unto God without it The Apostle exhorteth us Rom. 12.1 to offer up our bodies a living sacrifice acceptable to God For it is said of Cain That he offered unto the Lord of the fruit of the ground Gen. 4.3 He brought an earthly dead liveless offering and was not accepted But Abel brought of the fat of the flock verse 4. He offered the Firstling of his fold a pure clean lively sacrifice unto which God had respect it was more excellent then his Brothers Heb. 11.4 How came this to pass The Apostle tells us it was by faith The life of faith is in death and by death that liveth when we are dead I am crucified with Christ yet I live and I live in the flesh by the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.20 He had a life in the flesh after he was dead to the flesh Faith indeed shall cease but 't is not till the end of the second life The principal act of faith is exercised in death the death of Christ and is a conforming vertue or power unto the likeness thereof by mortification and offering up of the flesh with the affections and lusts unto death Gal. 5.24 God accepteth nothing but what is done in this faith by this faith in the Son of God John 15.5 Heb. 11.5 27. We read in 1 Sam. 15.9 That Saul spared Agag the King and the best of the spoil but that which was vile and refuse and good for nothing that he and the people utterly dastroyed Saul was an hypocritical Tyrant ambitiously aspiring to a Kingdom and got it God gave a King in his anger He that aimeth at the Scepter is not the best Saint 28. Saul was a right Machiavilian he knew the high way to the Crown When Ephraim spake trembling he exalted himself in Israel Hos 13.1 When he was mean and low in a poor condition and little in his own sight he could bow and cringe flatter fawn upon and comply with the vulgar bemoan and pitty the burdens of the poor people especially the good people of the land he could stand cap in hand to the meanest and like Absolom court them into a good conceit of his Clemency and care of their well-fare assuring them that if it were in his power to remedy it things should not be carried as they are but first he put himself into a souldiers posture 2. Sam. 15.1,2,3,4,5 Now he rode post in the right rode to be the head of the Tribes of Israel Commander in chief over the military Forces 1 Sam. 15.17 yea God himself might so far have his work to do under his proud design as to give him a Call to be King and fight his battles as is plain in the place cited which might confirm him in a good opinion of himself to undertake the Government especially if some musty Prophesies had been raked together and by a Court-Parasite particularly applyed to him 'T is as common for the highest as the meanest to be deluded and mistake or mis-use many passages of Gods Providence But now he is King he grows covetous and self-ended he falls upon the spoil and the prey of the enemy who seemed before to contemn all self-interest and advantage Sam. 15.19 His feigned and forged excuse of reserving it for Gods worship would not serve his turn How faulty then are those who do not so much as pretend any thing for Gods service but openly convert the common loss into their private gain This is that which will involve a Nation in broils and blood 29. But alas How many such Sauls hath the world seen since Sauls time who can part with that which is not worth the keeping but with-hold from God that which he requireth as his due If God call for the heart they bring him the lip and tongue only If God require spirit and Truth they offer in the mountain and at Jerusalem they put him off with complements out-side service formality and a State-Religion Dissembling Pharisees they exact and pay Tithe of Mint and Rue but neglect Judgement Mercy Faith the love of God and their Neighbour Mat. 23.23 When God commandeth the best and fattest to be given him they put him off with the leanest with the fruit of the ground If they pretend to dedicate the best unto God they intend to make their own advantage out of it They may refrain from Extortion Adultery c. but continue proud heady high-minaed covetous c. yet be very devout too fast twice in the week give a small Alms out of their superfluity and ill gotten goods pay Tithes give their Minister his due and applaud him censure all that be contrary-minded to them as prophane c. Isa 65.4,5 Luke 18.11,12 30. Those sacrifices are acceptable to God that are turned into ashes Psalm 20.3 This must be done by fire the heavenly fire of zeal and love which separateth and consumeth the gross body of flesh and turneth and reduceth all into a pure essential and spiritual body out of which ashet is made the savory salt of the heavenly nature which seasoneth all things And therefore the Lord is said to plead with all flesh by fire Isa 66.16 He hath his fire in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem Isa 31.9 with which refining fire he doth purifie the sons of Levi that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in Righteousness Mal. 3.3 Mat. 3.12 No oblation in Righteousness but by fire 't is the fire of the Spirit that consumeth the fuel of the flesh Rom. 8.13 We must pass through water and fire before we can come into the wealthly place Psalm 66.12 Without fire we cannot subsist in the natural life much less can we perform the Actions of the spiritual life without it 31. Under the Law the daily sacrifice was not to cease Num. 28.3,4 and this Oblation was to be made by fire He that causeth this to cease is the He-goat Dan. 9.29 Dan. 8.11,12,13 The vile person Dan. 11.21,31 the Beast the Whore the false Prophet that speaketh lyes in the name of the Lord It is Anti Christ that setteth up a Religion in the world without the Cross Whosoever is zealous toward God without Self-denial Mortification and conformity to the death of Christ his zeal is not according to knowledge which will make him seek to establish his own in stead of Gods Righteousness Rom. 10.2,3 Whosoever rejecteth the Cross can be no true Christian Wherefore think it not strange concerning this fiery tryal also which is to come upon you as though some strange thing happened unto you But rejoyce rather although 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The righteous is not saved without great labour and pains hard strugling and striving sore Combats and Conflicts 1 Pet. 4.12,13,17,18 Make not that way too wide which God hath made strait All must go the narrow way who would enter into life For every one must be salted with fire and every sacrifice must be salted with salt Mar. 9.49 10. Tenthly 32.
ΣΤΑΥΡΟΔΙΔΑΧΗ ΚΑΙ ΣΤΑΥΡΟÎΙΚΗ THE Doctrine Dominion OF THE CROSSE In an Historical Narration and Spiritual Application of the PASSION of IESUS Written first in Latin by John Ferus Publique Preacher in the City of Mentz Now turned into English for the good of this Nation By Henry Pinnell Together with a Preface of the Translator containing the Necessity of knowing and conforming unto the Cross of Christ Short considerations of Predestination Redemption Free-will and Original sin He that serveth in his Generation faithfully answereth the end of his Creation fully and shall never lose the hope of his salvation finally LONDON Printed by Robert White 1659. THE PREFACE Reader THE Transcription of the following Treatise is an Account of some vacant time when I was sequesterd from other imployment The subject matter of it did generally concur and sute with that state and measure of Faith I was then in and being perswaded that it may yet be usefull for them whose growth in the Mysterie of the Cross is not come to that perfection as not to need Counsell and Encouragement therein I have for their sake made it publique And though I cannot minister to the strong yet I would gladly be serviceable to the weak What I have here prefixt agreeable to the nature of the ensuing Discourse is done to satisfie the desire of many friends and in hope to profit others The sum of what I have to say is comprehended in this Proposition viz. That there is a Necessity of knowing and conforming unto the death of Christ 2. There doth not want full and pregnant proof of Scripture to confirm the Truth of this Proposition It is a faithfull saying For if we be dead with him we shall also live with him If we suffer we shall also reign with him If we deny him he also will deny us 2 Tim. 2.11,12 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death c. If we be dead with Christ c. Rom. 6.5,8 Let none dream of Justification unto life or of the new birth which only entereth into the Kingdom of God without the likeness and image of Christ in his humiliation And therefore the Apostle doth not content himself with the knowledge only that Christ died but desires also a conformity to his death Phil. 3.10 A strong curb and smart scourge to all notional and licentious Gospellers The reasons also of this Proposition are weighty and considerable 1. As first 3. We can have no benefit of the life of Christ but by conformity to his death Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be manifest in our body c. 2 Cor. 4.10,11 What need we carry the death dying and marks of the Lord Jesus in our body and mortal flesh if the life of Christ could otherwise or more easily appear The life of a Believer is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 There 's no coming at the full Glory of this life but by breaking thorow death unto it See Rom. 6.3 c. the place before cited The dead men of God are quickned by the dead body of Christ Isa 26.19 No future Resurrection unto life but by an antecedent death in the body Except the grain of Wheat die it abideth alone and is not quickened John 12.24 1 Cor. 15.36 The touch of a dead Prophet revived the body of another dead man 2 King 13.21 Who is this dead Prophet but the true and spiritual Elisha my Lord that saveth the Lord of my salvation my saving Lord Jesus Christ the great Prophet of the most high God who died for our sins and was raised again for our Justification This Elisha this Jesus let us follow not only from Galilee to Jerusalem but from Jerusalem also here below the outward and litteral Service and Worship unto Mount Calvery and from thence to the Sepulchre thither let us hasten with Mary Magdalen aad the two other Disciples and there let us wait we shall have some Angelical invitation to come near and see the place where the Lord lay The Lord is risen and hath left room enough in his grave to receive all that inquire into the Mysterie of his death Into this Sepulchre let us descend by a true operating saith working a conformity in us unto his death Let us touch not the flesh but the bones of this great Elisha Let us not lay bold on the weakness of the mortal nature but upon the Power of his endless life 2. Secondly 4. Without this conformity there is no freedom from sin We must resist unto Blood striving against sin for without blood there is no Remission And that our minds may not be weary nor faint Let us consider him that suffered such contradiction of sinners Heb. 12.3,4 1 John 1.7 Lev. 17.11 Heb. 9.22 The Prophet Ezekiel describeth the Sickness and Remedy of a sinner under the borrowed speech of a new-born Child Ezek. 16. Which place of the Prophet I think is much mistaken by many who understand it of the natural birth and accordingly from thence conclude all Children guilty of original sin in the common acceptation of it which to me seems most improbable For Children by natural as well as spiritual Propagation are an Heritage and Reward of the Lord Gen. 30.2 Psalm 127.3 Acts 17.28 Our very bodily Being Substance and Existence is the Workmanship of God Psalm 119.73 Psalm 139.5,13,16 Now if Children be guilty of sin as soon as they draw breath yea before they be born this would be some stain upon the Work-manship of God according to whose Will and not according to mans it is that Children are propagated Again One of Gods Laws would be broken by observing another Ordinance of his own which would bring confusion upon the orderly works and methodical ways of God For God hath made a Law That the son shall not bear the Iniquity of the Father Ezek. 18.20 Now if Children should be guilty of Adams sia as soon as they be born it would make many religious and consciencious persons be at a stand concerning marriage which is the first and great Ordinance of God for fear lest they should be Instruments to fill the world with sinners rather than with Saints And indeed how can that state be honorable and the bed undefiled if it should produce nothing but such an unclean Off-spring Heb. 13.4 5. I shall only add this Quaere viz Is Marriage an Ordinance of God instituted among other ends for the propagation of Mankind I suppose it granted I ask then Did God ever make and intend such an Ordinance the observation whereof doth unavoidably increase sin in the world If so How is he acquited fram having a hand in mans sin The wicked heart of man hath shifts and evasions to extenuate and excuse his sin Why He is not so much to be blamed 't was his Fathers and Mothers fault rather then his Hominum quoque
discouragements resolving within our selves that if we may but touch this hem of his garment we shall be whole Mat. 9.20,21 Mar. 5.27,28 For doubtless all that do touch it really truly believingly spiritually and indeed are made perfectly whole Mat. 14.36 17. The necessity of descending into this low estate of self-denial Humiliation Mortification and Death is fully and significantly proposed by our blessed Lord and Redeemer John 10. where he saith that he is the door of the sheep The door is the entrance into the house and is placed in the lowest part thereof at the bottom not at the top of the house Christ is our new and living way When Longinus the souldier pierced his side with the spear there was an entrance a door made for us into the holiest that we might go into it with liberty or boldness to be saved and go in and out and find pasture John 10.7,9 chap. 19.34 Hebrews 10.19,20 18. But wo and alas how many spiritual Thieves and Robbers are there now adays in the world How many pass by the door and seek to climb into the sheep-fold some other way There are too many who profess the death of Christ with their tongue but in their deeds deny and make void the same Men can talk much of free Grace and Justification by the death of Christ but continue hypocrites deceitfull proud envious ambitious covetous contentious c. Corruptio optimi pâ—ssima This is to turn the Grace of God into wanttonness and corrupt the best things which is the worst thing of all These are Thieves and Robbers who think to steal into the Sheep-fold of the divine Nature without crucifying the flash with the affections and lusts Such thieves cannot enter into the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.10 For such men rob Christ of the vertue of his sufferings and death and make him die in vain in that they refuse to fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in their flesh Col. 1.24 and deny to bear about in their body the dying of the Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 4.10 Psalm 76.4 But God is of more Honour and Might then the hills of the Robbers more glorious and more excellent then the mountains of prey he will pull down these mighty ones from their seat he will abase these high lofty vain conceited men and exalt the humble and meek Eph 4.28 Wherefore let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labor in Gods Vineyard doing his work and will not slothfull in this great business but fervent in spirit serving the Lord and working out his own salvation with fear and trembling Romans 12.11 Phil. 2.12 5. Fifthly 19. So long as men continue in the old state of their sinfull nature they can have no assurance of the life to come therefore it is necessary that they know and conform to the death of Christ for the crucifying of that which hindreth their assurance When Hezekiah was sick the sign of his recovery was the Suns going back ten degrees 2 King 20.10 This retrogradation of the Firmamental Sun in the Dyal of Ahaz the Jewish Doctors do mystically apply to the Exinanition of the Sun of Righteousness to Christs emptying himself till he became of no reputation whose declination from the height of his fathers glory till he came under the contradiction of sinners against the shame of the Cross they distribute it into ten degrees The first gradual descent towards his abasement was into an Angel for he is the Angel or Messenger of the great Counsel of God who came out of the bosom of the Father to reveal him unto the sons of men and is as willing a Messenger from man to present his desires with much incense unto God John 1.18 Rev. 8 3. His second descent was into the Patriarcks the figures of himself filling them with the Mysterie of himself for he that ascended did also first descend into the lowest parts that he might fill all things The third degree was in giving the Law in which he spake to the Jews and which was disposed by Angels in the hand of a Mediator Fourthly Into Joshua as being the true Joshna or Jesus that leadeth the whole Israel of God into the spiritual land of Promise His fifth descent was seen in the Judges it being he that governed that people by those men who is the great Judge of the quick and the dead before whose Judgement seat all must appear to give an account of things done in the body His sixth in the Kings of the Jews in whom he reigned over that people as the true and rightfull King of the inward and faithfull Jew Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews was his unrepealable title upon the Cross John 19.19,22 Psalm 2.6 He it is that is set as King upon the mount of Gods holiness to reign in Righteousness Isa 32.1 To be Ruler in Israel Mic. 5.2 Who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.16 Seventhly In the Prophets It is he that spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began Luke 1.70 This is the Prophet which Moses said should come up after him whom we ought to hear Deut. 18.15 To fulfill that saying And they shall be all taught of God Isa 54.13 John 6.45 Eighthly In the high Priests for they were all but shadows of whom Christ was the substance read the Epistle to the Hebrews Ninthly In man when he assumed our nature It was for us men and our salvation that the Almighty Word of God leapt down from Heaven like a fierce man of War into the midst of a land of destruction and was incarnate by the holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary and was made flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and pitcht his Tent among us or in us Wisd 18.15,16 John 1.14 Tenthly In his Humiliation unto that ignominious death of the Cross Here was the winter Solstice or shortest day of the year at which time some say Christ was born This is the tenth degree of descent in the Dyal of Ahaz the lowest and utmost declination of thâ— Sun of Righteousness was in his death burial descention into hell 20. What censure soever the eight first Degrees may undergo as Cabalistical conceits is not much material There can be no Dspute about the two last by any that acknowledge Christ to be come in the flesh For he was truly a man in our nature with which nature of ours he harnessed himself like a man of War Exod. 15.3 and fought it out hand to fist in a single Duel with the Devil in which Combate he stood it out unto the death and thereby overcame him that had the power of death to wit the Devil Heb. 2.14 And withal vanquishing death and hell 1 Cor. 15.55 Hos 13.14 Read Col. 2.14,15 Thus he put off his harness of flesh and blood of which he took part with the Children Heb. 2. as well as put it
