wherein soeuer he is able For many This is the last circumstance noting the persons for whome our Sauiour Christ paide this price where we are taught that all haue not benefite by the death of Christ This our Sauior testifieth in another place when hee instituted and administred his last Supper in deliuering of the cup he said Math. 26 28. This is my blood of the new Testament that is shed for many for the remission of sinnes If any man shall demand who these many are I answer they are all the beleeuers and all that do belong to Christ As hee himselfe saith Iohn 3 16. God so loued the world that he hath giuen his onely begotten Son that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life And this was signified by the angell before hee was borne Mathew 1 21 in the giuing of his name Thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Whereby it is plaine and euident that hee saueth none by his death but them that are his people Iohn 10 15. So hee saith in another place I lay downe my life for my sheepe But wee know that all are not the sheepe of Christ Mat. 25 32 33 There are manie Goats that belong to another folde But it may be obiected that Christ gaue his life for many and the beleeuers are but few as our Sauiour saith in diuers places as namely The gate is straite Mathew 7 14 and the way narrow that leadeth vnto life and few there be that finde it And againe he saith to his Disciples Feare not little Flocke for it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome Luke 12 32. The flock of Christ then is but a little flocke I answer that if the children of God bee compared with the multitude of the wicked then indeede they are but a fewe euen an handfull A small remnant Isaiah 1 9. as the Prophet Isaiah saith but if wee consider them in themselues they are innumerable as it is said in the Reuelation where besides the manie thousands Apoc. 7 â— 9 euen 144000 that were sealed for the seruants of God of the Tribes of Israel there was a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations and kindreds and people tongues which stoode before the Throne and before the Lambe clothed with long white Robes and palmes in their handes 2 Cor. 5 15. But it will bee further obiected that the Scripture saith plainely that Christ dyed for all I answere that there the Apostle speaketh of the Church or of the elect alone Beza vniuersallie considered And therefore of necessitie the particle or note of generality must be restrained to the point whereof the Apostle intreateth And this is verie vsuall in the Scripture Our Sauiour alledgeth a place out of the prophesie of Isaiah in this maner Iohn 6 45. Isaiah 54 13. It is written saith he in the Prophets and they shall all be taught of God Now in the Prophet it is thus And all thy children shall be taught of God That which our Sauiour speaketh vniuersally the Prophet restraineth onely vnto the children of God Againe it is certaine that our Sauiour Christ died for all sorts of men of whatsoeuer nation degree or condition they are According to that speech of Peter in his sermon to Cornelius Of a truth I perceiue Act 10 34 3â— that God is no accepter of persons But in euery Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnes is accepted with him And this is agreeable to other places of Scripture where the word All is restrained in this manner Genesis 7 1. As where it is saide That euery beast and all cattle and euery thing that creepeth and moueth vpon the earth and euery Towle and euery bird came into the ark vnto Noah Now it is certaine that all the beasts and all the cattle and all the soules that then were did not vniuersally come into the Arke for there came but two and 9. 21. a male and female of euery kind and all the rest were drowned in the flood And therefore the meaning of the place must needs bee that there came all kind of cattle and fowles c. into the Arke So likewise it is said of our Sauiour Christ That he healed euery sicknesse Math. 4 23. and euerie disease among the people Now there is no man can imagine that hee healed all diseases generally for doubtlesse there were many died in his time but he healed all kinds and sorts of diseases So when it is saide that our Sauiour Christ died for all wee may safely vnderstand it that he died for men of all sorts and conditions whether they be high or low rich or poor bond or free But it wil be obiected again that our Sauior saith Iohn 3 16. God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Son c. and therefore hee was giuen for the whole world I answer that our Sauiour saith in another place I pray for them that is for my disciples Iohn 17 9. I pray not for the world Heere the worlde is excluded from the benefite of Christ his prayer So that wee haue a Worlde opposed to a World There is a World of them that shall bee saued for them Christ was giuen there is a Worlde of them that shall bee damned for them Christ doth not pray I doe not deny but that the death of Christ is sufficient to saue al men for his blood as wee haue heard is of infinite value But it is not effectuall to saue all because many do reiect it trample it vnder their feete This serueth for the reproofe of them that thinke that all shall be saued by the death of Christ It is a fearefull error where-with the deuill carried many thousandes of poore soules to hell But they shall finde and feele the contrarie to their woe vnlesse they preuent it by repentance For certainely there are many in the world to whome it may be saide as Simon Peter saide to Simon Magus Acts 8 21 They haue neither part nor fellowship in this businesse There are vessels of wrath prepared to destruction Rom. 9 22 23 as well as vessels of mercy prepared vnto glory Iude verse 4. There are some that were before