you and for many for the Remission of Sins another Representation of that Innocent Blood which was now barbarously designed to be shed enough to have wounded a heart of Marble or turn'd a Rock into a Fountain of Tears Since by both it may appear the perfidious Traitor was not more studious to deliver his Lord to the barbarous cruelty of his implacable Enemies then the Benign Jesus was to pursue him with Kindness and to contrive how he might reap the Advantages of his Sufferings out of an unalterable purpose to do more then die for us by finding out a way whereby he might live in us for ever But it seems the unbelieving and the Slaves of Sin cannot have experience of the Divine Bounty because through the Blindness and Hardness of their Hearts they will not weigh so unspeakable a Gift as the Death of Christ for taking away their Guilt Something less Mysterious may possibly suit better with a Carnal mind and a Corrupt understanding and an Action of Humility from the most High may draw the Admiration of the most insensible Jesus therefore knowing that the Father had given * John 13.3 all things into his Hands and that he was come from God and went to God and what could the Evangelists have said more proper to make us Sensible of his wonderful Condescension For we can never truly esteem his Humiliation unless at the same time we consider his Sublimity as we cannot rightly estimate his Charity without considering how unworthy they were on whom he bestow'd it He knew himself to be Lord of all and that he came from God by Eternal Generation and was shortly to sit in Glory at his Right Hand Yet for the love of Men and to draw them to himself he laid aside his Power or rather hid it and took upon him the form of a Servant with all the Circumstances of an humble Ministration x Joh. 13.4 c. He rose from Supper put off his Garment girded himself with a Towel pour'd Water into a Bason kneel'd down and wash'd his Disciples Feet Who would have thought the Messiah was to come among Men to execute the Office of a Moabite or Slave for thus saith David y Psal 108.9 Moab is my Washpot implying he would humble the Moabites so low they should serve only to bring Water to wash away Impurities What Force has conquered him What Arms have brought him under What Power has subjected him to so dishonourable a Servitude Are they not the Charms of his own infinite Love which have render'd him thus enamour'd of his Spouse the Church that to wooe and gain her he will become any thing And are they not a Token he intends shortly to cleanse and purifie her in his expiatory Blood I am not surprized that Peter should be afraid and contract himself saying z Joh. 13.6 Lord dost thou wash my Feet when he saw Heaven stoop to Earth and the Vility of Man next to infinite exceeded by a Mercy equal to the Immensity of God I rather wonder to see so many Christians burn Incense daily to that Idol call'd Point of Honour when the Son of Man came not to be Ministred unto but to a Mark 10.45 Minister and to give his Life a Ransom for many He did not disdain to wash the Feet of his Betrayer with those Hands which had opened the Eyes of the Blind cured Lepers heal'd Diseases and when lift up to Heaven restor'd the Dead to Life He might have washed the Head or Hands a Service something more honourable but he bends rather to the Feet for the Opportunity of a more humble Posture and apter Signification of his infinite Charity Prayer Adorable Jesu I burn with Love among thy Purifying Waters I desire affectionately to humble my self But where shall I find so low a Place as thine when thou wast humbled before Judas to wash his Traiterous Feet I therefore resign my self with thy faithful b Joh. 13.9 Disciple and not my Feet only but my Hands and my Head even all that I am Beseeching thee to work in me what shall be pleasing to thy Will and to Grant That by the Waters of Repentance and Regeneration my Soul may be renew'd to everlasting Life SECT III. Of the Divine Predestination in respect of the Betrayer I Know not whether Simon shew'd more Love to his Master in violently c Joh. 13.8 refusing at first and as eagerly d 9. permitting him at last to wash his Feet among the rest of the Disciples or Judas more Obstinacy in continuing insensible under such an admirable Dispensation of Goodness For our Saviour pronounces against his invincible Infidelity enough to strike Terrour into the most confident and assured e 10. Ye are clean but not all f 18. I speak not of you all I know whom I have chosen g Luk. 22.22 The Son of Man goeth as it was determined but wo unto that Man by whom he is betrayed h Joh. 13.19 Now I tell you before it come that when it is come to pass ye may believe that I am He. O God! what Lightnings what Darts are here what a Night without a Day what a Precipice without a bottom what an Ocean without a Shore O Height of the Wisdom and Knowledge of the Almighty how fearful and horrible are the Mysteries of thy Secrets All this was long since praedicted by the i Esai 53. Zec. 11 12 13. Prophets All this is acted according to the Counsel and k Act. 4.28 Praedetermination of the Divine Majesty and yet the Actor is in fault Judas is admitted into the Apostolate and yet not chosen to present Grace but not to final May it not suffice to believe That no Man is Reprobated without Justice no Man Saved without Mercy and that what was decreed from the Beginning to be done by Judas was now to be fulfill'd without any new Counsel in a certain Order of Time long before seen and determined Not that Judas was compell'd to betray Christ lest the Scriptures should be found false for otherwise he were not to be blamed but rather praised yea his Sin would be charged upon God But because he was ready to do this of his own accord the Holy Spirit foreseeing it foretold it to come to pass Prayer O dreadful Majesty who dost justly Condemn and undeservedly Save Souls I tremble at thy Judgments I prostrate my self before thy Mercy if thou enterest into Judgment with me I cannot be justified if thou thinkest upon me in Mercy I cannot be condemned Pierce thou my Heart with a Fear of thy Judgments that I may always dread them and never feel them If I forget thee awake my Memory If I fly from thee recall me again If I defer my Amendment stay for me in Mercy and when I return O cast not out my Soul but think upon the Rigorous Justice that thou hast executed upon the Son of thy Love for the
of Intention and if after the example of thy own injuries we shall be brought before ungodly Magistrates to suffer for Righteousness and the Gospels sake Give us the like Patience Who art the true Peace and Comfort of all that put their trust in thee SECT XVII Of Peter's Fall WHile these things were transacting concerning the Lord * Mark 14.54 c. Peter who follow'd him afar off into the Palace of the High-Priest and sate with the Servants and others and warm'd himself at the fire for it was then a cold season being engag'd in a strange and evil company in the midst of danger without time to deliberate invent subterfuges or fortifie himself was surpris'd with the Questions of a Servant Maid and twice deny'd shamefully that he belong'd to him and at the third time began to curse and swear that he knew not this Man of whom they spake who yet was known to him as his own heart and was dearer to him then his Eyes and for whom he had profest a little before he would go into Prison and to Death So Vain and Frail are the greatest Spirits being left destitute to themselves they become Barren suffer Ecclipses and give examples of Terror to the World But the Merciful Jesus in the midst of his own Sufferings was not unmindful of his Servants danger Notwithstanding the dishonour of his present condition the sense of his Fathers Indignation the Foresight of his approaching Desertion while he is wholly possest of weakness he is yet at leisure for an act of Power The Righteous Justice of his God and the unjust cruelty of Men are not able to drive him from the exercise of his Mercy He came to suffer all these things for Man and in the midst of his Troubles remembers Man honouring the Scorns and Buffets of his Judgment with the Conversion of a fallen Apostle He cast a Gracious Eye upon him when the Cock crew according to the x Luke 22.61 prediction he had made of his Fall and the piercing Animal was made the Preacher and his Look was the grace that made the Sermon effectual Who will not admire the Sage Prudence and Miraculous Conduct of his Designs to bring to pass his abundant Mercy Who will not remain astonished in Contemplation of his wonderful Operations and above all when he shall discern the care he always has for the preservation of his Elect Alas How stupid is the Wisdom of Men How Imprudent their Resolutions How feeble are the Forces of their understanding when they are sever'd from the Blessed Jesus But there needs but one heavenly raye of his to enlighten all the obscurities of the Earth but one single drop of his Dew to soften all Hardned and Rocky Hearts but one glance of his Eye to give a Soul and Life to all the most inanimated bodies in Nature Yea when a Man thinks himself utterly lost then presently he shows him his way in the midst of all his wandrings and there is no climate so dry no soil so unfruitful where his Omnipotent Goodness cannot cause a Thousand Fountains and Springs to rise to the end it may be everywhere known and Extoll'd that he is the source of all Living and Salutiferous Waters Methinks I see in his Face a conflict of the Affections of Pity Mercy Favour and Grace striving together in this compassionate Action Pitty commiserating the frailty of his Disciple Mercy forgiving and converting him Favour inviting him and Grace assisting him Prayer O Amiable Eyes of my Dear Jesus Stay O stay Benign Lord and never let thy saving Face be turned from me Cast upon my dull and heavy Soul one beam from those thine Eyes which make all storms Clear and all disasters Happy The very Faithful themselves would lie still in the Depth of Sin whereinto they have been plunged by their inadvertency did not thy pitty raise them up They cannot remember their Danger or thy Word till thou remember their Misery and Relieve them O let me dwell for ever in thy Presence for out of the sight of thine Eyes there is no safety SECT XVIII Of Peter's Rise NO sooner did Peter remember the words of Jesus and what slight esteem he had made of that Caution which should have arm'd him against Temptation but he went out and y Matt. 26.75 wept bitterly z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 14.72 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophylact. covering his Head and mingling his Tears with the Sighs and Groans of his broken heart Leaving it disputable whether he felt more Joy or Sorrow in the acts of Love or the remembrance of his Fall Alas says he How true is it that a proud Felicity has reeling Feet That when we trust to our own strength we are then in most danger That negligence and presumption are the Forerunners of a Fall Thou who didst defie the gates of Hell hast yielded thy self to the voice of a simple Woman All those Conquests thou didst promise to thy self are become the Trophies of so weak a Hand Return to the Combat and since she has Triumph'd over thee do thou at least Triumph over thy self Alas I am afraid to behold the place of my Fall and the weak snares of a foolish Woman appear to me as rigorous as Chains of Iron Yet what can he fear who is resolv'd to die or make himself a Sacrifice to his offended Lord But our Soul is yet too foul for an Oblation to his Service let us wash it with Tears till its impurities are cleansed I fell before the Fire and I will rise by the Water the salutary waters of Repentance I have a Matt. 14.29 walked upon the Sea to come to my Jesus and I will now return to him by the way of my Tears I will now speak only by my Eyes since I have lately talk'd so wickedly with my Mouth Since we have nothing left free to us but Sighs and Groans let us make use of the last liberty that is left and when all is spent return to the Mercy of Jesus which all the Sins of the World can never evacuate I will from henceforth be a perpetual Example to the Church by my Fall and rising again from Death for the comfort of Sinners and a warning to the Faithful and the fault of one Night shall be lamented by me all the days of my Life in a kind of continual Martyrdom Come and Rejoyce over me ye holy Angels since the greater is my Sin the more will his Mercy be magnified in my Forgiveness and Conversion Let all such as Stand here these Words and take heed lest they Fall Let such as are Fallen imprint them in their Hearts that they may endeavour in like manner to Rise Here is not propos'd an Example of Falling but an Example of Rising after Falling And since none but the Tears of the Damned are Remediless let us hasten with this Penitent to the Pool of Contrition and bath our Souls in those Salutiferous
and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth Nor needed he any Defence in respect of himself for a good Conscience needs no Apologie and fears neither the Rage of Men nor Devils The Gladness of the Just is of God and in God and their Joy is of the Truth alone He that seeketh no Witness for himself without does show he has wholly committed himself to God is of great Purity and inward Confidence And they who can so divest themselves from all outward Affection are blessed in their Imitation of the Son of God But this was a Virtue unusual to Pilate at whose Tribunal every Prisoner had ever been ready to make his best Defence and to elude the Accusations of his Adversaries which caus'd him to admire it more than all the Eloquence of the World And therefore he said to Jesus Speakest thou not unto me knowest thou not that I have power to crucifie thee and have power to release thee Where behold the Errour of Power and violent Fortune being advanc'd into the Seat of Authority The wicked Magistrate is puft up with his Commission and makes it the Security of his Injustice and begins to think his Power unlimited as his Will and resolves to do any thing because he may do something Hear therefore the Answer of the Holy Jesus you who hold the Ballance of Justice in your hands and with whom God has intrusted the most dreadful of all his Attributes For in teaching you whence you have it he teaches you how to administer it It is God's Power and must be justly executed Jesus o John 19.11 answered Thou couldst have no Power against me except it were given thee from above Mistaken Man from Dust thou art and to Dust shalt thou return I have said Ye all are Gods but ye shall p Psal 82.6 7. dye like Men. Sin and Infirmity are of Man but Righteousness and Power are of the Almighty Pilate thy Sufficiency is from Heaven and Heaven never intended to oppress the Innocent that must be the Product of thy great Imperfection And thy Sentencing me to Death whom thou hast so often declar'd Faultless will shew thy Weakness and Pusilanimity For if thou regardest the Power given thee of God to be executed among Men thou shouldst necessarily set me at Liberty because the Power from above is just Thou questionest me for being the Son of God And neither all this Band nor all these Jews could be able to take one hair of my head unless the Will of my Father had decreed me to suffer Thy Power over me is neither from Caesar nor from these who by their Clamour seem to strengthen thee but from the eternal Majesty who is over all It is he who has said I will q Zech. 13.7 Mat. 26.31 smite the Shepherd And unless he witheld my Right Hand and led me with his Counsel to this purpose with mine own Arm I should get my self the Victory and neither suffer for nor by the Creatures Since therefore I am deliver'd to thee for my Father has deliver'd me 't is by Divine Permission and not of thy Power Nor is it indeed true Power which thou wouldst exercise over the Innocent but Tyranny Oppression and Murder If therefore thou art permitted to abuse thy Power yet hast thou not whereof to boast but much to answer for before the Judge of all Men Nevertheless he that deliver'd me to thee has the r John 19.11 greater Sin Judas and the Jews have sinned more than thee For they have maliciously and falsly accused me but thou hast often declared me