with all Fear and Reveâ—…ence we weep and worthless Worms prostrate our selves before thee O Lord Jesus Christ and give unto thee most humble Thanks for thy exceeding Mercy and Love towards us What have we Lord that we have not received from thee For thou art All our Creator Redeemer Sanctifier and Glorifier for thou hast given to us both the State of Nature and of Grace and hath also prepared for us the state of Glory and because to this high End many Means are required of thy infinite Goodness thou art unto us as well the Means as the End thou art our Defender our Keeper our Governour the merciful Scourge of our Sins the Curer of our Infirmities the Instructor of our Ignorance the Director of our Knowledge and Power thou sustainest thou stirrest thou orderest and helpest us in all our good Endeavours Thou art our Lord and our God even all the Goodness that we have and all that we can expect How our Saviour was crucified Matth. xxvii 35. And they crucified him and parted his Garments casting Lots that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet They parted my Garments amongst them and upon my Vesture did they cast Lots WHen he came to Mount Calvary there was the bloody Banner displayed there planted he the Tree of Life the Fruit thereof expelled the Poyson which the Fruit of the forbidden Tree had wrought Gen. 28. 12. And he dreamed and behold a Ladder set upon the Earth and behold the Angel of God ascending and descending on it Then pitched he the Ladder which Jacob saw but in a Vision the top whereof reached up to Heaven whereupon not only the Angels go up and down with our Prayers unto God and his Mercies unto us but God himself descended to Man and Man ascended up to God And first to make his Death the more reproachful they stripp'd him of all his Garments which the Soldiers cast Lots for yet altho' the Law commanded that Malefactors should be crucified yet it did not command they should be crucified naked Wherefore then O good Jesus was this Extremity used against thee Were thy Executioners so covetous as to enjoy thy Apparel or were they so cruel to encrease thy Shame Or wouldest thou testifie thy Love in that thou wouldest not be exempted from any Ignominy we had deserved and in that thou didst discover thy naked Flesh and not hide any part of thy Body from us as before it had been covered with Figures and Ceremonies as with a Veil When Adam had sinned he would have hid himself from the Presence of God because he was naked being then attached with Impurity of Soul as well as Obscenity of Body which are the chief Causes of Shame but our Second Adam took both this Sin and this Shame upon his naked Body to carry them to the Cross and to crucifie them with him Assuredly O our Salvation howsoever thy Body was naked of Apparel it was loaded with our Sins as thy Apostle St. Peter saith 1 Pet. 2. 24. He bare our Sins in his Body on the Cross. For who could have violated thy Holy Members if thy Father had not found our Offences in them if he had not found this Accusation against thee This Man receiveth Sinners and harboureth Malefactors Didst thou not know O our Redeemer that in whose Hands the Thest is found he must be answerable for the same Should not the Father handle thee as a Sinner seeing he findeth thee so charged with Sins The Justice of thy Father findeth all our Sins upon thy Body executed upon thee and crucified them and thee together Hereby thou hast given us Example First to be merciful towards the Needy seeing that out of Compassion to us thou hadst no Pity upon thy self but wert cloathed with our Sins and our Shame to clothe us with thy Innocency and Glory Secondly To moderate our Desires in the vain either Bravery or Glory of this World the Bellows of Pride and of Presumption which do not only clog but quench the Devotion of our Spirits even as a Tree by having many superfluous Branches becometh less fruitful and as a Lamp which with a little Oyl is cherished but choaked with much For thou camest into the World to encounter their principal Evils Pride Avarice and Riot which proceed from the love of three things as Honour Riches and Pleasure all which are Branches of one Stock namely the love of our selves which is the universal Root of all Sins from these Branches all forbidden Fruit all the Choak Pears of this Life are gathered Against these thy Lise Doctrine and Death did chiefly tend Then they stretched his naked Body upon the hard Death-bed of the Cross and fastned it thereto with blunt and rough Nails driven through his Hands and through hiâ—… Feet out of which Wounds issu'd goldeâ—… Streams Zacb 11. Like the four Rivers oâ—… the Garden of Eden to water and fructifâ—… the whole World And with such Rage did the murdeâ—…ous Jews hunt and thirst after the Blood of Jesus that within the space of three Hours after they had brought him to Pilate he was accused condemned scourged despitefully used and lastly fastned to the Cross. Then they raised him up between two Thieves and placed him in open view to be tormented with a cruel â—…ingering Death the whole Weight of his Body bearing downwards and rending wider the Wounds of his Hands and Feet which by the Tenderness of the Sinews are the most sensible Parts of the whole Body Having also to encounter with he World and the Devil who is the Prince of the World with Death also and with Sin which is the Cause of Death Alas how far is the Madness of the World how far is the Love and Liberty of Christ extended Was God thus angry against Sin Would â—…o other Satisfaction seâ—…ve Was the Juâ—…tice of God so rigorous Was the Reâ—…emption of Man so preciouâ—… One Disoâ—…edience was sufficient â—…osed thâ—…y Manâ—…nd and were all these â—…hese â—…equisite or their Redemption 〈◊〉 Lord for Experience teacheth us That it more easie to ruinate than to repair One Fire brand is sufficient to destroy a whole City which cannot without much Time Toil and Cost be repaired O most righteous and upright Judge how merciful wert thou towards Sinners and how severe against thy own Son He was born in great Baseness the World no sooner received him but iâ—… persecuted him and chased him into foreign Countries As his Body grew so encreased hâ—… Burden both of Labours and Wants uâ—…til in the end he was betrayed to hâ—… Enemies by one of those that were hâ—… Followers Is any thing more admirabâ—… than this Liberty was sold Liberaliâ—… tied Innocency accused Justice coâ—…demned and Life executed Is any thiâ—… more admirable The Wisdom of tâ—… Father was derided his Power beate and bound his Beauty defiled his Glâ—…ry with Reproaches and Reproofs obsâ—…red Is any thing yet more admirablâ—… God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God was scourgâ—… God 〈◊〉
