thy Spirit is willing but thy Flesh is weak How ready and willing is the Saviour of the World to accept of any drowsy inclinations or endeavours of his Servants in his Service if their Hearts be but sincere The Disciples slumber yet Christ trims their Lamps O infinite Love of the Son of God! to excuse and save poor drowsy Sinners For this Cause was he toucht with our infirmities and took upon him our human Nature This was the Cause of our Saviours interceding for us with his Father for our Lives O infinite Love of the Son of God! that whilst we were yet Sinners Christ dy'd for us Now let us follow him to the Judgment-Hall Carry'd to the Judgment-Hall to be arraign'd but first to Anna's House and not like Peter stand at a distance from him and at last deny him but rather be a sharer with him in his Death and pray with the Thief upon the Cross for Eternal Life They carry him first before Annas the High-Priest Caiphas's Uncle and in the way to his House to see what he could find against him This was one of the Great Council that consulted how they might take Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews and put him to Death This was he that deliver'd to Judas the thirty pieces of Silver out of the Treasury after they had all agreed upon it but when he was brought before him and he saw the Witnesses could not agree together upon their Examination that they might have longer time to lay their Heads together and more readily agree in their Accusation sends them to his Nephew Caiphas they being both High-Priests that year When he comes before Caiphas he Examines him and finding they could not yet agree in their accusing him rather than he should want full Witnesses against him and for that let him go he with the rest of them that were assembled together for the very purpose all the High-Priests and Elders and the Scribes for many there were that did bear false Witness against him but their Witnesses agreed not yet together Now the Great Assembly being all met as I said before to this very end and purpose and consulted and agreed thus farther of him He hath of late raised Lazarus out of the Grave after he had been sour days dead and began to stink and many of the Jews believe on him already from the Miracles that he daily sheweth amongst them and more especially for this Miracle that he wrought even now of raising Lazarus from the Dead and it is not barely a Report to make a noise for a while but it is as to Matter of Fact a very great Truth and a Miracle for some of us both heard him say at the Graves Mouth Lazarus come forth and he immediately as soon as this Man had call'd thus to him he that was dead came forth bound hands and feet with Grave-Cloaths about him and a Napkin upon his Head And this Man Jesus commanded some that stood by to loose him and let him go and many of the Jews that were there believed on him and went away with Mary and Jesus but we came to acquaint you what we have both seen and heard John 11.43 Then the Chief Priests and Elders John 11.47 with the Scribes and Pharisees further consulted and said What do we for this Man doth many Miracles and if we let him thus alone all Men will believe on him and the Romans will come and take away from us both our Place and Nation Caiphas said unto them ye know nothing at all nor consider that it is expedient for us Caiphas prophesies against himself that one Man should dye for the People and that the Nation perish not and this he spake not of himself but God order'd it so that the Prophecy should come out of his own Mouth and this being Recorded as his Opinion doth still remain that out of his own Mouth himself should be condemn'd at last And so from that day forward they took Counsel together to put him to Death John 11.53 And when they saw that all their Machinations and Contrivances prevail'd nothing to the purpose at last they hir'd two Soldiers and gave them Money to come and swear against him in the High Priests Hall And they with a loud and clamarous Voice exalted above the rest with open Mouth say This Fellow said I am able to destroy the Temple of God and to raise it again in three days And so he were this being all Truth but he spake of his Body as the Apostle Paul saith Our Bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost That in three days time he should raise it from the Grave But these two Fellows nor his Judges had not yet known the Scriptures nor the power of God Then said the High Priest Is it true what these two witness against thee But Jesus held his peace Then said the High Priest I adjure thee by the Living God to tell us whether thou art Christ the Son of the Living God And Jesus when it was put thus home to him in these three great Truths Art thou Christ the Son of the Living God Answered I am Then the High Priest rent his Cloaths and said What need we any further witness against him Ye have all heard now how he hath Blasphemed What think ye And they all with one consenting Voice condemn'd him to be guilty of Death Matth. 26.60 6 62 63 64. Mark 14.58 to thâ— 64. Then they began to spit upon him and to buffet him and strike him with the Palms of their hands and to revile him as a Pestilent Fellow and one that sow'd Sedition and Rebellion amongst them and they blind-folded him and smote him on the Face and said unto him Prophesie now unto us Christ who it was that struck thee And at last finding they could not agree together as to the putting of him to death and to pass Sentence upon him for they all acquiesc'd in the just Merits of his Condemnation yet he must be first sent to Pontius Pilate their Chief Governor But before we come to that we must observe the Words of our Blessed Jesus verify'd concerning Peter one of the beloved Disciples who follow'd after his Master to the High Priest's Hall to hear what they said of him and did with him And happy are they O Peter that have once deny'd their Saviour that bought them with Cursing and Swearing and bitter Execrations to find a door of Mercy ready open upon their Repentance to receive them again and immediately embrace them And now Peter what do I observe here But thou that wast the greatest Votary to thy Master and the forwardest to follow him to his dismal Trial where were all kind of the most wicked Profligate Wretches that could be pickt out amongst the Jews Scribes and Pharisees that were best and most notoriously qualify'd with Cursing and Swearing with Reviling Blasphemy and Perjury such that they had cull'd out on purpose that were qualify'd
hang'd himself Matth. 25.5 AND now O most Holy Jesu let this Blessed Spirit further assist me in this great Work to present thee Dear Lord to the Life to my Devout Soul that it may the more perfectly see thee in all thy Agony Passion Death Burial Resurrection and Ascension and to admire thee and adore thee most Blessed Lord and Saviour in the greatest humiliation and adoration a poor Creature is able to do as thou art daily interceding for me at the Throne of Heaven And this I beg upon the bended Knees of my Soul in thy own Name and for thy own sake who art my Lord and Saviour and Ever-Blessed Redeemer and Advocate Amen But now to proceed on with this wicked Tragedy of the Jews After Judas had Hang'd himself the Chief-Priests took the Silver-pieces and said It is not lawful to put them into the Treasury because it is the price of Blood And they consulted together and bought the Potters Field to bury Strangers in wherefore that Field is call'd the Field of Blood to this day Then was fulfill'd that which was spoken by Jeremiah the Prophet saying And they took the Thirty pieces of Silver the price of him that was valued whom they of the Children of Israel did value and gave them for the Potters Field as the Lord appointed Jesus carried before Pilate But the High Priests took Jesus and bound him and sent him away very early it being a work of darkness to Pilate and they themselves came after to accuse him Pilate entring the Tribunal Seat ask'd them What Accusations they did bring against this Man they answer and say in in general If he were not a Malefactor we would not have deliver'd him up to you Pilate being unwilling to meddle in this Affair perceiving it was for envy they accus'd him and not any thing of a just Offence Pilate ask'd them Why they did not proceed against him and judge him according to their Law and not to trouble him The Jews said unto him It is not lawful for us to put any Man to death that the saying of Jesus might be fulfill'd which be spake signifying what Death he should dye as he himself had prophesi'd of himself And they shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucifie Then Pilate enter'd the Judgment-Hall and when he saw no body come against him calls to Jesus and said unto him Art thou the King of the Jews Thinking happily he might trap Jesus in his words but Jesus as cautiously ask'd him another Question Hast thou said this thing of thy self or did others tell it thee of my Pilate answer'd him Am I a Jew Thy own Nation and the Chief Priests have deliver'd thee to me What hast thou done For as yet none can testifie any thing against him for