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
tells us Mat. 5.22 Gen. 4.6 Tit. 1.13 That whosoever is angry with his brother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rashly inconfiderately without a reason shall be in danger of Judgement Why art thou wrath and why is thy countenance fallen Indeed such may be the case that we ought to be highly displeased with our Brother and rebuke him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sharply bitterly as when he doth that which doth any ways hinder the Glory of God or the good of man Thus Christ was sorely displeased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was wroth or had indignation against his own Disciples Mar. 10.14 Get thee behind me Satan said he to Peter a sharp rebuke when he did but unwittingly and out of his respect to his Master too speak that which savoured not of God but tended to hinder the salvation of Mankind Mat. 16.23 But there is a causless anger proceeding from the flesh causing divisions and War 1 Cor. 3.3 Jam 4.1 This cannot be quenched but by crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 When the Apostle had exhorted to be kind and tender-hearted forgiving one another he proposeth a Pattern the following whereof will lead unto the end to which we are exhorted viz. Forgiving one another as God in Christ hath freely forgiven us This he would have us imitate in God as dear Children This forgiveness is by walking in love this love must be conformable to that of Christ to us Eph. 4 32. 5.1,2 There is a gracious Promise Isa 2.4 concerning the coming of Christ that men shall beat their swords into Plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks and the Naâ—ions shall learn War no more When Christ is formed in the hearts of men and they conformed to the heart of Christ we shall see Halcyon days then shall men live in Quietness Love and Peace When the root of Jesse shall stand up for an Ensign then Ephraim shall not envy Judah and Judah shall not vex Ephraim Isaiah 11.10,13 41. Lastly In this knowledge of and conformity unto the death of Christ there is Cornucopia abundance of all things fulness of satisfaction and plenty of all good No good thing will be wanting Psalm 84.11 34.10 Si Christum discis sati est si caetera nescis Si Christum nescis nihil est si caetera discis They that enter into Gods house through this door shall be abundantly satissied with the fatness and goodness thereof Psalm 36.8 65.4 Luke 15.17 John 10.9 All things come with this knowledge of Christ Rom. 8.32 Here is the fatted Calf the paschal Lamb the feast of fat things which the Lord makes unto all people in his holy mountain Isa 25.6 Which mountain may well have respect unto Mount Calvary where our Lord was crucified as the 7th 8th 9th verses of that Chapter seem to intimate for there the Lord feasted all mankind with the riches and sweetness of his love David saith Psalm 17.15 That he should be satisfied when he did awake with Gods likeness God likeness or image is Holiness and Righteousness We must first sleep in Jesus 1 Thes 4.14 by dying with him and then awake unto Righteousness and sin not 1 Cor. 15.34 The Apostle seems to affirm that they have but little knowledge of God who continue in sin It s a great shame and a sign that men are grosly ignorant of the Grace of God and the death of Christ when they shall so audaciously affirm that there is no living without sin so long as we are in the body They deny the first Resurrection in Deed though not in Word They err concerning the Truth and seek to overthrow the faith of some who say that the Resurrection is past already 2 Tim. 2.18 For though Christ be risen as the first fruits from the dead yet the Resurrection is not compleat in the body although it be in the head There 's much of the Harvest to come in when the first fruits are gathered As there are sufferings of Christ behind Col. 1.24 so is there also a Resurrection behind We must suffer too if we will reign with him 2 Tim. 2.12 Great is the Glory that doth follow the sufferings of Christ Luke 24.26 1 Pet. 1.11 When Ruth lay dewn at the feet of Booz it was at an heap of corn and when she arose she was laden therewith Ruth 3.6,7,15 If we humble our selves in conformity to the death of Christ we shall have more then six measures of Barely we shall have an hundred fold here and inherit everlasting life Mat. 19.29 Vnto which blessed state of Rest and Glory God of his infinite Mercy bring us all through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen WHat I have more to say to you in particular my ancient Friends and Acquaintance of * And elsewhere Brinkworth may not seem so pertinent and agreeable to the Subject in hand yet I shall here insert it because I know not whether ever I shall make use of the Press any more hereafter My endeavour is to give you satisfaction concerning those things about which there hath been some disagreement in our Judgements of which I shall give you my understanding and present apprehension very briefly 42. That there is a Prescience and Prevision in the most Holy and only wise God whereby he did and doth fore-know and fore-see from all Eternity all things that are or shall be unto Eternity this I deny not But that there is such an absolute and peremptory Decree in God either according to the Supralapsarian or Sublapsarian opinion reprobating some men irrecoverably and unavoidably to Eternal damnation hating them before they were and necesstating them by vertue of such a Decree to sin after they had a Being unto this I cannot consent 43. For if God had hated any thing before it was be would never have given it a Being as the wise man saith Thou hast Mercy upon all for thou canst do all things and winkest at the sins of men because they should amend for thou lovest all the things that are and abhorrest nothing which thou hast made for never wouldst thou have made any thing if thou hast hated it Wisd 11.23,24 Nor can I believe that there is any impulsion as some say in the Decree of God as a cause or an occasion for man to sin For we must not say that it is through the Lord that we fall away or that he hath caused us to erre for he hath no need of the sinfull man Eccl. 15.11,12 44. These two Texts of those Wise men though Apocryphal prevail more with me then the contrary assertions of all others whatsoever And the Apostle James is positive and clear in this Truth Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evils neither tempteth he any man Jam. 1.13 So that to affirm there is an inherent coercion in the Decree of God necessitating men unto or towards their final Ruine is to impute
3.20 Every one that doth evil hateth the Light The Pharisees could not endure that their righteousness should be condemned and they counted for sinners The Scribes could not bear it to be thought ignorant of the Law As Abel and Joseph were hated of their own brethren for no other cause but because one was righteous and accepted of God and the other better beloved of his Father than the rest so happened it also unto Christ No doubt but they made a fair pretence for this their hatred and malice even a zeal for Gods Law upon which ground Moses commanded that the false Prophets should be killed Deut. 13.5 This they often charged Christ with before but they neither did nor could they prove it yet as if he had been already convicted of that crime they resolve to put him to death because they would be taken for such as sought Gods glory more then others But O wicked Princes seed of Canaan and not of Juda What spirit taught ye to seek the glory of God by killing his only Son For your consultation is not against the Son of Ieseph but against the Son of the great God Your design was to take Jesus of Nazareth by craft and to slay him and it prospered But whom else have you taken and slain but your own Messias that true and great Prophet the Saviour of Israel the King of glory the Prince of life and the best Shepherd whom God of his infinite mercy sent to ye lost sheep Iacob foresaw this your counsel long ago and hated it Simeon saith he Gen. 49.5 and Levi have warlike weapons of wickedness O my soul enter not thou into their secret cursed be their anger for it was fierce Since that ye have had the like consultations more then once against the Apostles of Christ Acts 4.5,6 until the righteous God able to endure you no longer gave you to be destroyed by the Romans But you will say What moved those wretched men to such horrid counsels 1. It was the very Judgement of God by which as they well deserved they were long since given up to a reprobate sense to do those things against Christ which the hand and counsel of the Lord had determined For they were vessels of dishonour 2 Tim. 2.20 2. The Devil himself put them on who from their first taking the business in hand did so much the more rage by how much he saw the glory of God shine forth more brightly 3. There were besides these two other of the worst Counsellors of all Ambition and Covetousness They were afraid they should lose their glory and their gain There are no evils that these mischiefs will not hurry men into as may be seen in Chorah Dathan and Abiron in Absolon in Nebuehodonoser Cyrus Iudas the traytor and in all tyrants and wicked men Thus the sons of men naturally desire great things as glory and riches but herein they are mistaken in that they seek neither true glory nor the true riches nay they seek not those temporal things so as they ought For they that eagerly hunt after honour and wealth do not find them but they that despise them If thou cover true glory seek not the glory of men if thou covet the true riches distribute and spend the false riches upon the poor Mat. 26.5 But they said not on the feast day lest there be an uproar among the people By the feast day they meant that great Sabbath which fell out in the feast of the Passover of this they would have great regard not for the feast sake it self but lest there should be an uproar among the people They did not fear God but the rude rabble And they that durst not eat leavened bread although there was no cause why they should abstain from it yet were not afraid to pollute the feast day by committing murther on it As were the Priests such was the people But here is set down the nature of hypocrites who indeed do many good things but it is only that they may be seen of men and they forbear to do evil but no further then they are afraid to be punished by men They have no respect at all to God Psalm 14. there is no fear of God before their eyes saith the Psalmist Whence we may see Observat 1. That those wicked men were truly the vessels of Gods wrath For as when God will outwardly punish any Nation he giveth them wicked Princes and Magistrates for the peoples sins God setteth up an hypocrite to rule over them So when he will blind a Nation for their ingratitude he suffereth and sendeth evil Pastors such as these were who did spiritually and temporally yea eternally destroy the people Observat 2. Here we may also see that the counsel of God is not hindered but furthered rather by contrary designs For God had determined to glorifie Christ and to exalt him above-every creature Contrarily the Pharisees did endeavour to deprive Christ of his Kingdom and to root his Doctrine out of the hearts of Believers But by how much the more they strove against the counsel of God with their wicked endeavours by so much the more they promoted it for by death Christ entered into his Kingdom and Glory The same was heretofore in Iacobs sons toward their brother Ioseph Briefly 〈◊〉 37. â—…v 21.30 〈◊〉 14.27 there is no strength nor wisdom nor counsel against the Lord. What God hath decreed no man can disanull Hitherto we have heard what the wicked Jews thought on their part In the next place let us hear what good was done on the other part Mat. 26.6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the Leper there came unto him a woman having an Alabaster box of very precious Oyntment and poured it on his head as he sat at meat How happy are we Christians who have the benefit of the whole passion of Christ For as that very bloody Council of the Pharisees fell out for our good so is it for our advantage that that precious Oyntment was poured on the head of Christ In the Council of the Jews there Christ had his enemies on the contrary here are his friends and those that minister unto him Those did dishonour and intend evil against him This woman doth honour and do him good Thus even thus doth the Divine Wisdom ever order it that where we have enemies there also shall we find some friends as Paul saith 2 Cor. 6. Now concerning this History there hath alway been a great dispute among the Antients whether this anoynting be the same with that which John speaketh of John 12. or with that whereof Luke writeth Luke 7. The general opinion is that it is but one woman of which Matthew in chap. 26. and Mark in chap. 14. and Luke chap. 7. and John in his twelfth chapter do write Origen is of another mind in Hom 35. upon Matthew where he alledgeth
to shew that it is easie to know but hard to believe and hardest of all to observe and hold it fast that the servant is not greater than his Lord neither should be In outwards none will presume to go before his Lord or fare better than he But in spiritual things we see it far otherwise Every man coveteth and desireth to be in a better condition than Christ For though Christ was in the form of God yet he humbled himself we that are but wretched creatures run away from humility Christ served us servants we scorn to serve any man or minister to him Christ did good to his enemies we will not to our brethren Christ was obedient and took pains we love our ease Christ patiently bare the reproaches of men though he was the brightness of the Fathers Glory we behave our selves far otherwise Christ the Judge of all men suffered himself to be judged we disdain that any should judge or reprove us Christ entered into his Glory by the Cross and death we think to get thither by luxury and lasciviousness What else do we but prefer our selves before our Lord and covet better things then he enjoyed T is not without cause you see that he doth so oft and so earnestly press this word upon us For First He would have us take our selves for servants And secondly to consider and think upon what he hath done and suffered for us He that doth seriously mind these things will be most forward to all good and most patient under all evil Therefore Christ saith If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them See how earnestly he urgeth the work as if all knowledge were nothing without it Lest the Disciples should say we knew this long agoe that we must be humbled why dost thou teach us that now as if we had not known it before Well saith Christ if ye do know these things t is the better for you but this Knowledge is not attained without obedience I pronounce no man blessed for his knowledge but for his work If ye that have knowledge desire to be happy then do what ye know Ye have seen the very Work in me I also desire to see it in you From this of Christ you see that we have ground according to the Faith to teach and preach good works in the Church against them that are enemies to works For what else can we do but what Christ himself did No Christian that will keep to the words of Christ can condemn us Thou therefore whosoever thou art hold fast the sure Word of God and stir not a jot from it Read Mat. 5. Luke 6. Jam. 1. c. and thou shalt see most plainly that Christ and the Apostles taught good works What have we then to do with the vain boasting of false Gospellers though they have learnt much out of the Gospel and know all the Scriptures when they will not do the least good work Know therefore that the perfection of a Christian doth not consist in knowledge but practice Not the forgetfull hearer but the doer of the work he is blessed in his deed Again Jam. 1. 4. Matth. 7. Psalm 103. To him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin So Christ he that hearech my words and doth them is like a wise man c. His righteousness is unto childrens children to them that keep his Covenant and to those that remember his Commandments to do them As Christ had separated and exempted Judas before from those that were clean Ye are clean saith he but not all so here he excepteth and separateth him from those that are blessed I speak not of you all saith he q.d. I told ye that you should be happy if ye would follow and imitate me But all of ye shall not partake of this happiness There is one of you that hath no part in this word He is so far from helping his fellow servants that he becomes cruel to me his Lord. He will be no Minister but a Thief no imitator but a Traytor not an Apostle but a Devil and this in a word is that most miserable Judas who neither hath Lot here among the pure nor shall have there among the perfect 1. By this word Christ pricks him again if happily he might amend 2. He speaks in general and doth name no man to terrifie them all for at that time they contended for supremacy as we shall see anon Quest But why did Christ say I know whom I have chosen Answ I answer Lest any should think Christ had mistaken in receiving such a one as Judas into the number of the Apostles A twofold Election The Election of God is twofold First to present Grace Secondly to finall Grace To the first Judas was elected to wit to be an Apostle but not to the second he was not elected to happiness If you ask why he was not chosen to blessedness also I answer with Paul Rom. 9. Who art thou O man that answerest God Rom 9. Let it suffice us that we know God is just and disposeth all things wisely Object But some will say why did Christ suffer this wicked man whom he knew to be such a one to tarry so long among the Disciples Solut. Christ answereth that the Scripture might be fulfilled He that eateth bread with me hath lift up his heel against me q.d. Therefore have I with much patience forborn this vessel of wrath fitted for destruction that now that which was determined from the beginning concerning me might be fulfilled without any new purpose intervening but in a direct course as it was foreknown and determined of old This must not be so understood as if Judas were compelled to betray Christ lest the Scriptures should be found false for then he had not been to be blamed but commended and his sin must have lighted on God But because he would do this of his own accord therefore the Holy Spirit foretold it knowing it beforehand The place here quoted is taken out of Psalm 41.9 He hath lift up his heel against me 'T is a proverbial speech For so we use to say when we would shew how greatly we scorn a man The meaning then of the word is He that was most friendly to me who lodged long with me who walked stay'd eat drank slept watched with me as a near and dear friend whom I thought I might well trust yea whom I had loaden with many courtesies he he hath thus requited me as now to become my worst enemy And not content therewith he useth all means to supplant and ruine me This complaint might well be made of Judas for he indeed sought to undermine Christ so that his name might be clean put out Yet Christ expresseth this sin of Judas more favourably than the Psalmist doth for there it is not simply said he hath lift up his heel against me but he hath magnified a supplantation
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