22 22. Pilate saith unto them What shall I then do unto Jesus which is called Christ They all said unto him Let him be crucified And the Governour said What evil hath he done But they cryed out the more saying let him be crucified NOW although Pilate had openly declared That Christ was innocent and also that he had Authority to acquit him yet gave way either to the Favour or Fury of the Jews rather than to Justice he pronounced Sentence of death against him and delivered him to his cruel and merciless Enemies O unjust President by thy own Judgment thy Judgment was unjust for thou gavest Sentence of death against him whom thrice before thou hadst pronounced Innocent Certainly in thee O President this was the greatest piece of Injustice thou couldest possibly have committed but it was a just Sentence of the High President of Heaven before whom all the Sins of the World stand in naked view and who will not suffer one of them to pass unpunished therefore because the whole World was not able to make satisfaction for one Sin he drew the Sword of his Justice and smote therewith his Innocent Son who only was able of all Men both to bear and to break his Wrath off from Sinners for Sin But O just Judge thou art never stirred to Wrath but by Sin thou art never very wrath but with great Sins At this time thy Wrath was very great and thou didst grievously smite thy only Son but in him thou couldst find no Sin at all What! didst thou not only release Offenders but with Caiaphas the High-Priest cause the Innocent without cause to be smitten And is it not more against the Law of Justice to condemn the Innocent than to discharge and acquit the Guilty How then may we count it Justice which doth not only release Offenders but also punisheth the Innocent O Light which had decreed this Mystery in thy holy Counsel from the beginning open thou our Understandings break off the Mistiness from our Minds that we may plainly see and understand this great Work of Justice and of Mercy which is more admirable than all thy wonderful Works besides Certainly he is not unjustly charged although he oweth nothing from himself that undertaketh another Man's Debt nor doth the Judge do any more wrong in giving Sentence against a voluntary Surety than if he gave it against the principal Debtor It is pity to see a Man pay that which he never had any thing for but if he will submit himself to be a Surety and in kindness repâ—…sent the Person of the Debtor Justice must have her Course against him It is pity to see a harmless Lamb lie bleeding to Death but if it be appointed sor a Sacrifice it is the Nature of a Sacâ—…ifice to be so used Even so althougâ—… ouâ—… Sâ—…our was without â—…in in himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ty and Sacrifice he did jâ—…ly â—…ffer for the Sins of others Although by Innocency he was free yet bâ—… Love he became entangled in Debt For his own Innocency God was well pleased with him but for our Impurities he justly gave way to his Wrath against him He was justly charged not with that which he had done but for that which he was pleased to undertake We in justice should have been smitten with these Sorrows This blow in justice was bent against us but he in love stept between the Blow and us and took the full weight of it upon himself Isa. 53. 4 5 6. He took upon him our Infirmities and bare our Sorrows He was wounded for â—…ur Iniquities and broken for â—…ur Transgressions The chastisement of our Peace was laid upon him and with his Stripes were we healed All we as Sheep were gone astray every Man to his own way and the Lord hath laid upon him the Iniquity of us all So then it was his Love and his Father's Justice that cast him into these Extremities Love entreated that Sinners might be saved and Justice exacted that Sin might be punished To satisfie both which Suits the mean was found that one unspotted Innocent not subject to Death and yet willing to die Who was without Sin and yet able to make satisfaction for Sin should thus â—…ruelly suffer for all Offenders And it may be O innocent Lord this might be one secret Cause why Barabbas although a villanous and great Offender yet he bare no Man's Sin but his own but thou wast charged with all the Sins of the World This also might be a great cause of thy great silence that neither the Malice of thy Accusers nor Falshood of Witnesses nor Injury of Officers nor Cruelty or Partiality of Judges were able to break it Thy Innocency needed no Defence but our Guiltiness could not possibly be defended Thy Innocency was well enough known to thy Enemies our Guiltiness was too well known to thee therefore being now charged with the Sins of the whole World and being appointed by thy Father's Justice and in thy own Love submitting thy self to suffer and make satisfaction for all Mens Sins thou didst with holy Job 32. 37. Lay thy Finger upon thy Mouth Not because thou wast not justly provoked to reply by many Indignities in regard of thy self but in regard of us nothing could justly be said there was no place for denial none for desence and therefore with a magnanimous silence thou endurest all as was prophesied of thee by the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 53. 7. He was oppressed and afflicted He opened not his Mouth He was brought as a Lamb to the Slaughter and as a Sheep before her Shearers is dumb so he opened not his Mouth O most blessed O more than most pâ—…ecious silence of our Saviour which hath by this silence not only opened our Mouâ—…hs to speak but to cry out with a loud Voice and full Assurance Abbâ—… Father O blessed Saviour Our Offences have stopped thy Mouth but thy Innocency hath opened ours In regard of our Offences thou hast nothing to say but with regard to thy Innocency we may chearfully say Father What hast thou to say to us Thy innocent Son hath not only made full Satisfaction for our Offeâ—… but 〈◊〉 â—…arted of his innocency to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only made us unpunishable by his 〈◊〉 but with his innocencâ—… 〈◊〉 us honourabe before thee 〈◊〉 â—…iful Father behold what Adâ—…m de serâ—…ed and beâ—…old what my Saviour hath done Adam rebelled against thy Maje sty both as rhou aâ—… God from everlasting and as thou art Creator and Lord oâ—… all the World over which he aspired to be absolure Master For the first our Saviour was condemned of Divine Treason namely of Blasphemy against God by Caiaphas the High Priest the chief Judge of Religious Affairs who as he did bear a Figure of Christ in this World should above all Men have known him and declared him to others Secondly he was condemned of Human Treason namely Rebellion against the Emperor by Pilate a President of the greatest Monarch in
