his head that is from his Humanity to his Divinity But whereas it is said that she anointed the head also of Christ it is plain that it was no common Oyntment for such would rather have besmear'd him but some pleasant and sweet-scented Liquor or rich water as hath been said 6. Lastly She wiped the feet of Christ with her hair as if she had been drunk with love not knowing which way to do him more service but willing to do more if she could It was therefore justly said she hath done what she could Mar. 14.8 Thus this woman indeed doth fill the whole house of God with the good smell of her pious work whereby the Elect are yet refreshed and stirred up to do the like 1. Christ yet holds his peace and lets her alone yea he takes it in good part not that he was taken with such kind of pleasures nor that the thing was so much worth in it self but because it proceeded from so great faith and devotion for that is it which Christ most regardeth in our works 2. Also Christ therefore suffered himself to be anoynted because that Unction prefigured his death and burial as shall more largely appear hereafter Although Christ behaved himself most lowly all his life time yet would he honour death too which he did not suffer by any necessity but of his own accord for the health of the whole world and by which he would conquer the Devil Hence it is that when he drew near his death he was carried with triumphant pomp into Jerusalem and hence also it was that he would be anoynted with costly oyntment before his death and when he was dead would be buried in a new Tomb cut out of a Rock and be wrapt in clean linnen by a Noble man And therefore would he give more honour to his death than to his life viz. for the comfort of his people that they might know the death of the Saints is precious even when their life is in glory and that then they do most truly approach unto glory when they draw neerest unto death But this Unction of Christ doth in some sort represent the Unction of his Father wherewith he was anoynted to be a King and a Priest with the oyl of gladness above his fellows Psal 45.7 viz. with the holy Spirit and the fulness of all grace as it is Isay 11. The hairs of Gods head that is the Elect do wipe the drops of his Unction Of the fulness of Christ do all receive John 1. The Saints are truly called the hairs of Gods Head For as the hair in it self is dead yet sticketh fast to the head and adorneth it So the Saints in themselves are dead They mortifie their members upon earth and die daily Col. 3. 1 Cor. 15. that is they are alwayes ready to dye for Christ yet they cleave close to God as to their head and in him they This their Head they do also beautifie for they glorifie God in word and work and God is glorified in them 1. And from hence ariseth a twofold comfort unto us in that we know assuredly that this same Christ who was so much despised of the Jews was anoynted by God the Father and that with the most precious Oyntment of all the very smell whereof refresheth the whole world Again because we know that the drops of his Oyntment did and yet do fall upon us 2. Furthermore This History doth also shadow out the whole state of the Church The Allegory Simon the Leper in whose house these things were done who also signifieth hearing or obeying doth represent the people of the Jews who first heard the Word of God Vnto them were committed the Oracles of God Rom. 3.2 This people while they remained pure had a most spacious house wherein God was pleased to dwell Psal 76. viz. the Assembly of Believers for then was God known only in Jury But this people of the Jews became leprous through their unbelief and so were rejected out of that house but the house remained yea became greater For out of the Synagogue of the Jews sprang the universal Church of Believers In this house are three sorts of men Some are converted and risen from the death of sin These are set forth by Lazarus Others are fain to work hard for a livelihood who thereby also do glorifie God These are held out by Martha Some give themselves only to God and spiritual things These signified by Mary The Morality Indeed every Christian should have in himself and bear about these three persons First Lazarus by rising out of and flying from sin Secondly Martha alway exercised in good works Thirdly Mary anoynting Christ The Oyntment wherewith Christ should and would be anoynted is faith yet not any kind of faith but the best sort viz. the Christian faith This faith must be made up of Spikenard that is it must be fervent that so it may work by love it must not be adulterate by mixture of Errours It must be compleat even a full pound lest it doubt in any one Article We must anoynt both the head and feet of Christ believing his Divinity and Humanity These things we ought to perform to Christ in his own Person but yet we have not honoured whole Christ For he hath a mystical Body the Church in which he is Head and all that Believe in him are the feet The Oyntment wherewith this body must be anoynted is charity out of a pure heart and faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 Anoynt then both head and feet viz. love God and thy neighbour For charity from the heart is not enough unless there be the hairs also by which are signified outward riches not only because they do outwardly adorn but because they neither live nor give life nor deliver from death Again most commonly they are superfluous as the hair is and as the hair may be cut off without pain so should we not be troubled to part with our worldly goods for the good of our Neighbour seeing Christ bestowed himself on us Or thus the hair is a kind of dead thing so if thou hast any dead thing in thee as sin do as Daniel bids thee Break off thy sins by righteousness and thy iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor Dan. 4.27 In short this Oyntment signifieth that good savour of good works which we that believe ought to bestow on the Body of Christ the holy Church and members of Christ after the example of that woman from faith unfeigned according to that In as much as ye have done it to one of these little ones ye have done it unto me Mat. 25. Thus not only Origen but Augustine refer that Unction to the good works of Believers and it doth well agree For as that house in Bethany was filled with the smell of the Oyntment John 12. 2 Cor. 2. so the good works of the Church which is the true
No right attention or obedience to the Will of God without it The ear saith Aristotle is the Organ of Discipline and St. Paul saith That faith cometh by hearing Rom. 10. But there are some that be uncircumcised in heart and ears Acts 7.51 dead in the uncircumcision of their flesh Col. 2.13 The inner ear lies in the heart We must circumcise the fore skin thereof Jer. 4.4 For the true Circumcision is that of the heart Rom. 2.29 The heart is the fountain of filthiness Mat. 15.18,19,20 If this be not washed from wickedness by the washing of of regeneration we cannot be saved for it will wax gross and fat and make the ears dull of hearing Jer. 4.14 Tit. 3.5 Mat. 13.14,15 In the Levitical Law the sons of Aaron the Priests were to have the blood of the sacrifice put upon the tip of their right ear the Thumbs of their right hand and the great Toes of their right feet Lev. 8.24 Those whom Christ doth make Priests unto God 1. Pet. 2.5 Rev. 1.6 he doth cleanse and purifie from head to foot from top to Toe that he may present them to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Eph. 5.27 He will sprinkle our ears that they mey be healed of that poysonous Dectrine of Disobedience those venomous Charms of the old serpent and be unstopt to hear what the Lord shall say He will sprinkle our right thumbs that we may be ready to do the Will of our Father which is in Heaven He will sprinkle our right Toes that we may walk circumspectly not as Fools but as Wise shewing out of a good Conversation our works with meekness of Wisdom proving indeed that we are indued with knowledge Eph. 5.15 Jam. 3.13 The cleanness of our feet must shew the cleanness of our head If our feet be clean it doth imply that our hands and our head are washed John 13.10 Pure Practice cannot be without true knowledge If we receive Christ for Wisdom we must receive him also for Obedience As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him Col 2.6 Christ came to wash head hands and feet to cleanse our Infancy Youth and old Age to purifie the three essential parts of man to sanctifie us throughout in Spirit Soul and Body 1 Thes 5.23 Again 33. It is the best Guardian to the inner man The outward man is liable to many dangers but the inward is subject to many more The outward may have great assauls but the inner much greater We wrestle not with flesh and blood but with Principalities and Powers and spiritual wickedness in heavenly places or things Eph. 6.12 The War in Heaven is hotter and sharper then that on earth That on earth is with men that in Heaven is agaiust the old great red Dragon Rev. 12.7 A cut in the flesh is easily born and cured but a wounded Spirit who can bear The one lets out the blood the other poysons it the one lanceth the skin the other pierceth the heart Heart-wounds though not incurable yet are hard to be cured Most Combats of the outward man are in the day time when he can see to defend himself but the Conflicts of the inner man are in the night as well as the day and as often when that restless roaring Lion seeks to devour us 1 Pet. 5.8 Faith cannot be idle or sottishsy secure for it never wants an enemy As it is not without an enemy so it is not destitute of Refuge and Aid it hath the clefts of the Rock the open ribs of Christ to shelter and secure it self in Can. 2.14 This is the strong hold we are to flee unto the mountain and banner of safety His Banner over me was love Can. 2.4 He loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2.20 34. This Ensign of the Cross is that which terrifieth our spiritual enemies the sight of it doth conquer and chase them away But then we must hold it in our eye and in our hand look upon him whom we have pierced and beholding his sufferings suffer with him smite our breasts and return let us search and trie our ways our works our thoughts and turn to the Lord. It is reported of Constantine that in one of his battles he saw the sign of the Cross over his head in the air with this Motto In hoc signo vinces this is that which shall give thee victory Luke 23.48 Lam. 3 4◠doubtless we cannot get the Day or win the field without it Our inner man cannot ride on prosperously except this march in the Van and beat down them that hate us Nor can we keep what we have got but by this means Non minor est virtus quā quaerere parta tuerl And therefore we find it recorded of Hester that she did the commands of Mordecai after she came to the Crown like as when she was brought up with him Hest 2.7,20 35. Hester and Mordecai were two captive Jews carried away in the Captivity by Nebuchadonezer into Babylon Hester was left an Orphan of whom her kins-man Mordecai took care after the death of her Father and Mother Now these things as the Apostle saith in the like case are an Allegory and have their mystical signification Hester is as much as to say Hidden and may imply the hidden man of the heart 1 Pet. 3.4 Mordecai is bitter contrition or teaching contrition and was Guardian to Hester Whereby we are instructed that affliction or the Cross is a good Protector Tutor Fosterer and Nurse to the inner man Ego in flagello paratus sum saith the vulgar Latin Psal 38.17 the scourge is our Sehoolmaster Foolishness is bound in the heart of a Child but the rod of Correction shall drive it far from him Prov. 22.15 Thy Rod and thy staff comfort me Psal 23.4 Our light Afflictions which are but for a moment work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day verse 16. As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ 1 Cor. 1.5 Wherefore faint not when thou art rebuked 't is for thy profit and good that thou mayst be partaker of Gods holiness Heb. 12.5,9,10 Neither must we think that this Cross and Rod is of use unto us in our Non-age or Child-hood only but that it is profitable for us in our riper years also not only whilst we are children in understanding but when we are grown in Christ when we come to the Crown as well as when we lay in captivity Too many cast off the Cross too soon and so expose themselves to the snares of the wicked one Hadassa observed and obeyed Mordecai in her Royalty as well as in her slavery and this became the safety of her self and of all the Jews Twelfthly 36. It is the best
