the word of God and by that Spirit as ye would see life and if yee put it out the Lord shall make you as senslesse as a beast They cried both but Pilate cries Judge ye him They crie crucifie him Pilate cries I find no fault in him worthy of death What euer be Pilates part who was a judge what euer was the part of the Iewes the accusers the Lord hath His part also in it and hee appointes it by His eternall decree the houre was come and Hee will haue His onely begotten Sonne to die for the sinnes of the world and He will be glorified in His death at this houre and He will not haue Him to die as one worthie of death in Himselfe but like an innocent in the sight of the world Now looke to this wisdome that his innocencie should appeare He will haue the Iudge protesting His innocencie oftentimes before He should die On the other part Hee will haue the conscience of the High Priests scraped out and He will haue them getting His blood if the High Priests conscience had beene wakned Iesus had not died at this time for the sinnes of the worlde and therefore to the ende that He should die He hardened the hearts of the accusers When any innocent man suffers and chiâ—fly for Christ the Lord hath disposed the worlde so that Hee hath made some to testifie of the innocencie of the Martyres and some hath Hee hardened to seeke the blood of the Martyres that He might be glorified Looke to Daniel Darius had a conscience of his innocencie but the Princes had hardened hearts Daniel 6.1 Looke when Paul was accused the Romane Gouernours Lysias Felix and Festus had a conscience of the innocencie of Paul but the High Priestes persecutes Him to the death When a malefactor sufferes the Lord will not vse this manner of doing He will not haue the Iudge to testifie the mans innocencie where there is none but he willl let him die and suffer like a murtherer an oppressour or a blasphemer as he is in very deed hee will haue Iudge accusers and all men conspire together to take awaye such pestes from the earth Therefore if there were no more but this if wee must die it should moue vs to die in a good cause and the best cause is the cause of Iesus Christ Take heede that thou suffer not like a nocent and guiltie person but like an innocent so thy death shall be glorious it is a paine to die and a greater paine to die for an euill cause Now the Priests answere Wee haue a lawe and according to our lawe Hee merites the death they challenge not a lawe to crucifie Him or any power to punish Him capitallie for all power of this was taken away from them by the Romanes yet for all this they forget not the right of their lawe That the blasphemer should die the death according to this lawe they affirme Him worthie of death So Brethren What euer Pilate can doe or say to mitigate and to asswage their malice speake what he can speake they continue in hardnes against Christ looke what blindes them The word of God that should make them to see it it blindes them and they vse it to their blinding All the things in the world yea the best thinges the very word of God serues to wicked men for nothing els but for their farder induration the more they seee the blinder they are they will read but the more they reade the blinder are they for why they abuse the word they will not make it a rule to direct their affections and actions but they abuse it to their fantasie makes a slaue of it Looke to the Papists this day they abuse the old and new Testaments they make them to serue their appetites they interpret expone and applie the word as they please they make the word of God the author of their lies I affirme that the word of God doth nothing to the Papists but blinde them it had bene good for them that they had neuer seene heard nor read the Scripture of God Write on say on this shall bee verified one day but let vs consider their reasoning The lawe ordaines that the blasphemer shall die the death but so it is that this man is a blasphemer for Hee hath made himselfe the Sonne of God therefore He should die y e death If ye looke the ground the general No maÌ„ can find fault with it for it is set downe in y e Law Leuit 24.14 but come to the applicatioÌ„ where they subsume Iesus is a blasphemer there they faile for Iesus was is and shall be that only begotteÌ„ Son of God therefore the conclusion is false that Hee ought to die the death So yee see the generall is true but the assumption and the conclusion is a lye In wicked men yee shall finde this that no man will laye downe fairer generalles out of the worde of God than they no man will doe that better but come on to the application there they goe astraye they applie not right but they applie either to this affection or that As for example The murtherer should die the death if there be an hatred in them against the man they will applie it vnto him but by the contrarie if hee bee a kinsman or a friende they will say this man is no murtherer howbeit hee bee as great a murtherer as Barabbas was and therfore he should not die Take heed to thine heart and thinke it not enough to knowe the generall to bee true but take heede to thine heart and to the affections thereof that they maye bee sanctified and chiefely thou who art a Iudge looke that thine heart bee free of hatred and of peruerse loue or else thy loue thine hatred and thy peruerse affections shall bee poyson to thee and shall blinde thee and shall make thee pronounce false judgement For what auailes knowledge what auailes it thee to haue a great light in thine head either thorowe nature or yet thorowe the worde of God if thou wantest reformation and sanctification to thine affections all is for nothing True Christianitie stands in the reformation of the heart and without this all the knowledge in the Scripture shall poyson thee to the death for except thou be reformed it had bene better for thee that thou hadst bene ignorant and neuer seene the Scripture Nowe to goe forwarde When they haue answered Pilate hee continues and it is said when he heard that that man was the Sonne of God if hee had a conscience before now he hath a greater conscience Euen as whatsoeuer Pilate can speake to the hie priests did no more but hardeÌ„ them on so all the wordes they vse to put out his conscience stirres it vp and wakens it the more Indeede they sought by all meanes to blotte out his conscience And all the doing of a consciencelesse man is to blinde thee and put out thy conscience like as his
was but for a time but no escaping for thee if thou be thrust into hell thou shalt neuer get out and shalt find nothing but bitternes aime here or there all shal be in vaine euerlasting bitternes shal be casten in thy teeth and compasse thee on all sides that is a sore word An euerlasting bitternes neuer to haue an ende So blessed is that soule for euer who in that Day shal be found in Christ to get a part of that passioÌ„ y t He suffred the Lord giue euery one of vs grace now while we haue time to know Him to seek to be fouÌ„d in Him for wo to y t soule y t shal be fouÌ„d out of Him in y e great day Now I come â—o y e voyces first to that fourth voyce y t the Lord vttered wheÌ„ He said I thirst When vttered He it When He knew that all â—hinges were ended To the ende that the prophesie might bee fulfiâ—led that was spoken of Him before Hee saide I thirst A voyce of sadnessâ— comming from an extreame drought of bodie The Lord Iesus as He tooâ—e our nature vpon Him so He tooke on all our infirmities sinne exâ—epted Many times was Hee hungry and thirsty but chiefely whâ—n He hanges on the Crosse in that extreame heat of His soule and His body The soule was burnt vp with wrath and all the moysture of the bodie likewise dryed vp with wrath at this time the Lord had such a thirst that the tongue of man cannot expresse it thou sufferedst neuer such a thirst in any Feuer or disease as the Lord Iesus suffered for thee on the Crosse And no doubt beside other paines this exceeding thirst was a part of His paine and a part of that ransome that He payed to the Father for our redemption Yee see when a man is in a Feuer the thirst will bee a speciall part of the paine that hee hath Therefore albeit the thirst that the Lord sâ—ffered on the Crosse was an exceeding great paine yet He will not vtter His voyce I thirst till the ransome was payed Hee would not seeke to quench that thirst till that wrath of the Father was satisfied The drought was insatiable for the infinite wrath of God thirsted after the blood of the Mediator bearing our sins and was not quenched till the blood of the Mediator was drunken vp No quenching of sin but by the blood of the Mediator if thou bee not in Him the wrath of God will thirst for thy blood After this followes that bodily thirst The soule is dried vp the moysture of the body is clung vp the wrath suckes all vp On this rises the thirst of the body for except the Lorde had had a spirituall thirst and a pleasure to obey His Father to the death to saue thy soule from Hell it had beene vnpossible for Him to haue suffered that bodily thirst so long Learne this lesson at the Lorde Iesus and followe His example wee should suffer patiently all paine that it pleases the Lord to lay on body and soule knowing that it is according to His will and that by thy suffering thy obedience to Him is tryed And as we should suffer patiently all paineâ— so wee learne at Christ to abide patiently this bodily thirst in sicknes or Feuers knowing well that the Lord layes it on vs to trie our obedience patience But wilt thou know how thou shouldest abide it patieÌ„tly The Lord Iesus had a spirituall thirst to obey His HeaueÌ„ly Father for thy saluation that swallowed vp that bodily thirst Gette thee an earnest thirst to obey thy God it will bee a wondrous thing how patientlie thou wilt suffer whatsoeuer God wil lay on thee Therfore BrethreÌ„ in all things we should set our hearts to obey God and winke and close thy eyes at all dangers yea if thou be in extreame thirst and going to die say Lord I wil obey thee if thou get thy heart thus resolued and humbled vnder the hand of thy God howbeit thou be in pain for a time thou shalt see a faire end The Lord Iesus after this thirst and after death saw a glorious end So no question wilt thou leane on thy God as He did abide His will patiently thou shalt see the joyfullest most glorious end that euer was The Lord giue vs grace to obey God and to say Cast me here or there lay on me what thou wilt I shall obey thee though thou shouldest slay mee I will trust in thee This is an happy râ—solution We shall speake of the end wherefore the Lord vttered this voyce To the ende saies Iohn that the Scripture might be fulfilled In the 5. of Matt. the Lord saies J come not to dissolue the Law and the Prophets but to fulfill the Lawe and to fulfill euerie jote of that Lawe Heauen and Earth shall perish ere one jote of that Lawe shall passe away Now among all the prophesies that Christ fulfilled there is one here made mention of in the 69. Psalme Jn my meat they gaue mee bitternesse and in my drinke they gaue mee gâ—ll to drinke Nowe this prophesie is accomplished Dauid spake this in his owne person typically but the veriâ—y thereof was fulfilled in Christ Dauid got no vineger to drinke but Iesus Christ drunke vineger When the Lord came into the world wrought the worke of our redemption there was not so much as a title that was foretold of Him but He fulfilled it there was not a circumstance of His death but it was fore-tolde That nayling was fore-tolde where it is said They pearced mine hands and my feete The hanging of Him betwixt two Thieues was fore-tolde They reckon me saies the Prophet amoâ—g the vnjust The diuiding of His garmentes was fore-spoken They diuidâ—d my garmentes among them and cast lottes for my coat Looke the XXII and IXVI. PSALMES and the LIII CHAPTER of ESAY So this drinking of vineger was foretolde Nowe what learnes this vnto vs Was there euer any man whose death was pointed out this waye No neuer any one All the Kinges nor all the Emperoures had neuer such a particular pointing out of their death This lets vs see that the Father had a more speciall care of the death of IESVS than of the death of anie man that euer vvas and consequentlie it lets vs see that there vvas neuer such a vvorthie personage in the vvorlde as IESVS and that there was neuer such excellencie in the death of any as in the death of Iesus in it stood the life of the world Let men make pompes of the death of Emperours the Lord had neuer such an eye to the death of any as to the death of His onely well beloued Sonne and all the predictions of His death are to this end that wee comparing the issue of His death with the predictions wee might beleeue that Iesus was sent to bee the onely Sauiour of the world When I thinke on this I wonder at the