they had not as yet their pretended Fact ready whereby to accuse him moreover they found Pilate to be very strict in his Examination and very unwilling to be both Accuser and Judge and made them not willing to answer to any particulars till they had drawn up full Proof against him seeing a General Charge had no Influence upon Pilate Jesus said unto Pilate my Kingdom is not of the World Pilate therefore said unto him Art thou a King then Jesus answered Thou sayest that I am a King For this Cause was I born and for this Cause came I into the World that I should bear witness to the Truth What is the Truth saith Pilate Jesus answered Every one that is of the Truth heareth my Voice Pilate then goes out to the Jews and tells them If they had nothing else to say against Jesus of Nazareth he must and will discharge him for be for his part found no fault in him at all John 18.29 to 38. Then when they heard this rather than he should be discharg'd the whole Multitude ran in with open Mouth and began to accuse him saying If we must come to Particulars we are prepared We found this Fellow teaching Sedition and Rebellion and endeavouring to pervert the Nation from paying Tribute to Caesar and saying That himself is Christ a King saith Pilate I have heard of this already and I will hear no more of it I must discharge him if this is all you have to say for I tell you I can find no fault in the Man Then they were the more fierce against him but all to no purpose saying He stirreth up the People Teaching throughout Jury beginning from Galilee to this place Pilate being now quite wearied out with this Nonsense and hearing he was a Galilean knew that he belong'd to Herod's Jurisdiction and turns him over to him Luke 23.8 whom he knew to be at Jerusalem at that time Jesus carried before Herod and therefore sends Jesus to him who had been desirous of a long season to see him because he had heard many things of him and hoped to see some of his Miracles done by him Then Herod begins to Interrogate Jesus and finding he could get nothing from him nor no Miracles to be done by him and being most vehemently accused by the Chief Priests and Elders saying all manner of Evil against him that the subtilty of Men or Devils could invent for they distrusted to have any good done by Pilate and therefore concluded this was the last Stake they had to play and thereupon resolv'd to make the best of it They said that He pretended to be a King and had forbid them to pay Tribute to any Earthly Monarch and that he did frequently sow Sedition amongst the People and moreover said He could destroy the Temple and build it again in three days But he answered nothing to all this Moreover Herod was informed they had been before Annas and Caiphas and that their Witnesses could not agree together and that Pilate could find no just Accusation of Death against him and upon that account had sent him to him which he took very kindly from Pilate and upon this occasion they Two were made friends which before had been at Variance and Enmity for a great while Notwithstanding Herod calls a Council of his Mighty Men and they debate the Matter amongst themselves but yet could find no cause of Death in him more than the violency of the People so that Herod was neither willing to release him nor yet to condemn him but He and his Nobles make sport with him awhile set him at nought mock'd him and arrayed him in a Purple Robe others a White Robe out of derision to his Regal Power and on purpose to render him more the peoples Scorn and the more to enflame their merciless Cruelty and thus return him back again to Pilate with Thanks and a great Compliment for the grand favour he had done him in sending this Malefactor the King of the Jews to him I have Rob'd him and given him what Ignominy and Despite I thought convenient but as for his Death or to condemn him belongs not
God Let them in scorn and derision be Crucifying my Saviour between two Malefactors as the chiefest of them I in the greatest bitterness of my Soul will be pouring out the most ardent of my Prayers with Sighs Groans and Tears that are unutterable to remember me both now whilst thou art on the Cross and as soon as thou art exalted in thy Kingdom of Glory O God! the Son Redeemer of the World have mercy upon me miserable Sinner By the mystery of thy Holy Incarnation By thy Nativity and Circumcision By thy Fasting Baptism and Temptation Good Lord deliver me By thy Agony and Bloody Sweat By the Cross and Passion By thy precious Death and Burial By thy Glorions Resurrection and Ascension And by the coming of the Holy Ghost Good Lord deliver me O Son of God! I beseech thee to hear me O Lamb of God! that takest away the Sins of the World Grant me thy Peace O Christ hear me O Lord hear me O Lamb of God that takest away the Sins of the World have Mercy upon me Lord have mercy upon me Christ have mercy upon me O Lord hear me and remember me now now thou art giving up thy most precious Life and pouring out thy innocent harmless and compassionate Soul Remember me when thou com'st into thy Kingdom What can a poor Soul beg more and desire more of its Redeemer at the point of Death Or what can be given or done more by an ever-blessed Saviour and Holy Jesu to save us from the Jaws of Death Power of Hell and Eternal Torments Than to be pouring out his own Soul by Prayers and Tears to his Heavenly Father at the very last minute of his precious Life for us But stay O blessed Jesu What is it I perceive and see still in this black and dismal hour O Lord Is it thee still in thy Agony and bloody Sweat It is so dark I can but just perceive thee Is it not finisht yet What say'st thou Lord now to my poor fainting dying Soul Speak Lord one word of comfort to me notwithstanding all thy Adversaries and implacable Enemies about thee Speak Lord and thy Servant heareth Speak Lord and my Soul shall live If thou art so faint thou can'st not speak in this grievous Conflict let thy good Prophet speak for thee Wherefore when I came was there no man to help When I call'd was there none to answer Do you think I am past Saving of you or Delivering of you in this time of my Dereliction Tho you all forsake me in this hour of my Crucifixion I do not forsake you my Children my Flock and my poor Lambs my Redeemed and the purchas'd of my Soul Is my Hand shortned at all though nail'd to the Cross that I cannot Save or that I cannot Redeem Or have I no power to deliver Behold at my Rebuke I dry up the Sea I make the Rivers a Wilderness The Fish stinketh and dieth for Thirst because there is no Water I cloath the Heavens with blackness and I make Sack loth their covering I make the Earth to quake and tremble and it would tumble down to the Eternal Abiss but that I bear up the Pillars of it at this very moment that I am bleeding and dying upon the Cross Let the Jews have as vile and mean thoughts of me as they please and cast all their scorn and malice mixt with their cruel rage and poison at me It 's I that make the Rocks to rent the Sun to gather paleness and the Moon to be turn'd into Blood Notwithstanding that all the Scriptures might be fulfill'd and my Redeem'd Ones the Purchas'd of my Soul set at liberty I give my Back to the smiters and my Cheeks to them that pluck't off my Hair I hid not my face from shame and spitting for the Lord Gâ—d doth and will help my Soul and sustain it Whatever my Body doth or shall cry out and say therefore I shall not be confounded therefore I have set my Face like a Flint and know that I shall not be asham'd He is near that justifieth me Who will contend with me Let us stand together Who is my Adversary Let him come near Behold the Lord will help me Who is he that will condemn me Lo they shall all wax old as a Garment and the Moth shall eat them up Who is it amongst you that feareth the Lord Who obeyeth the Voice of hit Servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light Let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay himself upod his God Behold all ye that kindle a Five that compass your selves about with sparks walk in the light of your Fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled this shall ye have of my hand ye shall lie down in sorrow Isa 50. But my Soul draw near or else thou wilt lose the sight of thy Saviour Darkness hastens on a-pace O Holy Jesu is it not thee Let me wipe and drain my dim and almost spent and blind Eyes and look again Lord it is thee I still perceive thy Tears distilling down thy sacred Face Thy Temples boiling out of Spirituous Blood Thy Sacred Hands and Feet blubbering up and venting out from behind the Nails great Bladders of Blood and Froth from the expulsive force of thy most exquisite Torments O Lord even now my Soul fainteth and dieth within me My Spirits fail me My poor Mortal Eyes and tender fainting Heart is not able to behold thee longer Nor yet while my Life and Strength remains can I forbear when an interval of Tears will permit my sight looking after thee still and pouring forth my fervent and frequent requests to thee and falling into these most strict Examinations within my self What! From the Sixth till almost the Ninth Hour is my dear Saviour in the height of this vehement Agony and not over yet But still labouring and groaning under the burthen of my Sins What great and heinous Sin of mine is it that I am guilty of that is not aton'd yet That God is so extremely incens'd at and that he will not yet pardon That my poor Saviour is yet struggling for till the last drop of his most Precious Blood is exhausted Let me look immediately into my Soul into every corner and crany of it all must out and be discover'd of what nature or quality soever it be whether Lying Cursing Swearing and Forswearing Theft Murther Fornication Adultery Incest Pollution with the Dead or Copulation with Beasts Blasphemy Spite and Contempt against thy Holy Word and Sacraments O quickly quickly quickly help me O my God to find it out and to bring all to remembrance that thou mayest no longer be extorted and convuls'd in these grievous Torments Look upon me dear Saviour and cast quickly thy dying Eye towards me Christ cast his dying Eyes to a Supplicant Sinner as thou didst upon Peter in the High-Priest's Hall denying thee that I may immediately remember it seeing thy Righteous Father is so exact
