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.
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
yet because Luke hath inserted it in the Passion of our Lord we will not pass it by For it doth fairly picture out the humane nature and disposition that was in the Apostles who contended for primacy at that time when they saw such great Patterns of Humility and Modesty and when the greatest tribulation was at hand But what our Translation renders strife or contention that Luke calleth Philoniciam i. e. Love of Victory We read more then once how the Apostles contended about Primacy Matth. 18. 20. After the payment of tribute they askt Christs opinion and desired him to decide the matter which of them should be the greatest So when the sons of Zebedee sought the uppermost seat in Christs Kingdom then they strove about this thing And here in this place 1. Perhaps Judas his going from them gave the occasion For till his hatred was discovered they suspected one another and so from hence quickly fell to quarrelling every one disdaining to be inferiour to other and to be or but thought to be less faithfull to Christ 2. Their Lords own withdrawing which he spake of before to them might happily give them occasion to enquire what they should do and who should have the chief management of things when their Master was gone from them Here now as commonly it is none could well bear to submit to another and so as he thought be undervalued which is no strange thing that it should be so with the Apostles who were men and not yet confirmed by the Holy Spirit nor fully understanding the Kingdom of Christ Now Christ neither will nor can he endure by any means this Philotimie or greedy desire of Glory which is the root of Philonicie or love of Victory whence all contention ariseth For where one will rule and none submit where all will be Lords and none subjects there Christ hath no more to do What then My Disciples and Children saith he do not do thus it is very unseemly and doth not at all become you I would not have it so among you Consider I pray what think ye Do you not desire to Lord it like the world but do you see any such thing in me where got ye this thought whence came this great desire ye that are servants would ye once more be greater than me your Lord Indeed the Romans and other Gentiles go about to compass to themselves worldly glory and greatness and above all things desire to domineer and rule over others They hunt after great Titles not only to be called Kings Princes Euergetae Pater patriae and Rulers but also Benefactors and Fathers of their Country as if they did help do good and provide for all and were more like Fathers than exactors and oppressors when indeed they do generally behave themselves otherwise And ye fisher-men of Galiles will you be like these and do as the Heathen do Indeed ye are very fit for that glory such honour would well become you which the Gentiles have and so much aspire unto But if the name and profession of a Jew will not beat you off from following the Gentiles yet at least let my Example take ye off Ye see what I do For I am your Lord and Master I might command I might Lord it I might call every creature to serve me yet I forbear I abase my self so far as to serve and let you sit still I wait on you as your hired servant John 6. The Kingdom was mine and 't was offer'd to me but I would none of it I refus'd it What I might have had Angels as well as men to serve me but you see I do not so See I say and consider well how low and how abased I am I have put off the form of God wherein I was and have taken upon me the form of a servant Phil. 2. Psalm 8. I have made my self a little less than the Angels What a shame then would it be to you to grow proud under so humble a Master After this manner Christ checks the ambition of the Apostles and elswhere also he useth almost the same expressions But every where he doth smartly nip them knowing what a Tyrant Ambition would be and what mischiefs it would bring in if it were not restrain'd and kept under If ever any King or Prince might be called Euergeta a Benefactor surely never any better deserved the name then our Lord Jesus the King of Israel Pliny writing of Trajâ—n saith Thou of all men dost least esteem thy own courtesies whereas thou livest in the City as a Parent with his Children But what was that Paternal love which Trajan shewed to his Citizens in comparison of Christs charity to the Apostles and to us all But what follows Ye are they which have continued with me in my Temptations And I appoint you a Kingdom c. There is a good coherence between these and the foregoing words As he had sharply reproved them before so now he doth smooth them with Promises and stroke them with Praises yet so directeth his speech that the Apostles might well desist from their ambition q.d. Why do ye so hunt after worldly power and domination Stay a little I will promote you to Heavenly Power John 6. There are better and greater-things laid up for you than ye are aware of For ye are they that have stood it out with me when many others turned their backs upon me being offended at my approaching Passion but Judas especially Acts 1. he went to his own place but ye have not flincht at any of my Temptations those many which Satan hath raised against me these three years For this your doing be assured that