the God of your Fathers and have said you would have no King but Caesar since you have said His Blood be upon us and upon our Children since you have maliciously taken away his Life and reproach'd his Death your Walls have been thrown down your Temple burnt your Kingdom ruined your selves either slain or captivated or chased into strange Countries where you have been hâ—…ted and oppressed and never suffer to knit into one Body again which Curse shall be upon you to the end of the World As you have quitted him and delivered him to the Gentiles so hath he ever since discharged you and planted his Church especially amongst them As you have renounced your King who was so plainly prophesied and so long expected and betaken your selves only to Caesar so he hath delivered you into Caesar's Hands he hath given you your Choice but it cost you dear it cost you the Lives of eleven hundred thousand Persons in one Siege besides ninety thousand who were made Captives And because you did not only say Let this Blood be upon us but also added and upon our Children you have your Desires for your Posterity have been dispersed and despised in all Countries and in most Piaces evil-entreated So it often falleth out that the Wicked have no greater Punishment in this World than the Accomplishment of their own Desires It is the common Reward of Evil Doers to be the Instruments of their own final Ruin But with respect to our Saviour what can be sufficiently said To be so afflicted as never was any for he was despised and evil-entreated in the midst of all his Afflictions in all Calamities it is some Comfort to find some Compassion we desiâ—…e generally if we cannot be delivered or eased to be pittied to see some that condole our Misery who wish us well who want not the Will but the Power to relieve us But these Bandogs of Satan these Hell-hounds had utterly put away all sense of Humanity from them They were so far from Pity that they were mightily pleased and satisfied in seeing the unheard of Cruelty of themselves and Calamity of our Saviour Again a generous Heart is more touched with Grief to see his Enemies take pleasure in his Death than to endure it yea oftentimes a free and noble Spirit taketh not his Death from his Enemies so unkindly as one spiteful and abuâ—…ve Word Again these Injuries and Despites wâ—…re so much more sensibâ—…e to the Son of God by how much more than others he deserved the contrary For in all our Calamities it doth much ease the pain we endure when we compare it with the Fault we have committed But because our Saviour could compare these Contempts that were put upon him not only with his Faults nor his Innocency only but with his innumerable and inestimable Deserts he did the more grieve at them or rather at the Malice from whence they did proceed And further his Love was so great for the Salvation of Mens Souls that his Torments were not so grievous to him as to see that they did his Tormentors no good It was worse than Death to him to see his Executioners would make no profit of his Death even as a loving Friend esteemeth less his Labour for another than to find it unprofitable and not accepted or as a good Mother grieveth more at the ungâ—…ateful and ungracious Behaviour of her Child than at the Travails she endured at its Birth But O impudent and audacious Jews wherefore did you misreport what Jesus had said A thing well spoken may easily be corrupted by Report Jesus did never say I will destroy but destroy you this Temple He said not I will build it but I will raise it in three days not meaning your material Temple but his own Body John 2. 9. which was indeed the true Temple of God not in a Figure but really and personally Because in him dwelleth the fulness of the God-head bodily Col. 2. 9. And was it not sufficient for you to blaspheme Jesus but must you stâ—…etch out your Throats into high and horrid Blasphemy against the most High He trusted in God let him delivâ—…r him if he favoureth him What! do you think God was not able to deliver him out of your Hands Or must he deliver whom you please or when you please or after what manner you will prescribe Did ever any trust in God and was not delivered Or did God ever finally forsake those whom he favours Or is delirance from temporal Calamities an assured Sign of God's Favour No. Certainly God delivereth the wicked out of desperate Distress many times he suffereth the Godly to sink under bo dily Oppressions but this is no concluding Argument that he favoureth the one or forsaketh the other O ye great Doctors of the Law that by Prosperity and Adversity judge of the Favour or Hatred of God tell us then whether God loved best Abel or Cain Jacob or Esau Tell us wherefore were not the Prophets delivered from Death who were murthered by your Fathers and whose Sepulchers you did build If such Deliverances be an infallible Argument both of favour from God and trust in him verily the Judgments of God are not only secret and unsearchable but for the most part counterpoint to that which the natural sense of Man would prescribe Temporal Occurrences may go and come we may flourish or we may wither in this World as God in Mercy or Judgment may see best for us But nothing makes a Man miserable or happy but that which is eternal O crucified Jesus on the Cross we love thee on the Cross we adore thee on the Cross we believe in thee who upon the Cross didst give thy self to Death for us what hath a Man more than Riches Honour and Life all which thou didst bestow upon the Cross to redeem us For thou who diâ—…st create all things didst hang naked upon the Cross thou who thought'st it not Robbeâ—…y to be equal with God wast numbered with Malefactors thou who at the Lord of Life didst suffer a most shameful Death and that we may not fall short of this great Benefit that thy precious Blood be not unprofitably shed for us we prostrate our unworthy Souls and cry unto thee not as the Jews did to come down from the Cross but which is more to raise us up and fasten us unto thee for they whom thou lovest are known by nothing more than by taking paâ—…t with thee in thy Passion not to save thee but to save our selves Save us Lord from our Sins save us from the Power of all our Spiâ—…itual Enemies from the Decei's of this wicked World save us from the flattering force of our own Appetiâ—…es which is the mightiest and basest Tyrant we have to deal with defend the Dignity and Glory of our Souls from being Slaves-to our sensual Lusts that we be not captivated to the false Pleasures of this Life Deliver us from variety of worldly Desires from vain Hope from
THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF THE SON of GOD Shed without the Gates of Jerusalem For the Redemption of Lost and Undone SINNERS Whereby his great Love to Mankind is Undeniably Manifested In these following PARTICULARS His Agony in the Garden being betrayed by Judas being falsly accused before Annas Caiaphas Herod and Pilate his being Scourged Scorned and Spitefully Used his Condemnation and Going to Execution how he was Crucified of his being Reviled and Pardoning the Thief upon the Cross and of his giving up the Ghost All which is Practically Applyed and Improved for the bringing of Sinners out of the Way of Sin and Hell into Wisdom's Ways Whose Ways are Ways of Pleasantness and all her Path's are Peace By that Eminent Divine Mr. John Hayward The Tenth Edition London Printed for Robert Gifford in Old Bedlam without Bishopsgate 1699. Price bound â—â—s TO THE Christian READER Dear Hearts BY the reading of this small Treatise you may in some measure be made sensible of what Christ hath done for you in order to your everlasting Salvation Wherein his great Love is manifested unto all For greater Love hath no Man than this to lay down his Life for his Friends but he hath laid it down for his greatest Enemies to redeem them from everlasting Destruction By these sad and dolorous Sufferings of our Saviour we may see also what a dreadful and Soul-destroying thing Sin is that nothing but the precious Blood of the eternal Son of God could make Satisfaction for it Oh what Cause have we then to admire and adore the mighty God of Heaven for his infinite Mercy towards us in sending his Son his only begotten Son Christ Jesus to redeem us from Death and Hell Seeing such great things have been done for us let us make it our daily Practice and Business to walk in some measure answerable to them That we may so do is and shall be the hearty Prayer of your Soul 's Cordial Friend JOHN HAYWARD OF Our Saviour's Agony IN THE GARDEN Matth. Chap. 26. Ver. 38. Then saith he unto them My Soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death tarry ye here and watch with me AND not designing to take notice of the Meanness of his Birth and that continual Course of Sorrow and Misery that attended the former part of his Life wherein he took upon him not only the Form of a Sinner but a Servant I shall consider the time only towards his Death wherein in a most especial manner his great love to Mankind is manifested For as every natural Motion groweth more ardent towards the end so the Love of Christ towards the true Church his Spouse Not that he loved us better in the latter part of his Life but it did then most appear As some sort of Fire the more Water is thrown upon it the hotter it burns so both the Apprehension and Presence of Death was so far from lessening his Love that it did rather encrease it Therefore as in all the Passages of his Life so more especially towards his Death all his Doctrine was Holy Just and Good Milk for the Weak Meat for the Strong Medicine for the Sick not too deep for the Simple nor too shallow for the Wise but as a Ford wherein the Lamb may wade and the Elephant swim all his Actions were the Works of Justice and Mercy Examples of all Vertues but most especially of Humility which is the Foundation of all other Vertues as Love Pity and Compassion whereof our Miseries stood most in need His Life was so Pure and Holy that by that Example he hath set us we may plainly see what is either wanting or amiss in our selves even the Book which the Prophet Ezekiel speaks of That he saw Ezek. 2. written within by Instruction without by Example of Life wherein we have what to contemplate what to imitate and what to admire So that whosoever doth not only study but like the Prophet seek he shall attain inestimable both Knowledge and Vertue When our Saviour begun his Passion in the Garden of Gethsemane he was accompanied with those three Disciples who not long before had seen his Glorious Transfiguration upon Mount Tabor to the end that seeing so great a Change they might be sensible of the greatness of God's Severity and of his Love O Treasure of Heaven O Light and Life of the World How was his Glory obscured his Strength abated his Courage appaled insomuch that he did acknowledge to his Disciples that his Soul was heavy unto death Our Saviour began his Conflict with Prayer giving Example to us in all our Troubles to do the like teaching us also in what manner we ought to pray first in that he did fall prostrate upon the Ground he did thereby instruct us that with the greatest Humility and Reverence we must present our selves before the Majesty of Almighty God Secondly by his earnest praying with what fervency of Spirit we ought to beat at Heaven Gates Thirdly by his often praying we have an Example of Perseverance until he that doth engage us to beg shall let us have his Favour so far