Sinners that are prostrate before thee and let our humble Voices enter into thy Ears that thy mighty Voice may sink into our Souls Give unto us a true Sense of these thy Sufferings both of Compassion as it is reason that the Members should condole with the Head and also of Fear that our Minds be not more heavy than the Earth that trembled that our Hearts be not more hard than the Stones that did cleave and that our Souls be not more fleepy than the Dead that did arise at the Power of thy Passion O great Redeemer of the World if all Creatures did fear thee when hanging upon the Cross what will they do when thou shalt come to Judgment If thou wert so mighty in thy greatest Weakness what wilt thou be in thy greâ—…test Glory If these Effects did accompany the Works of thy Mercy and the Voice of thy Love where with thou didst call all Men to come to thee what will the Work of thy Justice do and the Voice of thy Fury Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting Fire We adore and admire thy Blood thy Death thy Burial thy victorious Resurrection thy Ascension into Glory By these we are refreshed from these we draw the Breath of Life O our Saviour we desire thee only we offer up our selves wholly unto thee we want nothing we wish for nothing but only thee for thou alone art sufficient for us thou art our King our Lord our Tutor our Governour our Father the Paradise of our Hearts the Nest where our Souls shall rest for ever the Haven wherein we shall be saved the Glass wherein we shall behold our selves the Staff that only stayeth us the Tréasure whereto we trust Who is so liberal as he who hath given himself for so vile Creatures Who so loving as he who hath not spared himself for his very Enemies O most gracious Lord and loving Father who despisest none that comes to thee but dost rather help them and accompany them and lead them in the way receive our loose or lost Souls which seek after thee raise us up by the virtue of thy Passion from the death of Sin and by the same Virtue endow us with Wisdom and Strength that by the one we may prevent and by the other resist the Attempts of our most dangerous Enemies the Flesh the World and the Devil The Flesh idle and voluptuous the World vain and curious the Devil subtle and malicious Grant unto us by the same Virtue that the Yoke of thy Commandments may be sweet and the Burthen of thy Cross light unto us that we may contemn the trifling Vanitis of this World and not weakly yield to the Calamities or vain Pleasures of this Life but that with unmoveable Minds we may bear the one and forbear the other All this was done against Jesus upon the Day of the Preparation for the Passover according to the corrupt Tradition of the Jews for Jesus who most punctually observed the Law had eaten the Passover the Day before and because the Day following was an high Sabbath and the Law had ordained That the Body of the Offender should not hang all Night upon the Tree the Jews desired of Pilate that the crucified Bodies might not hang upon the Cross being very scrupulous in small Matters but had wide and naughty Consciences in Matters of Weight Against Jesus they made particular Suit that his Sepulcher should be made sure for three Days lest his Body might be taken away because he had said that within three Days he would rise again to Life So they buried him in a Garden close adjoining to the City whereby the Providence of God did cut off many Cavils and Doubts which might have been made in case his Body had either been removed far off or secretly buried or left abroad In this Garden Josâ—…ph of Arimathea in his Liâ—…e time had built his Tomb which doubtless he did to put himself in remembrance of Death in the vâ—…y midst of his Delights but the entombing this Body of Jesus in this Garden in the midst of our chiefest Delights should make us always mindful of his Death His Body was richly dressed to the Funeral that the Prophecy of him might be fulfilled Isa. 53. 9. His Grave shall be with the Rich at his Death And further to manifest the same unto us which he spake upon the Cross that he had accomplished his Charge that the terrible Tempest of his Sufferings he had fully boâ—…n that his Honour and Estimation was then to follow To instruct us also that the difference between Men and Beasts doth not determine with our Lives but that the Dead are to have honest Respect not only out of particular Kindness or of Blood not only out of general Humanity engraved by the Finger of Nature in all Men but also out of Christian Duty partly in regard of the many Graces imparted to the Bodies of Men in this Life and partly to testifie our Faith of the Resurrection and Hope of Glory in the Life to come And also his Body was put into a new Sepulcher wherein no dead Body had been laid before to the end that his Enemies should not suspect or surmise that he raised some other to Life as he did the dead Body of Elizeus and not himself Lastly they stopped the Mouth of the Sepulcher with a great Stone which could not without great force and noise be rolled away they sealed this Stone and set a Guard of their own Men at Arms about it to make sure as they thought that his Body should not be taken away but as it usually falleth out that the greatest Enemies of the Truth are the greatest means to advance it so the Seals and Guards did the more evidently seal the Resurrection of Jesus than all the other Circumstances besides They did evidently declare That he was not carried to the Sepulcher as a Captive but that as a Victor he pursued Death to his Cavern and Fort namely the Grave And there gave him so deadly a Wound that he should be no more Death but the Entrance into Life But when he that would not descend from the Cross did rise out of his Grave when he had broken the Chains of Death when he was returned with Daniel out of the Lion's Den and with Jonas out of the Whales Belly they corrupted the Watch to say That whilst they slept his Disciples came and stole him away And this was the Accomplishment of their Malice this did set them altogether without excuse this is also the nature of Sinners in a desperate degree who in despite of God and their Consciences will not fear to offend whatsoever Sin they are not able by some colour to defend they will endeavour by another Sin to conceal But O good God how blind is Malice What so absurd What so senseless which it will not say or do either to attain or maintain some deviâ—…sh Design For if the Disciples had stollen away the Body of Jesus