of olde ordained vnto condemnation that were appointed to bee damned before euer they were borne There are many vngodly personnes 2 Thess 7 8 9 Which know not God and obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ which shall bee punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power And our Sauiour describing the maner of his comming to iudgement telleth vs plainly that at that day there shall be a separation made betweene the sheepe the Goats though heere they graze all in one pasture and the Sheep shall be set on his right hand and shall heare a most comfortably sentence Math. 25 32 33 34. Come ye blessed of my Father inherite yee the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world But the Goates shall bee set on his left hand shall heare a fearefull doome denounced against them Depart from mee ye cursed into euerlasting fire 41. which is prepared for the deuill and his Angels And therefore let euery one of vs be admonished according to the exhortation of the Apostle to giue al diligence to make our calling and election sure 2 Peter 1 10. We are very careful to make sure our outward estates in the world and we had neede to doe so in respect of this cunning and subtle age wherein we liue Much more should we make it our cheefe care by all good means to assure our hearts that we are in the number of those that shal be saued by the death of Christ Otherwise wee can haue no sound comfort neither in life nor in death FINIS
Aen. 9 And Nisus that would haue died for his friend Euryalus But al these are nothing to Christs dying for vs. For none of al these was altogither innocent as Christ was none of theÌ„ of mere loue wer willing to venter their liues as Christ did but al of them either by the instigation of the deuill or for ambition and vaine-glory or in desperation when they saw all things aduerse and crosse did chuse rather to dy then to indure that misery In a word they hazarded their liues to procure safety to their Countrey or to their friends both which they were bound to loue But Christ hath purchased eternall life for vs that were not his friends Rom 5 10. but his enemies as the Apostle saith Neither is this repugnant to that speech of our Sauior alledged before Ioh. 15 13 14 15. that hee gaue his life for his friends For without Christ and the reconciliation that is wrought by his blood we are the enemies of GOD but in Christ wee are reconciled vnto him and made his friends So that both is true Christ died for his enemies and he died for his friends hee dyed for his enemies for such we wer by the corruption of our nature and hee died for his friends for such wee were by the reconciliation which hee hath wrought Secondly it serueth to confirme our faith and confidence in Christ Iesus Surely he that layeth downe his life for any man will with-hold from him nothing though it bee neuer so deare which he wil not willingly bestow for his safety But a mans life is the deerest and most precious good thing that he enioyeth And therfore the Apostle reasoneth concerning the loue of God Roman 8 32. He that spared not his own Son but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not with him giue vs all thinges also So may wee reason concerning the loue of Christ He that spared not his owne life but willingly and freely gaue it for vs all how shal he now deny vs any thing Last of all it should stirre vs vp to loue him again and to consecrate our selues wholly vnto his seruice According to the exhortation of the Apostle I beseech you therefore brethren Rom. 12 1. by the mercies of God that yee giue vp your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God c. And this was his owne practise as himselfe saieth Galath 2 20 In that that I now liue in the flesh I liue by the Faith in the Sonne of God who hath loued mee and giuen himselfe for mee Thereby giuing vs to vnderstand that the greatest and strongest reason why we should liue to the Sonne of God is this euen because he hath loued vs and giuen himself for vs. For so great loue and honor which hee hath done to vs not to do the like for him again to the vttermost of our power were the grossest ingratitude that can bee in the worlde And to conclude this point we must also for Christ his sake loue our brethren as our Sauiour saith Iohn 15 12. This is my commandement that ye loue one another as I haue loued you c. A ransom Some do reade it a redemption but the word in the original doth not signifie the acte of redemption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the price or ransom wherewith captiues and seruants are redeemed and it is chiefly borrowed from them that are taken prisoners in war and the notation in the Greek is very elegant for it is deriued of a worde that signifieth to loose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For when they that were prisoners were bound and afterwards were to be set at libertie of necessitie they were first to be loosed from their bands and fetters and therefore this ransome was the price that was paide for loosing them out of their chains Now we are to know that there were in times past diuers meanes of redemption Sometimes by Manumission when the Lorde of his owne accord did set his bondman or slaue free In this manner we were not redeemed Sometimes by permutation or by way of exchange as when in the wars one prisoner is exchanged for another Thus were not we redeemed neither For who was there that was fit to be exchanged for vs Sometimes by force and violent rescue Gen. 14 14 15 16. as Abraham rescued Lot when he was taken prisoner by Chedor-laomer and the Kinges that were with him Neither were wee redeemed by this meanes Somtimes most commonly by paying of a price or a ransome and thus were wee redeemed euen with