O change the hard Fetters of Fear into the inestimable Chains of Love That dreading thy Justice we may avoid whatsoever may expose us to it and may dwell for ever in the Contemplation of those Good things which thou hast wrought and prepared for them that love thee SECT VIII Of the Agony of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane NOW there was a Valley between Jerusalem and Mount Olivet of the vast Profundity of 400 Cubits called Cedron from the Obscurity of the place where Foggs and Mists seem'd to dwell in the bottom to such as lookt down into it from the Temple and a h 18.1 Brook running there of the same Name Which Brook sometimes swell'd with impetuous Torrents descending from the hard and lofty tops of Mount Moria and Mount Acra sometimes it trickled with a gentle Murmur in its own Source without additional Waters inviting the wearied Traveller to rest an Emblem of the Vicissitude of Humane Condition and the wavering Image of capricious Fortune whereby a Man is sometimes over-born with Force according to that of David k Psal 69.1 2. Save me O God for the waters are come in even to my Soul I stick fast in the deep Mire where no ground is I am come into deep waters so that the Floods run over me sometimes there is a wonderful Tranquility and Smoothness over the Face of all his Affairs which burys the apprehension of the least Storm At this Water-course being the Sink of the holy City they us'd to cast in every accursed thing as the Powder of Maachah's l 2 Chron. 15.16 Idol which Asa stampt and burnt there the Idolatrous m 2 Chron. 30.14 Altars that were in Jerusalem and the n 2 King 236. Grove that was taken out of the House of the Lord and all the o 2 Chron. 29.16 uncleanness that was found therein Which is the reason of that Metaphorical way in Scripture of understanding Affliction and Troubles by Water and particularly of those Words concerning our Blessed Saviour who after passing this was to enter upon his Sufferings That he should p Psal 110.7 drink of the Brook in the way Nor may we hope to be exempt from it who have given up our Names to be his Followers since in the Torrent of Tribulation are found the living Waters of Comfort which spring up in the Soul unto eternal Life Here holy q 2 Sam. 15.23 David past in Grief when he fled out of his Palace from his Son Absolom and all the Country wept with a loud Voice And now this r Mark 12.35 Son of David passes over it sorrowing in his way to Mount Olivet where grew abundance of Olives to meet the Anger of his incensed Father due to the rebellious Children of Men. The f Gen. 8.11 Olive signifies Peace and t Psal 104.15 Oyl Gladness prefiguring it may be the Reconciliation to which his Sufferings there were preparatory and the Joy they should create to all Believers But to him it was to be the Theatre of unexpressible Dolours and to which the Disciples followed with a sad Heart fearing and trembling for the Words he had spoken u Zech. 13.7 Matt. 26.31 That in this night the Shepherd should be smitten and the Sheep of the Flock should be scatter'd abroad We read at other times they went * Luk. 10.1 before into every place whither he himself would come But the Evangelist has observ'd now they x Lide 22.39 follow'd him as unable to precede in the way of Sufferings for poor Nature abhors the Cross and clings to the Principles of Self-preservation though after he had sanctified it it became more agreeable and they embrac'd it with Alacrity as desirous of nothing more than to bear about in their Bodies the Dying of the Lord Jesus and to be made conformable to his Death believing That in following him they should arrive at the same Glory And our y 2 Cor. 1.7 hope is stedfast that as we are Partakers of the Sufferings so shall we be also of the Consolation At last they arriv'd at a z Matt. Village called Gethsemane scituate at the foot of the Mount of Olives where were many pleasant Gardens into one of which he entred with his Disciples as chusing a place for his satisfactory Pains answerable to that of the first Scene of Humane Misery a Gen. 2.8 where Adam fell and ruin'd Mankind and wherein he might best attend the Offices of Devotion Prayer and Meditation before his Crucifixion Here the second Adam would begin his Passion in order to our Redemption from that contagious Guilt spread over his Posterity by the first Man here he would become obedient unto Bonds and mercifully take our Sentence upon himself that he might free us from all Bondage of Satan and vindicate us into the Liberty of the Sons of God Behold then on this Stage three marvellous Agonies of God and Death Joy and Sorrow the Soul and the Flesh beginning in the Sweat and Blood of our dearest Lord but ending with the loss of his precious Life God and Death were two things very incompatible since God is the first and the most universal of all Lives who banishes from him all Operations tending to Death And yet the Son of God having taken upon him our Nature would suffer in it all the Pains that could attend Death to rescue us for whom he died from the Pains of Death eternal The Joy of Beatitude was an absolute Fruition of Celestial Delights and Comforts without any mixture of what might interrupt it or be displeasing And yet the blessed Jesus would suffer his innocent Soul to be overwhelmed with inexpressible Griefs and to descend by our Steps to the Anguishes of Death to raise us to the greatest Joys of Life There was also a great Duel between the affectionate Love and the Virginal Flesh of Christ His Soul did naturally love a Body which was so b Heb. 10.7 Psal 40.70 obedient to the Will of his Father and his Body follow'd wholly the Inclinations of his Soul There was so perfect an Agreement between the two Parties that their Separation must needs be most dolorous Yet Jesus would have it so and for Witnesses of the Combat takes with him c Mark 14.33 Peter and James and John commanding the rest to d Mark 14.32 sit down and compose themselves till he should go and pray yonder that they might not be moved with any thing that should befall him but keep themselves steady against the Fears of Danger But these three Disciples who had seen his Sublimity in his e Mat. 17.1 2. 2 Pet. 1.18 Transfiguration upon the holy Mount he would have be present at his extream Dejection By that they had an undeniable Proof of his Divinity when they were so ravisht at the Glimpse of it that they desir'd to dwell there By this they were to know the Truth of his Humanity and be able
THE HISTORY OF Christ's Sufferings Composed out of the Prophets Evangelists Apostles Fathers and other holy Writers WITH Aspirations or Prayers Suitable to each Section In Order to an entire Resignation of the Soul to the Will of God according to the Example of Christ By DUDLEY GARENCIERS Rector of Waverton near Chester Phil. 2.5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus LONDON Printed for S. Lowndes over against Exeter-Exchange in the Strand 1697. THE PREFACE O God Eternal the Father of Mercies who desirest not the Death of a Sinner but rather that he should turn from his Errours and be saved and hast given me this Opportunity of Contemplating the Passion of the Lord Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent into the World for the Redemption of Man through Faith in his Blood Grant me I beseech thee suitable Apprehensions to the Dignity of so adorable a Subject That all vain Thoughts carnal Desires Prophaness and Infidelity being secluded from my Soul I may penetrate into the hidden Mysteries of the Cross on which thou hast erected the Throne of thy Love admire and praise the Methods of thy Wisdom at which the very Angels in Heaven have been astonished learn thence the Duties of Faith Hope Charity and all other Christian Graces and in perfect Imitation of my Saviour's Virtues trample under foot this World and obtain Happiness and everlasting Life THE CONTENTS SECT I. OF the time of the Passion and our Preparation for the Thoughts of it Pag. 1. SECT II. Of the Mercy of Christ toward Judas and the Ingratitude of that Disciple 6 SECT III. Of the Divine Predestination in respect of the Betrayer 11 SECT IV. Of the Grief of Christ for the Apostasie of his Servant the dreadful Condition of such as fall from him and the happy Privileges of persevering in the Faith 13 SECT V. Of the miserable Departure of Judas from the Presence of Christ and his selling him to the Chief Priests 20 SECT VI. Of the Benignity of Christ supporting his Disciples in the Absence of the Betrayer against the time of their Trial. 27 SECT VII Of the Legacy of Comforts Christ left to the Faithful and his leaving Jerusalem for a Terrour to Infidels 37 SECT VIII Of the Agony of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane 42 SECT IX Of Christ's Prayer in his Agony and his admirable Resignation of himself to God 52 SECT X. Of Christ's Anxiety for the Security of his Disciples 56 SECT XI Of the Candour of Christ towards his sleeping Disciples and his Continuation in Prayer to God 61 SECT XII Of the Glorious Effect of Christ's Prayer and God's Fatherly Kindness to all that call upon him faithfully 66 SECT XIII Of the Apprehension of Christ by his own Permission and the Horrour of the Jews Hypocrisie 70 SECT XIV Of the Rigour of Christ's Enemies at his Apprehension Pag. 82 SECT XV. Of the sorrowful Separation of Christ and his Disciples his first Examination before Caiaphas and incomparable Clemency towards his Enemies Pag. 86 SECT XVI Of the False Witnesses that arose against Christ and the Wickedness of the High Priest 96 SECT XVII Of Peter 's Fall Pag. 106 SECT XVIII Of Peter 's Rise Pag. 109 SECT XIX Of the Barbarity of the Multitude towards Christ Pag. 113 SECT XX. Of the Prosecution of Christ before Pilate and the miserable Despair of Judas thereupon Pag. 116 SECT XXI Of the deplorable End of Judas Pag. 126 SECT XXII Of the Wonderful Providence of God in the manner of Christ's Death Pag. 128 SECT XXIII Of the Obstinacy of the Jews to put Christ to Death and of the true Nature of his Kingdom Pag. 133 SECT XXIV Of Pilate 's first Declaration of Christ 's Innocence Pag. 144 SECT XXV Of Christ's being brought before Herod and the Unhappiness of Atheistical Greatness Pag. 148 SECT XXVI Of the Indignities done to Christ by Herod and his Officers Pag. 151 SECT XXVII Of Pilate's second Declaration of Christ's Innocence Pag. 154 SECT XXVIII Of Pilate 's third Declaration of Christ's Innocence and of the Scourging of his Body Pag. 158 SECT XXIX Of the Injuries done to Christ by the Roman Soldiers Pag. 164 SECT XXX Of Pilate's fourth Declaration of Christ's Innocence Pag. 166 SECT XXXI Of Pilate's fifth Declaration of Christ's Innocence Pag. 170 SECT XXXII Of Pilate 's sixth Declaration of Christ's Innocence his giving Sentence against him at the Importunity of the Jews and the Miseries which ensued thereupon to their Nation Pag. 178 SECT XXXIII Of the Procession of Christ to Golgotha Pag. 190 SECT XXXIV Of Christ's Prediction of the Miseries of the Jews Pag. 196 SECT XXXV Of the Bitter Potion given to Christ at Golgotha Pag. 201 SECT XXXVI Of the Crucifixion of Christ. Pag. 206 SECT XXXVII Of the Exaltation of the Cross 214 SECT XXXVIII Of the Scituation of Christ's Cross between two Thieves and the Title Pilate affixed to it Pag. 218 SECT XXXIX Of the Partition of Christ 's Garments anâ— the Irrision of the People Pag. 22â— SECT XL. Of Christ's Intercession to the Father 〈◊〉 his Crucifiers Pag. 2â—â— SECT XLI Of the Penitent Thief and Christ's Meâ— towards him Pag. 23â— SECT XLII Of the Sorrowful Interview between Chrâ—â—â— and the Virgin Mother his Compassâ—â—â— towards her and Love to Saâ—â—â— John Pag. 2â—â— SECT XLIII Of Christ's complaining of his being forsaken of God Pag. 252 SECT XLIV Of Christ's Thirst upon the Cross 262 SECT XLV Of those Words of Christ It is finished and the Resignation of his Spirit to the Father Pag. 268 SECT XLVI Of the Astonishment of the Creatures at the Death of Christ. Pag. 276 SECT XLVII Of the Piercing the Side of Christ with a Spear Pag. 281 SECT XLVIII Of the Burial of Christ's Body by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus Pag. 287 SECT XLIX Of the Sealing and Watching the Sepulchre of Christ. Pag. 297 SECT L. A Reflection on the foregoing History with Thanksgiving for the Death of Christ. Pag. 301 ERRATA PAge 2. line 10. read and Martyrdom l. 25. dele and so contrary p. 6. l. 22. r. his Soul p. 22. l. 17. d. Of. p. 25. l. 24. for great r. sweet p. 30. l. 11. r. Sons of God p. 36. l. penult r. thy boundless p. 40. l. 10. r. out of my p. 48. l 2. r. destitute p. 60. l. 17. r. knew it not p. 67. l. 1. r. overcome p. 68. l. 25. r. draw p. 69. l. 3. r. my Terror p. 71. l. ult d. to p. 77. l. penult r. which cursed p. 79. l. 1. r. that now p. 87. l. 7. r. Enemies p. 103. l. 19. r. was not the first p. 127. l. 18. d. But. p. 133. for Sect 18. r. Sect. 23. p. 135. l. 13. r. Protomartyr p. 141. l. 9. r. on Euphrates p. 182. l. 5. r. and whom they p. 185. l. 19. r. paps of their women p. 192. l. 24. r. had past p. 223. l. 20. r. of his death l. 22. d. That p. 231. l.