voyces vvere of joye for it appeares well that before the Lord gaue vp the ghost comfort and joye returned to Him againe And I am of this mind that there are none who are Gods owne but before their departure out of this life sooner or later they will get a sense of that joye which they are to passe vnto immediatelie The first voyce of joye was All is ended As though Hee vvoulde saye This wâ—â—ke is done and ended and nowe the ransome of the redemption of man is payed to the least farthing Nowe the last voyce vvas vvhen Hee vvas immediatelie readie to render vp His spirite into the handes of the Father sayes with a feeling of joy in the heart Into thine hands Father J commend my Spirit Now this day we haue to speake by His grace First of His death and the yeelding vp of His Spirit Next of those wonders that fell out immediatly after the Lord had rendered the Spirit and thirdly we haue to speake how the multitude were mooued when they sawe these wonders Novve as concerning His death the words are but few Iohn sayes When Hee had spoken and cried with a loude voyce Hee bowed downe His head and He rendered His Spirit The wordes are to be marked Hee renders His Spirit first as it were Hee tooke His soule in His owne Hande and deliuered it in the handes of the Father desiring Him to keepe it well to the day of His glorious resurrection for Brethren this is the difference betweene the godly vngodly in their death as they differ and are vnlike to other in their life so especially in their death The vngodly cast away the soule and life and cares not where it goes but woe is to them that doe so they will neuer take vp such a life againe when they haue cast it awaye not regarding where it goes to but thinking lightly of it No let no man nor woman cast away this life or dislodge this soule lightly if the soule goe from thee lightly and thou carest not for it better it were for thee neuer to haue had a life a soule or a body But againe Brethren The Lord Iesus as all His lifetime Hee is carefull for the soule that is lodged in an earthly tabernacle so chiefly in the moment when it is to fllit The godly they will not let the soule flit out of the body vntill they know that the hand of the Lord is sweetly loosing the soule to keepe it vntill the day of their glorious resurrection Brethren it would be well marked There is not one of the foure Euangelists Matthew Marke Luke or Iohn but they note very precisely the death of the Lord and the yeelding vp of His Spirit As for the circumstances that fell out in His Passion some will note one thing and leaue another As for example These voyces that He vtters on the Crosse not one of the Euangelists hath them all some hath one and some another But when it comes to the yeelding of the Spirit they all in one harmonie note The Lord gaue vp the Spirit This is a thing not to be passed by nor to be lightly looked on and it lets vs see the death of our Sauiour the separation of His soule from His body is so substantiall and so needfull a thing both to Him to haue suffered and vs to knowe that except the Lord had suffered the death all the crucifying of Him inwardly outwardly all the rest of His suffering had auailed vs nothing the ransome of our sinnes had not bene payed for that was the curse that was laide vpon vs to pull our soule from our bodie and as it was needfull that He should suffer the death for vs so it is needfull to euery one of vs to knowe this that my Sauiour died and His soule was really separated from His body it is needfull that thou haue euermore the Lord Iesus crucified before thee and know that the soule was separated from His blessed body for grace and remission of sinnes is conquered thorow the death of the Mediatour if thou hast not Faith of the death of the Mediatour it is vnpossible that thou canst beleeue that thy soule shall come to Heauen The Apost Heb. 9. hath a notable comparison hee sayes When a man hath made a Testament and his legacie wherein hee leaues such inheritance to any man his Testament can neuer bee sure nor ratified before the man be dead and if he ratifie not the Testament with his death it cannot bee sure for the man in this life may alter the Testament But after that once he die there it stands it cannot be reuoked Euen so sayes the Apostle The Heire of the world Iesus Christ hath made a Testament and such one as neuer man made leauing such goods and heritage to His Saints as neuer man left euen that heauenly Heritage that exceeding Glorie Now sayes the Apostle If the Heire of the World Iesus Christ had not sealed vp His Testament by His blood it had neuer beene sure but His death interueening and closing it then the Testament is sure all the world is not able to alter one jote of it to adde or diminish it Woe be to him that will adde any thing to the Testament of Iesus Christ he is counted a villaine who will adde to a mans Testament Wilt thou adde or diminish any thing at thy pleasure from the Testament of Iesus Christ This Newe Testament is the best Testament that euer was Let Worldlings bee content with the Testaments of their forefathers yet count thou nothing at all except thou get a part of the legacie left in His Testament Woe bee to thee albeit thou get Eaâ—ledomes and Kingdomes and great possessions left to thee by the Testament of thy forefathers if thou gettest not this Testament Well Brethren this Testament can not be ratified but by the blood of the Testator How can I beleeue it except I know that He died and that the soule was as verily separated from the body as euer the soule of man was so when I consider the death of my Sauiour who hath made such a Testament I am so farre from that to bee offended at that shamefull death that the death is the ground of my saluation and that in His death is all my glorie the assurance of my life is in the assurance of His death and His ignominie and shame is my glorie Now thus farre for the death of the Lord Iesus Now come to the consideration of these wonders that fell out immediately as He gaue vp the Ghost The Vaile of the Temple rent asunder from the toppe to the bottome The earth quaked Such things neuer fell out in all the deathes of men in the world No not in the deathes of all the Kings in the world The stones were clouen the graues of the dead did open These are the foure wonders that are noted to haue fallen out immediatly when the Lord gaue vp the Ghost Brethren
the pointes of his Iustice it behoued Him to suffer all the points of Iustice vnder the earthly judge Pontius Pilate in His condemnation in His taking from the crosse in His burial this was all to the intent that thou mightest be fully freed from all the points of the Iustice of GOD for whatsoeuer thing He either did or suffered it was for thy cause There is another thing here that would not be passed by There is no question but it comes of the Prouidence of God that this body is neither reaued away by violence nor stollen away by slight but the taking away comes of a speciall request◠no question this matter was so dispensed that the death of Iesus should bee made notable and come to the eares of Pilate and all other men the death was to be made notable to the world likewise the buriall was to be made notable to the end that His glorious resurrection might be made knowne to the world These are the two pillars of our Faith the death of Christ and His resurrection these are the two points that the deuill and the Heretiques haue from time to time striuen to hew and cut downe that they should not appeare to the world because they are the chiefe pillars of our Faith but honour glory be to the Lord who of His grace hath kept these pillars constantly in His Church in despite of the deuill all his instrumēts Now the God of Heauen grant vs grace to take holde on His death and glorious resurrection that through His death and resurrection we may bee raised from death to newnesse of life here that hereafter wee may reigne in glory with Him To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirite bee all honour praise and glorie world without end AMEN THE XXVI LECTVRE OF THE BVRIALL OF CHRIST MARKE CHAP. XV. verse 44 And Pilate marueiled if hee were alreadie dead and called vnto him the Centurion and asked of him whether hee had beene any while dead verse 45 And when hee know the trueth of the Centurion hee gaue the bodie to Ioseph verse 46 Who bought a linnen cloth and tooke him downe and wrapped him in the linnen cloth c. IOHN CHAP. XIX verse 38 And after these things Ioseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Iesus but secretly for feare of the Iewes besought Pilate that hee might take downe the body of Iesus And Pilate gaue him licence Hee came then and tooke Iesus bodie verse 39 And there came also Nicodemus who first came to Iesus by night and brought of myrrhe and aloes mingled together about an hundreth pound verse 40 Then tooke they the bodie of Iesus and wrapped it in linnen clothes with the odours as the manner of the Iewes is to burie THE last day welbeloued in Iesus Christ wee entered into the History of the Buriall of the Lord Iesus and wee hearde that the Buriall came by a request made to Pilate the Romane Deputie for the time The request maker was one IOSEPH Hee is set down and described by all the foure EVANGELISTES in all his properties Hee was a man of ARIMATHEA a Towne in IVRIE Hee vvas a rich man and also an honourable and graue Counseller Then as concerning the qualities of his person Hee was a good and an vpright man who liued vprightlie in the worlde and yet hee had a further respect than vnto this life for he waited constantlie for the Kingdome of God And therefore when Christ came into the worlde and tooke vpon Him that great office of the Mediator betwixt GOD and man hee enters into His schoole and became His Disciple howbeit for feare of the IEVVES hee durst not manifest himselfe but lurked secretlie for a time euen to this time that it came to the Buriall of the bodie of Iesus and then hee shewes himselfe to bee a Disciple of Christ In that Councell which was against the Lorde hee vvas a Counseller but hee vvoulde neither giue counsell nor consent to the condemning and slaying of CHRIST Thus much yee hearde before concerning this man and his properties Then wee hearde howe hee goes forwarde boldlie to Pilate to seeke the Lordes bodie Hee lurked before so long as Iesus was in the worlde working such wonders as neuer man wrought speaking with such a grace as neuer man spake with But nowe when Hee is dead hee comes out boldlie and goes to Pilate and hee manifestes himselfe To let vs see that IESVS in His death had greater force to drawe the soules of men vnto Him than Hee had in His life for from that death there came so sweete and sensible a smell to the soules of sinners that it drewe the soules of sinners vnto Him Namelie the heart of this man IOSEPH So that hee comes out boldlie as saide is and hee goes to PILATE and requestes him to giue him the bodie of IESVS to bee buried Thus farre vvee hearde the last daye Nowe this daye wee haue PILATES answere to IOSEPHS request PILATE wonders that He was dead so soone and for the more certaintie hee calles a Centurion and askes him if Hee was dead alreadie The Centurion affirmes that Hee was dead alreadie PILATE grantes the request After this we come to the maner of His Buriall Wee shall goe forward as time shall suffer God shall giue vs grace Pilate wonders that hee was so soone dead This wondering of Pilate no question imports that the death of Iesus was extraordinary It was not after the common fashion of men y t were crucified for men who were crucified they vsed to hing long on the Crosse before they yeelded the spirit dayes nights and in end ere they yeelded the spirite the life was taken from them by violence They were broken on the Crosse So Pilate hearing that the Lorde was so soone dead hee wondered as at an extraordinarie thing There are sundrie thinges that testifie that death of Iesus to haue beene extraordinary as first That mighty and loude voyce crying which the Lord vttered on the Crosse immediately before He yeelded the spirit for who will giue a loud crie at the yeelding of his spirit for at the poinct of death when nature failes it is a rare thing to finde a man to haue a voyce or a word Next The yeelding of His spirit so suddenly whē by the power of nature He might haue liued longer Last This wondering of Pilate testifies That His death was extraordinarie that there was a power in Iesus which controlled nature When nature would haue kept life the diuine power puts it out In a word This wondering testifies That the death of Iesus was the death of God the death of a man but God in the man glorious and blessed for euermore Now it is said Pilate vnderstood of the Centurion that Iesus was dead when hee granted the request of Ioseph and gaue the bodie to him to bee buried First I see Pilate is a good Iustitier the Romane Iustice was