many differences of the Evangelists Whence he concludeth that it is very likely that it was not one but three women One of whom Matthew and Mark speak Matth. 26. Mar. 14. Another of whom Luke writeth Luke 7. whom also he calleth a sinner A third mentioned by John John 12. whom also he calleth Mary the sister of Lazarus Faber Stapulensis would have them to be three but doth otherwise distinguish them The first he calleth that sinner in Luke The second Mary the sister of Martha of whom mention is made in the three Evangelists Matthew Mark and Iohn The third he saith was Mary Magdalen who would have anoynted the Lord in his Sepulchre So that according to his opinion the sinner anoynted Christ a great while before his death but Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus anoynted him but a little before his Passion And he will needs have Mary Magdalen to be that woman of Galilee out of whom Christ had before cast out seven Devils as it is Mar. 16.9 Chrysostome and Theophilact suppose the three Evangelists Matthew Mark and Luke do speak of one woman and Iohn of another Ambrose is doubtful and can hardly resolve the matter and at last saith Perhaps it was not one lest the Evangelists should seem to clash c. lib. 6. super Lucam Nor can it be easily determined by any unto this day But certain it is that Matthew and Mark spoke of one and the same woman And because the anoynting which John speaks of was also at Bethany and in those very dayes before the Passover and immediately before Christs Passion it is most like that he meaneth the same woman that the other two Evangelists write of whom also he calleth by her proper Name which the other two do not Whether this Mary of Bethany anoynted Christ twice within a few dayes First his feet as Iohn faith and then his head as Matthew and Mark report and that there Iudas only but here all the Apostles murmured together let others judge This is clear that three of the Evangelists mean one and the same woman whatever may be thought of that woman that was a sinner Certain also it is that this Unction of Christ before his passion was at Bethany For Matthew and Mark name the house of Simon the Leper but John seems to intimate that it was in the house of Lazarus or Martha To which we may answer that either that Simon the Leper was the father of Lazarus and his sisters or that Mary did anoynt Christ twice both in her own house and in the house of Simon the Leper who was so call'd not that he was a Leper at that time but that he had been so and was cleansed by Christ There is yet one scruple behind in that Luke also saith Luke 7. that Christ was anointed by a sinner in Simons house whence some may suppose that it was but one woman in all the Evangelists though one may write more of her and another less as they do of other things It is not so credible that there were two Simons in whose houses Christ was twice anoynted To this may be added that Luke as well as John saith that the woman wiped the feet of Jesus with her hair which argueth that it was one and the same woman Nor doth that make against it because of the two Simons one is called a Pharisee and the other a Leper for the same man may be so called Thus nothing can yet be here certainly determined wherefore passing by these things let us come to the History it self This woman is said to bring an Alabaster box of precious oyntment or according to Mark of Spikenard very precious or as John hath it of Spikenard very costly For it was by conjecture of Spikenard and Balsam which sort of Oyl is accounted most precious if it be not adulterated But John saith expresly that this oyntment was ex nardo pistico that is certain and true and not adulterated so that the Disciples valued it at 300. pence Such kind of precious Oyntments were common among the richer sort The most precious was called the Royal Oyntment which was made up of many precious things as Spikenard Gum of the Balm tree Myrrhe Cassia Cinamon c. And t is probable that this oynment of Mary was not much inferiour to it in value Pliny agreeth hereto Lib. 13. cap. 1. Lib. 12. cap. 12. who writeth almost the same of the oyntment of Spikenard and addeth that the Spikenard of Syriae is the best and elswhere he saith that such kind of Oyntments are best kept in Alabasters Now Alabasters are Glass-vessels which Apothecaries commonly use Let us now view the beauteous mind of this woman 1. When all were busie in the house to wait on Christ a little before his Passion for they had provided him a Supper at which Martha served Mary was not idle John 12. So ought it to be in the Church none should be idle but every one strive according to his strength to serve Christ and contend who should do most for him Those that are backward should imitate those that are forward The strong should so much the more earnestly press further by how much the more eagerly others follow after them O happy house where things are so carried 2. See also with what boldness this woman cometh to Christ whom even that holy man John was afraid to touch in Jordan Mat. 3. which confidence she could no otherwayes attain to but from the goodness of Christ which she had so often seen and tryed It was not therefore rashness in this woman but strong love and exceeding great charity Mat. 6. Thus Believers though they be not yet quite free from sin dare boldly say to God Our Father which are in Heaven 3. Again This woman doth a good office to Christ nothing terrified with the threats and cursed execrations of the Pharisees nothing at all troubled at the jeers and grumblings of others only contented that Christ accepted her service Faith regards not the world so it can but please God 4. Besides She doth not bring any manner of Oyntment but the best that which was dear and a great deal of it even a whole pound as John saith John 12. Charity is of that condition it knows no bounds but the best whatsoever it hath that it liberally bestoweth on Christ Nor doth it so much take notice what or how much it poureth out but to whom and for whom 5. Moreover She doth not anoint the feet of Christ only according to John but his head too as Matthew and Mark report even ready to serve him in all things and what she commendably at first undertook if it were but one only woman every where now she doth more commendably accomplish At first she anointed only his feet now she doth at once anoint both feet and head So should we ascend from the feet of Christ to
c. ye shew the Lords death ill he come Thus ye see after what manner at what time and with what words Christ instituted the Sacrament all which are of such concernment that t is strange if they kindle not in us a desire of so great good inflame our love to God and encourage us to give praise and thanks unto him We commend and thank him that giveth us an estate at his death to make us rich Why should we not do so here But sometimes we may find ingrateful heirs in the world so alas for it doth Christ find by experience that we are too unthankfull unto him Now the sleighting what is set before us is no small cause of this our ingratitude And so that is too often fulfill'd in us which Elisha once said to the incredulous Noble man 2 King 7.2 Thou shalt see it with thine eyes but thou shalt not eat thereof Are not these things fulfill'd in us We see and have these great things before our eyes and in our hands yet we perceive them not we taste them not What greater evil can befall a man than to have riches and not enjoy them Two things yet remain to be considered about this Sacrament viz. to what end it was ordained and how it ought to be received It was ordained 1. That our heart should more closely cleave to the words and Promises of God The Prophets promised that the time should come when God would dwell in us and that Christ by his death would take away our sins c. All which and the like Promises are confirmed by this Sacrament He instituted this Sacrament that we should not doubt of these things 2. It is a standing Monument of his Charity that so we might never doubt of his good will to us Whensoever then our consciences are ready to flag and fail which often happeneth specially at death they should be strengthened by this Sacrament 3. It is a perpetual Remembrance and Representation of that only sacrifice which was offered for us upon the Cross The benefit of this Sacrament may be taken out of the words of Paul when he saith 1. The bread which we break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ c. 1 Cor. 10. Whereby he sheweth that by this Sacrament we partake of all the good things of Christ 2. Another fruit of it is that we also are made one bread and one body even all that partake of one bread and of one cup that is This Sacrament doth put us in mind that we are made one meat and one drink and that we should wholly devote our selves to the good of our Neighbours that we should make the poverty of others our own and account the faults of others as our own c. Therefore in Greek it is called Synaxis that is a communication Whence we may easily gather what is requisite to the worthy receiving of it which is nowhere more clearly exprest than in the figure of the Paschal Lamb and the Manna The Paschal Lamb. Both which figures I shall briefly open Concerning the Lamb consider 1. The house must be sprinkled with the blood of the Lamb in three places Exod. 12.7 on the door and both the posts So he that will come to the Sacrament must first be sealed with the Seal of the holy Trinity which is done in Baptism Or thus he must be marked in three places that is he should have the three Sacraments Baptism Confirmation and Repentance Or the blood of the Lamb must be on his doors i. e. he should alwayes have the remembrance of Christs Passion before his eyes when he goeth out and when he cometh in according to that of Paul 1 Cor. 11. As oft as ye eat ye shall shew the Lords death c. Or he should have the Lambs blood on the doors i. e. he must not be ashamed of the Cross of Christ nor blush to keep the Commands of Christ but openly confess that he doth believe and keep them To that which the Author hath here observed The Translators Supplement Heb. 10.29 concerning this first circumstance the Translator further addeth viz. They were not to strike any of the Lambs blood on the threshold nor should we tread the blood of the Son of God under foot But they were to strike the blood on the lintel So should we alwayes have the blood of Christ over our heads above our own reason in higher estimation than the reach of our natural capacity or growth and stature of our earthly man our carnal mind It should be over our head to be seen only by Faith lifting our heads upward from earthy things thoughts desires affections confidence righteousness c. unto heavenly things looking on it as a Propitiation a Reconciliation a Mediation something between Heaven and earth between God and man as that which reconcileth us unto God Heb. 12.24 and giveth us boldness at his Throne of Grace speaking better things than that of Abel Again they were to strike both the side posts one as well as the other We should have the blood of Christ on either hand that we may see God on the lest hand where he worketh and on the right hand where he hideth himself Job 23.9 that we may be kept in prosperity and adversity knowing how to want and how to abound both in respect of the outward and inward man preserved from excess and all extreams swallowed up neither with presumption nor despair but fighting the good fight of Faith having the Armour of Righteousness on the right hand 2 Cor. 6.7 and on the left Now we proceed with the Author 2. They must eat the flesh roasted with fire that night The flesh of Christ must be eaten by night It must be by Faith alone and the eyes of Reason must be shut T is true our flesh would eat it in the day that is it coveteth to see all things but all in vain The flesh of Christ is eaten invisibly and in a Mysterie And the flesh of our Lamb may well be said to be roasted for it is roasted with the fire of Tribulation as also with the fire and operation of the Holy Spirit 3. It was to be eaten with unleavened bread The flesh of the Lamb must not be eaten alone that is we must not only consider what Christ did but what we also ought to do 1 Cor. 5. we must first of all cast out the leaven of malice and wickedness the Sacrament must be received with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth For this food is not provided for dogs but for Children only not for filthy persons but such as are clean They sin therefore who come to it not having first repented of their sins 4. With wild Lettice so the vulg Lat. bitter herbs or as it is in the Hebrew with or upon bitternesses i. e. with a bitter remembrance of our sins Thus the