came from God he left not God so when he went to God he left not men and himself says expresly in another place Lâ— I am with you u Matt. 28.20 always to the end of the World But because he was now to be with them but a little time in a Visible Mortal Body as he had been hitherto therefore he says yet a little while and that they might more ardently enjoy him present and more diligently imprint in their minds what he should speak * John 13.33 Ye shall seek me For ye shall meet in my absence Persecution with great Fury both of Jew and Gentile insomuch that with anxiety ye shall desire my Presence of which you have thought it was x Matt. 17.4 good for you to be there Be not therefore terrified but prepare for the worst I know the desires of your Souls are with me and you would rather be for ever where I am But as I said to the Jews whither I go ye cannot come So now I say unto you Nevertheless that ye may decline as much as possible the Envy of the World which will hate you because ye are not of it and support one another under all contingencies with mutual consolation and after my Example of Patience Meekness Love Gentleness and an universal Charity trace the paths of Divine Perfection y John 13.34 A New Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another The Pharisees have obscur'd the Law by their Traditions and have indulg'd the z Lev. 19.18 Matt. 5.43 hatred of an Enemy But my will is you should love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you That ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven For he makes the Sun to rise on the Evil and on the Good and sendeth Rain on the Just and on the Unjust And that all men may a John 13.35 hereby know you to be my Disciples who have loved you freely voluntarily and plenarily without motive from abroad and according to what is in God and not what is in man Here it was that Peter throughly pierced with the rays of such immense Goodness and Clemency his Heart melting in the Fire of Love found himself unable to bear a separation and would fain know the reason why he must be left behind who had never hitherto been deny'd his Society and whither it was the Blessed Jesus would go from those for whom he had exprest and to whom he had taught so much Love b John 13.36 Lord whither goest thou Fountain of all Blessings what will become of me when thou art absent by whom I live and move and have my being If thou shalt hide thy Face all will be Barren Desolate and Night Eternal Night or whither is it Thou wilt go that we may not accompany Thee now who upon thy first call c Luke 5.11 Left all to follow Thee and ever since have d Luke 22.28 continued with Thee in all thy Temptations Have I especially been affected with so many Benefits and shall I ever fall to that Ingratitude to desert thee Have I been Elected by thee and fed with the e John 6.33 Bread of Heaven and the living f John 7.38 Waters of Comfort and tasted thy Celestial Joys upon the g Matt. 17.4 Mount and thought it was good for me to be there and Shall I leave thee at the appearance of danger Lord I am ready to go with Thee into h Luke 22.33 Prison and to Death Yea I will lay down my i John 13.37 Life for thy sake Ah Peter what hast thou promis'd Thou hast shew'd thy Fidelity but hast not consider'd how great a point of Wisdom it is to know ones self How soon may a Man lose that by negligence which he hath by much Labour and a long Time and a Mighty Grace scarcely obtainâ—d The Proud have fallen the Presumptuous been Disgrac'd the boldest talkers in the time of Peace have been most Dejected and Pusilanimous in the day of Temptation Thou esteemest thy self strong but in the sight of God who knows what is in Man will be found weak We cannot trust to our selves for that understanding is often wanting and the small Light that is in us we lose by Negligence and sometimes we perceive not our inward Blindness we are moved with Passion and think it Zeal Whenever we trust to our Stock of habitual Grace and depend on our own resolution we are then in a dangerous and declining State For what saith the Truth k Luke 22.31 Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as Wheat Thou art not apprehensive of the Devils power who lies in wait for the Souls of the Faithful and to precipitate thee into ruine as he has done Judas But I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not for he is not yet conquer'd and trampled under by the Elect. For this very l 1 John 3.8 purpose was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the Works of the Devil The conquest over him and the infernal Powers is to be a part of the m Col. 2.15 Triumph of my Cross Thou believest thou canst follow me in the way of my Passion but thou hast not yet tasted the Power of my Death For thô there have been some who have died for their Country and others have exposed themselves to be slain for their Kindred yet all this proceeded from a Carnal Affection But to die for another in the judgment of Our Lord himself or to die for an Enemy this is not of the Flesh this is the Work of the Spirit of God This n Isa 63.3 Winepress I must tread alone These strengths of Death I must first break to make a way for my Ransomed to pass And therefore tho' now thou standest take heed least thou fall o John 13.38 Verily Verily I say unto thee thou shalt not long be insensible of humane weakness for the Cock shall not crow till thou hast denied me thrice Nevertheless when I have pulled out the sting of Death and thou shalt be endued with p Luk. 24.49 Power from on High and have received the Holy Spirit to Strengthen thee and to reform thy Nature into an entire Charity then shalt thou q John 13.36 follow me without dread by the same way that I go to the Father Considering these Speeches I wonder not that St. Peter who had found such Fruit and Sweetness in the Words of Eternal Life such Virtue in this Treasury of the Power of God should think it blessedness to enjoy his Society and to partake with him in the worst of Miseries I rather grieve to see so great a mixture of Faith and Flesh I had almost said a Predominancy of the
the Flesh together into the Tree But the Sinews contracting to one anothers help and the Right hand not reaching the appointed place they proceed by cruel Acts encreasing Torment to strain it thither with their utmost Force till after many Trials with great Difficulty they nail it also to the transverse Beam Afterwards in like manner they pierce his Feet and draw and expand 'em till all his Joynts are loosed and the Nerves Veins Fibres and Bones of his whole Body are easily to be numbred according to that of the Psalmist They c Psal 22.77 pierced my hands and my feet I may tell all my Bones For the Nails being driven in the most sensible Parts of the Body where the Nerves and Bones meet in that manner that they cannot be separated without exquisite Torment they never left their torturing Activity till by their dolorous Impressions they had forced his Death Thus were those powerful hands extended in Misery which so lately had cur'd the d Luk. 7.21 Blind and e Mark 7.35 Deaf cleans'd the f Luke 17.14 Lepers rais'd them that were fall'n and loos'd them that were bound of g Mark 5.15 Satan Thus were those adorable Feet transfixt with Nails which had gone about doing continual Good and to which the h Mat. 14.26 Seas had given themselves for a Pavement and Peace preceeded whithersoever they went Thus was that Sacred Body hung upon the Wood naked and expos'd to all manner of Shame and Torment in which all the i Col. 2.3 Treasures of Wisdom and Power were hid Thus was that Face more beautiful than the Sons of Men which comforted the Afflicted and the Light of whose Countenance the Fathers and Prophets had so much desired chang'd into the Paleness and Horrour of Death What hast thou done O Beauty above all Beauties and how hast thou deserv'd this most amiable Love that thou art thus expos'd vilified and tormented What is thy Crime and the Cause of all thy Grief What is it that has laid thee on the Altar of the Cross naked bleeding tortured and dying Is it not as the Holy k Isai 53. Prophet long since declar'd That thou should'st be smitten and numbred among the Transgressours That thou should'st pour out thy Soul to Death That thou should'st be cut off from the Land of the Living and all for the Transgressions of the People The Lord has laid on thee the Iniquities of us all Thou art wounded for our Transgressions Thou art bruised for our Sins The Chastisement of our Peace is upon thee and by thy Stripes we are healed We complain of the Jews Malice of Judas's Treason of Pilate's Injustice and the Romans Cruelty but we are among thy Crucifiers and ought to look nearer home Our Treachery was the Judas which betray'd thee our Covetousness sold thee to thy Enemies our malignant Envy accus'd thee our Perjury was the false Witness against thee our Injustice the Pilate that condemn'd thee our Pride scourg'd thee our Lusts crown'd thee with Thorns and pierc'd thy Sacred Hands and Feet with Nails We we then are the Cause of all thy Grief We are the sole Authors of these sad Calamities We have eaten the sowr Grapes and thy Teeth are set an edge And shall we now give up our selves to Mirth while thou weepest sufferest and thirstest Shall we court Pleasures and pursue them with greediness whilst thou art hanging and languishing on the Cross Shall we anoint our Heads and spend our precious time in the vain adorning of our Bodies whilst thou art horrible with Spittle and Blood Shall we commit Wickedness with both hands and our feet be swift to shed Blood while thine in the mean time are fastned to the Wood and bleed And shall we crown our Heads with Flowers and Garlands while thine is surrounded with the sharpest Thorns Or shall we by repeating all this Crucifie thee afresh and put thee to an open and continual Shame Prayer O Gracious Lord who cam'st to cleanse it by thy Blood put an end by thy Grace to the Contagion of Sin Heighten our Apprehension of the Guilt of our Transgressions by making us sensible of the Greatness of thy Sufferings For certainly they had deserved eternal Confusion for whom it was necessary thou should'st be exposed to shame that they might never be confounded And their Impurities were great indeed which could not be cleans'd but by thy immaculate Blood SECT XXXVII Of the Exaltation of the Cross IT cannot be thought but the Ministers of the Jewish Malice would use all the Circumstances of Rigour and Cruelty towards a person whose Death they had so earnestly desired Insomuch that having first most barbarously hung the Thieves who were to suffer with him on either side that the Apprehension of their Miseries might encrease his Torment they at last with great Shouts and much Officiousness erect his Cross also into the Air in order to put it into its proper Station Which being a hole cut deep in the Rock capable to receive the Foot of the Cross when they let it sink in with a sudden impetuosity the violent Concussion gave infinite Torture to the torn Body of our Lord resting now only upon four great Wounds so that all his Joynts are loos'd his Inwards tremble and the Wounds of his Hands and Feet are open'd according to that of the Prophet I am l Psal 22.14 poured out like Water all my bones are out of joynt My heart also in the midst of my body is even like melting wax Here it was that burst forth the River of our Paradise the Fountain of the Blood of our Blessed Redeemer from the place of Pleasure the Body of our Lord dividing it self into four parts from the several Wounds of his hands and feet and thence descending and watering the whole Earth and washing away the Sins of all true Believers the Fountain of the m Zec. 13.1 Prophet which was to be opened to the House of David and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for Purification of their Uncleanness And may this precious Blood of the Lamb of God slain intentionally for this purpose before the n Rev. 13.18 Beginning of the World soften the hardness moisten the driness and make fertile the barrenness of our Hearts that they may be capable of those inestimable Benefits he has purchas'd for us by the Effusion of it In this also was fulfill'd his own Predictions which he had made concerning the manner of his Death That as Moses o Joh. 13.14 Numb 21 9. lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness by looking on which the People that were bitten of fiery Serpents were restored and liv'd so he the Son of Man should be up that whosoever believeth in him though wounded with the Infernal Serpent should not perish but have everlasting Life And again When I am p Joh. 12.32.33 lift up that is crucified it being an Elevation or Lifting up on the Cross I will draw all