a great price as we haue heard before Heere then we are taught what a wretched estate we were in before Christ paid this price of redemption for vs. Wee were no better then miserable slaues and vassals If we desire to know wherin this slauery consisted generally we were in bondage to the whole power of darkenesse Coloss 1 13 More particularly wee were in bondage first to sinne As the Apostle saith Roman 6 16. Know ye not that to whomsoeuer ye giue your selues as seruants to obey his seruants ye are to whom ye obey whether it be of sinne vnto death c. And Saint Peter telleth vs of some that promise to others liberty 2 Peter 2 19 and are themselues the seruants of corruption For saith hee of whomsoeuer a man is ouercome euen vnto the same is he in bondage And our Sauior affirmeth Iohn 8 34. that he that committeth sinne is the seruant of sin Secondly to the Law for so saith the Apostle that Christ came to redeeme them that were vnder the Law Galath 4 5. Thirdly to death as S. Iohn saith 1 Iohn 3 14. Wee know that wee are translated from death vnto life because we loue the brethren Fourthly to the deuill 2 Tim. 2 26. beeing taken of him in a snare And last of all to hell and condemnation Ephâ—â— 2 3. beeing by nature the Children of wrath Now there was neuer any bondage comparable vnto this bondage Great was the bondage wherein the Egyptians kept the children of Israel foure hundred yeeres insomuch as God said of their deliuerance Leuitie 25 13 that he broke the bonds of their yoake and made them go vpright Psalme 81 6. And that he withdrew their shoulders from the burthen c. Miserable was the slauery of those seuenty Kings vnder Adoni-bezek that cruell tyrant Iudges 1 7. who cut off the thumbes of their hands and the toes of their feet and made them gather bread vnder his Table like dogges Greeuous was the bondage of Sampson vnder the Philistims Iud. 16 21 21. who hauing preuailed against him Put out his eyes and bound him with fetters and made him grinde in the prison-house and afterwardes insulted ouer him in his misery Great was the thraldome which Zedekiah endured vnder the proud King of Babel Ierem. 52 11. who put out his eyes bound
such like corruptible thing they were all too base to come in this accompt but The precious blood of Christ and 2 24. And so hee saith in another place That his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his body on the Tree And the Apostle saith Ephes 1.17 Ephes 1 ver 5 That by him wee haue redemption through his blood And againe Heb. 9 12 By his owne bloud hee obtained eternall Redemption for vs. And Without shedding of blood is no remission But it will be obiected what necessity was there that our Sauiour should pay any price or ransome seeing we were prisoners to the deuil A man would thinke it had beene more conuenient that seeing we were violently and vniustly held captiues our Sauiour should haue come vpon him with greater power and haue rescued vs out of his handes without anie price according to that speech in the Gospell Luk. 11 21 22 When a strong man armed keepeth his Palace the things that he possesseth are in peace But when a stronger then he commeth vpon him and ouercommeth him he taketh from him all his armour wherein hee trusteth and diuideth his spoiles To this I answere that our Sauiour Christ did not pay this price to the deuill but to God who had power to condemne vs and in his iust iudgement had giuen vs ouer for our sinnes vnto the power of the deuill as his Iailor Now when the King is pacified towards a prisoner that hath offended him the Iailor hath nothing to do to keepe him any longer in prison So Gods wrath beeing appeased towards vs by the death of Christ the deuill hath no more power ouer vs. So that our Sauiour by paying this ransome made satisfaction to God and not to the deuill As the Apostle saith he offered himselfe to God Heb. 9 14. But it may be further obiected The sufferings of our Sauiour Christ were but of short continuance for some fewe houres whence then haue they that dignity and worthinesse to bee a sufficient price for our redemption I answer first that hee suffered most innocently hauing no sinne of his own that might deserue death And that made his sufferings the more meritorious for vs. As S. Peter saith He was a Lamb vndefiled and without spot 1 Pet. 1 19. And againe 2 22. Hee did no sinne neither was there any guile found in his month 3 18. Hee suffered for sinnes the iust for the vniust to bring vs to God And the Apostle saith Hebr. 7 26. He was holy harmelesse vndefiled separate from Sinners 9 14. Hee offered himselfe without spot vnto GOD. Whereunto agreeth that speech of one of the Fathers * Peccat iniquiâ— punitur iustus delinquit reus vapulat innocens offendit impius et dam natur pius quod meretur malus patitur bonâ—â— qud perpetrat seruus exsoluit d. minus quod committit homo sustinet De us The vniust sinneth and the iust is punnished the guilty transgresseth and the innocent is beaten the wicked offendeth and the godly is condemned that which the euill deserueth the good suffereth that which the seruant oweth the master payeth that which man committeth God sustaineth And indeed if he had any sinnes of his owne they would haue swayed him downe to hell and so haue disabled him from being a sufficient Sauiour for others But being altogether innocent himselfe hee is the more fit to satisfie for our sinnes According as Saint Augustine saith well * Iustum est vt debitores liberi dimittâ—ntur c. De Trinit lib. 13 cap. 14 It is iust that the debters should bee set free beleeuing in him who without anie debt was put to death and payde for vs debters that which hee himselfe did not owe. And in another place * Ibid. Cap. 15. The blood of Christ because it was his that