not seen his sorrows before his Death and that by plain and manifest Tokens Yet did he not shew this his sorrow to all the Disciples lest his weakness should offend them more then they could bear Therefore he lets these three only see it who had before beheld his Divinity These could not be so much troubled at it at least they ought not but should rather remember the glory they had seen before Concerning this extraordinary sorrow of the Lord Christ so exactly set down many men have written many things and have variously contended about it but for our part we shall give credit only to the bare words of the Evangelists For no man can affirm that it was more than a humane and natural sorrow which may also befall us in greatest streights and misery For the Humanity which Christ assumed could neither be without such affections nor be believed by the world He had not been a true man if his nature had not trembled at death This sorrow of Christ is by Matthew and Mark exprest by three words The first is sorrow which the Greek cals Lipe whereby the sadness and trouble of the mind is exprest The second is Fear which in the Greek is Thambos The third is most sore Amazement which in Greek is Ademonia To these Luke adds a fourth viz. Agony of which anon Thus those three Disciples saw here a far other thing than what they saw on Mount Tabor For here the Father is not heard to speak Matth. 17. The Light doth not shine from Heaven His Face doth not glitter like the Sun His Rayment is not whiter than snow Moses and Elias talk not with him But as a man altogether destitute of any help he begins to fear to be weary of his life and to be sore troubled greatly bemoaning himself as they who are but meer men use to do when such a dismall storm of trouble hangs over them And this is that which Christ himself foretold Luke 12. I have a baptism to be baptized with and how am I streightened till it be accomplished Therefore now he saith My soul is sorrowfull even unto death A most Heavenly word worthy of all observation For here we see what it is that Paul saith Who being in the form Phil. 2. that is in the Wisdom Power Majesty glory of God he made himself of no reputation How could he more deeply a base and humble himself than to be made like unto us in all things Gal. 3. yea to be made a curse for us The fear of death is the fruit of infidelity and sin and a part of the first malediction For although Christ was altogether without sin yet he transfer'd the wages of sin upon him not that we should never have a sense thereof but that he might overcome and triumph over the same and that he might teach us how to be able in him to overcome all evil by Faith He was tempted like us yet without sin Heb. 4. that he might be able to have compassion on us So that as often as we are beset with the fear of Death or any other affliction we may safely say Behold God is our salvation we will trust Isa 12.3 and not be afraid for the Lord Jehovah is our strength and song he is our salvation In that he saith my soul is sorrowfull unto death this may be understood two wayes 1. First extensively in that this sorrow and anxiety continued even till the separation of the soul from the body 2. Secondly Intensively because it was as great as was possible to be in a living man or than which never any man had greater in this life And no wonder that his sorrow was so great seeing there were more than one and they very great causes of this his sorrow For 1. He was sorrowfull and sore troubled yet according to humane nature or rather sensibility because he saw his near approaching Passion as it were before his eyes with all the shame and bitterness thereof 2. He was sore troubled and sorrowfull for the sins of all men past present and to come all which he took upon himself The Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all Isa 53. 3. He was sad for the sins and unthankfulness of Judas and the Jews whose life glory and salvation was in danger 4. He was troubled for the fall and scattering of his Disciples and other friends and most for the desolate state of his holy Mother 5. Lastly He was sorrowfull for the ingratitude that would be found in Christians in time to come He saw that his Passion would be unprofitable to many men He saw also that many Christians would forget him as one dead in their hearts and quite out of mind and that very few would be thankfull to him for so great a benefit Psalm 109. but rather with a base requitall would render him evil for his good See what great cause he had to be sorrowfull Well then might he say My soul is sorrowfull unto death This is that which he foretold by David long since My bones are vexed Psalm 6. Psalm 55. my soul also is sore vexed Again Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me and horrour hath overwhelmed me my heart is sore pained within me and the terrours of death are fallen upon me See what fit Plaisters Christ doth apply to our wounds Sin is born in the heart lust bringeth forth sin and brought up in act James 1. and so finished So Christ was first inwardly sorrowfull and then outwardly that he might totally take away all sin and make full satisfaction for us What then doth Christ do in this his streight Why just like those that are suddenly surpriz'd with some great amazement he desireth those three Disciples to tarry with him and watch and pray in which words he doth variously express our infirmities Those that are in misery think it no small comfort to have a friend to whom they may be bold to complain of their misery Again It is a comfort to those that are astonished and afflicted if others will but stay and stand by them It is the greatest trouble to be left alone in trouble This affection Christ here expresseth Heb. 2. See into what a low condition the Son of God humbled himself and how he would be like unto us his brethren in all things Nevertheless although he chargeth them to watch and stand by him yet he doth not neglect to pray for aid also from Heaven to shew that vain is the wisdom of the flesh and that all carnal assistance is nothing worth if God be absent Therefore he went from them to pray and commanded them to pray also who doubtless could not but hear the dolefull and affectionate cry of his Prayers though they were at some distance from him So that here he taught us both by his Word and Example what to do in times of Temptation even to have
when the senses are darkened the understanding strangled Faith staggereth the memory is lost prayer omitted godliness cast off dangers sleighted and no care to avoid the Judgement to come This is truly a most pernitious and dangerous sleep of which Paul saith Rom. 13. It is now high time to awake out of sleep Again Eph. 5. Awake thou that sleepest Christ therefore doth now mock and deride them with a sharp taunt or ironie whose drowsiness he had hitherto reprehended in vain Sleep on now saith he and take your rest As if he had said yee have chosen a very fit time and place indeed to sleep and take your rest Sleep soundly and sweetly especially seeing ye are so safe and secure I could not prevail with yee to watch a little with me Go to therefore satisfie your sense and lust Sleep on See how long yee will lye quiet What I could not obtain at your hands the business it self or the present danger will force you to c. A cutting jeer indeed of which the Wisdom of God speaketh to those that contemn him I have called but yee refused I also will mock at your destruction Prov. 1. c. But after this Ironic Christ comes to speak more seriously to them It is enough saith he yee have slept long enough already yee have loytered too long We have none but enemies about us every where and do yee yet sleep it out Do yee not see or regard what is come upon us Did not I sufficiently warn yee of all this before And now yee see it is fallen out just as I told yee The hour is come I must now suffer The hands of sinfull men are armed against me The Traytor of whom I spake ere now is hard by Rise therefore let us go meet them lest they should say that we are afraid or run away from them c. Here we are put in mind not to think of Death as a terrible or fearfull thing For being all baptized into the death of Christ Rom. 6. certainly by that death of Christ our death will be unto us but a passage unto life and therefore may rather be called life than death For he that believeth in me saith Christ John 11. shall not dye for ever The Philosophers opinion of death exploded Therefore let that opinion of the Philosophers be for ever banisht from the ears and minds of Christians which affirmeth that death is the most terrible of all terrible things But grant it that it is true of the wicked to whom death is truly terrible yet to a Christian there is nothing more pleasant and desirable than death whereby he is freed from all evil and inseparably united to Christ his Lord. Phil 1. Psalm 119. Hence it is that Paul desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ Another holy man complaineth that his Pilgrimage was too long here Psalm 120.5 Thus much for those things which Christ suffered in himself for before he was outwardly tortured Christ endured much sorrow and pain and that of his own accord that so he might apply a full Remedy for those sins which we commit in our heart and thoughts For which let us also be grieved with our Lord and bewail them giving thanks to our Redeemer And withall let us behold and hearken to these things which yet remain to be spoken and prepare our selves with all devotion thereunto For thus it follows in the History And immediatly while he yet spake le Judas one of the twelve Mat. 26.47 Mar. 14.43 Luke 22.47 John 18.3 having received a band of men and Officers from the chief Priests and Pharisees and Elders and Scribes going before a great multitude came thither with Lanthorns and Torches with Swords and with Staves and with Weapons for Judas knew the place And he that betrayed him had given them a common sign saying whomsoever I shall kiss that same is he hold him fast and lead him away safely Give attention Brethren let it not be irksome to you to hear those wonderfull things that were done concerning our Lord and Saviour Prepare your hearts with all readiness It will be for your advantage as in due time ye shall willingly acknowledge We have heard of the pro-Passion already or what skirmishes Christ met with beforehand Now we draw nearer to the main Battalia While Christ yet spake to his Disciples 1. Behold a company of armed men rusht in upon them as if they had been going out to war when indeed there was no need of such warlike preparations 2. A band of men cohors is a military word and contains certain select and choyce Souldiers This was not a band of Jewish Souldiers but of Caesars which perhaps were sent from the President to gratifie the Jews in this business or else were hired for this service by the Jews themselves who promised them payment that so they might do what they intended under colour of the civil or ordinary Power and so none seeing the Romane Souldiers might dare to oppose them 3. The Magistrates of the Temple also were among that band of Souldiers whose place was to look to the repairing of the Temple and to get those things that were necessary thereunto 4. That this battel-array might be made more considerable the Officers of the Priests and Pharisees joyn themselves to it who having nothing else to do fill'd up the number and served to incense others 5. There were some of the high Priests themselves there present as appeareth by Luke chap. 22. 6. The Elders also of the people were there For none of them that hated Christ would be absent 7. They that had not other weapons took up clubs and staves as the unruly and frantick vulgar sort of people use to do in such like seditions whose fury will quickly help them to one sort of weapon or other 8. They come also with Lanthorns and Torches both because of the darkness of the night and because Christ should not hide himself from them 9. When these were thus armed Judas Iscariot goeth before them not as a Captain of Souldiers but as a Traytor of his Lord who a little while since was one among the twelve but now is one out of the twelve or none of the twelve Apostles For he had now got him more Masters than one In this place let us consider both viz. Judas and the Jews 1. Many things are to be taken notice of in Judas But above all his miserable Apostacy as one who of a Disciple became a Traytor of a companion of Christ a Captain of Thieves And he that even now supt at the same Table with Christ who did eat of his hallowed bread with the rest who heard Christ exhorting to godliness both by word and work but now slinking from that Table he joyned himself with ungodly men for a little pelf not remembring the Piety of Christ and forgetfull of all hope not regarding
to some but you see here that it is the Power of God indeed As the Jews were struck to the ground with a word so neither sin death nor the Devil shall be able to stand before the Word of God Ephes 6. Whence it is that Paul calls it the sword of the Spirit 3. Here also we see that all worldly power can do nothing against God The Lord that dwelleth in Heaven shall have them in derision The Jews could not take this Jesus of Nazareth before he himself pleased although they had brought a greater Army than ever Alexander or Xerxes or Hanniball had Thus doth God to this day often confound those that trust in their own strength 4. Again Here we see that one and the same Word is consolation to the godly but condemnation to the ungodly Christ in other places did often comfort his fearfull Apostles with this Word Mat. 14. Luke 24. Ego sum It is I. Indeed the godly can hear nothing more sweet then when Christ saith I am he This Word doth make all crosses comfortable to them But it is and will be a fearfull clap of Thunder to the wicked when Christ shall say I am he He whom ye have pierced whom ye have scorned c. As Joseph heretofore was a most sharp Sword to his Brethren Gen. 45. when he said I am Joseph whom yee sold into Aegypt c. 5. Lastly The nature of ungodly men is here lively set forth 1. First That by which they should be made better by it they become worse this is to go backward To go back is to depart from God and his Righteousness 2. Secondly They fall for they are not able to stand before Gods Judgement 3. Again Wicked men fall continually till they fall into Hell 4. They fall backward for they see not whether they fall nor where they lie nor how to rise again 5. They see not what punishment they are liable unto 6. Lastly They never acknowledge their sin so as to turn from it But the godly though they fall yet they fall forward they presently confess their sin and forsake it If they fall on the right hand through prosperity or on the left hand by adversity yet they quickly get up again neither do they so fall as to fall finally away from God See how true that saying is Malice is often confounded but never conquered Psal 74. The tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually Their suddain ruin should have warned those wicked men not to attempt any thing further against Jesus of Nazareth for as much as they were once already confounded by him He asked them again the second time Whom seek ye that the greatness of their Impiety might be made manifest who being so remarkably admonished did yet persist in their malice For they answer as malapertly as at first that they sought Jesus of Nazareth as if they would never be quiet till they had vented their hatred though it should cost them dearer yet Rom. 2. Eccle. 7.13 Thus the wicked treasure up wrath against the day of wrath Who can make that streight which God hath made crooked Although these ungodly men were sensible of Christs divine Power in them Rom. 1. yet they glorified him not as God but reproached him the more Just as most in the world still do they are convinced by the Truth of God but nothing at all reformed But what doth Christ answer to this stubborn envy of the Jews I have told you saith he that I am he q.d. I have told you and you have tried it that I am a Prince of Power Therefore if ye still seek me and have yet no remorse since ye were laid level with the earth lo here I am ready to suffer but ye must not forget that I told you I am He. By which saying Christ set himself in our stead patiently to bear whatsoever divine Justice should exact for our sins Mean while he doth put forth his Power again saying If ye seek me let these go their way whereby he doth powerfully prohibit them to do his Disciples any wrong otherwise the Apostles had not scap'd harmless if the fury of their foes had not been checkt by the power of this Precept Christ by the same Power might have said Let me be gone but it behooved him to suffer There was nothing but this word of Christ Let these go their way that saved the Disciples harmless in that tumult So likewise doth he chuse and preserve us although we regard or mind it not He did powerfully preserve his Disciples which makes for our comfort knowing the strength of the Lords hand He would not have them die with him First John 15. It was not expedient that they should die at that time because if they had died when they denyed him they had been damned Secondly They were chosen to bring forth fruit but if they had dyed now their Calling had been cut off Thirdly He would not have them die with him for this reason especially lest we should think that his death alone had not been sufficient He would therefore die by himself alone that he alone might he acknowledged to be our Saviour He trode the Wine-press alone Isa 63. and of the Nations there was not a man with him Hence saith Moses The Lord alone did lead them and there was no strange God with him Deut. 32. It was he that redeemed us and not we our selves But above all the Energie or force of Charity is here set forth unto us which as Paul saith Is patient 1 Cor. 13. heareth all wrongs of ones Neighbour seeketh not her own and had rather endure all things it self then that its Neighbour should suffer any thing If you seek me saith he let these go their way This is the true care that we should have of our Neighbour to be mindfull of him and as much as in us lyeth to seek his good even with some damage to our selves This care David had of his Neighbour Sam 24. when he saith These sheep what have they done Turn thy hand I pray thee against me and my Fathers house for I am he that have sinned From this care of his Neighbours it was that Paul wished himself accursed for his Brethren Rom. 9.3 And Moses to be blotted out of the Book of God Exod. 33. Therefore let that thred-bare Proverb be for ever banished from the ears and hearts of Christians which saith It is a comfort to have companions in calamity When the men of this world are in misery they could wish that all others were in the same condition True charity is not grieved more than to see its Neighbour in the like affliction In the close of this passage John sheweth another cause why Christ would not have the Disciples die with him viz. that the saying which he spake might be fulfilled John 17. Of them which thou