Disciples did eat this Sacrament with bitter Herbs for they were very sad at the words of Christ and during all those three dayes of his Passion they were together in great heaviness So we eat it with bitter herbs if we afflict our body inasmuch as the bitterness of Repentance purgeth the humour of an ill life out of the stomach of the mind 5. Ye shall not eat it raw nor sodden with water They eat it raw who come to it without any premeditation They eat it raw who esteem it only as they see it and because they see nothing but bread they think it to be only bread They eat it raw who understand all things carnally and say with the Capernaites John 6 This is a hard saying who can hear it They eat it boiled in water who strive by their carnal reason to find out how this may be so The water of our wisdom cannot boil this Lamb cannot search out and comprehend these Mysteries He faith therefore ye shall eat it roast with fire i. e. ye shall attribute and ascribe all to the working of the Holy Spirit to whom nothing is hard nothing impossible As therefore we do rightly acknowledge the man that was born of a Virgin to be God so truly do we say that is Christ which we take at the Altar and do preach him to be the Lamb of God 6. Ye shall eat the head with the feet and the entrails We must take whole Christ and not divide him Some Hereticks have thrown away the Head denying the Divinity of Christ Others have cast away the feet not acknowledging his Humanity Others his entrails saying that Christ had no soul And truly most men now adayes receive Christ by halves only They have an ear for his Promises but not for his Precepts They take him only as a gift not as an Example The Scriptures require us to take the Head and Feet the Divinity and Humanity the Promises and Precepts of the true Lamb. And it is expresly said ye shall eat or ye shall devour in which word our lazy drowsiness is reproved who can hardly be driven to this Sacrament to which we should rather run with all cheerfulness But alas we neither know our own misery not the greatness of that gift 7. Nothing must be left till the morning No broken meat of that corporal Lamb must be left for dogs or the Aegyptians And do we so rashly rush unto this Sacrament more filthy than dogs much worse than Aegyptians We are here likewise further instructed to perform all things commanded and to consider what Christ teacheth us now before the day of the life to come dawneth Let us omit or leave nothing undone what we may do now we cannot do alwayes 8. If any be left ye shall burn it with fire We must not contemn spurn or leave any thing out of this Sacrament And what we cannot comprehend about it commit it to the fire i. e. leave it to the working of the Holy Spirit 9. The loins must be girt He that would come hither let him tame his wantonness and bridle his lusts For this Sacrament requireth that we be clean in body and soul The time is short 1 Cor. 7. saith Paul It remaineth that they that have wives be as if they had none 10. Having their shooes on their feet A worthy Communicant must walk in the word and according to the word of God having the feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace Eph. 6. Yet must we not go bate-footed neither our affections must not stick to the earth we should rather know and consider that we have here no abiding City Besides let us preserve our feet our affections and works with the Examples of holy men as it were with the hides of some dead creatures I could wish some would do so in the business of this Sacrament for certainly then they would not so offend with their feet 11. With staves in their hands We use a staffe either to prop us or protect us it is necessary for both This staffe is the Word of God if our flesh be weak let us be supported with the word of God If any disswade us from good or perswade us to evil keep him off with this staffe as Christ did when he was tempted by the Devil Mat. 4. 12. Ye shall eat it in haste Desire or fear will make us run we have need of both Let us with Paul desire to be dissolv'd and to be with Christ Let us also fear lest if we neglect to day the time of Grace be past before to morrow Thus you see how punctually every thing concerning this Sacrament and the worthy receiving thereof was foreshewed in this The same thing but after another way Manna a figure of the Sacrament John 6. was prefigured in the Manna For in the Gospel of John it plainly appeareth that the Manna did prefigure Christ For Moses saith he gave you not the true bread from Heaven but my Father giveth it c. And a little after I am the living bread c. Again My flesh is meat indeed Whatsoever then is written in that History doth refer either to the Humanity of Christ or to the Word or to the Sacrament For these three wayes is Christ given to us in the Humanity in the Word and in the Sacrament There are four things mentioned of the Manna first the cause secondly the form and nature of it thirdly the manner of gathering it fourthly its use The reason why God gave the Children of Israel Manna from Heaven was first the peoples hunger And Christ saith The Cause for the oppression of the poor for the sighing of the needy now will I arise c. Psam 12 5. 2. God gave the Israelites Manna to shew his Truth Power Righteousness Goodness He gave his own Son also to declare the same 3. He did it also to prove them To that end also did Christ come poor and humble Wherefore he did not preach the Gospel himself among the Gentiles but by his Apostles And therefore he doth not exhibite himself visibly but invisibly in the Sacrament to try whether we will believe though we do not see him Indeed he doth truly try us in the Sacrament For as the first man did believe the Devil more than God concerning the forbidden food so Christ in this Sacrament would have us for expiating the former fault believe his words rather than our selves our own sense or reason Concerning the Fashion and Properties of this Mavna The fashion and condition of it the Scripture saith 1. It was very small little in shew and but a despicable thing but it was of great vertue so is Christ the Word of God and so is this Sacrament c. 1 Pet. 2.4 2. The Manna was white and clear Christ is clean from all sin 3. The Manna was beaten in a Morter Christ was bruised with
the natural Son of God yet for all that he so humbled himself c. Or thus knowing that he came out from God that he was the Son of God and that he was God therefore he did like a God and that which did become the Son of God to do viz. take compassion shew mercy do good wash cleanse save c. these are proper to God 3. The third word shewing Christs sublimity is that he goeth to the Father Here I shall use the words of Augustine He came out from God saith he but left not God He goeth unto God but he left not us men The meaning is he goeth unto God that is he was sure of his glory however he seemed to be cast off yet he knew that he should sit at the right hand of his Father and there be heard Sit thou on my right hand untill I make thy foes thy footstool Psalm 110. But in the mean while he submitteth himself both to his friends and foes Let not us be backward to do good to all by this Example inasmuch as certain glory is therefore promised unto us Hitherto the Evangelist hath proposed the person of Christ to our consideration Next he describeth the work it self and sets it as it were before our eyes to the end we should do as doubtless the Apostles did when they beheld these things to wit diligently attend admire every passage and expect what the end will be Surely it is a great and wonderfull spectacle such as never was since the world began For 1. Masters use not to rise from Table before their servants But here Christ riseth and leaveth them sitting and so that is verified which saith a little after Luke 22. Matth. 20. I am among you as one that serveth Again the son of man came not to be ministred unto but to minister 2. By laying aside his garments girding himself and fetching water he plainly sheweth that he was ready to serve help and do good a matter of greatest consolation to us 3. He is indeed and that a most humble servant too he kneels down and begins to wash not their hands which had been a neater service but their feet which is so low and mean an office that none but the worst in the house doth it Yet all this he doth himself he only puts forth water he only washeth and only he wipeth Who will not here cry out with the Prophet Hab. 3. I heard of thy works and trembled Consider with your selves in good earnest who Christ was and whose feet he washt We have heard something already of the worth of Christ But what was more vile than the Apostles They were all poor contemptible men and one of them was a Traytor another afterwards abjured him yet for all that he serves them most affectionately What can he refuse to do who humbled himself so low for us Here we see indeed that he was novissimui virorum rejected of men Is 53.3 Now he doth rather wash the feet than the hands or head because he would thereby express more humility and love wherewith he washeth us in his blood All which are Examples and Precepts to perswade us to serve one another with a ready mind The Lord of Heaven doth not scorn nor blush to do that which even Ecclesiastical persons as well as Secular and worldly Pontentates are ashamed to do whose duty principally is to imitate the meekness and humility of Christ The Primitive Christians were not ashamed of this service to their brethren but did it with much cheerfulness Did not that great Patriarch Abraham cause the feet of his guests to be washed So did his cousen Let Gen. 19. Gen. 18. In the New Testament this was a work of great account 1 Tim. 5. Therefore Paul doth not admit a widow unless she had washed the Saints feet But now one may sooner find especially among the Prelates of the Church such as wash their own feet in wine rather then give a cup of cold water to a poor body It is taken for an hypocritical thing now to wash others feet Nothing inveigh'd against now more than good works None reprove sin The times are such that few regard whether they do good or evil What Augustine reporteth that some Hereticks called the Predestinarians Augustine sup Epist Johannis should say is now true among us Let us sin yea let us do what we will there 's no danger Christ cleanseth all c. 1. Wherefore this Act of Christ condemneth our pride by reason whereof it is that although we be men though we be but mortal men yet we disdain to submit or give place to others in the smallest matters so far are we from yielding or doing good to our enemies This is the pride of mans heart which Christ here utterly condemneth Let men be ashamed of their pride as well they may when they see the Son of God with so great humility become a servant Why is earth and ashes proud Miserable worm Eccl. 10. dost thou yet walk with a stretched out neck look through the spectacle of humility Thy Saviour was ready to serve dost thou seek the preheminence Christ washt the feet of a very Traytor dost thou scorn to be friends with thy brother 2. Hereby Christ would root all arrogancy out of the hearts of the Apostles which is a peculiar vice to eminent men and such as are endowed with much Grace or are in high place and office Therefore he would stir them up to modesty and meekness not only by his words but with deeds and his Example too and that when he was going to die that it might take the deeper impression 3. Moreover Christ by this his abasement offered the remedy against the first sin of man which was pride Whereas the first man sinned by pride Christ by his humility discharged that Debt 4. Further Christ hereby taught that none shall be exalted except first humbled none lifted up unless first cast down 5. Lastly In these words John shadoweth out the whole business of Christ viz. 1. Christ did indeed rise from supper The Mysterie that is from his repose from out of his Fathers bosom from the Throne of boundless Majesty And for no other end but for the oppression of the poor and deep sighing of the needy Psalm 12.15 2. He laid aside the garments of glory and stript himself naked of all righteousnesses and whatever he had of worth a Glory Phil. 2. Fame Name Power he emptied himself of that brightness which he had before the world was John 17. So that he seemed naked i. e. in all things like unto us Hence it is that as wicked Cham heretofore mocked his naked Father so not only the Jews but most false Christians too have jeered this humiliation of Christ and alwayes denyed that he was God begotten of God and affirmed that he was only man and had his being from Mary 3.