Saving Health to all Nations and that they submitting to the Kingdom of thine Ancinted and living in Obedience to his Holy Gospel may be saved with the Remnant of the true Israelites and all that confess him to intercede for us at the Right Hand of thy Majesty in Heaven SECT XXXIX Of the Partition of Christ 's Garments and the Irrision of the People IN the mean time the Souldiers who had nail'd him to the Cross and done the cruel part which belong'd to their Office took his d John 19.23 24. garments and made four parts to every Souldier a part and also his coat Now the Coat was without seam woven from the top throughout They said therefore among themselves let us not rent it but cast lots for it whose it shall be that the Scripture might be fulfill'd which saith e Psal 22.18 They parted my raiment among them and for my vesture they did cast lots These things therefore the Souldiers did And what could they do more They handled him most Barbarously to please the cruelty of his Bloody Persecutors They had nailed him to the Cross to make sure of Death which the Chief Priests had so much desired That they had seized the poor spoil of his dying body more out of lust then any great Advantage to show and boast of it afterwards to their Companions And now they seem to be at a loss how to torment him further When behold least any kind of Ignominy should be wanting to the lamentable acerbity of his Death the insulting multitude in a malicious derision call upon him to save himself f Mark 15.29.30 31 32. And they that passed by railed on him wagging their heads and saying Ah thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three days save thy self and come down from the Cross Likewise also the Chief Priests mocking said among themselves with the Scribes He saved others himself he cannot save Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the Cross that we may see and believe g Matt. 27.43 He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him for he said I am the Son of God It is a Divine thing to Sympathize and Humanity requires pity towards a real offender because we are all subject to the same infirmities but much more towards the Sufferings of an innocent Man and cruel mockings to an Afflicted person are as so many darts adding torture to the Soul into whose wounds we should rather pour the Balsom of the most tender and compassionate Speeches For who knows how soon if left of God he may stand in need of the same commiseration But his inhumane Murderers were not satisfied to have loaded him with reproaches during his Tryal and after sentence unless they prosecute him to the very grave and when his light is set ecclipse his Fame The pains of his body they thought too little unless they might vex his departing Soul herein exercising a malice purely Diabolical to pervert him from God in his last conflict They are no longer able to reach his Body with their Hands and now they would blast his Soul with their infectious Breath heaping together in one whatsoever before they had accus'd him of or now would have the ignorant People believe to root out the credit of his Miracles and Doctrine and to imprint in the Multitude a disbelief of his Truth As if they had said ye see now and nothing can be more plain what a notorious Seducer and Impostor he was who pretended to save others and cannot save himself and how little reason we have to believe his commission from God who is thus deserted and disowned by him For he is the God of Glory and not of Infamy the God of Life and not of Death And can he be any other then accursed of his Maker who dies this accursed Death for cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree Or will God redeem his People by such an accursed wretch In this therefore were fulfilled those several Prophecies h Psal 35.15 16. In mine adversity they rejoyced and gathered themselves together yea the very abjects came together against me unwares making mows at me and ceased not With the ffatterers were busic mockers who gnashed upon me with their Teeth And again i Psalm 3.2 Many one there be that say of my soul there is no help for him in his God But God forbid that to prove himself the Messiah Christ should have descended from the Cross He might easily have done it and the Devil would have been glad of it for then the great work of Our Redemption had been hindred whereas now the grand accuser of our Elder Brother and all his evil Ministers have laboured in vain to suppress the Glory of out Lord. For the more they have endeavoured to diminish it the more it is encreased and and spread abroad in the World They derided him before Cajaphas Pilate and Hâ—rod They bound him as a Thief and represented him as a Traitor They spit upon him as a Toad and thirsted for his Death and to effect it prefer'd a Murderer They Buffeted Mockt and Crown'd him with Thorns They loaded him with his Cross Crucified him between two Thieves in the most Ignominious and Publick place They envyed him the very Title under which he Suffer'd and now all together Chief Priests Rulers Scribes Elders and People and all that had any occasion to pass by or curiosity to come thither except some few faithful exclaim'd upon him and slander'd him to obscure him in perpetual Oblivion But God has confounded all their Malice and the more they have contemn'd him has Glorified him the more and k Acts 5.31 exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of Sins and given him a l Phil. 2.9 name above every name to be ador'd by every creature Prayer O God the Father Merciful and Gracious whose pleasure it is we should confess thy Holy Child Jesus to be the Prince and Saviour of the World I Beseech thee root out of my wavering heart all Scruple Irreligion and Prophaness and from my Tongue Dispute and Blasphemy That whatsoever he has taught to be believ'd I may embrace whatsoever he has commanded to be done I may practise and in the ways of the Cross which he has sanctified I may follow him Lighten mine Eyes with the beams of that liberty which thou grantest to thy Children of serving thee in full assurance of Faith that I sleep not in the Death of Sin Call back my thoughts from their frequent wanderings in those barren Regions where the Truth is doubted and fix me by thine infinite Grace and Mercy that I may ever adore and love thee through my Crucified Lord. SECT XL. Of Christ 's Intercession to the Father for his Crucifiers OUR Blessed Saviour was now in the greatest Agonies to which the Actions or Slanders of his
Satisfaction of my Sins SECT IV. Of the Grief of Christ for the Apostasie of his Servant The dreadful Condition of such as fall from him and the happy Privileges of Persevering in the Faith WE may perceive the great Lover of Souls was extreamly troubled at the Apostasie of one of his Disciples when he express'd so much Satisfaction in the Preservation of the rest l Joh. 17.12 13. Holy Father keep through thine own Name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are While I was with them in the World I kept them in thy Name Those that thou gavest me I have kept and none is lost but the Son of Perdition Nor would he conceal the Grief of his Spirit foreseeing in him a Representation of all those who should afterwards reject his Admonitions and Benefits and trample his Love under their Feet For though we may have hitherto thought but of one Judas who falling from his Profession sold his Lord deliver'd him to his Enemies betray'd him to be crucified yet such is every one who renouncing the Faith and following the Motions of Satan and his own Lusts m Heb. 6.6 Crucifies to himself the Son of God afresh and puts him to an open Shame The Wonder if not the Grief of the blessed Angels in Heaven who n Luk. 15.7 rejoyce at the Conversion of every penitent Sinner as o Heb. 1.14 ministring to those who shall be Heirs of Salvation is to see so many Christians falling from the Truth and abasing the great Mystery of the Religion which they profess by a settled Tendency to Sin and Death Who have given up their Names but not their Hearts to Christ who have begun well and are not established who have partaken of the Holy-Ghost and have chased him away again who have eat and drunk at their Master's Table and are the chief that lift up their Heel against him A most miserable Spectacle and not to be exceeded unless by that of their departure into everlasting Punishment For as an Angel falling became the Devil so a revolting Christian is the worst of Men because of the Eminency of his former Station and will have his p Mat. 25 41. Portion allotted him with that Apostate Rebel This was that which q Joh. 13.21 troubled the Spirit of the Holy Jesus when he testified and said Verily verily I say unto you That one of you shall betray me This was that which made the Disciples exceeding r Mat. 26.22 sorrowful and to begin to say Lord is it I And O that it might have the same effect upon us to search our Hearts to examine our Faith and all our Thoughts Words and Works that we fall not among those who draw back to Perdition How sad was this Feast where both the Master and the Disciples sympathize in an inexpressible Grief One that he must be betray'd to Death by his Friend the others that one of them should be the accursed Betrayer One that he knew the miserable Estate of that Wretch for whom it had been Å¿ Mark 14.21 better that he had never been born the others that they are not yet deliver'd from their Fear which it should be of whom he spake and whose Being should be worse than not to be at all Ah! Sinners where are we Alas do we not remain under the same Suspence One of you shall betray me is a fearful Saying and the Eccho of this Voice is addrest to all and loudly resounds the Danger of Sin and Impenitency Is this to live to have a Being worse than none And can we call that a desirable Estate which will inevitably tend to the Abyss of Misery through Pains Torments Terrors and Deaths O Life how sweet art thou when thou dost fear and love nothing but God! O Death how dreadful art thou when we have forsaken him and devoted our selves to the Creature What Favours and Benedictions are there in the Life and Death of a Virtuous Man But what Horrours Anathema's and Maledictions during the Course and at the End of the wicked Life of a Sinner Blessed was that Disciple who all this while might rest securely in the t Joh. 13.23 Bosome of his Lord. Whether Grief or Fear had inclin'd his Head or whether it were the Sweetness of his Master's Actions which ever drew the Admiration of the Beholders or whether it were Love which minds not what it does but silent in a sublime Tranquility of Passions adheres to its Beloved for an Eternity not admitting the least Disunion or whether it were Excess of Rapture and Contemplation of what he writ afterwards of the u Joh. 1. Divinity of the Word surely never any Mortal had so sweet a Repose or near Approach to the Beatifick Vision Since he might lean on his Breast to be admitted to whose Feet many Prophets and Kings would have accounted it the greatest Felicity A Spirit separated from the Pretensions of the World and purified from all the Forms of the Creatures intire to God and which lives by the flames of holy Love has a mighty Privilege with the Prince of Purity and neither doubts to ask nor fears to be deny'd while ungovernable Zeal receives many Repulses and hinders not a Votary from being less * Matt. 16.23 Satan than he that favoureth not the things that be of God but those that be of Men. Peter therefore whose Rashness had often been rebuk'd yet impatient and desirous to be rid of his Fear x Joh. 13.24 c. beckon'd to him who was lying on Jesus Breast that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake And Jesus answered He it is to whom I shall give a Sop when I have dipped it And when he had dipped the Sop he gave it to Judas Iscariot the son of Simon That the y Joh. 13.18 Psal 41.9 Scripture might be fulfilled He that eateth Bread with me hath lift up his Heel against me And after the Sop Satan entred into him A Speech truly dreadful but much more the thing it self for a Man to arrive at that height of Misery through the Obstinacy and Impenitency of his Heart as to be cast off reprobated and given up to the Devil Yet such is the admirable Analogy and Proportion between the Judgments of God and our Sins when we continue to despise the means of Grace He z Libravit Iter Psal 78.51 weighs a way to his Anger as it were in Scales punishing our Sins with evil Habits our evil Habits with hard Hearts our hard Hearts with Obstinacy our Obstinacy with Impenitency our Impenitency with Damnation Judas who had wilfully given up himself to Covetousness Hypocrisie Ingratitude and Contempt of all that was Holy is now deliver'd to be obsirmated by Satan and made incurable of his Sin that being like the Devil he might never return And this is the Malediction which the Holy Ghost had long since imprecated by the mouth of David
Blessings of his Calling The dismal Figure of all Apostate wretches How great an Advantage had this Miserable Disciple to know where his Master was and where he might be found if he had made a right use of it For what does the e Cant. 2.7 Bride in the Canticles desire but tell me O thou whom my Soul loveth where thou feedest and and where thou liest down But abusing his knowledge to his own destruction and so much more wicked then the rest of the People as the Serpent was by being wiser then theother Creatures and for that a more opportune instrument of Homicide to the Devil the Devil makes use of him to destroy the Celestial Man in his Body as he had made use of the Serpent to destroy the Terrestrial in his Soul But Jesus nothing surpris'd at what he fore-knew would come to pass and to give an undeniable evidence that his Death was voluntary and not caused by the Treachery of Man prevents the Betrayer and f John 18.4 offers himself to his Enemies alone against a multitude unarm'd before their Weapons plain and sincere without regard to to their Malice He had formerly g John 12.36 hid himself when they admir'd his Miracles and h John 6.15 departed from 'em privately when they would have made him a King But now he meets them notwithstanding their Hostility because the hour prefixed by the Father was come For as we are not to tempt God by inconsiderate Rashness in our affairs so are we chearfully to resign up our selves to his will and obey him with great readiness of Mind when he calls us to â—â—ffer for a good Conscience and for the Confirmation of his Truth He teaches us Submission is the way to exaltation while he expects to ascend unto the Father from the Cross and lets us learn for the Hope of future Glory to despise all present and Momentary Evils and not consider what it is we suffer but that it brings us to the Father He might justly have reprehended 'em for their Ingratitude and Impiety against so many Benefits he had conferr'd on them or destroy'd 'em with the least breath of his Displeasure as unworthy of Life who came to destroy the Lord of it But now was the time of Mercy and not of Judgment of Patience and Long Suffering and not of Anger and the greatest Evil was to be overcome of Good He asks in the most familiar though convincing manner i Joh. 18.4 Whom seek ye and what would you have Is it an Enemy or a Robber against whom you are come with these Arms or have ye heard of any Insurrection against the State or Rebellion against Caesar that ye have made this great Preparation or do ye come out against an innocent Person who sat daily with you in the k Mark 14.44 Temple teaching and ye laid no hold on him If this be your Intention you might long since have taken him there needed not this Charge and Trouble and Pains But consider what it is to destroy a harmless Man The Blood of the Guiltless l Gen. 4.10 cries from the ground to Heaven and how much more will the Blood of the Son of God They answering said m John 18.5 We seek Jesus of Nazareth And Jesus said unto them I am He. Terrified at which Sound of the Divine Voice they went n Joh. 18.6 backward and fell to the ground The fatal Omen that all shall be cast down that rise up against the Lord and his Anointed but particular Intimation of the Fall of that People whom his Miraculous Works had rendred inexcusable For if he did this in the Form of the Lamb what will he do when he comes in that of the Lion If he did this being himself to be judged what shall he do when he comes to judge the World If he did this when he was to dye what will he do when he shall Reign eternally If such were the Dew of his Sacred Word who shall be able to abide the Thunder The least Rays of Divinity are so powerful in Nature that its very Shadow cannot be seen by us without a holy Horrour and Concern Which is the Reason that even Virtue has such venerable Attractives we cannot approach it without Love and Reverence Yea the Soul of a just Man is the o Isai 57.15 Throne of God the Theatre of his Power the List of his Courses the Field of his Battles and the Palace in which he makes his Abode which is the Cause the Saints have done so many Wonders in the World the p Gen. 7.9 Dan. 6.22 Luk. 10.19 wildest Beasts changing their Natures before them and all the q Gen. 7.19.8.16.9.22.10.21 Elements though insensible seeming reasonable to obey them But the Divinity and Humanity of the Blessed Jesus did so communicate in Effects from his Nativity to the day of his Death that no great Action past but as the Sun shining through a Cloud they gave Illustration and Testimony to each other He was born a tender and crying Infant but was ador'd by the r Mat. 2.11 Wise men as a King and by the Å¿ Luk. 2.13 Angels as a God He was circumcised after the Law as a Man but had a t Luk. 2.21 Name given him which signified him to be the Saviour of the World He fled into Egypt like a distressed Child under the Conduct of Helpless Parents and as soon as he entred into the Country the u Isai 19.1 Euseb de Demonst c. 20. S. Athanas lib. de Incarnat Vrbi Idols fell down and confest his Divinity He was presented in the Temple as the Son of Man but by Simeon and Anna was * Luk. 2.32 38. own'd for the Messiah and celebrated with Divine Praises He was baptised as a Sinner by John in Jordan but the Holy Ghost descending upon him proclaim'd him the x Joh. 3.17 Beloved Son of God He was hungry in the Wilderness and tempted as a Mortal but was supported by his Divinity and the holy y Matt. 4.11 Angels came and ministred to him as supream Lord. A little before his Passion when he was to take upon him all Affronts Miseries and Exinanitions of the most despised and abject he received Testimonies from above and was wonderfully transfigur'd upon the z Matt. 17.2 2 Pet. 1.18 holy Mount And now being to be taken by rude hands they are repell'd by the Majesty of his Person and the Glory of his Presence Seeing therefore they had no Power to take him without his Permission he recovers them out of their Confusion with the same Words saying unto 'em again a John 18.7 Whom seek ye And when they said Jesus of Nazareth he answered I have told you I am he If then you are sent to take him I resign my self I am that Jesus I am your Prisoner let these go their way That the b John 18.9 Saying might be fulfilled which
