life a subiect of death And yet it was not a dying but a giuing vp not of a vanishing aerie breath but of a spirituall soule which after separation hath an entire life in it selfe He gaue vpp the Ghost he died that hath both ouercome and sanctified and sweetned death What fearest thou hee hath puld out the sting and malignity of death If thou bee a Christian carry it in thy bosome it hurts thee not Darest thou not trust thy Redeemer If hee had not dyed death had beene a Tyrant now hee is a slaue O Death where is thy sting O Graue where is thy victory Yet the Spirite of God saith not he dyed but gaue vpp the Ghost The verie Heathen Poet saith Hee durst not say that a good man dies It is worth the noting mee thinkes that when Saint Luke would describe to vs the death of Ananias and Sapphira he sayeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee expired but when Saint Iohn would describe Christs death hee saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee gaue vp the Ghost how how gaue hee it vpp and whither so as after a sort hee retained it his soule parted from his body his Godhead was neuer distracted eyther from soule or body this vnion is not in nature but in person If the natures of Christ could be diuided each would haue his subsistence so there should be more persons God forbid one of the natures therefore may haue a separation in it selfe the soule from the body one nature cannot be separate from other or eyther nature from the person If you cannot conceiue wonder the Sonne of GOD hath wedded vnto himselfe our humanity without all possibility of diuorce the body hangs on the Crosse the soule is yeelded the Godhead is euiternally vnited to them both acknowledges sustaines them both The soule in his agonie feeles not the presence of the God head the body vpon the Crosse feeles not the presence of the soule Yet as the Fathers of Chalcedon say truely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indiuisibly inseparably is the Godhead with both of these still and euer one and the same person The Passion of Christ as Augustine was the sleepe of his Diuinity so I may say The death of Christ was the sleepe of his humanity If hee sleepe he shall doe well said that Disciple of Lazarus Death was too weake to dissolue the eternall bonds of this heauenly coniunction Let not vs Christians go too much by sense wee may be firmely knit to God not feele it thou canst not hope to be so neare to thy God as Christ was vnited personally thou canst not feare that God should seeme more absent from thee then hee did from his owne Sonne yet was hee still one with both body and soule when they were diuided from themselues whē he was absent to sense he was present to faith when absent in vision yet in vnion one and the same so will hee be to thy soule when it is at worst Hee is thine and thou art his if thy hold seeme loosened his is not When temptations will not let thee see him hee sees thee and possesses thee only belieue thou against sense aboue hope though he kill thee yet trust in him Whither gaue hee it vp Himselfe expresses Father into thy handes and This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise It is iustice to restore whence wee receiue Into thy hands He knew where it should be both safe happie true hee might bee bold thou saist as the Sonne with the father The seruants haue done so Dauid before him Steuen after him And least wee should not thinke it our common right Father sayth hee I will that those thou hast giuen me may be with me euen where I am hee willes it therefore it must bee It is not presumption but faith to charge God with thy spirite neither can there euer bee any belieuing soule so meane that hee should refuse it all the feare is in thy selfe how canst thou trust thy iewell with a stranger What sodaine familiarity is this God hath beene with thee and gone by thee thou hast not saluted him and now in all the hast thou bequeathest thy soule to him On what acquaintance how desperate is this carelesnesse If thou haue but a little money whither thou keepe it thou layest it vp in the Temple of trust or whether thou let it thou art sure of good assurance sound bonds if but a litle land how carefully dost thou make firme conueyances to thy desired heires If goods thy will hath taken secure order who shall enioy them wee need not teach you Citizēs to make sure worke for your estates if Children thou disposest of them in trades with portions onely of thy soule which is thy self thou knowest not what shall become The world must haue it no more thy selfe wouldst keepe it but thou knowest thou canst not Sathan would haue it and thou knowest not whether hee shall thou wouldest haue God haue it and thou knowest not whether hee will yea thy heart is now ready with Pharaoh to say Who is the Lord O the fearefull and miserable estate of that man that must part with his soule hee knowes not whither which if thou wouldest auoide as this very warning shall iudge thee if thou doe not be acquainted with GOD in thy life that thou mayest make him the Gardian of thy soule in thy death Giuen vp it must needs be but to him that hath gouerned it if thou haue giuen it to Sathan in thy life how canst thou hope God will in thy death entertaine it Did you not hate mee and expell me out of my fathers