was Force so unfortunately applied Never was Prey so impossible to be held and so dangerous to be let go for he soon got out of your Hands but you shall never avoid his Curse O People well beloved thy malicious Madness hath made thee miserable thou art ruinously cast down thou art finally cast out and that which was no People is planted in thy place You came with Torches and Lanthorns to apprehend the Son of Truth but you would not see his glorious Light therefore you remain the blindest People in the World insomuch that all the Prophecies that have been spoken of you have been performed by you against your selves But what Folly is this O ye Jews how far is it beyond all Folly to carry him with Bands of Men that went of his own Accord into whose Brain could it sink that he would break away that went voluntarily himself He that hath power to give Life unto the Dead could he not have kept himself in Life He that delivered others from Devils could he not have delivered himself from you Assure your selves such was his infinite Charity wherewith he goeth to the Cross to appease his Father's Wrath and redeem the Sins of the World that you should have more to do to keep him in Life than you have to carry him to his Death He hath far greater both care and haste to redeem you than you can possibly have to murder him for he had not redeemed us if his Death had been forced upon him if his Sacrifice had not been voluntary it had not been satisfactory we could not have been saved by his Obedience if he had not died of his own accord and theâ—…efore his Father having given and he accepted of the Sentence of Death he used no means to escape for he was not driven by Force but drawn to it by his Obedience to his Father and Love to us There is no Man that fears Death but he whom Death is able to kill But Death had no such Power over the Son of God for he did voluntarily lay down his Soul even when he would himself O senseless Jews He that is to bury so many Figures to fulfil so many Prophecies to accomplish so great a Business as the Redemption of the whole World to what end should he run from you By all this you may see what base abuse was offered to the Son of God Certainly if it had not been the Will of his Father and of himself it had been better that Mankind should have rotted in their own Corruption than that infinite Vertue perfect Felicity the true Glory the eternal Word and Wisdom of the Father should be so basely and vilely abused by those Sons of Belial But since it was his Pleasure because by this way he would manifest his Love it is our part to accept it with thankful Hearts and with Reverence both to love honour and praise him for the same Therefore let us lift up our Voices at all times and in all places to the Praise of Almighty God for this his unspeakable loving kindness since he has so far pitied our Condition as to come into it himself to exalt us to his Glory O admirable Dispensation of Grace thou hast pour'd forth thy Treasures without measure upon us we can desire no more than we do enjoy in thee for thou hast exalted us above the Heavens Our Saviour was seated in Majesty and Glory invironed with Angels hearing the sweet Harmony of his own Praise doing wonderful things in Heaven and in the Earth and in all the deep places But we lay in the Miâ—…e of our Miseries just fallen into the bottomless Pit of everlasting Sorrow void of the poorest Comforts of Calamity either helpless pity or vain Hope But our Saviour bowed down the Heavens and came down not by changing place but by manifesting himself in a holy Humanity He was admirable in Heaven but he became miserable and contemptible upon Earth He changed the Name of Majesty into Mercy and did cover himself with the Sackcloth of Mortality and did enter as it were into Perdition wherein he did both willingly wallow and take delight But our Saviour received no Spot nor Soil but he did stretch forth his Hand to the Work of his Hands whereby he drew sorth he did cleanse he did cloath he did comfort and confirm us he did reach forth his Hand by his blessed Birth he did draw us by his Doctrine he did cleanse us by his Death he did cloath us by his Resurrection he did comfort us by his Ascension and he did confirm us by his sending of the Holy Ghost therefore let us praise and magnifie the Lord for his great Love towards us for in all his Works he was ours moâ—…e than his own he took the Burthen of our Miseries upon him and laid the Benefits of his Merits upon us he heard the Cries of the Poor and came down from the highest Heaven to the Dâ—…ngeen of this World to deliver them from their Distress and to restore them to that Innocency and Immortality from whence they were fallen He was sold to redeem us he was apprehended to discharge us and he was bound to unfetter us all which he did plainly signifie in what he said to those that came to take him John 18. 2 I say unto you that I am he therefore if you seek me let these go their ways Of our Saviour being had before Annas Caiaphas Herod and Pilaâ—…e Matth. 26. 57. And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the High Priest where the Scribes and Elders were assembled AFter that Judas had betrayed him with a Kiss and they had taken him they led him away before Annas the Father-in-law to Caiaphas the High-Priest Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas where the Scribes and Elders were assembled He was accused of Blasphemy but very â—…sly and wrongfully And there an Officer in the Court in the full Face of Justice give him a Blow on the Face coâ—…trary to the Rules of any Court of Judicature Yet all these Ind gnâ—… did our blessed Saviour with indâ—…gable Patience bear Which Patience if we observe together with all his Behaviours in the other Passages of hiâ—… Passion we shall find a perfect Cure for all our Impeâ—…fections and a straight Rule to direct us in all the Affairs of this Lise O Gracious Countenance which filleth the Heavens with Glory which the Angels with Joy and Ravishment do desire to behold O perfect Image of the Father how deeply was thy Beauty and thy Majesty over clouded with Disgrace O infinite Humility O fâ—…t Lord Is it possible that there should remain in the World any Footsteps of Pride after this admirable Example of Patience O Earth and Ashes thy God did with deep silence endure all these Indignities and thou stirrest thou starest and turmoilest thy self and tormentest others upon the least touch of thy Reputation God did pray for those that blaspheme him but we diâ—…d
