Prophet But Christ was also God which they knew not and he was suddenly to rise again therefore had no need to be so embalmed Nevertheless he was pleased to have this done that his death might be more glorious and that we might learn from hence how we ought to receive Christ to wit with clean linnen and Spices that is with a pure heart and a sweet and savory conversation But if any Judas had been here present without doubt he would have exclaimed as the other Iudas said before Why was this waste Mar. 11.14 These Spices might have been sold for much and given to the poor What good will it do Christ to persume him with Spices when he was dead But a Christian ought not to say this cost is superfluous For the charges of those men is not so much to be considered as their Faith That only is lost which is not done in Faith But here was nothing less then loss It was rather truly a good work whereby those two declared their faith and openly shewed that they would hazard all they had for Christ For they must of necessity expect to be the hatred of the Pharisees and unavoidably look for the spoiling of all their goods for so doing It was a great work and not to be compared with any works of Hypocrites For Hypocrites indeed are at great expences but they do nothing out of Faith abnegation of their goods but all proceeds from impiety and ambition of gain But no work is to be rated or valued according to the costliness or outward shew of it but according to the faith of him that doth it Thus the Widow in the Gospel that cast in her two Mites is said to offer more then all the rest because she did it out of her faith and poverty Luke 21. So this work was not so great from the cost but from the Faith whereby they did now renounce and hazard all the rest of their goods for Christ Moreover it is manifest by their Preservatives what is was that they sought for in Christ For Preservatives keep the body from putrefaction It was life thereforre which they sought after in Christ But how under death in a dry body and this indeed is true Faith Every body will seek life in a living Christ this is easie but to look for any thing in a dead dry despised Christ hoc opus hic labor est is hard to be done Now the Evangelists do not describe the manner only of Christs burial but the place also There was saith he a garden hard by These things seem to fall out by chance but indeed all things were thus ordered by Divine Appointment For 1. Christ began his Passion in a Garden and in a Garden he finished the same because Adam sinned in a garden Christ was also buried in a garden to shew that by him there is a way open for us to return into Paradise not into an earthly but Heavenly Paradise 2. Whereas he was buried in another mans grave that shews his povery who neither in his life nor in his death had where to lay his head Mat. 8. Here also our curiosity is condemned who with such care and cost yea with so much pride do build Sepulchres for our selves But it is significantly said of Christs Sepulchre that it was a new one and that none was ever buried in it before to take away all suspition lest it should be thought that any other rose out of it 3. As Christ prepared a Virgin-womb for himself when he was to be born which never man knew so when he was to rise again he would be buried in a new