He girded himself with a white Towel i. e. with an immaculate body and uncorrupt humane nature which like a white Towel was not only clean in it self but also wiped away our spots and made us clean also Or thus he girded himself with a Towel i. e. with the anguish of his Passion and Death and so as he had begun magnificently to shew his charity he did more magnificently finish it 4. Then he poureth water into a Bason i.e. he poured out the Holy Spirit upon the Believers Ezek. 36. which by his Passion he merited for them which Spirit in Ezekiel is called clean water I will pour clean water upon you saith he c. Or He poured water into a Bason i. e. he opened our wits to understand the Scriptures That water was in a pot before the Scripture was shut up the Book was sealed the Mysteries of God were hidden the face of Moses was vailed But now Christ hath poured forth the water into a Bason i. e. he hath revealed the hid things of the Scriptures for the Salvation of believers From that time Christ began to wash us I say he began for he hath not made an end yet but doth daily wash and wipe us with his Towel i. e. the merit of his Passion So that from hence we may understand not only the love of Christ but our own misery also For it must be great filthiness which none but the Son of God could wipe away and that not without his death and blood By this t is plain that man had deeply fallen because we see the Son of God descend and humble himself so low Pastors of the Church should follow this Example of Christ Let them watch and arise and make ready to Minister Throw all away that hindereth the work whatever it be Let them expound the dark Mysteries of the Scriptures to others Let them wash others but so as they themseves be girt with a Towel lest while they make others clean themselves be defiled John 13.6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter and Peter saith unto him Lord doest thou wash my feet Jesus answered and said unto him verse 7. What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter Perer 〈◊〉 unâ—… him verse 8. thou shalt never wash my feet Jesu answered him if I wash thee not thou hast no part with me Simon Peter saith unto him verse 9. Lord not my seet only but also my hands and my head Jesus saith unto him verse 10. He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet but is clean every whit and ye are clean but not all For he knew who should betray him verse 11. therefore said he ye are not all clean There are some that think Christ began with Judas and so went upward till at last he came to Peter But others reject this opinion upon this ground that although Judas had patience and with a brazen face held out till Christ had done this to him yet the other Disciples could not hold their peace It is most probable that he began at Peter who was first among the Apostles not by Vocation for Andrew followed Christ before him but by Election unto the Apostleship for there Peter is put in the first place Matth. 10. And t was very proper in this washing to begin with the chiefest For where the Pastor or Prelate is unclean in Doctrine or life those that are under their charge will quickly be defiled and how shall such a man make others clean who is so filthy himself If the salt hath lost its saltness how shall it season other things Nor is it without a Mysterie that the Evangelist doth not call Peter only by that name which Christ gave but by that also which he had before He cometh saith he to Simon Peter seting down his old name first Peter as we shall see anon did express in himself the nature both of flesh and faith and therefore he is called by divers names In the discourse of Christ Peter speaketh three times but all differently First out of ignorance Secondly out of obstinacy Thirdly in Faith And Christ doth thrice answer him First he instructeth his ignorance Secondly he reproveth and repelleth his stubbornness Thirdly he commendeth his Faith And so we speak to God and he to us c. But whereas Peter first saith by way of question First word Lord doest thou wash my feet T is plain that he stood amazed at so great a condescention of his Lord. And no marvel for the rest would have done so too if he had begun with them Yea who could but admire to see the Lord of Majesty became so humble a servant unto men Exod. 3. It s a sign of a godly soul to admire and wonder at the works of God Thus Moses although he prest to see why the bush was not burnt yet when he heard God speak out of the bush he durst not approach Gen. 28 So Jacob when he had seen a Ladder in his dream c. he awaked as one in a trance and so great a vouchsafement of God How terrible saith he is this place If we consider this word of Peter we shall see that he had several respects partly good partly imperfect 1. First He had respect to that excellent dignity of his Lord when he said dost thou Lord I say he considered what a base employment it was to wash feet because the feet are the lowest and so the meanest members not named without saving your presence He thought it a great disparagement that those hands which had wrought so many Miracles among the people should now wash his feet and this was good in him 2. On the other hand he considered his own unworthiness when he said for Me or my feet and that also was commendable From both which he infer'd that 't was more fit for him to serve Christ than for Christ to serve him which also is praise-worthy We must needs acknowledge that God is nothing indebted to us but we much to him Lord dost thou wash my feet thou Lord of Majestie for me the vilest of creatures a wretched sinner But Peter was mistaken to think it a dishonourable thing for Christ to serve us as some now adayes think it a dishonour and disgrace to Christ to give us his body to eat whereas it is his greatest glory For hereby his infinite love and mercy doth perfectly shine upon us But the nature of our flesh is such that it hath no fear of God at all when it sinneth but when it should pray for pardon it would seem to have such reverence that it confesseth it self to be so unworthy that it dare not come nigh him So Peter seems here to have great reverence of Christ but by and by denies him in a fearless manner and so do we Again herein also Peter erred that under pretence of reverence to Christ he puts off and refuseth his Ministry as
man than to have his part with Christ so not to partake with him is unavoidable damnation Beloved let 's do and suffer whatever is required of us to do and suffer lest we lose this our share with Christ To have part with Christ is to partake of his Grace Spirit and Word here and of his Glory and Kingdom hereafter This part Peter afterward denied to Simon Magus Acts 8. Thou hast no part nor lot in this word But this word of Christ may have another meaning If I wash thee not c. q.d. Why art thou afraid at my meek manner of behaviour and startlest at this kind of Ministry wilt not thou that I wash thee with water when thou must of necessity be washed with my blood except I gird my self harder yet and wash thee with greater labour and pains thou wilt have no part with me Truly if Christ had not washed his Elect with his blood neither Peter nor any man else could have had any part with him So is it still whom Christ purgeth not he is yet unclean as it was heretofore no man was clean till he was washed with the water of Purification Numb 19. Apoc. 21. And no unclean thing shall enter into the Kingdom of Christ therefore it is rightly said if I wash thee not thou hast no part with me By all this Christ sheweth what is meant by the washing of feet and why he did wash his Disciples feet before his Passion Teaching us hereby that it is his office only to purge and wash away the filth of sin which he doth by the sprinkling of his blood This washing then of the feet signifieth the whole Passion of Christ who ministred to us and washed us Where note that none is purged from sin but by Christ Also see here our laziness who hear that we shall have no part with Christ except he wash us yet we run not to him though he be present with us Doubtless Peter wholly submitted himself to Christ being terrified with this his threatning word Lord saith he not only my feet but also my hands and my head As if he had said if it be so there 's an end I have done not my will but thine be done I will no longer hinder thee from washing me Only let me never be separated from thee Lo I present my hands feet head my whole body wash me wipe me do as thou wilt I have nothing to say against it At first I did not know what it meant therefore I crave pardon I cry thee mercy c. This is that Chrysostome saith of him Peter was earnest in denying more earnest in yielding both proceeded from love 1. Here we see the nature of Faith which fully and wholly resigneth it self unto the will of God to do with us whatsoever he pleaseth Come life come death all as he will So David 2 Sam. 15.26 if he say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good to him Gen. 12. And so Abraham he fully committed himself to God following him whithersoever he led him This Resignation of self unto the will of God is a most acceptable service to him As Christ saith he that will come after me let him deny himself and follow me Matth. 16. 2. Note that besides his feet Peter offers his hands and his head to be washed Not only our affections but our works yea our very intention and purpose many times had need be cleansed David acknowledgeth himself to be filthy all over Psalm 51. Behold I was conceived in iniquities sprinkle me with Hysop c. To be short This word of Peter sheweth that we are wholly polluted in body and soul in affections works intention will and understanding So that we have very great need of Christ 3. Hence we learn what we have most need to ask of Christ even that he would cleanse us every whit who created us all that we are If we be not first purified we can never partake of the good things of Christ 4. Lastly He sheweth what we should principally offer to God for his innumerable benefits even an universal Resignation not only of our temporal goods but of our own will and reason too that with David we might say twice Psalm 108. O God my heart is ready my heart is ready Ready to deny the world for thy sake Again ready to deny my self for thee Thus Abraham not only left his Country at Gods call Gen. 12.22 but was ready to slay his son too at his command But there are too few now that imitate him Perhaps there be some that will part with a little trash but very rarely shall we find one that will strangle his own will Although Peter presented his hands and his head to be washed yet Christ washeth only his feet with which he began at first For he that is washed saith he needeth not save to wash his feet As if he had said Peter I need not wash thy hands and head these are clean enough already but thy feet can never be washt too much for they will presently be foul again See how fitly Christ turneth his speech from outward things to spiritual From washing the members of the body he passeth on to the washing of the inward parts of the soul it self which are the affections here meant by the feet As in every employment the feet tread on the ground so this our mortal life cannot continue without our affections The affections interpose themselves in all businesses so that if any shall say they need not washing and cleansing he is altogether mistaken If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves 1 John 1. and the truth is not in us He washeth our feet daily who maketh intercession for us in Heaven continually That we have need of this daily washing we acknowledge when we pray Matth 6. forgive us our trespasses c. Now Christ in saying He that is washed c. plainly sheweth that we need a two-fold washing 1. The first is when the whole body is washed the inbred pollution the other when the feet are cleansed from that dust and dirt which daily cleaveth to them Christ by his blood hath washed us both these wayes First at the Font where the whole man is washed from his inbred uncleanness his original sin This is done and that but once at the Font. Wherefore he saith He that is washed needeth not So to be washt again in Baptism Once Baptized is sufficient Only we must have a care to wash our feet often And 2. This second Baptism is not in the Font but in Podoniptro in true Repentance which purgeth our daily sins There is a second Table in which they may escape by swimming who have made Ship-wrack after the first washing This is the washing of which Isaiah speaketh Wash ye make ye clean c. Is 1. This washing of the feet by
against me i. e. he hath greatly supplanted me It was a great supplantation indeed when this one fellow basely trampling upon him should presume to sell him that bought and Redeemed all men surely he did lift up his heel too high who would not buy Christ but rather sell him Christ would not only be slain but first be sold too because man for whose salvation he came to die was not only dead by his transgression but was also sold under that transgression For our first Parents could not be perswaded to transgress the Commandment but with hopes of some advantage Your eyes Gen. 3. saith he shall be opened and ye shall be as gods So that the hope of being as gods was proposed though falsly as the price of their transgression Whence the Prophet saith Es 52.3 Ye have sold your selves for nought and ye shall be redeemed without money This order is necessary in our salvation that our Saviour should be sold and die for us who were dead and sold under sin What Judas did so wickedly against Christ hat Hereticks and Sectaries do against their Mother the Church For those that have been nursed at her breasts and nourished with her bread do now spurn her with their feet so that she may well say I have nourished and brought up children and they have despised me Es 1. No wonder if the Church so suffer from her false children when Christ suffered the same from a false Disciple That word of the Psalmist may not a little afright us 1. Because it shews us the hainousness of our sins which we make light account of Who would not abominate that man who should kick Christ at his feet Who should not dread himself that hath offered such contempt reproach to the Son of God But the Psalmist saith he that sinneth against Christ doth trample him under foot So Paul affirmeth that there were some who did tread under foot the Son of God Heb. 10. over whose heads the great Judgement of God did hang for so doing 2. Because we are they who now eat the bread of Christ in the Word and Saerament and in those things which are offered to Christ as goods dedicated to the Church Let us also take heed lest we who eat Christs bread trample him with our feet especially seeing that from the beginning they alwayes have proved the worst enemies of God who have been taken for his best friends Thus Satan the best of creatures is become the greatest adversary of God The Israelites were Gods chosen people yet they committed more Idolatry than the Gentiles Jer. 5. Deut. 32. So that t is said of them I fed them to the full and they committed adultery Again Jesuron waxed fat and kicked he forsook the God that made him c. So the Pharisees and Priests whose office typified Christ were most forward to crucifie him So Judas none of the least of the Apostles lift up his heel against Christ And so now he is most of all trampled upon by Christians and such as live wholly of his loaves Hence the Psalmist I was a reproach among all mine enemies Psalm 31. but especially among my Neighbours They trample on Christ whosoever they be that oppose and fight against the Gospel under the name of Christ and profession of the Gospel and defame the Scriptures under a fair colour of the Scriptures wresting them to their own lusts but especially they that blaspheme Christ c. Hence we learn not to be wroth with them that wrong us but rather do them good as Christ here speaking of the Traytor is so far from beiny angry or speaking evil of him that he doth him good and seeks to reclaim him 1. Christ foretold these things lest his Disciples should be afrighted when they saw them come to pass 2. To strengthen their faith But now saith he I have told you before John 16. that when it is come ye may believe i. e. that by the fulfilling of this word ye may know that I am true in all my other sayings So afterward he foretold to the other Disciples what should befall them which did not a little confirm them in the Faith that Christ should tell them before-hand what they should suffer 3. These things I have told you before that you may believe to wit that I can see into the very secrets of the heart Or that ye may believe that I am and do remain the same though for a while I seem to die Or that ye may believe that I am that poor destitute one whom whosoever considereth shall be blessed as it is in the same Psalm Or that ye may believe that I am that very man that spake in the same place Psalm 41.1,2 Shall not he that sleepeth awake and rise again So the vulg Lat. But thou O Lord verse 8. verse 10. be merciful unto me raise me up that I may requite them Lastly He addeth Verily I say unto you he that receiveth whomsover I send receiveth me c. By which Word 1. He calls back the Traytor to his duty and office and allureth him to continue in it perseveringly 2. He terrifieth him for if he did not persevere he shews him that he would not sin only against him but against God also Or thus He had before comforted his Disciples and told them that they should patiently endure adversity and bear the cross if they would but consider what he himself had suffered and that the servant neither is nor ought to be above his Lord c. Now he doth comfort them another way telling them that they should find friends as well as foes in the world who should use them civilly and receive them kindly q.d. This shall be your happiness in the world Behold I send a Cryers voyce before you which shall sound through all the world that they which receive me may then be truly confident that they have received me indeed if they shall receive you as my very self And that ye may not think it a small reward to receive me because I am now despised in the world lo I say unto you He that receiveth me receiveth my Father also When the children that are scattered abroad in the world shall hear this they will entertain and honour you very highly Thus before he sent out the Apostles he provided meat and lodging for them and with large Promises encouraged men to receive them as in the first creation before he made man he prepared all necessaries for him as a place to dwell in food to live on and light to walk by It is a good and comfortable gradation from the Disciples to Christ and from Christ to the Father beyond or above whom there is no going or ascending farther Christ here speaks according to his humanity lest any Arrian should hence infer that Christ was inferiour to the Father according to his Divinity The same gradation you have in receiving the Apostles Mat. 10.