as to obtain Lastly He hath taught us to renounce our own Wills and to resign our Desires to the pleasure of Almighty God These things if at all times we endeavour to perform but especially in the Agonies of Death the Angels will certainly come to comfort us for God will cerly send us strength to bear what he is not pleased to remove But wherefore did our Saviour pray That if it were possible this Cup might pass from him Did he not freely and voluntarily offer up himself for Sin to save Sinners yes desirously for no necessity could be cast upon him no complaint of Justice because he was innocent no necessity through weakness because he was Almighty for he had twelve Legions of Angels at his Command but it was to comfort and strengthen his weak-hearted Members that their Courage might not be cast down under any Tryal or Tribulation that God might call them to And also he did hereby declare That he did bear the natural Weaknesses of our Flesh For none can possibly imagine the greatness of those Sorrows and Miseries that he went through Lastly he would manifest to us That he did consist of two Natures and two Wills not so separate as to make two Persons nor so confounded as to make one Nature and Will but distinguish'd in their essential Properties and Operations In his Humane Will he did pray to avoid this Cup in his Divine Will he did desire it He did desire Death in regard of the end but in regard to it self he did pray to avoid it Yet his Humane Will was not contraâ—…y or repugnant to his Divine Will Yet being surprized with the fear of Death through the frailty of his Hamane Will he seemed not to think of that which he perfectly did know not as drawing or declining from his Father's Will but forthwith resuming his Resolution submitted himself to his Decree
vain Fear Above all deliver us from thy Wrath and from thy Curse and from the inseparable Companion thereof eternal Death Let some small Drops of thy most precious Blood distil into our Souls that we may present it to thy Father in full satisfaction for all our Sins Give unto us the full Fruit of thy Death Grace here and Glory hereafter O Lord Jesus O the Salvation of our Souls behold we come to thee as we are poor vile Creatures we make bold to approach to the Rivers of thy Mercy to the sweet Streams of thy Grace to the true Son of thy Justice whose Beams are spread over the whole World and giveth great Light to all those who do not wilfully shut their Eyes Behold we prostrate our unworthy Souls at thy Feet we do not revile but we praise and adoâ—…e thee we do not mock but we mourn at thy Passion O thou who wert pitiful to thy Enemies be not hard to thy Supplicants thou who didst pray for them that reproached thee pray for us that pray unto thee lift up thy Voice unto thy Father for us and cease not till he hath forgiven us Of our Saviour's pardoning the Thief his tasting of Vinegar how he cried to his Father Luke 23. 43. And Jesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise WE are further encouraged O our Redeemer to crave not thy Prayer only but also thy Pardon by Example of the Thief that died with thee who although he had spent his Life in all manner of Debauchery and Wickedness yet when he desir'd thee thou didst presently return answer This Day thou shalt be with me in Paradise O sweet Word O Heart nothing so tender thy Lips are the Honey-comb Honey and Milk do flow from thy Tongue thou didst pray for Sinners upon the Cross to shew thy self our Advocate Thou didst pardon Sins to shew thy self our Judge What is this O liberal Loâ—…d how marvellous are thy Mercies towards us To those who mocked reviled and blasphemed thee thou madest no answer but when the Thief prayed to thee his Petition was no sooner made but forthwith it was granted Thou gavest more also than he did desire the Thief desired thee only to remember him and thou didst give him the Kingdom of Heaven But when O gracious Lord Even that present Day With whom Even with thy self implying hereby that the same Glory thou didst enjoy thou wilt give to thy Elect for which Reason they are called Co-heirs with thee Rom. 8 27. This Glory and Felicity is perfect in thee and from thee distributed in measure as from the Head to the Members What would'st thou deny us or what would'st thou not give unto us if we were to thee such Servants as thou art unto us a Lord Seeing thou art so bountiful and ready to forgive such open Offenders which although it ought not to encourage us to defer our Repentance until the end of our Lives because of this Conversion of the Thief as it was the last Work thou didst in thy Life so it was not the least Yet it may encourage us never to think our Sins too great or our time too short to obtain thy Pardon Come unto him then all ye that are feeble hearted and never think you shall be damned See what a Lover of Men he is how desirous of our Salvation see how easie to be entreated for the greatest Matters and how ready to give his Glory at the first Request He seeketh all Occasions he desireth nothing more than to bestow it upon us He forgave David his Sin upon the fiâ—…st acknowledgment He gave to the Thief his Kingdom upon the first desire He that is so inclinable to forgive Sins and to give Glory wherein can he be hard or unkind to us If ye will say ye have done little Service whereby he should hope for so high a Reward Fear not it sufficeth that you have a desire to serve him This is a Property of him That he is liberal and merciful for which Vertues he is especially commended not so much to regard the Work of our Bodies as the Willingness of our Minds He so thirsteth after the Salvation of our Souls that he often accepteth our Purpose for Performance it sufficeth many times that we are