had no sinne at all was shed for the remission of our sinnes Secondly the death of Christ was not the death of a meere man onely though neuer so innocent but of him that was true God and man And this is that which the Apostle sayeth Heb. 9 14. that Christ thorough the Eternall Spirit offered himselfe without spot to God * Beza Pareus Piscator Aretius where by the Eternall Spirit is meant the Deity and Godhead of our Sauiour whereby hee giueth influence of diuine vigor to the sacrifice of his body and blood And in his farewell sermon to the Ephesians he chargeth the Elders Acts 20 28. to Take heede to the Flocke which GOD hath purchased with his owne blood 1 Cor. 2 8. And in another place he saith that the Iewes crucified the Lord of Glory Which places are not so to be vnderstoode as if GOD had any blood to be shed or that the Lord of Glorie were subiect to suffering and could bee crucified but because of that neere Vnion and coniunction of the two Natures in his person whereby that which is proper to the one is affirmed and spoken of the other Hence it commeth to passe that though the sufferings death of Christ were temporarie yet they were of infinit merit to purchase eternall redemption for vs Hebru 9 12. because as was saide before the eternall Spirite of his Deity gaue eternall efficacie vnto his sacrifice or because that infinite vigour which purgeth our consciences issued from his eternall Spirit So that there is no doubt but that Christ hath satisfied the wrath of god for vs by finite meanes For as the Father being infinite was infinitely prouoked by finite sinnes so the Son of God being equall to his Father therefore infinite could not but infinitely pacifie his wrath by his finite satisfaction But some wil say Was it not possible for the Lord to haue accomplished our redemption by some other meanes but that Christ of necessitie must giue his life for vs This question though it be curious yet it shall not be vnprofitable to giue an answer to it We are to know therefore that to speak simply and absolutely it was possible for God to haue found out a thousand meanes of mans redemption and all of them should haue bene auaileable For as the Angell saide Luke 1 37. Math 19 26. With God nothing is impossible but all things are possible But if we consider the fore-knowledge and eternall decree of God then we may truely say it was altogether impossible for man to be redeemed by any other means Augustine Bernard others Some of the Fathers haue inuented this witty deuise namely that the cause of man was from al eternity debated in heauen where the iustice truth of God stoode on the one side and his mercy and peace on the other and his wisedome was the Iudge and vmpire The iustice and truth of God pleaded hard against man and called for punishment according to his deserts But his mercy and peace pleaded for him and defended him In the end his wisedom found out a way
whereby both his iustice might be satisfied his mercy might take place namely that the Son of God taking our flesh vpon him should in it suffer the death that was due to our sins that as man had trespassed so man might make satisfaction And therefore in this respect it was necessarie that Christ should dye for vs. As Hilary saith well In Mat. 26 42 Therefore could not the cup passe from him but hee must drinke of it because we could not be recouered but by his passion But that wee may not bee mistaken in this point we are to know that there are diuers kindes of necessitie First there is an absolute necessity when a thing in regarde of the nature of it cannot be otherwise Thus the Sun doth necessarily shine in the Firmament thus the fire doeth necessarily burne and the night doeth necessarily followe the day Secondly there is a necessity of constraint Thus a Malefactor necessarily goeth to prison because hee is forced whether hee will or no. Thirdly there is a necessitie in respect of the end and thus armour and weapons are necessarie for him that goeth foorth to fight In the first sence there was no necessity that Christ should suffer For as wee haue heard before GOD had a thousand other wayes to redeeme man by if it had pleased him Neyther was it necessary in the second sence because God cannot be compelled by any power or violence But in the third sence it was necessarie because GOD had so decreed and appointed it And indeede this was the most conuenient and necessarie meanes of our redemption that could bee both in respect of God and also in respect of vs. There are many Reasons why it was most conuenient in respect of God As first in respect of his truth God had foretold in his Word and promised that it should bee so Hee was wounded for our transgressions saith the Prophet Isaiah ch 53. ver 5. Hee was brokē for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vppon him and with his stripes we are healed And therefore our Sauiour Christ appearing to the two disciples that went to Emmaus and perceiuing that they began to stagger and doubt of his resurrection Lu. 24 25 26. saide vnto them O Fooles and slow of heart to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken Ought not Christ to haue suffered these things and to haue entred into his glory And when Peter had drawne his sword and began to fight in his quarrell hee telleth him that He could pray to his Father and he would giue him more then twelue legions of Angels Mat. 26 53 54 But how then saith he should the Scriptures be fulfilled which say that it must be so Marke heere the Scriptures haue saide that Christ must die the Prophets had foretold as much and God is alwayes true in his word therefore it must bee so Secondly in respect of his Iustice which as wee haue heard already did require that the same nature that had offended