glorified over all Isa 53. The lowest descent of Christ was to be accounted more base and wicked then a Thief or a Robber but this Descention is a means of his Ascention and the true and only way for him to be more highly exalted If thou therefore art despised and reckoned worse then the worst have recourse presently to Christ who in the sence of so great contempt transfer'd it on himself and overcame it that thou by Faith in him mightest overcome it also No marvell then if guiltless men be sometimes punished and the guilty escape Scot-free So it was with Christ And as it here fell out in Pilates Court the very same happened in Gods Court Adam that notorious Thief with his whole posterity stood accused before God all of them guilty of Death So did also the most innocent Son of God Now one of them must be punished with Death Divine Justice did so require it But God of his great mercy spared him and delivered his own innocent Son to Death for him 1. Brethren let us embrace this mercy of God and be thankfull unto him for it 2. Let us take heed that Christ that is the Righteousness of God be not taken and kept prisoner in us and the Thief that is unrighteousness be not let go at random But what doth Pilate do when he saw this frantick obstinacy of the Jews He little thought that they would desire Barabbas to be released unto them And nothing seemed more strange unto him then this unworthy behaviour of them Therefore he saith What then shall I do with Jesus c. q.d. If ye think it meet and just that a Thief should have his inlargement much more he that is proved to be innocent or with what justice can I condemn this man if a Thief must be released instead of him ye desire that he should be sent packing but require a Thief to be set at liberty Nay in requiring a Thiefs enlargement ye do necessarily desire this mans releasment For he that would an offender let go would much more that a Righteous man should not be kept prisoner And so is it indeed with those that are in their right wits but malice had blinded these mens eyes Therefore they cry out again Crucifie him Crucifie him These wicked Husbandmen had a will and a resolution to kill the Lord of the Vineyard thinking that then they should possess his Inheritance safely and hold it sure enough and so brave it out with great gladness and glory Mat. 21. Wherefore they sharpened their Tongues like Serpents But first of all they determine what kind of death he should dye Where again they discover their wickedness in that they would prescribe what manner of death to put him unto whereas this did not belong to the Accusers but to the Judge And t was not for nothing that they would have him crucified For thereby they thought to delude the people and alienate them from Christ that whereas it is written in the Law Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree they might shew them that Christ also was accursed of God and so by that means Christ might wholly perish not only in his person but in his good Name and repute among the people and the clearness of his Miracles and whatever else was good in him This was that which that wicked crew did plot and purpose even that the whole memory of Christ might utterly be abolished But God crossed their contrivances For the curse of the Cross was far from clouding Christs Renown that his Glory did the more sparkle and spread thereby Let not us think shame of the Cross of Christ but esteem it our greatest honour Let us now glory in nothing save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ Gal. 6. For this will turn all cursing into blessing to us But how madly soever they cry out Pilate doth yet withstand them and doth the third time publiquely protest Christs innocency What evil saith he hath he done I find no fault in him For he knew and now had sufficient experience by the fact it self that for envy they had delivered him Nothing but envy I say was the ground of all this clamour For this had so blinded them that they could not see the Law of God or of Nature A manifest and plain Sign and Token of this their envy was in that they took no notice of the Judges excusing him but still cryed out more and more and what else should they do when they had nothing else to prove their charge In like manner the world afterward cryed out against the Martyrs of Christ The curse of the Cross light on them Away with them Throw them to the beasts make dogs meat of them Hence with these Malefactors c. How should they scape better then their Lord But though Ravens or Lyons devour us although the fire burn us or the water drown us let us never deny Christ or desert his Church It follows in the Text Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged him John 19.1 Mar. 15.16 Mat. 27.28 And the Souldiers led him away into the Hall called Pretorium and they call together the whole band And they stripped him and put on him a scarlet Robe And when they had platted a Crown of Thorns they put it upon his head and a Reed in his right hand and they bowed the knee before him and mocked him saying Hail King of the Jews And began to salute him Hail c. Mar. 15. And they smote him with their hands John 19.3 And they spit upon him and took the Reed and smote him on the head Mat. 27.30 And bowing their knees worshipped him Mar. 15.19 The Devil now at last through the furious rage of the Jews so far prevailed with Pilate who endeavoured to carry on things in a politique way of Justice to lay violent hands on Christ I say he laid hands on him whom he had so often excused For so the Scripture must be fulfilled Pilate knew well enough that for envy they had delivered him and yet he doth so far gratifie and condescend unto them that for their sakes and in favour to them he doth suffer and command innocent Jesus to be scourged And how many such Pilatists are there to be found now adayes in every Countrey who commonly Apprehend Oppress Spoyl Kill and condemn even the innocent for no other cause but because it will please their Princes Pilate might have rescued Christ out of the hands of the Jews having power and force sufficient to have done it as Lysias the Tribune or chief Captain did rescue Paul Act. 21. But thus it must be Christ foreknew and foretold his scourging long before Mar. 10. Luke 18. And Isaiah prophesied the same long before the Incarnation of Christ I gave my body to the smiters and my face to them that plucked off the hair c. Isa 50. The Apostles also in like manner were thus scourged and whipt afterward Acts 5.
12. Of which usage Christ warned and told them of before-hand Mat. 10. 23. But let us explain the words of this Text a little more largely Hitherto ye have heard what Christ suffered from the Jews to wit that he was taken hold on bound hurried up and down buffeted accused spit on in fine he was accounted worse then a common Thief Now we shall hear what he suffered of the Gentiles after all this Although what we have already heard was sufficient to have redeemed all the world yet he would endure more than that First that he might make full satisfaction for our sins Secondly That none might have any occasion to despair considering the largeness of the Remedy Thirdly To re-enkindle our love again unto him because it is as it were natural for a man to be won and wrought upon by courtesies and kindness Hence in the Prophet such Benefits and good Turns are called the Cords of Adam Hos 11. Such as with which a man is drawn I will draw them saith he with the cords of Adam that is with Benefits and Kindnesses whereto men easily incline and suffer themselves to be prevailed on And whom would not this so great love of Christ draw unto himself Pilate saith he took Jesus and scourged him This was the first Sentence of the Judge against Christ and that a most unjust one too inasmuch as the Judge himself had more then once declared him to be guiltless already But this is Christs Lot in the world that although men know him to be innocent yet he fares no better and meets with no civiller usage at their hands which is no other then what all the Saints who are members of Christ ever have had and still have experience of continually For how often are wicked men compelled to confess and say Verily this was an honest man but for all that they will shew him no further favour this is all the kindness he shall receive at their hands or is likely to find from them Now according to the opinion of some Christ was whipt 1. Because it was the custom of the Romans first to strip and whip those openly that were to be put to death to shew that they had nothing to cover or excuse their fault Although this is true in part yet it doth not hold here For Christ was not yet condemned to die Nay the Judge himself had not as yet resolved to adjudge him to death and therefore in favour to him did but chaftise him He saw that the Jews were so drunken with such envy against Christ and did so rage against him that they could not be kept from killing him with all the Rhetorical Eloquence and fair perswasions that he could use to them And therefore 2. To avoid a greater mischief to wit the putting of the innocent to death therefore he gave sentence that Christ should be scourged if happily the Jews being satisfied with this punishment might abate the rage and fury of their minds for of two evils the least is to be chosen This is all the pitty that the world hath of Christ even to beat him with many stripes Let us look on this with the eyes of our mind It is a great spectacle for the World Angels and Men to behold that the Prince of all liberty should in such a servile and base manner be beaten and buffeted by the slaves and vassals of sin For 1. He that cloaths and covers all is stript of his own garments and led up and down naked before all men 2. He that covereth our confusion is confounded before all that we might not eternally be confounded which certainly we must have been if Christ had not undergone this stripping and whipping for us 3. He that releaseth the Prisoners is himself brought into bonds Nay he that gave the Israelites a cloud and pillar of fire to conduct them when they came out of Aegypt is by the same men bound now to a pillar himself Although this also had some good resemblance of the rectitude of his righteousness for he always stood upright 4. He that with much pitty and compassion touched the sick and weak is now brought under the lash and is beaten with so many stripes so many strokes and with so many scourges that if the God-head had not supplyed him with fresh strength to endure more lashes and blows he had sunk and dyed under the hands of those rascallions for want of breath and blood Thus they add stripe to stripe gash to gash rent upon rent wound upon wound blood upon blood till that beauteous and comely body which was more lovely than any the children of men was wholly deformed and disfigured that as the Prophet saith It had no form or comliness Isa 53. Here was fulfilled that of the Psalmist Supra dorsum meum fabricaverunt piccatores The plowers plowed upon my back Psalm 129. Again From the sole of the foot to the crown of the head there is no soundness in him Isa 1. All this he underwent and endured for our sakes Our sins were his scourges so many sins as thou hast committed so many scourges Christ suffered For it is written He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes are we healed Sins do justly deserve scourges which seeing they were innumerable and yet Christ had undertaken them all yea and God himself would exact the punishments of all sinners at his hands there 's no doubt but this whipping was most grievous to be born especially if we consider the most noble and tender complexion of Christs body So that Christ did like a natural and meek mother who seeing the Father displeased and angry with his Children runs with her arms all abroad and steps between taking the blows on her self to save her children So Christ run to meet the Father when he saw him incensed with our sins and suddenly providing perpetual plagues for us offering his own back to bear our blows O the unspeakable bounty of God by which it was that we were so dearly redeemed O the strange Judgement and Correction O the wonderfull ordering of the unutterable Mysterie The wicked offendeth and the righteous is punished the servant commits an heynous crime and the Lord makes satisfaction for it Man doth the Fact and God bears the blame Whither O thou Son of God whither doth thy humility descend Whither did the fire of thy love flame What were the bounds of thy pitty and piety How far did thy compassion extend I did the evil and should have born the punishment I committed the wickedness but thou didst penance and sufferedst vengeance for it Thou wast humbled for my pride I was disobedient but thou wast most obedient in all things yet dost thou expiate the haynousness of my rebellion I did eat the sower grapes and thy teeth were set on edge I wretched man and undone Creature I say I was the cause of