he spake of his Disciples Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none and that he might give Demonstration of his infinite Charity while to save others he would be slain himself according to that of the c Isai 63.3 Prophet I have trodden the Winepress alone and of the People there was none with me The Truth would conceal nothing though he knew it would lead him to Bonds Irrision Scourgings and Death But O God! What Hypocrisies what Counterfeitings and Lyes are there in the Intentions and Practices of Sinners whose Hearts are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know ' em Judas had sold him but is not contented unless he also signifie him by a Sign to the Multitude that he may be sure they may not mistake yet not a common token neither but full of Hypocrisie as well as Hostility d Mat. 26.48 Whomsoever I shall kiss that same is He hold him fast He draws near with a seeming Endearment and according to the Expression of Oriental Civility after Absence gives the treacherous Sign He breaks the Peace by the Symbol of Kindness He begins his Enmity with a Kiss He thought as yet his Malice was undiscover'd and he might deceive his Master by a feign'd Love that he might not endeavour to fly or hide himself Dreadful Impiety which stands in opposition to the Divine Virtue residing in the Bosom of God The design of God is to be known such as he is the design of the Hypocrite is to appear what he is not to erect a Sepulcre externally glorious with Marble Gildings Characters and Titles but within Bones Putrefaction and Ashes a Retreat of Serpents a Den of Dragons And thus it is he damns himself by the very means which should save him Professions which if true would doubtless be accepted But he mingles Virtue with execrable Vices good Actions cursed Intentions magnifies Sin by debauching Piety and might much more innocently profess wickedness It is not more remarkable that Christ throughout the Gospel has given such strict Caution we should beware of this e Mat. 16.6 Leaven and denounces the severest f Matt. 23.14 Punishment against it than that he does at this time so patiently bear with it in the known Betrayer of his Life For he treats him still with unparalell'd Kindness saying g Mat. 26.40 Friend wherefore art thou come I invite thee to Friendship tho' I know what thou hast been about I am ready to forgive thee and to restore thee to thy Station Consider what thou art doing and how little I have deserv'd it Who is it has brought thee or what has forct thee Others are instigated but thou comest of thy self and therefore thou hast the greatest Sin O Judas I pitty thee however and thy Perdition troubles me for whom I suffer in vain Alas for what art thou come for thy own Destruction and not for mine the first person in whom my Blood is depriv'd of its fruit and saving efficacy My poor Servant wherefore art thou come why in this manner and what means this Kiss Why dost thou add Hypocrisie to thy Guilt and endeavourest to out-do all in Malice Thou thinkest to deceive me and I long since knew it nor is it hid from me what thou hast been acting with the Jews and what now thou intendest to deliver me into their hands Let this convince thee how great a Crime it is to deliver the Innocent to Death At least consider whom thou betrayest and at what a price thou hast sold my Blood For tho' hitherto I have nam'd my self but the Son of Man know now thou deliverest the Son of God thy Father by Creation thy Lord by Preservation thy Saviour by Redemption thy Brother by Incarnation thy Master by Doctrine thy Friend by Election and thy Judge by final Retribution Behold how many Sins thou committest in one Act and all with a Kiss under the sign of Love This is the end for which thou art come to shed my Blood by the Office of Charity and to put me to Death by the Instrument of Peace Ah! Christian let us no longer say with our selves such a one has done us harm and no man can put up the wrong but think with our selves what our great Master said to him that betraid him with a Kiss to Death h Luk. 22.48 Judas betray'st thou the Son of Man with a Kiss who would not be softned with these words What Heart would not such a Voice bow and encline to it What Tyger what Addamant is there that it would not move Say not to me hereafter Such a one is a Deceiver such a one is a Murderer and the like and I cannot abide him I will prosecute him to Death I tell thee if he be ready to thrust his Dagger into thee and to baptize his Right hand in thy Throat kiss that Right hand and embrace that Dagger since Christ kist the mouth of his Betrayer and Murtherer Thou art the Servant I say of him that kist the Traitor for I will not cease to repeat it again and again of him that spake words to him softer than a Kiss and sweeter than the kindest Blandishments of Love For mark it he does not say O! thou Villain thou Traitor dost thou make me this Requital for all my Kindness But he only says Judas calling him by his proper Name Can'st thou find in thy heart to betray me on this fashion Yea I may observe that he calls him Friend which is a Word of great Sweetness to such an unworthy Person and after this he does not say Why dost thou betray thy Master thy Benefactor thy Lord the Messiah But Why betrayest thou the Son of Man with a Kiss If he was not thy Master yet would'st thou betray any Man who deals so courteously with thee and vouchsafes to kiss thee even when thou betrayest him with that Kiss O! what an Example has the blessed Jesus given us in this Action of Humility and Forgiveness Prayer O Light eternal and Fountain of Purity who seest all things and art incapable of Mixture Whither shall I go then from thy Spirit or where shall I hide my self from thy Presence If I climb up into Heaven thou art there if I go down to Hell thou art there also If I take the Wings of the Morning and remain in the uttermost parts of the Sea even there also shall thy Hand lead me and thy Right Hand shall hold me If I say peradventure the Darkness shall cover me then shall my Night be turned into Day for the Darkness is no Darkness with thee but the Darkness and the Light to thee are both alike and thou art he that hast covered me in my Mothers Womb. Grant me I beseech thee that Innocency of Intention that I may never go about to deceive others or to hide my self from thy Sight who seest in secret but wilt reward openly and hatest our Concealment even beyond our Sin i
so great as for a Man to conquer his Passion under Affronts and Injuries suffers it with absolute composedness of mind and as much Clemency and Commiseration opening his Mouth with the greatest Sweetness while his Face is smitten with a servile Hand If I have spoken evil bear Witness of the evil but if well why smitest thou me That I have well answered thou thy self confessest in that thou canst object nothing against my Words and therefore I admonish thee to be more wary for the future and not to act contrary to undeniable Truth Thou strikest me who hast nothing to lay to my Charge Thou strikest me who art not Judge over me Thou strikest me whom once thou didst admire Thou strikest me who have done thee no injury at all And yet I rail not against thee I revenge not my self but freely pardon thee and advise thee to be sorry Ah Christian Such are thy Saviour's Sentiments and shall the least word of disdain raise a storm in thy mind and every rash action a clap of Thunder how long wilt thou say he has injur'd me he has struck me I cannot put it up I will have his Life Knowest thou not that Revenge is only proper to weak minds and that Clemency resides always in a strong Spirit that Cruelty is Tyranny but Meekness a true Empire That to want power of retaining any bad Resentment is to be truly Invulnerable but Malice cherished fills the Soul with Darts Wounds and Putrifying Ulcers that neither God nor Man have any compassion for those who cannot grant a Pardon to an inconsiderate Action but sooner or later there are Treasures of Graces bestow'd upon those amiable Inclinations which are Mortal Enemies to Revenge and Cruelty Prayer O Dearest Lord who wast smitten Extrajudicialy with the circumstances of Despite in the Presence of a Judge yet barest the Insolency and Cruelty of the Affront with an Admirable Compassion towards the rashness of the Transgressour Give me the like Temper that I may look on Injury with the mildness which arises from a sense of my own frailty That tho' I be not able to bear it with Joy yet I may take it with Patience and pardon it and turn my eye to thee who wer't afflicted for me and wilt have me to be afflicted for thee and not to the man that persecuted and troubled me Then shall I be capable of that inestimable Benefit which thou hast propos'd on this condition the Forgiveness of my Debts as I forgive my Debtors and shall be acceptable to my Heavenly Father SECT XVI Of the False Witnesses that arose against Christ and the Wickedness of the High Priest ONE of the greatest Tragedies in the life of Man which makes the Curious to Question the Wise to Wonder the Good to Groan and the Wicked to Rejoyce is to see a Magistrate willfully pervert judgment and the Innocent opprest under colour of Justice Yet such was the Judge and the case of the Holy Jesus who being resolv'd to espouse our Miseries to the utmost would pass through the Rigors and Formalities of the Wicked cover'd with a pretext of Judgment and Equity m Matt. 26.59 The Chief Priests and Elders and all the Counsel sought false Witness against him to put him to Death Cajaphas had examin'd him about his Disciples and his Doctrine and because he had answered otherwise then he expected because he had so answered that he could lay no hold on it he resolves now to patch together an accusation out of the flying rumours of the People and therefore commanded that whatsoever they could say they should alledge against the Prisoner He had so much tenderness for his own Reputation as not to sentence him without cause but so much Wickedness as to be contented with a pretended one rather then he should escape out of his hands So there be but some Witnesses true or false he hopes it may excuse his Tyranny and Oppression Nevertheless tho' many n Matt. 26.60 false Witnesses came and according to the Psalmist o Psal 35.11 rose up against him and laid to his Charge things that he knew not yet found they p Matt. 26.60 none that is no sufficient Testimony upon which they might ground the least plausible accusation for whatsoever one spoke the next deliver'd it otherwise their Witness did not q Mark 14.56 agree together Such had been the Excellency exemplary Piety and Prudence of the Life of the Immaculate Jesus that if they pretended against him Questions of their Law they were not Capital in a Roman Court if they affirm'd he mov'd the people to Sedition and Affected the Kingdom they saw that all the World wou'd convince 'em of the Untruth At last after many attempts that his Innocency might more fully appear came two false Witnesses near the same and accuse him of a Trope or Figurative Speech which they neither understood nor his Intention when he spake it One said This Fellow r Matt. 26.61 said I am able to destroy the Temple of God and to build it in three days The Å¿ Mark 14.58 other I heard him say I will destroy this Temple that is made with hands and within three days I will build another made without hands But neither so did their Witness t Mark 14.59 agree together He had said indeed when the Jews desir'd a Sign u John 2.19 Destroy this Temple and in three dayes I will raise it up meaning the Resurrection of his Body the third day after his Death should be the Sign of his Veracity to the Whole World but the Witnesses both perverted it and added to it affirming it to be threatned against the Temple at Jerusalem and that he had a design to subvert their Worship Nor did the wiser Jews understand it otherwise which is plain from their words to Pilate after his Death * Matt. 27.63 Sir we remember that deceiver said while he was yet alive after three days I will rise again Only the Ignorant supposed it to be of the Temple and the Council willingly let it pass having no other occasion of accusation against him The High Priest being frustrated by this faultring of all the Witnesses and silence of Christ which prevented him the opportunity of laying hold on any thing from himself against him rises up in Passion his malice making him uneasie and x Mark 14.60 says answerest thou nothing What is it that these Witness against thee But there needed no reply for what should the Innocent answer against such lying and disagreeing Testimonies They had born false Witness out of his true sayings adding and diminishing what they pleas'd and yet the most Subtile and Industrious of his Enemies could not make it out that the Temple was in any danger from him Jesus therefore y Matt. 26.63 held his peace For as was the Judge such were the Witnesses as was the Council so was the Auditory they carry'd the Face of a Court
