mankinde from the paines of hell which hee had deserued to ouerthrow Sathan the prince of hell to dissolue his workes which are sinne and death to deliuer mankinde which are vnder his subiection to purchase for him Gods fauour forgiuenes of sinnes and eternall life Christ on the crosse offered vp his soule and body a sacrifice to saue our soules and bodies On the crosse hee suffered in soule and body to make satisfaction for our sinnes committed in soule and body And the suffering in both was so great that he cried aloude My God my God why hast thou forsaken me In that he said my God with a repetition hee assured himselfe still of his fauour of his protection and of deliuerance by that speech he despaired not but expressed the greatest sorrow the heauiest paine that could be endured for the redemption of mankinde We haue heard what a notable sacrifice Christ offered on the crosse not the bloud of goates or calues but his owne bloud to purge our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God This is that sacrifice which was figured by the Paschall Lambe by the brasen serpent lifted vp in the vvildernesse by the whole burnt sacrifice by the peace offering A remembrance of this sacrifice is our cōmunion of bread and wine the one representing Christs bodie rent the other his bloud shed for our sinnes This is that sacrifice whereby Abel Noe Abraham Isaac and Iacob all the faithful Patriarchs and Prophets all the beleeuing persons from the beginning were saued For Christ is the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Slaine in the figure in the purpose of God in the vertue of his passion from the beginning of the world Then is Christ slaine to euery one vvhen hee beleeueth him slaine Iesus Christ yesterday and to day the same for euer From the beginning of the world to his ascension that is yesterday from his ascension to the common resurrection that is to day from the common resurrection for euer he is one Therefore one faith one religion one kinde of Sacraments in substance one way to heauen from the beginning one spirituall meate drink Our fathers did all eate the same spirituall meate vvhich vve eate and drinke the same spirituall drink which we drink They dranke of the Rocke which followed them and the rocke was Christ For though they did eate Manna and dranke water out of the rocke yet the faithfull spiritually did feede on Christ because that visible meate they vnderstood spiritually they hungred after it spiritually they did taste it spiritually that vvith it they might be satisfied spiritually And Bertramus saith that our fathers did eate the selfe-same spirituall meate which we eate because one and the same Christ fed the people in the wildernesse with his flesh and refreshed them with his bloud and now feedeth the faithfull in the Church with the bread of his bodie and refresheth them with the vvater of his bloud But what is it to eate the flesh of Christ It is to rest vpon him vvith a sure trust by his grace spirit presence to be fed nourished susteined to eternall life Or as Christ himselfe saith He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud abideth in mee and I in him To eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his blood is to abide in Christ and to haue Christ abiding in vs. And therefore S. Augustine saith hee that abides not in Christ and in whom Christ abideth not eateth not spiritually the flesh of Christ although visibly and carnally he presseth with his teeth the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ but rather eateth the sacrament of so great a thing to his condemnation Whereby it may appeare that we at this day preach the selfe same Gospell which was in the beginning of the vvorld that is vvee preach Christ crucified which was opened to our first father in paradise renewed to Abraham and all the Patriarchs figured by all the sacrifices of the Law witnessed by the Prophets pointed vnto by Iohn Baptist preached by Iesus Christ himselfe and deliuered by his Apostles And therefore it is most true ancient catholike and apostolike Now to the things vvhich hapned about the time of his passion the graues did open the dead bodies which slept arose the vaile of the temple did rent in twaine from the top to the bottome the earth did tremble the stones did cleaue asunder These things declared that a notable person suffered yet the Iewes were not touched These vnsensible creatures were moued yet the Iewes hearts were hardned The Centurion when hee saw what was done glorified God saying Of a suretie this man was iust The souldiers that watched him when they saw the earth quake and the things that were done feared greatly saying Truely this was the Son of God A confession to the glory of God to the comfort of themselues to the prouing of a Sauiour and to the terror of the Iewes This man whom yee haue contemned whom ye haue condemned whom yee haue reuiled whom yee haue scourged whom ye haue crucified truely was the Sonne of God The renting of the