from Galile stood and diligently beheld these things for they lookt for no such Spectacle but their mind now presaged that after so sad a Tragedie they should see better dayes They stood afar off for fear that the Scripture might be fulfilled Thou hast put away mine Acquaintance far from me lover and friend from my misery Psalm 88. Again He hath put my brethren far from me and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me Job 19. They stood aloof yet they saw and considered what was done It was a sight worth the seeing to the beholding whereof all the world should have run together But who can express the sorrow and grief of those Holy Women especially of the Virgin-mother when they saw him hang so shamfully on the cross for whom they had done so much and to whom they had ministred not only in Galile but also in Iudaea But they are much to be commended that the fear neither of the Jews nor of the Romans could hinder them from following after Christ and that they would no more forsake him when he was dead then when he was living This is to take good and bad together with ones Friend The Disciples fled but the Womenkind stood it out as being willing to repair and make amends for the wrong done to all mankind in Paradise And because those holy Women did so stoutly stand it out and tarryed to see the end of the holy Passion they were likewise counted worthy to have the first sight of Christ after his Resurrection They were last with Christ when he dyed and first with him when he lived A godly man will learn many good things from those Women c. The Jews therefore John 19.31 because it was the preparation that the bodies should not remain upon the Cross on the Sabbath-day for that Sabbath-day was an High day besought Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away Then came the Souldiers and brake the legs of the first and of the other which was crucified with him But when they came to Iesus and saw that he was dead already they brake not his legs But one of the Souldiers with a spear pierced his side and forthwith came thereout blood and water And he that saw it bare Record and his Record is true and he knoweth that he saith true that ye might believe For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled A bone of him shall not be broken And again another Scripture saith They shall look on him whom they pierced We have heard of the death of the Lord Jesus and how it was bewailed by the Women of Galile his burial is yet behind which the Iews indeed attempted but God reserved the solemnity thereof to be performed by holy and good men The day when these things were done was the preparation that is a preparatory day to the following Sabbath which was called the Sabbath of the Passover because it fell out in the Paschal week Whence it was celebrated more honourably then the other Sabbaths And this the Evangelist shews when he saith For that Sabbath day was an High day This was a double Festival both in respect of the Sabbath and also of the Paschal Week which was wholly Festival When this Sabbath drew nigh those bloody men thought it a dishonour if the bodies of the slain should hang before their gates in the view of all men Therefore lest the Devotion and Religious observation of the Feast-day should be clouded with so sad and dolefull a Spectacle they desired by any means that they should be taken down and removed before the Feast began A perverse and preposterous religion indeed it was to intend to celebrate the Feast so holily the entrance whereof they had polluted with so great impiety They would keep the Law and yet had just now killed the Lord of the Law The Law by which they tye themselves to this observation was this The Lord commanding that they that were crucified should be buried the same night Deut. 21. This Law was chiefly given in reference to Christ For the Law written by the Finger of God in respect of him only who was then to be crucified did take care that all that were crucified should be buryed the same night whereas there was no such Law or command concerning others that should suffer a violent death God indeed could have preserved the body of Christ also unburied from shame and violence But so it was expedient for the bodies of the Saints that this body of this dead man should be united to them in the graves that by it they might obtain a Resurrection For as it was meet that the soul of Christ should go down into Hell to deliver the souls of the Fathers so it behooved that his body should reach their bodies that so he might raise them up again and thereby a perfect Resurrection might be hoped for To this Law do these wicked men now pretend And now they begin to think of the religious observation of the Feast as if they had now omitted nothing but had done every thing as it ought to be done Thus Hypocrites look only at the Ceremonies mean while leaving the greater and weightier works of Righteousness undone and think that all will go well with them let them sin never so much so long as they leave out nothing of the Ceremonies So here they are very carefull to observe that Law which was only for civility and humanity but in the mean while swerving from and prevaricating the whole Law Yet who would have said but that those were very holy men Who could have suspected that they would have killed Christ contrary to all Law who were such zealous and devout observers of the Law But thus doth Hypocrisie use to palliate and hide its iniquity But under pretence of this Law and reverence of the Feast they address themselves to Pilate they entreat him that the bodies of those that were put to death might be taken down before the evening that nothing might hinder it and that the Governour would give command to have their bones broken that they might die the sooner This they pretended to Pilate But there was somewhat else did bite them They were afraid lest the people should repent of what they had done and believe in Christ because of the signes that were shewed at his death for then they heard the various judgements and opinions of men concerning Christ by reason of his Miracles Therefore they make Post haste to get him down and bury him out of the way for they were in hopes that he would quickly and totally be forgotten if he were but once removed out of sight and that never any hereafter would upbraid them with the death of so great a man But all in vain their project is to no purpose for they can hide neither Christs Glory nor their own shame But wicked men easily obtain what they desire of a wicked Judge The
Pag. 1 2 c 137 10 11 173 12 183 13 190 15 194 19 200 18 24 25 26 210 28 232 33 250 JOH 19. Vers Pag. 1 3 c 281 13 304 17 314 18 326 19 337 23 341 The seven last words of Christ page 351. The First Word Pag. 354 The Second Word Pag. 360 The Third Word Pag. 368 The Fourth Word Pag. 376 The Fifth Word Pag. 386 The Sixth Word Pag. 390 The Seventh Word Pag. 392 The History of the Passion of our Lord gathered out of the four Evangelists and digested into four Parts The first Part. Luk. 22.1 NOw the Feast of unleavened bread drew nigh which is called the Passover Whereas Luke saith here it drew nigh c. Mark expresseth it thus Mar. 14.1 After two daies saith he was the Passover and unleavened bread Which Feast was honoured with a double name It was called the Passover because of the offering of the Lamb which in Exodus is called the Lords Passover Exod. 12.11 because the destroying Angel that smote the first born of the Aegyptians did pass over the Israelites houses which were sprinkled with the blood of the Lamb and that same night brought them out of Aegypt And it was also called the feast or daies of unleavened bread Exod. 12. 13. Lev. 23.6 Num. 28.17 because all the time of that feast which lasted seven daies the Jews were forbidden to eat leavened bread or to have it in their houses and were commanded that they should eat none but sweet or unleavened bread Now this Jewish solemnity began from the evening of the fourteenth day of the first moneth and continued until the evening of the one and twentieth day When the first moneth beginneth But the Jews did not begin the first moneth from the Calends of January as the Romans do but from the first new moon after the Spring-Equinox which with us is in April So that the feast of the Passover began at the evening of the fourteenth day of that moneth which was the fift day of the week that year that Christ suffered The next day which we rightly call Good-Friday Christ was Crucified And on that very day was a feast of the Jews after which the Sabbath immediately followed even another feast yea a double feast Whence John saith of it Joh. 19.31 That day was an high day Every Sabbath was very solemn of it self yea greater then all other feasts For the Jews might not so much as dress their meat on the Sabbath which was lawful for them to do in other feasts though never so great unless it fell on the Sabbath Thus the Sabbath only had its preparation that is a day to make ready victuals And besides this that Sabbath of which we now speak was the more famous in that it fell among the daies of unleavened bread perhaps from some Pharisaical tradition by reason of the rich booty they had from the multitude of people that then flocked thither from all parts From whence also it was called the Sabbath of the Passover not that the feast of the Passover was on that day but because it fell out in the Passover-week as we use to say now the third fourth fifth day of Easter Briefly the Jews called every sixt day the preparation though some feast fell thereon So the Paschal feast or solemnity happened on this sixt day which very day was also the preparation of the following Sabbath It is certain therefore that Christ was crucified on the very feast day Nor doth it prove the contrary in that they said Mat. 26.5 Not on the feast day c. For they regarded not the feast but were rather afraid left the multitude should hinder their wicked design Therefore they did not say Not on the feast day because it is not lawfull but lest there be an uproar among the people nay they had not forborn their purpose the Sabbath following though it was a great one if there had not been some other occasion such was their rage They might as doubtless they did pretend that God could not be better served or have a greater sacrifice then to crucifie so notorious a transgressor of his Law And that in other offences they might and ought to defer or remit the punishment but Gods wrong they were to avenge on the very Sabbath it self To this was added the occasion given by Iudas who blinded with malice resolved to betray Christ to them to be bound in the evening of the solemnity then beginning What should they now do They might well fear an uproar of the people if they should keep him bound till the end of the feast There is no way but to put their cursed plot in execution out of hand without any respect to God or the time This was the counsel of an hateful heart Yet not without the wonderful providence of God so ordering it that Christ should suffer at that feast Not only that the truth might answer the figure but also that many might be present when the high-Priest offered his blood to God without Jerusalem for the redemption of Jew and Gentile Thus much I thought good to premise concerning the day and feast of unleavened bread Let us now return to the story The appointed time was come when the Lord Jesus was both willing and ought to depart out of the world to go to his Father by suffering death after he had prerched the Gospel And this was the very time when the Jews kept the Passover and did offer and eat the Lamb in remembrance of their former deliverance The time of the general redemption of mankind being now at hand not from an Aegyptian but devilish bondage there was another Lamb to be slain even be which taketh away the sins of the world Joh. 1.29 and of whom Paul saith 1 Cor. 5.7 Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us Of this Christ saith Mat. 26.2 Ye know that after two daies is the feast of the Passover and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified As if he should have said Seeing ye are born and bred Jews and Hebrews ye know what kind of feast draweth nigh even the feast of the Passover and there is not a man in all the Countrey of Judea but makes preparation for it But to ye that are my Disciples I will reveal something that others know not that is that I the Son of man must be betrayed and crucified at this very feast to wit to be slain and offered as a Lamb on the Altar of the Cross for the welfare of the world I say it must be at this feast of the Jews as I have often told you long since The time is at hand my hour is now come and I am so far from refusing it that I willingly embrace it for therefore came I into the world that I might shew my obedience to my Father even to the death of the Cross This shall now be done at this feast I