innocent What they have done they have done out of Envy to God's Gloâ—y thou only actest out of Fear of them They have despised the Law they have received and all the Prophecies which have testified of my coming but thou art ignorant of the Law and the Prophets Thou art misled by their Clamour and Importunity but they have hardned themselves in Sin A false Witness is of the Father of Lyes who is the Accuser of the Brethren and watches continually to betray and calumniate the Servants of God And by how much the more a Vice partakes of his Nature by so much the more it becomes a Vice In which sense the Sin of this People equals that from whence by singularity of Derivation the Devil has his Denomination of an Å¿ Rev. 12.10 Accuser A Judge may proceed wrongfully by Misinformation and his Ignorance become a Plea for his Injustice But a false Witness shall not be t Prov. 19.5 unpunished and he that speaketh Lyes shall not escape Prayer O Judge Eternal who art the very Truth and from whose Presence there is nothing hid Grant me I beseech thee both in Judgment and Testimony an awful Reverence of thy impartial Justice That if I judge it may be according to Right if I bear Witness I may do it sincerely in the Uprightness of my Heart For none but the u Pure in Heart shall behold thy Face in Glory which * consummates the Beatitude of thine Elect. SECT XXXII Of Pilate 's sixth Declaration of Christ 's Innocence his giving Sentence against him at the Importunity of the Jews and the Miseries which ensued thereupon to their Nation PIlate thô a Heathen had learn'd from the Creatures the Eternal Power and Godhead of the Deity and had a lively sense of Sin and would not willingly offend his Maker from whose Goodness he could not but own his Greatness and thenceforth x John 19.12 sought to release Jesus And therefore we may not wonder if our Saviour hath taught us that such a probity shall rise up in Judgment against the sinning Israelites and all prophane Christians for the clearer the means of Knowledge the the greater the guilt of Obstinacy and the more unavoidable and just the Condemnation But when the Jews saw that he feared God and that he would not pass Sentence of Death upon him for making himself his Son they immediately flew back to their former calumny crying out and y John 19.12 saying If thou let this man go thou art not Cesar's friend Whosoever maketh himself a King speaketh against Cesar So that if it concern thee not that he has Blasphemed our God the Infinite and Eternal Majesty of Heaven yet surely it will concern thee that he is a Rebel to thy Lord. Thou canst not preserve the Imperial Dignity under which thou presidest if thou releasest the affector of it and in favouring the Enemy thou wilt partak ein his crime What will not Jealousie of State do What will not Tyranny when Seconded by evil Ministers who blow the Coals to devour an Innocent What a horrible Monster is a pusillanimous Judge over-born with Interest Fear or Guilt Pilate was unable to sustain this charge foreseeing they would as Maliciously represent him to the Emperor as they had accused Christ to him and knowing himself guilty of many insolencies and Rapines for
him mournfully afar off And the pious Women who had believ'd and abhor'd his Death would bewail him Suffering Dying and Dead Our Gracious Lord regardless of the furious Multitude and q 2 Tim. 2.19 knowing who are his turns to these saying r Luke 23.28 Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me but for your selves and for your Children For behold the days are coming in which they shall say Blessed are the Barren and the Wombs that never bare and the Paps that never gave suck and so great shall be the Terror they shall begin to say to the Mountains fall on us and to the Hills cover us as if the dreadful Day of Judgment were then appearing Not that it was indecent to bewail his Passion for humanity commands a Sympathy and some pity towards the Sufferings of a real offender much more towards the misfortunes of an Innocent Person But because it was not fit to bewail him as others who died not as others die for we come to Death by Sin but Christ came to Death by Righteousness therefore he says Daughters of Jerusalem there is no necessity you should weep for me who have long since been prepar'd to go this sad procession I suffer not this for my own Sins And what you are Ignorant of this my end will bring Joy to the whole World Such Grief becomes not those who Triumph nor is Lamentation suitable to Victory But if your tenderness must vent in Tears you have reason to shed abundance for your selves and your Posterity to avert if possible those Dreadful Judgments which hang over this City and Nation For behold those adverse times are coming when Men as well as Women Young and Old Rich and Poor shall be reduc'd to such streights that they shall wish they had never been Born nor ever had Sons or Daughters Yea so great shall be the afrightment that ye shall wish your selves under the Earth rather than upon it in the Bowels of the Mountains and the Caverns of the Hills least any one should see or find you out For if they do these things in a ſ Luke 23.31 green tree in me and my Disciples What shall be done in the dry If I who have done t Heb. 4.15 no Sin who am the u John 15.1 living Vine and the * John 6.35 bread of Life pass not out of the World without this fiery tryal What shall become of those who are void of all fruit who are near to x Heb. 6.8 cursing and whose end is to be burned If Judgment begin at the House of God and all that will live Godly shall suffer persecution What shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospel Ah my dear Reader how Quick and Powerful how Sharp and Piercing is this word of God even to the dividing asunder the Soul and Spirit and of the Joynts and Marrow What a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the Heart How shall God punish us for our own Sins who is so wrathfully displeas'd with our Redeemer for the Sins which are none of his If Christ his Obedient Son were thus grievously Afflicted how shall his Rebellious Servants hope to escape unpunish'd And what must the Reprobate undergo in the day of Judgment if such be the sufferings of the best beloved Oh the infinite anger of God! Oh the inestimable rigour of his Justice who is thus enraged against his only Son his beloved Son his Son the partaker of his Essence And that not for his own Sin but because he interceded for Sinners What will become of the polluted Soul which continues still to go on securely in Sin when the Immaculate Jesus is thus tormented Let the Creature fear which has Crucified the Creator Let the Servant tremble who has slain his Lord. Prayer O thou Great God of Power and Mercy whose Lightning Flashes preceed the Thunder to give warning of thy Wrath and Terror to the Universe and who never punishest Sinners without premonition let thy sore judgments threatned against others and at last inflicted on 'em because of their Obstinacy waken our Souls out of their Sinful security to a due consideration of those means which may avoid them that we turning from our Sins thou mayest turn from thy fierce anger and leave a blessing and we Perish not For if the present punishments of the Impenitent are the fore-runners of the Eternal Torments to be inflicted on 'em in Hell thy Temporal Mercies towards returning Sinners shall be their assurances of they everlasting Favours SECT XXXV Of the Bitter Potion given to Christ at Golgotha WHile Jesus was thus painfully Travelling in the way either because they thought he went too slowly under the weight and their fury was impatient of any delay or that they fear'd he might Faint and Die and Frustrate the cruel end shame they had designed or that they would reserve his Spirits for his greater Torture having found a man of Cyrene y Matt. 27.32 Simon by name him they compell'd to bear his Cross a person by Providence z Mark 15.21 passing the road at this juncture and his name by interpretation signifying Obedient as if God would thereby teach us that none can bear it profitably but such as are attentive and submissive to his Will and that he will not suffer the faithful to be tempteà a 1 Cor. 10.13 above their ability but together with the temptation give a means to escape There were also two Malefactors led with him to be put to Death for his greater disgrace and increase of Grief by dying in their Company after he had first seen them struggle in the pangs of Death before him At last they came to b Mark 15.22 Golgotha which is the same with c Luke 23.33 Calvary a mount on the West side of the City and by signification the place of a Scull for being the common place of Execution there lay the Bones of such as before had Suffered the Frightful remains of what the ravenous Birds or Beasts had left of their devoured Carcasses a place among the Jews of the greatest impurity for none might touch a dead body and be d Num. 19.11 clean much less the Bones of a cursed Malefactor and such was every one that e Deut. 21.23 hanged upon a tree nor was any thing thought by 'em to give a greater Contagion of Pollution then the f 1 King 13.2 2 King 23.16 burning Mens Bones upon what they intended to prophane Nevertheless our Saviour who had himself also g Matt. 23.27 represented the abominations of the Hypocrites by these Emblems of defilement would descend himself to the extreamest impurities that the might sanctifie and cleanse whatsoever was impure and by humbling himself teach us the true way to Glory So different are the ways of Christ from those of the World which aims at high things by hasty ascents and the more it is lifted up falls with the greater
THE HISTORY OF Christ's Sufferings Composed out of the Prophets Evangelists Apostles Fathers and other holy Writers WITH Aspirations or Prayers Suitable to each Section In Order to an entire Resignation of the Soul to the Will of God according to the Example of Christ By DUDLEY GARENCIERS Rector of Waverton near Chester Phil. 2.5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus LONDON Printed for S. Lowndes over against Exeter-Exchange in the Strand 1697. THE PREFACE O God Eternal the Father of Mercies who desirest not the Death of a Sinner but rather that he should turn from his Errours and be saved and hast given me this Opportunity of Contemplating the Passion of the Lord Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent into the World for the Redemption of Man through Faith in his Blood Grant me I beseech thee suitable Apprehensions to the Dignity of so adorable a Subject That all vain Thoughts carnal Desires Prophaness and Infidelity being secluded from my Soul I may penetrate into the hidden Mysteries of the Cross on which thou hast erected the Throne of thy Love admire and praise the Methods of thy Wisdom at which the very Angels in Heaven have been astonished learn thence the Duties of Faith Hope Charity and all other Christian Graces and in perfect Imitation of my Saviour's Virtues trample under foot this World and obtain Happiness and everlasting Life THE CONTENTS SECT I. OF the time of the Passion and our Preparation for the Thoughts of it Pag. 1. SECT II. Of the Mercy of Christ toward Judas and the Ingratitude of that Disciple 6 SECT III. Of the Divine Predestination in respect of the Betrayer 11 SECT IV. Of the Grief of Christ for the Apostasie of his Servant the dreadful Condition of such as fall from him and the happy Privileges of persevering in the Faith 13 SECT V. Of the miserable Departure of Judas from the Presence of Christ and his selling him to the Chief Priests 20 SECT VI. Of the Benignity of Christ supporting his Disciples in the Absence of the Betrayer against the time of their Trial. 27 SECT VII Of the Legacy of Comforts Christ left to the Faithful and his leaving Jerusalem for a Terrour to Infidels 37 SECT VIII Of the Agony of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane 42 SECT IX Of Christ's Prayer in his Agony and his admirable Resignation of himself to God 52 SECT X. Of Christ's Anxiety for the Security of his Disciples 56 SECT XI Of the Candour of Christ towards his sleeping Disciples and his Continuation in Prayer to God 61 SECT XII Of the Glorious Effect of Christ's Prayer and God's Fatherly Kindness to all that call upon him faithfully 66 SECT XIII Of the Apprehension of Christ by his own Permission and the Horrour of the Jews Hypocrisie 70 SECT XIV Of the Rigour of Christ's Enemies at his Apprehension Pag. 82 SECT XV. Of the sorrowful Separation of Christ and his Disciples his first Examination before Caiaphas and incomparable Clemency towards his Enemies Pag. 86 SECT XVI Of the False Witnesses that arose against Christ and the Wickedness of the High Priest 96 SECT XVII Of Peter 's Fall Pag. 106 SECT XVIII Of Peter 's Rise Pag. 109 SECT XIX Of the Barbarity of the Multitude towards Christ Pag. 113 SECT XX. Of the Prosecution of Christ before Pilate and the miserable Despair of Judas thereupon Pag. 116 SECT XXI Of the deplorable End of Judas Pag. 126 SECT XXII Of the Wonderful Providence of God in the manner of Christ's Death Pag. 128 SECT XXIII Of the Obstinacy of the Jews to put Christ to Death and of the true Nature of his Kingdom Pag. 133 SECT XXIV Of Pilate 's first Declaration of Christ 's Innocence Pag. 144 SECT XXV Of Christ's being brought before Herod and the Unhappiness of Atheistical Greatness Pag. 148 SECT XXVI Of the Indignities done to Christ by Herod and his Officers Pag. 151 SECT XXVII Of Pilate's second Declaration of Christ's Innocence Pag. 154 SECT XXVIII Of Pilate 's third Declaration of Christ's Innocence and of the Scourging of his Body Pag. 158 SECT XXIX Of the Injuries done to Christ by the Roman Soldiers Pag. 164 SECT XXX Of Pilate's fourth Declaration of Christ's Innocence Pag. 166 SECT XXXI Of Pilate's fifth Declaration of Christ's Innocence Pag. 170 SECT XXXII Of Pilate 's sixth Declaration of Christ's Innocence his giving Sentence against him at the Importunity of the Jews and the Miseries which ensued thereupon to their Nation Pag. 178 SECT XXXIII Of the Procession of Christ to Golgotha Pag. 190 SECT XXXIV Of Christ's Prediction of the Miseries of the Jews Pag. 196 SECT XXXV Of the Bitter Potion given to Christ at Golgotha Pag. 201 SECT XXXVI Of the Crucifixion of Christ. Pag. 206 SECT XXXVII Of the Exaltation of the Cross 214 SECT XXXVIII Of the Scituation of Christ's Cross between two Thieves and the Title Pilate affixed to it Pag. 218 SECT XXXIX Of the Partition of Christ 's Garments anâ— the Irrision of the People Pag. 22â— SECT XL. Of Christ's Intercession to the Father 〈◊〉 his Crucifiers Pag. 2â—â— SECT XLI Of the Penitent Thief and Christ's Meâ— towards him Pag. 23â— SECT XLII Of the Sorrowful Interview between Chrâ—â—â— and the Virgin Mother his Compassâ—â—â— towards her and Love to Saâ—â—â— John Pag. 2â—â— SECT XLIII Of Christ's complaining of his being forsaken of God Pag. 252 SECT XLIV Of Christ's Thirst upon the Cross 262 SECT XLV Of those Words of Christ It is finished and the Resignation of his Spirit to the Father Pag. 268 SECT XLVI Of the Astonishment of the Creatures at the Death of Christ. Pag. 276 SECT XLVII Of the Piercing the Side of Christ with a Spear Pag. 281 SECT XLVIII Of the Burial of Christ's Body by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus Pag. 287 SECT XLIX Of the Sealing and Watching the Sepulchre of Christ. Pag. 297 SECT L. A Reflection on the foregoing History with Thanksgiving for the Death of Christ. Pag. 301 ERRATA PAge 2. line 10. read and Martyrdom l. 25. dele and so contrary p. 6. l. 22. r. his Soul p. 22. l. 17. d. Of. p. 25. l. 24. for great r. sweet p. 30. l. 11. r. Sons of God p. 36. l. penult r. thy boundless p. 40. l. 10. r. out of my p. 48. l 2. r. destitute p. 60. l. 17. r. knew it not p. 67. l. 1. r. overcome p. 68. l. 25. r. draw p. 69. l. 3. r. my Terror p. 71. l. ult d. to p. 77. l. penult r. which cursed p. 79. l. 1. r. that now p. 87. l. 7. r. Enemies p. 103. l. 19. r. was not the first p. 127. l. 18. d. But. p. 133. for Sect 18. r. Sect. 23. p. 135. l. 13. r. Protomartyr p. 141. l. 9. r. on Euphrates p. 182. l. 5. r. and whom they p. 185. l. 19. r. paps of their women p. 192. l. 24. r. had past p. 223. l. 20. r. of his death l. 22. d. That p. 231. l.