Temple the quaking of the earth the cleauing of the stones the opening of the graues the rising of the dead doe proue that truely he was the Sonne of God and without all doubt a iust man A iust man indeed For in his heart was neuer euil thoght out of his mouth neuer proceeded euill word with his body he neuer wrought ill deede but in heart hee was alwaies tender and louing in word gentle and meeke in dealing iust and vpright Yet was he accused condemned and put to a most shamefull death the death of the crosse as a most notorious malefactour And all this was done to worke the worke of mans redemption Here come in certaine questions The first is whether Christ could haue deliuered himselfe from their hands The answere is he could For he is God omnipotent but he did not that the scriptures might be fulfilled that our redemption might be made that our saluation might be accomplished The second question is whether the Iewes were to be excused seeing it was the good will of GOD that CHRIST should die The answere is in no wise Because they did it of ignorance enuie and malice And whereas good came thereby to mankind that was to be ascribed to Gods goodnesse which did turne their sinne to a good end Deus tam bonus est vt ex malis eliciat bona God is so good that he turnes euill to good The third question is whether all they are damned which put Christ to death I dare not so say seeing Christ prayed for them Father forgiue them they know not what they doe But this I say whosoeuer of them died not beleeuing that person to be the Sonne of God the onely Mediator betwixt God and Man the onely redeemer and purchaser of forgiuenes of sinnes the onely high priest of good things to come whosoeuer I say departed out of
timerous Iudge he let goe an arrant Theefe Barrabas and deliuered Iesus to be crucified then before the multitude tooke water and washed his hands saying I am innocent of the bloud of that iust man He confessed him a iust man why then did he giue sentence on him He said he was innocent of his bloud and yet did consent to shed it No no Pilate was guiltie of Christs death and could not shift himselfe of it by taking water and washing his hands What a matter was this Barrabas to be preferred before Christ a murtherer let goe and an innocent person scourged But see enuie they enuied Christs vertues Inuidia est virtutis comes If Pilate had beene a good man finding no cause of death in Christ hee would haue stoode with him to death not for feare or any other carnal respect haue condemned him After the souldiers tooke him in the common hal first they stripped him then they put about him a robe of scarlet on his head they set a crowne of thornes in his right hand they put a reede before him they bowed their knees in mockage saying Auc rex Iudaeorum Afterward they spit on him and with a reed smote him on the head Thus when they had mocked him they tooke the rode from him and put his owne rayment on him and led him away to be crucified What villany was this Christ being God could haue staid their fury yea haue striken them starke dead with a word but hee would not for our sakes If those souldiers had knowne what they did with whom they dealt whose sonne he was from whence he came and whither hee would what power he had they would haue staied themselues but being full of ignorance they did what they did For had they knowne they would not haue crucified the Lord of glory But yet ignorance excused not For ignorance in those which would not vnderstand without doubt is a sinne Ignorance in those which could not vnderstand is a punishment for sin neither is excusable both are damnable We haue heard what Christ suffered before hee came to his crosse that he sweat drops of bloud in mount Oliues that being sorrowfull he prayed earnestly to haue that bitter cuppe passe from him that he was betraied by Iudas with a kisse that hee was forsaken of all his Disciples that he was accused by Caiaphas for a blasphemer that he was denied by Peter thrice that hee was condemned vnder Pontius Pilate It followeth that I speake of his suffering on the crosse Christ being on the crosse suffered reproch of the passers by of the Priestes Scribes and Pharises and of the Theeues The passers by wagging their heades reuiled him saying Thou that destroyedst the temple of God and buildedst it in three dayes if thou be the Son of God come down from the crosse Likewise the Priests Scribes Elders and Pharises mocked him saying He saued others but himselfe can he not saue if hee be the King of Israel let him come downe from the crosse and wee will beleeue him The theeues also doth at the first cast the same thing in his teeth Christ indeede said destroy this Temple and in three dayes I will raise it vp againe The Iewes mistooke him they meant that great temple in Hierusalem which had beene a building fortie and sixe yeeres but he meant the Temple of his body that after they had destroyed mangled and killed it he would raise it from death the third day as