this Ceremony shall endure But after Christ there is another generation another Testament nor are the Jews any longer the people of God so that the offering of that Paschal Lamb ceased This the Prophet Jeremy foretold Behold the dayes come when it shall be no more said the Lord liveth that brought the children of Israel out of Aegypt c. Jer. 16. In short we now eat the true and new Passover in the kingdom of God in the Church wherein God truly raigneth and is acknowledged as King Christ saith Paul is our Passover 1 Cor. 5.7 John 1. And John Baptist seeing Christ saith Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world Whatsoever was done and commanded concerning that Lamb heretofore is now fulfill'd and still will be fulfill'd in this true Lamb viz. 1. Though Moses was present with the Israelites when they were bondmen in Aegypt Exod. 12. and did terrifie that Tyrant of Aegypt with many plagues yet he could not deliver them till the Lamb was slain Pharaoh was overthrown by the blood of the Lamb even so neither the Judaicall Law nor the Leviticall Priesthood could save mankind till CHRIST came who was the true Lamb. 2. When the Lamb of God was there slain the Promises of God concerning the deliverance of Abrahams seed and the bringing them into the Land of Canaan began presently then to be fulfilled So when Christ is slain all the Promises of God are now Yea and Amen 1 Cor. 1. 3. As that Lamb was to be taken out of the flock but to be without blemish a male of a year old so he that was to be our Saviour must be a man yet without spot of sin a Male for the strength of his spirit but a year old a man acquainted with poverty and weakness 4. As the Lamb was to be taken and separated from the flock on the tenth day of the first moneth and offered the fourteenth day so on the tenth day of the moneth Christ entered Jerusalem the place of his Passion He came to Bethany six dayes before the Passover the next day he went to Jerusalem where the multitude received him as the Lamb to be offered the fourteenth day 5. That Lamb was to be offered at the full Moon so Christ was crucified in the fulness of time Gal. 4. at full Moon according to the letter 6. Nor was that Lamb to be offered at any full Moon but only at that which next followed the Spring Equinox when the day waxeth longer than the night Thus when Christ suffered the light of Righteousness began to overcome the darkness of sin There was before a long and deep night of sin and the light of legall Righteousness was very short and cloudy But now all things are otherwise Rom. 13. The night saith Paul is past and the day is at hand Again ye were sometimes darknesss but now are ye light in the Lord Eph. 5. 7. That Lamb was to be offered by all the Assembly of the children of Israel so Christ died for all And all whosoever either before or since did then and now do hope for Salvation by his sacrifice only 8. As the Israelites were once freed from the Destroyer only by the blood of the Lamb yet were to offer a Lamb every year in memory of that Deliverance so Christ suffered but once Heb. 9. yet will he have us remember that his sacrifice every year yea every day and celebrate it publikely This do saith he in remembrance of me 9. Lastly That Lamb was offered that it might be eaten for the meat is incorporated to a man being eaten so Christ is set forth unto us for no other use but that we might be incorporated with him and he with us Thus you see that this Lamb was nothing but a figure of Christ when the Truth is come there is no need of type or shadow The Jews then are mistaken who think themselves yet bound to legall observations So do the Ebionites err too who say that because Christ did eat the Lamb after the Jews manner when he instituted the Sacrament therefore we also should do the like it is very false For certain it is that Christ is the true Lamb and the true Passover Therefore the Ceremony of that former lamb is abolished and with it the whole Law Old things are passed away 2 Cor. 5. behold all things are become new Therefore letting pass the legall lamb let us consider the true Lamb which followeth And as they did eat Jesus took bread Mat. 26.26 and when he had given thanks he brake it and gave it to his Disciples and said Take eat this is my Body Which is given for you this do in remembrance of me Luke 22.19 Mat. 26.27 And he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying Drink ye all of it For this is my blood of the New Testament Mat. 26.28 which is shed for many for the remission of sins This do in remembrance of me Added by the Author A premonition of the Translator concerning the Exposition following Reader BE not surpriz'd with prejudice It may be thou maist meet with some passages and expressions in the explication of these words This is my body which do not concur with thy opinion And likewise what he saith concerning the coercive power of the Magistrate Consider the time and place in which the Author lived and thou wilt find him ingeniously sober and modest not given to vain jangling or railing bitterness but conscientiously serious diligently trading with his Talent The world is full of divisions and diversity of opinions in matters of Religion and saith every one pleads for the preheminence of his own Give some allowance to this man who was but a man yet doubless a godly man If thou see any chaff in his heap of good grain do not blow and puffe away the weighty Wheat with the light and empty dust Hear what he saith This is the most sacred Supper of Jesus Christ which he made and most religiously observed with his Disciples near about the time or a little after the Jews Passover The words of the Evangelist are here to be observed with all diligence pondered seriously in the heart held fast with a stedfast and unshaken memory specially in these dangerous dayes now there are so many dissentions and contests about these words when every person almost fancieth to himself a particular Mass and Sacrament It is much to be lamented that since there was a Church no Doctrine or Article of Faith ever raised so much strife and mischief notwithstadding there is not any thing more comfortable to the Church Good God! what hath not Satan attempted to do against this Sacrament What horrid errours what differences and dissentions hath he stirred up against it none can express the misery and calamity thereof The Devill hath and doth try all wayes to render this Sacrament
end should he multiply words to such cruel minded men who intended nothing but mischief to him A man shall get nothing of such men nor prevail any thing with them no though God himsâ—… were his Advocate to plead for him For thou wilt be compelled to be not what thou art but what they feign and fancy thee to be So that thou hast need of nothing but patience to deal with such men No good could have been expected from them although Christ had spoken never so excellently of the Incarnate Word surely nothing but scorn and blasphemy had come of it and consequently greater wrath and rage in these furious men And it had been to as little purpose if he had askt them about those Prophetical Scriptures none of them would or could have answered him What did they answer him when he askt them about Johns Baptism Matth. 21. And so concerning the son of David and of that verse in the Psalms The Lord said to my Lord c. Also when he asked them whether it was lawfull to heal on the Sabbath Day Mat. 22. Luke 14. Christ must answer either as one accused or ask as one contriving his defence The belief of his Judges was requisite to his answer but to his question their answer only was sufficient But in this Council Christ had neither credit given to his words nor an answer to his questions why they should he speak much especially seeing he knew that they were peremptorily and obstinately resolved to kill him and never more to let him scape alive out of their hands And indeed how should they believe the words of Jesus who would not believe his Divine Works which were more effectual to perswade Therefore this was a time to keep silence so that he answered nothing but Ye say so by which reply he doth send them again to their own consciences Besides he doth thereby again inculcate that they must come to judgement for what they did Hereafter saith he the son of Man shall sit c. q.d. I shall say no more but this the time will come when ye shall see me Judge you and all the world though now you most unjustly Judge me At this they made a fearfull and hideous out-cry again What need we any further witness we our selves have heard out of his own mouth And what was it O ye blind and wicked men which ye did hear from his own mouth I dare say you heard no blasphemy come out of his mouth for which he deserved death but an awfull reverence of Gods Name for which he was much to be honoured and will ye for all that pass sentence of death against him Are ye so forward to commit that grand sin even to murther the innocent Son of God O ye High Priests and sons of Aaron what 's become of your Unction now Where is your Clemency Have ye cast away all pity and compassion from you David could not go forward with the Temple because he had shed the blood of enemies and dare ye who offer Sacrifices daily ye that so swell and are puffed up with such a conceit of sanctity who glory in the sanctimony of your life and height of honour how dare you I say to pass sentence upon that most innocent and spotless one the very Fountain of life as one worthy of death Herod who was a stranger and otherwise a very bloody beast yet gave him more reverence then ye and would not pollute his hands with the blood of this harmless man Pilate also that barbarous bruit was terribly afraid and excused himself and washt his hands from his blood But you and shall like your holiness you holy high Priests affirm that he is guilty of death O the Religion O the Righteousness that shines in you Doubtless the very Heathen and the Samaritans will be your Judges Nay out of your own mouth shall ye be judged how much your ungodliness hath beed more cruell then the unrighteousness of Herod and Pilate But let us leave those vile men and proceed The conclusion of that bloody Counsell was Jesus of Nazareth doth deserve to die The reason is because he proved himself to be the Messias and the Son of the living God who is blessed for ever and that by the very Testimony of their own consciences besides the Signs and Wonders which he had wrought This was the Judgement which was given by those holy Pharisees at Jerusalem in that Counsell And now they have no need of any more evidence For they carryed their own cause but Jesus lost his Wherefore they hale him out of hand before the secular Court and set him before the Roman Governour bound with cords chained spit on and therefore irrevocably determined to be worthy of death the scullions and rafscallions with a great concourse and clamour of the people egging on against him that it might be fulfilled which Christ said Mat. 20. The son of man shall be delivered to the chief Priests and they shall condemn him to death and shall deliver him to the Gentiles This they now fulfill The whole multitude saith he arose c. viz. to set the fairer gloss upon the proceedings that their cause might seem to be the more just and honest Then they present him bound to the Governour thereby to shew that they had condemned him already They carry all things with much pomp and state that so they might the better cloak their hatred and malice Lo here he that came to loose all mens bonds is now the third time bound himself He is often bound and manicled because we had many fetters and chains which he was to break with his bonds Here then let us a little remember and consider our selves For as Christ is here brought to his Judgement and Trial for life and death by one consent and with great rejoycing of his Adversaries without any mercy or pity without all hope of acquitment or release no man owning him or opposing the sentence against him so should we have been brought before Gods dreadfull Tribunal if Christ had not put himself in our place and stood in our stead Wherefore if thou wouldst stand with boldness in Gods Judgement cast thy self on Christ by Faith For without him none can stand before God in the day of Judgement For no man living is justified or found righteous before God Psalm 143.2 Let us therefore follow our Lord Christ also as he was tossed too and fro from Caiaphas to Pilate from the spiritual Court to the civil Magistrate from the Jews to the Gentiles from the wicked to the ungodly from the superstitious to the Idolaters Nor is there any cause why we should be afraid All things shall work for our good in the end But first let us hear what end Judas came to who was the Ring-leader and incendi ary of all this mischief It follows in Matthew Then Judas which betrayed him Mat. 27.3 when he saw that he was condemned repented himself and brought again