the World Seeing therefore he hath been condemned for us in High Treason both against God and Man seeing he hath endured the Punishment for all our Rebellions What have we any further to answer His Obedience hath made Satisfaction for our riotous Rebellion By his Condemnation are we acquitted his Condemnation at a Tribunal on Earth has acquitted us before thy Tribunal in Heaven His Sufferings are a sufficient Discharge between us and thy Justice and his Love is a sufficient Discharge between his Sufferings and us because his Love â—…eh nothing for all hiâ—… Sufferings but only that we love him again O what an unspeakable Obligation is this not only to love our Sâ—…iour but to love him above and before all one would think it were impossible to do any otherwise thâ—…n to love him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glory and Majesty to suffer so much â—…sery to save us from eâ—…l Damâ—…tion O good Jesus O Health of our Souls havâ—… Mercy upon â—…s we beseech thee and help us to strike this Fire within our Hearts let our Souls be satisfied with thy sacred Love Thou art O Lord our 〈◊〉 out last End the Mark â—…hether we aim the Poâ—…t whereto we saâ—… the Ferm the Râ—…t of all our Desires Wherefore then do we not love wherefore do we not desire thee with that ardency wherewith all Creatures do love and desire the place of their Rest The Fire and the Air do overthrow Mountains rend up Rocks shake the whole Earth to break forth to their Natural Places wherefore do not we break through all Impediments all Hinderances and leave all Creatures to come to thee who art the only place both of our Refuge and Rest O our Desires O our sweet solace our assured stâ—…ength wrap our Souls in the Flames of thy Love that all careless coldness may be consumed thereby possess our Souls so intiâ—…ely with that Divine Fire that we may have no sense of any worldly things Most Sweet Loving Beautiful Noble Rich Wise Glorious and worthy to be both loved and adored O life of our Soul who didst die to give us Life who didst die to kill death mortifie us wholly even our Wills and all our evil Inclinations and whatsoever is ours within us Then revive us again in thy lively Love by uniting all the Faculties of our Souls unto thee and making them obedient to thy Will Seeing we have so rich a Treasure so liberal a Distributer of the same how is it possible we should not rise in Hope Justice hath sound out a way to strike the Innocent and cannot Mercy find a means to save the Guilty Assuredly yes for it is a greater Miracle that God should be condemned and crucified than that Man should be acquitted and live If therefore we have the greater we have no cause to sear the less for Justice has executed her Severity upon the Innocent and Mercy will shew her Favour upon Offenders Yea if it was Justice that the Innocent should be condemned and executed for to make Satisfaction for Sin it is Justice also that the Offenders for whom he suffered should be discharged from that Debt that the voluntary Surety hath fully paid Therefore although Grace is not due to a Sinner as a Sinner yet it is due to him as he is redeem'd It is Mercy that a Sinner should be saved in respect of the Sinner but it is Justice in respect of Christ the Just was handled as a Sinner that Sinners might be accepted of as just foâ—… it is not agreeable to Justice that one Offence should be twice punished Hâ—… hath joyned he hath united himself to us As he cannot be condemned again so cannot we likewise be condemned except we break Union and wilfully fall from him O let us admire love and adore this great Love of our Lord Jesus Christ and then we shall never break Union with him or fall from him but be inâ—…allibly saved by him The Sentence of Death being given forth against Jesus they laid that heavy Tree upon his Shoulders that had been unmercisully battered with Whips torâ—…enting him not only with the Sight but the Weight of that which was appointed to be the Instrument of his 〈◊〉 Which painful Burthen with â—…he sull Weight of all our Sins he refused 〈◊〉 to take upon him but went on his way with great Alaâ—…ity both in Love towards us and in Obedience to satisfie his Father's Justice as a true Isaac bearing the Wood for the Sacrificing of himself But whither doth our Lord go What has he to do upon this stinking Hill of Calvary which being a place of common Execution is tainted with puâ—…rified Bodies To be sure he will find there no sick Persons to cure no Devils to cast out no Temples wherein to teach but there he will find Dead to raise and Sinners to forgive there he will find many scattered Souls of executed Offenders which expect his coming which as the true Elizeus thy dead Body should restore them to Life What should all this mean that our Saviour has not only made choice of an infamous Death but of an infamous Place the Place was infamous but the Death was accursed for cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree It did not satisfie his Love to die for us but he must die the most accuâ—…sed death to assure us thereby that he had delivered us from the Malediction of the Law Certainly our Saviour's Death containeth many Mysteries It is not enough for us to say that he died for us but we are further to consider how ye would die which was by the ignominious death of the Cross with whom also even with Malefactors When in the principal strength and beauty of his Age In what Year in the great Year of Jubilee Upon what Day at the great Solemnity of the Passover even when they did celebrate the Figure of him In what place on the Mount of Calvary only made glorious by his Death He was neither privily made away nor tumultuously slain he dyed not in a Corner that dyed for all the World he was condemned in the publick place of Judgment and suffered upon the common place of Execution upon a Day and a Year of the greaâ—…est Solemnity that could be God set him upon the Stage of the Woâ—…ld to declare as well his Fury against Sin as his Love and Mercy towards Sinners O glorious Calvary where the Prince of Light did encounter and overcome the Prince of Darkness where at one instant our Life for a time ended and our Death did for ever dye Therefore let us not only seek our Saviour in the Temple but upon Mount Calvary for in the Temple he scourged Sinners but upon the Mount he died for them upon that he opened his Arms to embrace them It was objected against him that he was a Friend to Publicans and Sinners True he was a true Friend to them indeed but his Friendship did never more plainly appear than in this Action and upon this place