Conspirators which if this very Minute was not improv'd to this Advantage thy Lord was unavoidably taken to the Loss of his most precious Life by these most accursed Miscreants and Blood-Hounds of Hell This Judas had been Love indeed and could Men or Angels that had no foreknowledge of any design have judg'd it otherwise And greater Love than this could not possibly have been shewn thus privately and resolvedly to have ventur'd thy own Life for thy Master's Or Judas it 's a wonder that before thy foul and polluted Mouth came to his sacred Lips thou couldst not discern the Tears and Drops of Blood upon his Heavenly Face or when thou hadst once kiss'd him through suddain eagerness without discerning yet the moisture of an unusual Kiss should have made thee immediately have look'd upon his distorted Agonious Face and there presently have seen written in Characters of Blood Jesus oft' kissed his Disciples the intent of thy abominable approach and wicked design and that it was not unknown or unlook'd for and expected by thy Lord and Master who the very Evening before had said at the very time of eating the Passover together with his Disciples I shall be betray'd this nighâ— into the hands of the most wicked Jews and it shall be done too by the hands of one of my own Disciples and he that dippeth his hand with me in the Dish the same is he that shall betray me And hast thou quite forgot Judas thou answer'd and said Is it I Or hadst thou quite forgot thy Master had already told thee He knew the very thoughts of thy Heart and of the rest of thy Brethren and had pray'd for you that the very thoughts of your Hearts if possible might be forgiven you Thou Judas hadst oft seen many Miracles done by thy Master The Earth open'd and swallow'd them up and wast not thou afraid at this time he might have wrought one more upon thee as upon Corah Dathan and Abiram for offering strange Fire unto the Lord and thou at this time offering strange Friendship but will nothing of all this do nor work upon thee to deter thee from thy Impious Enterprize and to alter thy wicked Intention But art thou resolv'd to give this betraying Kiss and to go on with thy former Mercenary unparalell'd Resolutions and to stifle all Reflects Retorts or Reminiscenciated Acts of Conscience and to cry All Hail Master and give the Kiss And after this Kiss of thine Judas canst thou be looking upon and be abetting aiding and assisting these Vile Wretches Officers and Soldiers in all their rage and violency with their rude Hands thus to drag thy Saviour and pull him along and with their Swords and Staves in their Hands to force him and hale him on and with their Lanthorns and Torches the better to direct their blows upon thy Master I say Judas couldst thou see all this and still persist in unrelenting and obdurate Impiety and Impudence Saith our Dear Saviour Judas are you come out as against a Thief and a Robber with Swords and with Staves to take me I was daily with you in the Temple teaching and you took me not but the Scriptures must be fulfill'd they all forsook him and fled Mark 14.48 49 50. But thou Judas hear thou deef and look thou blind as Isaiah saith Will nothing of all this bring any thing to thy remembrance nor to behold any thing in my innocent Face Who is blind but my Servant or deaf as the Messenger I sent Who is blind as he that is perfect in all this wickedness and blind as the Lord's Servant Seeing many things but thou observest not Opening the Ear but thou hearest not The Lord is well pleas'd for his Righteousness sake It becometh thus to be done that all Scriptures might be fulfill'd And canst thou Judas be ignorant of them Or hast thou blinded thy Eyes thus And hardned thy Heart And wholly sold thy self to the Devil to work out and accomplish this wickedness and cruelty to thy Master with thy Kiss Whomsoever I shall kiss the same is he hold him fast Matth. 26.48 Now when Caiphas and his Crew had Examin'd Jesus and had all with one consent unanimously voted his Death yet it was beyond the Verge of their power to put into execution their determin'd Sentence but bound him and sent him away Malefactor-like to Pilate When morning was come all the Chief-Priests and Elders of the People take Counsel against Jesus to put him to death and when they had bound him they led him away to Pontius Pilate their Chief Governor Then Judas which had betray'd him when he saw how they had us'd him and that he that he had privately agreed with the betray him to had proceeded further in his Malice and Rage to his Master than was agreed upon at first and had Condemn'd him to Death and was now carrying him from one Court and Council to another and at this present time was going with him to Pilate and saw now it would be made a publick Business of which he had a promise it should be only private and that he must inevitably be known to be the Man and Vengeance then would not suffer him to live nor yet should he know where to hide his Head when it was once come to be known amongst all the rest of the Disciples therefore he began to repent him as he thought in time and resolv'd upon this course to carry the Money back again to the High-Priests and let them know he had alledg'd false things against his Master which were in no manner true and therefore had brought them their Money again in full tale and in the very same Bag and threw it down upon the Treasury-Table in the Temple where before he had receiv'd it and told them plainly he repented and had sinn'd in betraying Innocent Blood concluding in himself this was the only Politick way left to save himself and bring his Master off again that he had so falsly betray'd But they took no notice of any thing that he said to them they had already made use of him as a Property to betray Jesus of Nazareth to them that they had of along time-past endeavour'd to apprehend and as for Judas in what he had done whether well or ill to himself what car'd they he had done well for them let him go and be hang'd if he will what do we care say they we will proceed with our sport And when he saw that all that was said and done would prevail nothing upon the Jews he goes out and lays violent hands upon himself Then Judas which had betray'd him when he saw that they had condemn'd him repented himself and brought again the thirty pieces of Silver to the High-Priests and Elders saying I have sinned in that I have betray'd the Innocent Blood and they said What is that to us see thou to that and he cast down the pieces of Silver in the Temple and went out and
to my Province but more immediately to you under Tiberius Caesar's Government And thus our Dear Lord and Saviour the Lord of Life and Glory is carried first to Annas then to Caiphas then to Pilate afterwards to Herod and now back to Pilate again toss'd and tumbled up and down and permitted no where to rest but posted and hurried from one Court Council and Judgment-Seat to another and none could yet determine the Matter but blind-folded spit upon and struck in one Court bound mock'd set at nought and array'd in another thump'd and revil'd in another and scourg'd and buffeted almost in all but yet not acquitted or discharg'd in any Well might he bitterly complain Foxes have holes and the Birds of the Air have Nests but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his Head Now a second time is our dear Jesus brought before Pilate from Herod's Court Jesus carried before Pilate a second time Pilate being now much concern'd at the Clamour abroad that was made against Jesus of Nazareth by the most rude and common people that run more by Tumult and Cry than Reason and Judgment and it appearing all along to be perfect unheady inconsiderate malice Pilate resolves to trouble himself no more with this sort of Cattle but now he was minded to hear what the Chief Priests and Rulers had to say of themselves Luke 23.13 You have brought this Man before me again What have you to say against him