in the letter and in the Law the Scribes Pharisees and Lawyers who forsook the royal Law of Love and Obedience yet were literally zealous it was by these that Christ suffered and still doth suffer There are that are called Jews and yet are of the very Synagogue of Satan Thus the Law without the spirit of life is a dead and killing letter a Ministration of Condemnation If the spiritual Jacob be not with us at Dothan we shall plot and contrive our dearest brother Joseph's death 13. But here 2 Kin. 6. we have Elisha conversing in Dothan with the sons of the Prophets who being inflamed with his presence importune him for greater inlargement Doubtless there is a time when our true Elisha Christ Jesus walketh with his Children in low legal literal and fleshly Ministrations nurseth them up with milk like babes and alloweth them Tutors and Governors in their Non age Only let us beware that we do not with the Scribes and Pharises stick to the empty letter that we ramble not to Dothan when neither old Jacob our father nor Elisha our Prophet is there let us not run after the servant when he is cast out of doors nor hearken to Moses when Christ is come for then though we make our boast of the Law yet shall we dishonour God by breaking it Rom. 2. Now we shall know if Christ be yet with us under the Law if so our hearts will be inflamed and long for greater inlargement and complain of our present straitnings whereas a meer literal and formal Christian loves his ease is content to stand at a stay will not indure to hear of removing farther then he hath already attained cries out against all notions more spiritual then his own as Delusions Dreams Enthusiasms c. But the true sons of the spiritual Prophet are still groaning after the manifestation and glorious freedom of the sons of God Rom. 8. And therefore they are ever crying out My father my father O Christ O Lord Jesus thou everlasting father I am straitned inlarge my heart that I may run the ways of thy Commandments I am straitned where I now am make room give place that I may dwell in the everlasting habitations Isa 49.20 I am content to break thorow death to come to those Mansions I am weary of this Tabernacle remove my Tent uncloth me that I may be clothed and let mortality be swallowed up of life Go with me to Jordan baptize me in that river how am I straitned till it be accomplished Mortifie the sinfull lusts and affections of my flesh crucifie my old man day by day rend his vail of flesh that with open face I may behold thy glory be changed into the same image and come to the spirits of just men made perfect and to the Spirit of the Lord where is liberty and perfect freeedom 2 Cor 3.17,18 Heb. 12.23 14. This is the nature and property of them that are taught of God and have learned and obeyed the truth as it is in Jesus But then there are some even among these Children of the Prophets the true Professors of Godliness who go along for a while undiscerned like Cain Judas the man at the marriage-feast and this man here among the sons of the Prophets they make a great shew and bustle about Religion a great stir and noyse there is about Christ crucified and subduing of their lusts they hack and hew at the tree and talk much of mortification but before they can effect it the Axflies from the helve their gifts and parts fail them and the work is at a stand And why Surely their gifts were borrowed and did not flow from their obedience to Christ and experience of his Doctrine but they pickt a notion from one a sentence from another they laid a great many good words in the memory and these they made use of in the self-will and wisdom in the lust of the flesh the pride of life vain-glory and ostentation seeming to be wise but knowing nothing as they ought to know patching up a self-conceited Righteousness thereby deluding their own souls And then they will be made to acknowledge and say Alas Lord they were borrowed Now there is no remedy for such till these fall off from a mans self and fall into Jordan the river of Judgement and Condemnation till a man deny himself and sell or lose all that he hath then the true Elisha makes the Iron to swim that he may go and finish his work Thus he that loseth his life shall save it and he that parteth with House Land Goods Father Friends Gifts Parts Indowments c. shall receive them again in this life an hundred fold Happy are they whose loss is their gain But fourthly 15. There is no ascending to the highest injoyment except we first descend into the deepest abasement It is said of Christ that he humbled himself even to the death of the Cross and for that cause God hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name Phil. 2,8,9 If we also would have a name better then that of sons and daughters if we would be called Hephtzi-bah and Beulah Isa 62.4 Ruth 3.7,9 let us do as Ruth did unto Boaz let us lie down at the feet of Christ and desire him to cast the skirt of his garment over us as one nigh of kin unto us Christ hath a two-fold garment the one of Glory and Majesty in which he walketh among the Angels and the spiritual Church He clotheth himself with Light as with a garment Psalm 104.2 His rayment is white as the Light Mat. 17.20 Rev. 1.13 His other garment is of shame and baseness With this he conversed among men upon earth He was found in fashion as a servant Phil. 2.8 In the likeness of sinfull flesh Rom. 8.3 He was made sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 In this humane nature of ours was his Diety clothed and hid for a season The lowest state of this humanity the very border hem or skirt of which garment that toucheth the ground was the great humiliation of Christ humbling himself to the most ignominious and shamefull death of the Cross 16. If therefore we would have Christ do the office of a kinsman to us for he is our kins-man nigh unto us flesh of our flesh and bone of bone one that is not ashamed to call us brethren who hath right to redeem us if we would have him take away our reproach of barrenness and make us fruitfull in the knowledge of himself let us lie down at his feet humble our selves to walk as he walked desire him to spread his skirt over us to conform us to his death that we may be transformed into the likeness of his Resurrection If we would have our sinfull name our name of shame blotted out if we would have our bloody issue stopped let us do as the woman in the Gospel let us press through the press of all worldly and fleshly incumbrances and
on No man took it from him 1 Kings 20.11 John 10.18 21. Thus Christ when he was in the height of his perfection in perfect Glory filling all in all the fulness and end of the Law for Righteousness the Law-giver above the Law yet in the fulness of time was made of a woman made under the Law became a curse for us to redeem us from the curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 chap. 4.4 By this going back-ward of Christ unto the tenth degree of death we have hope of life to come His going back-ward was his progress to his journeyes end for his ways are not our ways but rather contrary to them Thus our true Joseph having been in prison and taken out from among men is afterward rightly called Zaphnath-paaneah i.e. a man to whom secrets are revealed or in the Egyptian tongue a Saviour of the world Gen. 41.14,45 Isa 53.8 John 3.17 chap. 12.47 Let us imitate our Lord for even hereunto are we called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2.21 Let us resist unto blood striving against sin suffering in the flesh that we may cease from sin Heb. 12.4 1 Pet. 4 1. Ponder these things seriously 6. Sixthly 22. We cannot understand nor submit unto the Gospel unless we know and conform unto the death of Christ The sum of the Gospel is Christ crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 There is a dolefull doom denounced against all those that obey not this Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thes 1.7,8,9,10 It is not enough for us to make our boast of the Gospel except we obey it no advantage comes by it Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of the Father Mat. 7.21 He that doth the Will shall know the Doctrine John 7.17 Now we must know that every man is brutish in his knowledge and born a wild Asses Colt Jer. 10.14 Job 11.12 Psalm 92.6 Wherefore it is necessary that every man take up his Cross dayly and crucifie this brutish man which is so ignorant of the Mysterie of God and altogether uncapable to understand it and put on the new man which is created after God in Righteousness Holiness and Knowledge 1 Cor. 2.14 Eph. 4.22,23,24 Col. 3.9,10 The old must be put off before the new can be put on Obedience is the best Vsher unto knowledge 7. Seventhly 23. The grand Mysterie of iniquity worketh in the contrary Doctrine When the Devil suspected what ruine and desolation was like to come upon his kingdom by the death of Christ he did what possibly he could to save his life by Pilates wife And so he is still stirring some to be enemies to his Cross Phil 3.18 The old subtile Serpent argueth with us as he did with our first Parents Yea saith he doth God require such strictness and circumspect walking doth he think ye delight to afflict his creature the work of his hands will he have thee die mortifie and crucifie thy self Far be it from thee These things shall not happen unto thee Mat. 16.22,23 Hath not Christ suffered for thy sins hath not he made full satisfaction and done all for thee Is there any thing left for thee to do Canst thou add to the vertue of his blood Wilt thou fall back again to the Law and be justified by the works thereof Is not this flat Popery Away away with these legal and pensive thoughts they make thee melancholy dull and indisposed to good things Wilt thou separate not only from the prophane Gentile but from the outward and formal Jew also Canst thou by taking thought add one Cubit to his stature Were not the works finished from the foundation of the world Mat. 6.27 Heb. 4 3. Be not righteous overmuch neither make thy self over-wise Why shouldest thou destroy thy self Eccles 7.16 24. Look upon the high and mighty professors of the world Are not the preud among them happy and they that tempt God by Pride Ambition Covetousness Hypocrisie Perjury breach of Promises Covenants Vows Oaths and Protestations Rebellion Domineering are they not delivered delivered to do all abominations Doth not their Bull gender and faileth not have they not more then heart can wish so that pride compasseth them about as a chain and violence covereth them as a Garment Mal. 3.15 Jer. 7.9,10,11 c. Job 21.10 Psalm 73.4,5,6,7 Take thine ease eat drink and be merry to morrow shall be as this day Thus the crafty Serpent insinnateth his damnable Doctrine by his false Prophets into the minds of simple ignorant presumptuous Gospellers themselves Whereas the true Believer saith It is his meat and drink to do the Will of his Lord and Master John 4.34 To beat down his body and bring it into subjection 1 Cor 9.27 Nothing is more glory to him then such tribulation he takes pleasure in such necessity and distresses for Christs sake and is glad that he can die dayly that the world may be crucified unto him and he unto the world Rom. 5.3 2 Cor. 12.10 1 Cor. 15.31 Gal. 6.14 8. Eightly 25. Without this knowledge and conformity there can be no perseverance in Godliness The Hypocrite will not pray always he cannot many begin to run well but are driven back from obeying the Truth Gal. 5.7 They are clogd with the care of preserving the worldly life they are full yet with their youthfull lusts and the sins of their riper years These youths shall faint and such young men utterly fail because they do not eat and drink the flesh and blood of the Son of man that they might have life and strength to persevere they do not by eating and drinking incorporate the living bread and drink by a lively faith that they might grow thereby Isa 40.30 John 6.33.35,48,51 unto verse 59. 