I will prepare a Heavenly Kingdom for you by my Passion where ye shall raign with all power and glory as true Kings and Princes And because earthly Kings abound with all delicacies of meat but specially of drink Lo I provide so for you too that there ye may eat and drink with me at my Table as my fellow-heirs Rom. 8. Which we must not so understand as if there were eating and drinking in Heaven but Christ speaketh anagogically or as Theophylact saith Metaphorically because there is most of that in Kings Courts Lastly saith Christ lest ye should want any thing to compleat your Government whereas worldly Kings use to sit upon stately Thrones 1 King 10. and Judge others as we read of Solomon Behold I prepare this also that ye my Apostles may sit hereafter with me upon Royal Thrones and Judge all the Tribes of Israel which believe not in me If ye seek to rule over Israelites lo they shall be subjected to you What look ye for more Can ye wish or desire more Is there the like again in all the world What 's the glory of the world the kingdom of the world the delights of the world to the Glory Kingdom and delights of heaven Who then would not willingly despise the glory of the
recourse to God And not only so but he sheweth also the best way of praying For 1. first he with-drew from the Apostles He that will pray must go into his Chamber Mat. 6. 2. Secondly He kneeleth down yea falleth on his face Prayer ought to be made in humility So much the more humble so much the sooner it peirceth Heaven and is heard 3. Thirdly He doth not pray once only but often nor did he give over till the Angel comforted him Teaching us thereby to persevere in prayer 4. Fourthly He prayed in assurance therefore he did so sweetly repeat the name of Father He that believeth not let him not think to receive any thing James 1. 5. Fifthly He committeth all to God We must not prescribe time or manner unto God 6. Lastly Peter James and John were not far from him by whom those three vertues are signified which are necessary for every one that prayeth to wit Faith by Peter Courage by James and the Grace of God by John As often then O Christian as Satan tempteth thee remember this Garden and this prayer of Christ in the Garden Avoid the tumults of men go a little aside kneel down fall on thy face for by these gestures the faithfull express the servency of their mind and that they have no hope counsell or help in the world but only in God open thy mouth and utter words from thy heart lay open thy anguish and pain before God with sighs and supplications against the violence and wrongs of Satan Here thy sorrow and anguish of heart will do thee no harm Yea though it afflict thy body a little it will do thy soul good But remember to temper thy prayer so even as Christ here did who in all humility threw himself upon the ground and as man he resigned and offered himself wholly to the Will of God that the Father should do with him as he pleased Thou also pray for what thou wilt cry intreat make known thy wants but conclude alway as here Not mine but thy will be done for thou knowest best what is good and profitable for me Believe me our prayer is well accepted if it be granted to us according to the will of God The Evangelists do not without cause so diligently set down this that Christ put the whole event of his Prayer in the will of God If Christ did thus whose will yet was not divided from the will of his Father nor could he will any thing but what the Father willed how much more ought we to do so whose will most commonly is against and resisteth the will of God To say nothing how pernitious and destructive for the most part it would be to us if God should alwayes grant us what we desire The will of our flesh is not good but that which the Spirit willeth in us cannot be evil because the Spirit is not evil Briefly Let the Prayer of Jesus be the Form and Pattern of our Prayer Let him teach us how to pray as he shew'd us how to suffer Let us now weigh the words First he saith in the Chalde Tongue Abba which in Latine is as much as Pater Father and this name he doubleth It is a great comfort in affliction to believe that God is our Father and that our troubles come upon us by his good pleasure 1 Cor. 11. So Paul when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with this world Heb. 12. Again Yee have not yet resisted unto blood and ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as children Prov. 3. my son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord c. Secondly He saith If it be possible and all things are possible unto thee Here none doubteth but that God to speak absolutely could have restored man some other way than by the death of his Son but this was the way which from Eternity was resolved on and therefore it must be that Christ should dye And it was not without reason why God should be best pleased with that way For 1. Divine Justice must be satisfied We deserv'd to be punisht but God the Father set his Son in our stead who could owe nothing upon his own score and therefore might make the fuller satisfaction As the person of Christ was more pleasing to God than all other men so his Passion merited more than all ours can do 2. God therefore made choyce of this way to redeem mankind that he might make his power known For he did not defend Christ against his strong enemy yet he