prepared in Will the rest he doth supply by his Grace His gracious Goodness perfecteth what we have and supplieth what we want Be not therefore affrighted at his terrible Justice but rather comforted let them fear who are stubborn and flinty-hearted who will not be converted and come to him who follow Vanity with all their Might who boldly sin and then say What Evil have I done Let them tremble who are so far from calling upon him as they will not know him It is dreadful for such to fall into his Hands But they who are smitten with Sorrow for their Sins they who arise and return to him let them be encouraged with this That he that hath drawn them will certainly receive them It is not the Thief alone who was received but let all Sinners be brought forth and there is not one that can be named were he never so great who truly repented and was converted but he was justified He so loveth converted Sinners that if it were necessary so to do he would rather suffer death again than consent that one of them should be damned O happy Thief how pleasant were thy Pains how delightful was thy Death being assured thou shouldest â—…orthwith reign with him in Heaven who suffered with thee and for thee upon Earth The other Thief demanded of Christ to be delivered from the Cross and it was conditional if thou be the Son of God he desired neither as he should nor what he should But the converted Thief having heard him openly profess That his Kingdom was of another World desired no bodily Benefit but only to be remembred of him when he came into his Kingdom Pilate in his Tribunal the People standing by and the Thief in Fetters heard these Words of Jesus But Pilate contemned him the Multitude mocked and the Thief only believed in him Assuredly O good Jesus thou art a most invincible King otherwise thy Children could not be able to sustain their continual Combats nor ever be drawn out of the cruel Bondage of Satan Nor Pilate would not have written upon the Cross altogether against the advice of the Jews Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews But the same Spirit that guided Pilate to pronounce him innocent guided him also to write this Inscription And in truth the Hebrew Word Messias and the Greek Word Christ which signifies anointed was the Original of the Unction of the Hebrew King Yet our Saviour was not declared by his Name to the Fathers at the first to Adam and the Patriarchs he was revealed under the Title of The Seed of the Woman Jacob called him Sheloh but to David this Son was promised under the Figure and
every part of our Redeemer's Body Take a little touch of that Grief which did lie so heavy upon him whose Power sustaineth the Heavens that it made his Soul heavy unto death being so deeply drowned in the Nature of Man that he seemed to forget that he was God Let us accuse and condemn our selves of all manner of unworthiness and take up with a godly Sorrow both for love to our Saviour and in hatred to our Sins the one for suffering for our sakes and the other for being the only cause of it and let us not be like to the Disciples that were with our Saviour who fell into a sound and secure Sleep whilst their Master both watched prayed and sweat a bloody Sweat for their Redemption He was like a loving Father who spares no pains to get Bread for his Children whilst they remain free both from Trouble and Care If drowsiness of Spirit overcomes thee pray to God to awaken thee with his Heavenly Voice if that will not do to make you smart with the Rod of Affliction that so you may watch and pray lest you fall into Temptation Let us by this grievouâ—… Agony that vexed his Soul by that terror and trembling that wholly possess'd his Body and by all the pains wherein he was plunged for us detestable Sinners beseech him that in the last hour of our lives when Fears and Distresses come upon us that he would give us stedfast strength and confidence in his Mercy that in that hour when we are leaving the World he would not leave us and in this fearful Conflict not to forsake us but send his holy Angels to assist us and to minister Courage and Comfort to us that no Temptations of the Devil may prevail against us but that he would be pleased to arm our Hearts with Humility and Patience that they be not distracted or distempered with any fear of Grief but that in all things our Desires may be conformable to his Will Let us implore his Goodness to give us such constant courage such hope such love towards him that the weaknesses of our Flesh may not be overcome by any fear of Death but we may both safely and sweetly pass from the Society we have with thee here by Grace to the Society which the Saints enjoy with thee in Glory Mat. 26. 48. Of our Saviour's being sold betrayed and apprehended Matt. 26. 47. And while he yet spake lo Judas one of the twelve came and with him a great multitude with Swords and Staves from the Chief Priests and Elders of the People BUT when the Son of God did in so high a degree both love and value the Sons of Men that he thought nothing painful to himself that might be profitable to them yet see how the Sons of Men did either value or love the Son of God they took all Occasions first to slander him and afterwards to slay him they sold him one to another for thirty Pieces of Silver O devilish and malicious Spirits to hate the Author of our eternal Salvation As no means are thought bad enough to bring him to his Death so to undervalue the Lord of all Creatures as not many Beasts are sold at so base a Price O infinite inequality of Affection between God and Man God came to save Man and Man goeth about to destroy God God bought Man with the dearest Drops of his Blood and Man sold God for Thirty Pieces of Siver O the Love of the Lord