1 Pet. 2.2 2 Pet. 3.18 But the righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands that hath washt them in innocency in the innocent blood of the Lamb he shall wax stronger and stronger his light shall be as the shining light which increaseth to a perfect day Job 17.9 Prov. 10.29 and chap. 4.18 But they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength and mount up with wings as Eagles Psalm 103.5 Isa 40.31 The Eagle is sharp of sight swift and lofty in flight it can soar up and look upon the Sun So do all true Believers who have anointed their eyes with the spiritual eye-salve Rev. 3.18 which maketh them quick-sighted but then like Eagles they resort unto the Carkass Mat. 24.28 They have continual Recourse unto the crucified body of Christ refreshing themselves with that heavenly food turning it into the nourishment of their inward and new man and growing up therein unto a likeness and conformity unto that food These do not miscarry nor come short of their aim 9. Ninthly 26. There can be no due performance of any acceptable service
Preservative against Schism and Heresie When Bigthan and Teresh the two Chamberlains of Ahasuerus had conspired treason Est 2.21,22 and sought to lay hands on their Master the King the plot was discovered and disappointed by Mordecai who sat in the Kings gate If this Scripture as all should be spiritually applyed it will suit with our purpose in hand What the meaning of Mordecai is you have already heard Bigthan is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Meat and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dare to give also Tradere to give up or betray as 't is said of Pilate Tradidit Jesum voluntati eorum Luke 23.25 He delivered Jesus to their Will Haereticus est qui dogmata veritatis corrumpit Schismaticus qui vincula unitatis disrumpit Bigthan then is one that giveth meat but that giveth or casteth the Childrens bread unto dogs and may personate the Heretick who doth pervert and corrupt the Doctrine of Truth teaching Placentia flattering Fallacies sowing Pillows to mens Elbows giving the Promises to the vile and threats to the precious ones Teresh springs from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make poor to rend tear destroy and may well signifie the Schismatick who breaketh the Vnity of the spirit Faith Truth pure Doctrine and the bond of peace By these two Traytors the King of Glory is in danger to be crucified afresh not in Heaven but in our hearts not in his person but in the faith of him Let Mordecai sit in the Kings gate Prov. 4.23 make him the Porter of the heart he will spie out the treasonous thoughts that offer to make insurrection against our true Ahasuerus our blessed head And when he hath discovered the danger reward and exalt him and hang proud Haman that makes the trouble and uproar in the soul that multiplieth Rebellion No matter what becomes of him he is but the son of Amedatha a troubler of the Law one that seeks to make that void on earth which God hath established for ever in Heaven An Agagite a proud aspiring fellow that would rule before he know how to obey climb to the top of the house before he hath passed the Portal Set Mordecai to watch him The Cross is the royal standard the Kings person is always near it very near it and is secured by it in us though not in himself Again 37. We cannot approach unto God and his altar or draw nigh unto Christ but by mortification through Christ If we would reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praeparare Disputare Arguere if we would prepare our selves to dispute reason or argue with God we must first wash and make us clean put away the evil of our doings cease to do evil learn to do well Isa 1.16,18 We must wash our hands in innocency before we can compass Gods Altar Psalm 26.6 We cannot lay our gift upon the Altar it must lie only before the Altar untill we have made reconciliation with our elder Brother first and with our younger brethren too by crucifying that enmity which is in us against them Mat. 5.23,24 Our Disobedience Malice Envy and Hatred is done away by the washing of Regeneration Tit. 3.3,5 And therefore Moses was commanded to place the Laver between the Tent of the congregation and the Altar that they might wash as they went between the one and the other Exod. 40.30 Let us keep our hands and feet clean and then we may go boldly to the Throne of Grace and find help in time of need Again 38. It is the only Seed-plot and Nursery of true peace with God and man As toward God they that sow in tears shall reap in singing Psalm 126.5,6 Sorrow is the seminary of solace Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Mat. 5.4 It causeth a diligent care and watchfulness against that which would disturb our peace 2 Cor. 7.11 Peace shall be restored to the Mourners Isa 57.18,19 Bitter Roots bear pleasant fruit sweet is the comfort of the Cross Godly sorrow is the womb of the greatest gladness Although the Travel be in pain yet the birth is with Joy that a man-child is born into the little world John 16.21 Mary signifieth bitterness she was the mother of Christ That which the mother the creature calleth Benoni the son of my grief God the Father may name Benjamin the son of his right hand 's The man of sorrows Isa 53.3 is the man of Gods right hand whom he hath made strong for himself Psalm 80.17 That mighty one upon whom the Lord hath laid help for all mankind also Psal 89 19 The days man that is able to lay his hands both on God and man and can save to the utmost Job 9.33 Hebrew 7.25 39. Christ is said to be our Peace reconciling both in himself staying the enmity but no otherways then by the Cross Eph. 2.14,15,16 Col. 1.20,21 The strength of God is in his arm and the arm of God is Christ Isa 53.1 John 12.38 This is that high hand and out-stretched arm of the Lord with which he smitteth the first born of our lusts the strength of Ham the power of that subtile and crafty one and bringeth us out of the Egyptian straits of the old nature Psalm 78.51 136.10,12 But when Christ hath smitten the first born of our lusts and destroyed the strength of our corruptions in our Egypt our old nature in his own body we must follow him as our true Moses as he that draweth us after him out of our land of bondage out of our selves and leadeth us towards the good land of peace and all the precious Promises of God even through the red sea of his sufferings by an actual and personal entering into the same passing through the same after him as our Leader and Fore-runner then shall we see Pharoah and all his host Satan and all his Temptations with our lusts and all together drowned and swallowed up therein And thus being justified by this obedient and conforming Faith we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom 5.1 Wherefore let us not stay any longer in Egypt in our fleshly nature where we cannot sacrifice unto the Lord our God seeing the first born the strength of our sins is broken and sâ—ain Psal 73.9 57. Neither let us turn our backs or start aside like a broken bow in the day of Battle seeing we have the arm of the Lord to trust unto and lay hold upon for our help in obtaining our peace Isa 27. The Creation groaneth under the bondage of corruption and would fain get into the manifestation and glorious freedom of the Sons of God Rom. 8.19,21 Let the Israel of God go seek not to bring and keep it under the bondage of Corruption Let not our lusts prevail and bear sway any longer they will separate and make a breach between God and our souls Isa 59.2 40. As our peace with God is hereby procured and preserved so is it also with men Our Lord and Saviour
Christ doth not simply require Love of those that are his but so as without it he will own none for his Disciple And if it be so or rather because it is so truly there are but few true Christians to be found in these dayes for Charity almost among all men waxeth cold and faith and mercifulness faileth every where and is withered instead of which hatred envy discord deceit treachery is sprung up 2. We see how much they are out of the way who would fain be taken for Christians by I know not what Tokens when Charity towards God and their Neighbour is nothing regarded 3. Here we find the difference between Faith and Charity Faith maketh a Disciple of Christ Charity maketh him known to be a Disciple It followeth Simon Peter said unto him Lord whither goest thou John 13.36 Jesus answered him whither I go thou canst not follow me now but thou shalt follow me afterwards Peter said unto him Lord why cannot I follow thee now verse 37. I will lay down my life for thy sake Jesus answered him wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake verse 38. Simon Simon Satan hath desired you Luke 22.31 that he may sift you as wheat But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not verse 32. and when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren And he said unto him Lord verse 33. I am ready to go with thee both into prison and to death And he said I tell thee Peter the Cock shall not crow this day verse 34. before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me It was a sign of great fervency in Peter that he only should interrupt Christ and ask his Lord whither he was going when all the rest held their peace sure he was astonished at the word which Christ spake whither I go ye cannot come and fearing that he should be separated from Christ he could hold no longer but must needs ask the question To whom Christ very sweetly answered Whither I go thou canst not follow me now but thou shalt follow me afterwards which may be understood two wayes 1. He could not follow Christ to Heaven who was now going thither but he should follow him afterwards when he was made a Citizen of the City above he with the rest of the Saints should raign with Christ 2. He was not yet indued with power from on high neither had he that strengthening Spirit to reform him and his Nature therefore he could not scorn the dangers of death nor wholly overcome the terrour thereof 1. The power to break the force of death was only in Christ Therefore thou canst not follow me now because that to go by the Cross is yet very hard and difficult Psal 77.19 As t is said Thy Wayes are in the sea and thy Path in the great waters and thy Foot-steps are not known 2. Again secondly Thou canst not follow me yet because of the imperfection of thy love Rom. 5. There had need be a great fire of Love which so many waters of afflictions cannot quench but hereafter when the Spirit shall shed forth more Love into thy heart then shalt thou follow me 3. Lastly Thou canst not follow me yet It is not in the power of thy carnal will to conquer Death this it the work of Gods Grace his Grace alone must