forged against poor Naboth was in 1 King 31.10 Thou didst blaspheme God and the King Whereas then the Jewes were in the Book of God thus instructed of the Majesty and excellency of a King Exod. 2.28 Their Law forbidding them to revile their God or so much as in thought to curse the King Eccles. 10.20 't is no wonder to hear them disclaime their Soveraign and to deny him their King whose life they hunted after Shall I Crucifie your King saith Pilate The chiefe Priests answered We have no King but Caesar Though they destroyed and made away him who was indeed their King yet they would not subscribe they would not as King own either the butchering or betraying of him so that you see both Pilate and the chief Priests both Jew and Gentile they would both wash their hands from this foul offence they would not did not put a King to death The Judgement both of Jew and Gentile was against it The Application of this point shall teach us to take heed that we do not betray our Consciences that we do not either for fear or favour for covetousnesse or malice go against our own Consciences do against our own Judgement Most true it is that of the Poet Nemo repente fit turpissimus No man at the first mounts to the height of wickednesse but he who declines his Judgement and he who can stretch or shrinke his Conscience as advantage admonisheth such a one is preparing to all manner of enormities Pilate and the chief Priests in my Text they are fearfull examples of this truth for when Fear sate upon the Bench and Malice stood Solicitor at the Barre the poor King with all his Innocence and for all his wisdome was sure to miscarry in the tryall Mat. 27.24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing but that rather a tumult was made he took water and washed his hands saying I am innocent of the bloud of this just person See here in Pilate how Affection and Judgement how Fear and Conscience struggle his Judgement that tels him the person was just the bloud innocent the King faultlesse and therefore as if the washing of his hands would have cleered his Conscience he calls for water and doth that but him whom his Judgement and Conscience pronounced innocent him whom as a just person and a King he would have delivered even him when fear suggested the fury of a multitude when fear suggested a complaint to Caesar when fear startled him with the hazard of himself then I say even him whom Judgement acquitted Fear condemnes him whom Conscience pronounced just Fear delivers up him who as a King he was loath to Crucifie even him though a King and a just one too he will rather send to a Crosse then venture a Crosse himselfe So that indeed not only the King in my Text but even Pilate the Lord President himself he had in stead of a Scepter but a Reed a Reed shaken with the winde a Reed not able to stand in judgement a Scepter that must bend as fear would have it When Caiaphas sate in Councell on the King in my Text you shall finde he did not consider what was just but what was safe John 11.49 Ye know nothing at all as if he had said if ye move upon Principles of Right Law and justice ye can do nothing by them ye cannot take him away but if ye consider the exigences of State the safety of our selves the security of the people then expedient it is that one should die ver. 50. And indeed which of us is there that hath not a Caiaphas in his bosome Which of us is there that doth not rather consider the expediency then the justice of an Action which of us do not consider whether what we do be not rather secure then conscionable much more poising an outward broile then an inward peace and is not this the way to become as so many Pilates Men who will sacrifice both Judgement Loyalty Conscience and all honesty to avoid an inconvenience When Pilate gave eare unto his feares he feares not with the same lips to sentence whom but now he pronounced without a fault Now the good God grant that there be not a curse impending over this Land even for such Judges for such who have rather steered by their Feares then by their Consciences for such who have rather for expediency then Justice condemned the Innocent Again as Pilates feare even so the Pride the Ambition and Malice of the chief Priest these also perverted judgement and these made the Conscience passe what they pleased Mat. 27.18 Pilate knew that for envy they had delivered him the persecution of the King was a meer piece of envy they had nothing to lay to his charge nothing could they prove nay nothing did they pretend but some State and forged suggestions John 11.48 If we let him alone all men will believe on him and the Romans shall come and take away both our King and Nation Because they were jealous of the Romans therefore must he be taken away whereas indeed the Romans were reserved to be the avengers of his bloud The Romans came not till that time was come in