in truth he did Now if they had vnderstoode him they would neuer haue mocked him with that saying but seeing him to rise againe haue confessed him to be the Son of God The wicked Priests Scribes and Pharises mocked him saying hee saued others but he cannot saue himselfe If he be the King of Israel let him come downe from the crosse and we will beleeue him Christ indeed saued others all that beleeued in him from the guilt of sinne from eternall death from the tiranny of Sathan from the curse of the law from the wrath of God Himselfe also he saued in that he got the victory and rose againe the third day but these blinde priests Scribes and Pharises vnderstoode not this and therefore they mocked him with it Moreouer Christ could haue come downe from the crosse if he would but he knew it not to be expedient He would not yeeld to their fancies if he had come down they would haue beleeued him neuer a whit the sooner some would haue said he did it for feare of death some to shew what he could doe some for one respect some for an other And therefore CHRIST knowing this yeelded not vnto them but went forward with the worke he had in hand which was by his crosse to appease the wrath of God to satisfie his iustice to make him fauorable vnto sinners by offering a full and perfect sacrifice once for all and therefore he is a priest not according to the order of Aaron which by imperfection did need a successiue but according to the order of Melchisedec and that for euer To proceede from the sixt houre to the ninth there was darknes ouer all the land for the Sunne was darkned About the ninth houre Iesus cried with aloude voice Ely Ely lamasabacthany My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Behold the Passion of Christ He cried with aloude voice he cried vnto heauen he cried as one forlorne he cried My God my God why hast thou forsaken me No tongue can expresse nor heart conceiue the pangs the paines the punishment which he suffered For the time the paines of the damned the torments of hell fell vpon him which wee for our sinnes had deserued and should haue suffered for euer and euer in hell had not he so suffered on the crosse What terror was this to behold man in his fall God in his wrath sinne in his desert the law in his curse the diuell in his tyranny hell in his torments What terrour was this God in his wrath is a consuming fire man in his fall is a lost cast-away sinne in his desert is a damnable thing the law in his curse is a heauy thunderbolt the diuell in his rage is very terrible hell in his torments is intolerable And what a terrour was this These things Christ did behold nay did suffer and the paine did make him crie aloude My God my God why hast thou forsaken me not that God forsooke Christ at any time but this speech declared that conflict that terrour that torment vvhich no creature beside could haue endured For it cost more to redeeme soules so that a man must let that alone for euer Then most true is that article of our Creede He descended into hell for the time he suffered the paines of hell together with the extreame shame as the victory of sorrowes whilest being held in the graue vntill the third day he lay as it were oppressed of death The vertue of his passion reacheth downe to hell to redeeme
this faith is damned for euer and euer I Proceede to the benefits which we inioy by Christ his passion which are in number many in feeling comfortable in estimation most precious The first is purgation of sinnes Thrice happy is he that hath it most miserable are they which haue it not The penitent sinner of a troubled spirit of a broken and contrite heart forsaking his owne waies and renouncing his owne imagination promising amendment and purposing the fruits of repentance confessing his own miserie and appealing to the mercies of God in the merits of Christ haue their sinnes though as red as scarlet yet washed in his most precious gracious and glorious bloud For if the bloud of buls and goates and the ashes of a heiffer sprinckling them that are vncleane sanctifieth as touching the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the bloud of Christ which through the eternall spirit offred himselfe without spot to God purge your conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God And to this end are we deliuered from all our enemies Sathan sinne and death that we should serue Christ our deliuerer that without feare in holines and righteousnesse all the daies of our life The 2. benefit is remission of sinnes Blessed is the man whose sinnes are forgiuen couered and not imputed Sinne is in the childe of God but it reigneth not Sinne is in the elect but it is couered Sin is in the heires of saluation but it is not imputed because it is forgiuen as the Arke was couered with a golden sheet called the propitiatorie so Christ is the propitiation of our sinnes by whom we haue redemption through his bloud euen forgiuenes of sinnes For the bloud of Christ crieth remission of sinnes in the hearts