the maiesty of God should also make satisfaction Thirdly in respect of his mercy For seeing it was in his power to destroy all mankind and that iustly too it was an euidence of vnspeakable mercy to make choise of one to be punished instead of many Fourthly in respect of his wisedome which tempered and allayed the rigour and seuerity of his iustice with the sweetnesse of his mercy so that in the sufferings of Christ there was neither cruelty nor remissenesse Psalme 85 10 but as Dauid saith Mercy and trueth haue met together Iustice and peace haue kissed one another Fiftly in respect of his hatred of sin for the destroying whereof he would haue his onely begotten Sonne to be put to death Will not all men say that that man beareth a deadly hatred to his enemy that if he cannot otherwise come at him will cast a speare through the sides of his sonne to kill him So the Lord to testifie his great hatred against our sins hath wounded his owne Son to death for the abolishing of them And therefore by the way wee see how lamentable the estate of desperat sinners is who knowing how the Lord hateth sinne wil yet notwithstanding continue in sinne and drinke iniquitie euen like water Iob 15 16. as Iob saieth They shall finde vnlesse they preuent it in time by speedy and vnfeigned repentance Psalme 5 5 6 that as God hateth all them that worke iniquity so in the end hee will destroy them Sixtly and last of all in respect of his loue to man For rather then we miserable sinners should perish as wee had deserued hee suffered his onely begotten Sonne whom he so often calleth his Beloued Sonne Math. 3 17. and 17 5. Coloss 1 13. and the Sonne of his loue or his deere Sonne to bee crucified for vs. And therefore our Sauiour Christ himselfe saith Iohn 3. verse 16. GOD so loued the world that is so admirably so wonderfully so exceedingly that hee gaue his onely begotten Sonne c. Rom. 5 8. And the Apostle saith God setteth out his loue towards vs as it were vpon a stage that all the worlde may take notice of it seeing that while wee were yet sinners Christ dyed for vs. And indeede it was farre greater and more aboundant loue that he spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all to death as the Apostle sayeth Rom. 8 verse 32. then if hee had released and acquitted vs without anie satisfaction So that we may now worthily say with the Apostle Ephe. 2. verse 4. God which is rich in mercie through his great loue wherewith he loued vs c. There was no way in the world whereby he could haue more manifested his exceeding loue vnto vs then by this Secondly in respect of vs. This was the most conuenient meanes for our saluation that could bee as Saint Augustine hath worthily declared in many places * De Trinit lib. 13. cap. 10. It was possible saith hee for GOD to whose power all things are equally subiect to haue found out another way of our redemption then the incarnation and death of Christ But there neyther was nor could bee a more conuenient meanes to heale our miserie For what was so necessarie to rayse vppe our hope and to free and set at libertie the mindes of poore men being cast downe with the condition of their mortality from despairing of immortality as to shew vnto vs how highly GOD esteemed vs and how much he loued vs And what could be a more manifest and euident token heereof then that the Sonne of God beeing immutably good abiding in himselfe that which hee was and receiuing from vs and for vs that which he was not without any detriment or losse to his nature was content to take part in our condition and without any euill desert of his owne to beare our sinnes and miseries c. And in another place * Ibid. Cap. 16 Why should not the
doctrine and send it backe againe to hell from whence it came and let vs rely vpon the all-sufficient merites of Christ his sufferings for the saluation of our soules assuring our selues that Hee was made vnto vs Wisedome 1. Cor. 1 30. and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption Let vs acknowledge with that blessed Martyr Lambert in the midst of the fire * Foxe martyrol None but Christ None but Christ Secondly this great price that our Sauiour hath payed for our Redemption should mooue vs to godlie sorrowe and remorse for our sinnes It is true that the very bare consideration of our Sauiour Christ his sufferings without any respect to vs should worke sorrow and commiseration in our hearts For who is so hard-hearted that can but reade or heare the Storie of Abraham about to sacrifice his innocent sonne Isaac or the selling away of poore Ioseph by his most vnnaturall and cruell Brethren or the fearefull torments which many of the Martyres haue suffered and endured at the hands of cruell and bloody tyrants not be moued to ruth compassion Nay who can endure to behold euen notorious malefactors executed for their iust deserts without some sense of sorrow For the communion and mutuall participation of nature doeth so affect vs as wee thinke that part of our selues suffereth in them yea that very humanity that is bred with men cannot but bee troubled at the torments of brute beasts But when wee shall consider that our Sauiour suffered all that he suffered for our sakes and for our sinnes much more then ought we to greeue and sorrow It was ordained in the Law that when a man brought a beast to the doore of the Tabernacle for a burnt Offering he should put his hand vpon the head of it Leuit. 