I thinke no man nor woman should doubt why these women preached this Resurrection The LORD giues them a spâ—ciall direction first from GOD then from His Angell and this commission might satisfie so that the Apostles were bound to receiue this commission that vvas ordained by the LORD of Heauen I marke this lesson There is neither man nor woman can speake in the Name of the Lord except they be sent So sayes Paul to the Romanes tenth Chapter and fifteenth verse None can preach except he be sent How can one preach CHRIST and if hee be not sent by CHRIST daâ—e a knaue stand vp in the middest of a cittie or towne and make a proclamation in the name of the Prince and not haue a warrand and darest thou stand vp and speake in the Name of the great GOD of Heauen and haue no warrand Indeede it is the LORD who knowes who is sent if thou werest neuer so admitted and warranded by the Church the Lord in that great day shall neuer count of thy preaching except thou haue a vvarrand in thy conscience Will Hee put His worde in the mouth of euery knaue No that is a grace to call IESVS the LORD No thou canst not call IESVS the Lord except thou haue the Spirit of Iesus as the Apostle sayes in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the twelfth Chapter and third verse So whether wee bee Ministers or others who speake of IESVS we should looke that that Spirit be in the heart to direct vs when we speake I marke next it was not enough to haue seene this resurrection and neuer to haue spoken one worde of it No Hee commands them to testifie to the Apostles and the Apostles got this commandement to preach it againe for the Gospell is not a candle to put vnder a bushell but to holde it vp and shewe it to the worlde for it is the life and the light of the worlde PAVL sayes to Timothie in his second Epistle the second Chapter first verse That that thou hast heard of mee before many witnesses the same deliuer thou to faithfull men which shall be able to teach others also No it is not to be concredite to euery knaue it is too precious a jewell to deliuer to knaues let them deliuer it to them that are able to teach others let the first deliuer to the second and the second to the third and the third to the fourth and the fourth to the fifth and so let it euer sound in the world Woe to that soule that impedes the course of the glorious Gospell for what can there be vvhere it is not teached but death No this Gospell is a stumbling blocke to the world Tell them sayes the Angell Hee vvill meete them in Galile for Iurie denied mee No would CHRIST say I will not appoint to meete with them in Ierusalem for Ierusalem is not worthie of mee but I will meete them in Galile and so they met with Him as ye shall see hereafter by Gods grace Then I see that all these tithings that tell vs of things that are not seene hath euery one of them a promise joyned with them y t we shall see them come to passe Beleeue thou that He hath suffered and thou shalt see that He hath suffered and beleeue that He is in glorie thou shalt see Him in glorie We savv Him not vvith our bodily eyes but we haue that blessing which the LORD pronounced to Thomas Iohn Chapter 20. verse 29. Blessed are they which neuer saw mee and yet doe beleeue in mee Now blessed for euer shall that soule be that neuer savv the LORD and yet beleeues in Him and I speake to thee a sore vvorde if thou beleeuest not vntill thou see Him thou shalt neuer see Him if thou beleeuest not that He died vntill thou see that Hee died thou shalt nâ—uer see Him but to thy damnation Hope vnder hope and against Hope Brethren many are the impediments that will stay vs so that wee will say I vvill neuer see Him I heare much speaking of Heauen but alas I feare I shall neuer see it I heare much spoken of life but alas I feare I shall neuer see life And these are the tentations of the most godly men and women of this vvorld yet against all these tentations beleeue Gods promises and hope for life for PAVL sayes in the Epistle to the Romanes the fifth Chapter and the fifth verse Faith brings foorth experience and Hope makes not ashamed because the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts aboundantly by the holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs. No let none of these tentations hinder vs that thing that holdes backe the infidels shall worke for the best to thee that fearest the Lord if thou fearest the Lord I promise thee in y e name of GOD all these tentations shall further thee and thou shalt bee partaker of Life Now a word and I shall ende He signets seales vp that which he hath told I haue tolde you it saies he as he would say It is true that I haue tolde you and I vvill seale it to be true and ye shâ—ll find it to be true therefore doubt not So our lesson is this WheÌ„soeuer thou commest to testifie to the people of God in paine of thy life looke thou speake nothing but that which God biddes thee speake and that thou mayest saye in conclusion This is true that I haue saide and that this is true I vvill byde by it and seale it vp vvith my blood The Angell had no blood but if thou be not of that minde to shedde thy blood thou art but a deceiuer This is a great boldnesse to seale to seale it vp with thy blood but if thou haue it not sealed vp in thine heart thou shalt neuer seale it vp with thy blood and vvhen it comes to the sealing thou shalt steale away No it is a great vvord to say vvith the Prophet Dauid I beleeued and therefore I spake Looke thou speake nothing to the people of God but that which thou striuest to beleeue Howe is this assurance gotten And vvill euerie vvanton man get this assurance to stande and seale it vp vvith his blood No except thou striue night and day to get the Lorde in thy presence and not to haue anie joye but in His presence thou shalt neuer haue this assurance Then howe is it kept The Lord hath appointed reading Take heede to thy reading saies Paul to Timothie in his first Epistle the fourth CHAPTER and 13. vers and giue thy selfe to meditation and shâ—we thy knowledge in that that thou hast read and get not a knowledge onelie but a sense to speake to others Reading bringes knowledge and meditation bringes feeling and last is prayer And if it bee the duetie of all men to praye then especiallie the Minister is bounde to praye both for himselfe and for them also to vvhome hee is sent So in a vvorde Reade meditate and
finde them all most clearly manifested in the person of Iesus Christ Now wouldst thou know that in him thou shalt find all things that the soule of man stands in neede of can require What can the soule of man require Desirest thou honour If thou beleeuest in him he shall grant thee that power prerogatiue that thou shalt be the Sonne of God Ioh. 1.12 Desirest thou riches He was made poore that thou through his pouertie mightest be made rich 2. Cor. 8.9 not with transitorie and corruptible riches but with riches and treasures incorruptible permanent desirest thou food meat drinke to thy soule He is that bread of life he is that water of life desirest thou wisdome sanctification and redemption Christ is all these vnto thee 1. Cor. 1.29 Ioh. 8.12 Desirest thou light He is the light of the world Ioh. 8.12 Desirest thou life He is thy life Col. 3.4 What euer he suffered it was for thee for by his stripes we are healed Esai 53.5 He was burthened with shame that he might redeeme thee from shame and cloth thee with glory he was taken and bound to set thee at libertie who was bound with Sathan and sinne he was mocked and was dumbe before the earthly Iudge that thou whose mouth before was closed through the guilt of sinne before God might haue boldnesse peartnesse in thy prayers supplications he suffered-anguish and griefe that thou mightst finde comfort ioy he dranke the gall that thou mightst drinke of a sweet and ioyfull cuppe he was naked that thou mightst be clothed and if thou wilt goe through all the points of his suffering and apply them to thy broken and casten downe soule thou shalt finde that euery one of them shall furnish comfort vnto thee yea if thou be a true penitent sinner beleeuest in him thou shalt find all these miracles to be wrought and performed in thy soule which euer the Lord in the dayes of his humiliy wrought on the body of any thou shalt finde life to thy dead soule eyes to thy blind soule eares to thy deafe soule limbes to thy lame soule a new tongue to thy dumbe soule c. Therefore as we should take pleasure delite in reading the whole parts of the Scripture for it is all by diuine inspiration is profitable to teach to cōuince to correct to instruct in righteousnes 2. Tim. 3.16 so chiefly that part which cōtaines the historie of the passion resurrection of Christ for of all there is none more profitable none more necessarie none more easie to be vnderstood by the simple none more easie to be kept in memorie none more forcible to mooue the affections either to admire the incomprehensible and infinite loue of God toward sinners or the fiercenes of his wrath for sinne or the seueritie of his iustice in seeking such exact satisfactiō or to moue to detest abhorre sin which made the Sonne of God to be made so vnworthily alwayes handled at last to be so shamefully crucified or to reioyce for these incomprehensible benefits that Christ hath acquired to vs our effectuall calling frō the kingdome of darknes to his marueilous light our iustification in pacifying the wrath of God in satisfying for sinne in absoluing vs from guiltines in dying that we might liue in bringing peace ioy to the conscience c. our sanctificatiō whereby we are repaired to his owne Image Nothing serues more for the mortificatiō nor when we consider how Christ hang vpon the Crosse for sin nothing will moue vs more effectually to cōforme our selues to him as an ensample in his humility patience obediēce loue finally in offering our selues to him as he offered himselfe for vs nor when by faith we beholde Christ on the Crosse crucified for vs. Now this history of the death resurrectiō of Christ haue many worthy men learnedly cōfortably handled exponed with great painfulnes no lesse cōmendatiō amōgst the rest that reuerent faithful man of God M. Robert Rollocke of blessed memory for his learned iudicious expositiō thereof for his manifold other graces which God vouchsafed on him deserues with the first to be cōmēnded for God in him as in a vine ensample gaue vs a shew of such qualities cōditiōs as are required to be in a Bishop of Iesus Christ 1. Tim. 3. In him learning godlines stroue