to some but you see here that it is the Power of God indeed As the Jews were struck to the ground with a word so neither sin death nor the Devil shall be able to stand before the Word of God Ephes 6. Whence it is that Paul calls it the sword of the Spirit 3. Here also we see that all worldly power can do nothing against God The Lord that dwelleth in Heaven shall have them in derision The Jews could not take this Jesus of Nazareth before he himself pleased although they had brought a greater Army than ever Alexander or Xerxes or Hanniball had Thus doth God to this day often confound those that trust in their own strength 4. Again Here we see that one and the same Word is consolation to the godly but condemnation to the ungodly Christ in other places did often comfort his fearfull Apostles with this Word Mat. 14. Luke 24. Ego sum It is I. Indeed the godly can hear nothing more sweet then when Christ saith I am he This Word doth make all crosses comfortable to them But it is and will be a fearfull clap of Thunder to the wicked when Christ shall say I am he He whom ye have pierced whom ye have scorned c. As Joseph heretofore was a most sharp Sword to his Brethren Gen. 45. when he said I am Joseph whom yee sold into Aegypt c. 5. Lastly The nature of ungodly men is here lively set forth 1. First That by which they should be made better by it they become worse this is to go backward To go back is to depart from God and his Righteousness 2. Secondly They fall for they are not able to stand before Gods Judgement 3. Again Wicked men fall continually till they fall into Hell 4. They fall backward for they see not whether they fall nor where they lie nor how to rise again 5. They see not what punishment they are liable unto 6. Lastly They never acknowledge their sin so as to turn from it But the godly though they fall yet they fall forward they presently confess their sin and forsake it If they fall on the right hand through prosperity or on the left hand by adversity yet they quickly get up again neither do they so fall as to fall finally away from God See how true that saying is Malice is often confounded but never conquered Psal 74. The tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually Their suddain ruin should have warned those wicked men not to attempt any thing further against Jesus of Nazareth for as much as they were once already confounded by him He asked them again the second time Whom seek ye that the greatness of their Impiety might be made manifest who being so remarkably admonished did yet persist in their malice For they answer as malapertly as at first that they sought Jesus of Nazareth as if they would never be quiet till they had vented their hatred though it should cost them dearer yet Rom. 2. Eccle. 7.13 Thus the wicked treasure up wrath against the day of wrath Who can make that streight which God hath made crooked Although these ungodly men were sensible of Christs divine Power in them Rom. 1. yet they glorified him not as God but reproached him the more Just as most in the world still do they are convinced by the Truth of God but nothing at all reformed But what doth Christ answer to this stubborn envy of the Jews I have told you saith he that I am he q.d. I have told you and you have tried it that I am a Prince of Power Therefore if ye still seek me and have yet no remorse since ye were laid level with the earth lo here I am ready to suffer but ye must not forget that I told you I am He. By which saying Christ set himself in our stead patiently to bear whatsoever divine Justice should exact for our sins Mean while he doth put forth his Power again saying If ye seek me let these go their way whereby he doth powerfully prohibit them to do his Disciples any wrong otherwise the Apostles had not scap'd harmless if the fury of their foes had not been checkt by the power of this Precept Christ by the same Power might have said Let me be gone but it behooved him to suffer There was nothing but this word of Christ Let these go their way that saved the Disciples harmless in that tumult So likewise doth he chuse and preserve us although we regard or mind it not He did powerfully preserve his Disciples which makes for our comfort knowing the strength of the Lords hand He would not have them die with him First John 15. It was not expedient that they should die at that time because if they had died when they denyed him they had been damned Secondly They were chosen to bring forth fruit but if they had dyed now their Calling had been cut off Thirdly He would not have them die with him for this reason especially lest we should think that his death alone had not been sufficient He would therefore die by himself alone that he alone might he acknowledged to be our Saviour He trode the Wine-press alone Isa 63. and of the Nations there was not a man with him Hence saith Moses The Lord alone did lead them and there was no strange God with him Deut. 32. It was he that redeemed us and not we our selves But above all the Energie or force of Charity is here set forth unto us which as Paul saith Is patient 1 Cor. 13. heareth all wrongs of ones Neighbour seeketh not her own and had rather endure all things it self then that its Neighbour should suffer any thing If you seek me saith he let these go their way This is the true care that we should have of our