do it I must first set upon it by my death and overcome it I will grapple with it in my Passion and conquer it by my Resurrection Till this be done thou canst not follow me thou canst not but tremble at death T is too strong for thee to conquer and contemn Inded our nature shrinks at death croucheth under it Our Saviours Passion was the first dissolution of Death 1. To this end the Son of God did take upon him the seed of Abraham Heb. 2. that by the death of his flesh he might make Death of none effect and might deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to bondage 2. Again the contempt of Death had its first original from the Resurrection of Christ 1 Cor. 15. From that very time we may say with Paul O Death where is thy sting O grave where is thy Victory Thanks be to God who hath given us the Victory by Jesus Christ our Lord. And that Peter might not think that he should for ever be separated from Christ he saith But thou shalt follow me afterwards alluding to Peters death and tels him in a Riddle what death he should die q.d. as I will go by the Cross to the Father so thou shalt follow me by the Cross Very truly did Christ say Thou canst not follow me now which thee vent of the matter shew'd not long after When poor feeble Peter could not follow his Lord but denied him the third time for fear he should be forced to follow him with the loss of his own life But afterwards he did follow him when he stretched forth his hands and was crucified like a worthy Disciple of his Master But Peter not well weighing what Christ said and too much trusting to his own strength doth reply again Why saith he can I not follow thee now q.d. Dost thou think that I will prove so ingratefull for all thy kindnesses as to desert thee Thou hast chosen me for one of thy Apostles I had a taste of the joyes of heaven upon Mount Tabor I have wrought miracles in thy name indeed what favour hast thou denied me how then can I forsake thee at the greatest pinch of death when my own life shall be never so much in danger Nay I will engage my self and this I promise I love thee so dearly that I will lay down my life for thee I esteem so much of thy love that I value not my own life Indeed Peter thou dost make large promises but thou dost not well understand what thou saist thou hast a good conceit of thy own abilities but art altogether ignorant of thy weakness thou hast not yet tryed nor tasted the force of death if thou hadst thou wouldst not have spoken as thou dost nor wondred why Christ said thou couldst not follow him now I know there are examples enough of such as hazarded their lives for their country or kindred but this proceeded from their carnal affection But if God may be Judge it is not a work of the flesh but of the Spirit to dye for a stranger or to lay down ones life for his enemies Yet such is the property of humane reason that it will not acknowledge its own weakness Peter should have believed what Christ said and not so boldly contradicted him Let it be granted that be did it out of his great affection yet he ought to have believed Christ before himself and have thought with himself thus Surely he knows all things and understands better then I what he saith but what doth Christ reply to this presumptuous confidence
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
life to glorifie that Christ which the Jews contemned c. Here endeth the second Part of our Lords Passion Here beginneth the third Part of the Passion of our Lord. Dearly beloved Brethren I See an earnest desire encreaseth in your to hear more of the Passion of our Lord And there is as fervent a desire kindled in us to treat yet further of the same Subject Although I confess ingennously that your devotion doth deserve such a Preacher who is able and can tell how by the sound of his voyce to pierce so into your souls and so to quicken and rouze ye up as that you may yet stand more strangely amazed at this unparallel'd Fact and suffer all your inward parts to break forth even to a flood of tears Christians should be most of all affected with the Passion and sufferings of our Lord especially seeing all that was done was done for us This we believe for a truth therefore we may well be moved at it God grant that we be not only moved with the Passion of Christ but edified too and also strengthened with patience to undergo the like We have finished two parts already come we now to the third part of Christs Passion to wit from the evening to the night and from the night to that joyfull and happy day of our Redemption For this day will shew us the Judgement of death passed upon the innocent blood yet for our eternal salvation Thus far then we have seen that fulfilled in Christ which he prophesied of by David Many bulls have compassed me strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round Psal 22.12 By these Calves and Bulls which were counted clean creatures are meant the Jews who first fastened upon Christ and were the prime Authors of his sufferings Now you shall hear how that was fulfilled in Christ which David in the same Psalm presently addeth Many dogs compassed me about These dogs were the Gentiles who finished those sufferings of Christ which the Jews had begun You shall bear I say what Christ suffered afterward from the Gentiles Wo unto all High Priests Scribes Priests Pharisees Elders of the Jews c. who sat in this Council and by this Councill delivered up Jesus to the civil Magistrate as one guilty and worthy of death For so saith the Text When the morning was come Mat. 27 1. all the chief Priests and Scribes and the Elders of the people and the whole Council Mar. 15.1 came together Luke 22 66. against Jesus to put him to death And led him into their Council saying Art thou the Christ Tell us And he said unto them if I tell you you will not believe and if I also ask you you will not answer me nor let me go Hereafter shall the son of Man sit on the right hand of the power of God Then said they all Art thou then the Son of God And he said unto them ye say that I am And they said what need we any further witnesses for we our selves have heard of his own mouth And the whole multitude of them arose Luke 23.1 and led Jesus bound from Caiaphas into the Hall of Judgement and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the Governour Matth. 27.2 John 18.28 All these things yet passed in the house of Caiaphas The Council held all night But toward the morning it grew more hot and fierce and they now flock together in swarms For now the news of Christ being taken was noysed all abroad Their rage encreased and the better Christ answered the more outragious were they The more patiently he bore their injuries the more they vexed at him Therefore as soon as it was day-light they consult again what was requisite to be done These prying busie-bodies mist their aym and this Nocturnal and dark Council came short of sufficient evidence to accuse him as guilty of death before Pilate Although there were men and they wise ones too yea enemies yet could they not invent or forge any thing so much as like a crime against the innocency of Christ and his Gospel which they sought to condemn and cut off He confessed that he was the Son of God but that was not a sufficient cause or ground enough to accuse him before a Pagan Judge and an Idolater Therefore they call the Council together again if peradventure they might find out something more certainly whereof to accuse him before the Governour Christ therefore is brought bound again before them that so they might even satiate and glut their wicked cruel and greedy eyes at least by gazing and staring upon his misery For as the affectionate force and strength of love is not satisfied with one glance or look nor contented with one address to its beloved one so the rancour of malice still â—…steth to exercise yet more revenge on him whom it hateth â—…is morning then was not the rising but the setting of the true Light unto the Jews nor did the wonted day break forth before their eyes and shine upon them but a night of black darkness and blindness covered and fell upon them This morning threw down their Temple and Altar cut off their Prophets took from them their Kingdom and Priesthood and turned all their Festivals into an eternal lamentation and wo and that justly too forasmuch at that day they began their barbarous and bloody Counsel like mad dogs and savage beasts that they might deliver the Author of Life and Lord of Glory unto death They press it therefore upon him further and urge him yet once more whether he were the Christ and the Messiah They knew that the Messias was so promised in the Scriptures that he should be the King of Israel which if Christ had confessed then they knew they should have just cause to accuse him for a Traytor and as one that intended to rebell against Caesar Now as this question Whether Jesus was the Christ held in debate all night untill the morning so is it yet canvassed and doth still remain doubtfull with the Jews This is it that is the scruple now and doth most perplex and trouble them viz. who and where the Messias should be and when he should come c. But they Quere to no purpose forasmuch as they would neither believe nor receive this Jesus of Nazareth to be that Messias As for our part we need not question any such thing for we believe and know that he is the true Christ and Messias Matth. 11. Nor do we or ever will we believe any other Matth. 24. Christ therefore when he was asked again makes almost the same answer as he did before except what Luke addeth that he said this more If I tell you you will not believe and if I ask you ye will not answer me nor let me go This wise and well contrived evasion doth sufficiently hint out what wicked Judges were in this Council such as would hear nothing that was just and true and who knew nothing but how to oppress and condemn To what
the thirty pieces of silver to the chief Priests and Elders saying I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood And they said what is that to us see thou to that And he cast down the pieces of silver in the Temple and departed and went and hanged himself And he burst asunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out Act. 1.18 And the chief Prests took the silver pieces and said It is not lawfull for us to put them into the Treasury because it is the price of blood And they took Counsell and bought with those silver pieces the reward of iniquity Act. 1.18 the potters field to bury strangers in And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue Aceldama that is the field of blood unto this day Act. 1.19 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the Prophet saying And they took the thirty pieces of silver the price of him that was valued whom they of the children of Israel did value And gave them for the Potters field as the Lord had appointed me This part of the History is inserted by Matthew that we may first hear the just Judgement of God upon the Traytor before we hear the unrighteous sentence of Pilate against Christ that was betrayed And this miserable man must first dye For he was not worthy to live so long till Christ had dyed for the sins of men There is a two-fold sense of what is said When he saw that he was condemned 1. He either knew by certain signs and conjectures that Christ would now be condemned inasmuch as he was led to the Judgement seat from whence none return acquitted and for that he knew that the malice of the Iews toward him was implacable Or 2. He saw him to be but a damned creature for such an hainous and horrible fact as if he then first began to feel the weight of his sin The Devil will not let them whom he tempted see the hainousness of sin till they have committed it But when the sin is once acted then he will aggravate it and no less endeavour to throw them headlong into despair then he did before hurry them to sin Judas therefore being now sensible of his sin repents himself which repentance Jerome saith was too late and Ambrose saith it was to no purpose For he did not repent according to knowledge saith Origen He did not bewail his sin but his loss This