together knowledge consciēce art nature a professiō an answerable conuersatiō he was faithfull painfull in his calling his calling did he decore with an holy harmlesse life for betweene these two there was such an harmony cōsent that in reading his writtings any man might see the maner of his life in seeing his life he might also therein read his writtings for his life spake what his pen wrote his person was a patterne of his writtē precepts he was neuer idle but euer doing the office of a Minister of Iesus either did he read meditate pray comfort preach or write no trauell did he refuse that he might glorifie God who sent him enlarge the kingdome of Iesus Christ acquire miserable soules from misery to felicity from darknes to light from death to life that so at last he might finish his course with ioy that was his meat his drink the delite pleasure of his soule Great graces did the Lord bestow vpō him excellēt knowledge great humility feruēt zeale charitable interpreting of all mēs doings compassiō toward all sorts of sinners Who in cōceiuing was more quick in iudgmēt more solide in memory more stedfast sure in deliuery more pithy in conuincing more powerful who with learning had greater facility easines in declaring his mind resoluing y e text of Scripture greater clearnes in raising y e grounds of doctrine greater power in applying greater wisdome in furnishing cōsolation greater dexterity in loosing of things obscure doubtsome In one word we may be bold to say of him that which Nazianzene spake of Athanasius that his life was a good definition of a true Minister preacher of the Gospell But we need not to insist in praysing him seeing so many euen all that knew him by face or heard him doe praise him for the singulare excellēt vertues graces that God bestowed on him yea they who neuer knew him by face but by his learned iudicious writtings dwelling afarre off haue highly commēded him the posteritie whose profite so much hee regarded in his labours wee doubt not shall know praise him and we had rather be silent than to speake too litle Now Sir because we thought that these Lectures on this history of the passion resurrectiō of Christ in it selfe for the matter so mouing alluring would profite edifie many if not of the most learned at least of the simple sort that other Sermons that were deliuered by him and set out by vs of before were well
giuen out In this Text wee enter into the thirde part of the suffering of Christ vnder PoÌ„tius Pilate the Romane gouernour First in the Text wee haue read howe the Lord is led into the Common Hall of Pilate then vve haue what confereÌ„ce was betwixt Pilate the Iewes coÌ„cerning Christ Then it is said They led him into the common Hall which is as vve call it the Session-house where the Romane Gouernour sate for the time and ministrated judgement Now Brethren it would be well marked when it is that they ledde Him to Pilate it appeares plainly in the writings of the EuaÌ„gelists namely Mat. 26.59 Mark 14.55 Luk. 22.63 that they led Him in after they adjudged Him to bee worthie of death They led Him not in thinking that Pilate should sit downe trie whether He was worthie of death or no but that Pilate vpon their word should giue out the sentence of condemnation against Him Marke coÌ„sider how they abused y e judge a man better thaÌ„ theÌ„selues they make him but a torturer the best is a damner to giue out the senteÌ„ce Ye may see here a liuely image of him who wil be called the hie priest in y e Kirke this day I meane that beast of Rome the Romane antichrist Indeed this day there is no hie priest but Iesus Christ onely who did put an end to that office amoÌ„g the Iewes there is no hie priest or small priest great or small in the world all is but vsurped authority He is that only hie priest according to the order of Melchisedeck who endureth for euer But he who falsely takes vpon him that stile followes the fact example of Caiaphas first condemning Christ and then giuing Him ouer to Pilate to execute the sentence for he will sit downe in his councell adjudge the innocent to death as Caiaphas did Christ then he will vse the power arme of the Emperour for what is the Emp. so many kings who haue giuen theÌ„selues ouer to his slauery but like as many hangmen to the Pope What is the king of Spaine but a Burrio to the Pope he dare not but execute the decree of the inquisition was he not compelled to pleasure the Pope his crue in putting his own sonne to death Ye saw neuer two things liker to other than the Pope Caiaphas The time is noted when the Lord Iesus is led to the Common Hall first it is in the morning after the rising of the Sunne and after the councell of the hie priest and of the Elders was loosed The manner of the deliuery is noted wheÌ„ they come to the place of judgmeÌ„t the Iewes will not enter in because they wil not defile theÌ„selues if it were with the touching of a profane ethnik or the walles of an house O hypocrites The cause is set downe They were in a preparatioÌ„ to eat the passeouer y t same night now wil ye see these holy folk they wil not be polluted with the touching of Pilate they had polluted theÌ„selues miserably with touching of Iesus that innocent polluted both haÌ„d heart in taking him leading him to the judge accusing him abusing him yet wheÌ„ they haue done al this they will not be defiled with Pilate they are profane in the greatest thing in the world to slay the Lord Iesus they are religious in a light ceremonie of their owne inuention Looke the nature of Hypocrites Paul Ephes 5.12 It is ashame euen to speake of those things which an Hypocrite will doe in secret and if ye will come to ceremonies and outward obseruations no man is so precise and will seeme so holy as they the faithfullest creature will not be so holy in bodily exercise as they yea I say vnto you if there be no more but this bodily exercise keeping of ceremonies the Lord countes all but abominations as ye may see in Esay Chap. 1. Preaching and hearing speaking conferring the Lord countes no more of them than if He had neuer ordained them if there be no more but this outward action and as before euen so nowe I say we haue a viue image of the deceiuers of the world The Popes religion is nothing but a deceiuing of the world by keeping of vaine and vnprofitable ceremonies inuented by him will yee come to trifles of their owne inuentions they appeare to be very religious and exceeding holy touch not handle not taste not but their Cloyster Monkes are so defiled that they defile the world offer him golde or siluer hee will not touch it and if a woman come into their Cloyster all must be purified with fire after that she is come out though she were a Queene there is the lounes religion I pronounce that in Popedome there is but a shew of godlinesse haue denied the power thereof follow the Papistes who will they haue nothing almost but trifles their own inuentions Well then come to the conference betweene the Iewes Pilate Pilate yeelding to their vanitie superstition not so much to their religion He cometh out to them seeing he must judge the Lord He asketh if they had any accusation against Him because they would not come in It is not enough to judge a man except the pursuer haue an accusation Pilate would not sit down to judge except hee saw the accusation indeed the Iewes tooke him bound Him and in the high Priests hall handled Him vnworthily before they had any accusation against Him they bring Him in judgement but Pilate an Ethnicke a sinner as they called him wil not proceed that way he is more formall he wil not sit down in judgement till he heare the accusation an Ethnicke who liues without God in the world and without the promises as Paul speakes he is more just formall in judgement than all the Iewes who professed the true God This falls out oftentimes that a â—urke or Pagane who liuing without God in the world will deale more vprightly in judgement and especially with Christians who are persecuted for the Name of Christ than they that take vpon them the name of the Church It is better for a Christian to fall into the handes of the Turke than of the Pope or of the Inquisition of Spaine let them assay it vvho please Well Brethren there is no crueltie or vvrong comparable to the crueltie of these vvho take vpon them the name of the Church Experience hath prooued this Nowe hee requires a vardict of the Iewes but vvhat answere they If hee had not beene an euill doer wee had not deliuered him vnto thee They answere presumptuously What needest thou to doubt of his deseruing or of vs Thinkest thou that this man vvould haue bene condemned by vs vvithout a sufficient cause of death So yee see it is not that hee shoulde sit downe and trie vvhether Hee vvere innocent or no that they brought Him to Pilate but that vpon their vvordes hee
is trueth And when he had said that hee went out againe vnto the Iewes and said vnto them I finde in him no cause at all verse 39 But you haue a custome that I should deliuer you one loose at the Passeouer will yee then that I loose vnto you the King of the Iewes verse 40 Then cryed they all againe saying Not him but Barabbas nowe this Barabbas was a murtherer WEE heard these dayes past Brethren of the suffering of the Lord First in the Garden Next vnder Caiaphas the High Priest for the time and then vvee entered into the thirde part of His suffering vnder Pontius Pilate the Romane gouernour who abode in Hierusalem for the time We heard the accusatiō that the Hie Priests and the Iewes alledge to Pilate the judge vvhere hee sate in judgement against Iesus Christ the accusation was not blasphemous against God for when the Priests thought Him afore in their own judgement seat worthy of death but treason against the maiesty of Caesar he calles himself say they the king of the Iewes as though Christ had come into y e world to be an earthly king and to take the kingdom ouer Caesars head Whē Pilate had posed Christ about this after one or two answeres he findes this accusation vaine false fained And therefore Brethren first in this Text we haue read this day we haue the purgatiō of Iesus and y t out of Pilates own mouth Next howe hee seekes by all meanes to get Him out of the Iewes hands Thirdly we haue the part of the Iewes how they seeke maliciously the life of the innocent preferres Barabbas a murtherer vnto Him As to the first part it is said that Pilate went out again to the Iewes out of the Hall and professed before them all that hee found no fault in that man worthie of death Then Pilate after his inquisition finding Iesus Christ vvho vvas accused before him free of all affectation of Caesars kingdome yet finding that Hee denied not but that Hee vvas a king and that vvas that good vvitnessing that Christ gaue vnder Pontius Pilate as Paul 1. Tim. 6.13 saies but Hee vvas no king of this vvorld Then Pilate thinkes there vvas no crime in Christ Iesus as concerning the other kingdome Pilate thought it but an imagination fantasie therefore thinking that Iesus made Himselfe to be a fantasticke king and sought not Caesars kingdome from him he vvould not count Him vvorthie of death but he clenses Him Politicke and prophane hearted men in this vvorld vvho smell of nothing but of the earth and haue no sense of Heauenlie thinges if ye will but leaue them the thinges of this worlde as Caesars kingdome the glory the honour the riches and the pleasures of this worlde vnto them they care not what men speake of God or His kingdome or of Iesus Christ or of matters of religion howbeit that they would say that they would climbe vp to the Heauen and raue it from God they care not for it as Paul sayes The natural man countes heauenly things but foolishnes speake to them of heauenly things all is but imagination Heauen is as dreame to them Lysias the chiefe Captaine who was in Jerusalem after this man vnder the Gouernour Felix when Paul was persecuted in Ierusalem ye remember what he wrote to Felix They accuse him of trifles and of questions of their law but I finde no thing in the man worthie either of death or of bands Acts 23.29 Wordly