Neighbour to be mindfull of him and as much as in us lyeth to seek his good even with some damage to our selves This care David had of his Neighbour Sam 24. when he saith These sheep what have they done Turn thy hand I pray thee against me and my Fathers house for I am he that have sinned From this care of his Neighbours it was that Paul wished himself accursed for his Brethren Rom. 9.3 And Moses to be blotted out of the Book of God Exod. 33. Therefore let that thred-bare Proverb be for ever banished from the ears and hearts of Christians which saith It is a comfort to have companions in calamity When the men of this world are in misery they could wish that all others were in the same condition True charity is not grieved more than to see its Neighbour in the like affliction In the close of this passage John sheweth another cause why Christ would not have the Disciples die with him viz. that the saying which he spake might be fulfilled John 17. Of them which thou
unto God without it The Apostle exhorteth us Rom. 12.1 to offer up our bodies a living sacrifice acceptable to God For it is said of Cain That he offered unto the Lord of the fruit of the ground Gen. 4.3 He brought an earthly dead liveless offering and was not accepted But Abel brought of the fat of the flock verse 4. He offered the Firstling of his fold a pure clean lively sacrifice unto which God had respect it was more excellent then his Brothers Heb. 11.4 How came this to pass The Apostle tells us it was by faith The life of faith is in death and by death that liveth when we are dead I am crucified with Christ yet I live and I live in the flesh by the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.20 He had a life in the flesh after he was dead to the flesh Faith indeed shall cease but 't is not till the end of the second life The principal act of faith is exercised in death the death of Christ and is a conforming vertue or power unto the likeness thereof by mortification and offering up of the flesh with the affections and lusts unto death Gal. 5.24 God accepteth nothing but what is done in this faith by this faith in the Son of God John 15.5 Heb. 11.5 27. We read in 1 Sam. 15.9 That Saul spared Agag the King and the best of the spoil but that which was vile and refuse and good for nothing that he and the people utterly dastroyed Saul was an hypocritical Tyrant ambitiously aspiring to a Kingdom and got it God gave a King in his anger He that aimeth at the Scepter is not the best Saint 28. Saul was a right Machiavilian he knew the high way to the Crown When Ephraim spake trembling he exalted himself in Israel Hos 13.1 When he was mean and low in a poor condition and little in his own sight he could bow and cringe flatter fawn upon and comply with the vulgar bemoan and pitty the burdens of the poor people especially the good people of the land he could stand cap in hand to the meanest and like Absolom court them into a good conceit of his Clemency and care of their well-fare assuring them that if it were in his power to remedy it things should not be carried as they are but first he put himself into a souldiers posture 2. Sam. 15.1,2,3,4,5 Now he rode post in the right rode to be the head of the Tribes of Israel Commander in chief over the military Forces 1 Sam. 15.17 yea God himself might so far have his work to do under his proud design as to give him a Call to be King and fight his battles as is plain in the place cited which might confirm him in a good opinion of himself to undertake the Government especially if some musty Prophesies had been raked together and by a Court-Parasite particularly applyed to him 'T is as common for the highest as the meanest to be deluded and mistake or mis-use many passages of Gods Providence But now he is King he grows covetous and self-ended he falls upon the spoil and the prey of the enemy who seemed before to contemn all self-interest and advantage Sam. 15.19 His feigned and forged excuse of reserving it for Gods worship would not serve his turn How faulty then are those who do not so much as pretend any thing for Gods service but openly convert the common loss into their private gain This is that which will involve a Nation in broils and blood 29. But alas How many such Sauls hath the world seen since Sauls time who can part with that which is not worth the keeping but with-hold from God that which he requireth as his due If God call for the heart they bring him the lip and tongue only If God require spirit and Truth they offer in the mountain and at Jerusalem they put him off with complements out-side service formality and a State-Religion Dissembling Pharisees they exact and pay Tithe of Mint and Rue but neglect Judgement Mercy Faith the love of God and their Neighbour Mat. 23.23 When God commandeth the best and fattest to be given him they put him off with the leanest with the fruit of the ground If they pretend to dedicate the best unto God they intend to make their own advantage out of it They may refrain from Extortion Adultery c. but continue proud heady high-minaed covetous c. yet be very devout too fast twice in the week give a small Alms out of their superfluity and ill gotten goods pay Tithes give their Minister his due and applaud him censure all that be contrary-minded to them as prophane c. Isa 65.4,5 Luke 18.11,12 30. Those