bounds and had done more then he could answer in scourging him For if the Judge could find no fault in him surely he must needs be whipt unjustly Here then was fulfilled that of the Psalmist Thou hast tryed me and shalt find nothing Psalm 17.3 Whence it is that Christ said at Supper The Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me Iohn 14.30 Jesus therefore went forth wearing the crown of Thorns and the purple Robe He went forth without any Imperial splendor but full of reproach He went forth indeed without any form or comliness for what comliness was it for the Son of God to be crowned with thorns and to be mocked weltring in his own blood and exposed as a gazing-stock to his enemies Who would have believed that this was the Son of God But this deformity of Christ is full of consolation unto us For hence we are assured that he made satisfaction to the utmost for us What could not so great humiliation of his Son merit for us it being voluntarily undertaken for us Go forth also O ye Daughters of Sion ye believing souls and behold King Solomon the peace-making King who reconcileth all things that are in Heaven and that are in Earth Cant. 3.11 Col. 1.20 Behold I say your King with a crown of thorns a crown of grief and misery with a ludibrious Robe and reproaches wherewith his mother crowned him yet not his mother but his step-mother the wicked Synagogue Here is truly a most wonderfull spectacle indeed to be seen He that goeth forth hath indeed some likeness of a King yet is he over-loaden with the confusion of a most despicable servant he went along crowned but his crown was his torture wounding his glorious Head with a thousand prickles He is cloathed in Royal Purple not for honour but disgrace He bears a Scepter in his hand but is smitten with it on his head They worship and bow the knee to him and cry him up for a King but presently chase him to the Cross Think upon these things O Christian look on Christ in this hue and never despair of his Grace and Favour For doubtless as long as thou dost trust in him he will never forsake thee who hath already suffered so much for thee that didst not deserve the same at his hands To this end therefore is Christ held forth and set before thy eyes that thou shouldest not despair Whensoever therefore thou art in any tribulation either of body or conscience or mind look this way turn thine eyes toward Christ and thou shalt be comforted But Pilate the better to asswage these savage beasts and move them to some pity knowing what compassion there is in nature whereby as every creature loves its like so also doth every one naturally take compassion on its like Therefore he cryes out to them with a loud voyce Behold the man as if he had said O ye Jews be satisfied with the scourging of this man which yet I was forced to inflict rather out of necessity then any offence of his Behold what a man ye have made of him see how he is used mark if he doth look but like a man The sight of him is enough to melt and break an iron or flinty heart Ye see there is no whole skin left in all his body from top to toe No part or member of his body is free ye see nothing but wounds and gore blood all over him Have compassion therefore and take some pity upon him for he is not a dog but a man as ye are although indeed he hath been used worse then one would use a dog Let this punishment suffice be ye satisfied with what he hath suffered already and le ts dismiss him and send him going For if he hath formerly erred in matter of Faith this whipping will be a perpetual warning to him that he never more broach the like errours again If ye envy him as King yet forbear for ye see him abased and dejected the name of King is vanisht from him into the basest penance and highest mulct that can be exacted he hath been whipt crowned with Thorns put into a mock-habit scorned with bitter revilings beaten and buffeted sufficiently let his shame abound and let your envy abate All this Pilate spake very civilly indeed and religiously unto them but to little or no purpose with these men Most truly doth he say Behold the man Hearken Hereticks ye that deny the Humanity of Christ Behold the Man saith Pilate Hear this O Christian what did Pilate here see but a man If thou canst not see God yet behold this man who became so despicable for thy sake Hear it too thou sinner Behold the man See what man merited see how miserable man is made see what God-man suffered for thee that thou be not found unthankfull Take heed thou be not like the Iews who were more enraged at that miserable Spectacle of Christ and that whereby they should have been moved to compassion therewith was their wrath and malice more enflamed They cry out Crucifie him Crucifie him q.d. proceed and go on as thou hast begun If thou hast scourged him crucifie also T is not enough to have him whipt we are not contented with that we long to see him dying upon the Cross Thou dost shew us his wounds but we must have his life too We shall never be at quiet till we see him dead He shall never scape alive out of our hands though it cost us all that ever we have It shall be so thou cursed cruell wicked Jew It shall be as thou sayest but not because thou wouldest have it so but because God hath so disposed it Thou shalt see him on the Cross and there dying too But it had been better for thee to have suffered him to preach in the Temple and that Barabbas had been hanged on the gallows The Evangelist doth justly tax their impiety saying 1. When they saw him they cryed out Therefore they cannot excuse their sin For they have seen saith Christ and yet have hated both me and the Father Joh. 15. 2. Those wicked Blasphemers of Christs Passion are here taxed who have seen and do see know and confess that Christ did suffer all these things for us and yet will not cease still to blaspheme 3. It is spoken Emphatically that the chief Priests did cry out for happily the rest of the multitude might be moved with some natural pity and piety and begin to think upon the Miracles which he wrought among them and so might be a little ashamed of what was so wickedly done unto Christ The chief Priests therefore at least with their Officers cry out Servants are easily perswaded to do as their Masters do supposing that they shall be excused if they do but imitate their Lords In these High Priests was fulfilled that of Jeremy The Pastors are become bruitish and have not sought the Lord therefore they shall not prosper and all the flocks shall be
if Christ had suffered nothing before this only misusage of him had been sufficient to redeem the world For we see by experience that if a little woollen cloath be clapt on a green wound it will make it fester and if it be suddenly snatcht off it puts the party to far greater pain and torment and is intolerable in comparison of the pain when it was first inflicted 2. It was no small aggravation of the pain that his most tender body being again wounded a fresh and dyed blood red all over should be exposed naked to the wind and cold with the skin all flea'd off 3. To say nothing of that confusion which doubtless was most exceeding great thus to be stript bare and naked before all his friends and foes too Most truly therefore may he say to every one of us For thy sake have I suffered reproach shame hath covered my face Psalm 69. See here O man what thou hast stood thy God in and what it cost him to save thee But hearken and I will tell thee more yet listen and thou shalt hear greater things When they had thus stript the Lord naked they make ready the Cross before his face to increase his sorrow and the floor or place is prepared and fitted where the true Lamb is to be offered for the whole world The wicked Officers then bore holes in the Cross And then presently in a mad rage they sling up Christ to the top of the Cross naked and nothing upon him but the crown of thorns O Heaven O Earth O Sea never did ye see a more sad spectacle before First They catch his left hand and with an Hammer and sharp nail of an inch thick they fasten it to the Cross so that the nail carried with it the very palm and flesh of his hand into the hole that one would think it rather soldered with the Iron than nayled With like cruelty but more cruel torture they serve his right hand The holes were made too far asunder so that his hands could not reach to them when his arms were stretched forth Besides The sinews as is usual did so contract and shrink up to assist each other that when his right hand was to be put against the hole in the cross it could not come to it by much Therefore they use other Instruments of cruelty and with cords fastened thereto they extend and rack out his arms Some bind his left hand again and hold it with all diligence that it may not slip Others stretch out his right hand till it come to the place where the nail was to be put in and then peirce and fasten it Then they torture and rack his feet with the same cruelty drive in the nail extend rack stretch him till all his joynts and Ham-strings break so that one might tell all his Nerves Veins Fibers Strings and Bones and there was not a wrinkle to be seen in all his body Thus Davids Prophetical Harp is scrued up and tuned and that fulfilled here which he prophesied They peirced my hands and my feet I may tell all my bones Psalm 22. This immaculate Lamb did not in the least bleat or open his mouth when he was led to the slaughter to be offered upon the Altar of the Cross fast bound and fastened thereunto Isa 53. Listen then O Christian and observe with all diligence Christ hitherto suffered many things but it was only in the flesh Now we come to the very extremity to the marrow and in most pain and grief of Christ Now his Nerves and Bones are tortured which is a most vehement pain in the hands and feet where the sinews and bones are so near together that they cannot be disjoyned without extream torture But this way must Christ cure our sins because there was no soundness in man from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot neither outwardly nor inwardly therefore must Christ be exposed to suffer in all parts of his body He spread forth his arms to shew that he did voluntarily and out of the highest love indure all these things He let his feet be pierced and fastened to shew that he would never stand still or give over till he had made full satisfaction for us He offered up his whole body for a burnt Offering to reconcile the Father unto us and to teach us to give up every Member unto the obedience of Christ How well then might Christ here speak and complain against the Jewish people O my people What have I done unto thee or wherein have I wearied thee I smote Aegppt with its first born for thy sake and thou in Requital hast delivered me to be scourged I fed thee with Manna in the wilderness and thou hast beaten me with Cuffs and Scourges I gave thee water of life to drink out of the Rock and thou hast given me Vineger Call to drink I smote the Kings of the Cananites for thee and thou hast smitten my head with a Reed I gave thee a royal Scepter and thou hast set a Crown of thorns upon my head I exaited and lifted thee up in great strength and thou hast hanged me on the Gibbet of the Cross What should I have done more that I have not done for thee I planted thee indeed my noblest and choicest Vineyard and thou art turned into the greatest bitterness against me c. But let us leave the Jews and come to do our own business Consider therefore O man this holy spectacle Those hands which in Wisdom founded the Heavens which were wont to loose the Prisoners to raise up the fallen and to cure all men wich their touch are now stretched out upon the Cross His feet with which he walked upon the sea whose very foot-stool is to be reverenced those feet I say which never stood in the way of sinners but ever walked in the Law of the Lord are now peirced with picked nails His purest body in which the hid treasures of all Grace are laid up and kept is stript quite naked and bare and fastened to the Tree His face that is fairer than the sons of men which did comfort all afflicted and sorrowfull Ones that face which the Angels desire to behold is now turned into the paleness of a frightfull death Sweetest Babe what was thy offence that thou shouldest be thus judged and so unmercifully dealt with What was thy hainous fact What was thy Crime What was the cause of thy sorrow 'T is I I am the cause of all thy pain and grief I did eat the sower grape and thy teeth were set on edge I wretched Creature wretch that I am do now laugh prate c. whilst thou dost lament suffer thirst c. for me I run after merry meetings and love jovial Pastimes when thou dost hang fast upon the Cross for me I anoint powder and perfume my head I paint my face adulterate my skin when thou dost hang like a Leper all to besmeared with filthy spittle