Jesus was great when he came to redeem those that were lost and the Saviour of the Redeemed how great was his Love to come into the World when he had no need nor we any Merit to sanctifie it with his Justice to enrich it with his Grace to enstruct it with his Doctrine to confirm it by his Example to redeem it with his Blood that as by the Pride of one who being but Man did aspire to be God we were condemned so by the Humility of another who being God became Man we should be saved Being sold at the Price of Thirty Pieces of Silver to such cruel Merchants as desire no Profit by him but his Life the Traytor Judas whose Feet a little before he had washed came unto him attended with a bloody Band And how willing our Saviour was to embrace his Passion did appear by his voluntary presenting himself to them and in that he turned not away his Face from this barbarous Beast that came to kiss him But O innocent Lord What hast thou to deal with Traytors and Tormentors What Courtesie between the Lamb and the Wolf What Commerce between God and Belial Our Saviour did not only permit Judas to kiss him but he did also smite his obstinate Heart with this soft Speech Friend wherefore comest thou dost thou betray the Son of Man with a Kiss But wherefore did our Saviour call Judas Friend when he had betrayed him To testifie that altho' the Knot of Friendship was broke on his part yet on our Saviour's it remained whole and entire to reduce him again to his Friendship for if he could have said without despair with holy David I have sinned he should presently have heard I have forgiven If our Saviour had kissed Judas he should never have despaired or destroyed himself for his Kisses inspire Life and therefore the Spouse beginneth the most excellent Canticle with these Words Cant. 1. 1. Let him kiss me with the Kisses of his Mouth 1 John 4. 10. It is he that hath loved us first Ephes. 1. 4. It is he that hath chosen us and not we him Or if Judas had kissed him as the Psalmist speaks of Psalm 2. 12. Kiss the Son lest he be angry That is if with sincerity of Soul he had rendred him that Faith and Homage that is due to him it had gone well with him but because he was like one of those whom the Prophet speaks of Isa. 9. This People approach to me with their Mouths and their Hearts are far from me because he came with a treacherous Hypocrisie this Kiss could draw no Vertue from him but turned it to his Condemnation O cursed cruelty cursed because obstinate cruel because unjust which neither the Power of a Miracle was able to astonish nor the Kindness of a Benefit could any way appease But they proceeded notwithstanding to lay Sacrilegious Hands upon him as upon a Malefactor to bind his Holy Hands which had wrought so many Miracles among them with rough and knotty Cords his Disciples either forsaking of him or falling off from him and to lead him away in a more opprobrious manner than the Ark of the Testimony was taken and carried away by the Uncircumcised Philistines Poor and miserable Jews whom do you thus hale away Against whom have you taken up Arms Your Prisoner hath made you Captives he whom you have bound with Cords hath chained you with Fetters of Iron he hath been to you as a Bait or a Hook that taketh the Takers Never
was Force so unfortunately applied Never was Prey so impossible to be held and so dangerous to be let go for he soon got out of your Hands but you shall never avoid his Curse O People well beloved thy malicious Madness hath made thee miserable thou art ruinously cast down thou art finally cast out and that which was no People is planted in thy place You came with Torches and Lanthorns to apprehend the Son of Truth but you would not see his glorious Light therefore you remain the blindest People in the World insomuch that all the Prophecies that have been spoken of you have been performed by you against your selves But what Folly is this O ye Jews how far is it beyond all Folly to carry him with Bands of Men that went of his own Accord into whose Brain could it sink that he would break away that went voluntarily himself He that hath power to give Life unto the Dead could he not have kept himself in Life He that delivered others from Devils could he not have delivered himself from you Assure your selves such was his infinite Charity wherewith he goeth to the Cross to appease his Father's Wrath and redeem the Sins of the World that you should have more to do to keep him in Life than you have to carry him to his Death He hath far greater both care and haste to redeem you than you can possibly have to murder him for he had not redeemed us if his Death had been forced upon him if his Sacrifice had not been voluntary it had not been satisfactory we could not have been saved by his Obedience if he had not died of his own accord and theâ—…efore his Father having given and he accepted of the Sentence of Death he used no means to escape for he was not driven by Force but drawn to it by his Obedience to his Father and Love to us There is no Man that fears Death but he whom Death is able to kill But Death had no such Power over the Son of God for he did voluntarily lay down his Soul even when he would himself O senseless Jews He that is to bury so many Figures to fulfil so many Prophecies to accomplish so great a Business as the Redemption of the whole World to what end should he run from you By all this you may see what base abuse was offered to the Son of God Certainly if it had not been the Will of his Father and of himself it had been better that Mankind should have rotted in their own Corruption than that infinite Vertue perfect Felicity the true Glory the eternal Word and Wisdom of the Father should be so basely and vilely abused by those Sons of Belial