sacrifices are acceptable to God that are turned into ashes Psalm 20.3 This must be done by fire the heavenly fire of zeal and love which separateth and consumeth the gross body of flesh and turneth and reduceth all into a pure essential and spiritual body out of which ashet is made the savory salt of the heavenly nature which seasoneth all things And therefore the Lord is said to plead with all flesh by fire Isa 66.16 He hath his fire in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem Isa 31.9 with which refining fire he doth purifie the sons of Levi that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in Righteousness Mal. 3.3 Mat. 3.12 No oblation in Righteousness but by fire 't is the fire of the Spirit that consumeth the fuel of the flesh Rom. 8.13 We must pass through water and fire before we can come into the wealthly place Psalm 66.12 Without fire we cannot subsist in the natural life much less can we perform the Actions of the spiritual life without it 31. Under the Law the daily sacrifice was not to cease Num. 28.3,4 and this Oblation was to be made by fire He that causeth this to cease is the He-goat Dan. 9.29 Dan. 8.11,12,13 The vile person Dan. 11.21,31 the Beast the Whore the false Prophet that speaketh lyes in the name of the Lord It is Anti Christ that setteth up a Religion in the world without the Cross Whosoever is zealous toward God without Self-denial Mortification and conformity to the death of Christ his zeal is not according to knowledge which will make him seek to establish his own in stead of Gods Righteousness Rom. 10.2,3 Whosoever rejecteth the Cross can be no true Christian Wherefore think it not strange concerning this fiery tryal also which is to come upon you as though some strange thing happened unto you But rejoyce rather although 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The righteous is not saved without great labour and pains hard strugling and striving sore Combats and Conflicts 1 Pet. 4.12,13,17,18 Make not that way too wide which God hath made strait All must go the narrow way who would enter into life For every one must be salted with fire and every sacrifice must be salted with salt Mar. 9.49 10. Tenthly 32.
be saved look to it and take heed thou neither say nor think If Peter were not damned for this no more shall I. If his denial did him no hurt I shall be never the worse for it We must not make the Saints failings our examples to sin 1. Christ in this place doth here check the over-great talkativeness of Peter though his big words proceeded from the greatness of his Love warning also the rest that in times of difficulty or danger they trust not too much to their own strength but know rather that if any thing be done it is of Divine Grace and gift He doth also admonish us not to do or promise any thing rashly but with this condition or limitation if the Lord will Jam. 4. as James saith Else we are guilty of arrogance as though we were or would be Lords over times and things not to say that most commonly we are found lyars being not able to perform what we promise Here also see the wonder full Counsel of God although he suffered Peter to fall yet he set bounds and limited how far he should slide not any bounds neither but the Cock crowing for all which there was good reason 1. So it was by the unsearchable counsel of God that Peter especially the chief among them should be left for a time to his own infirmity thrice to fall in denying his Lord that troublesome Night when all the Apostles were offended that he might believe by experience and that we might know that our feet will quickly slip if God uphold us not and if he slumber or sleep who alone knoweth how and is able to preserve us the Sun will burn us by day and the Moon by night i. e. in temptation we shall suffer ship-wrack of our Faith concerning the Divinity and Humanity of Christ 2. He did not let Peter utterly fall away At the rebuke of the Lord the waters of temptation flee away though they swelled as high as Mountains He hath set them their bounds which they cannot pass 3. The joyful news of Christs Resurrection was figured by the Cock-crowing which was the bound and limit of Peters denial For our Lord rising again about midnight awakened the Angels to publish his praise and by them sent the good tidings of his Life and Victory to his sad Apostles But the stumbling-stone lay in the Apostles way three nights together before the report of so great happiness came to them When Christ was thrice denied the Cock crew when the third night of scandal was over then that sweet sound was heard of Christs Resurrection No question but Christ would still have the Cock crowing to be a perpetual remembrance to us to make us walk warily and humbly lest we also fall 4. Note lastly that Peter held his peace and made no reply to this word of his Lord the thoughtfulness of Treason was not yet quite out of his mind of which Christ had so lately spoken We should alwayes stand in aw of Gods Word and Judgements For that is a certain truth My words shall not pass away but shall be fulfilled in whomsoever it be Thus much of Peters admonition It followeth And he said unto them Luke 22.35 when I sent you without purse and scrip and shooes lacked ye any thing and they said Nothing Then said he unto them verse 36. but now he that hath a purse let him take it