combine to destroy the Heir of the m Isal 5.7 Vineyard of God and of whom the Prophets said n Psal 140.3 They had placed the Poyson of Serpents upon their Lips o Isai 5.7 I expected Justice and behold a cry p Jer. 12.8 My Heritage is unto me as a Lion in the forest it crieth out against me and therefore have I hated it For thus in the height of their wicked Imprecations they furiously persecute Christ to his Cross crying out the more q Mat. 27.22 23. Let him be crucified let him be crucified Why r Mat. 27.23 saith the Governour what evil hath he done and a Å¿ Exod. 13.21 third time declares I have found no cause of Death in him I will therefore chastise him and let him go When he saw the implacable Rage of the Jews neither to be restrained by force nor persuasion he hop'd a lesser Draught of his Blood might stop the Fury and Rapidness of their Passion and that by exposing his Body to Scourges the Roman Usage to Malefactors he might avoid the greater Evil of condemning him to Death and that when the Jews should see him so tormented they would relent in Pity and their Cruelty abate Thus he who cloaths all was despoiled of his Garments and confounded before the People who covers our Confusion and bound to a Pillar who went before them by day in a Å¿ Exod. 13.21 Pillar of a Cloud to lead â—em the way and by night in a Pillar of Fire to give them light to go by day and night that they might escape their Enemies and his Body which was the most sacred Temple of the Deity torn with vehement Stripes from unrelenting Hands till the Pavement was purpled with a Shower of holy Blood and his Person more beautiful than the Sons of Men wholly deform'd and hardly to be known according to what himself had t Mark 10.34 Luke 18.33 foretold of his being deliver'd to the Gentiles to be scourg'd and the u Isai 53.5 Prophesie of Isaiah long before his Incarnation He was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruised for our Iniquities the Chastisement of our Peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed For if Christ had not sustain'd for us this Denudation and Confusion we could never have been cloathed with the Garment of his Righteousness or been able to have appear'd unblameable before God's Justice Seat in Heaven Behold therefore O! my Soul with devout Meditation this Portion of the Sufferings of thy wounded Jesus which was the Wonder and Astonishment of Heaven and Earth Behold with what profound Humility and Silence the great Lord of the World condescends to undergo the Punishment of Slaves Behold with what a sweet Patience this innocent Lamb yields to have his Body plow'd and furrow'd by merciless Infidels Behold him naked helpless and unpitied whilst the furious Executioner tears his Skin and tender Flesh with forked Scourges to satisfie the Cruelty of a barbarous Multitude Prayer Grant me O my God who hast laid such Severities upon thy only and beloved Son that I may never think any Austerity Mortification or Pennance too much to be undergone for that great Guilt which I have contracted by my Sins and for which it was necessary my Redeemer should thus be punished And whatsoever shall be wanting in my Sufferings for the Iniquities I have committed heal with the Stripes of this bruised Love who came to shed his Blood a Ransom for the World That owing the Cure and Salvation of my Soul to such an inestimable Remedy as that I may for ever Praise thee for thy incomparable Mercy SECT XXIX Of the Injuries done to Christ by the Roman Soldiers AFter this the Soldiers who because of the frequent Seditions and Tumults of that Nation were quartered at Jerusalem and now especially call'd together to curb the prodigious Concourse at the Feast hoping by an extraordinary and cruel Officiousness to receive a liberal Reward from the Jews whom they saw so inveterately set against him take him and use him in that inhumane manner we should hardly believe were it not faithfully Recorded They strip him and put on him a * Mat. 27.28 Scarlet or x John 19.2 Purple Robe such as their Commanders used to wear jeering him by this as Herod had done by the white and when they had platted a y Mat. 27.29 30. Crown of Thorns in stead of a Royal Diadem they put it on his Head and a Reed in his Right Hand for a Scepter All to signifie he had made himself a King but that his Kingdom was as weak and vain as those Ridiculous Emblems of his Royalty And they bow the Knee before him with a contumelious Address and mock him with a reproachful Salutation saying Hail King of the Jews And then they spit upon him and strike him with z Mat. 27.30 Reeds and their a Joh. 19.3 Hands upon his Head pressing his Temples with a thousand Punctures and forcing the Blood under the Crown of Thorns to descend upon his Cheeks and mix with his Tears and the loathsome Spittle of the People till he became truly what the Prophet had describ'd him b Isai 53.2 Without form or comeliness and to those that saw him there was no Beauty that they should desire him Prayer Whither O whither Thou great Martyr of Love shall thy Humility descend thy Piety proceed thy Compassion extend I have been proud and thou art humbled I have been wicked and thou art punished I that am a lost Man have been the Cause of all thy Weaknesses and Afflictions It is thy Love and my Iniquity which has brought thee thus low Teach me I beseech-thee to apprehend the Baseness of my Sin in proportion to the Calamities thou hast suffered for me that I may hate the Cause of thy Sufferings adore thy Mercy and imitate thy Graces For Lord what is thy Servant that thou should'st suffer one Stripe or the least Irrision for so poor a Creature And how great a Misery must it be to provoke by Sin so great a Mercy as thou hast reveal'd But thy Love is infinite and I am Dust and Ashes Let thy Holy Spirit support and sanctifie me and suffer thy self to become the Object of my present Dolours that thou mayst hereafter be the Fountain of my everlasting Joy SECT XXX Of Pilate's fourth Declaration of Christ's Innocence OUR Saviour thus c Isal 53.3 despised and rejected of Men bearing our Griefs and carrying our Sorrows Pilate thought it impossible to behold him without Pity and once more brings him forth to shew him to the People hoping so sad and miserable a Spectacle would not only draw Tears from the Eyes of the Beholders but even Showers of Blood from their Hearts and a fourth time publickly declares him innocent and that he ought no further to proceed against him d Joh. 19.4 5. saying Behold I bring him forth unto you that ye
he had z Philo. de legat ad Cajum seized on the Corban or Sacred Treasury and spent it upon an Aqueduct in the City nor could all their Petitions divert his Intentions but his Resolutions went through their a Blood to bring in the Water he thought by this act to b Mark 15.15 content the people if he consented at last that it should be as they required Nevertheless having again c John 19.13 brought forth Jesus and himself being seated in the Judgment Hall upon a high place or Tribunal made of fair d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lapidarium stone curiously wrought and for the eminence of it call'd in the Chaldean Tongue e John 19.13 Gabbatha he tries once more before Sentence if by any means he might disswade them from their intended Murther Saying unto the Jews f John 19.14 behold your King As if he had said behold the man you have brought unto me and accused under the Title of a King And what can you farther desire against him Behold he has been Buffeted Spit upon Revil'd Ridicul'd Scourg'd and Crowned with Thorns and thus stands Dejected and Derided before you Behold this Mock-King What harm can he do you What danger do you fear from such a King who is not able to help himself if he have call'd himself by that Title is he not humbled for it almost to Death If he desir'd to be or be thought such a one is he any other then what the Boys would set up and so much the worse by how much he has suffer'd What do ye decree Are ye satisfied with his punishment Will ye release him and avoid the Evil his Innocent Blood will bring upon you But Malice never wants an evil Tongue They interrupt him and without any reason cry out g John 19.15 Away with him away with him crucifie him Why says Pilate h Ibid. Shall I crucifie your King This will redound to your perpetual Disgrace if owning him for your King you shall desire him to be Crucified To which The Chief Priests answered i Ibid. we will have no King but Cesar Why speakest thou so much of a King as if we desir'd any other then the Emperor our wishes are to be free from that suspicion nor will we have this Man but Tiberius for our Lord. Alas Poor humane Nature How great is the Misfortune to which thou art subjected in this Life We never sufficiently know our own good till we have lost it and it be too late We fly from that we should seek and we seek that we should avoid and never begin to bewail our losses till they are past recovery The Jews might have possest an inestimable Treasure by the Presence and Conversation of the Son of God but choose rather to submit themselves to an intire Slavery under the Romans who had subdued their Nation whom they hated which at last they lamented among unspeakable griefs being cast into the gulf of unavoidable mischiefs by the Fury of k Joseph de bello jud Vespasian and Titus While these things were acting at the Judgment Seat l Lucius Dexter Chro. 10. Ann. Chr. 34. Claudia Procula the Wife of Pilate whether she were in part converted to Christianity or that it were by the permission of God for the farther confirmation of Christ's Innocence against all the Malicious accusations of the Jews or whether it were from the Devil to hinder if it were possible the passion of Christ whereby he should be subdued having been troubled much in her thoughts because of this Tryal for she could not repose but Jesus was in her sleep she could not speak but Jesus was on her Tongue she could not write but Jesus was under her Pen sent to her Husband a speedy Messenger saying m Matt. 27.19 Have thou nothing to do with that just Man for I have suffered many things this day in a Dream because of him But neither did this prevail and the n Matt. 27.24 tumult rather increased by how much more the Innocence of Christ appeared and Pilate was constrained to an involuntary Sentence to do as they would have it tho' against his Conscience insomuch that having call'd for Water and o Matt. 27.24 washt his hands to signifie in their own Ceremonies he disowned the Act and transferred the guilt from himself being the Minister only of the Law upon them as the Jury who would find against his Judgment he a sixth time proclaim'd the Innocence of the Holy Jesus to the confusion of the Jews and all future unbelievers saying p Matt. 27.24 I am innocent of the blood of this just person See ye to it Then answered all the People q Matt. 27.25 his blood be upon us and upon our Children A most dreadful imprecation To wish our selves accursed that we may fulfil our Malice upon another And yet how many are there who being embark'd with their Enemies care not to perish so that in dying they may glut their Eyes with the Death of those they hate An Infernal Malignity meerly Diabolical and which r Aug. l. 2. de Doctr. Christiana defiles the Devils themselves How just was it in God to involve that People and their Posterity in irreparable ruine according to their own impenitent Desires of Guilt And yet how sad is it to consider the Mercies they forfeited and the evils they incurred thereby For ſ Joseph de belio jud Hegesippus Titus Cesar Son of Flavius the Emperor about eight and thirty years after the Death of our Lord utterly overthrew Jerusalem to the ground with the slaughter of Ten Hundred Thousand by Fire and Sword besides innumerable Numbers that perish'd by Famine and Pestilence And about Sixty four years after that Destruction by Titus in the time of Adrianus Aelianus the Emperor when the Jews rebell'd under Benchocah the Pseudomessiah there were slain again by the Army of Julius Severus Five hundred thousand of the People besides what perish'd by Pestilence and Famine And that there might be a final Extirpation of the ancient City and the Words of our Saviour be fulfil'd t Matt. 24.2 That there should not be left one stone upon another which shall not be thrown down he caus'd the ruins and Foundations thereof to be digg'd up and the Stones to be broken in pieces and the ground to be left desolate Alas for Israel the chosen of God! Alas for Jerusalem the Holy City and the most Beautiful Structure in the World Alas for the Temple and Sanctuary of the Lord How are the people of God become Reprobate and his own Inheritance Deserted of him and broken with such tribulation as was v Matt. 24.21 not from the begining of the world to that time no nor ever shall be He drove Back the Waves of the * Exod. 14.22 Red Sea and suffer'd 'em to walk between two Waters as between two crystal Walls and why has he drowned 'em