house how then come yee to me now in this time of your tribulation said Ieptha to the men of Gilead No no eyther giue vp thy soule to God while hee calls for it in his word in the prouocations of his loue in his afflictions in the holy motions of his spirit to thine or else when thou wouldest giue it hee will none of it but as a Iudge to deliuer it to the Tormentor What should God doe with an vncleane drunken prophane proud couetous soule without holinesse it is no seeing of God Depart from me yee wicked I know yee not goe to the gods you haue serued See how God is euen with men they had in the time of the Gospell saide to the holy one of Israel Depart from vs now in the time of iudgement hee sayth to them Depart from me They would not know God when they might now God will not know them when they would Now therefore beloued if thou wouldest not haue God scorne the offer of thy death-bed fit thy soule for him in thy health furnish it with grace inure it to a sweet conuersation with the God of heauen then mayest thou boldly giue it vpp and he shall as graciously receiue it yea fetch it by his Angels to his glory· He gaue vp the Ghost Wee must doe as he did not all with the
as done and when it was done all was done How easie is it to lose our selues in this discourse how hard not to be ouerwhelmed with matter of wonder and to find eyther beginning or end his sufferings found an end our thoughts cannot Lo with this word hee is happily waded out of those deepes of sorrowes whereof our conceites can finde no bottome yet let vs with Peter gird our coat and cast our selues a little into this sea All his life was but a perpetuall Passion In that hee became man hee suffered more then wee can doe eyther while wee are men or when we cease to be men hee humbled yea he emptied himselfe Wee when wee cease to bee here are cloathed vpon 2. Cor. 5. Wee both winne by our being and gaine by our losse hee lost by taking our more or lesse to himselfe that is manhood For though euer as God J and my Father are one yet as man My Father is greater then I. That man should bee turned into a beast into a worme into dust into nothing is not so great a disparagement as that GOD should become man and yet it is not finished it is but begunne But what man If as the absolute Monarch of the worlde hee had commaunded the vassalage of all Emperours and Princes and had trod on nothing but Crowns and Scepters and the necks of Kinges and bidden all the Potentates of the earth to attend his traine this had carried some port with it sutable to the heroicall Maiesty of Gods Sonne No such matter here is neither Forme nor Beautie vnlesse perhappes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the forme of a seruant you haue made me to serue with your sinnes Behold he is a man to God a seruant to man and be it spoken with holy reuerence a drudge to his seruantes Hee is despised and reiected of men yea as himselfe of himselfe a worme and no man the shame of men and contempt of the people Who is the King of glory the Lord of hoastes he is the King of glory Set these two together the King of glory the shame of men the more honour the more abasement Looke backe to his Cradle there you find him reâ—ected of the Bethlemites borne and laid alas how homely how vnworthily sought for by Herod exiled to Aegypt obscurely brought vppe in the Cottage of a poore Foster-Father transported and tempted by Sathan derided of his kindred blasphemously traduced by the Iewes pinched with hunger restlesse harbourlesse sorrowfull persecuted by the Elders and Pharisies solde by his owne seruant apprehended arraigned scourged condemned and yet it is not finished Let vs with that Disciple follow him a far off and passing ouer all his contemptuous vsage in the way see him brought to his Crosse Still the further wee looke the more wonder euery thing addes to this ignominie of suffering triumph of ouercomming where was it not in a corner as Paul saith to Festus but in Ierusalem the eye the heart of the world Obscurity abateth shame publique notice heightens it Before all Israel and before this Sunne saith GOD to Dauid when he would throughly shame him In Ierusalem which he had honoured with his presence taught with his preachings astonisht with his miracles bewailed with his teares O Ierusalem Ierusalem how oft would I and thou wouldest not O yet if in this thy day Cruelty and vnkindnesse after good desert afflict so much more as our merite hath beene greater Where abouts without the gates in Caluary among the stinking bones of execrable Malefactors Before the glory of the place bred shame now the vilenesse of it When but in the Passeouer a time of greatest frequence and concourse of all Iewes and Proselites An holy time when they should receiue the figure they reiect the substance when they should kill and eate the Sacramentall Lambe in faith in thankefulnesse they kill the Lambe of GOD our true Passeouer in cruelty and contempt With whome The quality of our company either increases or lessens shame In the midst of thieues saith one as the Prince of thieues there was no guile in his mouth much lesse in his handes yet beholde hee that thought it no robbery to be equal with God is made equall to robbers and murderers yea superiour in euil What suffered hee As all liues are