and likewise his scrip and he that hath no sword let him sell his garment and buy one For I say unto you verse 37. that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me And he was reckoned among the Transgressors for the things concerning me have an end And they said verse 38. Lord behold here are two swords And he said unto them it is enough These words are inserted by Luke only and they are partly Aenigmatical whereby Christ would make his Disciples and us too confident bold against imminent persecutions and temptations that compass us about His will is that they who before had their livelyhood without any care of their own when they preacht the Gospel among strangers should now be without fear in present tribulations For God who at first took care of them that they should not want maintenance he will now take care that none hurt them in the Passion of Jesus if they have but the sword of the Spirit about them Eph. 5. i. e. the Word of God by which sword they did afterward break thorow those cruel persecutions of Tyrants He that is girt with this sword of Christ will not stand in fear of punishment or death No creature can hurt him that trusteth in God Psalm 27.1 So the Psalmist singeth The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid c. Christ had long since sent his Apostles to preach the Gospel in Judea but he sent them after a new fashion Other Messengers use to provide themselves a Convoy Pasport necessary provisions money and shoos above all things which Christ forbad the Apostles to do Matth. 10. They were to go forth without any conduct or supply of victuals or money as if they were not to go among strangers in another Country but only to their friends and acquaintance Our Lord thereby teaching both them and us not to distrust Gods care of us as long as we be in our calling and about his work If we be about his business we shall not want subsistance His Gospel and Altar at which we serve will maintain us though we have nothing of our own For the Labourer is worthy of his meat There be those still that will entertain the Labourers in the Lords Vineyard Of this new and strange sending forth of the Apostles we read Mat. 10. Mar. 6. Luke 9. 10. Christ asked the Apostles whither they did lack any thing when they were first sent forth to make them more confident and couragious from former experience The Disciples ingenuously confess they wanted nothing Hence Christ concludeth that they would need nothing for time to come but the sword of Gods Word and also tels them how they should get that sword But now he that hath a purse or a scrip saith he let him take them let him rip them asunder and sell them and he that hath neither of these let him sell his coat from his back to get money but be sure it be to no other end then to buy a sword He will want it hereafter for there will be wars shortly the enemy is hard by and must be withstood A purse or scrip are not weapons for this War you must get a Sword He doth not mean a material sword he did forbid them that Nor could one Sword do much in so great a hurlyburly but a spiritual Sword which is the Lively and effectual Word of God This is the Sword that tried Blade that defendeth the
not seen his sorrows before his Death and that by plain and manifest Tokens Yet did he not shew this his sorrow to all the Disciples lest his weakness should offend them more then they could bear Therefore he lets these three only see it who had before beheld his Divinity These could not be so much troubled at it at least they ought not but should rather remember the glory they had seen before Concerning this extraordinary sorrow of the Lord Christ so exactly set down many men have written many things and have variously contended about it but for our part we shall give credit only to the bare words of the Evangelists For no man can affirm that it was more than a humane and natural sorrow which may also befall us in greatest streights and misery For the Humanity which Christ assumed could neither be without such affections nor be believed by the world He had not been a true man if his nature had not trembled at death This sorrow of Christ is by Matthew and Mark exprest by three words The first is sorrow which the Greek cals Lipe whereby the sadness and trouble of the mind is exprest The second is Fear which in the Greek is Thambos The third is most sore Amazement which in Greek is Ademonia To these Luke adds a fourth viz. Agony of which anon Thus those three Disciples saw here a far other thing than what they saw on Mount Tabor For here the Father is not heard to speak Matth. 