in Rivers of Blood with so horrible a Slaughter that in the Siege of their City the Living sufficed not to bury the Dead He x Numb 20.11 opened the sides of the hard Rocks to quench their thirst in the barren Wilderness And why has he dried up the paths of their Women who saw their little ones die in their arms themselves unable to moisten their lips unless it were with the Tears of their Eyes He showr'd down y Exod. 16.13 14. Manna and Quails about their Camp and by a z Exod. 16.19 daily Providence supplied their wants And why has he afflicted 'em with such enraged famine that the hands of the Mothers slew their Infants and roasted 'em on Coals to satisfie their Hunger and the People greedily devour'd the Bodys Dead partly by Famine partly by Pestilence He a Deut. 32.10 11. led 'em through the Desert and the waste howling Wilderness as the Eagle stirreth up her nest fluttereth over her young and beareth them on her wings And why did he abandon 'em to Eagles and Vultures which so often made Carrion of the Flesh of his Children who were cast over the walls into the ditch of the City till it was fill'd with their putrefaction He gave them strength as a consuming Fire before which all the Nations were but as Straw their Hearts b Deut. 2.25 trembling and being in Anguish because of them And why did they become the prey of the Arms of Infidels He gave them liberty for an Inheritance and c John 8.33 freedom from Bondage as being the Seed of Abraham And why obtain'd they not so much as an honourable Servitude that there being not Crosses enough to Crucifie 'em their Enemies reserv'd 'em for Beasts to devour rather than they would derive any Service from 'em and that those who were sixteen years of age and under were sold by Cesar for thirty a penny He gave them knowledge above all Nations and made 'em a d Deut. 4.6 wise and understanding People the Admiration of the World for the Statutes he had given them And why are they become Blockish Idle and Stupid with a perpetual e 2 Cor. ◠vail over their hearts He ordain'd for 'em the Protection and Assistance of Angels and sent 'em f Exod. 23.20 before them to keep them in the way and to bring them into the place which he had prepared And why did those holy Presidents forsake the Temple crying aloud g Joseph de bello jud Let us depart hence He had destin'd 'em for Royalty and h Deut. 9.3 Empire over their Neighbours and had brought'em into the possesion of a Blessed Countrey a land i Deut. 26.9 flowing with milk and Honey And why have they not one Inch of ground now especially of that where Jerusalem was formerly built unless they purchase it with their Money only to enjoy it one hour or two in a Year and to bedew it with the Water of their Eyes after they have so often moistened it with their blood He established 'em with a Priesthood an Altar and Services such as distinguisht 'em from the rest of the World and showed 'em to be the peculiar care of Heaven and where is the Temple that Seat of his Holiness Where is the Propitiatory the Table of the Shew Bread the Rationale the Majesty of the High Priests the Comeliness of the Prelates the perpetuity of Sacrifices From whence comes it that 't is sixteen hundred years ago since this miserable Nation goes wandring through the Regions of the Earth as abandoned into an Eternal Exile without Temple without Priests without Offerings without King or Government O God Eternal how hast thou thrown down thy Footstool O God of Justice how hast thou made desolate thy Royal Priesthood O God of Vengeance how hast thou suffer'd thine Admirable Sanctuary to be prophan'd To what Sin may we attribute this but to the neglect of the Essence of the Word Incarnate and to that dreadful Imprecation of guilt on the whole Nation His Blood be upon us and upon our children For after the Son of God had shut his Eyes steep'd in Tears and Blood over the miserable Jerusalem he never yet has open'd 'em to afford it Mercy Prayer Great Eye of God which art ever open upon the Sins of all the Earth who can steal from thy piercing rages Great Hand of God who Thund rest and Lightnest perpetually over Rebellious Heads who is able to resist thy Judgments O injur'd Goodness who for the satisfaction of thy Justice rewardest the obstinate according to their desires and returnest the Wickedness of Sinners upon their Heads when they have rejected the tenders of thy Grace since thou hast given up thine own Inheritance to be punish'd in this World according to their choice what will become of those profligate Souls who have impiously devoted themselves so frequently to the Devil and importun'd thee to confound and damn ' em If such hideous Punishments to all Posterity have pursued Israel for having neglected thy Son in Bonds Afflictions Ignominy and Death What will become of those who have dishonour'd the Lord Jesus in the Chariot of his Triumph with all the Glory Power Wisdom and Sanctity of the Universe under his Feet Set a watch O Lord before my Mouth and keep the door of thy Servant's Lips let nothing proceed thence but what being in Subjection to thy Will and Holy and Harmless in its self may tend to the Glory of the Kingdom of Christ and the Advantage of my Soul Let me kiss the Son lest he be Angry and I perish in mine infidelity Let me Embrace him in his Abasement and Exinanition that he may Crown me in his Exaltation SECT XXXIII Of the Procession of Christ to Golgotha IT was now the k Mark 15.25 third hour and about the l John 19.14 sixth or near Noon For the Jews divided the day into four equal parts which they call'd hours the first from Six in the Morning till Nine the third from about Nine to High-noon the sixth from thence to Three in the Afternoon the ninth from Three to about Six in the Evening and whatsoever was done in any part of these four spaces was said to be done in that Hour and so of the Night when Pilate having wash'd away as he thought the guilt from himself thô he did not afterwards go unpunish'd for he was m Euseh in Eccles Hist l. 7. c. 8. Joseph l. 18. c. 7. banish'd to Vienna where he lived ingloriously till in despair he Slew himself gave sentence that it should be as they required und n Luke 23.25 released unto 'em him that for Sedition and Murder was cast into Prison whom they desired but deliver'd Jesus to their will to be o Matt. 27.26 Crucified Then did the Jews having obtain'd what they so much desir'd and the Roman Soldiers who could have no Tenderness for a Person Condemned under the Notion
him mournfully afar off And the pious Women who had believ'd and abhor'd his Death would bewail him Suffering Dying and Dead Our Gracious Lord regardless of the furious Multitude and q 2 Tim. 2.19 knowing who are his turns to these saying r Luke 23.28 Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me but for your selves and for your Children For behold the days are coming in which they shall say Blessed are the Barren and the Wombs that never bare and the Paps that never gave suck and so great shall be the Terror they shall begin to say to the Mountains fall on us and to the Hills cover us as if the dreadful Day of Judgment were then appearing Not that it was indecent to bewail his Passion for humanity commands a Sympathy and some pity towards the Sufferings of a real offender much more towards the misfortunes of an Innocent Person But because it was not fit to bewail him as others who died not as others die for we come to Death by Sin but Christ came to Death by Righteousness therefore he says Daughters of Jerusalem there is no necessity you should weep for me who have long since been prepar'd to go this sad procession I suffer not this for my own Sins And what you are Ignorant of this my end will bring Joy to the whole World Such Grief becomes not those who Triumph nor is Lamentation suitable to Victory But if your tenderness must vent in Tears you have reason to shed abundance for your selves and your Posterity to avert if possible those Dreadful Judgments which hang over this City and Nation For behold those adverse times are coming when Men as well as Women Young and Old Rich and Poor shall be reduc'd to such streights that they shall wish they had never been Born nor ever had Sons or Daughters Yea so great shall be the afrightment that ye shall wish your selves under the Earth rather than upon it in the Bowels of the Mountains and the Caverns of the Hills least any one should see or find you out For if they do these things in a ſ Luke 23.31 green tree in me and my Disciples What shall be done in the dry If I who have done t Heb. 4.15 no Sin who am the u John 15.1 living Vine and the * John 6.35 bread of Life pass not out of the World without this fiery tryal What shall become of those who are void of all fruit who are near to x Heb. 6.8 cursing and whose end is to be burned If Judgment begin at the House of God and all that will live Godly shall suffer persecution What shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospel Ah my dear Reader how Quick and Powerful how Sharp and Piercing is this word of God even to the dividing asunder the Soul and Spirit and of the Joynts and Marrow What a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the Heart How shall God punish us for our own Sins who is so wrathfully displeas'd with our Redeemer for the Sins which are none of his If Christ his Obedient Son were thus grievously Afflicted how shall his Rebellious Servants hope to escape unpunish'd And what must the Reprobate undergo in the day of Judgment if such be the sufferings of the best beloved Oh the infinite anger of God! Oh the inestimable rigour of his Justice who is thus enraged against his only Son his beloved Son his Son the partaker of his Essence And that not for his own Sin but because he interceded for Sinners What will become of the polluted Soul which continues still to go on securely in Sin when the Immaculate Jesus is thus tormented Let the Creature fear which has Crucified the Creator Let the Servant tremble who has slain his Lord. Prayer O thou Great God of Power and Mercy whose Lightning Flashes preceed the Thunder to give warning of thy Wrath and Terror to the Universe and who never punishest Sinners without premonition let thy sore judgments threatned against others and at last inflicted on 'em because of their Obstinacy waken our Souls out of their Sinful security to a due consideration of those means which may avoid them that we turning from our Sins thou mayest turn from thy fierce anger and leave a blessing and we Perish not For if the present punishments of the Impenitent are the fore-runners of the Eternal Torments to be inflicted on 'em in Hell thy Temporal Mercies towards returning Sinners shall be their assurances of they everlasting Favours SECT XXXV Of the Bitter Potion given to Christ at Golgotha WHile Jesus was thus painfully Travelling in the way either because they thought he went too slowly under the weight and their fury was impatient of any delay or that they fear'd he might Faint and Die and Frustrate the cruel end shame they had designed or that they would reserve his Spirits for his greater Torture having found a man of Cyrene y Matt. 27.32 Simon by name him they compell'd to bear his Cross a person by Providence z Mark 15.21 passing the road at this juncture and his name by interpretation signifying Obedient as if God would thereby teach us that none can bear it profitably but such as are attentive and submissive to his Will and that he will not suffer the faithful to be tempteà a 1 Cor. 10.13 above their ability but together with the temptation give a means to escape There were also two Malefactors led with him to be put to Death for his greater disgrace and increase of Grief by dying in their Company after he had first seen them struggle in the pangs of Death before him At last they came to b Mark 15.22 Golgotha which is the same with c Luke 23.33 Calvary a mount on the West side of the City and by signification the place of a Scull for being the common place of Execution there lay the Bones of such as before had Suffered the Frightful remains of what the ravenous Birds or Beasts had left of their devoured Carcasses a place among the Jews of the greatest impurity for none might touch a dead body and be d Num. 19.11 clean much less the Bones of a cursed Malefactor and such was every one that e Deut. 21.23 hanged upon a tree nor was any thing thought by 'em to give a greater Contagion of Pollution then the f 1 King 13.2 2 King 23.16 burning Mens Bones upon what they intended to prophane Nevertheless our Saviour who had himself also g Matt. 23.27 represented the abominations of the Hypocrites by these Emblems of defilement would descend himself to the extreamest impurities that the might sanctifie and cleanse whatsoever was impure and by humbling himself teach us the true way to Glory So different are the ways of Christ from those of the World which aims at high things by hasty ascents and the more it is lifted up falls with the greater
ruin But Christ would be dignified by the lowest abasement and by how much more he emptied himself and became poor for our sakes by so much more he was exalted to Glory by the Father and has left us an assurance of the Truth of that remarkable sentence h Luke 14.11 Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted Here being wearied and almost spent with a sleepless night past in shame and vexation a sorrowful morning of continual hurry from one judicature to another pain of cruel scourging and venomous Thorns barbarous Insolencies the weight of the Cross and his tiresome ascent to the Theatre of his Death they offer him something to Drink out of a feigned compassion as if they would now commiserate his Griefs But alas the tender Mercies of the Wicked are i Prov. 12.10 cruel it was k Matt. 27.34 Vinegar with Gall or l Mark 15.23 Wine mingled with Myrrh a nauseous Potion which they had prepar'd to mock his thirst and to stay and Afflict his decaying Spirits not thinking they were at the same time giving Testimony to his Truth For the Psalmist had long before predicted in his Person that they should give the Messiah m Psal 69.21 Gall to eat and when he was thirsty Vinegar to drink But our Saviour having tasted thereof would not n Matt. 27.34 drink Go now Intemperate and Luxurious Sinner who art strong in Wine and Valiant in excesses cloath thy self in Purple and fine Linnen and fare sumptuously every day while the Holy Jesus among dead Mens Bones and the greatest Impurities condescends to tast the bitter Antidote of thy debauches But remember the answer of Abraham in whose Bosom the once poor Lazarus then lay satisfied to Dives the Glutton tormented in Hell Flames and desiring a drop of Water to cool his Tongue o Lake 16.25 Son thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Temperance is a purgative Virtue of the Soul and exalts the Spirit by subduing the Body Is the Mother of good thoughts and leads us to God by a due consideration of our latter end when we must leave all that we have enjoy'd and render an account of the right use or abuse of 'em And surely if the p Rom. 8.18 Sufferings of this present Season are not worthy to be compar'd with the Glory which shall be reveal'd hereafter then the Religious forbearance of Temporal contentments can bear no proportion with the injoyment of God in whose q Psal 16.11 presence is the fulness of Joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore Prayer O Gracious Lord who lived'st Abstemiously and denyed'st thy self all refreshment in the greatest necessity and thirsted'st for me that I might thirst after thee Let all my Appetite be only for thee who art the r John 6.35 bread of Life which camest down from Heaven and the Fountain of living Å¿ John 4.10 Waters of which whosoever drinks shall be an everlasting t John 7.38 Spring himself never drie but fill'd Eternally with the dew of thy Exuberant Love SECT XXXVI Of the Crucifixion of Christ. THE Evangelists having attended our Lord to Mount Calvary are very short as to the cruel Circumstances wherewith he was nailed to the Cross and only u Matt. 27.35 Mark 15.25 Luke 23.31 John 19.18 say they crucified him there For our Tears are most suitable to this part of the Passion which none can be able fully to express and our powerfullest Eloquence on this Subject will be the Threnody of a broken Heart Nevertheless in expressing so little of the manner of it they have left us much to be