the Redeemer and forgive the sin of the Redeemed And thou also O thou wretched sinner see the Sacrifice with which thou wast Redeemed the blood wherewith thou art washed the punishment by which thy sins were satisfied for the bonds by which thou art set at liberty See those hands which dissolved the wicked works which thy hands had wrought See the feet which carryed away what thy feet left behind and offended in by neglect sloth or overmuch haste and swiftness Look upon and into Christ crucified in this fashion for never was he any where seen more lovely His hands are open to give unto thee his feet are fast to tarry with thee his arms spread abroad to receive and embrace thee his head bowed down to kiss thee Take thou heed therefore left that be cast in thy teeth I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious c. Isa 65. Rom. 10. Again I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded Prov. 1. See O man saith Christ crying from the cross what I do endure for thee I that do dye for thee I call and cry unto thee to see what punishment I suffer Behold do but see with what Nails I am pierced c. But the Jews were not content to put Christ to a most shamefull death in a most ignominious place but to aggravate his reproach they must crucifie two Thieves with him not as if they were enemies to the Thieves for they were partakers of their wickedness For when Pilate said Whom will ye that I release the Thieves cryed out and asked for a Thief Now 1. They crucified Thieves with the Lord to stain and blemish his Passion that so he might be taken for an offender at least from the wicked companions with which he suffered 2. That their crime might seem all one who suffered all alike and that the report might be blazed abroad that there were three Thieves crucified at Jerusalem in one day This is that which those wicked Jews would have And the more to defame Christ they so set the crosses that Jesus was placed in the middle hedged on either hand with Thieves that all men might take him for the Ring-leader of Thieves the very Captain of Cutters and Highway-men True the Law doth not only allow but command that Thieves should be put to death Gen. 9. Numb 35.31 Well but what hath the Fountain of life done worthy of death what good hath he omitted that he ought to have done O Jerusalem and thou Judaea is this all he shall have from you who hath done all good to you Isa 5. Is this all the thanks he shall have at thy hands who ever since Abrahams time hath so wonderfully guided saved exalted and honoured thee above all the people in the world Who did ever bid thee crucifie thine own Messias King Bishop Doctor or Teacher Shepheard Father Wo be to thee Jerusalem for this thy murder for this thy malice But thus thou must though unwittingly fulfill that Prophesie And he was numbred with the wicked Isa 53. Christ must thus be humbled that we might be reckoned among the just But all the drift of these wicked Iews was to disgrace Christ utterly although it fell out far otherwise For the Fountain of all purity cannot be defiled with humane impurities for even the villanous and filthy acts of men serve to set off and illustrate the clearness of the Spring of Glory The Cross which formerly was a reproach is now made a Badge of Triumph by him the head to which the world boweth which the Angels worship and at which the Devils tremble Christ when he was condemned among Thieves found one whom of a Thief he could make a Citizen of Paradise so far was he from being polluted by suffering with Malefactors But 1. Christ would suffer among Thieves and not among his Disciples lest his death alone should be thought not to be sufficient for our salvation unless his Disciples had dyed with him 2. He was crucified with Thieves because he dyed for thieves A thief is one that steals that which belongeth to God All we are thieves therefore is Christ crucified in the midst of us And we also are crucified for there is none without his cross But as here one of the thieves is damned so all are not saved that bear the cross Look to it therefore that thy cross become thy crown which it will not be except thou believe in Christ The two thieves then whereof the one was saved and the other damned do signifie First either men or devils Secondly either Gentiles or Jews Thirdly either good or bad men both which bear their cross but in a different manner Finally Let us here learn to be raised from the earth and with Christ to be crucified in the midst of thieves For as then there were three crucified two thieves and Jesus in the middle so there are in us three things morally to be crucified in us to wit the flesh and the world signified by the two thieves and the Spirit which is signified by Jesus The flesh is to be crucified as the right-hand thief For they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 We must crucifie the world as the left-hand thief The world saith Paul is crucified unto me and I unto the world Gal. 6.14 When those thieves are crucified in us then is our spirit crucified with Christ in the midst so that we may say with the Apostle I am crucified with Christ Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2.20 As therefore the thief on the left hand was crucified indeed but not saved for he continued in his unbelief so the world although it be crucified to me doth still remain in its filthiness But when the flesh is crucified it is saved with the spirit for it shall be glorified in its Resurrection from the dead Therefore it is compared to the right-hand thief to whom it was said This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Luke 23. Now the cross of the flesh is the severity of Discipline which hath four branches Watchfulness Abstinence course cloaths or meanness of apparel and well-ordered words or savoury Discourse The cross by which the world is crucified is poverty of spirit which also hath four parts that is contempt of glory gain countrey and of Parentage The cross of the Spirit is fervency of Devotion which hath four Arms Love Hope Fear and Grief Hope above Fear beneath Love on the right hand Grief on the left Mat. 27.37 Mar. 15.26 Luke 23.38 John 19.19 And Pilate wrote a Title and put it on the cross or the superscription of his Accusation and they put it on the Cross at the head of Jesus And the writing was Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews This Title then read many of the Jews for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the City And it was written in Letters
of Hebrew Greek and Latine Then said the chief Priests of the Jews to Pilate Write not the King of the Jews but that he said I am King of the Jews Pilate answered what I have written I have written The Cross was now raised and lifted on high it stood strait upright Christ hung on it many wept to see it wickedness and injustice abound and yet Pilate would fain carry the business without suspition of injustice or wrong And therefore being a subtile and crafty man in the worldly Wisdom he invents some new device and writeth a Title or scroul wherein he signifieth in four words the whole Tragedy with the crime annexed for which he was thus judged and Executed For now his conscience began to twinge him for what he had done he was afraid that he should be complained upon to Caesar for delivering such and so great a man with whom God appeared to be to the covetous greedy and malicious desire of the Jews without shewing any cause or reason of so doing And therefore that he might clear himself that what he had done besides the course and order of Law he did it justly and upon weighty reasons he feigneth this because he could not think upon or invent a more hainous Title for his excuse and defence relying upon it to be saved harmless with Caesar as if he had not put Christ to death as he was the Son of God or a Prophet of the Jews but as a seditious person and an enemy to Caesar and as one that had a mind and intended to be King This he thought would secure him inasmuch as no power can bear a Competitor This was Pilates intention when he wrote this Title For he was banished and killed himself but what stead it stood him in he very well knew and had sufficient experience shortly after But God or the holy Spirit of God intended something else that is to give unto Christ a Name above every name as the Apostle saith Phil. 2. and the Title of a Kingdom which shall last when Heaven and earth are past away because Jesus of Nazareth that is the Saviour and the truly Holy One is made King of the Jews by his suffering upon the Cross not of those who say they are Jews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan Rev. 2. But of those who confess and acknowledge God in Truth In these four words JESVS of NAZARETH KING of the JEWS the whole effect of the cross is expressed First he is called Jesus 1. because having made satisfaction and paid the price of our Redemption he is become the Author of our salvation Secondly he is Jesus of Nazareth 2. that is flourishing or full of Flowers because the Blossoms of his Godliness are the Example and Pattern of an honest conversation unto us He is also the Heavenly Odour of that sweet Sacrifice which the Father did smell and accept for us He is the Hope of Eternal fruit by which we shall enjoy the sweetness of his God-head Thirdly he is called a King 3. because of his Government and Guidance For he doth Rule us in the Life of Grace and direct us to life of Glory Christ is King in Life and Death which cannot be said of any other Fourthly 4 he is King of the Jews to inform us to whom these Benefits do belong to wit to those that do confess and believe them Behold such great Mysteries as these hath God opened unto us by so vile an Instrument as Pilate was which very thing doth set forth the wonderful Counsell of God For he can tell how to turn the counsels of wicked men to his own praise and glory This Triumphant Title doth not a little confirm and comfort us that are Christians who glory in the cross of Christ and count it our highest honour which Title was not set at the feet but at the head of Christ to shew that his Kingdom is not base and earthy but high and Heavenly For it is and ever will be most true that this Jesus which was born in Bethlem and brought up at Nazareth is King of the Jews their own Prophets being witnesses Psalm 2. 45. Cant. 1. Hos 3. Zach. 9. And because they cast off their King we Gentiles do joyfully receive him Act. 14. as King of all that do acknowledge and confess him Pilate hit the Nail on the head when he wrote this Title and reached the very Truth it self whatever his meaning and intention was And this he would have all people to read understand and therefore he wrote it in the three principall and most general Languages which were then and still are the chiefest Languages over all the world to excuse himself in all Countries and Nations of the death of so eminent a man He wrote it in the Hebrew Tongue because of the Jews who made their boast of the Law In the Greek because of the wise Philosophers of the Gentiles And in the Latine for the Romans to read it Every Kingdom in the World all the wisdom of the World all the Mysteries of Gods Law do witness in spite of the Jews whether they will or no that this Jesus is King of the Jews that is he is the chief Ruler and guide of all that confess and believe in God All these things came to pass not so much by Pilates contrivance as by Gods Providence 1. For first God did hereby provide for all mankind that all men might know that this was he whom God had anointed King over all Nations as it is said Dan. 7. All people Nations and Languages shall serve him So saith Paul At the Name of Iesus every knee shall bow Phil. 2. 2. Secondly that all Nations might know and understand how treacherous and perfideous the Iews were who crucified their own Messias 3. Thirdly that even thus it might be known that Christ dyed for all men whether they be Iews Greeks or Romans 4. Fourthly to shew that the Gospel and the Grace of Christ do equally and alike belong to all men to one as well as another 5. And lastly that all Languages and every Tongue should glorifie Christ which was then fulfilled and is so now For in these three Tongues the Church alwayes hath had read and sung the Scriptures For every Tongue must confess that Iesus is the Christ to the Glory of God the Father Phil. 2. But this Title the chief Priests of the Iews did begrudge Christ and could yet wish that it were changed or abolished but God forbid that Pilate should alter the least jot or title of what was written He had leave enough given him already against Christ This Title must never be blotted out The Iews were ashamed that Strangers and Forraigners should read and understand this Title They were afraid lest one time or other it should be cast in their teeth that they had crucified Christ their own proper and lawfull King and therefore they