not alike pleasant so all deathes are not equally fearefull there is not more difference betwixt some life and death then betwixt one death and another See the Apostles gradation Hee was made obedient to the death euen the death of the Crosse The Crosse a lingring tormenting ignominious death The Iewes had foure kinds of death for malefactors the towell the sword fire stones each of these aboue other in extremity Strangling with the towel they accounted easiest the sword worse then the towell the fire worse then the sword stoning worse then the fire but this Romaine death was worst of all Cursed is euery one that hangeth on Tree Yet as Ierome well hee is not therefore accursed because hee hangeth but therefore he hangeth because he is accursed Hee was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Curse for vs. The curse was more then the shame yet the shame is vnspeakable and yet not more then the paine Yet all that die the same death are not equally miserable the very thieues fared better in their death then he I heare of no irrision no inscription no taunts no insultation on them they had nothing but paine to incounter he paine and scorne An ingenuous and Noble nature can worse brooke this then the other any thing rather then disdainfulnesse and derision especially from a base enemy I remember that learned Father beginnes Israels affliction with Ismaels persecuting laughter The Iewes the Souldiers yea the very Thieues flouted him and triumpht ouer his miserie his bloud cannot satisfie them without his reproach Which of his senses now was not a window to let in sorrow his eyes saw the teares of his Mother and friends the vnthankfull demeanure of Mankinde the cruell despight of his enemies his eares heard the reuilings and blasphemies of the multitude and whether the place were noysome to his sent his touch felt the nayles his tast the gall Looke vp O all ye beholders looke vpon this pretious body and see what part ye can find free that head which is adored and trembled at by the Angelicall spirits is all raked and harrowed with thorns that face of whome is said Thou art fairer then the children of men is all besmeared with the filthy spetâ—le of the Iewes and furrowed with his teares those eyes clearer then the Sunne are darkened with the shadow of death those eares that heare the heauenly consorts of Angels now are filled with the cursed speakings scoffes of wretched men those lips that spake as neuer man spake that commaund the spirits both of light and darkenesse are scornfully wet with vinegar and gall those feet that trample on all the powers of
not finished Two qualities striue for the first place in these two opinions Impietie and absurdity I know not whither to prefer For impietie here is GOD taxed of iniustice vnmercifulnesse insufficiencie falshood Of iniustice that he forgiues a sinne and yet punishes for that which he hath forgiuen vnmercifulnesse that hee forgiues not while he forgiues but dooth it by halfes insufficiencie that his raunsome must bee supplyed by men Falshood in that hee sayth It is finished when it is not For Absurdity how grosse and monstrous are these Positions that at once the same sinne should bee remitted and retained that there should bee a punishment where there is no fault that what could strike off our eternall punishment did not wipe off the temporall that hee which paid our pounds sticks at our farthings that God will retain what man may discharge that it is and is not finished If there bee any opinions whose mention confutes them these are they None can be more vaine none had more neede of soliditie for this proppe beares vppe alone the weight of all those millions of Indulgences which Rome creates and selles to the worlde That Strumpet would well neere goe naked if this were not These spirituall Treasures fetch in the Temporall which yet our reuerend and learned Fulke iustly cals a most blasphemous beggerly principle it bringes in whole chests yea mines of gold like the Popes Indies and hath not so much as a ragge of proofe to couer it whether of Antiquity of Reason of Scripture Not of Antiquity for these Iubilie Proclamations beganne but about three hundred yeares agoe Not of Reason how should one meere man pay for another dispense with another to another by another Not of Scripture which hath flatly said The bloud of Iesus Christ his sonne purgeth vs from all sinne and yet I remember that acute Sadeel hath taught mee that this practise is according to Scripture what Scripture Hee cast the money-changers out of the Temple and said Yee haue made my house a denne of thieues VVhich also Joachim their propheticall Abbot well applies to this purpose Some modest Doctors of Louan would faine haue minced this Antichristian blasphemie who beganne to teach that the passions of the Saints are not so by Indulgences applyed that they become true satisfactions but that they onely serue to moue God by the sight of them to apply vnto vs Christes satisfaction But these meal-mouthed Diuines were soon charmed foure seuerall Popes as their Cardinall confesseth fell vpon the necke of them and their opinion Leo the tenth Pius the fift Gregorie the thirteenth and Clemens the sixt and with their furious Bulles bellow out threates against them and tosse them in the ayre for