thought on with most passionate Reflexions They force the Garments from his wounded Body and every Scourge now bleeds afresh while the hasty avulsion of the coagulated Blood causes in his tender Flesh intolerable Pain Besides the exposing his naked Body added to it the highest Indignity of Shame in the Interpretation of his barbarous Enemies who thought it so great an Ignominy to those that died to expose their Bodies to the view of the people that where the Bodys of the dead were out of the reach of their Adversaries they thought it most highly opprobrious to their Ghosts to take but their representation and affix it to a Cross His Body thus denudated but still crown'd with Thorns to add Terror to his unspeakable Grief they prepare the Cross before his Eyes the Altar on which the Lamb of God was to be sacrific'd but among the Jews the * Deut. 21.23 accursed Tree Not that Suspension was any of the Capital Punishments prescribed by the Law of Moses or that by any Tradition or Custom of the Jews they were wont to punish Malefactors by that Death but such as were punished with Death among them were for the Enormity of their Fact oft-times after Death expos'd to the Ignominy of a x Deut. 21.22 Gibbet and those being so hanged were accursed by the Law Among the Gentiles it was the worst of Deaths the Punishment of Slaves and of the most desperate Persons in the World For the Death of a crucified Man was the most continual Languishing and Tearing a Soul from the Body with most exquisite Violence and Agony in that the Hands and Feet which of all Parts of the Body are most nervous and consequently most sensible were pierced through with Nails which caused not a sudden Dispatch but a lingring and tormenting Death Insomuch that the Romans who most us'd it have thence deduc'd their Expressions of Cruciation or Pain And their Emperors which were naturally of any merciful Disposition first caused such as were adjudged to Crucifixion to be slain and then to be nailed to a Cross Now though Christ were not to die by the Sentence of the Jews who had lost the supream Power in Causes capital and so not to be condemned to any Death which was contained in their Law yet the Providence of God did so dispose it that he should suffer that Death which did contain in it that ignominious Particularity to which the legal Curse belong'd which was y Deut. 21.23 hanging on a Tree That he might become a Curse for us and abolish in his Flesh the z Eph. 2.15 Enmity even the Law of Commandments blotting out the a Col. 2.14 Hand-writing of Ordinances which was against us and which was contrary to us nailing it to his Cross So truly did he make himself of no Reputation and took upon him the b Phil. 2.7.8 Form of a Servant and humbled himself and became obedient unto Death even the Death of the Cross a servile Punishment of the greatest Acerbity enduring the Pain of the greatest Ignominy despising the Shame Having cast him on the Wood with great Immanity with the same Violence they snatch his Left hand and nail it forcing
Men unto me Gentiles as well as Jews to believe on me Prayer Be it so my Jesu O draw me to thy self and by the Eye of Faith let me ever behold thee as suffering for me that I may ever love thee But alas while I now seek thee I can represent to my Thoughts nothing but the Shadow and Appearance of a Body all crusted over with gore Blood I look for Limbs but find nothing but Wounds I look for the Ensigns of a glorious Redeemer I discern only a Skin all bloody fastned to a Cross between two Thieves and strugling under the Convulsions of Death But O Eternal Father that which has made thy Son thus vile and wretched in the Eyes of the World has made him most precious and acceptable in thy sight Look down we beseech thee from thy Sanctuary and thy Dwelling-place in Heaven and behold the Sacrifice which our great High-Priest and thy holy Child Jesus offers unto thee for the Sins of his Brethren and be favourable to the Multitude of our Iniquities Behold the Voice of our Brother's Blood crying unto thee for Mercy upon us Behold the Lamb who is without Blemish now bearing our Sins in his Body upon the Tree and look not upon us as we are in our selves but in the face of thine Anointed who becomes thus obedient unto Death to deliver us from the Guilt of Disobedience And let not the Scars of his Wounds ever depart from before thy Presence that thou may'st ever be mindful in all our Transgressions how great a Ransome he has paid for us and let his Blood be as the Rainbow in thy sight ever about thy Throne in Heaven that thou mayst no more destroy every living thing Behold O Creator the Humanity of thy Son and be ever merciful to the Debilities of our Nature Behold the torn Members of thy beloved and remember our Substance that we are but Dust Behold the Sufferings of the Redeemer and forgive the Sins of the Redeemed SECT XXXVIII Of the Scituation of Christ's Cross between two Thieves and the Title which Pilate affixed to it BUT it was not enough for the cruel Jews to murder the Messiah by the painfullest kind of Death unless they might stain his very Passion too by placing him in the q John 19.18 midst of two egregious Malefactours which for his greater Disgrace they had brought to suffer with him that by Strangers he might be thought to be a Partaker in their Crimes if not the worst of all by his Station between them and so it might be reported in the Neighbouring Regions That three notorious Villains were that day Crucified at Jerusalem of which the Impostor that went by the Name of Jesus was as being the chief placed in the middle whereby the Scripture was fulfilled which saith of him And he was reckoned among the r Isai 53.12 Transgressours Nevertheless there were some Reports went of the Purity of his Doctrine the Greatness of his Miracles the Sweetness of his Conversation and the Beauty of his Person above all the present view of his Sufferings and admirable Patience and Clemency towards his Crucifiers fill'd the Hearts of many with heavy Sighs and their Eyes with an Inundation of Tears And Pilate among the rest who best knew his Innocence and that for Å¿ Mat. 27.18 Envy he was deliver'd and condemn'd prick'd in his Conscience and fearing the Consequence lest he might be defam'd or accus'd to Caesar for consenting to the Death of such a wonderful Person without declaring the Cause of his Condemnation according to the Custom of the Romans towards Malefactors order'd his Accusation thus to be written and to be fastned to the top of the Cross t John 19.19 Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews that a Rumour at least might pass he was not put to death as a Prophet of the Jewish Nation or as the Son of some immortal God but as a Spreader of Sedition among the People and one who affected a Kingdom in Jewry For so they had accus'd him u Luk. 23.2 we found this Fellow perverting the Nation and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar saying that he himself is Christ a King And when Pilate sought to release him they cried out saying * John 19.12 If thou let this man go thou art not Caesar's friend Whosoever makes himself a King speaks against Caesar This was the meaning of Pilate by the Title whereby he Thought to signifie the Cause of his Condemnation But as in the Prediction of Caiaphas concerning his Death the Spirit of God had another Intention different from the Design of the High-Priest so likewise in this besides what Pilate thought as well as in the Mock-Purple the counterfeit Scepter and the bloody Diadem of Thorns which were mystical Representations of a real Kingdom there was intended him a Name and a Kingdom without end and he was signified to be the true Messiah the King both of Jews and Gentiles whose x Zech. 9.10 Psal 72.8.11 Dominion should extend from one Sea to the other and to whose Scepter the Kings of the Earth should submit their Majesty That this might be more manifest to the whole World it was directed by Providence in the y Joh. 19.20 three chief Languages in Hebrew because of the Jews who gloried in the Law in Greek because of the Wise-men and Philosophers of the Gentiles in Latine because of the Romans who then govern'd the Jews That it might be known throughout the whole World that almighty God had anointed this Jesus to be a King over all Nations and the z Dan. 7.14 Prophesie of Daniel might be fulfill'd which saith There was given him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed The Jews therefore envy'd him this Title lest every Tongue should confess afterwards that he was the Lord to the Glory of God the Father and desir'd Pilate that it might be a John 19.21 alter'd or abolish'd For they were now ashamed because it might be thought by Strangers this was their King who was so ignominiously put to Death But neither did b John 19.22 Pilate endeavour to alter it nor would the Divine Providence suffer it this Title being given him by the Will of God Prayer O King eternal who for the Humiliation of thy Beloved and his Obedience unto Death even the Death of the Cross has highly exalted him and given him a Name which is above every Name That at the Name of JESUS every Knee should c Phil. 2.9 10 11. bow of things in Heaven in Earth and under the Earth and that every Tongue should confess That Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father Grant we beseech thee Conversion to Infidels to all Jews Turks and Hereticks that thy way may be known upon Earth thy
Faithful expectant For whom I forget they are cut of from my Hand are cast out of the light of my countenance and reserv'd for Judgment under chains of Darkness But whom I remember to them I am merciful whom I remember to be Merciful to in my Kingdom they are Eternally Blessed in the Presence of my Father Verily therefore I say unto thee that in remembring I will remember thee and with the Righreous thou shalt be had in Everlasting Remembrance Mine Eyes shall always be upon thee and thou shalt abide under the shadow of the Almighty I will defend thee under my Wings and thou shalt be safe under my Feathers Thou shalt be with me to be with whom the Saints have desir'd to be dissolv'd and it shall be there whence neither the a Gen. 3.24 flaming Sword nor Cherubims shall drive thee from an absolute enjoyment For it shall be in the Celestial and Heavenly Paradise the place of the blessed Angels and Saints where God with his Divine Majesty fills 'em with the light of Righteousness and quickens their Spirits with Everlasting Joy Yea thou shalt be the Example and Mirrour of my Mercy wherein every Penitent may see his own condition and know that my Bounty is greater then his Sin if he will truly turn to me that I may receive him and that while there is Life still there is hope of acceptance upon a sincere and hearty repentance and a stedfast Faith And that to the end of the World whosoever shall hear thy Sins were pardon'd may never despair but trust in Mercy and turn to me and seek Salvation and find it and desire it and receive it Prayer O Sweetest Saviour when I consider this Penitent I must needs confess that even Thieves and Barbarians would have serv'd thee better then I had they receiv'd so many Favours and Graces as it has pleased thee to bestow upon me Nevertheless since by the same instance of thy Mercy thou raisest me to a lively hope of acceptance by true Repentance and a strong Faith encrease in me I Beseech thee the Seeds of both making way for my Salvation by thy assisting Grace till my Soul being purified as another Miracle of thy Goodness thou Vouchsafe to receive me to those Blessed Enjoyments which thou hast purchased with thy precious Blood SECT XLII Of the Sorrowful Interview between Christ and the Virgin Mother his Compassion towards her and his Love to Saint John NOW while Jesus was receiving the Penitent Thief there b John 19.25 stood by his Cross the Holy Virgin Mother Sad and Silent with a modest Grief deep as the Waters of the Abyss but smooth and full of Love and Patience and by her side his Mothers Sister Mary the Wife of Cleophas and Mary Magdalen and the Disciple whom Jesus loved When Jesus therefore saw his Mother and the Disciple by whom he loved then it was we may imagine burst forth those c Heb. 5.7 Tears which Saint Paul mentions to have been shed upon the Cross accompanying that Tender and Heart-breaking sight when he began first to behold her with his dying Eyes He would not acknowledge her of whose Sorrows he was most sensible least he might seem to have respected Persons or Affections But having before Prayed for his Malicious Crucifiers and then Comforted the Penitent Thief as a token that all these bitter Sufferings were to intercede for and save Sinners He now turns to his Mother in that manner the apprehension whereof must needs affect the most insensible Heart The presence of Friends is indeed a refreshment to the miserable while there is any comfort to be expected from them and two are better than one because they have advantage from their Society for if they fall one will lift up his fellow But here there was no such conveniency in the meeting which was most deplorable to the Mother standing by who could lend no assistance to her tortur'd Son and to the Crucified Son who by his incessant pains could only augment the grief of his Mother We read when he was a Child and missing but three days She sought him sorrowing among her kinsfolks and acquaintance d Luke 2.48 her Love Admiration and Meditation perpetually attending this mavellous Birth But now she may no longer find him among his Friends for they had all forsaken him and fled and left him environed with whole Troops of Enemies except those few which accompanied her there incited to it by her magnanimous constancy to be present at the Crucifixion of her dear Son For she had said in her heart where she ever e Luke 2.19 treasur'd whatsoever was Prophesied concerning his Person I will wait and expect the Death of my Beloved I will follow him out of Jerusalem tho' with the saddest thoughts and I will behold with weeping Eyes whither they bring him how they strip him how they bore his Hands and Feet how they nail him to the wood and how they lift him upon the Cross and when all this is done and they shall recede from him and stand afar off and look upon him as accursed then will I draw near and stand by the Cross of my Jesus then will I embrace the wood with my Arms and wash it with my Tears and kiss it with my Lips and thô I may not die with him yet will I fix my Eyes upon him to engrave his wounds deep in my Heart I will not now desert him dying who past by all other creatures and Children of Men to come to me the lowest of his Servants and receive from me an humble being But I will see how he goes out of this World who alone know how he came into it and in the miserablest kind of Fellowship will suffer invisibly in my Heart whatsoever he suffers visibly in his Body And thus was fulfill'd that f Luke 2.35 Prophecy of old Simeon which he spake at her Purification That a Sword also should pierce her very Soul Here then we may imagine the saddest conflict between the Soul of the Blessed Virgin and the Eyes of the Beloved Jesus which at the same time they were hastning unto Death were call'd back to look upon his Mother burning in an unutterable Flame of Love O how deep must the rays of that Vision penetrate not only her Heart but her very Soul wherewith the Lord vouchsaft to behold her dying And how opprest with Sighs and overwhelmed with Grief and drowned in Tears did she lift up her Eyes to behold his disfigur'd torn Body with the Blood distilling from the four great Wounds to behold him dying and looking upon her when she was ready to die her self There could nothing be represented to him in this view but the Martyrdom of the Soul of his dear Mother Nor could she do any thing but by most passionate reflections imprint in her heart all the Torments which he suffer'd At last after this most passionate and doleful interview wherein the rays of their