was the repentance of Cain Saul Ahab Esau Wicked men are sorry that they are come into trouble and anguish of mind and if they can once get out of their streights they will make but light of their sin Besides this repentance of Judas was not sound and true for although he acknowledged his sin yet he did not hope or believe in Gods mercy His sin was revealed to him but not the Gospel This is the repentance of them who by the righteous Judgement of God are damned seeing indeed and acknowledging their sin but not daring to beg pardon for the same But true repentance is to judge or condemn and believe Now to judge or make judgement is to acknowledge ones self to be a sinner to condemn rebuke confess and punish or mortifie ones sins but to believe is to trust and relye upon God by Christ that he will not impute the sin but pardon it Thus did David Psalm 32. I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest c. Again Many are the sorrows of the wicked but he that trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compass him about So the Wise man For if we sin we are thine Wisd 15. knowing that we are accounted as thine This Faith in Gods mercy through Christ is most necessary to salvation and the remission of sins For when a man knows that Christ is the true Saviour the pledge of Righteousness the Fountain of Mercy he will hie and betake himself to Him notwithstanding the hugeness and excess of his sins By his knowledge shall he justifie many Isa 53. And again To know thee is perfect Righteousness Wisd 15.3 Therefore if thou art terrified with the remembrance of thy sins thou oughtest not to look upon the greatness of them only but also to consider and have respect to the mercy of God in Christ otherwise with Cain thou wilt cry out full of fear and despair My sin is greater then can be forgiven Gen. 4. Thus David begins his penitential Psalm 51. with remembrance of Divine mercy which makes scarlet sins like snow Isa 1. Judas perished because he had not this repentance nor did he know what it was Peters conversion was a Token of Gods mercy So Judas's damnation was a signal of his wrath God of his goodness grant that the like never happen to any Christian but help us rather to seek for Grace by true Faith and with our whole heart But what doth Judas do more He brought back the thirty pieces of silver c. See here this wicked Judas made restitution of his unjust gain but he was never the better for it because he believed not To shew us that all our good works without Faith are nothing worth in the sight of God The wretched man could not long keep that money which he had sold Christ for for a sign that all those good things which God of his bounteous liberality had formerly bestowed upon the Iews should ere long be taken from them again God had given them the Lands of the Heathens that they might keep his Statutes and observe his Laws Psalm 105. ult and because they did not so he said I will return and take away my corn and my wine Hos 2.9 Judas did not only repent and restore his ill gotten goods but confessed his fault too I have sinned said he in betraying the innocent blood And yet he was nothing the better for his confession and all because he believed not Yet is it of much advantage to us For this one Testimony of it self is sufficient for us against all the blasphemies of the Jews First The Traytor himself excuseth Christ Secondly He that denyed him repented and was converted Thirdly Pilate himself who was the Judge could find no fault in him Fourthly And what is yet more the chief Priests and Scribes themselves could not tell what to say when Judas confessed that Christ was innocent but only reply so as that they did upon the matter yield that what Judas said of Christs innocency was true Say they What is that to us see thou to it Which words of theirs sound as if they began now to doubt what they had done But all the blame they lay on Iudas the Traytor which they would never have done had they known that what he did had been warrantable and just And yet how coldly do they answer when they hear of innocent blood As if they would fain have said If it be righteous blood what
I have suffered many things in a dream this day because of him When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing verse 24. but that rather a tumult was made willing to content the people Mark 15.15 gave sentence that it should be as they required Luke 23.24 He took water and washed his hands before the multitude saying I am innocent of the blood of this just person see ye to it Then answered all the people and said His blood be on us and on our children Then released he Barabbas unto them who for sedition and murder was cast into prison whom they had desired but he delivered Jesus to their will Luke 23.25 When he had scourged him Mat. 27.26 and mocked him ver 31. to be crucified Behold dear Brethren how the Devil prevailed first in Judas then in the Jews and lastly in Pilate also he is greatly importunate to bring the business to an issue but he little thought that he should have the worst of it in the end The Judge then sits upon the Bench ready to Judge him whom God the Father had appointed to be Judge of the quick and of the dead Acts 10.42 And albeit Pilate well knew that all meances were to no purpose and what was this way attempted was but in vain yet because he saw first the implacable malice of the Jews against Jesus and secondly the strange consent of the people and Princes for the ruin of one man withall thirdly seeing Christ himself that although he was harmless indeed innocent yet he was a mean man and of a slender estate and did not much plead for himself but fourthly this stuck much in his stomack that many though falsly accused to Caesar thorow envy and malice were yet much in danger to lose their places and fisthly he thought that he had now done enough and sufficiently endeavoured himself against all the confederates of the whole Nation that had conspired his death and that he had put forth his utmost in defence of the innocency of innocent Christ therefore he now resolved to serve their turn and yield to their hatred So that Pilate was seduced by the Favour and generall Vote and consent of the people the contemp and meanness of Christ and the fear of Caesar He gets upon the Bench again not regarding Law now nor considering that he had so often proclaimed Christ innocent What right Judgement can be expected when the Judges breast lyes open to the passions of hatred covetousness and the fear of man Pilate was afraid lest he should be falsly traduced to Caesar as one that favoured Caesars enemy and for that cause should be thrown out of his Office and place of a Magistrate But what the wicked feareth that doth come upon him For afterwards he was thrown out of his praefectureship and banished as Josephus saith lib. 18. c. 7. and so miserably was he tortured that he killed himself with his own hands and violently cast away his abominable and filthy life as Eusebius witnesseth in his Ecclesiastical History lib. 7. c. 8. Thus the Judgement of the Lord though it tarry a while yet is it not quite taken away But John doth not only describe the Judgement but withall the Tribunal and place of Judgement as also the day and hour that the History might have the greater crrdit both with those that knew the proceedings and with those that were not acquainted with them He expresly nameth the place both in Greek and Hebrew for Lythostrotos the Pavement is a Greek word and Gabbatha is an Hebrew word Yet these two words do not signifie the same thing Lythostrotos is a Causey or Pavement a place pitch'd or laid with stone but Gabbatha is as much as to say a High or Eminent place so called either from the Height and Ascent of it or because a Judge should sit in an high place above the rest in the Court that is he ought to have his mind raised unto God and lifted up to him on high that he may so judge others even as he himself would be judged of God The Day when Christ was sentenced to death John calls it the preparation of the Passover The Day when these things were done was the very Feast of the Passover as we have proved in the entrance to this Discourse And it is called the Preparation because of the Sabbath which alwayes followed in which it was not lawfull for the Jews to dress any meat Exod. 16.23 But in other Feasts they might even on the Feast of the Passover This Day then was both a festival in it self as also a preparation to the following Sabbath wherefore that year it fell out on the sixth day of the week this day therefore was the Iews preparation of the Sabbath But to us it was Parasceve and the preparation of Eternal Life which was prepared for us on that day Most Emphatically therefore doth John so diligently set down and name the day of Christs death 1. To shew that the work of Redemption was compleated upon that day on which the work of Creation was finished and that man was Redeemed the same in which he was made to wit on the sixth day Gen. 1. 2. He doth so punctually describe this day and hour as well in respect of the Resurrection as of the three dayes space in which Christ lay in the grave that the saying of our Lord to the Iews might be found true As Jonas saith he was three dayes and three nights in the belly of the Whale so shall the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth c. Mat. 12. But the Evangelists seem to disagree about the hour of Judgement For Mark saith it was the third hour Iohn saith it was the sixth However there is no contradiction between them although the Ancients have taken great pains to reconcile the Evangelists especially Augustine and Theophylact. The later of whom is of opinion 1. That there was a mistake in the Pen-man putting one letter for another For the Greeks signifie their numbers by letters 2. Augustine speaks of the two-fold crucifying of Christ One by the tongues of the Jews who cryed out Crucifie him The other by the hands of the souldiers one was at the third the other at the sixth hour 3. But this knot may more easily be untyed another way thus Whereas Pilate gave sentence that Christ should be crucified this was about the beginning of the third hour and continued till the sixth so that the crucifying of Christ was begun and ended between the third and sixth hour And because these two hours comprehended the whole business of the Cross therefore Mark nameth one and John another as the beginning and end of the crucifying of Christ In short The crucifying and passing sentence was within three hours to wit the third and the sixth From the sixth there was darkness till the ninth hour when Christ gave up the Ghost Or thus It may be collected out of Mat. 20. that the whole