Satisfaction of my Sins SECT IV. Of the Grief of Christ for the Apostasie of his Servant The dreadful Condition of such as fall from him and the happy Privileges of Persevering in the Faith WE may perceive the great Lover of Souls was extreamly troubled at the Apostasie of one of his Disciples when he express'd so much Satisfaction in the Preservation of the rest l Joh. 17.12 13. Holy Father keep through thine own Name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are While I was with them in the World I kept them in thy Name Those that thou gavest me I have kept and none is lost but the Son of Perdition Nor would he conceal the Grief of his Spirit foreseeing in him a Representation of all those who should afterwards reject his Admonitions and Benefits and trample his Love under their Feet For though we may have hitherto thought but of one Judas who falling from his Profession sold his Lord deliver'd him to his Enemies betray'd him to be crucified yet such is every one who renouncing the Faith and following the Motions of Satan and his own Lusts m Heb. 6.6 Crucifies to himself the Son of God afresh and puts him to an open Shame The Wonder if not the Grief of the blessed Angels in Heaven who n Luk. 15.7 rejoyce at the Conversion of every penitent Sinner as o Heb. 1.14 ministring to those who shall be Heirs of Salvation is to see so many Christians falling from the Truth and abasing the great Mystery of the Religion which they profess by a settled Tendency to Sin and Death Who have given up their Names but not their Hearts to Christ who have begun well and are not established who have partaken of the Holy-Ghost and have chased him away again who have eat and drunk at their Master's Table and are the chief that lift up their Heel against him A most miserable Spectacle and not to be exceeded unless by that of their departure into everlasting Punishment For as an Angel falling became the Devil so a revolting Christian is the worst of Men because of the Eminency of his former Station and will have his p Mat. 25 41. Portion allotted him with that Apostate Rebel This was that which q Joh. 13.21 troubled the Spirit of the Holy Jesus when he testified and said Verily verily I say unto you That one of you shall betray me This was that which made the Disciples exceeding r Mat. 26.22 sorrowful and to begin to say Lord is it I And O that it might have the same effect upon us to search our Hearts to examine our Faith and all our Thoughts Words and Works that we fall not among those who draw back to Perdition How sad was this Feast where both the Master and the Disciples sympathize in an inexpressible Grief One that he must be betray'd to Death by his Friend the others that one of them should be the accursed Betrayer One that he knew the miserable Estate of that Wretch for whom it had been Å¿ Mark 14.21 better that he had never been born the others that they are not yet deliver'd from their Fear which it should be of whom he spake and whose Being should be worse than not to be at all Ah! Sinners where are we Alas do we not remain under the same Suspence One of you shall betray me is a fearful Saying and the Eccho of this Voice is addrest to all and loudly resounds the Danger of Sin and Impenitency Is this to live to have a Being worse than none And can we call that a desirable Estate which will inevitably tend to the Abyss of Misery through Pains Torments Terrors and Deaths O Life how sweet art thou when thou dost fear and love nothing but God! O Death how dreadful art thou when we have forsaken him and devoted our selves to the Creature What Favours and Benedictions are there in the Life and Death of a Virtuous Man But what Horrours Anathema's and Maledictions during the Course and at the End of the wicked Life of a Sinner Blessed was that Disciple who all this while might rest securely in the t Joh. 13.23 Bosome of his Lord. Whether Grief or Fear had inclin'd his Head or whether it were the Sweetness of his Master's Actions which ever drew the Admiration of the Beholders or whether it were Love which minds not what it does but silent in a sublime Tranquility of Passions adheres to its Beloved for an Eternity not admitting the least Disunion or whether it were Excess of Rapture and Contemplation of what he writ afterwards of the u Joh. 1. Divinity of the Word surely never any Mortal had so sweet a Repose or near Approach to the Beatifick Vision Since he might lean on his Breast to be admitted to whose Feet many Prophets and Kings would have accounted it the greatest Felicity A Spirit separated from the Pretensions of the World and purified from all the Forms of the Creatures intire to God and which lives by the flames of holy Love has a mighty Privilege with the Prince of Purity and neither doubts to ask nor fears to be deny'd while ungovernable Zeal receives many Repulses and hinders not a Votary from being less * Matt. 16.23 Satan than he that favoureth not the things that be of God but those that be of Men. Peter therefore whose Rashness had often been rebuk'd yet impatient and desirous to be rid of his Fear x Joh. 13.24 c. beckon'd to him who was lying on Jesus Breast that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake And Jesus answered He it is to whom I shall give a Sop when I have dipped it And when he had dipped the Sop he gave it to Judas Iscariot the son of Simon That the y Joh. 13.18 Psal 41.9 Scripture might be fulfilled He that eateth Bread with me hath lift up his Heel against me And after the Sop Satan entred into him A Speech truly dreadful but much more the thing it self for a Man to arrive at that height of Misery through the Obstinacy and Impenitency of his Heart as to be cast off reprobated and given up to the Devil Yet such is the admirable Analogy and Proportion between the Judgments of God and our Sins when we continue to despise the means of Grace He z Libravit Iter Psal 78.51 weighs a way to his Anger as it were in Scales punishing our Sins with evil Habits our evil Habits with hard Hearts our hard Hearts with Obstinacy our Obstinacy with Impenitency our Impenitency with Damnation Judas who had wilfully given up himself to Covetousness Hypocrisie Ingratitude and Contempt of all that was Holy is now deliver'd to be obsirmated by Satan and made incurable of his Sin that being like the Devil he might never return And this is the Malediction which the Holy Ghost had long since imprecated by the mouth of David
came from God he left not God so when he went to God he left not men and himself says expresly in another place Lâ— I am with you u Matt. 28.20 always to the end of the World But because he was now to be with them but a little time in a Visible Mortal Body as he had been hitherto therefore he says yet a little while and that they might more ardently enjoy him present and more diligently imprint in their minds what he should speak * John 13.33 Ye shall seek me For ye shall meet in my absence Persecution with great Fury both of Jew and Gentile insomuch that with anxiety ye shall desire my Presence of which you have thought it was x Matt. 17.4 good for you to be there Be not therefore terrified but prepare for the worst I know the desires of your Souls are with me and you would rather be for ever where I am But as I said to the Jews whither I go ye cannot come So now I say unto you Nevertheless that ye may decline as much as possible the Envy of the World which will hate you because ye are not of it and support one another under all contingencies with mutual consolation and after my Example of Patience Meekness Love Gentleness and an universal Charity trace the paths of Divine Perfection y John 13.34 A New Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another The Pharisees have obscur'd the Law by their Traditions and have indulg'd the z Lev. 19.18 Matt. 5.43 hatred of an Enemy But my will is you should love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you That ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven For he makes the Sun to rise on the Evil and on the Good and sendeth Rain on the Just and on the Unjust And that all men may a John 13.35 hereby know you to be my Disciples who have loved you freely voluntarily and plenarily without motive from abroad and according to what is in God and not what is in man Here it was that Peter throughly pierced with the rays of such immense Goodness and Clemency his Heart melting in the Fire of Love found himself unable to bear a separation and would fain know the reason why he must be left behind who had never hitherto been deny'd his Society and whither it was the Blessed Jesus would go from those for whom he had exprest and to whom he had taught so much Love b John 13.36 Lord whither goest thou Fountain of all Blessings what will become of me when thou art absent by whom I live and move and have my being If thou shalt hide thy Face all will be Barren Desolate and Night Eternal Night or whither is it Thou wilt go that we may not accompany Thee now who upon thy first call c Luke 5.11 Left all to follow Thee and ever since have d Luke 22.28 continued with Thee in all thy Temptations Have I especially been affected with so many Benefits and shall I ever fall to that Ingratitude to desert thee Have I been Elected by thee and fed with the e John 6.33 Bread of Heaven and the living f John 7.38 Waters of Comfort and tasted thy Celestial Joys upon the g Matt. 17.4 Mount and thought it was good for me to be there and Shall I leave thee at the appearance of danger Lord I am ready to go with Thee into h Luke 22.33 Prison and to Death Yea I will lay down my i John 13.37 Life for thy sake Ah Peter what hast thou promis'd Thou hast shew'd thy Fidelity but hast not consider'd how great a point of Wisdom it is to know ones self How soon may a Man lose that by negligence which he hath by much Labour and a long Time and a Mighty Grace scarcely obtainâ—d The Proud have fallen the Presumptuous been Disgrac'd the boldest talkers in the time of Peace have been most Dejected and Pusilanimous in the day of Temptation Thou esteemest thy self strong but in the sight of God who knows what is in Man will be found weak We cannot trust to our selves for that understanding is often wanting and the small Light that is in us we lose by Negligence and sometimes we perceive not our inward Blindness we are moved with Passion and think it Zeal Whenever we trust to our Stock of habitual Grace and depend on our own resolution we are then in a dangerous and declining State For what saith the Truth k Luke 22.31 Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as Wheat Thou art not apprehensive of the Devils power who lies in wait for the Souls of the Faithful and to precipitate thee into ruine as he has done Judas But I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not for he is not yet conquer'd and trampled under by the Elect. For this very l 1 John 3.8 purpose was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the Works of the Devil The conquest over him and the infernal Powers is to be a part of the m Col. 2.15 Triumph of my Cross Thou believest thou canst follow me in the way of my Passion but thou hast not yet tasted the Power of my Death For thô there have been some who have died for their Country and others have exposed themselves to be slain for their Kindred yet all this proceeded from a Carnal Affection But to die for another in the judgment of Our Lord himself or to die for an Enemy this is not of the Flesh this is the Work of the Spirit of God This n Isa 63.3 Winepress I must tread alone These strengths of Death I must first break to make a way for my Ransomed to pass And therefore tho' now thou standest take heed least thou fall o John 13.38 Verily Verily I say unto thee thou shalt not long be insensible of humane weakness for the Cock shall not crow till thou hast denied me thrice Nevertheless when I have pulled out the sting of Death and thou shalt be endued with p Luk. 24.49 Power from on High and have received the Holy Spirit to Strengthen thee and to reform thy Nature into an entire Charity then shalt thou q John 13.36 follow me without dread by the same way that I go to the Father Considering these Speeches I wonder not that St. Peter who had found such Fruit and Sweetness in the Words of Eternal Life such Virtue in this Treasury of the Power of God should think it blessedness to enjoy his Society and to partake with him in the worst of Miseries I rather grieve to see so great a mixture of Faith and Flesh I had almost said a Predominancy of the
O change the hard Fetters of Fear into the inestimable Chains of Love That dreading thy Justice we may avoid whatsoever may expose us to it and may dwell for ever in the Contemplation of those Good things which thou hast wrought and prepared for them that love thee SECT VIII Of the Agony of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane NOW there was a Valley between Jerusalem and Mount Olivet of the vast Profundity of 400 Cubits called Cedron from the Obscurity of the place where Foggs and Mists seem'd to dwell in the bottom to such as lookt down into it from the Temple and a h 18.1 Brook running there of the same Name Which Brook sometimes swell'd with impetuous Torrents descending from the hard and lofty tops of Mount Moria and Mount Acra sometimes it trickled with a gentle Murmur in its own Source without additional Waters inviting the wearied Traveller to rest an Emblem of the Vicissitude of Humane Condition and the wavering Image of capricious Fortune whereby a Man is sometimes over-born with Force according to that of David k Psal 69.1 2. Save me O God for the waters are come in even to my Soul I stick fast in the deep Mire where no ground is I am come into deep waters so that the Floods run over me sometimes there is a wonderful Tranquility and Smoothness over the Face of all his Affairs which burys the apprehension of the least Storm At this Water-course being the Sink of the holy City they us'd to cast in every accursed thing as the Powder of Maachah's l 2 Chron. 15.16 Idol which Asa stampt and burnt there the Idolatrous m 2 Chron. 30.14 Altars that were in Jerusalem and the n 2 King 236. Grove that was taken out of the House of the Lord and all the o 2 Chron. 