But since it was his Pleasure because by this way he would manifest his Love it is our part to accept it with thankful Hearts and with Reverence both to love honour and praise him for the same Therefore let us lift up our Voices at all times and in all places to the Praise of Almighty God for this his unspeakable loving kindness since he has so far pitied our Condition as to come into it himself to exalt us to his Glory O admirable Dispensation of Grace thou hast pour'd forth thy Treasures without measure upon us we can desire no more than we do enjoy in thee for thou hast exalted us above the Heavens Our Saviour was seated in Majesty and Glory invironed with Angels hearing the sweet Harmony of his own Praise doing wonderful things in Heaven and in the Earth and in all the deep places But we lay in the Miâ—…e of our Miseries just fallen into the bottomless Pit of everlasting Sorrow void of the poorest Comforts of Calamity either helpless pity or vain Hope But our Saviour bowed down the Heavens and came down not by changing place but by manifesting himself in a holy Humanity He was admirable in Heaven but he became miserable and contemptible upon Earth He changed the Name of Majesty into Mercy and did cover himself with the Sackcloth of Mortality and did enter as it were into Perdition wherein he did both willingly wallow and take delight But our Saviour received no Spot nor Soil but he did stretch forth his Hand to the Work of his Hands whereby he drew sorth he did cleanse he did cloath he did comfort and confirm us he did reach forth his Hand by his blessed Birth he did draw us by his Doctrine he did cleanse us by his Death he did cloath us by his Resurrection he did comfort us by his Ascension and he did confirm us by his sending of the Holy Ghost therefore let us praise and magnifie the Lord for his great Love towards us for in all his Works he was ours moâ—…e than his own he took the Burthen of our Miseries upon him and laid the Benefits of his Merits upon us he heard the Cries of the Poor and came down from the highest Heaven to the Dâ—…ngeen of this World to deliver them from their Distress and to restore them to that Innocency and Immortality from whence they were fallen He was sold to redeem us he was apprehended to discharge us and he was bound to unfetter us all which he did plainly signifie in what he said to those that came to take him John 18. 2 I say unto you that I am he therefore if you seek me let these go their ways Of our Saviour being had before Annas Caiaphas Herod and Pilaâ—…e Matth. 26. 57. And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the High Priest where the Scribes and Elders were assembled AFter that Judas had betrayed him with a Kiss and they had taken him they led him away before Annas the Father-in-law to Caiaphas the High-Priest Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas where the Scribes and Elders were assembled He was accused of Blasphemy but very â—…sly and wrongfully And there an Officer in the Court in the full Face of Justice give him a Blow on the Face coâ—…trary to the Rules of any Court of Judicature Yet all these Ind gnâ—… did our blessed Saviour with indâ—…gable Patience bear Which Patience if we observe together with all his Behaviours in the other Passages of hiâ—… Passion we shall find a perfect Cure for all our Impeâ—…fections and a straight Rule to direct us in all the Affairs of this Lise O Gracious Countenance which filleth the Heavens with Glory which the Angels with Joy and Ravishment do desire to behold O perfect Image of the Father how deeply was thy Beauty and thy Majesty over clouded with Disgrace O infinite Humility O fâ—…t Lord Is it possible that there should remain in the World any Footsteps of Pride after this admirable Example of Patience O Earth and Ashes thy God did with deep silence endure all these Indignities and thou stirrest thou starest and turmoilest thy self and tormentest others upon the least touch of thy Reputation God did pray for those that blaspheme him but we diâ—…d
the World Seeing therefore he hath been condemned for us in High Treason both against God and Man seeing he hath endured the Punishment for all our Rebellions What have we any further to answer His Obedience hath made Satisfaction for our riotous Rebellion By his Condemnation are we acquitted his Condemnation at a Tribunal on Earth has acquitted us before thy Tribunal in Heaven His Sufferings are a sufficient Discharge between us and thy Justice and his Love is a sufficient Discharge between his Sufferings and us because his Love â—…eh nothing for all hiâ—… Sufferings but only that we love him again O what an unspeakable Obligation is this not only to love our Sâ—…iour but to love him above and before all one would think it were impossible to do any otherwise thâ—…n to love him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glory and Majesty to suffer so much â—…sery to save us from eâ—…l Damâ—…tion O good Jesus O Health of our Souls havâ—… Mercy upon â—…s we beseech thee and help us to strike this Fire within our Hearts let our Souls be satisfied with thy sacred Love Thou art O Lord our 〈◊〉 out last End the Mark â—…hether we aim the Poâ—…t whereto we saâ—… the Ferm the Râ—…t of all our Desires Wherefore then do we not love wherefore do we not desire thee with that ardency wherewith all Creatures do love and desire the place of their Rest The Fire and the Air do overthrow Mountains rend up Rocks shake the whole Earth to break forth to their Natural Places wherefore do not we break through all Impediments all Hinderances and leave all Creatures to come to thee who art the only place both of our Refuge and Rest O our Desires O our sweet solace our assured stâ—…ength wrap