And finding they had no more to say than what they had said to Herod before That he was a Receiver and one that perverted the People from their Duty and Allegiance to the King and calls himself a King Says Pilate I have been credibly informed that in one of his Speeches he made to the People he exhorted them quite contrary to give Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custom to whom Custom is due And moreover to give to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods And we have all read the Scriptures and we know that they are all full and abound every where almost with Predictions of a Saviour and of a Messias and of a Christ and of a King of the Jews and this may be the Man as far I know This we are all sure of that he hath given shrewd Demonstrations of his Godhead and Power and why may he not be your King Forthwith they all cry'd out with one Acclamation We will have no King but Caesar But hold saith Pilate If I must be his Judge I must ground my Reasons upon good clear full and agreeable Evidence before I can condemn him I am not yet free to condemn I profess plainly I have great Anxities of Mind and there is one thing that continually disturbs my Mind of late that I meet with in my Thoughts at every turn and that is That strange Miracle that was wrought by him of late which none of you can be ignorant of and that is the raising of Lazarus from the Dead after he had been in the Grave four days and began to stink This is a very great thing and a wonderful Miracle let us rather permit him a while to go on farther with his Miracles and if he be the Son of God more and greater Wonders than these will appear but if he be a Pseudo-Christus a false Christ or a false Prophet we will immediately condemn him But say the Jews if we let him go on thus and he should do more Miracles the Romans will come in upon us and take away from us both our Nation and Synagogues Now when Pilate saw they still persisted in this envious and malicious Impeachment saith he Ye have brought this Man here before me as one that seduceth the people Behold Gentlemen Silence in the Court Cryer I must speak plainly behold there he stands I have examined him according to the strictness of the Law and with as great Subtilty as I am capable of and I have cross-examin'd him to see if I could trap him in his words but I profess before you all I find no fault at all in this man touching those things whereof you accuse him Nay Silence Gentlemen I pray and hear me a little farther You your selves very well know I was willing to give you all the satisfaction that possibly I could I did not clear him nor acquit him the time before tho' I might justly have done it for there was nothing from your Accusations that was worthy of Bonds or Imprisonment much less of Death yet to please you seeing you were so eager of his Death and withal to satisfie my self of Herod's Opinion I sent you your selves with him bound before Herod and I know you have no mean thoughts of Herod's Judgment and you know I suppose that his opinion was That he found nothing worthy of Death in him but hath return'd him back again to me Luke 23 11 15. I will therefore chastise him and let him go Moreover you know that you have a Custom that I should release unto you one at the Passover I will therefore release unto you the King of the Jews then they came all in crowding at the Door and crying at once with a lond voice Away with this Man and release unto us Barabbas Now Barabbas was one that for Robbery and Murder in the City was cast into Prison Pilate being willing to release Jesus spake again to them But they cry'd saying Crucifie him Crucifie him Matth. 23.19 20 21. Pilate resolv'd then to see if the following Severity to the ever blessed Jesu would satisfie them Pilate then took Jesus and scourg'd him and the Soldiers platted a Crown of Thorns and put it upon his Head Well might Isaiah say of the Sin of the Jews Your Hands are defiled with Blood for now were our blessed Saviour's Back and Sides all in a Gore-Blood The Chastisement of our Peace was upon him and by bit Stripes we are boaled Surely be bath born our Griefs and carried our Sorrow yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted He is despised and rejected of Men a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with Grief which made the Cry break out of his Sacred Mouth Behold If any Sorrow be like unto my Sorrow And Isaiah further tells how his Disciples would leave him at this time And we hid as it were our Faces from him And the Soldiers platted a Crown of Thorns and put it upon his Head and they put on him again the Purple Robe that Herod had array'd him in and said Hail King of the Jews and smote him with their hands and bowing he Knee worshipp'd him in Scorn and Derision to his Kingly Attire with his Sacred Temples pouring down Blood from the Crown of Thorns fasten'd into them which made him say The Arrows of the Almighty stick fast in me Lord who is able to behold thee in this miserable scourg'd and bleeding condition Thy Face besmear'd and daub'd with the precious Blood of
Blood be upon us and our Children for ever if it will we will have him Crucified And the Voices of them and the Chief Priests prevailed Luke 23.23 Then Pilate released Barabbas unto them and delivor'd Jesus to be Crucified and they took him and lead him away John 19.16 Then they called together the whole Band of Soldiers and with the Scarlet Robe and the Crown of Thorns on his Head they put a Reed in his right band in stead of a Scepter and they bowed the Knee before him and said Hail King of the Jews And then they spit upoâ— him and took away the Reed from him and smote him on the Head with it And after they had done that they mock'd him and then they took off the Robe that was upon him by Herod's Appointment for to Crucifie him in that King-like Robe would be a great dishonour both to their King and Country And the Saviour of the World now being left to the Barbarous Multitude to be Crucified The Jews and Gentiles consent and assist in the Crucifying of him Mat. 20.18 19. and to do what they would with him You may imagine with what Undecency and Rudeness they twist and turn about the Sacred Body of our Dear Jesus that is already most grievously sore and stiff with Blood from their late Inhuman Stripes and with what force and cruelty they pull off his Robes and put on his own Garments for his Crucifixion is enough to make a Devout Soul quake and tremble Thus they took the ever-blessed Jesus and led him away bearing His own Cross toward Mount Calvary or Golgotha the place of a Skull with all the Joy their Rage and Malice could invent Stay now my Soul and take a serious view of thy Lord and Saviour thus far afflicted The Devout Soul standing to see its Saviour pass by toward the Mount the place of his Execution tormented and forsaken I say now if thy Heart does not break to fast and the Sluces of thy Eyes do not pour down Pears too violently take a view of him and make a stand It 's the way to his Cross and he will come dragg'd by presently O my Soul be like the true Zacheus make the best of thy Ground to view and of thy Time to consider for now the Agony of our Blessed Redeemer begins Ah cruel and miserable Pilate What hast thou now done And whom hast thou Condemned And whom hast thou delivered up to be Crucified The Lord of Glory The Son of God! The Redeemer and Saviour of the World A just Person As thou thy self hath testified of him Thou found'st no Guile nor Evil in his Mouth What canst thou expect from him then for thy own Salvation See but yonder how he is hal'd and dragg'd away from thee with his Head crown'd with Thorns his Temples bleeding his Face besmear'd with Blood and Spittle from the basest and vilest of the poor ignorant Jews and his Back stooping under the Burthen of his own Cross and his poor Legs trembling by reason of its weight which with the Dust Dirt Crowd Sweat Blood and want of Sustenance to revive his poor drooping Spirits His sacred Lips having received no nourishment from the time of the Passover till the time of his thirsting up on the Cross which was the third day and exactly forerun the time of his Body lying in the Grave is ready to sink Canst thou look after him Pilate and see all this and thy Heart and Soul not faint and bleed What wouldst thou give Pilate now to recal thy wicked and abominable Sentence of a just Person thus spitefully used and dealt with Like a Lamb to the Slaughter or a Sheep before the Shearers is dumb so openeth he not his Mouth But now not for Pity to his tender Back Simon the Cyrenian compell'd to bear our Saviours Cross but for fear he tire before he come to the Place of suffering and that they may give him some ease to lengthen out his Torments and that they may be able to inflict more Stripes upon him and that he may more become the publick view and that he may be the better come at to receive his Stripes and to be spit upon and thrown at let us seize and compel the Traveller Simon of Cyrenia to bear his Cross O happy art thou Simon to bear thy Lord's Cross Let there be no unwillingness in thee Thou hadst no