humane Power but the protection thereof is to be committed to God So saith Paul The weapons of our war fare are not carnal but spiritual c. Thus Christ never used any sword nor do we read that the Apostles did ever wear any They taught the Word the Word fought with its own force and the Apostles got the victory So saith Christ in Luke Luke 21. I will give a mouth and wisdom which none of your Adversaries shall be able to resist 5. Lastly Christ doth here by this word in special forbid the Apostles to use any outward sword Ephes 6. They have and should have the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Thus Isaiah foretold that the Apostles fighting should be as in the day of Midian that is Isa 9. as Gideon overcame the Med anites not with weapons but Trumpets and dashing of pitchers so the Apostles should spiritually subject all the world to Christ by the Trumpet of Gods Word and the patient enduring of suffering These are the reasons why Christ forbiddeth Peter The chiefest whereof is this He that taketh the Sword shall perish with the Sword For he that sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed Gen. 9. So was it commanded in the Law Levit. 24. Christ plainly here intimateth that it is not lawfull for any but the Magistrate to use the Sword Hence we may easily gather how far a zeal of godliness may proceed It is lawful to relieve the oppressed to protect a just cause but yet no farther then thy calling will bear thee out Art thou a Magistrate know that thou art the Minister of God to execute Vengeance on him that doth evil But if thou art a private person then admonish rebuke reprove yet without reviling But if thou hast not the authority of the Magistrate thou must not usurp the Sword for Christ or a good cause Christ and a just cause hath no need to be defended by thy private Sword Christ is strong enough of himself and so is Righteousness There Christ addeth Thinkest thou not that I could pray my Father and he would send me more than twelve Legions of Angels as if he had said if I had been to fight and not to suffer I would not have called you twelve to my assistance I knew where to have had other guess help then ye even Angels and Principalities and Heavenly Powers of which I could have gotten a huge multitude for a words speaking for they are ready at my beck and pleasure I tell ye I could have at least a whole Legion of Angels instead of every one of you and that in the twinkling of an eye And what could all the Jews have done against one Legion of Angels Nay one Angel could have slew them all as he did heretofore witness the great Host of Senacherib 2 King â—… Matth. 24. We read also in Daniel chap. 10. of the strength of Angels With such Warriers Christ will come to judgement Whom if he would he might now have had ready to serve him Hereby shewing that Righteousness Truth or a just cause have no need to be defended by the Sword of private men For they have more then twelve Legions of Angels standing on their side to take their part yea they have the whole Heavenly Host and God also on their part so that they cannot be crusht though for a time they seem to be opprest Hence saith David I know O Lord that thy Judgements are true Psalm 119. Again Thou hast loved Righteousness and hated iniquity Psalm 45. Christ afterward teacheth us in what manner we may be able to bear the wrong and violence which our enemies do to us We shall never bear the least in jury with a quiet mind if we look only on the wrong that is done us or on our Adversaries that do it Therefore Christ directeth Peter to consider Gods Will and Pleasure Wilt thou not saith he that I drink of the cup which my Father hath given me He cals his Passion a cup. 1. Because the Scripture is wont so to speak as was shewed before in the first Prayer of Christ 2. To shew that death was sweet to him and very desirable for the Salvation of man as a thirsty man diesireth beer and drinks it with delight 3. To shew that the greatest afflictions in this world are nothing but as it were one draught and presently they are gone Christ doth not only say wilt not thou that I drink of the cup but addeth this which my Father hath given me Nor doth he speak this doubtingly Perhaps God the Father hath given this cup it may be God would that I should suffer but he speaks it positively my Father hath given me this cup. Now if it be certain that the Father hath given it who shall gainsay it We must not struggle or oppose but readily obey when we know it to be the Will of God He doth not say simply God or a Judge gave it but the Father to teach us that God is a Father even when he scourgeth 1. Christ therefore here instructeth us that he did not suffer at the pleasure of men but by the command of God his Father 2. Secondly He sheweth that he was not rebellious against God but was obedient to his Father in the greatest sufferings even to death 3. Thirdly He teacheth us in our adversity not to regard men or Devils that do what mischief they can to us but to look to God who suffers them so to do as Christ here did So said Job The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away c. Job 1. So David Let him curse me said he perhaps God hath bid him curse David 2 Sam. 16. But there is an Emphasis in that which Christ saith Wilt thou not that I drink it Wilt not thou who art but a man a creature a servant yield to what God the Creator the Lord will have done The Father hath fill'd this cup for me and fill'd it to the brim and I am not afraid to drink it off though it benever so bitter I will drink it to the bottom neither thou nor any other creature shall hinder me This cup is provided for me and for none else for no man but I is able to drink it who then should drink it if I do not If I do not drink this cup all men will perish with an eternal thirst But if I drink this cup though it be a bitter one yet it will queach all your thirst So that for this reason also he calleth his Passion a cup because all drink of it not only in that we suffer with him and after him but also because we have all our comfort from it As therefore Christ resused not to drink his cup but blamed Peter for disswading him from it so let us do also We must not endure or hearken to him that draweth us from our obedience to the commands of God though in his words
he seem to extoll godliness But if he be a subject he is to be rebuked if an equal he is not to be born with if he be a Superiour he must not be feared We ought to obey God rather than men Christ yet hath another reason to deter Peter from his over-hasty and rash enterprize How saith he shall the Scriptures be fulfilled if thou thinkest to go this way to work and chase away the cross with thy sword Was not my Passion very often foretold especially in Psalm 22. Isa 53. So the Passion of the Elect is prophesied of Zach. 13. How then shall these Scriptures be fulfilled if we avoid the cross and passion and slip our necks out of this collar For thus it ought to be done So hath the Father decreed Thus it behooved Christ to suffer and so to enter into his glory Luke 24. So ye also through many Tribulations must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Acts 14. Therefore put up thy sword into the sheath You see here how effectually Christ instructeth Peter and in him all us to be patient In the close of this passage Luke saith that Christ took the servant healed him and restored his ear again Christ never forgets his goodness In his deepest abasement he would sometimes glance out some beams of the Godhead For it was the finger of God that did this and all other Miracles And this Token this Grace this Favour this courtesie he did shew to him that was his professed enemy that sought his death and who as Christ well knew would persist in his malice after he had this kindness shewed to him Here O Christian see here that what our Lord Jesus Christ commanded us he first did it himself here I say thou hast an Example to love thine enemy Love your enemies do good to them that hate you c. Mat. 5. Who ever fulfill'd this command more perfectly than Christ For here you see how that he cured their wounds who sought his death and did accomplish it Go and do thou likewise Hitherto we have heard how that Christ ran to meet his Adversaries And how those his Adversaries were fenced with a multitude with Power and with Arms cap-a pe But Christ had very few with him and they indeed instructed in War but not with corporal Weapons he rather disarmed them of those weapons and went out harnessed against Judas only with love and patience and against Malchus with bounty and courtesie How unequal were their weapons which party shall we close with Naturally we are inclined to that party that is most numerous and best fortified with arms and power let the quarrel be never so bad Contrariwise let the cause be never so good we stick not to it if the powers be not for it Which hath the better on 't a just cause without arms or an unjust cause with all accoutrements of War Indeed wicked men for the present seem to have the upper hand But the time will come when the Saints shall win the day however they seem yet to have the worst end of the staff although if men could rightly discern it the Saints at present have the strongest side True the ungodly wear the garland but t is by the sword rustling and clamour If this be to bear away the bell who more stout than cutters and high-way men But the godly prevail both by their cause and the truth of their cause He is the valiantest man that conquers by his cause not by his clashing The Jews overcome by their sword but Christ by his cause So Cain conquered by his sword and Abel by his sacrifice Gen. 4. It matters not whose sword but whose cause keeps the field He that would get the better of his Adversary let him be sure his cause be just Then Jesus said unto the chief Priests Luke 22.52 and Captains of the Temple and the Elders which were come to him Be ye come out as against a Thief with Swords and Staves to take me When I was daily with you in the Temple ye stretched forth no hands against me But this is your hour and the power of darkness Mat. 26.56 That the Scriptures might be fulfilled See here the power of Christ in the midst of his abasement For 1. Though they did rave and rage never so much after Judas had kissed him after he had thrown them on their back after Christ had confessed himself to be He whom they lookt for yet they could not lay hands on him that the saying of Isaias might be true Is 53.7 He was offered because he was willing Oblatus est quia ipse voluit saith the Vulg. Lat. as if it had been said whereas he was to be offered for us it was not for want of power in him to resist or from the power of them that rusht upon him but it was of his own accord 2. Observe here the great blindness of the Jews who plainly seeing that they could do nothing but what and when he pleased yet for all that they continued as wicked as before Well therefore did Isaias foretell The heart of this people is gross Isa 6. 3. See also how they thirsted after Christs blood in that they were not satisfied to send their servants and that a great many of them but their chief men must go out along with them For the Text plainly affirms that the chief Priests and Rulers of the temple and the Elders i.e. some of these went together with Judas even that very night when they should have eaten the Paschal Lamb. So forgetful were they of all Religion that they thought of nothing but killing of Christ After the literal sense they therefore went out with Judas first lest the Traytor should deceive them for they durst not trust him Secondly To back on the Traytor and make him the more bold being propt up by their presence and Authority Thirdly That the servants might be more forward and diligent to that cruelty when their Masters were present Lastly Lest if any of the common people should take part with Christ they might desist when they saw the Magistrates there See how prudent the children of this world are to promote their designs But what doth Christ do He derides their Enterprise with most pithy words Are ye come forth as against a thief q.d. What famous Warriours are ye What need had ye to make such a stir Where are your enemies Where are those thieves against whom you make such War-like preparations Were ye afraid lest I should have a great company of Believers about me ye need not so much fear it Truly I am not your enemy nor am I a thief or a robber Nor have I any of the people or arms with me so that one of you had been enough to have taken me you see I come to you of my own accord and do as it were deliver my self into your hands If this were your intention if this were your purpose why did ye not take
factious people for such do truly live among Lions and Scorpions But a man had need of great patience to stand it out against such Scoffers and Scorners in as much as a scoff and a jeer will many times trouble a wise man more than a cuff on the ear or a blow with a Cudgel 2. They did not only mock Christ with words but withall they put him on a gay and gaudy suit to make a laughing-stock of him This cloaths was trim'd after such a fashion that all that saw him might flock about him and that wheresoever they led Christ they might ask What fool is that 'T is a sign of infinite contempt and scorn to make such a mocking stock of any man Here then O Christian consider who it is that was so shamefully contemned and so basely scorned and all this for thy sake See what a fools coat they put upon him behold what unworthy affronts and affronting indignity is offered to the Son of God The very Elements themselves would never have put up this wrong of their Creator nor let it pass without revenge if God for our salvation had not otherwise so ordained and with-held them But neither Herod nor his Officers shall ever do any such thing to the person of Christ any more For death and hell it self hath long since forbad them so to do Christ indeed wore that white Garment of our eternal salvation though it was a sport and a jesting matter to the Jews and Herods companions For this white Rayment was a Token of his unspotted Passion and that Jesus was that Lamb of God without blemish which should gloriously take away the sins of the world John 1. Mean while let us learn so to live here even as Christ lived who had rather be despised by wicked men then to be commended by fawning Flatterers Do thou so likewise Nothing doth so corrupt the minds of men as Flattery A Parasites tongue doth more mischief than a Persecutors sword When Herod had thus mocked and abused Christ he sends him back again to Pilate He was truly the most miserable of all men who when Christ was offered to him he thrust him and shut him out of doors he had been most happy if he had kept Christ when he was freely tendred to him But the world esteems nothing more vile than Christ though there is nothing more excellent then he For in him are hid all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge Col. 2. In him dwels the God-head bodily in him is eternal life which that wretched man banisht from him when he returned Christ back again unto Pilate Thus Christ is again brought back a prisoner not only a prisoner but basely abused with which abuse they having made themselves somewhat merry they spue up their rage miserably tormented him as they haled him along What heart can imagine how our meekest Saviour was tyred out with these torturing and injurious delaies and draggings We read once That he was weary of his journey John 4. How much more may we suppose was he now tyred when he could not go at liberty but was drawn along in fetters and chains by wicked men and that all the night and day without any rest allowed him He was baled and pul'd out of the Garden to Annas from him to Caiaphas And after he was vext and disquieted there all night with boxings and buffetings and spittings and other abuses assoon as it was light he was carried before the Council from the Council to Pilate from him to Herod and again in a hurly burly he was sent back from Herod to Pilate And he was hurried and posted away in all haste for they were insatiably thirsty after his blood and one pulling another thrusting him 't is to be supposed that our Lord had many a sore fall because his hands being bound he was not able to save himself See then how much he endured for his own innocency and our guilt For if we had not sinned he had not suffered and if he had not been guiltless those guilty men had not been so inraged against him He was altogether unlike them and therefore grievous to them to behold Wis 2. And by how much the more they feared he might be set at liberty by so much were they more vehemently incensed against him They were obstinately resolved to put him to a most shame full death which resolution could no way be more strengthened than by delay and doubting and nothing but affection could any way abate it And as the Lord Jesus by how much the nearer he drew to his death and greater sufferings from the beginning of his Passion and the more his Passion was prolonged so much the more meekness and patience he discovered For when he was first laid hands on he was more rigid when he hurl'd them on the ground by the Word of Truth he was less severe before Annas more mild before Pilate and upon the Cross he prayed for his Persecutors with many a tear So on the contrary by how much the greater punishments the Jews tormented him by so much the more they were imbitter'd against him The pride of them that hate thee ascendeth continually Psalm 74. ult But all this while Christ never thought of revenge but of our misery For he saw that he did not suffer these things for his own necessity but for love of us He considered our sins and out of his greatest charity willingly underwent whatsoever they imposed upon him only that he might redeem us And therefore he is more thoughtfull to destroy our sins then he is to escape his own suffering These things are well to be considered for truly it is a worthy just equal and comfortable thing for us always and in all places to give him thanks who would be so led up and down for us that he might lead us into the way and make satisfaction for our sins But see what follows Herod and Pilate were reconciled c. The ground of their quarrel was about their Power which of them should be greatest or rather because Pilate slew some Galileans which were under Herods Power and Jurisdiction Luk. 13.1 This grudge continued till Christ removed it by being sent a Prisoner up and down between them It was a most acceptable thing to Herod that Pilate should send Christ prisoner to him Now all anger was laid aside and forgotten So easily do these wicked men agree and become friends in the killing of Christ whom otherwise no Vertue no Justice could strike a League between or reconcile them Wicked men are sometimes at strife and variance among themselves But in this they all agree to persecute Christ As concerning Christ Herod and Pilate yea Jews Gentiles Turks Hereticks they are all unanimous however they differ never so much otherwise among themselves Here then that of David is fulfilled Why do the Heathenrage saith he and the people imagine a vain thing The Kings of the earth set themselves and the Princes take
Counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed Psalm 2. The Gentiles did rage indeed like bruit beasts for they knew not what they did The people to wit the Jews imagined vanity They laid their heads together as it is written Psalm 109. They compassed me about with words of hatred the Kings that is Pilate and Herod Hence the Apostles composed their mournfull prayer Of a truth Lord say they against thy holy child Jesus both Herod and Pontius Pilate with Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together c. Acts 4. To this may be added that of the Psalmist They are confederate against thee the Tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites of Moab and the Hagarens Gebal and Ammon c. Psalm 83. They are like Sampsons foxes their tails be tyed together and like the scales of the Leviathan sticking so close together that no air can come between them Job 41. So when it comes to persecution of the godly and to propagate ungodliness now wicked men are easily reconciled and made friends But all this while Christ is not set at liberty but compel'd to the Cross and die he must Thus Tyrants for the most part now adays are quickly quiet one with another after they have robbed and spoiled and plundred and utterly undone the poor and not one amongst them all will restore or help the poor man to that which is his right Concerning this peace of the wicked David saith I was envious at the wicked when I saw the prosperity of sinners Psalm 73. But a little after he saith Thou didst set them in slippery places thou castest them down into destruction How are they brought into desolation as in a moment They are utterly consumed with terrors As a dream when one awaketh so shalt thou make their image to vanish out of the City Psalm 73. All this was fulfilled in these two men for both of them were banished It follows And Pilate when he had called together the chief Priests and the Rulers and the people said unto them Luk. 23.13 Ye have brought this man unto me as one that perverteth the people and Behold I have examined him before you and I have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him No nor yet Herod for I sent you to him and lo nothing worthy of death is done unto him I will therefore chastise him and release him And when Jesus was accused of the chief Priests and Elders Mat. 27.12 Mar. 15.3 he answered nothing Then saith Pilate unto him answerest thou nothing Behold how many things they witness against thee But he answered him to never a word insomuch that the Governour marvelled greatly Christ is now brought back again from Herod to Pilate but so as without doubt many godly men wept to see how miserably he was led along We use to say when innocent men suffer Thieves and Robbers should be thus dealt with not honest and just men But the Lord Christ was neither Thief nor Robber and yet he endured all this and was so tossed to and fro from one to another and with such disgrace too that it would have made one shed many a tear to see the veryest Rascal in the world so used Paul an Apostle of this Jesus was tost and tumbled up and down in the same manner For as the Lord Jesus had his Annas's Caiaphas's Pilates Herods so Paul had his Annanias's Felix's Festus's Agrippa's c. Why should the Scholler speed better then his Master And let it not repent thee Brother of the Cross be not thou ashamed of it for thy Lord and mine did never blush at it Holy truths can no otherways be brought to light Good men must look for no other usage Pilate and Herod have no better entertainment in their houses Innocency Humility Simplicity the Spirit Knowledge c. are nothing worth in their market they make but a piff of these Thou must be their Mocking-stock and make them fools sports yea though thou wert as good as Elias unless thou will say and do as they please that is to say and do the filthiest and basest wickedness in the world Satan knows his time and advantage and can tell well enough how and when to make wicked men friends but so as that their reconciliation shall be thy ruine and destruction But Pilate who was a little honester than the Jews and Herod that he may seem not to wrong any man doth once more call together the chief of the Jews and leaves no stone unturned but useth all means possible to set Jesus at liberty and release him safe and sound Ye have brought this man to me saith he and have accused him of many things and I have examined him as strictly and as narrowly as possibly I can to sift out the truth and sound the business to the very bottom to bring things to light I have taken him aside and asked him alone and examined him in private and now I have questioned him in your presence before your own faces and yet I cannot hear or understand any thing but that he is wrong'd exceedingly and all that I can do for my life and heart I can find no cause of death in him And if ye will not believe me behold Herod also his own Lord under whose jurisdiction he is doth think and say the same he is of one mind and opinion with me in this matter For he under whose power he is hath sent him back again without punishment which he would never have done if he had found him faulty What therefore will ye do seeing according to the truth of the business there is nothing to be found in this man worthy of reprehension or wherefore he should be put to death Will you use violence to him and kill him contrary to all Law and Reason Doth your Law teach you to serve men so Surely Solon Lycurgus Minos and the Roman Tables allow no such thing much less command it The chiefest Law of Lycurgus was that no man should be punished before he was convicted and condemned Nor did ever any Law-maker allow of so notorious a wickedness as to cut off and destroy the innocent How much less ought you to do any such thing who go under the name of Religion and are professors of the most holy Law Let me desire you therefore to hearken to my advice which I suppose may somewhat pacifie you I will chastise and scourge him after the manner of the Romans that it may not be said you have bound him and brought him before me without a cause but I neither can nor will I put him to death because I find no such fault in him See here Pilate doth again bear witness of Christs innocency against the impiety of the Jews that by the righteous Judgement of God their damnation might be the greater You shall shortly see the Sun and the Heavens the Earth and the stones testifie against them and proclaim
scattered Jer. 10. Because the Flock that is the people were not only not brought to the Knowledge of Christ but withall were stirred up to seek his death therefore they fell into the pit and perished But all the fault was in their Leaders and Governours Pilate took nothing more hainously at their hands then this obstinate envy of the Jews Therefore when he saw there was no hope to do any good by fair means he doth try to restrain their fury with big words and sharp threatnings Take ye him saith he and do you crucifie him q.d. Shall I O ye bloody men who are more cruel then any bruit beasts and because ye envy the Roman Laws shall I kill and cut off the innocent Do you think to affright me with your clamorous out-cryes and make me act the part of a Murtherer I am a Minister of Law and Justice I am not to maintain or vindicate the spleen and envy of others but to punish Offenders by my Authority I am no Executioner to torment the innocent I have hitherto yielded to your hatred I will no longer be perswaded by you to exercise any more cruelty against the innocent Amongst all our Lawyers I can find no such Law that doth command to put any man to death who hath not deserved it And therefore if it be so capital a crime and such an high offence with you to be innocent and if you have any such Law among you that punisheth the guiltless with death do you execute them your selves I cannot nor will I consent to this fool-hardiness and gross indiscretion I don't intend to defile my Hall which is the Roman Court and Empire in this place with innocent blood Take ye him at your own perill and lead him away and do you crucifie him if ye think it best I do not use to crucifie any but Malefactors and naughty fellows But as for this man I can find in him no crime worthy of the Cross This Sentence of Pilate were much to be commended indeed if he had persevered and continued in his resolution But we shall quickly see the wind turned and hear other things of him For all this the Jews never so much as blush at the Justice of this Heathen man Nay when they heard the Judge favour and defend Jesus with such diligence and industry they verily thought that one way or other Jesus would slip from them and get out of their hands and therefore they forge another new crime against him which to a Judge that was not versed in their Laws might seem to be a most notorious offence We have a Law say they c. True you have a Law but none of you keepeth the Law as Christ did most truly and justly upbraid you John 7.19 Thus the greatest Transgressours of the Law do most cry up and make their boast of the Law But what is it that ye alledge against Christ out of your Law By the Law say they he ought to dye And wherefore I pray for what cause Because he made himself the Son of God But what 's become of your former Accusation that he should say he was King of the Jews They were found lyers in the first therefore now they invent a new charge against him And what great crime had it been if Jesus of Nazareth did say that he was the Son of God If he did the works why might he not profess the Name of God It was extream hatred in them to accuse him with such a clamour and noyse of words because he only said that he was the Son of God They speak not a word all this while of those Divine Works which he did and whereby he proved himself to be the Son of God And they tell a lye too in saying that he made himself the Son of God For he did not glorifie himself that he might be made High Priest Nor did he think it any Robbery for him to be equal with God but the Father glorified him The Lord saith David said unto my Lord sit thou on my right hand untill c. Psalm 110.1 Mat. 22.44 See here also how malice and envy doth disagree with it self They had said before It is not lawfull for us to put any man to death But now they say we have a Law and by our Law he ought to dye So forgetfull and ignorant is envy that it can neither tell what it did say or what it should say the Law which they alledge must either be that of putting a blasphemer to death Levit. 24. or that concerning a false Prophet seducing the people by lying signs and wonders from the worship of the one and true God Dent. 18. But neither of these Laws take hold of Christ For he was neither a blasphemer nor a false Prophet Therefore it was not sufficient to alledge that Law which was for the putting of a blasphemer or a false Prophet to death but they were to prove that Christ was such a one for otherwise he would truly and fully clear and quit himself from both Imputations The Jews thought that Pilate would presently pronounce Sentence of death assoon as ever he heard but this one crime charged upon Christ but it fell out far otherwise For when he heard this saying he was the more afraid For he thought thus with himself Who knows who or what this man is For certainly none can make himself the Son of God unless first he were so And if he be the Son of God surely t is not lawfull for me to pass sentence of death upon him Therefore of necessity I must sift out this matter more narrowly yet Wherefore he brought the Lord of Majesty into the Judgement Hall again to enquire further of this thing Here then we see 1. That even a Heathen Judge gave more honour to the Name of God then the Jews who made their boast of God as doth here plainly appear by Pilate who if not really and in Truth yet was at least civilly just and honest and if not religiously yet did he morally fear and reverence his Gods as many honest and harmless men do who are of opinion that there is a God but have no true and right faith in him 2. But observe that Pilate was afraid indeed yet did he not repent Whence t is plain that his fear was servile not filiall and proceeding from Faith he was afraid lest he had done too much in scourging the Son of God For he believed as the Gentiles do that the Gods descended from heaven and ascended thither again as the Poets fain of Jupiter Mercury c. And therefore that he might not seem to be so wicked against his Gods as to condemn the son of Jupiter or Vulcan he doth narrowly pry into the truth of the business and asketh Whence art thou He beats about the bush and questions him afar off to fish out the truth But Christ makes him no answer For 1. It was nothing either to Caesar or to Pilate whether he
and irksome was it to Christ to depart out of that City which he so highly esteemeâ— as to make it as it were equal to Heaven in Wealth Power Dominion Religion but would neither now nor henceforth afford it either his presence or assistance because of the iniquity thereof and would leave the Vine which his right hand had planted to be devoured by the Bore and every wild beast Psalm 80. This was Christs last farewell to the Jews nor hath he ever since unto this very day returned again to them Never man went so willingly to serve God as he hasted to Calvery to be crucified Let us go forth with him at least thinking upon his reproach Heb. 13. Most truly is it said of him that he did bear his cross for he did not bear it outwardly only but inwardly too Nor was there ever man carried such a heavy cross as Christ did For 1. First he carried an outward cross which being made infamous by the curse and burdensome by the weight of it did grievously press and gawl his raw and wounded shoulders It may well be thought that by this carrying of the cross all the skin of his shoulders to the very raw flesh was so fret and feak'd and rub'd that either all his sores were renewed afresh or were so extreamly torn that they were made all but one wound For the cross being long and heavy and Jesus quite tyred out he could not carry it but one end on his shoulders and the other dragging on the ground so that the continual jogging and jolting of it as he haled along over stones and rugged ground must needs wound the wounded shoulders of the Lord more deeply and sometimes hitting against his head put him to fresh pain by beating the prickles of the Thorny crown into his head Indeed no Tongue can tell nor is any man able to express what pain and torment Christ endured under this Cross and no doubt but that he was so weary and weakened that many times he fell down under the load and weight of the Cross All these things were thus done and written to shew us that they used Christ most unmercifully And thus should we have been tortured eternally without any hope of pity if Christ had not taken all upon himself in our stead Now they lay this Cross upon him 1. To put him to the greater pain and shame For they were so impatent that they could not stay till they came to the place of Execution 2. They lay the cross on him because no body else would so much as touch that wood it was so odious by reason of the curse Thus all of us do still abominate loth and fly the Cross of Christ which we should bear for Christ whereas for the most part we are forced to endure greater things in and from the world But 2. Secondly It was not this outward cross only that oppressed Christ There was another spiritual Cross which did cruciate and lye heavy upon the mind of holy Jesus with no less bitterness from the minute he was born to the very hour of his death without any refreshment of joy This cross was our sins For the sins of all men were laid upon the cross of Christ It was he that bear our sins in his own body on the Tree 1 Pet. 2. and upon him the Lord laid the iniquity of us all Isa 53. This Talent of Lead these cords of impiety these faggots of Thorns which were heavier then any Mountain did grievously surcharge Christ This huge load that would have broken the strength of Heaven bowed all the Spheres Orbs and Regions of the Firmament mouldred the foundation of the earth and crusht in pieces all things here below this heavy and intolerable burden was bound to the back of holy Jesus Where by the way we may take notice of our ingratitude We sin but avoid the cross and suffer it to lye on innocent Christ and never so much as give him thanks for all his pains How great therefore must our condemnation be Although Christ alone felt the load and weight of the cross yet he did not bear it for himself who had no sin but he bare it to us and for us and that two wayes 1. He carried the cross before us Ministerially serving and ministring to us thereby For his cross is our cross which he took from our shoulders and laid upon his own Now the appurtenance of the cross is the curse Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree Deut. 21. And this is that which is most intolerable in the cross For happily the cross might have been endured in respect of the pain but when the curse was added that made it become most extreamly miserable Wherefore when Christ took our cross upon him he undertook the curse also of the cross For he was made an execration a curse for us that we might be delivered from the curse of the Law The cross and curse both were ours but Christ bare them both Ministerially before us When thy sins affright thee thy conscience tormenteth thee and the curse oppresseth thee do but consider and think upon this and thou shalt never despair 2. Christ bare the cross before us for our Example that we should follow his steps Christ hath suffered for us leaving us an example 1 Pet. 2. And Christ himself saith He that will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross Matth. 16. Again He that taketh not up his cross and cometh after me he is not worthy of me Mat. 10. The cross must be born what ever come on 't For the Word is stedfast In the world ye shall have tribulation John 16. And through many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Act. 14. Object But the cross is too heavy for us and more then we are able to bear we are too weak and cannot carry it in our own strength Answ What must we do then Throw away the cross or shun it In no wise but rather look upon and behold the cross of Christ But thou askest how is that how must that be done Lo Christ who was the only begotten Son of God and blessed over all it could not be but that he did bless and sanctifie all things whatsoever he did but touch For as filthy cursed sinfull flesh whatsoever as it did touch it so it did torture it for to the impure all things are unclean whence all things are cursed to the first man after he sinned Gen. 5. so that God himself doth shew himself froward with the froward Psalm 18. Hence the sinner under the Law is loaden with many curses Cursed shalt thou be in the City and in the field c. Deut. 28. So on the contrary by the touch of the ever and above blessed Son of God are all things blest and sanctified even those things which in themselves were cursed before Now Christ touched hunger cold persecution reproaches sweat of blood the