men countes it not a crime or a thing worthie of punishment to derogate from Gods glorie Well let men spend their time one day they shall feele it to their griefe that religion is the most earnest excellent thing that euer was and they shall curse the time that euer they esteemed any thing excellent but religion Yet this is commendable in Pilate that he giues so faire a testimonie of Iesus a Ethnicke who had no knowledge of God nor sense of the life to come to stand vp in y e face of them who should haue knowne Iesus Christ to purge the innocent might haue made the High Priests the Iewes ashamed Yet will ye marke this more narrowly albeit his purgation bee faire yet hee faileth farre for in purgation he vttereth a prophane heart whilst he purges Him in words he scorneth Him in his heart condemneth that Kingdome of His that trueth whereof He spake as a fable Prophane men who haue no part of sanctification whē they speake fairest and when they seeme to doe best they doe nothing but sinne Why because in the meane time when they speeke fairest their heart is full of vanitie in their heart they scorne God Albeit thou standest vp speakest much for the defence of Christ seemest to be angrie at the Iewes as Pilate did if in the meane time thine heart beleeue not in that Iesus thou art but a scorner all thy speach serueth for no purpose to thee if thou beleeuest not therefore in speaking of Heauen of religiō of Iesus Christ we should take heede to the heart y t it be sanctified remember y t while the mouth speakes God sees the heart whē thou speakest of that Name of Iesus Christ let tihne heart grippe into Him so thy speach shal be edifying and gratious Now when he hath cleansed Him by word thereafter by deede he seekes to get him loose And it is subjoyned that Pilate sayes Ye haue a custome that I should deliuer you a prisoner loose at the Passeouer Will ye that I let loose the King of the Iewes The rest of the Euangelists Matthew 27.12 Marke 15.3 Luke 23. setteth downe another accusation that past in order before this immediatly which I shal touch shortly the High Priests seeing that they obtained nothing by the first accusation wherein they accuse Him of treason against Caesar yet they will not leaue off but delates to Pilate many things and heapes calumnie vpon calumnie and oppresses Him with accusations as for Iesus Hee made none answere Pilate seeing this he vrges Him once twise to speake He will not speake Pilate wondereth at his great silence the High Priests insist at last they accuse Him of false doctrine which He had vttered from Galile vnto Hierusalem When Pilate vnderstood that He was a Galilean he sendes Him to Herode who was Tetrarch of Galile thinking to gratifie Herode that beeing at variance friendship should haue beene made Herode rejoyced at his comming and hoped that hee should haue seene some wonders of Him for both Pilate and Herode thought to make a Iugler of Iesus but Herode gets not one word of Him much lesse a signe or a wonder then Herode beginnes to mocke Him puttes on a garment on Him in token of derision and sends Him to Pilate then Pilate the second time with his owne voyce cleanses Him Some will maruell what moued Iesus to keepe such a silence to them all
for the first incident There is another thing that falles out whereof wee read in the 23 Chapter Luke as He goes to the place of execution it is said that the multitude followed Him This multitude was not onely of the Iewes but also of all Nations who resorted to Hierusalem at the time of the Passeouer Nowe this multitude followed to see what should become of Him as men who are inclined to see wonders Sâ—e on what minde thou followest a man to death these spectacles are spectacles of thy miserie they followe to see the fashion but surely this following of Christ and this going of Christ to His suffering with such a multitude learneth vs a lesson it pleased the Father that Iesus Christ should suffer an open shame He would not haue Him stollen down or secretly executed in the night He would haue Him accused publikly before the great Iudge who represented Cesars person Then as Hee went out He would haue all the worlde to see Him and then Hee would haue Him mounted vp and nailed vpon the Crosse in the face of the world in a worde the Father would haue the Sonne who became suretie for vs to die and not onely to die but also to be pined and not onely pined but also to bee pined shamefully There is not a sinne in the worlde let wanton men take their pastime in sinne albeit it were done neuer so secretly goe to thy chamber doe it doe it in the night goe to holes and most secret places and commit wickednesse but the end thereof how secret so euer it was shall bee with open shame I denounce against secret sinnes against God thy secret sinnes shall bring an open shame to thee if thou haue not recourse to the shame of Iesus either of necessitie thou must suffer in thy person eternally and drinke out the full cuppe of the wrath of God or els thou must haue recourse to the shame of Iesus Christ and this is our comfort that wee haue Wilt thou first of all repent thee an impenitent man will neuer get the cloake of Christs righteousnesse to couer his shame and turne and beleeue in Iesus Christ Wilt thou haue recourse to Him and loure vnder His Passion I promise thee that thou shalt neuer come to an open shame it my bee that men come to an open shame for sinne in this worlde but in the worlde to come I promise thee thou shalt not suffer any shame in that daye thy sinnes shall not come to the light neither man nor Angell shall see them But if thou haue not recourse to Iesus thou shalt bee rooâ—ed out like a thiefe out of a hoale before millions of millions of Angels and before all the worlde and the secrets of thine heart shall bee reueiled and heapes of the wrath of God shall bee powred on thy miserable head Hell stands not only in paine but in shame and confusion thou shalt goe downe to Hell with a fearefull shoute from the sight of this world at that judgement Now to come to these women amongst the rest there followes Him certaine women out of Hierusalem there is a great difference betweene them and the multitude women oft times shames men The souldiers pities Him not their pleasure is in His miserie wee see not heere that any of the multitude mournes but it is saide that the women of Hierusalem that followed Him wept for Him This was done of the Father to testifie His innocencie the Father at all times will haue the innocencie of His Sonne witnessed during the time of His accusation the Iudge preached His innocency as he was giuing out the senteÌ„ce against Him he both by deed in washing of his hands word testifies His innocencie And now whilst He goes out Hee makes these women to bewaile Him No question all this was done by the Lords prouidence Iesus the innocent Hee was lamented for Wilt thou bee innocent like to Him thou shalt not want bewailing ye see this if he be a thiefe and hee bee penitent and haue recourse to Iesus and seeke to be innocent with that innocencie of Iesus Christ men will pitie him but especially in that great daye if thou appearest innocent in the innocencie of Iesus Christ thou shalt get such pittying of God and of all the Angels that thou shalt neuer die but shalt be receiued to glorie and if thou appearest before Him without this innocencie thou shalt not be bewailed none shall pitie thee neither God nor Angell but thou shalt goe to destruction and when thou art going to Hell thy father nor thy mother shall not weepe nor lament for it but shall rejoyce approue Gods judgement Yee see then howe good a thing it is to be innocent in the innocencie of Iesus Christ albeit wee be not innocent but guiltie in ourselues When Christ heares the lamentation and mourning of the women Hee lookes ouer His shoulder And beholding them He standes and speakes Daughters of Hierusalem weepe not for mee but for your selues and for your children and He giues the reason wherefore they should weepe so because of that fearce terrible judgement which should ouer-take Hierusalem and all for this innoceÌ„t blood and for the refusall of that innocent One For beholde the dayes will come saies Hee when men will say Blessed are the barren and the wombes that neuer bare and the pappes that neuer gaue sucke Then shall they begin to say to the mountaines Fall on vs and to the hilles Couer vs. And vnâ—er the destruction of Hierusalem Hee vnderstands adumbrates that terrible judgement wrath in the latter day that great destruction that remaines for the wicked He confirmes this judgemeÌ„t which He threatens by an argument taken from the greatest to the smallest If they doe so to a griene tree what shall they doe to a withered what shall they doe to you By the greene tree Hee meanes Himselfe who in Himselfe was freshe sappie greene and fruitfull albeit for vs Hee was like a drie tree because Hee was guiltie for vs. And by the drie tree Hee meanes vs who are vnfruitfull in our selues and meete for nothing but for confusion to be casten into the fire Marke heere shortly of this It is the sense of misery that makes any bodie to weepe No doubt when one weepes sore the heart hath a sense of misery and this sense is either of a mans owne misery or for a sympathie of the miserie of another They who haue a sense of the miserie of others they will mourne I see fewe of this sort in these dayes There are few now that will weepe for the misery of another All sympathie is out of the world and the pleasure of men is in the pleasure of others Indeede I thinke that Iesus condemned not this compassion Certainely compassion vpon the estate of another is good Away with a pittilesse heart for it hath not felt the mercie of God and bowels of His compassion But this is
but beeing nailed quicke on the Crosse in such extreame paine that might haue occupied and exercised all his senses and when he is looking and waiting for the hand of the hangman to breake him quicke on the Crosse to this man to haue driuen his senses and to haue set them on a better life from that hell hee was in to that heauenly Life it was more than wonderfull and I say it was as wonderfull as if he had leapt out of the lowest hell to the highest heauen Then come to the person of him to whome he prayes if hee had seene Iesus Christ standing before him like a glorious King it had beene lesse to haue beene wondered at but hee is hanging in that shamefull death and in greater shame than he for they railed not on him as they did on Christ which no question was more grieuous than all torments as if Hee had beene a reprobate from GOD So if he had seene Him in glorie it had bene no maruell but to seeke life in a man who was dying ignominiously and who was hanging in a worse estate than Himselfe and to haue pierced thorow and seene thorow such a cloud of ignominie such a faire Life and glorie I say it was more than wonderfull Further if he had seene Him before and bene familiar with Him heard Him teach and had seene His wonders as the Apostles did it had not bene much to maruell at but this beeing the first meeting the first acquaintance and neuer to haue spoken with Him before they met in an ignominious Crosse together then to seeke in such a death such a life in such ignominie such glorie it is a thing more than marueilous Came anie of the Iewes then and prayed vnto Him Yea came anie of the Apostles Came anie of His Disciples Came either Peter or Iohn or Matthew No all were offended with Him I saye of this man to the glorie of God that hee shamed all that stood by hee shamed the Apostles and made them to cast downe their faces And I saye hee shames all men and women who will not beleeue when they see Him not crucified as hee sawe but glorified nowe in the Heauens sitting at the right hande of that Majestie shame shall light on thee and this Thiefe shall bee sette vp in glorie to testifie against thee and to condemne thee 1. COR. 1.27 Paul saies GOD will raise vp thinges naughtie to shame thinges high in the worlde and to humble the pride of the fleshe If euer this was practised it