29.16 uncleanness that was found therein Which is the reason of that Metaphorical way in Scripture of understanding Affliction and Troubles by Water and particularly of those Words concerning our Blessed Saviour who after passing this was to enter upon his Sufferings That he should p Psal 110.7 drink of the Brook in the way Nor may we hope to be exempt from it who have given up our Names to be his Followers since in the Torrent of Tribulation are found the living Waters of Comfort which spring up in the Soul unto eternal Life Here holy q 2 Sam. 15.23 David past in Grief when he fled out of his Palace from his Son Absolom and all the Country wept with a loud Voice And now this r Mark 12.35 Son of David passes over it sorrowing in his way to Mount Olivet where grew abundance of Olives to meet the Anger of his incensed Father due to the rebellious Children of Men. The f Gen. 8.11 Olive signifies Peace and t Psal 104.15 Oyl Gladness prefiguring it may be the Reconciliation to which his Sufferings there were preparatory and the Joy they should create to all Believers But to him it was to be the Theatre of unexpressible Dolours and to which the Disciples followed with a sad Heart fearing and trembling for the Words he had spoken u Zech. 13.7 Matt. 26.31 That in this night the Shepherd should be smitten and the Sheep of the Flock should be scatter'd abroad We read at other times they went * Luk. 10.1 before into every place whither he himself would come But the Evangelist has observ'd now they x Lide 22.39 follow'd him as unable to precede in the way of Sufferings for poor Nature abhors the Cross and clings to the Principles of Self-preservation though after he had sanctified it it became more agreeable and they embrac'd it with Alacrity as desirous of nothing more than to bear about in their Bodies the Dying of the Lord Jesus and to be made conformable to his Death believing That in following him they should arrive at the same Glory And our y 2 Cor. 1.7 hope is stedfast that as we are Partakers of the Sufferings so shall we be also of the Consolation At last they arriv'd at a z Matt. Village called Gethsemane scituate at the foot of the Mount of Olives where were many pleasant Gardens into one of which he entred with his Disciples as chusing a place for his satisfactory Pains answerable to that of the first Scene of Humane Misery a Gen. 2.8 where Adam fell and ruin'd Mankind and wherein he might best attend the Offices of Devotion Prayer and Meditation before his Crucifixion Here the second Adam would begin his Passion in order to our Redemption from that contagious Guilt spread over his Posterity by the first Man here he would become obedient unto Bonds and mercifully take our Sentence upon himself that he might free us from all Bondage of Satan and vindicate us into the Liberty of the Sons of God Behold then on this Stage three marvellous Agonies of God and Death Joy and Sorrow the Soul and the Flesh beginning in the Sweat and Blood of our dearest Lord but ending with the loss of his precious Life God and Death were two things very incompatible since God is the first and the most universal of all Lives who banishes from him all Operations tending to Death And yet the Son of God having taken upon him our Nature would suffer in it all the Pains that could attend Death to rescue us for whom he died from the Pains of Death eternal The Joy of Beatitude was an absolute Fruition of Celestial Delights and Comforts without any mixture of what might interrupt it or be displeasing And yet the blessed Jesus would suffer his innocent Soul to be overwhelmed with inexpressible Griefs and to descend by our Steps to the Anguishes of Death to raise us to the greatest Joys of Life There was also a great Duel between the affectionate Love and the Virginal Flesh of Christ His Soul did naturally love a Body which was so b Heb. 10.7 Psal 40.70 obedient to the Will of his Father and his Body follow'd wholly the Inclinations of his Soul There was so perfect an Agreement between the two Parties that their Separation must needs be most dolorous Yet Jesus would have it so and for Witnesses of the Combat takes with him c Mark 14.33 Peter and James and John commanding the rest to d Mark 14.32 sit down and compose themselves till he should go and pray yonder that they might not be moved with any thing that should befall him but keep themselves steady against the Fears of Danger But these three Disciples who had seen his Sublimity in his e Mat. 17.1 2. 2 Pet. 1.18 Transfiguration upon the holy Mount he would have be present at his extream Dejection By that they had an undeniable Proof of his Divinity when they were so ravisht at the Glimpse of it that they desir'd to dwell there By this they were to know the Truth of his Humanity and be able
he withdrew a little way he y Luk. 22.41 kneel'd down he fell on his Face and z Mark 14.35.36 pray'd that if it were possible the dreadful hour might pass from him And he said Abba Father which name he ingeminates because it is of the greatest Consolation to believe him a Father in all our Afflictions and that our Troubles proceed from his Good Will by which he deals with us as with Sons All things are possible unto thee and the World might have been otherwise Redeemed than by my Death Take away this Cup from me This deadly Cup which being drunk will cast me into the Sleep of Death Nevertheless not what I will but what Thou wilt For this is the manner pre-determined from Eternity and thus it ought to be and to this end am I come He prays with an Intention great as his Sorrow and yet with a Submission so entire and a Conformity to the Divine Will so ready as if it had been the most indifferent thing in the World for him to be deliver'd to Death or from it For though his Nature did decline Death as that which has a natural Horrour and Contradiction to the present Interest of its Preservation yet when he lookt upon 't as what his Father had put into the Order of the Redemption of the World it was then the Baptism wherewith he was straitned till it were accomplisht and a thing preferrable to all the Pleasures of Life As he had truly taken the Nature of Man he had different Affections of Flesh and Spirit and different Prayers in respect of both The Flesh resolutely shunn'd the Cross as what was contradictory to its Preservation The Spirit corrected and overcame it being in Obedience to the Father of Spirits He did not deprecate Death out of Fear for how could the Son of God be afraid of Death but he pray'd according to the Affection of the Flesh that he might overcome the Prayer of the Flesh by the Prayer of the Spirit as he says in another place a John 12.27 Father save me from this Hour and presently subjoyns But for this Cause came I to this Hour He seems also to have pray'd in this manner lest by the occasion of his Passion the Condemnation of the Wicked might be the greater For he saw That by his Death Judas one of the Twelve would become the Son of Perdition and his Consanguinians the Jews cast off and the City and Temple laid wast On the other hand he knew That by his Sufferings he should overcome the Gates of Hell and break a Way for his Redeemed to pass And therefore as unwilling they should perish by his Passion he says Father if it may be let this Cup pass from me but for the Salvation of the rest of Mankind which was to be redeemed by his Death he b Luk. 22.42 says as it were correcting his former Prayer Not my Will but Thine be done I know O Father it is the Decree of thy Will that thus it should be and thus I must suffer My Heart is ready my Heart is ready In the Volume of the c Psal 40.10 Heb. 10.7 Book it is written of me that I should fulfill thy Will O my God I am content to do it yea thy Law is within my Heart O! what a great Secret is here reveal'd which teaches us to hate our Soul that we may preserve it to despise it for a time that we may Honour it for Eternity to punish it in this Life to give it thereby a perpetual Rest in the World to come to handle it roughly that it may be establisht in all Delights and we may love it without end This is the way the blessed Jesus has taught us to arrive at the chiefest Point of our Felicity Prayer Thy Will O God is the measure of Holiness Thy Providence the great Disposer of all things tying all Events together in order to thy Glory and the Good of thy Servants by a wonderful mysterious Chain of Wisdom O let it be also the Measâ—re of my Desires For I know That whatsoever thou sayst is true whatsoever thou commandest is just whatsoever thou dost is good So shall I be pleas'd with all the Accidents thou permittest patient of all the Punishment thou inflictest a Lover of all the Good thou enjoynest and a Hater of all the Evil which thou forbiddest till at last my Conformity to thy Divine Will shall arise up to the Degrees of Union with thee SECT X. Of Christ's Anxiety for the Security of his Disciples THE afflicted Jesus having in few Words exprest the innocent and harmless Desires of humane Nature is toucht at the same time with Compassion towards it and in the mid'st of his Agony returns to visit that little Flock which was so soon to be dispersed and at present liable to the Assaults of Satan But alas Grief had Surcharg'd their heavy Hearts and Sorrow had closed their weeping Eyes So far had the Tempter prevail'd upon 'em to avert 'em from Prayer the Meditation of the Passion and the Remembrance of their Frailty Finding 'em Sleeping he first Addresses himself to Peter who had always exprest most Zeal for his Interest d Maak 14.37 saying Simon Sleepest Thou Is this thy Constancy Courage and Promise and is it thus thou wilt go with me into Prison and to Death Great Promises require great cares and he that is deeply engaged must be very Vigilant or very Faithless to his Master How is it that after such Asseverations of thy Fidelity I find thee at rest while I am Sweating Blood and that this Garden is the Bed of thy Repose which is the Theatre of my inimitable Anguish Ah Simon could'st thou not watch one hour Thou hast much to learn before thou canst follow me The Nights of a Resolv'd Martyr must be spent in the Studies of Patience not in security and ease he must exercise a Holy Cruelty upon his Flesh by Crucifying the Lusts and Affections thereof before he can overcome the inventions of his Tormentors in a holy and undaunted perseverance Hadst thou watch'd with me thou mightest have received further Encouragement in thy Resolution to die for me and learnt from the extremity of my pains willingly to embrace the present opportunity of Glorifying God by a constant Death Then turning to the rest he e Luke 22.46 says Why sleep ye For sloth is reprehensible in all Christians it is not a time to rest when danger is imminent and the grand Adversary as a roaring Lion walking about to see whom he may devour He is full of Wiles his darts are fiery his insinuations subtile and undiscernable f Mark 14.38 Watch therefore and be of good courage least ye be overcome and ensnared unawares Nor is this enough for none is of himself safe without the Almighty's assistance and therefore Pray also least ye enter into Temptation the Spirit truly is ready but the Flesh is weak I know you
he spake of his Disciples Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none and that he might give Demonstration of his infinite Charity while to save others he would be slain himself according to that of the c Isai 63.3 Prophet I have trodden the Winepress alone and of the People there was none with me The Truth would conceal nothing though he knew it would lead him to Bonds Irrision Scourgings and Death But O God! What Hypocrisies what Counterfeitings and Lyes are there in the Intentions and Practices of Sinners whose Hearts are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know ' em Judas had sold him but is not contented unless he also signifie him by a Sign to the Multitude that he may be sure they may not mistake yet not a common token neither but full of Hypocrisie as well as Hostility d Mat. 26.48 Whomsoever I shall kiss that same is He hold him fast He draws near with a seeming Endearment and according to the Expression of Oriental Civility after Absence gives the treacherous Sign He breaks the Peace by the Symbol of Kindness He begins his Enmity with a Kiss He thought as yet his Malice was undiscover'd and he might deceive his Master by a feign'd Love that he might not endeavour to fly or hide himself Dreadful Impiety which stands in opposition to the Divine Virtue residing in the Bosom of God The design of God is to be known such as he is the design of the Hypocrite is to appear what he is not to erect a Sepulcre externally glorious with Marble Gildings Characters and Titles but within Bones Putrefaction and Ashes a Retreat of Serpents a Den of Dragons And thus it is he damns himself by the very means which should save him Professions which if true would doubtless be accepted But he mingles Virtue with execrable Vices good Actions cursed Intentions magnifies Sin by debauching Piety and might much more innocently profess wickedness It is not more remarkable that Christ throughout the Gospel has given such strict Caution we should beware of this e Mat. 16.6 Leaven and denounces the severest f Matt. 23.14 Punishment against it than that he does at this time so patiently bear with it in the known Betrayer of his Life For he treats him still with unparalell'd Kindness saying g Mat. 26.40 Friend wherefore art thou come I invite thee to Friendship tho' I know what thou hast been about I am ready to forgive thee and to restore thee to thy Station Consider what thou art doing and how little I have deserv'd it Who is it has brought thee or what has forct thee Others are instigated but thou comest of thy self and therefore thou hast the greatest Sin O Judas I pitty thee however and thy Perdition troubles me for whom I suffer in vain Alas for what art thou come for thy own Destruction and not for mine the first person in whom my Blood is depriv'd of its fruit and saving efficacy My poor Servant wherefore art thou come why in this manner and what means this Kiss Why dost thou add Hypocrisie to thy Guilt and endeavourest to out-do all in Malice Thou thinkest to deceive me and I long since knew it nor is it hid from me what thou hast been acting with the Jews and what now thou intendest to deliver me into their hands Let this convince thee how great a Crime it is to deliver the Innocent to Death At least consider whom thou betrayest and at what a price thou hast sold my Blood For tho' hitherto I have nam'd my self but the Son of Man know now thou deliverest the Son of God thy Father by Creation thy Lord by Preservation thy Saviour by Redemption thy Brother by Incarnation thy Master by Doctrine thy Friend by Election and thy Judge by final Retribution Behold how many Sins thou committest in one Act and all with a Kiss under the sign of Love This is the end for which thou art come to shed my Blood by the Office of Charity and to put me to Death by the Instrument of Peace Ah! Christian let us no longer say with our selves such a one has done us harm and no man can put up the wrong but think with our selves what our great Master said to him that betraid him with a Kiss to Death h Luk. 22.48 Judas betray'st thou the Son of Man with a Kiss who would not be softned with these words What Heart would not such a Voice bow and encline to it What Tyger what Addamant is there that it would not move Say not to me hereafter Such a one is a Deceiver such a one is a Murderer and the like and I cannot abide him I will prosecute him to Death I tell thee if he be ready to thrust his Dagger into thee and to baptize his Right hand in thy Throat kiss that Right hand and embrace that Dagger since Christ kist the mouth of his Betrayer and Murtherer Thou art the Servant I say of him that kist the Traitor for I will not cease to repeat it again and again of him that spake words to him softer than a Kiss and sweeter than the kindest Blandishments of Love For mark it he does not say O! thou Villain thou Traitor dost thou make me this Requital for all my Kindness But he only says Judas calling him by his proper Name Can'st thou find in thy heart to betray me on this fashion Yea I may observe that he calls him Friend which is a Word of great Sweetness to such an unworthy Person and after this he does not say Why dost thou betray thy Master thy Benefactor thy Lord the Messiah But Why betrayest thou the Son of Man with a Kiss If he was not thy Master yet would'st thou betray any Man who deals so courteously with thee and vouchsafes to kiss thee even when thou betrayest him with that Kiss O! what an Example has the blessed Jesus given us in this Action of Humility and Forgiveness Prayer O Light eternal and Fountain of Purity who seest all things and art incapable of Mixture Whither shall I go then from thy Spirit or where shall I hide my self from thy Presence If I climb up into Heaven thou art there if I go down to Hell thou art there also If I take the Wings of the Morning and remain in the uttermost parts of the Sea even there also shall thy Hand lead me and thy Right Hand shall hold me If I say peradventure the Darkness shall cover me then shall my Night be turned into Day for the Darkness is no Darkness with thee but the Darkness and the Light to thee are both alike and thou art he that hast covered me in my Mothers Womb. Grant me I beseech thee that Innocency of Intention that I may never go about to deceive others or to hide my self from thy Sight who seest in secret but wilt reward openly and hatest our Concealment even beyond our Sin i