〈◊〉 to the Cross and set to the 〈◊〉 show and shame of World What shall I say God in his Humanity died Stay O our Souls or we are not able to step any father Hâ—…b 1. 3. Lord I heard thy Words and was afraid I saw thy Works and my Bowels were troubled I was amazed and my Lips did shake Certainly our weak Faculties are unable to comprehend this great Mystery They can never reach this boundless Height they can never fathom this bottomless Depth we may coldly speak of it and drowsily affect it but Principalities and Powers stand astonished at itâ—… Therefore let us list up our heavy and and dull Souls after him even after the Man of Grief Isa 53. But he was wounded for our Transgressions he was crucifiâ—…d for our Iniquities the Chastisernert of our Peace was upon him by his Stripes we are healed But O King of Glory what hâ—…dst thou deserved what hadiâ—… thou done Pilate could find in thee no Cause of Death but only the abundance ofthy Goodness and Love for it wasâ—…our Sins that thus distressed thee â—…hese Nails these Whips these Sâ—…reams of Blood are perpetual Monuments of our wicked Lives Pilate Caiaphas and all the rest either thy Judges or Tormentors whom we charge with this cursed Cruelty towards thee were only secondary and instrumental Causes we are the principal Cause of all thy Troubles and Afflictions we cannot shift it to any other but say every one to himself as the Prophet Nathan said to David thou art the Man I am the Man I am he that did thus afflict thee we have committed the Offence and thou wouldst bear the Punishment We have surfeited our selves with Sin and thou wouldst take the bitter Potion to purge us Thou didst fast for us in the Wilderness thou didst sweat for us in the Garden thou didst bleed for us upon the Cross so thy Head underwent the Cure for the Members O then that our Heads were but Fountains of Tears that we might therewith wash the Wounds und bathe the Bruises that our Sins have made O Lord let us worship and adore thee for thy Loving-kindness is very great let us praise thy Holy Name and give unto thee hearty Thanks because thou hast so loved us as with thy most precious Blood to wash away all our Sins and reconcile us again to thy Father's Favours Blessed art thou therefore for ever who art the Reconciler the Redeemer and Saviour of Mankind the Vanqâ—…isher of Hell and of the Devil the Giveâ—… of Life the Destroyer of Death What doth stay our Hearts O Lord that they run not unto thee Is any Clog so heavy any Chain so strong that can either hold or hinder us from hastening unto thee If all the things of this World are nothing but a Flower fresh to Day and dead and gone to Morrow shall such light Matters as any thing this World can afford in comparison of thee keep us from coming to thee No Lord Can a small weak Wind stay a heavy Stone in the Air from falling to its natural Place Shall the light Chaff of this World for all is no more stop our coming to thee who art our last End our perfect Felicity the true Rest and Center of our Souls No. Come unto him all hungry and thirsty Souls this is the handful of Meal 1 Kings 17. and the little Oil of the Widow of Sarepta which will never waste this is the mystical Rock which Moses struck with his Rod in the Wilderness Exod. 17. 6. out of which gushed forth Rivers of Waters of Life all you that dislike your sinful Birth may be born again John 14. 4. Come all afflicted Consciences this is the good Samaritan who will pour Oil and Wine into your Wounds Luke 10. 34. Come all you that are oppressed with Poverty bring hither your empty Vessels 2 Kings 4. This is the Pot of Oil of the Widow that came to Elizeus wherewith and by no other means you may pay your Debts Be not discouraged because it is little the Vertue thereof is great it will never cease running as long as there is any Vessel to fill Come all ye that desiâ—…e to be at Peace with God this is the perfect Peace-Offering this is the sweet Sacrifice whose Blood crieth not for Vengeance as did the Blood of Abel but crieth for Pardon for all Offenders This is the Gate through which we must pass if we go into Heaven this is the Ark whereinto we must enter if we will be saved this is the Palace of Peace Psal. 132. 14. This is my resting Place for ever and ever here will I dwell for I have a delight herein How our Saviour was mocked and reviled and how he prayed for his Enemies Matt. 27. 39. And they that passed by reviled him wagging their Heads AFTER they had thus cruelly crucified Jesus the High-Priests with the Scribes Elders and Pharisees and after them the Multitudes so prevalent are the Examples of great Men that also the Soldiers tormented him and one of the Thieves that suffered with him reviled and blasphemed him disgracing the Doctrine he had taught one upbraids him and says Thou that destroy the Temple and buildest it again in three Days save thy self Another bid him come down from the Cross and they would believe him Another cries He saved others himself he cannot save Another He trusted in God let him deliver him if he will have him for he said I am the Son of God He that suffered for all had all against him and among all that great Multitude that at that time was at Jerusalem there was not one who would openly avow Jesus to be the Christ whereby our Lord Jesus would shew to us That our Redemption is his singular Mercy and Grace for there was not one but what made himself unworthy of it some for Malice persecuting others for Fear disowning the rest not regarding of him as thinking that which concerned them most concerned them nothing at all And it was a Mystery that our Saviour was condemned by the Jews and afterwards by the Gentiles That he was delivered by the Jews to the Gentiles that he was pursued to Death by the one and by the other who died indifferently for them both Go to go to ye base Children of the Synagogue mock on Leave you have in regard to us double your Malice in Revilings if you please you do us greater Kindness thereby than you are sensible of for look how fast his Infamy doth grow so fast doth our Shame decrease Whatsoever will do us good he hath imparted to us and hath taken to himself whatsoever might do us harm But in regard of your selves O ye stiff-necked Jews it had been better your Tongues had been torn out of your Throats than they should have been thus impiously employed all your insulting is but like the putting of a red hot Iron into cold Water to make a great Noise to extinguish your selves For since you have disavowed