which his bloud was required of them and their children vers. 12. Sometimes his charge is he made himself a King whereas indeed he was no admitted no elected but a native King born King of the Jews Mat. 2.2 yea in vers. 7. He ought to die because he made himself the Son of God see the peevishnesse of envy they accuse him for being what he could not but be from all eternity the begotten of the Father and no sooner born then born a King and yet because the Son of God and because a King he must die the death yea yet t is worth the time to see how when Envy and Malice persecutes so the person fals they care not by what means care not to ruine themselves so they see but his fall The chief Priests in my Text those who pretended their King must therefore die because if not Venient Romani the Romans will come in even these rather then he shall not die will lay down even their own necks to the Roman servitude for as if they were the fast friends and greatest honourers of Caesar who but they cry out We have no King but Caesar Crucifie Christ destroy Jesus for behold we are for the Roman party no King but Caesar They who know any thing of the Jewish story cannot but know Caesar the Roman foraine power those were to the Jews the most hatefull things under Heaven and yet to glut their spleen and to satisfie their envy behold Caesar preferred to Christ and a foraine jurisdiction before their own King to such a madnesse are men brought when leaving judgement and conscience they follow the wilde byas of corrupt affections I shall conclude this point with that of the Prophet Isay Isa. 8. 6. For as much as the people refuse the waters of
hands make light worke but if we would piercingly and exactly look upon this Passion upon this murthering of a King we shall finde many hands indeed but for work the heaviest that ever was read of and how could it well be other when the miseries of this poor King was to satisfie the malice of two parties Mat. 27.1 When the morning was come all the chief Priests and as the Greek hath it the lay-Presbyters or the Elders of the people took counsell against Jesus to put him to death they who prepared plotted and purposed their Kings destruction they who raised an Army and sent Swords and staves to apprehend him these were you see an Assembly of Priests and Elders yet these were not they that did the deed these were not the Executioners these Voted but these did not Crucifie Now in verse 27. of the same Chapter you shall find the Souldiers of the Governours took Jesus into the common Hall and gathered unto him the whole band of Souldiers and they stripped him they fooled him verse 28. they crowned they mockt him they spit upon him verse 29. and when they had sported enough at his sorrowes then in the 35. verse of the Chapter They Crucified him they not the Presbyters or Elders but the Souldiers brought him to the block they Crucified him Not barely and simply put him to death but they put him ad mortem erucis to the death of the Crosse and indeed this had not been Envies Master-piece had it not been so had they not cloathed him with shame as well as macerated him with pain had they not put him as well to an ignominious as an irksome death Envy would have seemed too dull and too cool a persecutor And therefore to expresse the zeal and activity of their cruelty it is not said here they slew but they Crucified him that is they inflicted on him the extremity of shame sorrow death To a person of Honour and especially to the fountain of Honour to a King shame and dishonour it is bitterer then death so that indeed it is hard to say whether the disposition to and manner of his death was not more affliction to the King then death it self for if we look upon these three particulars though we must passe over a thousand bitternesses 1. What was done before they brought him to the Court of Justice 2. What was done there 3. What after Sentence we shall finde there was nothing done but what speaks Tyranny and Malice For first to take off the appearance of their Envy and to make Malice seem zeal unto the publick behold the King must be brought as a Prisoner to the Barre and as a Malefactor before the Court of Justice but if we observe the Tryall we shall finde nothing but envy and Malice in it For in a place I now cited Mat. 27.7 I shewed unto you how the Priests and Elders took counsell against Jesus to put him to death before ever they brought him to the Court of Justice before ever any Processe drawn or witnesses found out the Priests and Elders had resolved upon the question they sate in Councell and had agreed the King must die the President must and should give the Sentence of death upon him So that indeed the bringing him before a Judge the bringing the King before Annas Caiaphas Herod and Pilate this his appearance at four severall Courts it was only to put a faire Face upon an ugly