nameed because there lay the heads of slain men Nor did the Evangelists blush nor are we ashamed to confess that Christ was crucified in that place where Malefactors were wont to be executed yea we count it our glory For Christ did exceedingly honour this shamefull place with his holy death so that 't is no longer a place of condemned persons but a true Sanctuary for us inasmuch as there he shed his most holy blood for us To this place do they lead Christ accompanied with two theeves that the Banner of Martyrdom might be display'd where the Gallows use to stand As there is no place more filthy than that of Calvary so Christ being brought thither did descend into extream filthiness to purge and cleanse it away And by this his Descension whereby he threw himself into the utmost abominations he ascended unto the highest Glory Christ hath another ladder than what the world hath by which he climbeth up on high even into the heights of Heaven The world by climbing on high reacheth after high things but the higher it climbeth the lower it falleth and tumbleth head long into the bottomless Gulf. But Christ presseth into the heights above by descending into the depths beneath and the lower he sinks down the higher he riseth up For that saying stands firm Every one that exalteth himself shall be abased and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted Luke 18.14 When they had brought Christ to the place of his suffering before they would crucifie him they gave him drink but it was a most bitter potion mingled with Gall and Vineger or Wine mixt with Myrrh for they had nothing worse and more bitter to offer him O cruel impiety which tendreth nothing at all of pitty and comfort to the afflicted in his distress The Lord was toyl'd and wearied out all the night before and had no respit to refresh his spirit because of the loathsome and filthy spittle and furious buffettings all that while And now when he was quite spent and had wasted all his strength when he was parcht and drie when he was come to the place where he was willing to die that Wine which the faithfull and the godly were wont to give to them that are sad and heavy hearted Prov. 31. even to them that were going to execution that Wine those notorious knaves had drunk up and instead of it they offered Christ this most bitter potion to fulfill that of the Psalm 69. They gave me gall for my meat and in my thirst they gave me Vineger to drink Well might Christ take up that of Jer. 2. and Isa 5. My choice and noble Vineyard how art thou turned into bitterness unto me Now Christ did tast indeed thereof but he would not drink it and taste it he did to perswade us that death is not hurtfull but wholesom For as a Physitian doth first taste the potion to perswade his Patient to take it so Christ did first taste of death a bitter cup indeed that we might the more cheerfully pledge him Thus Paul We see Jesus saith he crowned with Glory and Honour that he by the Grace of God should tast death for every man Heb. 2.9 Here comes in that of the Prophet O death I will be thy death Hos 13. Again Death is swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 15. Here now beginneth the very crucifying it self when the most holy tender and pure body of Christ was stript stark naked stretched out racked and fastned to the bare hard tree to the extream torture of the Lord Jesus We must not pass this over lightly but insist a little upon it for now we are come to the very sum and upshot of the Passion The Evangelists do very briefly even in one word express this matter viz. And they crucified him They say but little yet leave us much to meditate upon For 1. They spoil and plunder him again before they crucifie him They strip him of his cloaths who cloatheth the Heaven with stars and the earth with flowers and as the first man lived in Paradise so the second Adam entred into Paradise He suffered himself to be spoiled that he might recover the Robe of innocency for us again He did not refuse to be stript naked before men that we might not be found naked before God He indured Confusion that he might hide the guilt of our conscience Blessed is he whose sins are covered Psalm 32. 2. Here we see in him the deepest poverty that ever was for although as Paul saith 2 Cor. 9. He was rich yet for our sakes he became poor he descended and left the unutterable riches of Heaven he came down into the world and refusing all those riches in the world whatsoever yet he did not disdain to be nursed up by his mother the Virgin Mary nor refuse the service attendance of others For he had his food and rayment from them and although the son of man had not then where to lay his head yet did he not despise the Manger where his Mother laid him nor scorn the entertainment of Martha and others But now this day he lies under the greatest poverty and want that ever man did his mother is not permitted to do any thing for him no not so much as to come near him when he was thirsty he had nothing but Gall and Myrrh allowed him for his meat and drink All shelter and succour is taken from him he hath not where to put his head He is cast out of every Hovel House and City He is crucified under the open Heaven All his own cloaths are pluckt off and not one lends him so much as a rag to cover him And thus he is reduced into extream straits being not only deprived and rob'd of his propriety to the creatures but also denyed any necessary use of them unless you will reckon this for his riches that he was only allowed a most smart and bitter Cross which Cross John calls thâ— Cross of Jesus Never do we read of the like poverty any where no not in Lazarus himself when he was most scabby fore though no man bound up his wounds and there was none to wash or anoint him yet the Dogs licked his soars and did more for him than any man would do Luke 16. Although no man would give him any cloaths yet his own poor rags were not taken from him Therefore 1. What great misery Christ did indure when his cloaths were pul'd off him no tongue can express For when they did violently and hastily rap and rend his cloaths off him which were next to his most holy flesh being all gore weltring and sticking fast to those wounds which the whips had made as being impatient to delay the Lords death any longer they could not but renew the wounds afresh They tore off his cloaths so furiously that the Sanies or putrid matter gush'd out with the blood with much cruelty and greater pain than it was caused by the former whipping So that
swinge up the cross After all is done and when all are gone and stand aloof off him as not daring to come too nigh him hanging like an accursed fellow upon the cross then will I approach nearer and stand fast by the cross of my Jesus I will hug and clip and cling about the Tree with my arms I will embrace it dearly I will bedew it with tears I will kiss it with my lips and because I cannot die with him I will hang my eyes on my crucified Son I will tarry till he depart I will see how he goeth out of the world for I only know how he came into this world I will not leave him dying whom I could never forsake living Thou didst very well O Holy Mother to stand by him when every body else had forsaken him For so did he first vouchsafe to come to thee passing by all other creatures This is that invincible Unicorn which none could ever take or over-rule who was long since earnestly importuned and as it were rouzed up by the servent prayers and desires of the Holy Fathers and not able to contain himself any longer was at last taken in thy Virgin-lap And lo now thou dost according to thy power requite that his so great favour to thee He left all and bestowed himself upon thee and now all forsake him thou like a dear Mother dost stand it out with him thy standing by him at the Cross is but sad company to him whilst thou dost there invisibly suffer in thy heart whatsoever he did visibly endure in his body When the Evangelist would describe this ineffable and sad suffering he doth not call her by her proper Name but discovers her by a Name of pity and Piety Mother his Mother Nor could he more fully express or describe her grief then by saying thus His Mother stood by the Cross of Jesus Here she had full tryall of what Simeon told her before Luke 2. A Sword shall pierce through thine own soul the pains she escaped in child-bed she now meets with at the cross To other Women it is said In sorrow shalt thou bring forth children Gen. 3. But Mary felt not the pains of travel yet was she not therefore free from all pain Now if the Virgin mother was not without her cross who amongst us shall think to escape it Christ doth suffer and his Mother doth suffer with him and dost thou think of nothing but merriments The Virgin stood and yet they were not come to the place but she followed him as he went out with his cross and yet she stood not afar off but hard by the cross whereby she shewed the constancy of a Mother and the valour of her mind Consider O man consider what great grief this was to her None ever received greater Favour and never any endured greater pain and sorrow then the Virgin-Mother His Mother stood full of courage full of affection and full of devotion Shee stood rouling that unutterable flame of Love in her Bosom wherewith her Son was set on fire And she also was enflamed with a vehement heat of Love examining her self if it were she that had brought forth such a Son who could so willingly pardon and pass by such affronts yea and excuse them also who dealt so cruelly with him She stood considering and pondering the hard and most bitter extremities of her Son with which she by reason of her Motherly affection was most grievously Tortured but withall she did according to her wisdom and burning charity consider the benefit that would thence redound to Mankind and the glory of God that would arise from it She stood with the rest of the Women and Friends at the cross full of sorrow and misery slighting all the gibes and jeers that she had cast on her for her Sons-sake Christ Jesus But her Motherly Love conquered and overcame all these discouragements But although Christ was in infinite streights yet he doth not neglect his Mother in that hour And when he had no member free but his Eyes and Tongue he doth not disdain to serve his Mother with them both He directs them both to her looking upon her and speaking to her to shew how highly he did esteem her in his heart and to teach us practically and really that our Parents are to be honoured by us and that we should take care of them even to the death At other times Christ seems to speak more harshly to his Mother to wit when he was about Gods business as Matth. 12. Luke 12. John 2. For all humane affection and respect must cease and give place to Gods business But here on the Cross he doth faithfully and humanely acknowledge his Mother for what she had brought forth did now hang before her eyes When Jesus saith he saw his Mother O the astonishing Miracle of Vision indeed O the lamentable glances which might have been seen in the eyes of Jesus Those eyes at one and the same time did hasten towards death and turn aside to his Mother The power of death did close and weaken them and the force of love did open them again to behold his Mother O how deeply was the Ray of that last look fastened in thy heart O thou Holy Mother which the Lord of the world was pleased to glance upon thee when he was about to dye It was a Dart indeed which did not only wound thy heart but it was also a Sword that pierced the very inward parts of thy soul O how full of sobbs and sighs wast thou with what floods of grief wast thou overwhelmed when thou dost cast thy weeping eyes upward at once to see thy Son dying and at the same time wishfully looking upon thee Nor doth Christ serve his Mother with his eyes only beholding her therewith but he doth also comfort her with his Tongue Woman Woman saith he Behold thy Son He calleth her Woman 1. That he might not encrease her sorrow It was not a time now to complement or use smooth words and sugared expressions to her nor to call her Mother For if Christ had spoken more sweetly to her I believe it would have broken the Virgins heart 2. He doth call her Woman for if he had called Mother it might have given occasion to them that crucified him to use her more hardly 3. Although she is above measure to be extoli'd as a Virgin yet she is much more highly to be commended by the Name of Woman inasmuch as God was pleased to honour her Bowels with this sacred issue and by her to expound to the world that Covenant which God heretofore made to Abraham Hence it is that Christ here from the cross doth call her Woman Hence it is that the Angell pronounced her blessed among Women Hence it is that Paul saith Christ was made of a Woman Gal. 4. The meaning of the word is The meaning as if Christ had said Woman I know the perplexing cares of thy breast I know thy
thirst after your salvation as one that doth entirely love you and am now for the love-sake of you and your Salvation cast off and forsaken of God the fervency of my love doth command and compell me to search exactly and trace out if happily there be any place of pity and mercy to be found in your breasts who are obliged to me by large favours and whom I have purchased at so dear a rate Charity I say and even necessity it self do force me to beg of you and put you upon the tryal to see what thanks you will render to me for the great sorrow and pains I have undertaken and gone thorow for your sakes I do not call to you to come into the same misery with me I do not desire that you should hazard any of your blood or life I neither covet nor seek any of your Gold Silver or any precious thing that ye have got or purchased with great pains and industry Nay it is a very small matter and easie to be had that which I entreat now in my necessity at this very pinch of death is no more but what Nature hath made common to all men I thirst I cannot hide it and now I have it known I humbly entreat a little drink at your hands 1. I thirst I desire but a little cold water what less can be desired and what can more unworthily be denyed I am sore athirst I ask but so much water of you as I have shed either sweat or blood for your Salvation Nay not so much I ask but a very little of you I thirst I have not slept one wink all this night but have spent it in Toyling Tortures Travel Stripes and Wounds my blood vital humour and all my strength is quite spent and wasted My heart is like melting wax in the midst of my belly Psalm 22. My strength is dryed up like a pot-sheard my tongue cleaveth to my jawes my bones are as dry as a stick I have stretched out my hands all the day my soul is as the earth without water as the parched ground I thirst I pray not for the lengthening of my life I pray not against death the cross or any other kind of torment do but only quench my thirst this is all I beg of you Is there none among so many that will take pity on my soul and refresh it The water is not to be fetch'd with such hazard out of the Camp of the Philistins 2 Sam. 23. Nor is there such a great gulf fixed between you and me Luke 16. The distance is not so great but that ye may easily help me in this condition 2. I thirst not only in body but rather and more especially in my soul I desire thy Salvation O man more then water and thy Redemption more then my own refreshment It is for thee I say that I thirst nor do I desire only to taste of thee but to suck and swallow thee up wholly into my bowels by a full draught of Love To quench this thirst it is that I have undertaken such a journey set upon so much hardship suffered so many Tortures and that nothing may be wanting for thy Salvation I do yet thirst after a thousand more such Torments Behold now is the time that my strength should fail therefore that I may not be disappointed of my desired wishes do not O man do not this day harden thy heart but take the fire of Holy Love which may so boyl thee by its heat that thou mayest breath forth chast groans and pour our abundance of tears and with these let me be fed I crave not many things at thy hands yea I will abundantly recompence small matters I will not despise a little frozen tear nor thy meanest desire proceeding out of the poverty of thy spirit This is my evening prayer my only care next to the Love of my God is to Seek thee to Love thee to Thirst for thee 3. I thirst that ye also may be athirst with this my thirst that is as I haue loved you so ye would have fervent love one to another then which I account nothing more Sacred so that as a good Shepheard I lay down my life for you by the only impulse of Love Ioh. 10. 4. Lastly I thirst even I the head and heart do earnestly thirst after all my Members nor doth the misery of my friends a little afflict me of which I will no less upbraid the wicked than of my own when I shall come in the clouds of Heaven with Majesty and Glory saying I was athirst and ye gave me no drink for what ye have done to one of the least of these my Brethren ye have done it unto me Mat. 25. Then shalt thou quench my thirst O man if thou dost feed my hungry ones give dsink to the thirsty cloath the naked entertain strangers visite those that are sick and in prison comfort and deliver them then thou quenchest my thirst if thou givest the milk of Instruction to the ignorant to drink if thou break the bread of wholsome Doctrine to them reprove sinners forgive the Debts and wrongs of thy brethren patiently bear the frowardness and distempers of others and by pure and holy Prayers help and assist them what thou canst This is my thirst which is diffused throughout my members but contracted in me Let this be quenched without the Vineger of sorrow or Gall of bitterness Let this my great and manifold thirst admonish you and the abundant and plentifull measure of the Recompence which I shall measure out unto you O man I thirst Thus far Christ exprest himself But what did he obtain by all this You shall hear There was set saith he a vessell full of Vineger c. O insatiable Fury The wicked are never satisfied in persecuting good men They give Vineger to Christ which being squeezed out of the Spunge and dropping besides his mouth could not satisfie his thirst but offend his mouth yea it would have spoiled his taste it would have troubled and tormented all his inward parts This was the best succour and refreshment that Christ found in so great pains and punishments Never was there any so obnoxious to condemnation as not to prevail for one crum of comfort especially after Sentence of death once given and received But for the Lord that made all things there is simply nothing of piety at all left All things are carryed in extreams now because he was delivered to their will Thus the Fountain of life was dryed up who saith If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink Joh. 7. He that moisteneth the earth with dew and rain and giveth drink to all he is thirsty and cannot get a drop of water Thus Christ made hard satisfaction for our Surfetting and Drunkenness So did he suffer in all his Senses that man might be compleatly redeemed But thus the world useth the godly in their necessity Now that Vineger doth fitly set forth