the God of your Fathers and have said you would have no King but Caesar since you have said His Blood be upon us and upon our Children since you have maliciously taken away his Life and reproach'd his Death your Walls have been thrown down your Temple burnt your Kingdom ruined your selves either slain or captivated or chased into strange Countries where you have been hâ—…ted and oppressed and never suffer to knit into one Body again which Curse shall be upon you to the end of the World As you have quitted him and delivered him to the Gentiles so hath he ever since discharged you and planted his Church especially amongst them As you have renounced your King who was so plainly prophesied and so long expected and betaken your selves only to Caesar so he hath delivered you into Caesar's Hands he hath given you your Choice but it cost you dear it cost you the Lives of eleven hundred thousand Persons in one Siege besides ninety thousand who were made Captives And because you did not only say Let this Blood be upon us but also added and upon our Children you have your Desires for your Posterity have been dispersed and despised in all Countries and in most Piaces evil-entreated So it often falleth out that the Wicked have no greater Punishment in this World than the Accomplishment of their own Desires It is the common Reward of Evil Doers to be the Instruments of their own final Ruin But with respect to our Saviour what can be sufficiently said To be so afflicted as never was any for he was despised and evil-entreated in the midst of all his Afflictions in all Calamities it is some Comfort to find some Compassion we desiâ—…e generally if we cannot be delivered or eased to be pittied to see some that condole our Misery who wish us well who want not the Will but the Power to relieve us But these Bandogs of Satan these Hell-hounds had utterly put away all sense of Humanity from them They were so far from Pity that they were mightily pleased and satisfied in seeing the unheard of Cruelty of themselves and Calamity of our Saviour Again a generous Heart is more touched with Grief to see his Enemies take pleasure in his Death than to endure it yea oftentimes a free and noble Spirit taketh not his Death from his Enemies so unkindly as one spiteful and abuâ—…ve Word Again these Injuries and Despites wâ—…re so much more sensibâ—…e to the Son of God by how much more than others he deserved the contrary For in all our Calamities it doth much ease the pain we endure when we compare it with the Fault we have committed But because our Saviour could compare these Contempts that were put upon him not only with his Faults nor his Innocency only but with his innumerable and inestimable Deserts he did the more grieve at them or rather at the Malice from whence they did proceed And further his Love was so great for the Salvation of Mens Souls that his Torments were not so grievous to him as to see that they did his Tormentors no good It was worse than Death to him to see his Executioners would make no profit of his Death even as a loving Friend esteemeth less his Labour for another than to find it unprofitable and not accepted or as a good Mother grieveth more at the ungâ—…ateful and ungracious Behaviour of her Child than at the Travails she endured at its Birth But O impudent and audacious Jews wherefore did you misreport what Jesus had said A thing well spoken may easily be corrupted by Report Jesus did never say I will destroy but destroy you this Temple He said not I will build it but I will raise it in three days not meaning your material Temple but his own Body John 2. 9. which was indeed the true Temple of God not in a Figure but really and personally Because in him dwelleth the fulness of the God-head bodily Col. 2. 9. And was it not sufficient for you to blaspheme Jesus but must you stâ—…etch out your Throats into high and horrid Blasphemy against the most High He trusted in God let him delivâ—…r him if he favoureth him What! do you think God was not able to deliver him out of your Hands Or must he deliver whom you please or when you please or after what manner you will prescribe Did ever any trust in God and was not delivered Or did God ever finally forsake those whom he favours Or is delirance from temporal Calamities an assured Sign of God's Favour No. Certainly God delivereth the wicked out of desperate Distress many times he suffereth the Godly to sink under bo dily Oppressions but this is no concluding Argument that he favoureth the one or forsaketh the other O ye great Doctors of the Law that by Prosperity and Adversity judge of the Favour or Hatred of God tell us then whether God loved best Abel or Cain Jacob or Esau Tell us wherefore were not the Prophets delivered from Death who were murthered by your Fathers and whose Sepulchers you did build If such Deliverances be an infallible Argument both of favour from God and trust in him verily the Judgments of God are not only secret and unsearchable but for the most part counterpoint to that which the natural sense of Man would prescribe Temporal Occurrences may go and come we may flourish or we may wither in this World as God in Mercy or Judgment may see best for us But nothing makes a Man miserable or happy but that which is eternal O crucified Jesus on the Cross we love thee on the Cross we adore thee on the Cross we believe in thee who upon the Cross didst give thy self to Death for us what hath a Man more than Riches Honour and Life all which thou didst bestow upon the Cross to redeem us For thou who diâ—…st create all things didst hang naked upon the Cross thou who thought'st it not Robbeâ—…y to be equal with God wast numbered with Malefactors thou who at the Lord of Life didst suffer a most shameful Death and that we may not fall short of this great Benefit that thy precious Blood be not unprofitably shed for us we prostrate our unworthy Souls and cry unto thee not as the Jews did to come down from the Cross but which is more to raise us up and fasten us unto thee for they whom thou lovest are known by nothing more than by taking paâ—…t with thee in thy Passion not to save thee but to save our selves Save us Lord from our Sins save us from the Power of all our Spiâ—…itual Enemies from the Decei's of this wicked World save us from the flattering force of our own Appetiâ—…es which is the mightiest and basest Tyrant we have to deal with defend the Dignity and Glory of our Souls from being Slaves-to our sensual Lusts that we be not captivated to the false Pleasures of this Life Deliver us from variety of worldly Desires from vain Hope from