hand in Condemning him nor Crowning him with Thorns nor spitting upon him nor bussetting him let it not grieve thee thou may'st be amply rewarded for thy pains if thou believest in him He in requital will bear thy Soul to Heaven for thee How many poor Souls now a days would have been glad to have suffer'd for him or with him that have already found part of the Virtue of his Death and Resurrection But how can I blame thee poor Simon when all his Disciples had left him and one of them was he that betray'd him to this but all hid their Faces from him as he himself had foretold them And ye shall leave me alone but I am not alone because the Father is with me O dear Lord Jesu joyful is this News to me that I now here thee speak That thou hast the Presence Comforts and Assistance of thy Father of thy God with thee in this hour in this great Agony and Suffering And having thus far mournfully accompanied our Lord and Saviour up the Hill laden with Afflictions and Sorrows to the top of Mount Calvary where the Cross of our dear Saviour is to be fix'd for the separating of his most Glorious Soul and most Precious Body Who can but consider and be amaz'd to think what stupendious Sorrows and Sufferings our dear Lord at this moment feels and apprehends All Malefactors that we have at any time beheld with our Christian compassionate Eyes there are three Times especially that conflict and operate most upon sympathizing Beholders and according as the Sentence for the extinguishing part of Life is so are we more or less affected and afflicted with Sorrow First at the time of their Condemnation and dreadful Sentence Thou shalt return to the Place from whence thou camest and from thence to the Place of Execution and there be hang'd by the Neck till thou art dead or Quarter'd alive or burnt to Death and the Lord have Mercy upon thy Soul Secondly at the present time of their going up the Ladder or being fastned to the Rack Cross Stake or Block What Eyes can behold this but their Face shall gather Paleness and Sorrow A simpathizing thinking Christian and their Knees even knock together with fear and trembling to think what is at hand and they now going immediately to suffer Thirdly at the time of their being in the very present Agony of Death where not only the present Torment of Body they endure but the dreadful Terrors of an affrighted Conscience at the immediate sight of a revengeful God and irreconcileable
Judge that is now ready to cast both Soul and Body into Hell-Fire do produce Compassion And this is the present and perfect state and condition of all Men by reason of Sin For this and this alone is our dear Lord and Saviour conflicted in the Garden even to the extracting great drops of Blood trickling down his most sacred Hands and Face And when he saw his most Righteous Father would not reverse this eternal Decree and Punishment to Mankind for Sin without his own ever blessed Son's undergoing and suffering Death and Hell for us Saith he If this bitter Cup shall not pass from me without drinking of it Thy Will be done A Body hast thou prepar'd that is mounting the Cross and ready and willing to suffer all the Misery and Torment that the most cruel Rage and Malice of Men and Devils and an enraged God will permit to inflict rather than poor Man shall suffer the deep Pressures of Thy Eternal Wrath and Indignation in that Luke that burneth with Fire and Brimstone for evermore O blessed Father Thou art my Father from all Eternity and am not I thy Son Prov. 8.23 I was from everlasting before ever the Earth was While as yet he bad not made the Earth or the Fields nor the highest part of the Dust of the World When be prepared the Heavens I was there When he set a Compass upon the face of the Deep When be established the Clouds above When he strengthen'd the Fountains of the Deep When he gave to the Sea his Decree That the Waters should not pass his Commandment When he appointed the Foundations of the Earth Then was I by him as one brought up with him and I was daily his Delight rejoycing always before him Rejoycing in the habitable parts of his Earth And my Delights were with the Sons of Men when thou createdst them in a state of Innocency and Perfection And O Heavenly Father shall I now forsake them in a state of Sin and Misery and Eternal Destruction No O Holy Father for this very end did I come into the World I that immaculate Lamb slain from the beginning conceiv'd by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary as to human Nature am toucht with their Infirmities and therefore came to succour poor tempted Souls I know the Devil's Wrath and Power and continual Attempts to all Mankind For this cause was I carry'd into the Wilderness endur'd Hunger and Cold Fasting and Temptations and I cannot but succour and relieve and at last deliver those that are tempted As Man I my self O Righteous Father had fell by his Temptation but as God I overcame him and can I let them suffer when I know Man is not sufficient of himself to overcome the Devil nor Sin nor the Power of Death and Hell nor thy Eternal Wrath and Displeasure This was the Eternal Decree of the great Council of Heaven from everlasting That seeing Man was not able to recover his lost state That Man born of a Virgin conceived from his God-like Power by the Holy Ghost overshadowing her in the fulness of time should be born the Son of God fully qualifi'd God-Man to make compleat Satisfaction and Atonement for laps'd Man to the unsatisfi'd Justice and incensed Wrath and Indignation of God And for this Cause was I Born here on Earth and left the Bosom of my Heavenly Father and all Thrones and Dominions Principalities and Powers of Glorified Saints and Angels and took upon me Human Nature and came cheerfully leaping over the Hills and skipping over the Mountains as a Roe or young Hart upon the Mountains of Spices For this Cause came I as in the Volume of the Book it is written of me to do thy Will O God That poor Man might not be Eternally lost but thy incens'd Wrath might be appeas'd full satisfaction might be made the power of Hell might be broke and Devils themselves reserved in Hell bound in Chains of Darkness until the great Day and poor fallen Man acquitted and discharg'd and his Soul Eternally Sav'd This is Love indeed unbounded unlimited Love infinite inexhaustible incomprehensible Love of the Son of God the ever blessed Redeemer of the World O the Height Length Breadth and Depth of the Goodness of God to Mankind This is transcendent Love Love without comparison Now what must all this extort from us To see our dear Lord and Saviour just now mounting the Cross giving of himself up to the utmost Cruelty that the wickedness of Men and Devils can inflict upon him from the vehemency and Poison of their most barbarous Rage and all this for our Sins and to set us free Here is the Sentence of Pilate Take him scourg'd already accord-to your Custom and bound Take him and Crucifie him with this Inscription over his Head That every one that passeth by might understand it written in Latin Greek and Hebrew This is Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iews The Death of the Cross was the ancient Punishment of the Jews for their most notorious Malefactors Dr. Cave 's Primitive Christianity before Christ's time and therefore esteemed by the accursed Jews most fit for our Saviour to dye by Omitting all the various Forms and different kinds which were all us'd towards the Primitive Christians there were two things in this way of suffering rendred it very severe viz. the Pain and Ignominy of it Painful it must needs be because the Party suffering was fastned to it with Nails drove through his Hands and Feet the most sensible parts of Man from such a vast quantity of Nerves and Sinews uniting and terminating in those places And they were pierc'd only in those extream Parts so far distant from the Heart on purpose that the exquisiteness of their Torments and Death might be the more lingring and tedious Insomuch that some out of tender Compassion have caused some to be strangled before they were Crucified as Julius Caesar did the Pirats he had sworn to execute on the Cross Sueton. in Vit. Caesar Cap. 47. p. 76. But no such Favour was shewn to Christians they were suffer'd to remain during all these cruciating Pangs till mere Hunger starv'd them or the Mercy of wild Beasts or Birds of Prey dispatcht them Thus St. Andrew endur'd two whole days upon the Cross Martyrol Rom. p 736. Timotheus and his Wife Maura after many other Torments hung upon the Cross nine days together before they compleated their Martyrdom Nor was the Shame of this way of Suffering less than the Pain of it Crucifixion being the punishment of Slaves Traitors and the vilest of Malefactors Insomuch that for a Free man to dye thus was accounted amongst them the highest Degree of Ignominy and Reproach imaginable Therefore the Roman Historians call'd it Servile Supplicium a punishment only proper for Slaves But this punishment of the Cross Constantine took away out of Reverence to our Saviour not being willing that that should be the punishment of the vilest Malefactors which