17. The Light doth not shine from Heaven His Face doth not glitter like the Sun His Rayment is not whiter than snow Moses and Elias talk not with him But as a man altogether destitute of any help he begins to fear to be weary of his life and to be sore troubled greatly bemoaning himself as they who are but meer men use to do when such a dismall storm of trouble hangs over them And this is that which Christ himself foretold Luke 12. I have a baptism to be baptized with and how am I streightened till it be accomplished Therefore now he saith My soul is sorrowfull even unto death A most Heavenly word worthy of all observation For here we see what it is that Paul saith Who being in the form Phil. 2. that is in the Wisdom Power Majesty glory of God he made himself of no reputation How could he more deeply a base and humble himself than to be made like unto us in all things Gal. 3. yea to be made a curse for us The fear of death is the fruit of infidelity and sin and a part of the first malediction For although Christ was altogether without sin yet he transfer'd the wages of sin upon him not that we should never have a sense thereof but that he might overcome and triumph over the same and that he might teach us how to be able in him to overcome all evil by Faith He was tempted like us yet without sin Heb. 4. that he might be able to have compassion on us So that as often as we are beset with the fear of Death or any other affliction we may safely say Behold God is our salvation we will trust Isa 12.3 and not be afraid for the Lord Jehovah is our strength and song he is our salvation In that he saith my soul is sorrowfull unto death this may be understood two wayes 1. First extensively in that this sorrow and anxiety continued even till the separation of the soul from the body 2. Secondly Intensively because it was as great as was possible to be in a living man or than which never any man had greater in this life And no wonder that his sorrow was so great seeing there were more than one and they very great causes of this his sorrow For 1. He was sorrowfull and sore troubled yet according to humane nature or rather sensibility because he saw his near approaching Passion as it were before his eyes with all the shame and bitterness thereof 2. He was sore troubled and sorrowfull for the sins of all men past present and to come all which he took upon himself The Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all Isa 53. 3. He was sad for the sins and unthankfulness of Judas and the Jews whose life glory and salvation was in danger 4. He was troubled for the fall and scattering of his Disciples and other friends and most for the desolate state of his holy Mother 5. Lastly He was sorrowfull for the ingratitude that would be found in Christians in time to come He saw that his Passion would be unprofitable to many men He saw also that many Christians would forget him as one dead in their hearts and quite out of mind and that very few would be thankfull to him for so great a benefit Psalm 109. but rather with a base requitall would render him evil for his good See what great cause he had to be sorrowfull Well then might he say My soul is sorrowfull unto death This is that which he foretold by David long since My bones are vexed Psalm 6. Psalm 55. my soul also is sore vexed Again Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me and horrour hath overwhelmed me my heart is sore pained within me and the terrours of death are fallen upon me See what fit Plaisters Christ doth apply to our wounds Sin is born in the heart lust bringeth forth sin and brought up in act James 1. and so finished So Christ was first inwardly sorrowfull and then outwardly that he might totally take away all sin and make full satisfaction for us What then doth Christ do in this his streight Why just like those that are suddenly surpriz'd with some great amazement he desireth those three Disciples to tarry with him and watch and pray in which words he doth variously express our infirmities Those that are in misery think it no small comfort to have a friend to whom they may be bold to complain of their misery Again It is a comfort to those that are astonished and afflicted if others will but stay and stand by them It is the greatest trouble to be left alone in trouble This affection Christ here expresseth Heb. 2. See into what a low condition the Son of God humbled himself and how he would be like unto us his brethren in all things Nevertheless although he chargeth them to watch and stand by him yet he doth not neglect to pray for aid also from Heaven to shew that vain is the wisdom of the flesh and that all carnal assistance is nothing worth if God be absent Therefore he went from them to pray and commanded them to pray also who doubtless could not but hear the dolefull and affectionate cry of his Prayers though they were at some distance from him So that here he taught us both by his Word and Example what to do in times of Temptation even to have
such a Rogue before Christ 1. Now Barabbas signifieth a Son of the Father that is of the Devil or Antichrist for according to Matthew he was not simply but notoriously wicked He was a seditious fellow a Thief and a Murtherer Hence Peter saith ye desired a Murtherer to be granted to you and have killed the Prince of Life Act. 3. 2. Barabbas also may be interpreted the son of a multitude or the son of a Master For he had the same Father to be his Master which taught Iudas to betray his Lord. 3. He is truly a son of the multitude that is a son of the World To this fellow then is Christ likened and compared the most innocent man with the most notorious robber yea the most precious Son of God with the very child of the Devil himself This was figured forth by the two Goats under the Law upon which the Priest Levit. 