is practised in this Thiefe Therefore in time learne thy lesson at this Thiefe for if hee doe thee no good hee shall doe thee euill and this same preaching shall doe thee euill if it doe thee no good The LORD raised him vp vpon a Gallowes to bee a Teacher of Faith and Repentance of Hope of Patience of Loue and of all graces and thinke no shame to learne at him for if thou thinkest shame of the Thiefe to bee thy master hee shall giue out a testimonie to aggreadge thy damnation and hee shall saye I went to teach the Infideles on the Crosse with Thee and they hearde it and beleeued not Lord let their damnation bee aggreadged All this that I speake tendes to this That hee who glories maye glorie in the Lord And they who woulde maruell let them maruell at the Lord. I speake not these thinges that yee shoulde wonder at the Thiefe that sillie creature But all this is That yee shoulde wonder at Iesus Christ who wrought such a wonder at this time and shewed such a power when Hee was weakened It is a wonder to shewe such power in His humiliation and such mercy on such a vile sinner who was not worthie that the earth shoulde beare him let bee to dwell in Heauen Wonder at Him who is so mercifull and gracious to poore sinners To Him therefore bee praise for euermore AMEN THE XVIII LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 43 Then Iesus said vnto him Verely J say vnto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise IOHN CHAP. XIX verse 25 Then stood by the crosse of Iesus his mother and his mothers sister Marie the wife of Cleopas and Marie Magdalene verse 26 And when Iesus saw his mother and the disciples standing by whome he loued He said vnto his mother woman beholde thy sonne verse 27 Then said He to the disciple behold thy mother and from that houre the disciple tooke her home vnto him WEE heard the last day Beloued in Iesus of the repentance of one of the Thieues that hung on the Crosse with Christ in a moment wonderfully hee begins to be penitent for all his misdeedes and former life and hee vtters his penitencie and the displeasure that was in his heart for sinne in sundry effectes First hee rebukes bitterlie that blasphemie that the other Thiefe speakes out against the Lord and saies Fearest thou not God seeing thou art in the same damnation Thou and I suffer justly for we haue demerited all this but this man pointing out Christ hath done nothing amisse When hee hath thus rebuked the Thiefe hee turnes him about to Iesus Christ who hung in the middest and hee directs his prayer to Him and saies Lord remember mee when thou commest to thy Kingdome The other the blasphemer would faine haue liued in the vvorlde And therefore because hee sawe that IESVS had no power to giue him this earthlie life therefore hee blasphemeth CHRIST in His face But the penitent Thiefe seekes not this present life but desires that hee may gette entrie in to that Heauenly Kingdome The last day I spake concerning the petition of the penitent Thiefe I repeate nothing Onely wonder not at the Thiefe or at such an earnest repentance in him suddenly bâ—â— wonder at Iesus Christ vvho in such vveaknesse hanging so shamefully vpon the Crosse yet vttered such mercie and such infinite power yea one of the moste miserable catiues that euer was in the vvorlde I goe forwarde and first I shall shewe you of the answere that the Lord giues to the penitent Thiefe and then I shall come to the earnest recommendation that Iesus made of His Mother MARIE vnto IOHN The Lord answeres him Verily I say vnto thee this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise The answere containes a promise and the thing that the Lord promises is Thou shalt bee vvith mee thou seekest to bee vvith mee in my Kingdome thou shalt bee vvith mee and thou shalt bee a subject vvith mee and more a follower and vvhereas thou werest a vile Thiefe I shall make thee a glorious King in the Heauen And when shall this bee Without delay it shall not be to morrowe or other morrowe but this same day immediately thou shalt bee transported to that vnspeakeable glorie And where shall this bee It shall bee in Paradise Thou shalt not goe to Purgatorie but into Celestiâ—ll Paradise Of this worde Paradise wee reade in sundrie
greater wonder to see a regenerate man from whome that scroofe is taken away than that all the rockes should rent This for the first wonder now followes the second The Earth quakes No doubt but with the quaking of the earth there was a sore dinne whilst the soule of the Lord separated from the body O! what a thing was it to draw the soule of the Sauiour of the world from the body No the renting of the rockes was nothing in respect of that drawing of the soule of the Mediatour from the body The Earth is holden vp by the mightie hand of the Lord and when it shakes the mightie hand of the Lord shakes it When the Lord begins to shake His arme all the mountaines shakes it is no jesting for if Hee hit thee Hee will bruse thee in pieces although all the world were about thee What is miserable man doing that will not knowe the power of the Almightie God This shaking meanes a threatning to this people and the earth threatens to swallowe them all vp for their indignitie they wrought to their Lord their Maker If thou dishonourest thy Maker the earth shall open and swallow thee vp as it did Core Dathan and Abiram who withstood Moyses No it is a wonder that the earth should beare men No I protest I would not wonder so much if the earth opened and swallowed some men as I wonder that the Lord in His long suffering patience spares them and holds His hand and Iudgement off them It is a wonder that the houses fall not downe on the blasphemers and the chambers where they commit their filthinesse should not smoother them But Hee shall cause an heauier thing fall on the body and soule than a thousand mountaines were tumbled on them thou doest nothing but heapes vp wrath as the Apost sayes against the day of wrath No wrath and heauie wrath shall be heaped on them So the earth threatens thâ—m for the indignitie they did to their Lord. Yee see that after the earth quaked it will swallow vp townes and people but shee swallowes them not vp now but the earth vomites them out as not worthie to beare them in her bellie No she thought them ouer bitter to be within her who had dishonoured her Creator but afterward looke what came on them The earth will reuenge that foule thing done to her Lord the land of Iudea spued them out and the earth will not let that cursed kinde haue a foot-breadth of her O! what is it to haue battell with the Creator when He begins to arme the earth or any creature against thee we would thinke that this shaking of the earth should haue mooued them yet tâ—ey take no thought for it At the voyce of the Lord the earth did shake but did the Priests and the Scribes shake Are they mooued at the dinne and shaking of the earth So againe I say there is nothing so vnmooueable No not the earth as thine hardened heart will be at all the denunciations that will come from Heauen or Hell saue thy selfe from a reprobate sense or else thou shalt neuer bee wakened till thou bee thrust into hell where thou shalt bee tormented vvith endlesse vexation without any hope of comfort This for the second wonder Nowe let vs come to the clieuing of the Mountaines This followes on the former as the earth opened to swallow them so the mountaines cloue to tumble vpon them The mountaines will not suffer them to dishonour their maker What mooued this the Iewes Euen as much as the other two No question it was a great and terrible noyse when the mountaines cloue Woe to a senselesse heart The mountaines may clieue and shiuer and quake but if thy soule bee giuen to induration the stones mountaines shall bee mooued and broken but thine heart shall neuer breake Woe againe to a senselesse heart which is not mooued at the word of God that Scepter of yron whereof ye reade 2. Psal shall light on thee bruise thee in pieces Therfore cast away that vaile froÌ„ thine heart and striue to keepe light in thy soule conscience and walke in sobriety till thy God call on thee and then thou shalt see a blessed ende Nowe wee come to the last wonder which was wrought The graues doe their duetie they forget not their maker but in their manner they glorifie their Lord God and honour Him yea death it selfe with the graue doe Him homage and honour But miserable man will not honour Him The graues laye open from three a clock after noone for about three a clock the Lord gaue vp the ghost and they lay open all that day all that night all the daye following and the next night till the morning that the Lord rises and then the bodies of the Sainctes also arole by vertue of His resurrection and went into the Citie The graues will tell the miserable people that the Lord Iesus had loosed the bandes of the graue by His death By death He slew death with her owne sword He slew her as wee speake Shee would teach them that the bodies in that Great day shall rise vp by the vertue of that resurrection of Iesus Christ This question may bee asked What became of those bodies which arose went into the City Did they lay them down againe in the graue or ascended they to Heauen I will not bee curious in this purpose But in my judgement they were taken vp to the heaueÌ„s with Iesus Christ to be an argumeÌ„t of our resurrection going to the heauens This was a faire lesson but this miserable people was not moued Woe to a stonie senselesse heart the graue may open but nothing will open a senselesse soule Therefore I beseech you striue to get a soft and mollified heart The voyce of Iesus made the earth to quake the rockes to rent the graues to open the deade to rise but the voyce of the LORD opened not their heartes then He opens the graues It is an easier thing to raise a dead body out of the graue than to raise thy soule if it bee once haâ—dened it is more wonderfull to raise a deade soule and to see that soule get a sense of Heauen than to see all the bodies of the Church-yard rising Nowe to compare these wonders There are two of them The first and the last that teach this people The other two the second and the third that threatens them The quaking of the earth and the renting of the rockes threaten a damnage and destruction to them and in this temperature of His wonders As the power of God so the wisdome of God appeares wonderfully He threatens this people for the indignitie that they had done to the LORD of glorie with Hell and death yet Hee holds vp His handes O! how vnwilling He is to strike but if He light on thee Hee will cause thee squeele He is ayming Hee is shaking that terrible arme and threatning them in the meane time