Sentence it only was by the mockery of justice to cloak the cruelty of malice for before ever he came thither the Councell had determined Jesus their King must die Secondly see the carriage of the businesse when it came there and we shall finde that he was not tryed by any course of Law or by any legall principles for if we look upon him as before Caiaphas before the chief Priests and the Elders Mat. 26.59 we shall find that all his Judges were parties for the Scripture expresly saith the chief Priests and Elders and all the Councell sought false witnesse against Jesus all the Councell all that sate his Judges or that did rise up in Judgment against him they conspired and plotted how to put their King to death or look we upon him as he stood before Pilate before the President and we shall finde it was the Multitude it was the Tumult it was Voices not Law that carryed the cause against him When Pilate saw that he could not prevail any thing but that rather a Tumult was made Mat. 27.24 then he released Barabbas and delivered Jesus to be Crucified Tumult and Votes not Law or Justice brought the King unto his Crosse Indeed in the 25. ver. of the said 27. Chapter of St. Matthew it is written Then answered all the people his bloud be on us and our children the chiefe Priests and Elders the prime and close managers of this designe they interest and intitle the people to it as if this had been an Act of the whole people as if it had been the peoples desire to have their King cut off all the people said his bloud be upon us and upon our Children Whereas indeed if we look close into the story we shall find that had the people been let alone they would have been as they were some five dayes before all for the King they would have prosecuted their former engagement and have brought their King to his City with safety and honour they were more inclinable as it is in Mat. 21. to cry Hosanna then Crucifie and had rather have strowed their garments in his way then have imbrewed his in bloud Mat. 27.20 The chiefe Priests and Elders perswaded the multitude the Leaders and Commanders they over-ruled the people yea if it were as hard to get into Pilates as it was into Caiaphaâ— Court there might then be more or at least but few present at his tryall but such who were the Creatures and followers of the chief Priests and Elders for you shall finde in the 18. of Saint John and the 17. verse That the doore was shut and Sainâ— Peter got not in but upon the interest of St. John and no wonder if they spake as they were taught Crucifie him Crucifie him yea St. Peter in Acts 3.17 imputes it to the ignorance of the people which Pilate flatly layes to the fury of Rulers and indeed no People nor Rulers but were extreamly ignorant of what they did when they did this the foulest of attempts Crucifie their King Thirdly as you have seen what they did before they came unto the Court and how things were carryed there even so if we look upon what was done after Sentence we shall finde nothing but Cruelty nothing but a studiyd mixture of Infamy and Sorrowes And this wil appear from these two things 1. The place 2. The Instrument of his death First the place Jerusalem the Royall City the City of David and must it not needs be an aggravation of shame and sorrow for the Sonne of
David for the King of Sion there to lay his head upon the block there to wear a Crowne of Thornes and there judicially to be put to death where he and he only should have sate upon the Throne Indeed it was not done before his Palace it was not done before his own doors but it was done in Occidentali parte it was done in the West part of the City it was there done where it might bring most disgust and distaste upon him Mans Calvariae id est decollatorum Mount Calvary that is according to Jerome the place of common Execution the place where Malefactors were beheaded now there where that same day a couple of theeves were to be put to death there and in the midst of them as if he had been like to one of them as a Tyrant a Traytor a Murtherer and a publick enemy they Crucifyed their King and they put to death even the Lord of glory So that indeed not only the place but the very instrument of his death that he should be nayled to the Crosse be numbred among transgressors and dye a Malefactor this is to a King to a righteous innocent King a thing bitterer then death Secondly And in a word then to conclude this point when the Jews were so Rebellious as to conspire and attempt the Killing of their King they added this wickednesse above all they killed him after the most ignominious way after the most irksome and tedious invention that those times had They were not so mercifull as to lay an Axe unto his throat or a Sword unto his Heart but in the places most remote in the Hands and Feet where they might multiply anguish and not hasten death where they might