overcame him 3. That he might make his love so much the more manifest to us to provoke our love 1 John 4. In this was his love manifest that he sent his Son c. Wicked men prate that God took no pains to create them But here let them consider that they were not easily Redeemed Christ took a great deal of care and pains to make man a great debtor to him in much love and that he might become more thankfull by the difficulty of his Redemption who was grown so cold in his devotion because of the easiness of his creation God made all things and man among the rest in six dayes but he was full three and thirty years working out our Salvation in the midst of the earth See how justly we may be complained of who lightly esteem this greatest Token of Love whereby we exceedingly provoke his wrathfull indignation against us Whereas Christ prayeth that the Cup might pass from him by the Cup he meaneth his Passion 1. For as much drinking makes men drowsie so Christs Passion made him sleep in Death 2. Or as free drinking makes men jocund so the sufferings of Christ make us above all things most cheerfull in that it brought everlasting Salvation to us In this sense the Cup is taken elswhere I will take the Cup of salvation c. Again Psalm 116. Can yee drink of the Cup that I shall drink of Mat. 20. But thou wilt say was not Christ willing to suffer Or did he suffer against his will in that he prayes here against the Cup of his Passion Far be it from us so to think How could he be unwilling to suffer who at his last Supper said that the blood of his Body was to be shed for the Remission of sins Mat. 26. Who also said I lay down my life for my sheep John 10. And reply'd to Peter when he disswaded him from suffering Get thee behind me Satan for thou savourest not the things of God Matth. 16. We say that Christ did not suffer unwillingly but freely of his own voluntary consent as his Prayer concludes Thy will be done He prayed that if it were possible the Cup might pass from him 1. First to shew that he was a true man who by Nature is afraid of Death As there are divers affections in man to wit
bewail it in thy heart and say unto God O Lord thou art rich in Mercy thou canst deliver this poor wretched creature from the dunghill of sin So on the contrary if thou see a man live godlily glorifie God and say I beseech thee O Lord preserve those gifts which thou hast given to this man T is a lovely Treasure of Grace which thou hast committed to him but the Vessel frail and brittle and there are many Thieves lurking about it If thou look not to it t will quickly be all wasted and lost Lo this may we learn from Peters denyal 3. But specially it warneth all those that are Rectors of Churches not to presume nor to be proud It is very dangerous when a presumptuous man is put into the Office of a Minister For he knows not how to take pitty and compassion upon others He knows nothing but how to domineer terrifie punish c and to hunt feeble souls to despair by his outragiousness and so all his Ministry falls to the ground Hence it is that Paul by way of special commendation of Christ saith that he was such an high Priest that was able and did know how to have compassion on others Heb. 4. And therefore did he suffer Peter to fall that he might learn to shew pitty to others 4. This denyal of Peter is comfort and instruction to all sinners Comfort not to despair of pardon see Peter received again into favour after so great a fall Instruction to learn by his Example what course to take to get into favour again Of which more at large hereafter 5. It wanted not a Mysterie that Peter should deny his Master at his first entrance into the house of the high Priest and that at the provocation of a little girl For the first or chiefest profession in Princes Courts is to deny Christ that is to postpone and undervalue God and Christ Equity and Verity yea the salvation of their own souls too and only to mind and look after the things of this world This comes to pass especially when a man is brought in by a maid i e. by covetousness For that is the root of all evil 1 Tim 6. But whom that faithfull servant the fear of the Lord doth usher in he will cleave close to Christ in the Courts of Princes and in the midst of his worldly business as we see in David Daniel Hester Mordecay Joseph c. 6. To conclude He that reads the fall and denyal of Peter let him pray to the Lord that he never fall into the like Temptation as to deny Christ Let this weakness of Peter be our strength inasmuch as we know of him that after he had received the holy Spirit he would rather suffer himself to be cut in pieces than to deny Christ The high Priest then asked Jesus of his Disciples John 18.19 and of his Doctrine Jesus answered him I spake openly to the world I ever taught in the Synagogue and in the Temple whither the Jews alwayes resort and in secret have I said nothing Why askest thou me ask them which heard me what I have said unto them behold they know what I said And when he had thus spoken one of the Officers which stood by stroke Jesus with the palm of his hand saying Answerest thou the High Priest so Iesus answered him if I have spoken evil bear witness of the evil but if well why smitest thou me They that are of opinion that there was nothing acted in Annas's house except for honours sake they brought Christ first to him these refer