up the ghost He bowed his head First as taking his leave of the world Secondly he would thereby comfort us by letting us know that he is not cross or froward towards us First it is very significantly expressed in that it is not said that he died but that he gave up the ghost for he had power to lay down his life John 10. Secondly he is said to give up the ghost to let us know that when our souls are loosed from the flesh they should be commended to the Divine Goodness as into the hands of a most dear Father Thus innocent Abel is slain by his brother Thus is Isaac offered Gen. 4. 22. Thus Joseph escapes naked to his fathers protection being spoiled of his garment of flesh by the Adulteress Synagogue Thus our High-Priest hath finished his evening Sacrifice Thus the Life of the world died the Fountain of true Light was ecclipsed thus the Spring of all Life in whom all things live waxed dry that he might deliver them that were subject to death Thus that celestial Wedlock between the holiest soul and the purest flesh was dissolved and divorced by the sword of Death that we who were condemned might be recovered to the indissoluble Union of his Beatitude Thus the Organ of Divinity the Harp of the true David the most melodious Voyce of Jesus sunk into the silence of cruel Death Thus those Heavenly Lights of his most gracious Eyes were darkened by Death Thus that most sacred Breast of Eternal Wisdom and the Store-House of the Treasures of Grace is deprived of his life Thus he Redeemed us from our sins with so great a price a greater then which is not to be found among all the creatures in the world thus did he satisfie the Father for our disobedience with such obedience as was even unto death O how great was that grief when that most holy Soul which was Wedded and United to that most holy Body with an indissoluble bond of Love must be separated now and torn asunder by a violent death and that most holy Life die Never was there death more bitter because never was there man so sensibly sensible of it 1. Wo be to thee therefore O thou ungodly Synagogue who art more fierce and cruel then any wild beast thou hast devoured the life of Jesus who out of the Paternal Piety was sent unto thee to be thy Father and thy Husband 2. O how grievous will thy Accusation be for rending and tearing the body of Christ And wo be to thee thou ingratefull heart thou hard heart harder then any stone who dost not break and melt at the remembrance of so great a Sacrifice for the expiating thy hainous sins how strictly will that innocent blood be required at thy hands Here then O man O generation of Adam here knock thy bosom and beat thy breast consider well and think of this death The chiefest and choisest good doth here hang upon the Cross Here the Eternal Wisdom offereth it self to be seen naked Here the tree carried the Treasure and Price of the whole world O sinners here dieth the Son of God I say here the Son of the most High the King of Heaven and Lord of Earth dieth Nay he dies on the Cross like a Malefactor in the midst of Thieves in greatest misery and anguish and shame It was we O ye sons of men that brought this just One to this unjust and unworthy suffering Our sins were the cause of this his great Passion Here the word of the Sacrament is made good This is my body which is given for you This is my blood which is shed for you for the remission of sins Here now we understand what Christ meant by these sacred and holy words because all things are here seen with the eyes Here that Article of our most holy Faith hath its Foundation He suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried Think on this O man imprint these things in thy heart that thy very inward parts may be made sensible how that we men we sinners were guilty of this death We should have hung on the cross and died yea and have been eternally scorcht in Hell but that our most holy Lord stept in and said I will hang on the cross and die for all men Take me and smite me the Shepheard but let the sheep go free I will pay what I own not I will undertake other mens debt I will even all accounts I will make peace and bring all things to a good end and issue Think seriously on these things Believers Be pleased to accept this Ministry of Christ and highly prize it For this his death is your life For us thus to die is to live and escape death This weakness is our strength and fortitude These wounds and scars are our health and soundness This malediction is our benediction this cursing is our blessing This shame is our glory This cross is our celestial Court and Palace These Nayles are our Salvation Lift up your hearts O ye Faithfull lift up your hearts in consideration of these wonderfull things There was War between Christ and the Devil the field was pitched the battel set and Christ got the Victory Let us therefore give him thanks who was pleased through his infinite love with such hazard and hardship to Redeem us 1. In this expiation of Christ first we see that verified which he said before in John 10 I have power to lay down my life 2 Here we see that the works of God are against reason For who ever hearing that Christ was the son of God and seeing such great Miracles which he had done before could at all believe that God should so far wink at wicked men as to let them kill so great and so worthy a man Again who would believe that the true had then its beginning seeing him die so shamefull a death But this is the ancient and usual custom of God to promote and carry on his works by strange unlikely and contrary means It was indeed the pleasure of God to cause great and mighty boughs and limms to grow on this tree of Christ He intended to build up and quicken the Church This he did by a work disagreeable and repugnant to life and nothing of kin to it to wit the death of Christ by which he quickened and made the Church alive Hence is that of John 12. Except a grain of wheat die it bringeth forth no fruit but if it die it beareth much fruit The Edifice or building of the Church did not then indeed appear while Christ yet hanged on the cross for here you see nothing but his death and burial as at Seed-time there is no shew of Harvest But as in Summer the seed that was sown doth spring up so after the Resurrection the living Church sprouted out of the dead and dry body of Christ 3. From this Expiation of Christ we are diligently to confider what punishments we shall endure if we
persevere in iniquity inasmuch as God did suffer his innocent Son to be so cruelly and inhumanly dealt with for others sins Daughters of Jerusalem saith he weep not for me but for your selves i.e. Learn ye by my suffering what ye have deserved If this be done to me who am guiltless and harmless and blameless what shall be done to you who are faulty and guilty The Text follows 〈◊〉 27.51 And behold the Vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom and the earth did quake and the Rocks rent and the graves were opened and many bodies of Saints Which slept arose and came out of the graves aster his Resurrection and went into the Holy City and appeared unto many Hitherto we have seen the weak things of Christ Now his Majesty shines forth and shews it self discovering who what and how great a one he is that now hangeth on the tree Here then consider what mighty Signs and Wonders were wrought at the death of Christ For those signes do shew the Righteousness and Innocency of Christ and withall do reprove and condemn the hard hearts of unbelievers Men would not be troubled at the death of this man but lo the Elements are much disquiered at it Flinty stones were here softened yea broken and thou heart of flesh art thou turned into a stone dost thou stand gazing on the Passion of thy Lord and art nothing afflicted or moved thereat There are some who say we should be jocund and jovial laugh and be merry at the Passion of Christ Surely it was then no time for the Inhabitants of Jerusalem to laugh when Heaven and Earth were thus disturbed and moved at the death of Christ Indeed afterwards we may well rejoyce for the saving death of Christ as that by which we are redeemed from eternal death But nevertheless the same Passion ought to affect and move us as we are men unless we should altogether become inhumane and from men be degenerated into stones to say nothing of what great joy it might be unto us if we did but consider the cause of this miserable Death even our sins which ought bitterly to be bewailed in this Passion of Christ Now all these terrible Signs which are here described were both within and without the Temple and did manifestly declare the wrath of God against the unrighteousness of the whole world for the purging where of the most High Majestie gave his only begotten Son to die And because men would not acknowledge the same therefore the Elements publish it If these saith he should hold their peace the stones would cry out Besides by the Passion of Christ and after it God intended to make a great alteration in the world Which alteration these Signs did foreshew and usher in 1. The Vail of the Temple was rent to shew that by the death of Christ the Holies of Holies are revealed that by Christ there is an open entrance for us unto God that the way to the Temple of God is made open and plain that the flaming Sword is removed from Paradise that the Wall of partition is broken down that those things that separated us from God are taken out of the way that what was hid and kept close before Ephes 3. is now made known to wit that the Gentiles should be co-heirs copartners and incorporated and become one body with the Jews Finally that all shadows and figures were now ceased and that the Truth it self was come and did shine forth Therefore the Vail of the Temple was rent So that now we may look into the Sanctuary which the Vail hindered before The Mysteries of the Kingdom of God which in the Old Testament were vailed and covered are now brought to light by Christ who came a Light into the world Henceforth therefore the Gentiles may behold the Mysterie of God that is they may acknowledge and learn the word and truth of God because the Vail is rent and the Jew is not better then the Gentile Would to God also that Vail that is upon the hearts of the Jews were spiritually rent that they might truly both hear and understand the Scripture 2 Cor 3. And that they also might acknowledge Jesus Christ Origen speaks of a twofold Vail as Paul also doth the first of which is rent already and taken away but the second yet remaineth and hideth those things which we shall see in the life to come For now we know but in part only but then we shall know perfectly 1 Cor. 13. I say the first Vail is taken away so that we may know many things of God which before were kept close from us But the second Vail yet remaineth therefore at present we cannot perfectly know the things of God In brief Moses and the Prophets are now made clear and plain but as to the Historical part the vail of the Temple is rent already Therefore the Romans might enter as also they did The High Priests of the Jews were wont to rent their garments when they heard any thing that was wicked or blasphemous This doth the Temple of God also now do renting its garment being as it were amazed and taking in great indignation the wrong and injuries offered to Christ 2. A second sign was the Earth-quake the earth abhorring as it were that such wickedness should be committed upon it and abominating the impiety of the Jews done to the Universal Creator of all things It did also foreshew that the whole Earth should be moved and shaken at the preaching of the Apostles as was foretold in Haggai I will shake the Heaven and the earth and the desire of all Nations shall come Hag. 2. 3. A third sign was the renting of the Rocks This was somewhat more then the other For we read of many earth-quakes but not of any Rocks rent before which was now done to reprehend the obstinacy and hardness of the Jews And it did foreshew either that the writings of the Prophets should be so rent at the coming of Christ that all might see what was in the inside of them Or rather it did signifie that the hard hearts of the Gentiles should be rent that they might receive the seed of Gods Word For the Word of God and his Divine Power was now about to pierce all things that were never so hard never so fast and firm 4. A fourth sign was the rising of some dead bodies This exceeded all the foregoing signs In this sign there was a special kind of Gods power seen These dead Joh. 5. heard the voyce of the Son of God when he with a loud cry gave up the ghost At this cry their graves opened that the dead which yet lived might again go out of their graves not before but after the Resurrection of Christ For he was the first born of the dead and the first fruits of them that slept Whereby was foreshewed first that the hope of our resurrection is only by the death of Christ secondly
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
a long time forborn the Lord doth by these and such like words shew that the wicked do prevail and get the upper hand in this world but so as that they kill themselves with their own Weapons The more they prosper in their projects the juster they take their cause to be Being blinded therefore they run headlong into the most heavy Judgement of God For as it is with a man in his sleep that dreameth he is fighting with and beating his enemy but when he awaketh he finds that he hath buffetted himself with his own fists so he that doth wrong a godly man doth seem indeed to have the better of him either because of the godly mans weakness or because vengeance is prolonged But if we well weigh it he doth wound himself with his own Weapon Pharaoh oppressed the Israelites but to speak more properly and more truly he did thereby oppress himself Saul persecuted David one may better say in so doing he did persecute himself The Iews pierced Christ but in deed and in truth they did more deeply pierce their own hearts according to that Whoso casteth a stone on high casteth it on his own head Eccl. 27.25 The wicked therefore shall look on him whom they have pierced and shall see that they did not kill and condemn the righteous but themselves It follows And now when the even was come because it was the Preparation Mar. 15.42 Mat. 27.57 Luke 23.50 Iohn 19.38 that is the day before the Sabbath Joseph of Arimathea a rich man an honourable Counsellour a good man and a just The same had not consented to the counsell and deed of them who also himself waited for the Kingdom of God being a Disciple of Jesus but secretly for fear of the Jews he came and went in boldly unto Pilate and besought him that he might take away the body of Iesus And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead and calling unto him the Centurion he asked him if he had been any while dead And when he knew it of the Centurion he gave the body of Iesus unto Joseph and Joseph bought fine linnen And there came also Nicodemus who at the first came to Iesus by night and brought a mixture of Myrrhe and Aloes about an hundred pound weight It was now time to bury the body of Christ but scarce any man durst undertake it because of the raging madness of the Jews Yet lo here are two who as it were unthought of offer themselves to do it but not without the counsell and pre-ordination of God The Evangelists do diligently set down and exactly describe both their person and their care in the burial of Christ It was and is a matter most worthy for us to know and imitate which was not done without great danger The first was called Ioseph who was of Arimathea whence Elkanah also in the first of Samuel had his beginning Now this Joseph was an honest and a just and a Rich man which three may well stand together though they are very rare to be found Nicodemus is not so much commended here because he is otherwise mentioned to his praise elswhere in the Gospel He was a Lawyer but Ioseph was a Senator But in this they agreed that both of them did affect and love Christs Doctrine and esteemed it as the Word of God yet they chose rather to be Christs Disciples secretly then openly And the reason was because of their riches and reputation wherein they did excel and which they could not presently forsake nor yet would they reject Christs Doctrine But that both of them loved Christ did sufficiently appear by what they did for him Nicodemus had formerly stood up in the Council of the Pharisees in desence of Christ Iohn 7. And Ioseph openly refused to consent to the death of Christ They were just men indeed endowed with great gifts of Nature in whom also the Spirit of the Lord did begin to sparkle out I wish we had more such men now in our Councils Parliaments Conventions Convocations Assemblies that would withstand wicked men and their Designs and would do but as these two here did We are therefore diligently to take notice of these two persons For first we see here that there is no time or age so bad but God doth preserve and deliver those that are his and that some good men at least are to be found in the worst of times Thus in the dayes of Elias when every place was full abounded with Idols and false Worships yet then God reserved to himself seven thousand men that had not bowed their knees to Baal So at the time of Christs death there was nothing but scandal impiety and distrust of Christ For some did wickedly revile others out of weakness denyed him Some were offended at his shamefull death and never expected any more good from him But these two Ioseph and Nicodemus do here openly shew themselves who stedfastly continued in the Faith being nothing shaken either by the impiety or unbelief of others Indeed the Faith of these men was to be admired which is made more manifest by the Antithesis or opposition For they were both rich men both Potent both accounted just men before the world The one a Senator the other a Pharisee But all these Riches Authority Power Repute and Worldly Honour they neglected regarded not and exposed themselves to trouble and danger to serve Christ even when he was dead Who compelled them to do this Who forced them to it Was it it their kindness towards Jesus Civil Friendship will go but to the Altar Death will put a period to it Faith only carried them thus far which is of such force and power that it will draw a Believer from all sensible things and set him upon things insensible Riches Power and Senatorian Dignity were sensible things But Faith fixt these two upon eternal Power and Wealth having pluckt them off from those things The same Energy and vigour of Faith was there in Abraham who forsook his Countrey his Fathers estate and his Friends and followed after those unknown and invisible things which God had promised Joseph therefore being instigated and strengthened with this Faith went boldly to Pilate and confidently craved of him the body of Jesus which none of his Disciples durst ask for Pilate presently grants it him for so was the Divine Grace pleased to work and order it Pilate had adjudged Christ to die but fore against his will Now he enquires of the Centurion whether Christ were already dead before he would grant his body to Ioseph He could not easily be perswaded that Christ should be dead so soon whereas others oftentimes use to live till the next day with their legs whole And because they were so long a dying they used to set Souldiers to watch the cross to keep them lest they should chance to make an escape which here also they did as the Evangelists witness But Pilate knew not that Christ had power to