hereticks and teach them vpon paine of a Curse to speake home with Bellarmine Passionibus sanctorum expiari delicta and straight Applicari nobis sanctorum passiones ad redimendas poenas quas pro peccatis Deo de bemus that by the sufferinges of Saintes our sinnes are expiated and that by them applyed wee are redeemed from those punishmentes which wee yet owe to God Blasphemy worthy the tearing of garments how is it finished by Christ if men must supply Oh blessed Sauiour was euery drop of thy bloud enough to redeeme a world and doe we yet need the helpe of men How art thou a perfect Sauiour if our Brethren also must be our redeemers Oh ye blessed Saints how would you abhorre this sacrilegious glory and with those holie Apostles yea that glorious Angell say Vide ne feceris and with those wise Virgins lest there will not bee enough for vs and you goe to them that sell and buy for your selues For vs we enuie not their multitude Let them haue as many Sauiours as Saintes and as many Saintes as men wee know with Ambrose Christi passio adiutore non eguit Christs passion needes no helper and therefore with that worthy Martyr dare say None but Christ none but Christ Let our soules die if he cannot saue them let them not feare their death or torment if he haue finished Heare this thou languishing and afflicted soule There is not one of thy sinnes but it is paid for not one of thy debtes in the sâ—roll of God but it is crossed not one farthing of all thine infinite ransome is vnpaide Alas thy prosperitie of fooles destroyeth them yea the confidence of prosperity Thou sayest God is mercifull thy Sauiour bounteous his passion absolute All these and yet thou mayest bee condemned Mercifull not vniust bountifull not lauish absolutely sufficient for all not effectuall to all Whatsoeuer God is what art thou Here is the doubt thou sayest well Christ is the good Shepheard wherein Hee giues his life but for whome for his sheepe What is this to thee while thou art secure prophane impenitent thou art a VVolfe or a Goate My sheepe heare my voyce what is his voyce but his preceptes where is thine obedience to his commandements If thou wilt not heare his law neuer hearken to his gospel here is no more mercy for thee then if there were no Sauiour He hath finished for those in whome hee hath begunne If thou haue no beginnings of grace as yet hope not for euer finishing of saluation Come to me all yee that are heauie laden saith Christ thou shalt get nothing if thou come when he calls thee not Thou art not called and canst not be refreshed vnlesse thou be laden not with sin this alone keepes thee away from God but with conscience of sinne A broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Is thy heart wounded with thy sin doth griefe hatred striue within thee whether shal be more are the desires of thy soule with God doest thou long for holines complaine of thy imperfections struggle against thy corruptions Thou art the man feare not It is finished that law which thou wouldest haue kept and couldest not thy Sauiour could and did keepe for thee that saluation which thou couldest neuer worke out alone alas poor impotent creatures what can we doe towardes heauen without him which cannot moue on earth but in him hee alone for thee hath finished Looke vp therefore boldly to the throne of GOD and vpon the truth of thy repentance and faith know that there is no quarrell against thee in heauen nothing but peace and ioy All is finished he would be spitted on that hee might wash thee hee would bee couered with scornefull robes that thy sinnes might be couered he would be whipped that thy soule might not be scourged eternally he would thirst that thy soule might be satisfied he would beare all his Fathers wrath that thou mightest beare none hee would yeelde to death that thou mightest neuer taste of it he would be in sense for a time as forsaken of his father that thou mightest be receiued for euer Now bid thy Soule returne to her rest and enioyne it Dauids taske Prayse the Lord O my soule and What
shall I render to the Lord for all his benefites I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord. And as rauisht from thy selfe with the sweet apprehension of this mercy call all the other creatures to the fellowshippe of this ioy with that diuine Esay Reioyce O yee heauens for the Lord hath done it showte yee lower partes of the earth burst forth into prayses yee mountaines for the Lord hath redeemed Iacob and will be glorified in Israel And euen now beginne that heauenlie Song which shall neuer end with those glorified Saints Prayse and honour and glory and power be to him that sitteth vpon the throne and to the Lambe for euermore Thus our speech of Christes last wordes is finished His last act accompanied his wordes our speech must follow it let it not want your deuout carefull attention Hee bowed and gaue vp the ghost The Crosse was a slow death had more paine then speed whence a second violence must dispatch the crucified their bones must be broken that their hearts might breake Our Sauiour stayes not deaths leysure but willingly and couragiously meetes him in the way and like a Champion that scornes to be ouercome yea knowes he cannot be yeeldeth in the middest of his strength that hee might by dying vanquish death Hee bowed and