all these things to Caiaphas who was the High Priest that year But whither it was he that did this or whither it was Annas that was High Priest the last year doth not much concern us we shall only consider the matter it self That High Priest then whoever he was whether Annas or Caiaphas he undertook to examine Christ by vertue of his Office and to convince him of his errour Christ stands bound before him and bears the pride of that wicked man as if he had been the basest and meanest of men He yields himself to be examined as if he had been the veryest Dunce that ever was Is not here patience even beyond patience Be not thou offended if proud silly fellows despise thee Christ did here lead the way by his example Two things principally the High Priest enquired after 1. His Disciples And was this such a crime in Christ Did that scurvy Priest know nothing else against him And doth he therefore turn his Accusation into Interrogatories Peradventure he would ask where his Disciples were why he chose them what he meant to do with them This Querie tended to convince him of raising sedition and going about to bring in Innovations 2. His Doctrine what it was and whence he had it whether it agreed with the Doctrine of Moses and the Prophets q.d. Thou teachest far otherwise than Moses and the Prophets did Therefore thou art an Heretick and a Seducer and thou hast got thee Disciples to spread thy Heresie over all Iudaea Besides thou hast innovated a Baptism without our Authority In short thou dost all this yea although thou art not of the Tribe of Levi yet thou usurpest to thy self a power of preaching Thinkest thou that we will alway wink at it and never curb such insolency of manners and doctrine as we find in thee contrary to the custom and Rules of the Ancients Nay we have born with thee too long already Now thou shalt pay for alltogether Note here that t is not objected to Christ nor could it be objected against him that he was a Murtherer or a Thief or an Adulterer or an Extortioner but only that he did teach and take Disciples to him This is that above any other thing which the world doth lay to his charge that he never lets them alone but is still reproving them The world saith he hateth me because I testifie of it that the works thereof are evil John 7. If Christ would have held his peace and not so continually have been finding fault the world could have born him But how can Truth be silent and not declare against falshood How is it possible that the Sun-should not shew what is fair and what is foul See our ingratitude for even for that very thing which the world hated in him was Christ most deserving the greatest honour and altogether praise-worthy for his teaching the Truth and chusing whom he pleased out of the world that they might not perish with the world was the highest favour he could shew But whereas this High Priest questioned Christ about his Doctrine and Disciples there was no hurt in all that It is rather the duty of the Ecclesiastical Power to take care that no false Doctrine be broacht abroad The Priest then made a fair pretence but his mind was quite contrary For he knew the things which Christ taught were true Besides he might have made a true
to make sport with fools abusing him with most contumelious words and actions Who is not sensible what a horrid thing it was to deride him whom the Father had sent for our salvation And yet they now flout and fleer at Christ who likewise talk and prate of his Words and Works and Sacraments 2. They spit upon him or spit even in his face To spit on a man is far greater disdain then simply to mock or strike him For that which we spit on we account a nasty stinking thing Behold here the bread of Angels is loathsom to men they abuse that Face which the Angels desire to behold they bespatter him whom their Fathers so longingly desired saying cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved Psalm 80. Here that of Isaiah is truly fulfilled He hath no form or comliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him We esteemed him not Truly he bare our griefs Isa 53. 3. They buffeted him The Jews had a custom that they thought they could never sufficiently misuse one that had offended God and so thought that they had performed a most acceptable service to God if they had poured out their wrath by spitting and all sort of despite upon him then they took themselves for most dear children of God because they were fervently and burning hot zealous for him and did stoutly vindicate his wrong Hence they did not blush to do those things which the basest fellow in the world would have been ashamed of But they knockt Christ on the head and Satan now doth the like to them 4. They cover his face First that they might not be moved to pitty him for his face was most lovely and enamored all that beheld it He was truly fairer then the children of men Psalm 45. Secondly They were so malicious that they could not devise what to do to him And therefore by the just Judgement of God the Veil is yet upon their heart according to that Let their eyes be blinded that they see not 5. They stroke him on the face with the palms of their hands with scoffing words Prophesie thou Christ c. speaking it in scorn as to one that fain would be accounted by the people for a Prophet and the Messias when indeed he was not And many other they