Sepulchre wherein never man was yet laid Which new Sepulchre 1. Did prefigure that some new and unheard of thing was to be done to wit that he who was buried in that grave should return again to life 2. Also that Death was to be turned into a sleep especially as to the godly out of which sleep they were to rise again in due time as in a most pleasant and delicious garden Note Note that we do not read of any one Disciple that was present at the butial of Christ though t is to be believed that John was there which yet by the letter doth not appear lest it should be thought that they had carried away the body of Jesus and hid it in some other place Finally those good men rolled a great stone to the mouth of the Sepulchre 1. That the Jews might not easily offer any violence to the dead body And 2. That his Resurrection might be the more clear and eminent in that he could come forth when the Sepulchre was fast shut up Thus honour then of such a Funeral Christ suffered to be done unto him by these Honourable men that his enemies might not say none but base and worthless men did stick to this Nazarene although this was but a small Honour if compared to that wherewith he is now Honoured in all the Earth and in all the Churches not only as man but as God and man who doth no longer lie in the grave but sitteth at the right hand of God in Heaven Notwithstanding his Sepulchre is so Honourable to this very day that not only Christians but many Gentiles also come out of admiration very far to Jerusalem to see it In short the Sepulchre of Moses is not known where it is nor doth it much matter where he was buried but all know where the Sepulchre of Christ is for so it is necessary that by it we should learn both our own burial and resurrection For as the sufferings of Christ are ours so also is the burial of Christ ours For we are buried with him by baptism into death Rom. 6.4 Lastly It is said that those women of Galile observed the place where he was buried For they intended to anoint and perfume his body very carefully They did not judge it meet that so holy a body should putrifie and be eaten up of Worms For neither did they know that he was God and that he was shortly to rise again It follows in the Text. Now the next day that followed the day of the preparation Mat. 27.62 the chief Priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate saying Sir we remember that that deceiver said while he was yet alive After three dayes I will rise again Command therefore that the Sepulchre be made sure untill the third day lest his Disciples come by night and steal him away and say unto the people He is risen from the dead so the last Errour shall be vorye then the first Pilate said unto them Ye have a watch go your way make it as sure as you can So they went and made the sepulchre sure sealing the stone and setting a watch The wicked are not nor can they yet be quiet although Christ were now dead and buried They vex and trouble Pilate again and importune him to make fast the Sepulchre for they were afraid that he had not given strict charge enough Now they understood the sign of Ionas which Christ said should be given them Mat. 12. Now also they understood the destruction of the Temple which was to be raised up again in three dayes however they wrested it to another sense before when they accused Christ Therefore now they run headlong together again even on that their Sabbath when the other Jews mean while were at their devotion and prayers They can neither rest themselves nor can Pilate be at quiet for them Such great Signs were there shewed at the death of this just man that they might very well have done otherwise But these signs had the same effect upon these men as those great Miracles heretofore took upon the Aegyptians They were only thereby more hardened Well might they fear that the last errour would be worse then the first They speak true at unawares and prophesie against themselves For their mistake was worse and they did err more in that they did not repent afterward But the Faith of Believers was thereupon the more confirmed concerning the truth of the Resurrection Having therefore got leave of Pilate they make sure the Sepulchre setting a watch and not content with this they seal the stone too Thus Humane prudence strives against God but all in vain For Christ will rise again in spite of your reeth O ye Pharisees nor can the Souldiers or sealing the Sepulchte hinder it one jott All the endeavours of mans prudence are to no purpose where God hath otherwise decreed Take to you all the strength of Caesar yet shall you not be able to keep this Nazarene in the grave All the care and pains which they take about the sepulchre they take against themselves And it was Divine Providence that the Sepulchre should be made so fast For hence the truth of his Resurrection is more clearly proved Here then diligently again remember the Divine chiefdom and Power in that it doth most wisely accomplish his own by anothers work Caiaphas thought it fit that Christ should be put to death and perish but God saw it needful that Christ should be the life of the world God therefore made use of the work of wicked Caiaphas and by it accomplished his own Design Thus also it was the prudence of the Iews to set a watch upon the Sepulchre lest any should steal away the body from thence and tell the people that he was risen But it was the Wisdom of God that the Resurrection of Christ should be made most manifest to all men God therefore doth take the design of others prudence to perfect thereby and compleat his own Purpose and Design For by this strict and narrow watch the Resurrection is made much more clear and manifest then if the Iews had not so diligently guarded the Sepulchre The Conclusion of the Passion Dearest Brethren HItherto we have heard how many and how great things the Creator and Lord of the world suffered from so many and such great men who were so mad and did so cruelly rage against him that he might satisfie the Divine Justice for so many and such great and miserable punishments which were due to our sins Wherefore 1. Let us give him hearty thanks for his most liberal and bountifull love towards us 2. Let us draw nigh and approach unto this Throne of Grace with full assurance of Faith that we may find mercy in time of need 3. But above all let us take all diligent heed lest at any time like unthankfull men we forget this so great work of Mercy and Love to us But let us fasten and indelebly imprint it in our minds and keep it fast in memory to the end that those wounds that Blood that Passion that Death may alwayes be before our eyes to water our hearts continually to take away their hardness to melt and soften them and be a constant and safe conduct to us through prosperity and adversity Let us meditate upon the Passion of our Lord first that we may not be puffed up in our prosperity with vain mirth and foolish jollity secondly lest in adversity we be cast down with too great grief and swallowed up with overmuch sorrow seeing Christ hath suffered far greater things for us The All-mighty and All-sufficient God grant that this Passion of Christ may become fruitfull to us and profitable for us Let him vouchsafe to fasten it in our hearts by his Spirit that by this Passion we may rouze and stir up our selves to all that is good and comfort our selves in all our adversity and afflictions but especially in death And at present let us give all diligence that we walk and keep our selves in his fear forasmuch as we are not Redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with the precious blood of Christ Therefore 1. If hitherto we have crucified Christ let us now with the Centurion be converted and witness that Christ is the Son of God by a true and lively Faith 2. Let us return into the Houses of our hearts and with compunction cast our selves upon our couch 3. Let us wrap up pure Christ in the fine Linnen of clean cogitations and let us not suffer any dead carkass to lie in the Monument of our heart but let us present our hearts to Christ only to be inhabited by him alone 4. Let us chase away and banish hence all corruption of the World that when Christ shall return and we rise the third day that is after the first day of this Life and the other day of Rest to those Treasures of Grace which we receive here he may also bestow upon us the beatitude of our souls and the Treasures of the body of Glory that being made like unto him and fashioned after his glorious Body we may may have a most blessed entrance into the Inheritance of an Eternal Kingdom which he grant to us who Liveth and Raigneth Eternally to whom be all honour and glory of every creature now and for ever Amen Blessed be God world without end Amen FINIS
God shall add to him the plagues c. Apoc. 21. The Benefit So then if as hath been proved the Body of Christ be truly according to the tenor of the words in the Sacrament it is certain that the Sacrament it self cannot be an unprofitable thing For it is evident that the flesh of Christ was filled with the God-head If therefore God be nothing worth then also is the flesh of Christ of no value When that flesh of Christ walked on the earth it did good to all that it did but touch never so little by reason of the Godhead that dwelt in it How can it be then that it should do no good in the Sacrament since it is the same flesh of Christ in Union with the same Divinity it is also the same word of God of the same Nature and force now as ever it was But take notice that Christ in this Sacrament gave us not his Body alone but his Blood too As in the Law of Moses there was a sacrifice to be slain and moreover a cleansing by blood so the Body of Christ was the sacrifice and his Blood the cleansing away of sins the sacrifice of his body maketh satisfaction his blood purifieth the offering is made to God for Reconciliation the blood is poured out to make us clean Now in the distribution of his blood he observeth the same gestures as he did in the distribution of his body He took it he gave thanks he gave it to them c. In the words he added at least altered something For he doth not say simply Hic est sanguis meus This is my blood as he said Hoc est corpus meum This is my body But he addeth This is the blood of the New Testament Or as Paul hath it This cup is the New Testament in my blood by which word he plainly alludeth to the confirmation of the old Testament as when Moses had read all the Law he took the blood of the Calf and therewith sprinkled the people saying Exod. 24. Behold the blood of the Covenant which God hath made with you c. In like manner Christ here speaketh By how much the blood of Christ is more excellent than the blood of a Bull so much the new Testament is more worthy than the old What a Testament 〈◊〉 A Testament is the disposing and bequeathing of goods whether it be by writing or word of mouth And it is confirmed by the death of the Testator God made a Will to the Israelites Ex. ibid. that he would give them the promised Land but because God could not die he commanded a Bullock to be slain and ratified this his Testament with the blood thereof So now Christ hath bequeathed to us his goods even the forgiveness of sins and so all other his good things come along therewith That the Testament may be sure Christ himself the Testator died and that we might remember his death he did affix as it were two seals unto it the Sacrament of his Body and Blood The sense of the words Therefore when he saith Take eat Take drink c. his meaning is this Lo I promise you all my goods and do freely bestow them on you and to make this firm and sure to you I am about to die and in witness whereof I set to my Seal I leave you my body blood He maketh mention of a Testament when he speaketh not of his body but of his blood The shedding of blood is a sign of death by which death the Testament is ratified Whereas he addeth at last speaking of his body Which shall be given for you but concerning his blood saith he Which shall be shed for you he plainly sheweth that the same body which was crucified and slain and the same blood which was shed upon the Cross is received in the Sacrament These words also shew the fruit of the Eucharist which is to partake of the merit of Christs Passion Whereunto Faith is requisite not only to believe that the body and blood of Christ is here present but withall to believe that it is the same body which was offered for us and the same blood which was shed for us and that it is given to us which Christ merited by his death Take notice also of what is said concerning his blood which is shed not for all but for many Indeed the blood of Christ was sufficient for all but all do not believe It is fitly said not for all but for many which is a word of terrour to the slothfull and those that are too secure who flatter themselves that they cannot be damned Christ addeth in the close Do this in remembrance of me Where we see that the Evangelists do not only describe the thing as it was once done but they set it down so as a thing ever hereafter to be observed and continued Whence Christ commanded his Apostles that they should do as he had done thereby signifying that he would alwayes be present at his Sacrament and that what he by himself did at the Supper the same should be done by the Apostles and their Successors So that they are much mistaken who say I believe that Christ the Apostles did consecrate it but I do not believe that every Priest can do it I believe that the Saints do receive the body of Christ but I do not think sinners do Hear me Brother the Sacraments of the Church are not founded on our worthiness or unworthiness but upon the Word of God whatever the Minister or the Communicant be Gods Ordinance is the same As neither Angel nor man could of themselves turn bread into the body of Christ so neither of them can hinder it Therefore he doth not say if thou receive it worthily thou shalt take my body but This is my Body so the Creed the Lords Prayer and the Commandments of God c. remain good and valid though thou never believest if thou dost not pray work c. as Gods outward works alwayes continue though we abuse them But it is most to be observed that Christ here commandeth and speaks imperatively and chargeth us to take and eat and to do as he did whereby t is plain that we are not left at our liberty to observe or neglect this Sacrament If thou art a Christian thou must sometimes obey this Command Christ hath commanded it though he appointed no set time It is not in our choice wholly to omit it When he saith in remembrance of me his will is that this Sacrament should be 1. A Monument of his Charity towards us whereby he gave himself to us in every respect as a companion a brother a sacrifice meat c. Who is so hard as not to melt into a mutual love by all these signs of love 2. A remembrance of that sacrifice which Christ offered up for us at his death upon the Cross as Paul saith 1 Cor. 11. As often as ye eat
c. ye shew the Lords death ill he come Thus ye see after what manner at what time and with what words Christ instituted the Sacrament all which are of such concernment that t is strange if they kindle not in us a desire of so great good inflame our love to God and encourage us to give praise and thanks unto him We commend and thank him that giveth us an estate at his death to make us rich Why should we not do so here But sometimes we may find ingrateful heirs in the world so alas for it doth Christ find by experience that we are too unthankfull unto him Now the sleighting what is set before us is no small cause of this our ingratitude And so that is too often fulfill'd in us which Elisha once said to the incredulous Noble man 2 King 7.2 Thou shalt see it with thine eyes but thou shalt not eat thereof Are not these things fulfill'd in us We see and have these great things before our eyes and in our hands yet we perceive them not we taste them not What greater evil can befall a man than to have riches and not enjoy them Two things yet remain to be considered about this Sacrament viz. to what end it was ordained and how it ought to be received It was ordained 1. That our heart should more closely cleave to the words and Promises of God The Prophets promised that the time should come when God would dwell in us and that Christ by his death would take away our sins c. All which and the like Promises are confirmed by this Sacrament He instituted this Sacrament that we should not doubt of these things 2. It is a standing Monument of his Charity that so we might never doubt of his good will to us Whensoever then our consciences are ready to flag and fail which often happeneth specially at death they should be strengthened by this Sacrament 3. It is a perpetual Remembrance and Representation of that only sacrifice which was offered for us upon the Cross The benefit of this Sacrament may be taken out of the words of Paul when he saith 1. The bread which we break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ c. 1 Cor. 10. Whereby he sheweth that by this Sacrament we partake of all the good things of Christ 2. Another fruit of it is that we also are made one bread and one body even all that partake of one bread and of one cup that is This Sacrament doth put us in mind that we are made one meat and one drink and that we should wholly devote our selves to the good of our Neighbours that we should make the poverty of others our own and account the faults of others as our own c. Therefore in Greek it is called Synaxis that is a communication Whence we may easily gather what is requisite to the worthy receiving of it which is nowhere more clearly exprest than in the figure of the Paschal Lamb and the Manna The Paschal Lamb. Both which figures I shall briefly open Concerning the Lamb consider 1. The house must be sprinkled with the blood of the Lamb in three places Exod. 12.7 on the door and both the posts So he that will come to the Sacrament must first be sealed with the Seal of the holy Trinity which is done in Baptism Or thus he must be marked in three places that is he should have the three Sacraments Baptism Confirmation and Repentance Or the blood of the Lamb must be on his doors i. e. he should alwayes have the remembrance of Christs Passion before his eyes when he goeth out and when he cometh in according to that of Paul 1 Cor. 11. As oft as ye eat ye shall shew the Lords death c. Or he should have the Lambs blood on the doors i. e. he must not be ashamed of the Cross of Christ nor blush to keep the Commands of Christ but openly confess that he doth believe and keep them To that which the Author hath here observed The Translators Supplement Heb. 10.29 concerning this first circumstance the Translator further addeth viz. They were not to strike any of the Lambs blood on the threshold nor should we tread the blood of the Son of God under foot But they were to strike the blood on the lintel So should we alwayes have the blood of Christ over our heads above our own reason in higher estimation than the reach of our natural capacity or growth and stature of our earthly man our carnal mind It should be over our head to be seen only by Faith lifting our heads upward from earthy things thoughts desires affections confidence righteousness c. unto heavenly things looking on it as a Propitiation a Reconciliation a Mediation something between Heaven and earth between God and man as that which reconcileth us unto God Heb. 12.24 and giveth us boldness at his Throne of Grace speaking better things than that of Abel Again they were to strike both the side posts one as well as the other We should have the blood of Christ on either hand that we may see God on the lest hand where he worketh and on the right hand where he hideth himself Job 23.9 that we may be kept in prosperity and adversity knowing how to want and how to abound both in respect of the outward and inward man preserved from excess and all extreams swallowed up neither with presumption nor despair but fighting the good fight of Faith having the Armour of Righteousness on the right hand 2 Cor. 6.7 and on the left Now we proceed with the Author 2. They must eat the flesh roasted with fire that night The flesh of Christ must be eaten by night It must be by Faith alone and the eyes of Reason must be shut T is true our flesh would eat it in the day that is it coveteth to see all things but all in vain The flesh of Christ is eaten invisibly and in a Mysterie And the flesh of our Lamb may well be said to be roasted for it is roasted with the fire of Tribulation as also with the fire and operation of the Holy Spirit 3. It was to be eaten with unleavened bread The flesh of the Lamb must not be eaten alone that is we must not only consider what Christ did but what we also ought to do 1 Cor. 5. we must first of all cast out the leaven of malice and wickedness the Sacrament must be received with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth For this food is not provided for dogs but for Children only not for filthy persons but such as are clean They sin therefore who come to it not having first repented of their sins 4. With wild Lettice so the vulg Lat. bitter herbs or as it is in the Hebrew with or upon bitternesses i. e. with a bitter remembrance of our sins Thus the