of Judicature but were a concourse of Bloody Murderers He knew as he was God that whatsoever he should answer they would pervert to an accusation against him and that by his answer he should rather irritate than appease them and that the more he satisfied 'em the greater would be their Sin especially that it was written of him in the Evangelical Prophet z Isai 53.7 He was oppressed and Afflicted and yet he opened not his mouth He is brought as a Lamb to the Slaughter and as a Sheep before her Shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth Cajaphas the more enraged at his silence supposing it was done out of contempt to his Person and vext that neither the Witnesses nor his own Authority could draw an answer from him which might bear colour of Censure collects all his Malice and Rage together and darts it at him in one terrible Exorcism a Mat. 26.63 I adjure thee by the living God that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ the Son of God agreeable to the last refuge of Satan in the distracted and furious man b Mark 5.7 I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not Our Saviour not mov'd by the Power of Exorcism for if there were no c Numb 23.23 Inchantment against Jacob much less cou'd there be against his God but least it might not consist with the honour which is due and ever to be paid to the Sacred Name or he might seem wanting to the saving Truth which he came down on Earth to reveal to the World or the Jews might take occasion thereby to defend their perfidiousness and propagate their error after his departure saying That Nazarene being askt by our High Priest and adjur'd by the Tremendous Name whether he were the true expected Messiah would not answer that he was otherwise we had believ'd him and receiv'd him as such For these Reasons he would not here be silent that he might leave them without Excuse but in two Sayings declares the Truth d Mat. 26.64 Thou hast said or it is true which thou hast said I need not answer thou thy self hast said it Or rather he directs it to his wicked Conscience Why seekest thou so deceitfully to draw from me that which thou knowest already so well I need not tell thee I am the Christ since e John 11.47 because I raised up Lazarus from the Dead thou would'st put me to death Thou hast not hitherto believed me for my Miracles and intendest never to believe me for my Words Nevertheless I will yet more clearly confess and I tell you plainly Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting at the Right hand of Power Å¿ Mat. 26 64. and coming in the Clouds of Heaven But none could thus ascend to equal Power with God none could again descend with the Clouds of Heaven which the Jews themselves expounded of the Glorious Attendance of the Angels unless the true Messiah and Son of God With these words he passionately endeavours to move 'em with the Terrors of the Lord at the consideration of that just Judgment they must at last undergo before his Tribunal how Vile and Abject soever he now appeared since he had tried in vain to reduce 'em by his Innocency and Benefits But now Hypocrisie and Ostentation as well as Obstinacy reign in Cajaphas q Mark 14.63.64 He rent his Clothes and said what need we any further Witnesses Ye have heard the Blasphemy What think ye And they all condemned him to be guilty of Death Why What have ye heard O ye blood-thirsty men but that great Truth of the coming of Christ's Kingdom which the Patriarchs Prophets and all good men long'd for with earnest expectation Where is your Anointing ye Priests and Sons of Aaron Where are the Prophecies ye Scribes and Teachers which long before mentioned these things of the Messiah Where will be your portion ye Sons of Israel who renounce an Interest in the Saviour of the World and condemn the Son of the Great King and think by killing him to seize upon his Inheritance r 1 Chron. 22 8. David was not suffer'd to build the Temple because his hands had shed Blood And how shall you build up the House of the Lord who imbrue your hands in the blood of God What Herod thô otherwise cruel will not dare and what Pilate tho' a Barbarian shall be afraid of you have wilfully pronounc'd against the Lord of Life Therefore shall the Samaritans and Heathen be your Judges yea out of your own mouth shall ye be Judged how much your impiety was greater than theirs and your Injustice crueller than that of Herod or Pilate It was the first time that Cajaphas had heard he call'd himself the Son of God and declar'd himself to be come from Heaven as appears by manifest Å¿ John 5.18 passages in the Holy Evangelists He might much more easily have believed that Truth knowing how he had raised Lazarus from the Dead then the poor blind Man for the cure of his sight or Nicodemus from the general report of his Miracles who t John 3.2.9 33. both confess that if he had not been of God or God had been with him he could have done nothing But here out of Vain Glory he rent his Clothes a sad Presage prophetically foreshewing that the Priesthood shou'd be rent from him and that Nation and crys as if he had heard some strange thing which personated Admiration became also the type of his own punishment and consign'd the Nation to utter destruction and the whole Assembly devoted to his will the Priests the Pharisees the Scribes and Elders â— Mark 14.64 all conspir'd in the same Guilt Whereby it is evident whatsoever he had said they were all ready to confirm it when immediately with one Voice without any Hesitation all condemn him to be guilty of Death There was no body here had a word to speak for the Innocent none desir'd a time for defence of the Prisoner neither Reason nor Justice nor Humanity are regarded but Cajaphas will have it so and Christ must die Thus was our Saviour suppposed guilty of Blasphemy who in all things sought his Father's Glory and proclamed worthy of Death who did no Sin neither was guile found in his Mouth and that holy Name abus'd and vilifi'd which is above every Name and to which every knee should bow Because we were really Blasphemous and Wicked and had transgrest all the commandments of our God from the guilt of which he came to deliver us by his Condemnation Prayer O Spotless Innocence who wert judged wrongfully but shall come to judge the World in Righteousness Grant Impartialtiy to all the Judges of the Earth that they Administer true Justice without Covetousness or Respect of Persons Sincerity to all Witnâ—sses that they may bear Testimony to the Truth Integrity to all the Professors of thy Holy Precepts that they may serve thee in purity
envious Friends Deceivers Beds of Down no better than Sepulchres and Life is but a Death or at best but a long and dolorous Sickness unless God be the Loadstone of our Hearts the Center of our Affections and the Height of our Glory It is a horrible thing to see a Soul left to it self after it has forsaken the Inspirations of God It becomes a desolate Vineyard without Enclosure The wild Boar enters it and all unclean and ravenous Beasts do there sport and leap without Controll God hangs Clouds over it but lets no Dew fall upon it The Sun never looks upon it with a loving Eye but all there is Barren Venomous and near to Hell Blackness of Darkness and eternal Night Melancholy rack'd by Despair Guilt scourg'd by Shame Rage tortur'd with Envy and Vexation stabb'd by Regret and a tempestuous Repentance And if this be the Unhappiness of the present time O! how great will be the Solitude of such a Soul in her Separation When in an Instant she shall see nothing but all the Evils she has done and all the Wickednesses of her Life spread before her Eyes as so many Firey Serpents for which she must answer before the dreadful Tribunal which even now appears before her Eyes Prayer O! just God will there need any Chains to sink it lower than its own Weight has done Will there need any other Darkness to cover the Soul which such a Cloud of Sorrows has already benighted and cast into the bottom of the Abyss of Miseries One Deep calls upon another the Depth of Misery upon the Depth of thy Compassion In the midst of thy Wrath remember Mercy Afford us here such Grace as may prevent Despair for our Sins cannot be greater than thy Mercy and in the Day of Judgment grant us such Mercy as may pardon our greatest Sins SECT XXI Of the Deplorable end of Judas POor Judas under these apprehensions of Shame Guilt Fear Despair Grief Rage Anguish and Torment the reproof of Devils and Wicked Men departed and went and e Matt. 27.5 hanged himself Which judgment was made more notorious by an unusual accident as the Greek Scholiast and some f Euthym. in 26. Matt. Oecumen in c. 1. Acts. Juvencus Hist Evang. Beda de Locis Sanct. cap. 4. others report out of Papias St. John's Scholar that he fell from the Fig-tree on which he hanged before he was quite dead and surviv'd his attempt some while being so sad a spectacle of Deformity Pain and a prodigious tumour that his plague was deplorable and highly miserable till at last he burst in the very substance of his Trunk as being extended beyond the possibilities and capacities of Nature Which reconciles the relation of St. Matthew to St. Luke's of whom the former says he g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 27 5. hanged or strangled himself the latter he h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 1.18 fell headlong and burst asunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out Such is the real unfruitfulness of Sin and perplexed estate of unjust gain We are afterwards more indigent then we were before and know not what to do with the cursed thing when we have it Such is the purchase of Treason and reward of Covetousness momentary in its Possession unsatisfying in the fruition uncertain in the stay sudden in its departure horrid in the remembrance a certain and astonishing ruin in the end And such is the confusion of all those who are terrified with the remembrance of their Sin but cannot apprehend the greatness of Gods Mercy or build their repentance upon the Divine Compassion Whose sin is reveal'd to 'em but but not the Gospel who are sorry for their loss or what they suffer but cannot Confess Believe and heartily sue for Pardon Prayer O thou most Gracious yet dreadful Majesty Gracious in the dispensations of those means which lead us to believe in thy dear Son as in thy manifold offers to Judas Dreadful in the emanations of thy Justice sealing up his incorrigible and impenitent Heart Suffer me not I beseech thee ever to despair either of thy Mercy for what is past or of thy Grace for the future I am cast down when I consider the misery of the Betrayer but I lift up my Soul to the Mercy of the Betrayed I tremble when I consider the fruits of Sin but am encouraged by those of the Sufferings of my Jesus For whose infinite Merits I implore thine infinite Compassion to deliver me now from a reprobate Mind and in the day of Judgment from Eternal Condemnation SECT XXII Of the Wonderful Providence of God in the manner of Christ's Death NOthing comes by chance in respect of God but all things are disposed by his wise Providence to bring his determinate Council to pass After Judas by his desolation had i Acts 1 20. Psal 109.7 fulfilled the Scripture it was further necessary that Christ whom he had deliver'd should suffer in a manner prefigur'd therein thô not prescrib'd by the Law of Moses For as a k Exod. â—â— 46 bone of the Typical Lamb was not to be broken so neither was any to be broken in the true Lamb the Great passover of the Christians Whereby it was intimated the Saviour of the World should suffer that Death to which the breaking of Bones was usual which according to custom was that of Crucifixion to put an end to the Miserable life of the Sufferer but only in that Death should by the Providence of God be so particularly preserv'd as that not one Bone of his should be touch'd The Psalmist likewise predicting of him they l Psal 22.17 pierc'd my hands and my feet plainly represented he should die the Death of the Cross to which the Hands and Feet of the Person Crucified were affixed In order to this Death which was after the Roman manner great had been the Revolutions and Changes in the World between the Type and Prophesie and the time of the event And Judea that was once m Lâ—m. 1.1 great among the Nations and Princess among the Provinces had now been made tributary by Pompey the Great about threescore years before Christ and a part of a Province of Syria under the care of the President of that Province appointed by Tiberias the Emperor According to which Institution a particular Procurator was assigned to it for the disposing of the Publick revenue and because the President who had the power of the Sword was forc'd to attend the other parts of his Province therefore n Tacit. Annal. l. 15. Tertull. Apologet. cap. 21 Cyprian adv Demet. Josephus de bel jud Philo de legat ad Cajum Justin Mart. Apolog. Eusebius Hist l. 1. c. 10. Pilate the Resident Procutator of Judea was furnish'd with power of Life and Death and administred the Supreme Power as to the Jews This gave opportunity that Christ might be deliver'd to a foreign Jurisdiction and suffer Death after the custom of that
may know I find no fault in him Then came Jesus forth wearing the Crown of Thorns and the Purple Robe and Pilate saith unto them Behold the Man Let it suffice O ye Jews for this Man's Punishment that he is thus miserably and opprobriously afflicted All which has been done to him more out of Necessity than for any Offence made out against him since after all our dealings with him I must confess him innocent and that I have found no fault in him Behold the Man whether he be now like a Man and much less a King for which you have so violently accus'd him Behold his Robe is it not of Mockery Behold his Scepter is it not a Reed Behold his Face is there any thing there which may induce the People to run after him and admire him Behold the Man in every part and you will find him so much less than a Man by how much he has suffer'd all these Indignities and an irreparable Disgrace among Men That truly he is now the Object of our Pity and Humanity requires us to sympathize with his Miseries which are but so many Instances of our own Mutability and silent Appeals to Mercy Let it suffice therefore and let us dismiss him If you have envy'd him the Title of a King you see it has sufficiently dejected him and brought him to shame to a ludibrious Vesture a Crown of Thorns painful Stripes odious Spittle and the Contempt of the whole Nation But alas there are some implacable Spirits in the World which seem to partake of the Nature of Devils and cannot be overcome either by Mildness or Force but grow more obstinate when excited to Pity When the Chief Priests and Officers saw Jesus in this Condition those very Motives which melted Pilate serv'd only as Incentives to their farther Rage Invidious Malice is a poysoned Gall the Root of Vices the Father of Murders and the Mother of Death It is the Rage of the Devil and the very Soul and Spirit of Apostate Nature neither to be pacified with Kindness nor satisfied with Cruelty Little Portions of Revenge do but inflame it and serve to flesh it up to a fiercer Violence Vexed that they had not yet done their Work they fall afresh upon the poor Remainders of his Life And they cried out saying e John 19.6 Crucifie him Crucifie him It is not enough to us to see the Blood of his Face but we must have that of his Heart too We are not satisfied to behold him miserable but we must see him dying on the Cross Thou hast well done in Scourging him now Crucifie him Thou hast shewn him to us wounded but we must see him dead Prayer Ah! my dear Maker thou Father of Mercies whence come these Thoughts into the Heart of Man whom at first thou madest after thine own Image And why are we given up to the Instigations of Satan the Father of Lyes and Original of Murder but because we have wickedly departed from thee and done Despite to thy Spirit of Grace O give us Mildness and Bowels of Compassion one towards another especially towards the Afflicted considering our selves Fellow Subjects in the same Misfortunes That in the last day when we must answer for what we have done and our own Mercy shall be the f Mat. 25.35 Measure of our Judgment thy Mercy may rejoyce over thy Justice and we may be received into the Joy of our Gracious Lord. SECT XXXI Of Pilate's fifth Declaration of Christ's Innocence PIlate astonish'd at their Inhumanity and Obstinacy and no longer able to restrain his Indignation says g John 19.6 Take ye him and Crucifie him your selves for I find no fault in him and desire to have nothing more to do in the matter