and severe that there is no Redemption of thy most precious Soul and Sacred Body from the Cross till thou hast paid the very utmost Farthing and hast made full and compleat Satisfaction for me O dear Lord That Cast of thy languishing distracted dying Eye towards me hath brought all to remembrance And there dear Saviour in the speedy conveyance of a most ardent Ejaculation is it most humbly and devoutly presented unto thee that thou mayest instantly be deliver'd from the Torments and Bondage of Death in making ample Atonement for it and my poor Soul may be recorded as soon as thou art exalted in thy Kingdom of Glory Stay O my Soul a small space longer for now Darkness hastens on amain that I can scarce see thee But what is it I hear Does this abominable Sin of mine stick so fast still in the strict Court of Heaven that it makes thee cry out thus Will it not yet be discharg'd What dreadful Cry is it I 'm sure it must be my Sin Thou O blessed Jesu art Spotless and without Sin Guile was not found in thy Mouth It must be mine O miserable and wretched Creature as I am How impossible was I and unable to have under went this Suffering and Agony for my Sin as a poor Worm Dust Ashes and sinful polluted Man when it makes the Son of God thus complain and cry out Hark! Hark! O my Soul what is it that sounds thus in my Ears 'T is no usual Cry it must come from my Tortur'd Redeemer Hark! Harst Silence Hark! What is' t Eloi Eloi Lama sabachthani My God my God why hast thou forsaken me O my Soul what is it What is it I hear Eloi Eloi Lama-sabachthani My God my God why hast thou forsaken me O Lord O God! O Saviour O ever-blessed Redeemer O my Christ Son of God! Lamb of God! Dearly beloved of the Father Where shall I go Where shall I hide my self from the Wrath and dreadful Displeasure of thy Father if thou cry'st out so that art his Son his only begotten Son in whom always he was so well pleas'd What then can I do or where shall I appear if Wrath break out never so little towards me when thou that art a God complains so bitterly What then must a poor vile wretched miserable undone Creature and grievous polluted Sinner do But stay my Soul Endeavour still to be looking up toward thy Saviour Let my tremblng fainting Heart still endure the Crowd If thou dyest here thou mayest still be remembred with the Penitent Thief It 's the only time and place under Heaven to give up a departing Soul but if otherwise thou art called for a longer time on Earth have patience and see the last of thy erer-blessed Saviour If the Mother of our ever-blessed Lord stand to see the last Gasp of her dearly beloved Son and if Mary Magdalen and others stand weeping and crying and praying to see the last Gasp and dismal End of this unparalell'd Tragedy thou hast as much need I say if amongst these Mary the Mother of our ever-blessed Jesu can stand to behold her Nine Months Labour in her precious Womb and to see the Travail of her Soul thus tormented to Death canst not thou do the same More especially thy Sins O my Soul are great which thou hast committed have patience a while and much shall be forgiven thee Let us now see what further the Jews have to do till their Wrath is quite spent And when the Sixth Hour was come there was Darkness over the whole Earth until the Ninth Hour and at the Ninth Hour Jesus cry'd out with a loud Voice saying Eloi Eloi Lama sabachthani Which being interpreted is My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And some of them which stood by said He calleth for Elias let him come down and save him if he can Then presently he cry'd I Thirst immediately one runs and fills a Spunge full of Vinegar and Gaul and gives it him to drink Psal 69.21 Mark 15.23 All this Suffering hitherto of our Blessed Lord and Saviour had wrought nothing upon these Cruel Incredulous Jewish Stony Hearts but they squeeze this bitter Potion into his most Sacred Mouth with bitter Revilings which at all times is counted most base and inhuman to insult over the most vilest Malefactors at the time of their suffering the satisfaction and penalty of the Law yet such is the Cruelty of these barbarous Infidels Let us see say they if Elias will come and take him down from the Cross and save him But our Blessed Jesu as he had liv'd Christ the Son of the ever living God so he would dye Christ and Saviour of the World pâ—aying for his most bitter and inhuman Enemies at the very last minute of his most precious Life Father forgive them they know not what they do But when they saw that all their Rage Malice and Barbarous Cruelty ended in a Prayer for them their Hearts began to smite them and they stood gazing one upon another and when they began to see such thick Darkness fall upon them and the Earth quaking and trembling under their Feet they began to be convinc'd in their Consciences some of them and to say one to another Surely this is the Son of God and cry'd What shall we do And looking up to Jesus again they saw him bowing his Head and saying Consummatum est Now it is finished Father into thy hands I commit my Spirit and bowed his Head and gave up the Ghost And as one devoutly observes the posture of this Death carries in it a lively Representation of his great Love to Mankind his Arms stretch'd out as it were to embrace all those that would come to him and his Head bowing down to kiss them And at the Ninth Hour there was Darkness over the whole Earth for the Sun began to hide his Head as not able to behold it The Vail of the Temple was torn from the top to the bottom the Earth quak'd and the Rocks rent which made the Centurion that stood by as a Sheriff by Pilate's Command to see our Saviour executed begin to be grievously afraid and to say Of a certain this was the Son of God Luke 23.30 Matth. 27.54 And no sooner had our dear Saviour let fly his Blessed Spirit and ascended to his Heavenly Throne and glorified Saints and Angels but they rejoycing at his glorious Presence immediately brake forth into singing of Praises and Hallelujahs with the Penitent Thief And having now overcome the Power of Death and Hell forthwith the Graves open'd and many Bodies of the Saints which slept arose Matth. 27.52 and began to glorifie God Like 23.47 But the Jews when they saw all this began to call to the Mountains to hide them from the Wrath to come Luke 23.48 And all the People that came together to that Sight beheld the things that were done and were amaz'd and smote their Breasts and return'd that the Scriptures might
be fulfill'd They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his Son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his First-born Zech. 12.10 This made Dionysius of Athens to say being in Aegypt at the same time of our Saviour's suffering when he saw this great Eclipse of the Sun contrary as at other times cry out and say Aut Deus naturae patitur vel Mundi Machina dissolvetur Either the World was at an end or the Maker of it suffer'd great Agony And now O my Soul what hast thou more to do but to attend till thy Saviour is took down from the Cross and with the remainder of thy feeble Strength and almost-spent Eyes accompany his precious Body to his Funeral which will be solemniz'd this Evening The Jews therefore because it was the Preparation for the Sabbath and Even was come and they had a Custom among themselves That Bodies should not remain upon the Cross on the Sabbath-day especially at this time it being a great and high Day the Day of the Great Passover the Soldiers therefore came to Pilate and besought him that the Bodies of the Malefactors might be taken down from the Crosâ— John the Beloved Disciple to whose Care Christ bequeath'd his Mother saw this and bore Record of it that we might believe John 19.35 and their Legs broken which no sooner was granted but one of the Soldiers abounding still with his inveterate Malice more than the rest notwithstanding the wonderful Miracles he had so lately seen from the Glorious Sun of the Firmament vailing its Head the Earth trembling the very Rocks breaking in pieces and the Vail of the Temple the most Sacred Place of their Worship rent from the top to the bottom yet he takes no notice of all this but forthwith runs with his Spear in his hand and violently pierces the tender Side of our dear Lord and Saviour and immediately gush'd out Water and Blood the Emblems of the Two abiding Sacraments that our Lord left with us in commemoration of His Blessed Humanity and Divinity Baptism and the Lordâ—s Supper And this could not be done without a Prophecy In that Day there shall be a Fountain open for the House of David and Inhabitants of Jerusalem to wash in for Sin and for Vncleanness Zach. 13.1 And when they took down the Bodies of the other Two Malefactors found they were not dead and brake their Legs The Jews having a Custom amongst them to break the Legs of the Crucify'd Persons when they took them down from the Cross if they sound they had any Life in them But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead probably from the vast expension of Spirits so much exhausted and wasted from his former Sufferings and for want of Respit and fresh