of the godly The 3. benefit of Christs passion is deliuerance from the curse of the lawe The law accuseth Christ excuseth The law terrifieth Christ comforteth The law curseth Christ blesseth Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law being made a curse for vs. For it is written Cursed is euery one that hangeth on the tree that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through faith that we might receiue the adoption of sons For though we be blacke by nature yet are we white by grace though blacke in Adam yet white in Christ though blacke by merite yet vvhite by mercie For Christ is the end of the law for righteousnes to euery one that beleeueth They then which in a liuely faith apprehend Christ crucified and risen again haue what the law requireth that is perfect obedience performed of Christ imputed to them The 4. benefit by Christs passion is freedome from damnation For what destruction can come to them which are ingraffed into Christ the author of saluation How can the second death take hold on them that haue their part in the first resurrection and are in Christ the life it selfe the Deuill cannot pluck them away finall from God which are written in the booke of life and redeemed by the blood of the Lambe Hell cannot terrifie them which patiently looke for an inheritance in heauen There is no damnation saith the Apostle to them which are in Christ which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit We are in Christ by election before the world was made We are called to Christ by the word after the world was made We are iustified by a liuely faith the obedience of the Son of God being imputed to vs We are sanctified through the spirit our soules being purified in obeying the truth We walke not after the flesh when we resist couetous cogitations ambitious desires voluptuous thoughts enuious conceits malitious purposes and whatsoeuer els corruption of old Adam We walke after the spirit when we embrace loue follow peace and holines shew long-suffering gentlenes meeknes temperance crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts The fift benefit by Christs passion is that the wrath of God is pacified For as they which obey not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on them so they which beleeue in the Son haue euerlasting life reserued in heauen for them which are kept by the power of God through faith to saluation This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him A voice from heauen after Iesus was baptized the heauens being open vnto him and the spirit of GOD descending like a Doue and lighting on him This borne of the Virgin Mary is my naturall beloued Son coequall to me and coeternall and consubstantiall with me in whom euen for his owne sake I am well pleased with all my elect children my displeasure being as farre from them as the East from the West and my fauour vpon them euen for my Christ for whose sake I pardon all their offences and their sinnes and iniquities will remember no more but will put my lawes in their mindes and write them in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people The sixt benefit by CHRIST his passion is victorie ouer Sathan For where sinne is purged remitted and not imputed vvhere the malediction of the Law is abrogated where the second death is abolished where the wrath of God is pacified there the Deuill hath naught For Christ through death destroyed him which had the power of death that is the Deuill that he might deliuer all them which for feare of death were al their life time subiect to bondage Wherefore though Sathan be yet suffred to tempt the children of God yet hee shall neuer plucke them away from the state of saluation because God is faithfull and will not suffer his to be tempted aboue their strength but shall in the middes of temptation make a way that they may be able to beare it Beside these singular benefites by Christ his passion wee haue by the same peace of conscience which passeth all vnderstanding accesse to grace by the mediation of Christ and after this life euerlasting to behold the blessed and glorious Trinitie in glorie Maiestie and eternitie Now to the meditation of Christ his passion which we shall consider fruitfully if wee marke how fowle a thing sinne is how grieuous to the conscience how displeasant to God what punishment it deserued whose death it procured and so repent for the same Secondly if wee behold the passing loue of God in sending his Sonne to redeeme vs the singular loue of Christ in laying downe his life for vs and so be thankfull to both for the same If God had redeemed mankinde by any other meanes as by siluer or gold or by force of armes or any of his Angels the benefit had been the lesse but he did it by the death of his holy and deare Sonne A benefit of all benefits the greatest and neuer to be thought on without thankfulnesse And in truth no Angel could be an attonement-maker betweene God man because they communicate nature neither with God nor man but