so much as one Drop unto thee unless it be in exchange of everlasting Life Of the Death of our Saviour and how they opened his Side with a Spear Matth. 27. 50. Jesus when he hath crye again with a loud Voice yâ—…lded up the Ghost AFter when Jesus knew that all things were performed he cried with a loud Voice and bowed his Head and gave up the Ghost and the Sun was darkened the Veil of the Temple rent through the midst John 19. 30. And the Earth did quake and the Stones were cloven and the Graves did open and many Bodies of the Saints which slept arose and came out of the Graves after his Resurrection and appeared unto many Luke 23. Matth. 27. When the Centurion and they that were with him watching Jesus saw the Earthquake and the things that were done they feared greatly and said Truly this Man was the Son of God What is this O gracious Lord God! who ever saw two such Contraries combined together Whoever saw such Misery joyn'd to such Might when was so great Glory accompanied at any time with so great Grief Who is he that is so humble and yet so high Who is so powerful and yet so poor He that is contemned on Earth is honoured in Heaven he that is fastned naked to the Cross maketh the Earth to quake he that died raised the Dead to Life O our sweet Saviour thou didst now manifestly declare who thou wast and wherefore thou camest into the World The Centurion and they that were with him did acknowledge thee to be the Son of God and the Dead whom thou raisedst to Life did testifie that thou camest to overcome Death We will make no account of the Jews scoffing at thee seeing the Heavens the Earth the Living and the Dead did witness for thee And thus likewise in all the other Passages of his Life our Saviour did so bear and behave himself that he never did so high a Miracle but therein his Humanity did appear nor did he ever so mean a Work but his Divinity did therein shine All his Actions participated of both his Natures in every thing that he did or suffered the Glory of the one was joined with the Humility of the other It was great Humility to be conceived but it was great Glory to be conceived by the Holy Ghost It was great Humility to be born but it was great Glory to be born of a pure Virgin It was great Humility to be born in a Stable but it was great Glory to be worshipped of the Wise Men. It was great Humility to lie among Beasts but it was great Glory to be honoured by the Angels It was great Humility to be circumcised but it was great Glory to be named Saviour It was great Humility to be baptized among Sinners but it was great Glory that the Heavens opened and that the Spirit visibly descended upon him Lastly it was great Humility to die upon the Cross but it was great Glory that both Heaven and Earth were disturbed thereat That all Creatures adored his Death except Man only for whom he died The Sun beholding his great Creator naked drew in his Light to cover him with Darkness for as our Saviour was betrayed apprehended scorned reviled spit upon and buffeted in the Night so it was not inconvenient that the residue of this Work of Darkness should in Darkness be accomplished even as he said to the Jews Luke 22. 52. This is your very hour and power of Darkness But let us consider here are three Miracles before us First That this Eclipse of the Sun happen'd on the Fourteenth Day of the Moon that is in the full Opposition of the Sun and the Moon Whereas natural Eclipses happen in their Conjunction when the Moon is directly interposed between the Sun and our Sight It continued the space of three Hours whereas natural Eclipses continue not above the fourth part of an Hour and hardly that It was a total Eclipse which never happened by the Interposition of the Moon by reason it is so far inferiour to the Sun in magnitude What then shall we say but that the Sun drew in his Light because it should not display so sad a Spectacle That the Heavens hid their Beauty and suited themselves to their Makers State that they covered the Body of Jesus that was sacrilegiously used with Darkness as with a Veil One Star shewed the Glory of the Lord at his Nativity but the most glorious Star peâ—…formed this Service at the time of his Death neither was this Darkness ever better resembled than by the Darkness that was spread over the Land of Egypt but now over Goshen where the Jews did inhabit At this time the Land of the Jews only was darkned and all other Countries remained Light And that time the true Light was only among the Jews since this time they have been the greatest Strangers to it And at the end of this Darkness when Jesus cried with a loud Voice and yielded up the Ghost the Earth trembled also and the Rocks did rend whereof in the Land of Jewry in the Kingdom of Damascus and in the Mountains of Arabia Monuments and Accounts of it remain unto this Day Therefore do not think O ye Jews as his Life ended so did his Power He that laid down his Life retaineth his Power both in the Heavens and upon the whole Earth and was a less Matter to rise again than to suffer himself to die You cannot say that these things which were done at the very Hour of his Death were done by any ordinary means wherefore you must acknowledge in him Divine Majesty or Devilish Malice in your selves You were maliciously bent against him indeed but if all Men in the World oppose and be against him you see by what means he is able both to declare his Glory and his Power when no Man either durst or would open his Mouth in his Defence He did but utter his Voice and Five great and terrible Tongues did speak for him The Sun which is the lively Lamp of the World the Earth the Rocks the Veil of the Temple and the Dead when all Men were silent the Elements the Stones the Dead did speak they all preached his Mercies and thundered forth his Threatnings O good Jesu it was a great Voice indeed whereat the principal Powers of Heaven Earth and Hell diâ—… shâ—…ke which did astonish the Living and the Dead As the Cry of our Sins did reach to the Justice of thy Father so did thy Voice reach to his Mercy Thou didst cry with a great Voice to call the Living and summon the Dead that if any should lose himself if any would not be converted to thee it should not be because he was not called but because he would not come But woe be to every Soul which is not converted which will not come woe be to every Soul that is not moved at this Voice this mighty Voice O crucified Jesu have Mercy upon us poor