1 4. Thereby acknowledging that hee had deserued to die that the beast was to be slaine for his offences So should wee acknowledge that Christ was put to death nor for anie desert of his owne for as we haue heard before he was altogether without blemish but onely for our sinnes When Dauid saw the miserable death of his people by the pestilence and considered that his sinne in numbering of his men was the cause of it his tender heart was vexed within him and with great remorse hee cried thus vnto the Lord Behold I haue sinned yea I haue done wickedly 2 Sam 24 17. but these Sheepe what haue they done In like manner we haue all cause with bitternesse of heart to cry out in this case It is we Lord that haue sinned it is wee that haue done wickedly as for this innocent Lambe Christ Iesus alas what hath he done But that we may be the better affected it shall not be amisse a litle to consider the greeuousnesse of his sufferings And that will appeare first by the generality of them and that in diuers respects First hee suffered of all kinds and sorts of men Hee suffered of the Gentiles and of the Iewes of the Princes and of the people of masters and seruants of his acquaintance and strangers of male and Female So hee suffered in all things wherein it is possible for a man to suffer He suffered in his friends and followers who seeing him apprehended and carried away They all forsooke him and fled Mat. 26 56 58 Onely Peter followed him but it was a farre off and afterwardes most shamefully denied him He suffered in his good name which was wounded with blasphemies and reproches For besides the shameful indignities that were offered him whē hee was arraigned before the High-Priests and Pilate when hee hanged vpon the crosse and deserued to bee pittied of all that had but common humanity he was flouted and derided and scoffed at by all that behelde him a Lu. 23 36 37 by the souldiers b Ma. 27 41 42 by the high-Priests c Luk. 23 35. by them that stood and looked on d Math. 27 39 40. by them that passed by e Math. 27 44 Luke 23 39. yea by the very theeues at least by one of them that wer crucified with him He suffred also in his outward things such as he had for though he had nothing but the clothes to his backe Math. 27 35. yet the Souldiers stript him of them shared and diuided them before his face Thirdly he suffered in al his outward senses and in all the members of his body His glorious head was wounded to the braine with a crown of thorns his faire face was horribly defiled with the filthy spittings of the Iewes his bright eyes dazeled and languished in his head to beholde the outragious cruelty of his Tormentors his holy eares were wounded to hear the insulting blasphemies of the Iewes his sacred mouth which taught men all truth was put out of taste with Gall and vineger his hands which wrought so manie famous myracles and his feete that had wonderfully walked vppon the Sea were fastened vnto the Crosse with sharp nailes His blessed heart that was neuer defiled with the least euill thought was pierced with a speare In a worde his whole bodye was pittifully rent and torne with whipping and scourging so that we might say of him as the Prophet saith in another case Isaiah 1 verse 6. From the sole of his foote vnto his head there was nothing whole in him but woundes and swelling and sores full of corruption Secondly the bitternesse of his passion will appeare by considering the kinde of death that he suffered and that was the death of the crosse which the Apostle added as an augmentation of his torments Philip. 2 8. Hee became obedient saith hee to the death euen to the death of the Crosse Now the death of the crosse was most greeuous in many respects First because it was an accursed death As the Apostle sayth Cursed is euery one that hangeth on a tree Galath 3 13. Not that all that were hanged if they did vnfeignedly repent were reiected and forsaken of God but because that kinde of punishment was accursed and hatefull to God and a spectacle of horrible malediction We do not reade any such thing of other kinde of punishments as stoning to death burning slaying with the sword c. onely God pronounced the hanging on the crosse to bee execrable and accursed And therefore Constantine the Great that good and mild Emperor * Tripartit histor lib. 1. cap. 9. made a law wherein he forbad that any Christian should be hanged vpon the crosse Secondly because it was also an ignominious and a shameful death For it was principally inflicted vpon slaues and seruants and therefore was called a seruile punishment either for accusing of their Masters or conspiring theyr death or for running away Such as were free men though otherwise verie vile and base were seldome punished with it vnlesse it were for some heinous and notorious crime As for robbery and therefore there were two robbers crucified with him Or
* Comment in Rom 7. where the death of Christ is duely meditated on in the minde there sinne cannot reigne For such is the force of his crosse that if it be set before our eyes and faithfully kept in minde no Concupiscence no Lust no Rage no Enuie can ouercome vs but presently vppon the sight of it all the army of sinne and the flesh is put to flight The Reason is because when as two contraries such as the passion of Christ and sinne are meete together the weaker must of necessitie giue place vnto the stronger Againe so many vertues doe appeare in the passion of Christ so many arguments and tokens of his loue are therein manifested and such and so great a benefite of our redemption is wrought by it as sinne cannot possibly stand with the diligent consideration thereof * Macrob. Saturnal lib. 2. cap 4. An old Souldier in Rome beeing cited to appeare before the Iudges and being in some daunger came openly to Augustus Caesar and intreated him to stand by him defend him who presently appointed him an Aduocate whomsoeuer he would choose in his Court The man by and by cried out with a lowd voice But I O Caesar when you were in danger in the warres did not seeke a Deputy to defend you but I fought for you my selfe and shewed