for you from the beginning of the world For I was thirsty and ye gave me Drink But instead of it they prepared a Vessel of c John 19.29 Vinegar such as might mock his intolerable Thirst and by retaining his Spirits only prolong his Torments wherewith they filled a Spunge and put it upon Hysop and put it to his Mouth They had before afflicted him in all other Parts his Head with Thorns his Face with Buffets his Back with Scourges his Hands and Feet with Nails his Body with shame and in all other Senses his Feeling with Pain his Hearing with phemies his Sight with Abominations his Smelling with the Ordure of their Infernal Mouths And now as if they intended the last Sense he should suffer in should be the same in which d Gen. 3.6 Eve first offended and Providence would make use of them to fulfil the e Psal 69.21 Scripture they gave him Vinegar to drink This was all the Kindness the Son of God received at their hands for whom he died This was all the Refreshment the Beloved of the Father was allowed while he thirsted for the Redemption of Sinners And he who feeds the Earth with the Dew of Heaven and fills all things living with Plentifulness wanted himself that we might enjoy Rivers of Pleasures in the coelestial and eternal Paradise Thus he suffer'd for our Ebriety and Intemperance in all Senses for all our Sins and dried up himself who says in the Gospel f John 7.37 If any man thirst let him come to me and drink Prayer O my dear Jesu Life of my Life and unexhausted Fountain of Mercy which can never be drawn dry to what sort of Sufferings has not thy Love Subjected thee for my sake that thou might'st purifie my Soul and present me unblamable to thy Heavenly Father To what sort of Gratitude should this induce me who know thy Blood to have been drain'd for me but a thankful Remembrance of thy Death and after thy Example an universal Charity to all that stand in need of it Yea I will receive the Cup of Salvation and I will call upon the Name of the Lord. I will magnifie his Mercy in shewing forth his Death and with confident Expectation of his coming again to Crown me with the Purchase of his precious Blood And though I am unworthy through my manifold Sins to offer unto him any Sacrifice at all yet will I present my Soul and Body to be a reasonable holy and lively Oblation not doubting but in Mercy he will accept my Service and with the same Affection wherewith he thirsted for me SECT XLV Of those Words of Christ It is finished and the Resignation of his Spirit to the Father WHen Jesus therefore had received the Vinegar all Prophecies being then fulfill'd as far as belong'd to the Life of the Messiah he said g John 19.30 It is finished or now is compleated whatsoever was predicted in the Scriptures of my Person to the end that Men might believe that I am he who was ordain'd by the eternal Wisdom and Mercy to be the Saviour of the World and so believing escape Hell and Death and be adopted into the Inheritance of the Son A dreadful Speech to the Powers of Darkness and to the Enemy of our Salvation and God's Glory the Devil all whose Desires tend to Damnation and whose Prey are the Souls of Men As if he had said Satan Thou hast hitherto tried all thy Wits to destroy me and my Gospel and frustrate the Happiness of all that should embrace it Thou hast sow'd thy Tares and the Seeds of Ingratitude in the Hearts of this People to whom I was h Matt. 15.24 first sent as the chosen of God exalted their Fury blinded their Judges animated their false Witnesses extorted my Death By thy Instinct one of my Disciples betray'd me another deny'd me the rest have forsaken me and all my Friends stand afar off or dare not own me in this ignominious place By thy Stratagems the Jews have rejected me my Followers despised and these Infidel Soldiers to consummate thy Malice nail'd me to this Tree But now the Quiver of thy Rage is empty and all thy Mischiefs shall return upon thee Nor shalt thou only have nothing in me but shalt lose many Millions of Souls by me Thy Force shall be abated Thy Kingdom wasted thy Wickedness restrained thy Acts ridicul'd For behold by me is finished what the Father hath appointed by me is finished what the Law required by me is finished what the Prophets have foretold as necessary and circumstantial to the Work of Redemption The Types are compleated The Shadows are abolished The Malice and Violence of the Enemy endured And the Sacrifice offer'd which God has requir'd Sin has an end Righteousness begins The Law is fulfill'd and the Gospel Succeeds God is reconciled and Man redeemed Thus did he terrifie the Infernal Powers with the same Word which supports the Faithful with the highest Consolation that Heaven can give or Earth is capable to receive For if all be finished there is no room for Fear A Shield is given us against all Evils The Lust of Sin the Sting of Death the Power of the Grave and the Fiery Darts of the Devil all are vanquished and we are more than Conquerors through him that has loved us and not we alone but his precious Blood is sprinkled backwards to our first Parents and forwards to the last Man that shall be upon Earth though not fully in Possession yet in hope and there is now no i Rom. 8.1 Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus After this there remain'd only the Recommendation of himself and of all those whose Reconciliation he had wrought to the Divine Majesty to be accepted protected govern'd and preserv'd till they might be glorified in his Heavenly Kingdom Which made him seal up his dying Lips with a loud Cry uttering these Words k Luk. 23.46 Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit My God my God my eternal Father behold me on this Pile Sacrificed to thy Justice according to thy Will pre-determin'd of me and my Desire from the first Moment of my Conception thy Pleasure having ever been engraven in my Heart with a Chizzel of Fire and an eternal Character so that I have wisht it I ever would it and I will protest it with my last Breath while my Soul shall be upon my Lips To have but one only Desire in the World to accomplish what thou hast pre-ordained to be done by my Obedience for the Salvation of Men. And now O Father I have endur'd with Patience all the Storms of thy just Indignation I come to thee who art the desirable Haven of all that obey thee and seek for Rest I have manifested thy Name I have glorified thee on Earth I have finished the Work thou gavest me to do I now return offering up my self upon this Altar of the Cross a full perfect and sufficient
Let them on their Knees approach him on the Cross and reverently cover his naked Body We cover him when our Charity clothes his Servants and hides the infirmities of his little ones Let them with diligence unfasten the Nails and gently draw them out of his Hands and Feet We draw them out when we freely obey his Will and loosen our Affections from cleaving to the World And when they have thus rescued their adorable Lord let them Nail themselves in his stead to the Cross And this we do when we put off the old Man and Crucifie the Flesh with its Affections and Lusts Prayer O Blessed Jesu whose Sacred Body was laid in a Sepulchre after thou hadst Suffer'd Death for the life of my Soul make me so frequently to renew in my mind the memory of thy precious Death and Burial as may put me upon a serious preparation for my own And since thou didst not design to stay any longer on Earth then till thou hadst made a way for thy ransomed to pass let not my heart be set on any condition how comfortable soever it may appear to my senses which may make my Soul desire to be absent from thee But cause me to grow daily less and less affected towards the uncertain pleasures of Life and more and more in love with thy Eternal Joys Grant me My Redeemer a true Penitent Heart for all my former neglects of Thee Deliver me from the punishment my Sins deserve and from the Sins that deserve those Punishments That when I close mine Eyes in Death I may rest in thee and being absent from the Body may be refresht in the Repositories of thy Mercy So shall my Time be govern'd with thy Grace and my Eternity Crown'd with thy Glory SECT XLIX Of the Sealing and Watching the Sepulchre of Christ NOW the Chief Priests and Pharisees upon mature Consideration revolving all the accidents of the past day and comparing the circumstances of his Words and Actions with the Predictions of the Prophets concerning the Messiah and the wonderful ways by which they were compleated and especially remembring those Mystical words which before they pretended they could not understand and z Vid. Sect. 16 r.s wrested to a seditious intent against their worship of his building again in three days the Temple they should destroy and that he had given such his restoration from the Dead as a a Luk. 14.29 30. sign at their request to convince the World of his Truth they came to Pilate early on the next day that followed the day of the Preparation being the great Sabbath of the Pascal week wherein all other People were at their devotion and Prayers so restless and industrious were the Powers of Darkness to have buryed the Gospel in the Grave of Christ and said b Mat 27.63 64 65 66. Sir we remember that that deceiver said while he was yet alive after three days I will rise again Command therefore that the Sepulchre be made sure until the third day lest his Disciples come by night and steal him away and say unto the People he is risen from the dead So the last error shall be worse then the first Pilate said unto them ye have a watch go your way make it as sure as you can So they went and made the Sepulchre sure sealing the stone and setting a watch Thus did that obdurate and impenitent People harden themselves by those wonders which should have wrought their Faith and Conversion and justly feared the last error would be worse then the first hereby Prophesying ignorantly against themselves For their Sin became unpardonable because seeing they would not see But blessed be God all their obstinacy has been subservient to the Magistery of his Providence which orders all things prudently by the means of others They thought to have accomplished their malice against Christ and at the same time fulfill'd the determinations of his Will They thought by sealing the mouth of the Grave and setting a strict Guard over the Corps to have buried his Memory in perpetual silence and all the while were giving Testimony to his Resurrection and setting a sure seal to the Truth of his Divinity For securing and watching the Sepulchre with such diligence they have placed the Resurrection the Foundation of our Faith beyond doubt to future Ages and much firmer then if they had never watcht This is that which gives Glory to the Empire of Christ and whereby we perceive its Divine Power and the miraculous extent of its Conquests whose establishments have been so contrary to all humane ways When we consider how he was exalted by the lowest abasements glorified by his ignominies enriched by his Poverty lives by his Death and is Eterniz'd by his Sufferings And that our Religion ever oppos'd by the Wicked is nevertheless Victorious and Triumphant over impiety enricht by its Losses Glorious by its Persecutions establish'd by its Totterings and honour'd by its Wounds This is that which transports humane understanding into an admiration of the greatest of our Christian Profession Prayer O Crucified Jesu the Fountain of Love Let the wonders of thy Mysterious Incarnation and Death set all the Powers of my Soul on work that I may desire and pant after thee that I may Admire Adore and Imitate thee that I may take sweet and Heavenly delight in the Communion of thy Cross that I may with Praise and Thanksgiving receive thee into my Soul attend and watch thee till thou arise with thy Graces there There will I Love only Love always love to entertain thee SECT L. A Reflection on the foregoing History with Thanksgiving for the Death of Christ AND now my Soul thou hast seen this Great Mystery God Incarnate dying on the Cross to make satisfaction to the infinite Justice by the dignity of his Person Suffering in the Nature which had offended whereby thou art raised to a lively hope of obtaining Heaven which otherwise thou hadst lost and been for ever miserable in Hell with what words with what Affections with what Actions wilt thou glorifie the Author of so inestimable a gift as this O depth of Love Abyss unsearchable of the infinite Mercies of God! That God should delight to make his own Son a Sacrifice who would not suffer Abraham to offer his That God should design it from the foundation of the World foreseeing we should stand in need of it and without it perish Everlastingly That God should reveal it when we no ways deserv'd it nor could on any account hope for it and command us to seek the Benefits of it and enable us to obtain them by his preventing and assisting Grace O God Eternal who hast redeemed my Soul by the precious Blood of thy dear Son I am less then the least of all thy Mercies and of all that Truth which thou hast revealed to thy Servant I praise thee I bless thee I worship thee I extol thee I give thee thanks for thine infinite Compassion O Lord God Heavenly King God the Father Almighty O Lord the only begotten Son Jesu Christ Lamb of God Son of the Father that takest away the Sins of the World have Mercy upon me receivâ— my Prayer and unite me to thy self in the flames of Love For thou only art the Saviour thou only O Christ with the Holy Ghost art most high in the Glory of God the Father Glory and Honour and continual Thanks be given to Thee Lord God Almighty The Father the Son and the Holy Ghost for the Redemption of the World by the Death and Passion of Christ whereby thou mightst exalt us to Eternal Life Amen FINIS