spake blasphemously against him Many things saith he which neither the Evangelists nor the Prophets wrote of Not such as the former but other things saith he they tauntingly spake against him And what great how grievous and what unheard of things did our Lord suffer for us this Night Here that Prophesie was fully verified I gave my back to the smiters and my cheekt to them that plucked off the hair I hid not my face from shame and spitting Isa 50. Unthankfull man get thee gone and seek after the joyes of this world since the Lord hath suffered such unworthy things for thee See what solace Christ had in the Paschal Night which was the greatest and gladsomest Festival of the Jews Behold what great thanks he had from his people that Night wherein he did them the greatest kindness heretofore That night they did sprinkle their Door-posts with the blood of the old Lamb. But they besmear this true Lamb with most execrable and cursed spittings O the strange frowardness of men O unutterable patience of Christ O the never sufficiently admired patience of God! Had it been any wonder if he had even destroyed the whole world for this one horrid fact Truly the Lord is very patient and long-suffering But thus the Scriptures must be fulfilled and thus man must be Redeemed As for our part Dear Brethren let us 1. Consider seriously all and every of these Premises particulars for no man can with words ever sufficiently express them Consider them every one in order Compare the persecutors with him that was persecuted Think of them as if they were now before your eyes and done afresh in your sight meditate upon them in the inmost parts of your heart Thy Saviour is set at naught They Master is spit on Thy Lord is buffeted Thy God is more basely handled than ever any man was dealt with on earth Hear this understand it consider it well ponder it throughly whosoever thou art that dost acknowledge thy self to be a sinner For they are our sins Brethren I say our sins are they that brought Christ to this pass If we had not sinned in Adam and Eve our innocent Christ had never suffered these things In this various and manifold Passion we see as before our eyes how unrighteous how guilty how full of sin we are and especially have been Look how vile Christ outwardly in the body did appear or seem before men so vile were we inwardly in our souls before God and such as Christ was here such must we have been for ever if he had not undertaken all these things 2. Let us give him thanks who by his reproach and contempt delivered us from eternal shame 3. Learn we also patiently to bear what wrong and scorn is offered to us For if our Lord Christ was thus mocked spit on scoft at contemned and made a laughing stock as he had before told his Apostles he should Luke 18. and was beaten with more stripes then any can express why should not we his servants and schollers suffer the like This no other way must we go to Heaven even by death to life by shame to glory He that refuseth this when according to the will of God to do it may be called a prudent man indeed but he will never go for a true Christian Know therefore that Christ did not suffer these things only as his work but also for our Example that is He did not only suffer these things for us but his Will is that we also should suffer patiently the like things if need require 4. But above all let us take heed that we do not reproach Christ which the unthankfull Christians now in these our dayes make no bones to do and never leave slandering him For they buffet him who confess him with their words but deny him in their works A buffet is that which is given behind the back They spit on Christ who defile their souls with filthy thoughts or laugh at godly men for serving God Or lastly such as contemn their true Prelates or Ministers They strike Christ on his face with the palms of their bands who disturb and vex their Neighbour in his presence and before his face or that take the Sacraments or administer them with unwashen hands They cover Christs face who when they sin in secret are more afraid of men then of God Also they who sin out of wilfull and affected ignorance So they who wittingly cheat and defraud their Neighbour c. Of these and such like do thou beware O Christian whosoever thou art For all these redound to the injury of Christ But study rather in word and
quiet as we heard before in the house of Annas so secondly it doth as much complain of Christ that he will and must Raign The world is in bodily fear of losing its Kingdom Thus Herod was exceeding afraid when Christ was born Matth. 2. So here the Roman power is cast into a quaking fit lest it should be destroyed by Christ And thus Worldlings are still afraid that Christ will take away their Riches and Honours from them But there is no ground why these silly men should so fear it He that can give Heavenly Kingdoms will scorn those that are mortal He came not to take our earthly things from us but to give us Heavenly things with them Christ doth not deny us things terrene but teacheth us to make good use of them To Pilates Question Christ makes his answer so that he doth neither deny himself to be a King nor directly affirm it and this he did most wisely For if he had presently answered and said I am a King before he had distinguished his Kingdom from the kingdoms of men he had given Pilate occasion to revile him What then doth he reply Speakest thou this of thy self or did others tell it thee of me Which may be taken 1. By way of Admiration q.d. O Pilate what a great thing and how certain a Truth dost thou speak of which thou art altogether ignorant and unwitting Whence hadst thou it that thou shouldst call me a King whereas none can say that this Jesus is that is that I am the Lord but by the Holy Ghost Doubtless whencesoever thou hadst it whether of thy self or from others thou hast truly spoken a mighty matter if so be thou didst but understand thine own words and know what thou sayest In like manner Christ admired that noble answer of the Centurian who said Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldst c. Mat. 8. 