the scarres which he had receiued in that fight whereat the Emperor was ashamed and came to be his aduocate as fearing lest hee should seeme not onely proude but also vnthankefull In like manner when we shal behold the scarres which our Sauiour Christ receiued in his flesh for our sinnes we shold be ashamed to shew our selues vnthankfull vnto him by continuing the course of our former wickednes We detest Iudas and raile vppon the Iewes and abhorre Pilate for putting him to death but there is more cause why we should detest and abhor our owne sinnes For they were but Instruments to effect his death our sins procured it yea our sinnes sharpened the speare that opened his side and caused his verie hearts bloode to gush out Wee must therefore take heede that We tread not vnder foote the precious blood of Christ Heb. 10 29. and count it an vnholy thing as the Apostle saith For if the bloode of Abel cried vnto God for vengeance against Cain Genesis 4 18. doubtles the blood of Christ will make a farre lowder out-cry in the eares of the Lord against all the despisers of it If thou wert sought for to bee put to death for thy due deserts and some friend of thine should put on thy garments and should suffer himselfe to bee taken condemned and haled vppon the crosse for thy sake if thou shouldest not pittie and greeue for him but rather on the contrarie side shouldest prouoke and stirre vp his Tormentors against him nay shouldest offer thy selfe to be his executioner wert thou not worthy of a thousand deaths Such is the case of euerie wilfull and impenitent sinner who as much as lyeth in him Heb. â— 6. by his sins Crucifieth the Sonne of God againe who for his redemption hath suffered such vnspeakable torments Last of all in token of our thankefulnesse we must be ready and willing to suffer any thing for Christ his sake Vnto you it is giuen saith the Apostle that not onely ye should beleeue in him Phil. 1 ver 29 but also suffer for his sake It is in vaine for a man to boast of faith if hee bee a Coward and refuse to suffer when God shall call him to it Our Sauiour hath drunke vnto vs in the cuppe of his passion as hee sayd to these two sonnes of Zebedeus Mat. 20. ver 22 and wee must pledge him when occasion is offered If we will be his Disciples wee must bee content to Take his Crosse vpon our backes Math. 16 24. and follow him Yea the Apostle Peter telleth vs 1 Peter 2 21. That we are called thereunto For Christ also suffered for vs leauing vs an example that wee should follow his steps This is harsh to flesh blood and we are loath to suffer any trouble we must therfore encourage our selues by his example It was the manner of the Heathen to prouoke their Elephants to fight 1 Macca 6 34 to shewe them the blood of Grapes and Mulberries so the blood that Christ hath shed for vs should put courage into vs to fight in his cause Heb. 12 2. Wee must looke to Iesus the Author and finisher of our faith who for our sakes endured the Crosse and despised the shame c. When Alexander the Great Quin Curtius lib. 5. marched through Persia his way was stopped with snow and ice in so much as his soldiers being tyred before with sore labor were discoraged wold haue gone no further which he perceiuing lighteth off his horse and goeth on foot through the midst of all making himselfe way with a pick-axe whereat they all beeing ashamed first his friends then the Captaines of his army and last of all the common soldiers followed him So should wee all followe our Sauiour Christ by that rough and vnpleasant way of the crosse which he hath gone before vs. Vriah refused to goe home vnto his house and to refresh and solace himself with his wife because as he said The Arke 2 Sam 11 11. and Israel and Iudah dwelt in Tents and his Lord Ioab did abide in the open fields Much more should wee refuse to pamper our flesh by delicacie wheÌ„ we shall consider what hardnesse our Sauiour endured especially for our sakes Gaue. This is the maner how our Sauiour laide downe his life for our redemption namely willingly and freely without compulsion hee gaue himselfe to death for vs. And this the Prophet Isaiah foretold long before when he saith Isaiah 52 10. Hee shall make his soule an offering for sin And the Apostle affirmeth Philip 2 7 8. that he made himselfe of no reputation but humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto the death And our Sauiour himselfe saith No man taketh my life from me Iohn 10 18. but I lay it downe of my selfe I haue power to lay it downe and I haue power to take it again * Non aufertur quod vliro ponitur Muscui That which a man willingly layeth down of himselfe is not taken from him Hence was it that when hee knew the time of his passion to bee come Hee went with his Disciples ouer the brook Cedron Iohn 18 1 2. into a Garden a place that Iudas which betrayed him was well acquainted withall For as the Euangelist sayeth Iesus oft-times resorted thither with his Disciples This he did of purpose as one * â—yril saith that he might bee more easily found of the traitor and that he might saue them a labor that came to take him If it had pleased him he could haue hid himselfe haue kept himselfe out of the way as hee did