our Souls in the Flames of thy Love that all careless coldness may be consumed thereby possess our Souls so intiâ—…ely with that Divine Fire that we may have no sense of any worldly things Most Sweet Loving Beautiful Noble Rich Wise Glorious and worthy to be both loved and adored O life of our Soul who didst die to give us Life who didst die to kill death mortifie us wholly even our Wills and all our evil Inclinations and whatsoever is ours within us Then revive us again in thy lively Love by uniting all the Faculties of our Souls unto thee and making them obedient to thy Will Seeing we have so rich a Treasure so liberal a Distributer of the same how is it possible we should not rise in Hope Justice hath sound out a way to strike the Innocent and cannot Mercy find a means to save the Guilty Assuredly yes for it is a greater Miracle that God should be condemned and crucified than that Man should be acquitted and live If therefore we have the greater we have no cause to sear the less for Justice has executed her Severity upon the Innocent and Mercy will shew her Favour upon Offenders Yea if it was Justice that the Innocent should be condemned and executed for to make Satisfaction for Sin it is Justice also that the Offenders for whom he suffered should be discharged from that Debt that the voluntary Surety hath fully paid Therefore although Grace is not due to a Sinner as a Sinner yet it is due to him as he is redeem'd It is Mercy that a Sinner should be saved in respect of the Sinner but it is Justice in respect of Christ the Just was handled as a Sinner that Sinners might be accepted of as just foâ—… it is not agreeable to Justice that one Offence should be twice punished Hâ—… hath joyned he hath united himself to us As he cannot be condemned again so cannot we likewise be condemned except we break Union and wilfully fall from him O let us admire love and adore this great Love of our Lord Jesus Christ and then we shall never break Union with him or fall from him but be inâ—…allibly saved by him The Sentence of Death being given forth against Jesus they laid that heavy Tree upon his Shoulders that had been unmercisully battered with Whips torâ—…enting him not only with the Sight but the Weight of that which was appointed to be the Instrument of his 〈◊〉 Which painful Burthen with â—…he sull Weight of all our Sins he refused 〈◊〉 to take upon him but went on his way with great Alaâ—…ity both in Love towards us and in Obedience to satisfie his Father's Justice as a true Isaac bearing the Wood for the Sacrificing of himself But whither doth our Lord go What has he to do upon this stinking Hill of Calvary which being a place of common Execution is tainted with puâ—…rified Bodies To be sure he will find there no sick Persons to cure no Devils to cast out no Temples wherein to teach but there he will find Dead to raise and Sinners to forgive there he will find many scattered Souls of executed Offenders which expect his coming which as the true Elizeus thy dead Body should restore them to Life What should all this mean that our Saviour has not only made choice of an infamous Death but of an infamous Place the Place was infamous but the Death was accursed for cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree It did not satisfie his Love to die for us but he must die the most accuâ—…sed death to assure us thereby that he had delivered us from the Malediction of the Law Certainly our Saviour's Death containeth many Mysteries It is not enough for us to say that he died for us but we are further to consider how ye would die which was by the ignominious death of the Cross with whom also even with Malefactors When in the principal strength and beauty of his Age In what Year in the great Year of Jubilee Upon what Day at the great Solemnity of the Passover even when they did celebrate the Figure of him In what place on the Mount of Calvary only made glorious by his Death He was neither privily made away nor tumultuously slain he dyed not in a Corner that dyed for all the World he was condemned in the publick place of Judgment and suffered upon the common place of Execution upon a Day and a Year of the greaâ—…est Solemnity that could be God set him upon the Stage of the Woâ—…ld to declare as well his Fury against Sin as his Love and Mercy towards Sinners O glorious Calvary where the Prince of Light did encounter and overcome the Prince of Darkness where at one instant our Life for a time ended and our Death did for ever dye Therefore let us not only seek our Saviour in the Temple but upon Mount Calvary for in the Temple he scourged Sinners but upon the Mount he died for them upon that he opened his Arms to embrace them It was objected against him that he was a Friend to Publicans and Sinners True he was a true Friend to them indeed but his Friendship did never more plainly appear than in this Action and upon this place