And this was the Fifth time he proclaim'd him innocent As if he had said If ye will have him Crucified Crucifie him your selves ye blood-thirsty and insatiable Murderers Shall I because of your Malice contrary to all Laws by which I am bound to protect destroy the Innocent Shall I be accessory to your Murder terrified thereto by your Clamours Am I to be an Administrator of Hatred and Envy and to suppress the Just by my Authority I will not have my Judgment Seat nor the Roman Empire stain'd with the Blood of a guiltless Man I have too far condescended to pleasure you already by scourging this poor innocent Person and if after all he must dye take ye him and murder him since your Religion permits it and with you it is a Capital Crime to be innocent I have no Law for it and will be clear of this Injustice A Spectacle worthy of the Presence of The Almighty to see a Magistrate ardent in Zeal for the Defence of the Innocent and Just and to bend all his Endeavours and Force of Courage to strengthen his Arm against the Torrent of Iniquity to put off peculiar Interests and to defend the Truth It is this which makes Government easie and the People to rejoyce under it while wicked Justicers make sad the World Surely they had blusht at this Righteousness of the Heathen if they had had the least sense left of Goodness or Religion but resolv'd he should never escape out of their hands they begin to start a new Accusation The Jews h John 19.7 answered We have a Law and by our Law he ought to dye because he made himself the Son of God Before they had said it was not lawful for 'em to put any Man to Death but now they have a Law rather than he shall escape and whatever the Law be they will make him Guilty of it which according to their Accusation we may suppose was that of i Lev. 24.16 Blasphemy or against k Deut. 18.20 false Prophets for seducing the People by a pretended Revelation Now though the numerous Controversies of the Jews did not concern the Roman Governours nor were they moved with the frequent Quarrels arising from the Disputes of different Sects nevertheless when Pilate who believ'd the Descent of the Gods heard that Saying whereby they accused him for making himself the Son of God he was the more l John 19.8 afraid and knew not what to determine He had heard of his Miracles and was sensible of his Innocency and wonderfully taken with his admirable Constancy and Patience shining throughout his Sufferings and rationally concluded if he were some venerable God which all his Actions seemed to declare it were unpardonable in him to give Sentence against him and therefore he goes again into the Judgment Hall and saith unto Jesus m John 19.9 Whence art thou But Jesus gave him no Answer in so great a Mystery who against the perfect knowledge of his Innocence had ordered him to be scourged contrary to Justice And this is that Silence of which the Prophet speaks n Isai 53.7 He was oppressed and afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he was brought as a lamb to the slaughter
he had z Philo. de legat ad Cajum seized on the Corban or Sacred Treasury and spent it upon an Aqueduct in the City nor could all their Petitions divert his Intentions but his Resolutions went through their a Blood to bring in the Water he thought by this act to b Mark 15.15 content the people if he consented at last that it should be as they required Nevertheless having again c John 19.13 brought forth Jesus and himself being seated in the Judgment Hall upon a high place or Tribunal made of fair d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lapidarium stone curiously wrought and for the eminence of it call'd in the Chaldean Tongue e John 19.13 Gabbatha he tries once more before Sentence if by any means he might disswade them from their intended Murther Saying unto the Jews f John 19.14 behold your King As if he had said behold the man you have brought unto me and accused under the Title of a King And what can you farther desire against him Behold he has been Buffeted Spit upon Revil'd Ridicul'd Scourg'd and Crowned with Thorns and thus stands Dejected and Derided before you Behold this Mock-King What harm can he do you What danger do you fear from such a King who is not able to help himself if he have call'd himself by that Title is he not humbled for it almost to Death If he desir'd to be or be thought such a one is he any other then what the Boys would set up and so much the worse by how much he has suffer'd What do ye decree Are ye satisfied with his punishment Will ye release him and avoid the Evil his Innocent Blood will bring upon you But Malice never wants an evil Tongue They interrupt him and without any reason cry out g John 19.15 Away with him away with him crucifie him Why says Pilate h Ibid. Shall I crucifie your King This will redound to your perpetual Disgrace if owning him for your King you shall desire him to be Crucified To which The Chief Priests answered i Ibid. we will have no King but Cesar Why speakest thou so much of a King as if we desir'd any other then the Emperor our wishes are to be free from that suspicion nor will we have this Man but Tiberius for our Lord. Alas Poor humane Nature How great is the Misfortune to which thou art subjected in this Life We never sufficiently know our own good till we have lost it and it be too late We fly from that we should seek and we seek that we should avoid and never begin to bewail our losses till they are past recovery The Jews might have possest an inestimable Treasure by the Presence and Conversation of the Son of God but choose rather to submit themselves to an intire Slavery under the Romans who had subdued their Nation whom they hated which at last they lamented among unspeakable griefs being cast into the gulf of unavoidable mischiefs by the Fury of k Joseph de bello jud Vespasian and Titus While these things were acting at the Judgment Seat l Lucius Dexter Chro. 10. Ann. Chr. 34. Claudia Procula the Wife of Pilate whether she were in part converted to Christianity or that it were by the permission of God for the farther confirmation of Christ's Innocence against all the Malicious accusations of the Jews or whether it were from the Devil to hinder if it were possible the passion of Christ whereby he should be subdued having been troubled much in her thoughts because of this Tryal for she could not repose but Jesus was in her sleep she could not speak but Jesus was on her Tongue she could not write but Jesus was under her Pen sent to her Husband a speedy Messenger saying m Matt. 27.19 Have thou nothing to do with that just Man for I have suffered many things this day in a Dream because of him But neither did this prevail and the n Matt. 27.24 tumult rather increased by how much more the Innocence of Christ appeared and Pilate was constrained to an involuntary Sentence to do as they would have it tho' against his Conscience insomuch that having call'd for Water and o Matt. 27.24 washt his hands to signifie in their own Ceremonies he disowned the Act and transferred the guilt from himself being the Minister only of the Law upon them as the Jury who would find against his Judgment he a sixth time proclaim'd the Innocence of the Holy Jesus to the confusion of the Jews and all future unbelievers saying p Matt. 27.24 I am innocent of the blood of this just person See ye to it Then answered all the People q Matt. 27.25 his blood be upon us and upon our Children A most dreadful imprecation To wish our selves accursed that we may fulfil our Malice upon another And yet how many are there who being embark'd with their Enemies care not to perish so that in dying they may glut their Eyes with the Death of those they hate An Infernal Malignity meerly Diabolical and which r Aug. l. 2. de Doctr. Christiana defiles the Devils themselves How just was it in God to involve that People and their Posterity in irreparable ruine according to their own impenitent Desires of Guilt And yet how sad is it to consider the Mercies they forfeited and the evils they incurred thereby For ſ Joseph de belio jud Hegesippus Titus Cesar Son of Flavius the Emperor about eight and thirty years after the Death of our Lord utterly overthrew Jerusalem to the ground with the slaughter of Ten Hundred Thousand by Fire and Sword besides innumerable Numbers that perish'd by Famine and Pestilence And about Sixty four years after that Destruction by Titus in the time of Adrianus Aelianus the Emperor when the Jews rebell'd under Benchocah the Pseudomessiah there were slain again by the Army of Julius Severus Five hundred thousand of the People besides what perish'd by Pestilence and Famine And that there might be a final Extirpation of the ancient City and the Words of our Saviour be fulfil'd t Matt. 24.2 That there should not be left one stone upon another which shall not be thrown down he caus'd the ruins and Foundations thereof to be digg'd up and the Stones to be broken in pieces and the ground to be left desolate Alas for Israel the chosen of God! Alas for Jerusalem the Holy City and the most Beautiful Structure in the World Alas for the Temple and Sanctuary of the Lord How are the people of God become Reprobate and his own Inheritance Deserted of him and broken with such tribulation as was v Matt. 24.21 not from the begining of the world to that time no nor ever shall be He drove Back the Waves of the * Exod. 14.22 Red Sea and suffer'd 'em to walk between two Waters as between two crystal Walls and why has he drowned 'em
ruin But Christ would be dignified by the lowest abasement and by how much more he emptied himself and became poor for our sakes by so much more he was exalted to Glory by the Father and has left us an assurance of the Truth of that remarkable sentence h Luke 14.11 Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted Here being wearied and almost spent with a sleepless night past in shame and vexation a sorrowful morning of continual hurry from one judicature to another pain of cruel scourging and venomous Thorns barbarous Insolencies the weight of the Cross and his tiresome ascent to the Theatre of his Death they offer him something to Drink out of a feigned compassion as if they would now commiserate his Griefs But alas the tender Mercies of the Wicked are i Prov. 12.10 cruel it was k Matt. 27.34 Vinegar with Gall or l Mark 15.23 Wine mingled with Myrrh a nauseous Potion which they had prepar'd to mock his thirst and to stay and Afflict his decaying Spirits not thinking they were at the same time giving Testimony to his Truth For the Psalmist had long before predicted in his Person that they should give the Messiah m Psal 69.21 Gall to eat and when he was thirsty Vinegar to drink But our Saviour having tasted thereof would not n Matt. 27.34 drink Go now Intemperate and Luxurious Sinner who art strong in Wine and Valiant in excesses cloath thy self in Purple and fine Linnen and fare sumptuously every day while the Holy Jesus among dead Mens Bones and the greatest Impurities condescends to tast the bitter Antidote of thy debauches But remember the answer of Abraham in whose Bosom the once poor Lazarus then lay satisfied to Dives the Glutton tormented in Hell Flames and desiring a drop of Water to cool his Tongue o Lake 16.25 Son thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Temperance is a purgative Virtue of the Soul and exalts the Spirit by subduing the Body Is the Mother of good thoughts and leads us to God by a due consideration of our latter end when we must leave all that we have enjoy'd and render an account of the right use or abuse of 'em And surely if the p Rom. 8.18 Sufferings of this present Season are not worthy to be compar'd with the Glory which shall be reveal'd hereafter then the Religious forbearance of Temporal contentments can bear no proportion with the injoyment of God in whose q Psal 16.11 presence is the fulness of Joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore Prayer O Gracious Lord who lived'st Abstemiously and denyed'st thy self all refreshment in the greatest necessity and thirsted'st for me that I might thirst after thee Let all my Appetite be only for thee who art the r John 6.35 bread of Life which camest down from Heaven and the Fountain of living Å¿ John 4.10 Waters of which whosoever drinks shall be an everlasting t John 7.38 Spring himself never drie but fill'd Eternally with the dew of thy Exuberant Love SECT XXXVI Of the Crucifixion of Christ. THE Evangelists having attended our Lord to Mount Calvary are very short as to the cruel Circumstances wherewith he was nailed to the Cross and only u Matt. 27.35 Mark 15.25 Luke 23.31 John 19.18 say they crucified him there For our Tears are most suitable to this part of the Passion which none can be able fully to express and our powerfullest Eloquence on this Subject will be the Threnody of a broken Heart Nevertheless in expressing so little of the manner of it they have left us much to be thought on with most passionate Reflexions They force the Garments from his wounded Body and every Scourge now bleeds afresh while the hasty avulsion of the coagulated Blood causes in his tender Flesh intolerable Pain Besides the exposing his naked Body added to it the highest Indignity of Shame in the Interpretation of his barbarous Enemies who thought it so great an Ignominy to those that died to expose their Bodies to the view of the people that where the Bodys of the dead were out of the reach of their Adversaries they thought it most highly opprobrious to their Ghosts to take but their representation and affix it to a Cross His Body thus denudated but still crown'd with Thorns to add Terror to his unspeakable Grief they prepare the Cross before his Eyes the Altar on which the Lamb of God was to be sacrific'd but among the Jews the * Deut. 21.23 accursed Tree Not that Suspension was any of the Capital Punishments prescribed by the Law of Moses or that by any Tradition or Custom of the Jews they were wont to punish Malefactors by that Death but such as were punished with Death among them were for the Enormity of their Fact oft-times after Death expos'd to the Ignominy of a x Deut. 21.22 Gibbet and those being so hanged were accursed by the Law Among the Gentiles it was the worst of Deaths the Punishment of Slaves and of the most desperate Persons in the World For the Death of a crucified Man was the most continual Languishing and Tearing a Soul from the Body with most exquisite Violence and Agony in that the Hands and Feet which of all Parts of the Body are most nervous and consequently most sensible were pierced through with Nails which caused not a sudden Dispatch but a lingring and tormenting Death Insomuch that the Romans who most us'd it have thence deduc'd their Expressions of Cruciation or Pain And their Emperors which were naturally of any merciful Disposition first caused such as were adjudged to Crucifixion to be slain and then to be nailed to a Cross Now though Christ were not to die by the Sentence of the Jews who had lost the supream Power in Causes capital and so not to be condemned to any Death which was contained in their Law yet the Providence of God did so dispose it that he should suffer that Death which did contain in it that ignominious Particularity to which the legal Curse belong'd which was y Deut. 21.23 hanging on a Tree That he might become a Curse for us and abolish in his Flesh the z Eph. 2.15 Enmity even the Law of Commandments blotting out the a Col. 2.14 Hand-writing of Ordinances which was against us and which was contrary to us nailing it to his Cross So truly did he make himself of no Reputation and took upon him the b Phil. 2.7.8 Form of a Servant and humbled himself and became obedient unto Death even the Death of the Cross a servile Punishment of the greatest Acerbity enduring the Pain of the greatest Ignominy despising the Shame Having cast him on the Wood with great Immanity with the same Violence they snatch his Left hand and nail it forcing