2. It may be taken as a reprehension of Pilate as if Christ had said If thou wouldst fasten this upon me from thine own jealousie then thou dost not the part of a just Judge For a Judge must not judge according to his own private surmises but as the cese is But if others have told thee these Tales of me they must prove what they say let them make it appear that I went about to raise a Rebellion But 3. Christ did thus answer especially to give an occasion to speak what follows Am I a Jew saith he q.d. How should I say this of mine own head when I am no Jew but a Gentile What do we that are Heathens know of your affairs Thine own Nation and the High Priests have delivered thee unto me and have accused thee under this Notion before me They have thus aspersed thee I neither apprehended nor accused thee What is it which thou hast done let me hear it from thine own mouth do thou tell me thy self what hast thou done to cause so many and so great men yea thine own Prelates and Clergy and all the whole Nation to hate thee Christ made no answer to this For he had done nothing to deserve their spite and spleen But all that he did was rather worthy of commendation for he did all things well he did all good things and nothing but good and all good things were created by him But he did answer to the former question and distinguish his Kingdom from the kingdom of the World to shew that he had nothing offended against Caesar My Kingdom saith he is not of this World q.d. Pilate I acknowledge and confess that I am a King and this is all that I have done This is the crime that I am accused of But understand it aright T is true I am a King yet so as that I neither usurp or diminish the power of thy Caesar or intend to pull down the Power or Dominion of any King or Prince And that thou mayest fully know my meaning 1. I am not a worldly but an Heavenly King in whose hand are the hearts of all Kings though thou dost little see it 2. My Kingdom that it is my Principality and Administration or my Kingdom that is my Laws and Statutes or my kingdom that is my officers and subjects this my kingdom is not of this world that is it is not of men but of God I am saith he made a King by him upon his holy Hill of Sion Psalm 2. 3. It is not of this World that is it is not a Temporal but a Spiritual Kingdom For the World and the desire thereof passeth away 4. It is not of this world that is it doth not consist in the things of this world as in Riches Pleasures Pomp for whatsoever is of this world is the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life but in Spiritual things as Righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 5. It is not of this world because it hath other Rights and Laws which a worldly Kingdom hath not 6. It is not of this world because it is not corporal but Spiritual 7. It is governed after another manner than the Kingdoms of this world For these are Ruled by a material Sword but my Kingdom hath no need of such a Sword The Sword of my Kingdom is the Word of God The Kingdoms of the world have Cities Towers Towns Villages Hosts Armies Ammunition but my Kingdom doth require nothing but the hearts of men The world doth rule over mens estates and persons but my Scepter swayeth only their hearts and consciences The world vaunts it with carnal power but must stoop to that which is Spiritual I care nothing at all for fleshly strength but I Triumph and Raign spiritually over sin death and hell See how lively Christ sets forth his Kingdom In the same manner almost doth Zachary speak of Christs Kingdom Behold saith he thy King cometh unto thee meek and lowly Zach. 9. Note also that he doth not say my Kingdom is not in this world For he is Lord of the world too All things were made by Christ and by him are they all governed and disposed All power is given unto him in Heaven and in earth Mat. 28. Now if the Kingdom of Christ be not of this world then it will follow that there is another world besides this And therefore 1. If thou dost not see the Promises of Christ fulfill'd in this world yet do not despair for there is another world wherein shall be made good whatsoever was not performed here 2. Whereas the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world therefore we are commanded to pray Thy Kingdom come So then Christ doth here free Pilate from all his fear And by his Example also he doth prove that he did not at all affect the Caesarean or regall power If my Kingdom were of this world saith he 1. I would not march with naked Disciples but would provide me armed men yea I would have my Counsell of War Souldiers an Army c.