day was divided into the Morning Third Sixth Ninth and Evening hour Whatever was done between the third and sixth hour is said to be done at the third hour because the sixth was not yet come John therefore doth not say that Christ was adjudged to die at the sixth hour but about the sixth hour signifying that yet it was the third hour as Mark saith it was But the third was almost out and the sixth hour now was at hand Now the Hebrews had a far other Computation of their hours than we English or Germans have For then the sixth hour was about noon Their day had twelve hours and the night as many John 11. But enough of this Let us return to the Court of Judgement When Pilate sate on the Judgement seat the place day and hour aforesaid before he would pronounce sentence he speaks again to the Jews For he was very unwilling to pass sentence of death And therefore he delayed and put it off so long contrary to those who make nothing to shed mans blood Behold your King saith he whom ye have delivered Prisoner to me under that inditement Why are ye so implacably bent against him Look upon him he is whipt buffeted mockt spit on here he stands before you full of derision and reproach Behold your King What hurt hath he done you What harm can he do to you He could not help himself in vain therefore do you fear him If he did say he was a King see now he is brought low enough If he was indeed your King loe he is subjected to Judgement If he fain would be a King Behold what a worthy King he is just such a one as Boyes use to make Nay In this respect he is so much worse in that he hath indured more punishment and reproaches Behold therefore your King What do you see in him What are you resolved to do with him Are ye satisfied with what he hath suffered Will ye desist from your wicked intention lest you unjustly destroy him and consequently incur your own utter ruine See here with what unwillingness Pilate yielded to the rage of the Jews For although they threatened him with Caesars displeasure yet he doth try all means if possibly he might to rescue and deliver the innocent Certainly he was more righteous and just than many in our times who rave against and fall foul on the innocent before they have any command or commission from Caesar so to do But 't is to be observed that Christ had three names and those very eminent and famous too even from unbelievers For First Pilate said before Behold the man Now Secondly he saith Behold your King The Jews Thirdly add Behold be made himself the Son of God These three a Man King God or the Son of God are the most true names of the one only Christ whom his enemies indeed did scoffingly confess but his friends who reverence and truly adore him do seriously acknowledge And in these three names all our faith hope and comfort do consist As it is the costome of envious men to interrupt ones speech when any thing is spoken which they would not hear of willingly as it happened to Paul Acts 22. When he made his defence and gave an account of himself at Jerusalem So the Jews here interrupt Pilates speech crying out Away with him away with him Crucifie him Thus he that did so mercifully visit the children of men he that dealt so gently and sweetly with the weak among them is grievous to them to behold They rest not at once crying Away with him but they cry out twice to shew their greater disdain and indignation against Christ Although this their bawling rebounded on their own bosom For their Saviour was taken from them both in this world and that which is to come When those wretched Caytiffs cryed out to have Christ taken out of their sight they brought this misery upon themselves even to be deprived of their King Prince and Priest Then was fulfilled that of Hosea The Children of Israel shall be many days without a King and without a Prince and without a Sacrifice Hos 3. Again They shall go with their flocks and with their heards to seek the Lord but they shall not find him he hath withdrawn himself from them Hos 5. And that justly too because they cryed Away with the Saviour Crucifie the Propitiator so that they have lost their salvation and have no defence left them Pilate When he heard these unclean dogs bark and these cruel Lions roar a fresh he doth again make mention of their Kingdom Shall I crucifie your King as if he had said What strange men are ye who will needs crucifie your own King It will be a perpetual blot and stain to you He speaks this more in jest than in earnest how be it be doth still endeavour to break their fury with such kind of Ironies or Riddles He did yet tremble to shed innocent blood But the Jews were not in jest this was no matter of mirth to them We have no King say they but Caesar q.d. Why dost thou talk so much of our King to us as if we Jews would have a King of our own We will not be tainted with this suspition We will not have this man either for a King or for Ceasar We are well enough contented with Tiberius Caesar We acknowledge him for our Soveraign and do pay toll and tribute to him as thou Pilate dost very well know Thus ye miserable Jews have denyed your Messias and rejected him and have chosen Caesar in his stead whom yet ye ever hated and have traduced him for a very Edomite or Idumaean Him therefore ye shall have to be your King whether ye will or no and him indeed ye have This our Jesus would never have tyrannized over you with such cruelty as Vespasian and Titus have since done But if ye are so addicted to the Roman Caesar why have ye so often rebelled Why have ye made so many mut nies against him But such was their hatred against Christ Zach. 9. Mat. 21. that out of envy to him they would applaud and commend Caesar whom they did mortally and most of all hate See what malice will do If they might but destroy Christ they would perpetually enslave themselves as if they had said We had rather be vassals to Ceasar than Free-men under this King Well then ye shall be his slaves that you may learn the difference between the service of God and the service of men By these words they cast off both Christ and God both of which are called their King in the Scriptures They say of God The Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King Isa 33.22 And of the Messias the Scripture saith plainly that he should be King Behold thy King cometh to thee meek c. Zach. 9. And again I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a King shall raign and prosper c. Jer. 23. But here they
The Disciples believed because they were incouraged by being promised to sit upon twelve Thrones Mat. 19. Thou never sawest any of all these things Thou hast not read the Scriptures thou hast seen no signs thou hast heard none of the Promises and yet thou believest nay thou dost make glory appear out of infirmity and innocency out of condemnation Have but a little patience thou shalt not stay long without a reward of so great a faith For although thou art now hard by the gates of death and the Ax is cutting down the tree of thy life yet thou art come in good time and seasonably enough There is place yet for pardon the gate of Mercy is not yet shut nay the fountain of Grace and Favour doth now flow more abundantly than it was wont to do Go to Be it unto thee according to thy Faith Faith stopt the womans issue of blood it shall cleanse thee from the contagion of all thy sins Faith freed the Cananitish daughter that was vexed with Devils it shall quit thee of the serpent that lurketh at thy heel deliver thee from the snare of the Hunter and from the expectation of thine enemies whom thou hast served By faith the Lepers were cleansed the blind made to see the sick of the Palsie restored to health thou by this thy faith shalt obtain eternal Glory and the salvation of thy soul By this thy faith thou shalt not with Enoch see the bitterness of death thou shalt he saved from the flood with Neah thou shalt with Abraham receive a place which thou knowest not for an Inheritance thou shalt not with Moses be smitten with the destroying Angel and shalt pass safely through the sea Thou like another Caleb shalt enter into a land flowing with Milk and Hony I Jesus will conduct thee thither It shall be better and more honourable for thee that thou hast hung by my side than if thou hadst sate before Caesar in golden Hangings and in his Ivory Chair Thou shalt have much more Honour and Renown than Augustus himself It shall be more sweet and pleasant to thee to partake with me in my torments than if thou hadst been Monarch and sole King of all the earth For what had it profited thee if the whole world had been subdued under thee for a moment and thy soul tortured with eternal pains and darkness Mat. 16. What good would a little paltry pelf do thee if thou shouldst lie under perpetual torments Verily I say unto thee Verily I say to thee I shall not bring thee into fools Paradise with tempting and inticing allurements rely upon what I say be secure my Word is as much as my Oath But because of the excellency of faith I did heretofore swear to Abraham and the Fathers and I will swear to thee also but much more happily I swear unto these that which I performed many Ages after but what I swear to thee I will presently perform To day To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise This shall be thy Reward To day I say lest long delay become tedious to thy expectation This day is salvation come into thine house Luk. 19. This day will I begin to exalt thee before all Israel that they may know that I am with thee This day shalt thou take the Land of the living which thou hast trampled upon with thy feet for thine eternal possession because thou hast followed the Lord thy God This petition of thine seems but a light Request to those that are without for what is more easie than to remember Thou thinkest that thou hast asked but a small matter but they are great things that thou suest for and such only as none but my faithfull servants pray for even to remember thee in my Kingdom For whom I remember they are not forsaken but whom I forget they are thrown aside out of my hand and do vanish away as the smoak Those on whom I have Mercy I remember them whom I remember on them also I have Mercy They cannot but be blessed whom I remember in my Kingdom So that in this short form of prayer thou hast asked more than thou art aware of for I ever give more than I am desired Wherefore remembring I will remember thee and bless thee Memory Thou shalt be had in everlasting Remembrance and shalt not be afraid of evil Tidings Psalm 112. With me Thou shalt be With me lest at any time thou shouldest slip out of mind mine eyes shall be still upon thee thou shalt be born upon my shoulders I will cover thee with my feathers and thou shalt put thy trust under my Wings Psalm 91. Thou shalt be with me with whom that the Saints might be they desire to be dissolved Thou shalt be with me thou shalt fear none ill for I the Hand of the Lord and as a mighty man of War am with thee Thou shalt be with me free from fear full of joy in peace and safety Thou shalt be with me who am every where and am All in All. Then thou shalt see what and how honourable a thing it is to be with me thou shalt overflow and thy heart shall be enlarged For In Paradise Thou shalt be with me in Paradise Nor shall that flaming Sword or guard of the Cherubins drive thee thence Adam who hid himself out of my sight was justly expelled that Garden Gen. 3. But thou who hast turned to me that I might remember thee shalt mercifully be led thereinto 1. Thou shalt be in Paradise not in the earthy but Heavenly garden of pleasure where thou shalt be enlightened with the inaccessible Rayes of Light which enlighteneth the eyes of Angels cheareth the youthfull minds of the Saints where thou shalt drink of and be filled with the Fountain of Life where thou shalt celebrate the Sabbaths and keep Holy-day in the celestiall Jerusalem in the pure and pleasant beauties of peace Thou art the first that entered that Kingdom prepared for good men before the world began No man shall go into it before thee None had ever so much and so many good things bestowed upon them before Thus they that honour me I will honour them 1 Sam. 2. And thou shalt be for a Sign that all may know from the greatest to the least how Saving how Honourable how fruitfull the Faith of Believers in me is 2. Thou shalt be with me in Paradise and the Kingdom of the Church which this day I erect with my blood 1. That whosoever shall know that thy wickedness is pardoned he may not despair of the forgiveness of his own but that he also may be turned to me that he may seek salvation and find it ask of me that he may receive pardon 2. I say thou shalt be an Example and a Spectacle of my mercy in whom all that are laden with sin shall see that my mercy is greater than mans frowardness so that they will but return to me that I also may