16. was commanded to cast Lots which should be slain and which should be the scape-Goat Barabbas was that one stinking Goat the other Goat was Christ who according to his innocency was a Lamb but according to our iniquities and in reference to our sins which he took upon him he was as it were a Goat This is slain and the other is let go But as he that slew the Goat did sprinkle his blood upon the Altar that God might be propitious but he that led away the scape-Goat was thereby made unclean till he had washed himself with water So by the blood of Christ the Fathers anger is pacified and alaid again But the Iews who desired Barabbas to be released unto them are become unclean and never can be clean untill they be washed by the blood of Christ But hear the Vote and how the Lot falls Pilate did not doubt but that they would adjudge Christ to be set at liberty rather then a common Cutter upon the High way but he was much mistaken herein For the chief Priests had otherwise perswaded the common Rabble of people to wit that they should desire Barabbas to be released to them but that Jesus should not only be kept in hold but also condemned to a most filthy and shamefull death This saith he those Princes and prime men perswaded the people unto Therefore they especially are guilty of shedding Christs blood more then the rest See here how pestilent and pernitious an evil Counsellour is The multitude of the people at first were wholly for Christ and did generally follow and cleave to him But now these wicked men having prevailed with them they cry out against him and desire to have him put to death The whole multitude saith he cryed out Away with him and release unto us Barabbas O notorious blindness or madness rather For what else was this but to say kill him that raised the dead and set him at liberty who killed the living put out the light and let us sit in darkness Away with the Peace maker and let the mutinous and seditious alone We will not accept of Life we desire Death rather Let Truth be banisht we chuse falshood before it Finally they scorn so much as to mention the very Name of Christ but they cry out for Barabbas to be set at liberty they had rather celebrate the Passover with him then with Jesus for although he were a lewd and wicked fellow yet he was more tolerable to them because he never used to reprove them for their faults but Christ was an intolerable man not to be born by them because he rebuked them for their Vices This then is that complaint made in Isaiah I looked for Righteousness but behold a cry Isa 5. So in Jeremy Mine heritage is unto me at a Lyon in the Forrest it cryeth out against me therefore c. Jer. 12. For as the Lyon terrifieth the other creatures with his roaring voyce so these men by their out-cry did force the Lord unto the Cross This people therefore did here commit two evils as it is said in Ieremy the second They have forsaken me the Fountain of living water and have digged to themselves broken Cisterns that can hold no water The first evil was in that they thought a guilty person more fit to be released then an innocent man The second was in that they would offer to condemn their best Benefactor It is not so bad to desire the inlargement of an offender but to chuse it and that rather to desire the freedom of a wicked man then of a godly man this can never be good in any sense We that are Christians ought to pray for all men yea for Infidels but mean while willingly to forget those that are of one Faith together with us this must needs be evil 1. The Iews by this their out-rage did notably lay open their ingratitude in that they did so basely esteem of him who set so great a rate on them as to chuse them for his people before all others 2. They did betray the madness of their malice which was so great that they rather desired all righteousness should be utterly ruined and that all malice should have its swinge then that the current of their hatred should be stopt 3. Here they bewray their great blindness because they desire that which by all means they should have feared avoided and prayed against to wit that their Saviour might not be cut off and a Robber released to them But as they desired both so it befell them They chose a Thief and rejected a Saviour justly therefore are they exposed to the Sword and Robbers without any Saviour They asked a Murtherer to be given them but killed the Prince of Life for which very thing they perished by seditions and murthers and were and are involved in such great calamities that none is able by Pen or Tongue sufficiently to express them And for this very fact the Prophets call that Nation the daughter of a Robber Well doth Isaias also speak of them Ah sinfull Nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of evil doers children that are corrupters they have forsaken the Lord c. Isa 1. Here we see 1. That there is nothing but a wicked mind will prefer it before Christ and the truth if it doth but know and hope it shall get never so little by it 2. We are taught not to trust in the applause of the world For they who but a little while since did sing before Christ Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord now cry out as loud Away with him c. 3. Here we see the disposition of the world which doth ever make choyce of the worst and reject the best It is alway more favourable to the guilty then the innocent But all that we here see or hear of did not fall out by chance but by the Decree and Counsell of God For it behooved Christ to be made the lowest of men and to fall under the greatest contempt that he might be most highly exalted and