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
such a Rogue before Christ 1. Now Barabbas signifieth a Son of the Father that is of the Devil or Antichrist for according to Matthew he was not simply but notoriously wicked He was a seditious fellow a Thief and a Murtherer Hence Peter saith ye desired a Murtherer to be granted to you and have killed the Prince of Life Act. 3. 2. Barabbas also may be interpreted the son of a multitude or the son of a Master For he had the same Father to be his Master which taught Iudas to betray his Lord. 3. He is truly a son of the multitude that is a son of the World To this fellow then is Christ likened and compared the most innocent man with the most notorious robber yea the most precious Son of God with the very child of the Devil himself This was figured forth by the two Goats under the Law upon which the Priest Levit. 16. was commanded to cast Lots which should be slain and which should be the scape-Goat Barabbas was that one stinking Goat the other Goat was Christ who according to his innocency was a Lamb but according to our iniquities and in reference to our sins which he took upon him he was as it were a Goat This is slain and the other is let go But as he that slew the Goat did sprinkle his blood upon the Altar that God might be propitious but he that led away the scape-Goat was thereby made unclean till he had washed himself with water So by the blood of Christ the Fathers anger is pacified and alaid again But the Iews who desired Barabbas to be released unto them are become unclean and never can be clean untill they be washed by the blood of Christ But hear the Vote and how the Lot falls Pilate did not doubt but that they would adjudge Christ to be set at liberty rather then a common Cutter upon the High way but he was much mistaken herein For the chief Priests had otherwise perswaded the common Rabble of people to wit that they should desire Barabbas to be released to them but that Jesus should not only be kept in hold but also condemned to a most filthy and shamefull death This saith he those Princes and prime men perswaded the people unto Therefore they especially are guilty of shedding Christs blood more then the rest See here how pestilent and pernitious an evil Counsellour is The multitude of the people at first were wholly for Christ and did generally follow and cleave to him But now these wicked men having prevailed with them they cry out against him and desire to have him put to death The whole multitude saith he cryed out Away with him and release unto us Barabbas O notorious blindness or madness rather For what else was this but to say kill him that raised the dead and set him at liberty who killed the living put out the light and let us sit in darkness Away with the Peace maker and let the mutinous and seditious alone We will not accept of Life we desire Death rather Let Truth be banisht we chuse falshood before it Finally they scorn so much as to mention the very Name of Christ but they cry out for Barabbas to be set at liberty they had rather celebrate the Passover with him then with Jesus for although he were a lewd and wicked fellow yet he was more tolerable to them because he never used to reprove them for their faults but Christ was an intolerable man not to be born by them because he rebuked them for their Vices This then is that complaint made in Isaiah I looked for Righteousness but behold a cry Isa 5. So in Jeremy Mine heritage is unto me at a Lyon in the Forrest it cryeth out against me therefore c. Jer. 12. For as the Lyon terrifieth the other creatures with his roaring voyce so these men by their out-cry did force the Lord unto the Cross This people therefore did here commit two evils as it is said in Ieremy the second They have forsaken me the Fountain of living water and have digged to themselves broken Cisterns that can hold no water The first evil was in that they thought a guilty person more fit to be released then an innocent man The second was in that they would offer to condemn their best Benefactor It is not so bad to desire the inlargement of an offender but to chuse it and that rather to desire the freedom of a wicked man then of a godly man this can never be good in any sense We that are Christians ought to pray for all men yea for Infidels but mean while willingly to forget those that are of one Faith together with us this must needs be evil 1. The Iews by this their out-rage did notably lay open their ingratitude in that they did so basely esteem of him who set so great a rate on them as to chuse them for his people before all others 2. They did betray the madness of their malice which was so great that they rather desired all righteousness should be utterly ruined and that all malice should have its swinge then that the current of their hatred should be stopt 3. Here they bewray their great blindness because they desire that which by all means they should have feared avoided and prayed against to wit that their Saviour might not be cut off and a Robber released to them But as they desired both so it befell them They chose a Thief and rejected a Saviour justly therefore are they exposed to the Sword and Robbers without any Saviour They asked a Murtherer to be given them but killed the Prince of Life for which very thing they perished by seditions and murthers and were and are involved in such great calamities that none is able by Pen or Tongue sufficiently to express them And for this very fact the Prophets call that Nation the daughter of a Robber Well doth Isaias also speak of them Ah sinfull Nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of evil doers children that are corrupters they have forsaken the Lord c. Isa 1. Here we see 1. That there is nothing but a wicked mind will prefer it before Christ and the truth if it doth but know and hope it shall get never so little by it 2. We are taught not to trust in the applause of the world For they who but a little while since did sing before Christ Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord now cry out as loud Away with him c. 3. Here we see the disposition of the world which doth ever make choyce of the worst and reject the best It is alway more favourable to the guilty then the innocent But all that we here see or hear of did not fall out by chance but by the Decree and Counsell of God For it behooved Christ to be made the lowest of men and to fall under the greatest contempt that he might be most highly exalted and