appearing heire to a kingdome men will count of him Much more then when we see a man or woman ordained to that Heauenly kingdome and to that glory shoulde we not honour them for that respect of glory Paul to Tim. saies In a great house are many vessels some to honour some to dishonour Yee see in a Noble mans house howe honourably they will handle golden and siluâ—r vessels Then when we looke to a faithfull man should we not count greatly of him because hee is so glorious a vessell and is to be partaker of that glory All the glory of this world appertains properly to the faithfull Indeede often times they haue least part thereof that they maye knowe their happinesse standes not in this earthly glory but in that glory of Heauen the wicked haue most of it Yet I say All the glory euen of this world appertaines to the faithfull only No honour appertains to a king who is a reprobate He is but a violent vsurper of these worldly things and he shal one day giue account of his violent vsurpation nothing but shame appertaines to him and all his honour shall bee turned into shame Now I goe to the next thing The boldnes that Ioseph had in coÌ„ming to Pilate Hee lurked before but nowe when Iesus is lying in greatest ignominy as wee vse to speake At the Gallowes foot The man takes boldnes steps in to Pilates Hall makes his request His riches his substaÌ„ce honour held him abacke awhile but now he comes out forgets all interceades for the body of Iesus to burie it Thy riches honour of the worlde are like as many fetters yron chaines to retaine thee hold thee abacke from Christ Yet all the riches honour in the world cannot hinder nor hold backe GODS calling when Hee puts out His hande to drawe thee in to Him But if He put not out His hand draw thee out thou art so fast detained that all the strength in the worlde will not be able to draw thee It is true that Paul saies 1. Cor. 1.26 Ye see your calling how that not many wise men after the flesh nor many noble are called It is a rare thing to see the Lord draw such men He vses not to call many wise men out of the hands of their wisdome nor many rich men out of the hands of their riches nor many Noble men out of the handes of their Nobility No He lets them be We reade not of any potent men among the Jewes whom the Lord pulled out to be His Disciples except these two Ioseph Nicodemus There might haue beene moe among the Princes of the Iewes but wee find the names of no moe registrate O how hard a thing it is to draw a wise maÌ„ a mightie man or a Noble man to Christ for it is true that Christ saies It is as hard to drawe a rich man to Christ as to draw a Camell thorowe a needles eye To draw a great body thorow a needles eye is no lesse difficulty than to draw thee to Christ who art a Noble man who wilt sit vp talke of thy kinred of thy blood This doing of Ioseph may bee marueiled at Think ye not y t Ioseph should haue manifested himselfe rather in Iesus lifetime than nowe after His death When Hee was going working wonders and speaking such sweet sentences as neuer man spake yet all this moued him not to come foorth and shew himselfe But now Christ being in shame he comes out Whereunto shall I ascribe this I ascribe it to the force y t came from the death of Iesus There was neuer a liuing man in the world that had such force as y t dead body had No I say He had more power hanging dead on the crosse than when Hee was liuing in the world more mighty was His death than His life The Lord giue vs a sense feeling of y e force of y e death of Christ it is able to cause a dead body rise from death to life Iohn 12.24 He foretold y e power of His death When the corne of wheat lyes in the ground and dies it fructifies and brings foorth much fruit so the dead body of Iesus fructifiâ—d and brought with it out of the graue to life many thousand soules so does it to the end of the world Hast thou life into thee From whom came that life Euen from the death of Iesus Christ if Christ had not died thou hadst neuer felt life Hee vses also for this purpose another similitude Where euer the dead carcasseâ—s thither resorte the Eagles Meaning where His dead body was the faithfull where euer they were they should take them to their wings from all the ends of the earth leaue their riches and honour and by Faith flee to Him to feede vpon Him for His deade body casts such a sweete smell thorow the Heauens and the Earth a carioun casts such an euill smell but the body of Iesus hath a sweete smell that it will allure men women to come to it The Lord giue euery one such a taste of His sweetnesse as Ioseph and Nicodemus found that with pleasure we may flee to Him and feede on Him Now followes the request he comes in to Pilates Hall and desires leaue to take vp the dead body of Iesus as yee saw before the body of Iesus was not taken from the crosse without the licence of the Iudge Pontius Pilate so they durst not burie the body of Iesus without leaue Why The Lord vvas condemned and the man who is condemned is yet in the hands of the Iudge vntill he giue Him ouer If we consider wel this whole Historie of the suffering of Christ vve shall finde one thing vvorthy to be marked Albeit the Lord Iesus vvas the moste innocent man that euer vvas in the vvorlde yet hauing to doe vvith Magistrates both ciuile and ecclesiasticall as Pontius Pilate Caiaphas and the rest from the beginning to the end Hee will haue nothing done but vvith their leaue vvhen the Magistrate sent out men of vvarre to take Him He vvould not suffer Peter to resist them but He reprooued him for drawing his sword Hee would not haue His body taken downe from the Crosse without the leaue of the Magistrate Hee would haue nothing done to Him Hee would not be buried without the leaue of the Magistrate Hee leaues thee His example to teach thee if thou werest neuer so innocent yet if thou fallest in the handes of the Magistrate suffer nothing to be done to thee with offence and with the disgrace of justice and judgement hee who would die well and in the Lord let Him protest that nothing be done to him that will disgrace justice albeit he suffer innocently I might let you see an higher ground of this matter but I wil touch it only The Lord that came in the world to relieue thee from that great Iudge and from all
and if God were not with the man that speakes the heart of the man would neuer be dejected No all the Kings vnder the Heauen could not deject the heart of the poorest begger So to end this in a worde The Lord will know well whome He sends to speake these glorious tithings that Christ hath suffered and is risen and this is sure these that He sends He will giue them power to pull downe if it were the heart of a King to the ground yet the stile hee giues to Christ would not be past by marke it well hee saies not I knowe yee seeke IESVS the Sonne of GOD he saies not so but he saies I knowe yee seeke Jesus of Nazareth a man who was latelie crucified So the Angell in styling of Him giues Him the basest and vylest names that hee can hee names Him from a sillie Towne in IVRIE IESVS OF NAZARETH Then from that vile death of the Crosse That man that was crucified I doubt not but in this name he had a respect to the women who knew these stiles which Hee had in the dayes of His flesh when Hee was conuersant here they knewe these stiles better than the stiles of His Godhead which were from all eternitie Yet he hath a further respect to these stiles to let vs and these women see that hee was not ashamed of His infirmitie nor at the shamefull death of the Crosse Noe the Angels to whom this death appertaines not so much as to vs saies PETER in his first EPISTLE the first CHAPTER and the eleuenth VERSE delight to looke in to CHRIST to looke in to that infirmitie and to that death of the Crosse Alas proude sinner wilt thou bee offended to looke in to it when Peter saies it is the delight of the holie Angels to looke in to it Because these Angels in the infirmitie of CHRIST they sawe the power of GOD shining in that foolishnesse of the Crosse of CHRIST they sawe that wisedome of GOD and in that justice of GOD they founde a passing me 〈…〉 and therefore nowe and euerlastinglie their delight is to looke 〈◊〉 CHRIST and His suffering And as they delight to looke in to CHRIST and His suffering so they shall giue praise to Him and more for that than for the making of the worlde in His great wisedome and power Yet if wee will weigh and consider well wee shall finde another respect which the Angels haue in naming Him after such base stiles which is That the glorie of His Resurrection might appeare the greater It is euen as hee shoulde haue saide IESVS of that sober Village NAZARETH who was counted vile in the worlde and was crucified yet for that infirmitie Hee is risen againe and is in the glorie of the Heauens So hee names Him after these base stiles to enlarge the glorie of His Resurrection for the humbler that Hee was the Resurrection was the more glorious It vvas indeed a great matter and a vvonder to see a man a vvorme treade on by the Deuill treade on by death it vvas a vvonder to see Him howe Hee vvas humbled that Hee should haue risen againe to such a wonderous glorie So that at the Name of Iesus all knees shall bowe Philipp Chap. 2. vers 10. But I leaue this and I goe forwarde Next comes on the tidinges The wordes of MATTHEVV are these First Hee is not heere Then the next wordes Hee is risen The first worde was an heauie worde to these holie women for apparâ—ntlie they conceiued with Marie Magdalene that His bodie was stollen awaye out of the sepulchre and thought not that He was risen againe The next worde they heare comfortes them The first worde makes them exceeding heauie but the seconde worde makes them to rejoyce when hee saies Hee is risen He is not stollen away craftilie but by His owne power He is risen In this anunciation as in a picture yee maye obserue the forme which is vsed in proponing the EVANGEL and gladde tidinges of Saluation The beginning is alwayes in dolour and in sadnesse but the ende is in joye and gladnesse The first vvorde that vvee heare is That the LORDE is come into the worlde and suffered shame reproaches and ignominie and at last the shamefull death of the Crosse vnder PONTIVS PILATE These are heauie tidinges to vs to heare that our LORDE was so hardlie and so euill entrâ—◠〈◊〉 the vvorlde and that in ende Hee died the vile death of â—â—â—osse for vs and was buried And yet immediatelie it followes That the same LORDE is risen and ascended vp in glorie to the Heauens and there sittes at the right hande of GOD and that thorowe His Passion death and Resurrection our sinnes are forgiuen vs wee shall rise againe and get life euerlasting And these are joyfull tidinges Nowe to insist further The first tidinges which is tolde to the Kirke in this earth are sadde and heauie Thou must suffer And whosoeuer will striue to liue godlie in CHRIST of necessitie he must suffer affliction There are sadde tidinges But it followes if thou suffer with Him thou shalt reigne with Him These are gladde tidinges Nowe I shall giue you the wordes of the Scripture for my warrande Christ Matth. 16.21 saies the same to His Disciples I am to goe vp to Hierusalem and to suffer and to bee slaine And Peter tooke euill with it These are sadde tidinges But Hee saies I will rise againe the thirde daye And this is joyfull And in the XVI CHAPTER and XXXII VERS of IOHN Hee saies to them The time will come when yee shall bee scattered and leaue mee alone Sadde tidinges But I am not alone for the Father is with mee Ioyfull tidinges Then Hee saies to them Yee shall bee hated of all men for my Names sake That is sadde tidinges to them But they who continue to the ende shall bee saued Gladde tithinges And againe in the 16. Chapter of IOHN and 33. vers He saies Jn the worlde ye shall haue affliction A sad word But J haue ouer-come the worlde gladde tidinges So yee see these tidinges alwayes beginne with sadnesse but they ende with joye And as it is of the worde so it is of the disposition of the hearers The sinner will first bee sadde and then finde such a joye as is vnspeakeable and this shall bee thy disposition so long as thou art an hearer But when thou shalt be a beholder no heauines of heart but joye for euer and all teares shall be wiped away from thine eyes While thou art hearing thy teares shall bee mingled with joye but when thou art seeing there shall bee perfect joy without teares Thus farre for the tidings He is not content to tell them onely the Lord is risen no one word will not suffice them but He confirmes it by Christes prediction He said it before the Lord was to suffer and to rise the third day Looke the XVI Chap. of Matth. So he confirmes them by the Lords owne Testimonie These prophesies