gaue vp Not bowing because hee had giuen vp but because hee would Hee cried with a lowde voyce saith Matthew Nature was strong hee might haue liued but hee gaue vp the Ghost and would die to shew him selfe Lord of life and Death Oh wondrous example hee that gaue life to his enemies gaue vpp his owne hee giues them to liue that persecute and hate him and himselfe will die the whiles for those that hate him Hee bowed and gaue vp not they they might crowne his head they could not bow it they might vexe his spirite not take it away they could not doe that without leaue this they could not doe because they had no leaue Hee alone would bow his head and giue vp his Ghost I haue power to lay downe my life Man gaue him not his life man could not bereaue it No man takes it from me Alas who could The high-Priestes forces when they came against him armed he said but I am he they flee and fall backward How easie a breath disperst his enemies whom he might as easily haue bidden the earth yea hell to swallow or fire from heauen to deuoure Who commaunded the Diuels and they obeyed could not haue beene attached by men he must giue not onely leaue but power to apprehend himselfe else they had not liu'd to take him hee is laide holde of Peter fights Put vp saith Christ Thinkest thou that I cannot pray to my Father and hee will giue mee more then 12. Legions of Angels VVhat an Army were here more then threescore and twelue thousand Angels and euery Angell able to subdue a world of men hee could but would not be rescued hee is led by his owne power not by his enemies and stands now before Pilate like the scorne of men crowned robbed scourged with an Ecce homo Yet thou couldest haue no power against me vnlesse it were giuen thee from aboue Behold he himselfe must giue Pilate power against himselfe else hee could not be condemned he will be condemned lifted vp nailed yet no death without himselfe Hee shall giue his soule an offering for sinne Esay 53.10 No action that sauours of constraint can be meritorious hee would deserue therefore he would suffer and die Hee bowed his head and gaue vp the Ghost O gracious and bountifull Sauiour hee might haue kept his soule within his teeth in spight of all the world the weakenesse of God is stronger then men and if he had but spoken the word the heauens and earth should haue vanisht away before him but he would not Behold when hee saw that impotent man could not take away his soule he gaue it vp and would die that we might liue See here a Sauiour that can contemne his own life for ours cares not to be dissolued in himselfe that we might be vnited to his Father Skinne for skinne saith the Diuell and all that hee hath a man will giue for his life Loe here to proue Sathan a lyer skin and life and all hath Christ Iesus giuen for vs. We are besotted with the earth and make base shifts to liue one with a maimed bodie another with a periured soule a third with a rotten name and how many had rather neglect their soule then their life and will rather renounce and curse GOD then die It is a shame to tell many of vs Christians dote vpon life and tremble at death and shew our selues fooles in our excesse of loue Cowards in our feare Peter denies Christ thrice and forsweares him Marcellinus twice casts graines of incense into the Idolles fire Ecebolius turnes thrice Spira reuolts and despaires Oh let mee liue saith the fearefull soule Whither dost thou reserue thy selfe thou weake and timorous Creature or what wouldest thou doe with thy selfe Thou hast not thus learned Christ hee dies voluntarily for thee thou wilt not bee forced to die for him hee gaue vp the Ghost for thee thou wilt not let others take it from thee for him thou wilt not let him take it for himselfe VVhen I looke backe to the first Christians and compare their zealous contempt of death with our backewardnesse I am at once amased and ashamed I see there euen women the feebler sexe running with their little ones in their armes for the preferment of martyrdome and ambitiously striuing for the next blow I see holy and tender virgins chusing rather a sore and shamefull death then honourable Espousals I heare the blessed Martyrs intreating their Tyrants and tormentors for the honour of dying Jgnatius amongst the rest fearing least the beastes will not deuoure him and vowing the first violence to them that he might bee dispatched And what lesse courage was there in our memorable and glorious forefathers of the last of this age and doe wee their cold and feeble ofspring looke pale at the face of a faire and naturall death abhorre the violent though for Christ Alas how haue we gathered rust with our long peace Our vnwillingnesse is from inconsideration from distrust Looke but vp to Christ Iesus vpon his Crosse and see him bowing his head and breathing out his soule and these feares shall vanish he died and wouldest thou liue he gaue vpp the Ghost and wouldest thou keepe it whome wouldest thou follow if not thy Redeemer If thou die not if not willingly thou goest contrary to him and shalt neuer meete him Though thou shouldest euery day die a death for him thou couldest neuer requite his one death and doest thou sticke at one Euery word hath his force both to him thee hee died which is Lord of life and commander of death thou art but a tenant of