of all things with my Divinity and I can lay hold on man the workmanship of our hands with my Mortality So that I am neither coy nor strange to man that doth desire thy Grace nor unequal or inferiour to thee who art the giver of all Grace 2. Besides I am the fittest Priest the worthiest High Priest of any for I am holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners I am made higher then the Heavens Heb. 7. I pay that I never had I have no need to start or shrink back from reconciling my Brethren no man hath any thing against me none can lay ought to my charge no not thou Father nor yet these my Brethren which crucifie me I have wronged none I owe no man a farthing I possess no mans estate I am out of debt to all the world I have no need to make satisfaction or offer Sacrifice for my self Therefore I enter the Holy place bearing the Golden Censer and carrying much incense of prayers I lay down a price for many of my own blood I offer up my very self that unspotted Sacrifice and Priest for the people For certain I am never any whole burnt offering came up before thee more holy more acceptable more successfull then this Wherefore O Father I knowing thy mercies very well that they are over all thy works in the midst of these very Sacrifices I come forth to meet thee with strong crying and tears in Faith nothing doubting I humbly crave beseech intreat and beg this at thy hands pardon thy people spare thy people blot out the iniquity of thy people with this my blood Forgive Forgive them Father forgive them q.d. I confess Adam hath sinned Gen. 3. and all his posterity is become abominable Psalm 13. it is prone to evil from their youth Gen. 6 and wickedness is multiplyed upon the earth Charity is grown cold long since and will do more and more and iniquity will abound Our own people also whom we have chosen out of all Nations hath committed a great and grievous sin in tormenting me thy only Son with so many and so great Tortures they little regard whether I be thine or do belong to thee or no although I am about to give a clear Testimony make full proof of it to which one crime and horrid offence if all their other villanous acts and all the rest of their wicked deeds were compared they would seem as little as nothing How great is thy Majesty which is despised and my Dignity which is derided That people despiseth both and do heap up horrible iniquities to their Fathers Transgressions I acknowledge thy wrath hath hitherto justly raged by the offence of that one Adam Heaven was justly shut up the jaws of Hell opened and death entered into the world Thou hast justly armed the Heavens and all the Elements for vengeance against sinners justly hath fire from Heaven burnt up some alive justly hath the distemper of the ayr and the pestilence destroyed others justly hath the Sea over flown and drowned others with all the encrease of the fruit of their Land justly hath the earth with open mouth devoured others Righteous art thou and just are thy Judgements In Justice thou mightest have continued thy displeasure till thou hadst utterly destroyed and exacted the utmost farthing for full satisfaction And if all the men that ever yet lived to this very day had never so profusely and prodigally lavished out all their blood they could not have expiated or blotted out the least transgression Such and so great is the weight and hainousness of the unspeakable wickedness that no man could make satisfaction for it but God and none ought to have done it but man who had sinned Now I am he I am God and I am man In me only the whole salvation of man dependeth For that cause I became an exile in a strange Country I have been wearied and tired out with cold heat hunger thirst nakedness watchings weariness I have been tempted oppressed afflicted What pains what torments have I not endured in this poor slender thin body What sorrows what straits what disturbances and perplexity of mind have I not had experience of Was there ever any sorrow like to this of mine when there is no soundness from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head What remaineth therefore O Father but that thou lay aside thy anger appease thy diseleasure abate thy wrath forgive them take pitty on them pour out the abundance of thy Graces upon them seeing I have and do make such abundant satisfaction for them I invocate and pray unto thee as a Father not as a Judge I intreat thee not to punish but forgive them for my blood doth not cry for vengeance as Abels did Gen. 4. unless happily there shall be any that will not be saved by it I have forgiven them already who am now tortured for them do thou also pardon them whom that thou mighest pardon thou didst of purpose send me into the world Forgive Them those that are thine own Them whom thou didst promise to have mercy upon before the world began whom thou wilt also call and sanctifie in time Of which number are these that have crucified me and not only these Roman Souldiers and Jews and the rest of the Standers by but all men in the world besides Alam crucifieth me who sinned in Paradise David crucifieth me who offended in Jerusalem Every man crucifieth me for there is not a man but is a sinner I supplicate for all I suffer for all I sacrifice for all do thou pardon and forgive all that by my death it may appear that neither thou nor I do desire the death of sinners but rather that they should be converted and live Ezek. 18. But in a more special way of love I beseech thee for those my honest plain hearted Brethren for whose sakes thy pleasure was that I should be made a Gentile forgive them this grievous Crime The Fact I cannot excuse I confess they have sinned most exceedingly yet this I must plead for them that their mind was not so abominably mischievous They know not c. They know not what they do Wilt thou then destroy an ignorant Nation They are a blind and unthankfull people they do not yet see what they do but ere long they shall look on him whom they have peirced They cannot tell who I am they know not that I am thy Son The Devil yet by our permission and counsel hath hid from them those great Mysteries of my Divinity and Humanity Forgive them therefore for they know not what they do For had they known they would never have crucified the Lord of Glory 1 Cor. 2. Likewise forgive the rest too for they also know not what they do for all that work iniquity have been and are deceived In Adam they did proudly desire to know as much as we justly therefore are they become as ignorant as the bruit beasts
defend it with his Power and did moreover for a while withdraw from it all Consolation and supernatural Assistance God did always succour the rest of the Martyrs with his special comforts either by hindering the act of outward torments as in the three Children Vpon whom the flames of fire could not fasten Dan. 3. Or else by sending into them the inward sweetness of his Spirit so that they did not at all feel any pain of the body or else might endure them more easily and joyfully But Christ had no sensible comfort at all from above in his whole Passion so that he might truly say Is it nothing to you all ye that pass the way Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow Lam. 1.12 For who did ever undergo such stupendious and grievous torments It is God that suffereth Nor doth he lighten the weight and press of his Passion one jot who was wont either altogether to free his servants or else to ease or shorten the force of their torments He that useth to spare sinners doth take no pitty upon himself Well therefore might Paul say He spared not his 〈◊〉 Son but delivered him up for us all Rom. 8. He did not only deliver him to death but he did not so much as spare him in punishment and afflictions The meaning The sense of the word is as if he had said They that disclose the troubles of their minds to their friends are half eased thereby But now I turn to thee my God my Father the Father of Mercies and all Consolations I neither find nor seek any Relief or Abatement of all my â—…es For now I have voluntarily submitted my shoulders to this burden I must patiently bear whatsoever thou shalt please to lay upon me and will And although thou wilt not hear me when I cry unto thee yet I will relate and declare my grief and sorrows to thee lest men should think that I endeavour to mitigate them by my silence If I should wholly hold my peace and not make known my troubles some might think I did it to disappoint my enemies of their Triumph and Joy And others might suppose that my soul was sound and whole quiet and nothing troubled although they saw the Garment of my 〈◊〉 rent and torn in pieces For the bodily eyes can well enough discern the outward wounds but the secret and inward troubles of the mind they cannot perceive I will therefore at least by my crying testifie the extream necessities and straâ—… of my soul and deeply fasten them in the hearts of the godly to whom thou shalt give to believe and suffer For where 〈…〉 poor man better make known my misery and lay open my 〈◊〉 condition but before thee the most rich God of all comfort To whom should I thy Son complain but to thee O Father Behold thou art my God thou art my God and my Refuge Hear therefore the sorrowfull cryes of thy Son Ell Ell Lama azabthani My God The Ground and sum of all my anguish is because thou O my God my God haft forsaken me Others call upon thee but once as God because although they stand in need of thy Glory yet they deny thee by their sins But I cry unto thee twice as God because I do both partake of thy nature and did never start aside from thy commands But thou dost reject me who am most righteous and dost expose me to wicked men for wicked mens sakes thou dost severely chastise me who am thy Son that thou mayest mercifully spare thy rebellious and stubborn servants thou dost chase me from the streams of living water and forsaken me to flow into crackt Cisterns and broken Bottles Whence it is That I am counted with them that go down into the pit and as one among the dead Psalm 88. Nor hast thou only forsaken me but thou hast also stretched out thy hand against me and thy waves have gone over me I am come into deep waters where the floods overflow me the waters are come in unto my soul Psalm 69. Thou hast Forsaken me Forsaken thou hast left me destitute of thy help thou hast stript me of all comfort thou hast with-held the dew of thy refreshings from falling upon me so that neither the very blessedness of Glory which I delight in doth any way soften my Cross and make it more pleasant to me but thou hast also stretched out thy hand upon me to make me a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and infirmity Isa 53. There is no whole part in my body from the sole of my foot to the crown of my head And there is no soundness in my soul from the lowest feet of sense to the top of the head of reason The sword and spear wasteth without and within fear and mourning Without in the body are rivers of pain within is a sea of trouble in my heart My flesh is sorely afflicted because it is more tender quick and sensible My soul is sick of greater trouble because it is more innocent wise and excellent than others My flesh is in pain my soul is full of grief And what part is free being deprived of thy aid Tribulation and Anguish have seised on me and every moment my griefs increase What great sorrow doth the offence that is taken at thy name stir up in me How doth the trouble of my mother the fear and cowardise of my Disciples the scandall of weak ones the errour of them that crucifie me how do these things afflict me And how also do the streights of all the Saints which have been are or shall be which they undergo for my Names-sake trouble me How greatly also doth the wickedness of their ingratitude who will sin to Eternity afflict me How do they rip up the scars of my wounds afresh pierce and prick my whole heart rent and tear waste and destroy all that is capable to be consumed or disturb'd in me But a most clear Argument of my unspeakable grief is that if every particular sin of all mankind were brought into one heap a huge heap alas it is yet it is thy pleasure that my blood should suffice for the expiating of them all and therefore hast thou imbittered me with such punishments and hast laid such a load on my shoulders I have trodden the Wine-press alone and of the peaple there was none with me Isa 63. So hast thou forsaken exposed and delivered me over into the hands of wicked men Besides all this he saith Why c. Why hast thou forsaken Evil is repaid for good my price is sleighted After so much sweat and anguish my blood alas and Passion too is to many become of none effect So many millions of men are carryed through the red Sea of my blood out of Aegypt and but one only Thief is â—…ered with me into the desired Land There is none but this only stranger that gives glory to God There is none that doth