Peter and the rest got the victory notwithstanding of feare and dread thou wilt giue mee the victory vvith Peter This aduertises vs thus farre Neuer man suffered martyrdome by his owne strength And if Peter had beene giuen ouer to his owne strength hee vvoulde not haue suffered more than Judas And if Steuen had not bene sustained with the sight of Heauen to haue holden vp his heart hee vvoulde not haue suffered the death Paul teaches vs Philip. chap. 1. vers 29. As faith is the gift of God so it is the gift of God to suffer affliction It is giuen to you saies he to suffer And therfore he saies to Timothie 2. Epist chap. 1. vers 8. Be partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel But howe By your owne strength No but by the power of God And therfore whosoeuer would haue this strength let him beg it of the Lord. Whensoeuer it shall please God to say Goe to the stake then euer say Lord giue me strength I shall suffer Therefore as night day we should be vpon this resolution to suffer for Christ so should we night day be earnest in prayer and if thou findest the power of God by prayer to bee conueyed to thine heart thou needest not to feare for that power will prop it vp vphold it in th' extremity of death martyrdome So euer be in prayer saying Lord giue me strenth and if thou get once a piece of this power thou shalt wonder at it Now Iohn in the next verse he joynes y e meaning of these words of the Lords to Peter lest any mā reading or hearing should doubt of the meaning This spake hee sayes Iohn signifying by what death hee should glorifie God Hee meanes that hee shoulde die a violent death hee should not get leaue to die his owne naturall death in peace but that hee should die violently vpon the scaffolde The Papistes vpon these wordes gather That Peter was crucified that y e Lord meant y t he should be hanged but the words beare no such thing Thou shalt stretch out thine hands What necessity is there here to import crucifying or hanging more than heading or any one death more than another What death it was it is not certaine it is farre better not to meddle with it than to beleeue mens fables Only the words of y e Lord import y t he died violently But what death soeuer it was it is not much to edification Yet this is not to bee passed by but wel to be marked That whē He is speaking of his death He sayes not after this māner He signified what death he should die no but by what death he should glorify God a thing more worthy of marking He stiles defines y e death martyrdome of Peter to be a glorifying of his God Brethren the death of all the godlie and Saincts whatsoeuer kinde of death it bee whether it bee in peace their owne naturall death or a violent death whatsoeuer kind of death it bee it may bee defined after this manner to bee a glorifying of God And blessed are they that die in the LORD Blessed are they that die in faith in the LORD IESVS that is as PAVL sayes sleepes in Him 1. Thessal chap. 4. vers 14. So I saye The death of euerie godlie man and woman glorifies their God Yet we must vnderstand That the death of these who suffer martyrdome and seales vp the trueth of Christ with their blood that death especiallie gettes this praise and this stile That it glorifies GOD after a speciall manner Marke it well Martyrdome properly is called The glorifying of God because in it especially is the matter of the glorie of God Aboue all other deathes of men in the worlde in the death of the Sonne of God Iesus Christ was greatest matter of the glorifying of His Father and therefore aboue all other deathes the death and crosse of Christ gettes this stile of the glorifying of GOD Joh. Chap. 12. vers 28. When the LORDE has striuen vvith the feare of death looke howe Hee considers vvith Himselfe Lord glorifie thine owne Name that is Bee thou glorified in my death Next after Christs death the death of the Martyres serues most for the glorie of God and therefore next after Christes death the death of the Martyres brookes this stile Therefore ye see in this place Iohn speaking of the martyrdome of Peter calles it The glorifying of GOD. And Paul to the Philippians speaking of his death sayes that the Lord should be magnified in his death Philip. chap. 1. vers 20. And all to this end To encourage vs chearefullie to go to death for Christs sake What knowes anie of vs but wee may bee charged with martyrdome whether it be Minister or anie of the flocke And I affirme to you that if the Lord call any of you to die for the Gospell if ye denie Him Hee will denie you These are His owne wordes Matth. 10.33 Therefore seeing euerie one of vs if wee bee Christians are bound to suffer No not a Minister onelie but the soberest of you all lad and lasse Wee haue this encouragement to suffer Martyrdome that our death shall glorifie God after a singular manner It is no matter vvhat become of thee if thou gettest that honour to glorifie God for bee assured if thou doe so thou shalt be partaker of His glorie When the conference is done the Lord appearantly rises vp for the time of this conference they were sitting together And the Lord sayes to Peter Followe thou mee The meaning is this as though He would say Well Peter I haue forewarned and enarmed thee against this death in tokē of this follow thou me for he giues him this as an vndoubted signe of his crosse death y t was to come No Brethrē they that will follow the Lord must take vp his crosse and followe Him And therefore bids Hee Peter follow Him Well these wordes are hard to flesh and blood But here is the great comfort We haue Christ to follow He goes before vs When we goe to the crosse to martyrdome Hee goes before vs. To goe to death vvithout Christ going before vs of all thinges it is most terrible and fearefull But to goe to death following Christ there is great matter of consolation for vvhen Hee is before vs and if vvee followe vvith His crosse vpon our backes vvee shall finde that the death of Christ has taken away the bitternesse of death Whosoeuer shall followe Christ shall neuer taste the bitternesse of death But if thou bearest thine owne crosse thou diest for thine owne sinne as a Malefactor a Thiefe a Murtherer c. Woe is thee for the ende of that death is th'extremitie of Hell It stands not onely in a shamefull ignominious and comfortlesse departure and in the sundring of the soule from the bodie it ends not there but thereafter y e soule must be thrust into Hel to be tormēted for euer But whē we
the Lord in His death Hee was euen in the extreamitie of His humiliation Hee was weakned made of no reputation the Lord of glorie was tread vpon by the feete of death death stamping on Him He could not be further humbled there is nothing so ignominious as death except it be sanctified it is terrible and ignominious so that if it be not sanctified in the death of the Lord Iesus it is but a curse to thee a vengeance from Heauen yet for all this casting downe of Him His heauenly Father leaues Him not but in His greatest humiliation the Father giues the greatest tokens of His glory and He testifies that He was not only innocent but that He was the Lord of glory y t Godhead neuer left Him in that ignominious death nor neuer shall leaue Him albeit it kept the selfe close y â— He might suffer that ignominious death because it was not expedient that Hee should vtter His power yet y t Godhead in His death wrought such wonders that He testifies before the Iewes that y t same man which hung there was the Lord of glorie and the Lord of life Will yee come further that albeit that miserable people had not a tongue to speake and would not giue a testimonie of the glory of CHRIST the dumbe and senslesse creatures who had not mouth nor tongue nor life will not bee silent but will doe their homage to the Lord. Fye on thee and woe is thee that euer thou got y e mouth or tongue the dumbe creatures in their kinds do homage to their God glorifies Him shames all the world they shame all y e disciples for al were offeÌ„ded at Him now So now y e earth and the rockes shame them all fye on them The Lord as Hee came riding to Ierusalem like a glorious King to giue them a shew of His glorie Luke 19. When the disciples cryes Hosanna Blessed be he that comes in the Name of the Lord the Pharises were angrie at it they were offended to see the Lord glorified Then Iesus answered if these would holde their tongue the stones would cry These stones senslesse creatures shall cry and glorifie Me there should not be a wall in Ierusalem but they should haue cried if the disciples and the multitude had holden their tongue and if men had their tongue and glorifie not God the stones shall rise vp and shame them and glorifie Him Now the mouth of the people is close and not one of the disciples cried Hosanna yet the earth forgets Him not shee cries in her owne manner Hosanna the rockes cry the vaile of the Temple cries Hosanna whilst it rent asunder Well Brethren blessed is the soule y e hath a mouth to glorifie God woe to thee that hath gotten a tongue to glorifie the Lord does it not if the Lord in humiliation was glorified by the dumbe creatures can Hee want His glory now in Heauen if thou glorifiest not God another shal glorifie Him if no man shall glorifie Him the sea the earth the sunne the moone shall glorifie Him thou albeit thou were a King shalt be thrust in Hell to thine euerlasting shame Now Brethren there is not one of these foure wonders but particularly they would be coÌ„sidered first The renting of the vaile of the Temple The vaile of y e Temple was a faire wall ouergilt w t fine gold there was neuer a thing so glorious outward in this world as y t Temple vpoÌ„ y e which hang a glorious Tapestrie wrought curiously it diuided y e most holy place called the Sanctuarie wherein the Lord gaue His presence it was y e type of that heauenly Sanctuary wherein Iesus Christ entred by His blood it got the name from the office vse it was called a vaile a couering because it hid the Sanctuarie from the sight of the people of the Priests only the High Priests excepted who entred in it once in the yeere and that not without blood No for his life hee durst not enter in it without blood Nowe when the LORD giues vp the Ghost this Vaile cleaues in twaine and in a manner he makes an answere to the voyce of the Lord. Wilt thou who hast life reason mouâ—h and tongue answere Him He will make the vaile to answere Him The Lord saide a litle before He gaue vp the Ghost Consummatum est All is ended the ceremonies of the Law of Moyses are ended the shâ—ddowes are away there is no more vse of that vaile When the vaile heares this The vaile sayes Amen it is true my Lord here for my part I giue ouer my office and I giue the sight of the Sanctuarie to the people and shall not hide it any moâ—e for Iesus Christ hath openeâ— vp the Vaile and pulled it downe and madâ— an entrie to the Sanctuarie by His blood Well this is the preaching of the Vaile to the Iewes But heard they this Take the High Priâ—stes any hâ—ed to this langâ—age of the Vaile No they were neuer busier in the Ceremonies than after they heard this speech They saw the Vaile rent but they tooke no lesson by it there is a wonderfull induration Paul 2. Cor. 3. tells the cause There was another vaile laide on their heartes so that they could neither see not heare It was harder to rent that vaile than an hundreth vailes of stone Lord keepe vs from that reprobate sense alas that wee should not take heede to this The earthly vaile rent asunder at the voyce of the Lord but the vaile of their heart could not bâ—e rent neither for the voyce of the Lord nor yet for the wonders This is the lesson Euery one of vs should take heede to our heart after that once a man bee giuen vp to a reprobate sense as this people was after that once thou beginnest to doe against thy knowledge either in manners or in religion after that once thou beginnest to doe against conscience thou wilt do the contrarie of all that it biddes thee thy conscience telling thee when thou art going to murther to harlotrie to oppression to anger thy God all is wrong doe it not yet thou wilt trampe on the belly of thy conscience In the first Chapter to the Romanes yee may read the end of this As thou wilt not heare thy conscience and the voyce of God the Lord catches thy conscience from thee and casts thee ouer to a reprobate sense so that thou art past feeling that it were better to speake to a stone than to thine heart and when I speake to that piller it shâ—ll rather rent than thine heart Wouldest thou see a wonder The Papists would bring in wonders but bring in a man who is regenerate that is a wonder yea it is a great wonder to alter thine hard and stonie heart than to cleaue the hardest rocke that euer was Let mee see an regenerate man from whom that scroofe is taken away it is a