Shadow of Solâ—…mon by the Title of a King whose Dominion has no end 2 Sam. 7. 13. 1 Chron. 22. 10. Since which time the Glory of this King hath been excellently extolled as well in many Psalms as by the Prophets in all Ages This King was manifested by the Angel to the Virgin Mary Luke 1. 32 33. The wise Men in the East were not ignorant of him yea many Histories do testifie That about the time that Christ was born a common Brute did run throughout the Empire of Rome and did declare That a great Pursuivant King should be born among the Jews this held Herod in great Jealousie and Fear Matth. 2. 3. The Apostles also did apprehend it albeit according to the vulgar Error until they were otherwise instructed Thou art a Lilly O blessed Saviour and Redeemer amongst many Thorns thou lovest neither Idleness nor sloathful ease We must endure not only Labour but Smart if we will enjoy thee If we will have thy Head it is crowned with Thorns if thy Heart it is pierced with a Spear if thy Hands and Feet they are struck through with Nails Thou art a Lilly amongst Thorns After the Troubles and Turmoils of many Years when Christ drew nearer towards his Deâ—…th the heavier was his Father's Hand the weightier was his Wrath the more Stripes did he double upon him in the Garden of Gethsemane he cried to his Father Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me But now feeling that which then he feared the Storm now breaking upon him which did then begin to appear he cried out again My God my God why hast thou forsaken me At both these times what were either his Feeling or his Fears what the Torments of his Body what the Anguish of his Soul whether he did despair or how far his Despair did reach it iâ—… dangerous to define we know them not we may be too adventurous to determine concerning them The Suffering of Christ are known only to the Heaâ—… that felt them but to be altogethâ—… abandoned in these Extremities to havâ—… no Comfort afforded no Care taken 〈◊〉 be bereaved not only of the Help but 〈◊〉 the Pity of all which in some degree 〈◊〉 very Man doth find seemeth to be thâ—… accomplishment of Miseries First He was deprived of all Earthly Comforts for his Disciples some betrayed and sold him others forsware him all fell away and fled from him And as for the People among whom he lived working many Miracles and doing good they preferred Barabbas before him It was they who in the midst of his miserable State most insolently insulted over him It was they who when he cried out Eloi Eloi did in a base manner de I de him saying He calls for Elias It was they who when with extream Faintness and Pains and by reason of the great loss of his Blood he did thirst not only denied him a drop of Water as Abraham denied to the rich Glutton in Hell but gave him Vinegar and Gall to redouble his Torments Secondly He was deprived of all heavenly Comforts which is the true Restorative in all dolorous Distress And this was the cause of his heavy Cry not that his Friends but his Father did then forsake him not that Earth but that Heaven did not yield him any Comfort All the Punishments which the damned do endure are commonly brought under two Heads viz. Pain of Sense and Pain of Loss Now the Pains of Sense were very sharp both upon the Body of our Saviour and upon his Soul upon his Body not only in regard of the greatness and baseness and variety of his Torments but also in regard of the Body it self for as it was miraculously made so was it of a more perfect Constitution of a more apprehensive Sense to feel Torments than Bodies brought forth by an ordinary Course of Nature The Pains of his Soul were unspeakable even unanswerable too Christ remained always during this Combat personally united to the Person of the Son of God who could not be severed from the Father and the Holy Ghost But it received no Comfort or Assistance for a time to relieve it from the full Sense of God's severe Indignation against Sin For as a Soul is noâ—… essentially separated from a Body thaâ—… sleepeth and yet it worketh not aâ—… when the Body is awake otherwisâ—… than to keep it in Life so in this extream Agony of our Saviour the Deity was not severed from the Humane Nature only it did not exercise the Actions to administer Comfort and Strength otherwise than to support it from being overthrown The Heavenly Father did then forsake his innocent and only Son and yet was not the Union between them dissolved he dissolved not the Union but withdrew his Vision and restrained those Beams which might any way refresh the passionate Powers of his Soul Many Martyrs have suffered violent and terrible Torments which they did not only quietly but chearfully endure Will you know the Reason They were delivered indeed but therewith also they were not forsaken for the Grace of God did administer such sweet and secret Supplies of Comfort that they tired their Tormeâ—…tor in bearing patiently all those Torments which merciless Tyranny could execute or invent but in Christ in regard of his infinite Dignity for that it is that seâ—…teth the Sacrifice at so high a Price the least Torment although only in Body might have sufficed for redeeming many Worlds yet would he suffer greater Torments than can be conceived First to manifest thereby his exceeding Love in making our Redemption the more valuable For the less he had suffered the less had his Love been esteemed And also to awake us and to leave us inexcusable if we love him not again Lastly to stir us up to settle our Assurance in our Tribulations but most especially our Hopes upon him when we suffer for his sake O God of our Salvation grant unto us thy unworthy Servants we beseech thee That at the Separation of our Souls from our Bodies we may spend our last Breath in these Words of our Saviour Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit Comfort us then with the Virtue of his Passion which is Life to the Dead Pardon to the Wicked and Gloâ—…y to the Saints that ending the last Minute of our Lives in the midst of his Wounds in the very depth of his Death and Blood we may confidently commit our Souls that thou mayest receive them readily into thy Hands Receive thy precious Son for a Ransom and with him receive the Souls of thy Servants whom he redeem ed for as he died in Obedience to thee so died he also for our Redemption We have nothing to offer unto thee but his Death nothing but his Blood the Love where with he gave us his Blood His Soul he hath commâ—… unto thee but unto us he hath given his Blood this is all our Treasure this is all our assured Trust Of this Blood we will not return