the Flesh together into the Tree But the Sinews contracting to one anothers help and the Right hand not reaching the appointed place they proceed by cruel Acts encreasing Torment to strain it thither with their utmost Force till after many Trials with great Difficulty they nail it also to the transverse Beam Afterwards in like manner they pierce his Feet and draw and expand 'em till all his Joynts are loosed and the Nerves Veins Fibres and Bones of his whole Body are easily to be numbred according to that of the Psalmist They c Psal 22.77 pierced my hands and my feet I may tell all my Bones For the Nails being driven in the most sensible Parts of the Body where the Nerves and Bones meet in that manner that they cannot be separated without exquisite Torment they never left their torturing Activity till by their dolorous Impressions they had forced his Death Thus were those powerful hands extended in Misery which so lately had cur'd the d Luk. 7.21 Blind and e Mark 7.35 Deaf cleans'd the f Luke 17.14 Lepers rais'd them that were fall'n and loos'd them that were bound of g Mark 5.15 Satan Thus were those adorable Feet transfixt with Nails which had gone about doing continual Good and to which the h Mat. 14.26 Seas had given themselves for a Pavement and Peace preceeded whithersoever they went Thus was that Sacred Body hung upon the Wood naked and expos'd to all manner of Shame and Torment in which all the i Col. 2.3 Treasures of Wisdom and Power were hid Thus was that Face more beautiful than the Sons of Men which comforted the Afflicted and the Light of whose Countenance the Fathers and Prophets had so much desired chang'd into the Paleness and Horrour of Death What hast thou done O Beauty above all Beauties and how hast thou deserv'd this most amiable Love that thou art thus expos'd vilified and tormented What is thy Crime and the Cause of all thy Grief What is it that has laid thee on the Altar of the Cross naked bleeding tortured and dying Is it not as the Holy k Isai 53. Prophet long since declar'd That thou should'st be smitten and numbred among the Transgressours That thou should'st pour out thy Soul to Death That thou should'st be cut off from the Land of the Living and all for the Transgressions of the People The Lord has laid on thee the Iniquities of us all Thou art wounded for our Transgressions Thou art bruised for our Sins The Chastisement of our Peace is upon thee and by thy Stripes we are healed We complain of the Jews Malice of Judas's Treason of Pilate's Injustice and the Romans Cruelty but we are among thy Crucifiers and ought to look nearer home Our Treachery was the Judas which betray'd thee our Covetousness sold thee to thy Enemies our malignant Envy accus'd thee our Perjury was the false Witness against thee our Injustice the Pilate that condemn'd thee our Pride scourg'd thee our Lusts crown'd thee with Thorns and pierc'd thy Sacred Hands and Feet with Nails We we then are the Cause of all thy Grief We are the sole Authors of these sad Calamities We have eaten the sowr Grapes and thy Teeth are set an edge And shall we now give up our selves to Mirth while thou weepest sufferest and thirstest Shall we court Pleasures and pursue them with greediness whilst thou art hanging and languishing on the Cross Shall we anoint our Heads and spend our precious time in the vain adorning of our Bodies whilst thou art horrible with Spittle and Blood Shall we commit Wickedness with both hands and our feet be swift to shed Blood while thine in the mean time are fastned to the Wood and bleed And shall we crown our Heads with Flowers and Garlands while thine is surrounded with the sharpest Thorns Or shall we by repeating all this Crucifie thee afresh and put thee to an open and continual Shame Prayer O Gracious Lord who cam'st to cleanse it by thy Blood put an end by thy Grace to the Contagion of Sin Heighten our Apprehension of the Guilt of our Transgressions by making us sensible of the Greatness of thy Sufferings For certainly they had deserved eternal Confusion for whom it was necessary thou should'st be exposed to shame that they might never be confounded And their Impurities were great indeed which could not be cleans'd but by thy immaculate Blood SECT XXXVII Of the Exaltation of the Cross IT cannot be thought but the Ministers of the Jewish Malice would use all the Circumstances of Rigour and Cruelty towards a person whose Death they had so earnestly desired Insomuch that having first most barbarously hung the Thieves who were to suffer with him on either side that the Apprehension of their Miseries might encrease his Torment they at last with great Shouts and much Officiousness erect his Cross also into the Air in order to put it into its proper Station Which being a hole cut deep in the Rock capable to receive the Foot of the Cross when they let it sink in with a sudden impetuosity the violent Concussion gave infinite Torture to the torn Body of our Lord resting now only upon four great Wounds so that all his Joynts are loos'd his Inwards tremble and the Wounds of his Hands and Feet are open'd according to that of the Prophet I am l Psal 22.14 poured out like Water all my bones are out of joynt My heart also in the midst of my body is even like melting wax Here it was that burst forth the River of our Paradise the Fountain of the Blood of our Blessed Redeemer from the place of Pleasure the Body of our Lord dividing it self into four parts from the several Wounds of his hands and feet and thence descending and watering the whole Earth and washing away the Sins of all true Believers the Fountain of the m Zec. 13.1 Prophet which was to be opened to the House of David and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for Purification of their Uncleanness And may this precious Blood of the Lamb of God slain intentionally for this purpose before the n Rev. 13.18 Beginning of the World soften the hardness moisten the driness and make fertile the barrenness of our Hearts that they may be capable of those inestimable Benefits he has purchas'd for us by the Effusion of it In this also was fulfill'd his own Predictions which he had made concerning the manner of his Death That as Moses o Joh. 13.14 Numb 21 9. lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness by looking on which the People that were bitten of fiery Serpents were restored and liv'd so he the Son of Man should be up that whosoever believeth in him though wounded with the Infernal Serpent should not perish but have everlasting Life And again When I am p Joh. 12.32.33 lift up that is crucified it being an Elevation or Lifting up on the Cross I will draw all
Saving Health to all Nations and that they submitting to the Kingdom of thine Ancinted and living in Obedience to his Holy Gospel may be saved with the Remnant of the true Israelites and all that confess him to intercede for us at the Right Hand of thy Majesty in Heaven SECT XXXIX Of the Partition of Christ 's Garments and the Irrision of the People IN the mean time the Souldiers who had nail'd him to the Cross and done the cruel part which belong'd to their Office took his d John 19.23 24. garments and made four parts to every Souldier a part and also his coat Now the Coat was without seam woven from the top throughout They said therefore among themselves let us not rent it but cast lots for it whose it shall be that the Scripture might be fulfill'd which saith e Psal 22.18 They parted my raiment among them and for my vesture they did cast lots These things therefore the Souldiers did And what could they do more They handled him most Barbarously to please the cruelty of his Bloody Persecutors They had nailed him to the Cross to make sure of Death which the Chief Priests had so much desired That they had seized the poor spoil of his dying body more out of lust then any great Advantage to show and boast of it afterwards to their Companions And now they seem to be at a loss how to torment him further When behold least any kind of Ignominy should be wanting to the lamentable acerbity of his Death the insulting multitude in a malicious derision call upon him to save himself f Mark 15.29.30 31 32. And they that passed by railed on him wagging their heads and saying Ah thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three days save thy self and come down from the Cross Likewise also the Chief Priests mocking said among themselves with the Scribes He saved others himself he cannot save Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the Cross that we may see and believe g Matt. 27.43 He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him for he said I am the Son of God It is a Divine thing to Sympathize and Humanity requires pity towards a real offender because we are all subject to the same infirmities but much more towards the Sufferings of an innocent Man and cruel mockings to an Afflicted person are as so many darts adding torture to the Soul into whose wounds we should rather pour the Balsom of the most tender and compassionate Speeches For who knows how soon if left of God he may stand in need of the same commiseration But his inhumane Murderers were not satisfied to have loaded him with reproaches during his Tryal and after sentence unless they prosecute him to the very grave and when his light is set ecclipse his Fame The pains of his body they thought too little unless they might vex his departing Soul herein exercising a malice purely Diabolical to pervert him from God in his last conflict They are no longer able to reach his Body with their Hands and now they would blast his Soul with their infectious Breath heaping together in one whatsoever before they had accus'd him of or now would have the ignorant People believe to root out the credit of his Miracles and Doctrine and to imprint in the Multitude a disbelief of his Truth As if they had said ye see now and nothing can be more plain what a notorious Seducer and Impostor he was who pretended to save others and cannot save himself and how little reason we have to believe his commission from God who is thus deserted and disowned by him For he is the God of Glory and not of Infamy the God of Life and not of Death And can he be any other then accursed of his Maker who dies this accursed Death for cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree Or will God redeem his People by such an accursed wretch In this therefore were fulfilled those several Prophecies h Psal 35.15 16. In mine adversity they rejoyced and gathered themselves together yea the very abjects came together against me unwares making mows at me and ceased not With the ffatterers were busic mockers who gnashed upon me with their Teeth And again i Psalm 3.2 Many one there be that say of my soul there is no help for him in his God But God forbid that to prove himself the Messiah Christ should have descended from the Cross He might easily have done it and the Devil would have been glad of it for then the great work of Our Redemption had been hindred whereas now the grand accuser of our Elder Brother and all his evil Ministers have laboured in vain to suppress the Glory of out Lord. For the more they have endeavoured to diminish it the more it is encreased and and spread abroad in the World They derided him before Cajaphas Pilate and Hâ—rod They bound him as a Thief and represented him as a Traitor They spit upon him as a Toad and thirsted for his Death and to effect it prefer'd a Murderer They Buffeted Mockt and Crown'd him with Thorns They loaded him with his Cross Crucified him between two Thieves in the most Ignominious and Publick place They envyed him the very Title under which he Suffer'd and now all together Chief Priests Rulers Scribes Elders and People and all that had any occasion to pass by or curiosity to come thither except some few faithful exclaim'd upon him and slander'd him to obscure him in perpetual Oblivion But God has confounded all their Malice and the more they have contemn'd him has Glorified him the more and k Acts 5.31 exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of Sins and given him a l Phil. 2.9 name above every name to be ador'd by every creature Prayer O God the Father Merciful and Gracious whose pleasure it is we should confess thy Holy Child Jesus to be the Prince and Saviour of the World I Beseech thee root out of my wavering heart all Scruple Irreligion and Prophaness and from my Tongue Dispute and Blasphemy That whatsoever he has taught to be believ'd I may embrace whatsoever he has commanded to be done I may practise and in the ways of the Cross which he has sanctified I may follow him Lighten mine Eyes with the beams of that liberty which thou grantest to thy Children of serving thee in full assurance of Faith that I sleep not in the Death of Sin Call back my thoughts from their frequent wanderings in those barren Regions where the Truth is doubted and fix me by thine infinite Grace and Mercy that I may ever adore and love thee through my Crucified Lord. SECT XL. Of Christ 's Intercession to the Father for his Crucifiers OUR Blessed Saviour was now in the greatest Agonies to which the Actions or Slanders of his
Benign Jesus interceeded for his Enemies but the Divine Goodness so ordered that one of the Malefactors who suffer'd with him should immediatly be converted and receive the Fruits of it for the comfort of all those who should afterwards repent and believe in the meritorious efficacy of his Death Whilst the other Thief desperate and impatient perisht in his impenitency and unbelief bearing the Figure of all hardned Sinners who tho' they have Christ never so near are ever repining and murmuring under the Cross and mistrusting the providence of God till they are Destroyed of the Destroyer For p Luke 23.39 one of the two which were hanged by him his savage nature growing furious under pain and raging against every thing that was near railed on him saying If thou be the Christ save thy self and us But the q Luke 23.40 41 42. other relenting and possest with a deep sense of all the guilt of his offences a piercing dread of future Judgment and especially with admiration of the Holy Jesus rebuk'd him answering dost thou not fear God seeing thou art in the same condemnation and we indeed justly for we receive the due reward of our deeds but this Man has done nothing amiss And he said unto Jesus Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom And Jesus r Luke 23.43 said unto him Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise O the wonderful and unsearchable Judgments of God who is able to convert the most wicked in a Moment and would not have us rashly condemn any or ever despair of his saving Mercy Behold here a Prodigy which has nothing common in Nature a convincing Revelation in the heart of a Sinner whose lightning is like a Thunderbolt Quick and Piercing and carries away along with it whatsoever stood before it The Poor Thief confesses Christ when all his Disciples doubted and forsook him And when he had only his Heart and Tongue free yet offers both believing in his Heart and confessing with his Mouth that he was the Lord of Glory Which Miraculous Conversion Jesus entertained with a speedy promise of a very great Felicity that upon that very Day he should be with him in Paradise I know not in this Action whether I should rather admire the good fortune of the Penitent Thief or the wonderful Power of the word Incarnate of the Thief who is drawn for a Cut-throat to Prison from Prison to Judgment from Sentence to the Cross and thence goes to Paradise without needing any other gate but only the Heart of the Bountiful Jesus For on the other side what can be more admirable to our thoughts then to see a Crucified Man do an Act which belongs to the living God when the World shall end to save some and reprobate others and to judge from the Cross as if he sate upon a Throne As if he had said My only Companion and Patient Partaker in my unspeakable Griefs thou askest of me with a great Faith but a small thing in appearance that I should remember thee when I come into my Kingdom But I am not ignorant what becomes me to give or thee to recieve for such a faithful acknowledgement Nor will I reward so great a Virtue shining through all the Clouds of thy Affliction but with the Chief and greatest Good I am now forgotten as a dead Man out of Mind and mine acquaintance are hid out of my sight My Friends are