wound but not kill where they might afflict but not dispatch there they tormented there they tortured there they studyed to grieve and vex his righteous Soul So that of all the sad spectacles under Heaven of all the cruelties that ever the Beasts of the people presented to the world there is none like to oppressed Majesty never is Ambition Envy Malice or what brutish affection soever so predominant never is Rage and Fury so highly and so full fed as when it drinks the bloud Royall So that the saddest object that was ever yet recorded it was this in my Text the Betraying the Buying the Arraigning the Deriding and the Crucifying of their King Pilate abhorred and yet gave way unto it the Jews denied and abjuâ—â—d it yet did it they were ashamed to own yet not affraid to act the villany Shall I Crucifie your King saith Pilate and do you think we would say the Jews We have no King but Caesar A plain evidence that it was Fear Passion Envy which against all Conscience Law Right or Reason thus barberously used a King So that all now remaining is to see what use we should make of it and that I shall dispatch under these three heads 1. It should teach us to be patient 2. It should teach us to be charitable 3. It should teach us to be penitent First it should teach us to be patient looking in all our crosses and troubles on a Crucified King Well known is that Motto Bona agere mala pati Regium est To do good and suffer evill it is a Royall and Kingly part and indeed never did any King so act this part as the King in my Text for if we look upon his concessions and acts of grace we shall find that they were beyond all that were ever granted And on the otherside if we look upon the injuries and indignities he suffered if we look upon the provocations and vexations the Insolence and Malice Jealousies and Feares did heap upon him we shall finde him a Patient beyond President so that indeed it is hard to say whether this King did more good or suffered more evill for us such good he did that except the integrety of his soul he Sacrificed all the rest Such evill he endured he lost but all which man could deprive him of such good he did that preserving what might make him a Saviour he gave up even all as he was a Soveraign such evill he indured that those very wretches for whom he suffered triumphed in his miseries and though his Subjects gloried to insult upon him So that indeed there cannot be an exacter piece of patience then this harrowed and Crucified King 1 Pet. 2.2 Christ suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps Our King not only suffered for satisfaction but also for imitation so that indeed we are not only to look upon him as a Saviour but also as a sufferer not only who suffered for us but also as one who made himselfe an example to teach us to suffer and indeed in what can we suffer in which we have not him for an example Honour Freedome Estate Friends Life these are the darlings that we dote upon and in which of these can we so deeply suffer in as our King did In Honour we cannot for his is the Throne and ours but the Footstoole he the Fountaine and we but the wast of his fulnesse And yet in point of Honour never was such a sufferer as he was and indeed they could never have made him such a sufferer had they not first wounded and devested him of his Honour we shall see in Num. 16. that grand and first conspiracy of Corah Dathan and Abiram it began with aspersions and calumniating authority vers. 3. Ye take too much upon you they endevoured to make Moses and Aaron appeare Tyrants and usurpers upon the people even so when the Jews had a designe and a desire to Crucifie their King the first thing they endevour is to make him odious and to lay they care not how false so prevalent Treasons misdemeanours or any things hatefull to his charge John 2.17 of whom it is there written The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up even him they accuse and traduce unto the people as one who would destroy the Temple He of whom it was written By me Kings Reign he who gave it in expresse charge Matth. 22.21 To give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars yet even he Luke 22.2 stands there indicted for forbidding tribute to be paid to Caesar and for being no friend to Caesar He who indeed was ipsa veritas Truth it self him they charge as an Impostor or a Deceiver He in whose mouth there was found no guile he who was as a Lamb with out spot even him as a Malefactor and a Villain they deliver up He who was the only one to save him they traduce and charge for the perverter of the people Now I beseech you which of us should not with alâ— patience heare and bear the calumny of the people which of us shoulâ— no arme against accusations slanders and evill Tongues when you see the King of Glory the King of Righteousnesse the King of Peace he had his honour laid in the dust