recruit of Sustenance for which we do not read from the time of his Betraying to the time of his Passion of Care or Supply from any Or perhaps from the wound of the Spear in his precious Side that might the sooner expire his Life or rather from all together Yet finding him already dead they broke not his Legs Or chiefly to fulfil the fore-determinate Will of the Almighty predicted and prophesied of him That a Bone of him should not be broken For as we see all along from the foreknowledge and all-wise Counsel of Heaven and from the unalterable Decrees of Omnisciency nothing could from his Conception to his Crucifixion happen to him but what was unavoidably necessary and foretold that it might be of Belief to persuade one of the True Messias and of Infidelity to obdurate the other For so says the Great Apostle I preach Christ Crucified to the Jews a Stumbling Block and unto us Gentiles the Life and Power of God unto Salvation for they neither did nor yet will believe the Emanuality of the Son of God in this World but still are vainly in expectation of him Now Joseph being a just man and altho' one of the Jews yet had no hand in consenting to the Death of the Son of God went in privately in respect of the Jews because he was of Arimathea a City of the Jews but went boldly unto Pilate and begg'd the Body of Jesus And when Even was come because it was the Preparation Even before the Sabbath Joseph of Arimathea an honourable Counsellor who also himself waited for the Kingdom of God came and went in boldly to Pilate and crav'd the Body of Jesus But Pilate fill'd with Incredulity marvell'd if he should be already dead And to be fully satisfied sends for the Centurion whom he had appointed to stand by and see the Execution done and ask'd If Jesus of Nazareth was dead and whether he had been any time dead and when the Centurion told him that he was dead for his Body the Soldiers had already with his leave taken down from the Cross and they had broke the Legs of the other two But when they came to Jesus of Nazareth he they found already dead and therefore his Legs were not broken When Pilate heard all this he commanded the Body of Jesus to be given to Joseph Mark 15.42 46 Matth. 27.58 And Joseph took him away and wrapp'd his Body in Sindon or new fine Linen Cloth and also Nicodemus which at the first came to Jesus by night and brought a mixture of Myrrh Aloes and other Spices as the Custom of the Jews was and wrapp'd him up in fine Linnen ready for his Funeral which was to be solemniz'd this Evening in the Garden of Joseph a place without the Gates of Jerusalem and near to the place where our Saviour was Crucified and in a new Tomb hewed out of a Rock that Joseph had made for himself and where never Man lay before And now O my Soul prepare thy self with all Humility and Devotion to attend thy Lord and Saviour to his Funeral This is the last Office of Love thou hast to perform to the dear Body of thy departed Jesus who had done and suffer'd so much for thee O my Soul what an honour it is to thee to be esteem'd worthy by thy Lord to be bid a Mourner at his Funeral And happy and blessed art thou O Joseph that thou wast waiting impatiently patient for the Body of Jesus and for the Kingdom of God O happy art thou that in this black and dismal night of sorrow thy Faith fail'd thee not and that thy transcendent Love to thy Jesu carry'd thee through all fears and difficulties of the Jews to crave the Body of Jesus This was love indeed that at such a time as this was while the rage and malice of the Jews was still boiling hot in them and seeing all his Disciples had left him before this Day of Trial thou might'st reasonably have expected that their remaining rage might have spent it self upon them that should have shewn any manner of kindness to the Remaining
Body of a Crucify'd Jesus Yet true Faith carry'd thee beyond fear come Life come Death nothing can or shall separate a true Joseph a truly devout Soul from the Love of Christ Jesus Yet withal we may from hence observe the Prudence and Care a Christian ought to have He went privately in respect of the Jews whose precipitate rage had so lately embru'd their hands in the Blood of an Innocent harmless Jesus and was still reeking hot with that Cruelty but yet boldly in respect of Pilate he went in and begg'd the Body of Jesus His Love and Faith to Jesus made him bold but his Wisdom and Discretion made him cautions If he must sacrifice his Life for his Love to his Saviour it should be by the hands of a Legislative Power and not by the merciless barbarity of the Mobile but if it must be so ready and resolv'd he was immediately to follow and be second to so good a Saviour for whose Salvation he had so long time waited O Blessed Joseph Had'st not thou took care of the Son of God of Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews of the ever-blessed Jesu Redeemer and Saviour of the World to have given him decent Burial his Sacred Body might have laid all mangled torn distorted and extended upon the cold Earth to the merciless Cruelty and savage Nature of Wild Beasts and Birds of Prey But this was design'd from all Eternity that thou should'st be the Man appointed by the Hypostatick Counsel of Heaven I say to be the Man to embalm and entomb the Body of the ever-blessed Jesus and for this art thou sure to have thy Soul embrac'd and enthron'd in Heaven in the Bosom of thy Saviour He that is not asham'd to confess and own me before Men in the most dangerous of times him will I not be asham'd to confess and own before my Father which is in Heaven And now Even is come and the time of Solemnity and Entombing of our Saviour is at hand away now my Soul with all the heavy weight and burthen of thy Sins to the Grave of thy Saviour The Body born by Angels vailing their Faces The Solemnity of our Saviours Funeral who in the time of his Humanity were always appointed by God to attend upon him and minister unto him and also while in the Grave to perform the same Heavenly Office And there appear'd two Angels sitting the one at the head and the other at the feet And can we think they should be spar'd or wanted at this time Luke 24.4 John 20.12 First follow'd by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus John 16.39.40 Then Mary the Mother of the ever-blessed Jesus Mary Magdalen and Mary the Mother of James and Joses and the Mother of Zebedee's Children And the Women that follow'd after as Mourners bâ—held the Body where if was laid Luke 23.55 And all the rest of the Mourners came following after ordered by the great Herauld of Heaven And I will in that day pour upon the house of David and Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and Supplication and they shall look upon me whom they have perceiv'd and they shall mourn for him as one that mourneth for his only begotten Son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-horn In that day there shall be a very great mourning in Jerusalem Typically spoke of good Josiah aâ—â—ding to our Saviour at this time Rev. 1.7 as the mourning of Haddadrimon in the Valley of Megiddon And the Land shall mourn every Family apart The Family of the House of David apart and their Wives apart The Family of the House of Nathan apart and their Wives apart The Family of the House of Live apart and their Wives apart The Family of Shimei and their Wives apart And all the Families that remain every Family apart and their Wives apart Zech. 12.10 11 12. Come now O my Soul do thee follow after gather up I say all thy Sins from the soot of the Cross and bring them with thee to the Grave of thy Saviour Bury them there in a Flood of Tears with the rest of those Afflicted Mourners that they may never rise up in this World more to affright thee nor in the World to come to condemn thee Leave them all there that they may all be laid upon the head of the scape-Goat and carry'd into the Wilderness the Land of forgetfulness And now strengthen your Heads you weak Hearts and gather strength ye feeble Knees for now is your Redemption near at hand And they roll'd a great stone to the door of the Sepulchre and departed Thus having as succinctly as possibly I could run over the Passion of our Dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in that method and order the Holy Scriptures have most perspicuously testify'd of him both by the Prophets and also the Apostles I shall conclude all with that of the most Holy Apostle and for the present leave his precious Body in the Grave with Angles to attend his Call to his Glorious Resurrection which the blessed Apostle in these few words proclaims Ye Men of Israel Hear these words Jesus of Nazareth a Man approv'd of God among you by Miracles Wonders and Signs which God did by him in the midst of ye as ye your selves also know Him being deliver'd by the determinate Counsel and foreknowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucify'd and slain Whom God hath rais'd up having loos'd the Pains of Death because it was not possible that he should be holden of it But David speaketh concerning him I foresaw the Lord always before my Face for he is on my Right hand that I should not be mov'd Therefore did my Heart rejoyce and my Tongue was glad moreover also my Flesh shall rest in hope because thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see Corruption Thou hast made known to me the way of Life and thou shalt make me full of Joy with thy Countenance Now Glory to God on High Peace on Earth Good Will towards Men. Meditations and Ejaculations to be used in thy Closet before or immediately at the Table of the Lord or after thou art return'd into thy Closet again Made and compos'd by the Author from the Considerations of Christ's Merits by his Body Blood and Intercession O Lord help the Sluces of my Soul to pour out Tears abundantly for my many Sins heinous Sins great and grievous Sins O Lord help me O Christ help me O Saviour of the World help me O Lamb of God help me O Redeemer of the World help me O dear and ever blessed Jesu Christ and Saviour help me I fear I shall be drein'd dry too soon I fear I shall slacken too fast Help me Lord to a River of Tears that I may pour out more more O pensive Heart and Soul more abundantly my Heart and Soul to my God This is Pleasure indeed This