turn to them Zach. 1. 3. That by thee I say they may know that I desire not the death of a sinner but that he should be converted and live Ezek. 18. 4. By thee they shall understand that as long as a man liveth there is no time too late for Repentance 5. They shall understand by thee that I pardon all offences alike both small and great few or many and that my mercies are over all my works 6. By thee they shall know what great joy there is in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth when thou shalt go before ninety and nine just persons and first enter into the kingdom of Heaven Luke 15. All these great Rewards I bestow upon thee as a recompence of thy excellent Faith Verily I say unto thee this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise What great piety What great pitty was in this wâ—… of the Lord How could he but dye joyfully who had so large a promise in his life 1. Sinners may learn from this Word by the Example of the Thief not to despair let none think that the bottomless Sea of mercy can be drawn dry 2. Let Christians here learn to pray not to multiply gain or to find out the old hoorded Gold of Kings not that they may joyn house to house and lay land to land but that Christ would remember them not in an earthy but in his Kingdom 3. We may learn from hence not to conclude any man either blessed or damned before the last day of his life We know not who is worthy of the hatred or love of God inasmuch as we see an Apostle damned and a Thief saved 4. But let none make the Thief an Example to defer his repentance and put it off till the last hour It is a rare thing for Grace to be given to such a one The Thief repented the same hour he was called and was saved The Lord also doth call thee to day this very day do not loyter nor linger follow the Lord lest happily with Esau thou go about weeping-cross seeking a place for repentance and find none Heb. 12. Look to it that thou abuse not this Example of mercy but rather be stirred up to a speedier approach with all thankfulness to the Throne of Grace Of the third Word NOw there stood by the Cross of Jesus John 19 25. his Mother and his Mothers Sister Mary the wife of Cleophas and Mary Magdalen When Iesus therefore saw his Mother and the Disciple standing by whom he loved he saith unto his Mother Woman behold thy Son Then saith he to his Disciple behold thy Mother And from that hour that Disciple took her unto his own home The women follow Christ even to the Cross and stay with him even to the very death Mean while the Apostles shift for themselves and get them out of sight Thus God chuseth the weak things of the world to confound the mighty 1 Cor. 1. Among all the Women that followed Christ the first that is named is the Virgin-mother to whom Christ spake the third Word He had first prayed for them that crucified him and first comforted the Thief not that he did not see his Mother standing by or did not know what great trouble and sorrow she was in but that he might not seem to respect persons or particular affections It was for the sake of sinners that he came into the world and they had most need of him therefore he doth first speak to the Thief But now the third time he turneth him to his Mother that he might not seem to neglect her Now Iohn doth most sweetly describe and set down this third Word with all the circumstances thereof and doth use such words as have truly a very hidden Vertue in them and are so powerfull to resolve and melt the tears of Believers into an Heavenly sweetness that if the most obdurate and hard-hearted man in the world should with dry heart and eyes pass by the reading of this stupendious and amazing Passion of Jesus yet when he cometh to these words in which are recited the standing of that blessed Virgin by the cross of her Son the tender respect and expressions of a dying Son to his Mother his silial recommendation and the separation parting or taking leave of that most Holy Mother and that so loving and dutifull Son one of another he would not be able to refrain weeping For every word here exprest will encrease and heighten his Devotion What need else had there been to have so exactly set down and described both how and where the Virgin Mother stood For 1. The presence of friends is wont to be a refreshing to the afflicted when they are destitute and deprived of some other comforts as Solomon saith Two are better then one because they have a good reward for thair labour For if they fall the one will lift up his fellow Eccl. 4. But this presence of friends here had no such advantage It was a most sad sight both to the Mother that stood by and to the Son that was hanging on the Cross 2. What a strange and new thing is here reported that the Mother of Jesus stood by the Cross For what hast thou O Holy Virgin what hast thou to do with the Cross What fellowship hath a loathsome and despicable place with the Temple of God What agreement is there between a cursed place of butchery and a blessed Armory of Heavenly Ammunition what accord is there between the punishment of Malefactors the Mirrour of Virgin-purity But she did not stand simply by the cross but by the Cross of Jesus who was both her Father and Son at one and the same time her Bridegroom and Lord her child and her God and because he had all these Relations in him and was all these to her therefore she could not forsake him She followed her beloved Son all alone at least accompanied with a very few although the Disciples were fled and the enemies enraged She doth follow I say and see what is done when he could neither help nor comfort her any way but with tears and tender compassion When she had lost him before but for three dayes she went up and down about the Villages near Jerusalem sorrowfully seeking him amongst her Kinsfolk and Acquaintance till she had found him as it is Luke 2. But now she could no longer look for him among his Acquaintance for they all stood afar off from him Therefore she took this motherly counsell with her self and resolved in her heart thus Here will I stand and stay to see the Sentence of death executed upon my dear child I will follow him close at his heels as he goeth out of Jerusalem I will observe and look with weeping eyes whither they lead him I will see how they spoyl him I will seriously mark how they pierce his hands and feet how they fasten him to the gallows how they will toss and mount him up how they will sling and
good but this one man Why therefore hast thou forsaken me Why hast thou exposed me to so many sorrows Do I suffer for this Thief alone O thy wonderfull Love indeed to mankind Thou hast no need of the goods of any creature Thou art most absolute perfect and blessed in thy self How wonderfull therefore is thy goodness by reason whereof thou hast set forth and offered me thy Son to and for all men Psalm 22. Behold I the fairest of men thy Delight the Joy of Angel am become a worm and a very abject of worms for the Salvation of Worms I admire thy wonderfull counsell in Redeeming man I admire thy unspeakable goodness Nor do I less admite that I of my own endeavour should so lovingly so exceedingly beyond measure obey thy commands and offer up my self for unthankfull and disobedient men But so it seemed good unto thee Wherefore if there be yet any more punishment beâ—…d inflict it I willingly accept of it and bid it welcome I acknowledge thee yet to be my God It is my will that thy will be done My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Behold my heart is ready to fulfill all thy commands I am in great pain but the greatness of my love doth far exceed it Yea though thou shouldest yet forsake me more and though they should be yet more ungratefull yet I cannot be separated from the love of thee and them whom thou hast called For who shall separate me from thy Love Shall tribulation or distress But thou hast forsaken me that thou mayest not forsake me thou hast humbled me that thou mayest make me great thou hast cast me off that thou mayest receive me most honourably Thou hast forsaken me and hast left me only this that I may though without comfort flee unto and call upon thee Wherefore let thy chastened Son be pleasing to thee and willingly hear him who doth in his great exercise of affliction send up his roaring cry of charity unto thee My God my God why hast thou forsaken me 1. Now concerning this place we may observe first that this cry Why hast thou forsaken me was not fictitious or feigned but most real and true and not only of the mouth but also of the heart and all the humane force and powers For Christ at this hour had stript himself of God not by casting him away but by not perceiving and feeling him acting the part of a pure man It was truly and overmuch an Humane voyce proceeding from Humane affection so to complain why God should forsake him and why he should suffer wicked men to do so much So David I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked Psalm 73. And Jeremiah Why doth the way of the wicked prosper Jer. 12. And Habbakuk Why dost thou shew me iniquity and cause me to behold grievance for spoiling and violence are before me How long shall I cry and thou wilt not hear Hab. 1. Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and holest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous then he Hab. 1.13 Thus Christ speaks here out of Humane affection And so he did sufficiently shew his true Humanity when he prayed before in the Garden But this miserable cry doth much more clearly shew the same against such Hereticks as should after spring up denying his Humane nature Let none therefore be offended at this complaint which was truly Humane but let every one think with himself that flesh and blood did here truly hang on the cross in the form of a servant Phil. 2. These things are tryed and proved on the cross by death and the pure Humanity But after three dayes you shall see and find much other things when the new and living and chearfull Body shall rise out of the Sepulchre So then it is plain that Christ as he was girt with greatest gladness so he was also compossed with extream sorrow And as he was endowed with the highest Truth so he was beset with the deepest and lowest infirmity and as he spent his life in the greatest peace so he lived also in sorest troubles I say as Christ enjoyed the sweetness of life so he tasted the bitterness of death 2. Observe that that Desertion of Christ is the fear and dread of our conscience for sin which we commit which doth find and feel the Judgement of God and eternal Wrath and is so affected therewith as if it were perpetually forsaken and cast out from the presence of God for ever according to that of David I said in my haste I am cut off from before thine eyes Psalm 31.22 Who can but despair when Judgement is revealed There is none can stand before the Judgement of God or is able to bear it For as the too great Splendor of the Sun will dazle and darken the eyes and loud noyse make one deaf so the Judgement of God is too loud for our mind and heart to endure and too heavy for our humane strength to undergo And therefore it forceth a man to despair because there is no way open to escape as Amos saith They shall not escape he that fleeth of them shall not flee away Though they dig into Hell thence shall my hand take them Amos 9. When the Lord comes thus to Judgement all the creatures obey him and further the Judgement of God to execute all fearfull plagues upon the damned as it is in Joel The Earth shall quake the Heavens shall tremble the Suu and the Moon shall be dark Joel 2. Again In that day the Sun shall go down at noon Amos 8. That is in the day of the Lords Judgement What is more miserable then man so judged of the Lord destitute of the counsel comfort and help of all the creatures and despairing This is the Judgement that all we deserved for our sins Christ therefore the only begotten Son of God did of his meer Mercy without any of our merit cast himself into our case and took that punishment which we had deserved upon his own shoulders Here we see on one hand the common people stand reviling Christ the Priests blaspheming the Thieves cursing the Apostles denying him his Friends forsaking him the Earth moved the Sun darkened in short all horrid things and all the creatures set against him On the other hand we see God also his Adversary and so forsaking him that he cryes out why hast thou forsaken me Which of us would not have despaired in such necessity But Christ took all this upon him that he might overcome our desperation and give us also hope in the like extremity So that this was our voyce or cry who by no means were able to bear the Judgement of God but must have despaired But Christ took that Cry upon himself and overcame our despair that now we may be sure God will never forsake us no though he seem so to do as Christ in that hour seemed to be