him with chaines carried him to babel and put him in prison til the day of his death But we need not go so farre for examples Many of our poor brethren do suffer lamentable miserie vnder the barbarous Turke and cruell Spaniard But all this is nothing in comparison of the bondage of a sinner that is not redeemed by Iesus Christ For in all bodily slaueries still the mind and the soule is free all the tyrants in the worlde haue no power ouer that As our Sauiour Christ said Feare not them which kill the bodye but are not able to hurt the soule Math. 10 28. c. But here the very soule also is in bondage Neuer was there any bondslaue endured greater villany and drudgerie vnder any earthly master though neuer so hard and cruell then euerie impenitent sinner doth vnder sinne and the deuill Mathew 8 9. As the Centurion had his seruants at his becke that he saide to one go and he goeth to another come and he commeth and to his seruant doe this and he doth it So the deuill hath all wicked men at his commaundement if he bid them but go they are ready to run Hee hath taken them in a snare 2. Tim. 2 20. and leadeth them as a dog in a chaine He ruleth ouer them like a Prince and worketh in their hearts as in a shoppe Ephes 2 2 3. Titus 1. causing them to fulfill the will of the flesh and the minde and to serue diuers lustes and pleasures euen like slaues That which one speaketh of bodily seruants in Princes courts may much more be applyed vnto the seruants of sinne * Qui vitaÌ„ seruilem agunt alienis negotus oâ—ci pantur c Petrarch de vita solitaria They that leade a seruile life are ocupied in other mens businesses and are ruled by the will of another mans becke and learn in another mans countenance what they must doe All that they haue is another mans another mans thresholde another mans house another mans sleepe another mans meate and which is worst of all another mans minde They neither weep nor laugh at their owne pleasure Quid interest nolens seruias an inuitus NaÌ„ etsi coacta seruitus miserabilis sed affectata miserior est Ber. de consid lib. 5. but they cast away their owne and put on another mans affections Finally they do another mans businesse they think another mans thought they liue another mans life I cannot see what difference there is between these persons and such as are iudged to perpetuall imprisonment but that the one are bound in Iron and the other in Golden fetters the chaine is more honorable but the slauery is all alike This may serue first for such as are not yet redeemed to stirre them vp to bewaile their wretched and miserable condition The people of Israel when they wer in bondage in Egypt They sighed for the bondage Exo. 2 23 24. and cried made their moane to God And the poor prisoners as Dauid saith That dwell in darknesse and in the shadow of death being bound in misery and Iron Psa 107 10 13 do cry vnto the Lord in their trouble c. Much more should they that are the vassals of sinne and the prisoners of the Deuill and hell crie earnestly vnto God for deliuerance It is a lamentable thing to see how the God of this worlde hath blinded the mindes of Infidels 2 Cor. 4 4. that they see not the miserie of their wretched estate but rather count the seruice of sinne to be sweete and pleasant and thinke it the greatest liberty in the world if they may be suffered to sweare whore and be drunk and run to all excesse of riot without controlment Whereas if they had grace to see it there is no bondage as we haue heard before so greeuous as the bondage of sin Naturally a Nihil faedius seruitute Cicer. Phillipic 3. men doe abhorre bondage b Omnibus ita est libertas insita vt emori potius quam seruire praestaret Cic. in L. Pison and the loue of liberty is so deepely setled in the hart as that many chuse rather to die then to becom seruants But for a man that hath beene noblie borne and well brought vp to become a slaue it is the greatest miserie in the world Much more miserable is it for Man that was the most excellent creature on the earth made after Gods owne image Lord and ruler ouer all the creatures to bee brought into bondage and subiection * Cum omnis seruitus misera tum vero intolerabile est seruire impuro c Cic. Phil. 3. But as all seruice is miserable so is it a most intollerable thing to be a seruant to a vile and base master But there is nothing so base in all the world as sinne and the deuill So that it may be truly said of euery wicked sinner that he is a seruant of seruants euen the basest vilest slaue that liueth And therefore let all such persons bee admonished neuer to giue rest vnto their soules neuer to come vpon their beds Psal 132 3 4. nor suffer their eies to sleepe nor their eye-liddes to slumber as Dauid saith in another case vntil they finde some comfortable assurance that they are redeemed deliuered from the power of darknesse Secondly for them that are redeemd by the death of Iesus Christ First it serueth to admonish them worthily to esteeme so great a benefite and to magnify the name of God who hath done so great things for them saying with Zacharias in his song Luke 1 68 69 Blessed bee the Lord God of Israel because hee hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised vp the horne of saluation vnto vs in the house of his seruant Dauid And certainly howsoeuer this benefite be nothing esteemed of carnall men who sauour nothing but the things of the flesh Romanes 8 5. yet they that haue once felt tasted the sweetnesse of it do contemne the wealth of all the world and with the Apostle Phil. 3 8. count it to be but dung in comparison of it And therefore they are carefull to stand fast in that libertie wherewith Christ hath made them free Gal. 5 1. And hauing once escaped from the filthinesse of the worlde 2 Peter 2 20. are loath to be entangled againe therein The Heathen man could say * Plane confiteor nihil fieri posse dementius quam scientem in cum locum venire vbi liber tatem sis perdi turus Cic. pro C. Raber I plainely confesse that nothing can bee more foolishly and madly done then for a man wittingly to come into that place where hee shall loose his libertie Much more should Christians make that account especially if they consider the worth of the price where-with they were redeemed They that once doe vnderstand what their Redemption cost the Lord they cannot but thinke