become my Enemies and my Disciples fled Peter afraid of a Womans voice has deny'd me and forsworn himself and Judas for a little unprofitable lucre has sold and betray'd me the rest as Sheep without a Shepherd are scatter'd and almost destitute of all Hope and Faith But thou who art a Robber and fierce by Nature without any advantage of Religious Education art come hither to me out of the covert of the Woods and the hollow Caverns of the Mountains and meetest me in Love and the participation of my Cross more Faithful then my Friends more Constant then my Disciples and Believest and Hopest and Adorest my Abasement and Contemplatest me Triumphing over the Powers of Death and Hell in a Servile Ignominious Crucifixion Confoundest the Ingrateful Reprehendest the Blasphemous Bearest Testimony to my Innocency and Fightest for me all thou canst with thy Tongue Thou seest me here as a Malefactor and yet acknowledgest me to be thy Holy Redeemer Thou seest no other title or sign of my Kingdom but only my Body covered over with Blood and opprest with Dolours and yet thou callest upon me as reigning in Heaven Thou seest me in Misery as an Abject Person and confessest the infinite Glory of my Heavenly Dominion Flesh and Blood has not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven nor have I found so great Faith no not in Israel it self Å¿ Gen. 22.15 Abraham believed on me speaking to him from Heaven and t Exod. 3.2 Moses speaking to him out of the midst of Fire and u Isai 6.1 Isaiah as I spake to him sitting on my Throne But thou Believest on me hanging upon this Cursed Tree Weak Fainting and Breathing my last as if I were working Miracles or riding in Triumph * John 3.2 Nicodemus and x John 1.49 Nathaniel have also believed being admonisht by the Scriptures and the y John 15.22 Canaanitish Woman led by my Miracles and my z Matt. 19.28 Disciples upon promise of Thrones But none of these things have been demonstrated to thee nor hast thou searcht the Scripture nor seen signs nor heard promises and yet thou believest and concludest my Glory out of my infirmity and my Innocence from my Condemnation Thou shalt not long expect thy Reward For tho' the Ax be laid to thy Root and thou wert ready to be cast into the Fire Yet art thou in time the door of Mercy is still open yea the Fountain of Grace flows more plentifully then ever And it shall be more Profitable and Honourable for thee thus to have hung by my side Crucified and Believing then to have sate before Cesar on Golden Arras or Triumpht before the People on an Ivory Throne And thou shalt reap more pleasure for having been partaker of these my Torments then thou couldst have done out of the spoils of Provinces or by having been Monarch of the Universe For what would it have profited thee to have gain'd the whole World and to have lost thy poor Soul or to have heap'd up all the Treasures of the Earth if they must have been follow'd with Everlasting Sorrows Verily I say unto thee and be thou secure of it even this day will I exalt thee before all Israel and thou shalt be where I am because thou hast confest and follow'd thy Saviour Thy petition was but small as thou imaginest for what is easier than to remember but truly the greatest and such as ought to be the Prayer and constant desire of every
afflicted Spirits transfixt and wounded each others Soul even to the agonies of Death he to teach us the tender respect and faithful care due to our temporal Parents having nothing now left free but his Tongue directs it to her to support and comfort her with the most proper Appellation and Provision which the time and circumstances of his passion would permit saying g John 19.26 Woman behold thy Son For thô he had usually call'd her by this h John 2.4 Name to show he was truly born of her and thereby had fulfil'd the i Gen. 22.18 Heb. 2.16 promise to Abraham taking on him his Seed and being made of a k Gal. 4.4 Woman yet more especially in this juncture he seems to do it in compassion to her Person overwhelm'd with Grief and surrounded with Enemies Lest by any kinder sort of expression he might add to her excessive sorrows or by his owning her for his Mother by calling her so the Barbarous multitude might be enraged against her but this general term secured her from that danger whilst at the same time it raised her attention to what he spake for her consolation with respect to his beloved Disciple who stood near As if he had said I know O Woman the inexpressible anxiety of thy tortur'd mind the tender Love Compassion and Sorrow thou must needs have for an only beloved Son dying the most ignominious and painful Death I know also thou standest here wishing by thy presence to revive me to die with me or to die for me and all these things I kindly accept But alas they do not more ease me then they wound me unless I might be restor'd whole to thy breast which is so sorrowfully afflicted for me without that all remedies are vain all comfort is to no purpose Nevertheless seeing in the bitterness of thy Soul pierced through with so many sorrows thou expressest to me the tenderness of the most compassionate Mother thou art not to be left without consolation and the last kindnesses my circumstances will permit Thou seest in what Torments I hang here with what difficulties I am straitned in what agonies I decay at what a price and loss I redeem Sinners with what Love and Charity I embrace Mankind It remains only now I should likewise support thee who hast done to me the best offices of an earthy Parent and from whose Love none of these Ignominies have separated me Fear not therefore to be deserted after my Death or to want a representative of my Filial care There is John thy Kinsman and otherwise most dear to us he shall become thy Son in my stead to observe and honour thee all the days of thy life To whom I will now speak in thy presence and deliver him in my place thy Servant and Guardian Then turning to that Disciple he said l John 19.27 Behold thy Mother John thou hast hitherto abundantly answer'd thy calling by Faith Love and Constancy to the End And I will now reward thee in a more excellent manner then ever thy desires could wish or hope Thou hast m Mark 1.20 left thy Calling thy Parents thy self ventured with me into the n John 18.15 Judgment Hall follow'd me to this Golgotha this place of Death and here attendest me while all the rest of my Disciples being ashamed and afraid have forsaken me and fled and I will now recompence thy Faith in me with the greatest pledge and assurance of my Love Thou hast seen my Glory in my o John 17.1 2. Transfiguration Thou sawest me yesterday sweating in the p Mâ—rk 14.33 Garden Thou seest me now bleeding on the Cross I have hitherto carried thee q John 13.23 leaning on my Breast nor have I witheld any Mystery from thee and now having but one thing dear to me in the World besides the Souls for which I die I recommend and commit it to thy charge Behold the Mother of Christ becomes thy Mother Thou seest me now near Death Thou seest mine acquaintance are hid out of my sight Thou seest there are many Adversaries on every side I assign commend and make her thine And do thou as a Son Obey and Minister to her Defend and Honour her all thy days being assur'd as thou acknowledgest her for thy Mother I shall acknowledge thee in Glory for my Brother At the sense of this the Holy Virgin Mother disolving in Tears and into the Love of God answered in thought wanting Language sufficient to express the Transport of her tender Affection and the obedient Disciple with a profound and joyful Humility took her from that time into his r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 19.27 care and Administred to her as a Son Prayer O Love Incarnate the most sensible of all Loves who having been begotten by Eternal Generation knowest the Love of an Eternal Father and born in time has experienced the kindness of an earthy Parent to a beloved Son and hast taught us by thy Example Obedience to both in the worst of Afflictions and Death it self Implant in our Hearts an intire resignation to the Will of our Heavenly Father and a true Honour for our Earthy Parents that so we may be partakers of that happy Condition which is Å¿ Exod. 20.12 promised to the one in this life and of those everlasting Joys which thy Coheirs through thy intercession hope for in the other SECT XLIII Of Christ's complaining of his being forsaken of God THere is a secret pleasure in doing Acts of Grace tho' we our selves are in the greatest straits for being a Ray of Divine Goodness communicated to us for the Glory of God it carries along with it a pleasing satisfaction a reward surpassing all carnal enjoyments By which there may seem to have been hitherto some allay of Joy scatter'd among the sorrows of this Crucified Love while he was doing things agreeable to his nature pitiful towards his Enemies gracious to the Thief careful of his Mother bountiful to his Disciple But now whatsoever might support him begins to fail and the wrath of God due to the sins of all mankind pours down upon him in a full storm insomuch that nature her self becomes confounded at the sufferings of her t Heb. 1.1 Creator and draws over her Face an unusual veil of weeping Clouds and thick Darkness to express her Grief conceal the Tragedy and hide her self from the wrath of the Almighty For it was now full Moon at which time the Sun cannot suffer Ecclipse the Passover being always v Exod. 12.18 Lev. 23.5 Numb 28.16 then celebrated and yet there was * Matt. 27.45 Origen contra Cels l. 2. Tertul. Apolog. Aug. Ep. 80 ad Hesychium Suidas in vita Dionysii Darkness over the whole land from the sixth hour until the ninth that is from x Vid. Sect. 33. twelve to three in the Afternoon Which as it declar'd the Divinity of our Saviour to whom the Creatures pay'd such an
of a Traitor pour the full Torrent of their Insolencies upon him p Matt. 27.36 31. repeating all their former Affronts and Torments Reviling Smiting Buffeting and Spitting upon him till weary of these sad preludiums of Misery and to be more seriously cruel they pull'd off from him the Ludibrious Purple and put his q Matt. 27.31 own Raiment on him for his greater confusion before the all people that he might more readily be known by 'em his Face being so Spit upon Swell'd and Bloody that he was no longer to be known by that Only they leave him the Crown of Thorns as they thought for the greater aggravation of his Sorrows but design'd by Providence as an Emblem of his Sovereignty that Christ being once Crowned should be a King for ever nor should evermore any Enemies prevail against his Kingdom Thus was the r Matt. 21.38 39. Heir led forth of his own Vineyard by these wicked Husbandmen to be put to Death the true Sin-offering whose Figure under the Law was to be burnt Å¿ Lev. 9.11 without the Camp as a Thief a Seducer a Blasphemer and a Rebel Revil'd Abus'd and Cursed of all according to that of the Prophet t Psalm 109.22 24. I go hence like the shadow that departeth and am driven away as the Locust I was made also a reproach unto 'em and when they lookt upon me they shaked their Heads He who had delivered 'em from so great Captivities and from the Idolatries of u Exod. 16.6 Egypt and * Esra 7.6 Babylon and admitted 'em into the Borders of his Sanctuary is now forc'd by 'em out of his own Inheritance and in the company of Thieves drag'd to Slaughter O how unlike was this leading forth to that whereby he brought their Fathers out of Bondage when he suffer'd no Man to do 'em x Psalm 105.14 36 wrong and reproved even Kings for their sakes He brought them forth also with Silver and Gold there was not one feeble person among their Tribes There has past but five days since he was received into the City more desirable then the Passover it self and now he must become a Sacrifice to their detestable inconstancy Then he came riding in Triumphant manner as the Prophet had y Zec. 9.9 John 12.15 foretold of the true King of Sion now scarcely stands under the weight of miseries Then was he accompanied and adorn'd by his Disciples now they are all fled and absconded Then were the ways z John 12.13 Luke 19.36 Strowed with Flowers Palm-branches and Garments of the People but now are his Feet dasht against the Stones Then did the whole multitude that went before and followed give praise unto God with a loud voice and to him the Acclamations due to a Mighty Prince and the Son of the Eternal King saying a Mark 11.9.10 Hosanna Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord Blessed be the Kingdom of our Father David that cometh in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest but now they cry away with him away with him Crucifie him and we will have no King but Cesar And that his passage might be the more dolorous they lay upon his Shoulders a ponderous Cross to add to his pains and make the people believe he was the greatest malefactor that was to suffer that day And he b John 19.17 bearing his Cross went forth A great sight And if beheld with Piety a great Mystery in which was fulfil'd that of Isaiah where he says the c Isai 96. Government shall be upon his Shoulders for the Principality of Christ is his Cross whereby he has d Col. 2.15 overcome Hell and Death and for which God has highly e Phil. 2.9.10 11. exalted him and given him a Name which is above every Name that at the Name of Jesus every Knee should bow of things in Heaven in Earth and under the Earth and that every Tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father Nevertheless how sorrowful must it be to Christ thus to depart out of that City which he had always highly favour'd and equal'd to the Heavens for Power and Riches and over which he had so lately f Luke 19.41 shed a flood of Tears in compassion of the desolation which should come upon her How grievous must it be to support with his bruised Flesh a cross of that length that it could only be drag'd by him for none would touch the g Deut. 21.23 accursed tree to assist and every shock must necessarily create to his wounded Shoulders and Head afflicted with Thorns intolerable pains Yet this was the least part of the Cross of Christ or rather he bore at the same time a greater a more grievous a Spiritual Cross his h Psal 22.14 heart being in the midst of his body like melting wax moulten in the fiery furnace of Gods wrath For the Lord i Isai 53.6 laid on him the iniquities of us all and he became a k Gal. 3.13 curse for us every one being accursed that l Deut. 21.23 hangeth on a tree that we might be deliver'd from the curse of the Law and be made the m 2 Cor. 5.21 Righteousness of God in him Prayer O wounded Love and Prince of the Afflicted thou barest our Cross with an invincible Patience and we Perfidiously shun thine tho' thine be temporal and light to us and that which thou barest for us would have crush'd us to Eternity Thou hast taught us that he that will n Matt. 10.39 save his life shall lose it and he that will lose it for thy sake shall find it grant us therefore we beseech thee a suitable resolution that we may take up our Cross and follow thee and suffer us not to sink under it nor to shrink from it That so we may carefully undergo all the Sacred Acts and Offices of true Repentance which is the Cross of Sinners in imitation of thee our dear Master who hast suffer'd for us the utmost malice of Men and left us an Example that we should fol-low thy steps SECT XXXIV Of Christ 's Prediction of the Miseries of the Jews NOW all this while there o Luke 23.27 went with him a great company of people and of Women which also bewail'd and lamented him Not but that many good Men likewise were concern'd on the sad occasion whose inward sighs accompanied the Womens Tears but the Female as the more contemptible Sex dared more freely to express their grief before the Magistrates which by the Edict of Tiberius was forbidden towards suffering Malefactors And the saying of our Saviour was fulfil'd which he had spoken p John 16.20 Verily verily I say unto you ye shall weep and lament but the World shall rejoyce The Chief Priests and their Ministers went joyfully to see him die and to fill their Eyes with the Tragick Spectacle but his Disciples follow'd