Wrinkle or any such thing And this I beg with all Humility and Devotion that I am able to do upon the Account and for the Sake of my ever Blessed Redeemer and Advocate concluding in that Heavenly Prayer He Himself hath taught me saying Our Father c. A Prayer for the Author or Reader O Lord assist me so with Thy Blessed Spirit that all that I have now Written or Read in this foregoing Work may always be fresh upon my Heart and Soul and grant me O God that at this time I may pour out my Soul unto Thee upon my bended Knees in such like Prayers and Supplications that may be prevalent with Thee my Heavenly Father to guard and defend me this Day from all manner of Sins and power of Temptations whatsoever More especially against all those Sins that do so easie beset me and meet me at every turn those Sins thou knowest O Heavenly Father are my familiar and prevailing Sins that now by the special Concurrence of thy Blessed Spirit I may be able to strike at the very root of them all and like David kill the Goliah Give me O Lord a true rectify'd Spirit Sanctify'd throughout to overcome all Infirmities and Corruptions of Human Nature And that I may betake my self sincerely to the great Business of the Salvation of my Soul And that with the Blessed Apostle I may run the Race that is set before me looking unto Christ Jesus the Author and Finisher of my Faith who for the Joy that was set before him endur'd the Cross despis'd the shame and now is set at the Right Hand of God daily to make Intercession for me For him O Heavenly Father hast thou highly exalted and given him a Name above all other Names that at the Name of Jesus every Knee should how both of things in Heaven and of things on Earth O sweet Jesu O blessed Jesu who can but bow to Thee and supplicate to Thee and pour out their Prayers and Tears to Thee that left the bosom of Thy Father and all the Adorations and Chorus's of Saints and Angels and came down from Heaven to suffer the cursed and ignominious Death of the Cross for my Sins to have thy tender Hands that were always doing of Good and healing Diseases and thy blessed Feet that always kept the steady Paths of Eternal Life now to be turn'd twisted extended distorted disjointed and Nail'd to the Cross to drink the Vinegar and Gaul of Thy Father's high Displeasure for my great and grievous Sins to have Thy most sacred Sides pierc'd and to gush out with Water and Blood To see Thee all over sweating and pouring down Streams of Blood from the Crown of Thy Head to the Foot of the Cross and to suffer all this for my great grievous hainous Sins and abominable Iniquities Nay further O Dear Jesu to see Thee endure and to lie under Thy Father's Wrath and the pressure of all these Agonies and Torments which made Thee bitterly to cry out My God my God Why hast thou forsaken â—e O Lord What shall I do Who is able to behold Thee longer Who can but love Thee and in loving Thee adore Thee with infinite unbounded and unmeasurable Love and desire earnestly to be Dissolved and to be with Thee But if it is Thy good Pleasure to spare me longer let the true Love and perfect sense of all this Love and Suffering of Thine my Dear Lord and Saviour help me to live up to that exact Pattern thou hast left me here of Meekness Lowliness Humility Charity Forgiveness Bowels of Pity and Compassion and that a perfect sense of Thy Crucifixion may always be fresh in my Heart and Soul that so it may beget in me a compleat hatred and dread of all Sins that in the whole Course of my remaining Life I may be preserved and defended from the like Sins that I run not the danger of Eternal Damnation And that the inexhaustible Bowels of Thy Mercy may take pity of me so that I Crucifie Thee not again but being delivered from all Iniquities by thy most mighty Power may with finishing my Course here be receiv'd into the open Arms of Thy Eternal Salvation And this I most heartily beg upon the bended Knees of my Soul for Thy sake only and upon the alone account of Thee my Dear Lord and Saviour and ever-blessed Redeemer and Advocate Amen and Amen A Death Bed Meditation I Owe to God a Death as his Son did for me Ever since I have been born I have been sailing to this Haven and gathering Patience to comfort me in this Hour therefore should I be one of those Guests that would not come to the Banquet when they were invited What hurt is there is going to Sleep In going to Paradise I shall lose nothing but the Sense of Evils and anon I shall have greater Joys than I feel Pains for my Head is in Heaven already to assure me my Soul and Body shall follow after O Death Where is thy Sting Why should I fear that which I would not escape because my chief Happiness is gone before and I cannot have it unless I go to it I would even go through Hell it self for Heaven and therefore if I march but through Death I suffer less than I would for God My Pains do not dismay me because I Travel to bring forth Eternal Life My Sins do not fright me because I have Christ my Redeemer there The Judge doth not astonish me because I have the Judges Son my Advocate The Devil amazes me not because the Angels pitch their Tents about me The Grave grieves me not because I know it was my Lord's Bed O that God's Mercy to me might move others to love him For the less I can express of it the more it is The Prophets and the Apostles are my Fore-runners every Man will go before or follow after If it please God to receive me into Heaven before them that serv'd him better what Thankfulness do I owe him and because I have deferr'd my Repentance till this Hour whereby my Salvation had been cut off had I dy'd suddenly How doth my God in his Infinite Mercy to prevent my Destruction call me by this lingring Sickness and prepares me for my End and makes me by wholsome Pains weary of this beloved World lest I should depart unwillingly like to those whose Death is their Damnation Thus he loves me while he beats me and his Stripes are Plaisters to cure my Sores therefore who shall love him if I displease him This is my whole Business now to strengthen my Body with my Heart and to be contented as God hath appointed until I can Glorify him or He me If I live I live to Sacrifice If I dye I dye to my Saviour for Christ my Saviour is Sacrificed for me and therefore should I fear Death I have not that Faith and Hope I have profess'd but I doubted of God's Truth in his Promises Whether or no he will forgive Penitent Sinners which I sear not Come Lord Jesus for now thy Servant cometh into thy Everlasting Arms of Mercy I commit my Soul into thy Hands O Heavenly Father Come Lord Jesus come quickly A Letter written to his Friend in his Sickness Beloved I Marvelled not that you have Pain for you are Sick but I marvel that you cover it not for Offences because the Wisdom of Man is to bite in his Gpief and always to shew more Comfort in God than Pain in Suffering Now God calleth to Repetitious to see whether you have learn'd more Patience and Constancy than others If Sickness be sharp make it not more sharp by frowardness But know this is a great Favour to us when we dye by Sickness that makes us ready for God when he calls us Now you have nothing to think upon but God and you cannot think upon him without Joy Your Grief passes away but your Joy will never Tell me Friend or Patient How many Stripes is Heaven worth Is my Friend only Sick in the World or his Faith weaker than others You have always Pray'd Thy Will be done and are you now offended that God's Will is done How hath the Faithful Man forgot that all things even Death if self turn to the best to them that love God Teach the Happy O Lord to see his Happiness through Troubles Every Pain is the prevention of the Pain of Hell Every Ease in Pain is a fore-tast of the Ease and Peace and Joys in Heaven Remember therefore your own Comforts to others before and be not impatient when there is most need of Patience but as you have ever Taught us to Live so now give us an Example to Dye and deceive Satan as Job did FINIS