glorified over all Isa 53. The lowest descent of Christ was to be accounted more base and wicked then a Thief or a Robber but this Descention is a means of his Ascention and the true and only way for him to be more highly exalted If thou therefore art despised and reckoned worse then the worst have recourse presently to Christ who in the sence of so great contempt transfer'd it on himself and overcame it that thou by Faith in him mightest overcome it also No marvell then if guiltless men be sometimes punished and the guilty escape Scot-free So it was with Christ And as it here fell out in Pilates Court the very same happened in Gods Court Adam that notorious Thief with his whole posterity stood accused before God all of them guilty of Death So did also the most innocent Son of God Now one of them must be punished with Death Divine Justice did so require it But God of his great mercy spared him and delivered his own innocent Son to Death for him 1. Brethren let us embrace this mercy of God and be thankfull unto him for it 2. Let us take heed that Christ that is the Righteousness of God be not taken and kept prisoner in us and the Thief that is unrighteousness be not let go at random But what doth Pilate do when he saw this frantick obstinacy of the Jews He little thought that they would desire Barabbas to be released unto them And nothing seemed more strange unto him then this unworthy behaviour of them Therefore he saith What then shall I do with Jesus c. q.d. If ye think it meet and just that a Thief should have his inlargement much more he that is proved to be innocent or with what justice can I condemn this man if a Thief must be released instead of him ye desire that he should be sent packing but require a Thief to be set at liberty Nay in requiring a Thiefs enlargement ye do necessarily desire this mans releasment For he that would an offender let go would much more that a Righteous man should not be kept prisoner And so is it indeed with those that are in their right wits but malice had blinded these mens eyes Therefore they cry out again Crucifie him Crucifie him These wicked Husbandmen had a will and a resolution to kill the Lord of the Vineyard thinking that then they should possess his Inheritance safely and hold it sure enough and so brave it out with great gladness and glory Mat. 21. Wherefore they sharpened their Tongues like Serpents But first of all they determine what kind of death he should dye Where again they discover their wickedness in that they would prescribe what manner of death to put him unto whereas this did not belong to the Accusers but to the Judge And t was not for nothing that they would have him crucified For thereby they thought to delude the people and alienate them from Christ that whereas it is written in the Law Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree they might shew them that Christ also was accursed of God and so by that means Christ might wholly perish not only in his person but in his good Name and repute among the people and the clearness of his Miracles and whatever else was good in him This was that which that wicked crew did plot and purpose even that the whole memory of Christ might utterly be abolished But God crossed their contrivances For the curse of the Cross was far from clouding Christs Renown that his Glory did the more sparkle and spread thereby Let not us think shame of the Cross of Christ but esteem it our greatest honour Let us now glory in nothing save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ Gal. 6. For this will turn all cursing into blessing to us But how madly soever they cry out Pilate doth yet withstand them and doth the third time publiquely protest Christs innocency What evil saith he hath he done I find no fault in him For he knew and now had sufficient experience by the fact it self that for envy they had delivered him Nothing but envy I say was the ground of all this clamour For this had so blinded them that they could not see the Law of God or of Nature A manifest and plain Sign and Token of this their envy was in that they took no notice of the Judges excusing him but still cryed out more and more and what else should they do when they had nothing else to prove their charge In like manner the world afterward cryed out against the Martyrs of Christ The curse of the Cross light on them Away with them Throw them to the beasts make dogs meat of them Hence with these Malefactors c. How should they scape better then their Lord But though Ravens or Lyons devour us although the fire burn us or the water drown us let us never deny Christ or desert his Church It follows in the Text Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged him John 19.1 Mar. 15.16 Mat. 27.28 And the Souldiers led him away into the Hall called Pretorium and they call together the whole band And they stripped him and put on him a scarlet Robe And when they had platted a Crown of Thorns they put it upon his head and a Reed in his right hand and they bowed the knee before him and mocked him saying Hail King of the Jews And began to salute him Hail c. Mar. 15. And they smote him with their hands John 19.3 And they spit upon him and took the Reed and smote him on the head Mat. 27.30 And bowing their knees worshipped him Mar. 15.19 The Devil now at last through the furious rage of the Jews so far prevailed with Pilate who endeavoured to carry on things in a politique way of Justice to lay violent hands on Christ I say he laid hands on him whom he had so often excused For so the Scripture must be fulfilled Pilate knew well enough that for envy they had delivered him and yet he doth so far gratifie and condescend unto them that for their sakes and in favour to them he doth suffer and command innocent Jesus to be scourged And how many such Pilatists are there to be found now adayes in every Countrey who commonly Apprehend Oppress Spoyl Kill and condemn even the innocent for no other cause but because it will please their Princes Pilate might have rescued Christ out of the hands of the Jews having power and force sufficient to have done it as Lysias the Tribune or chief Captain did rescue Paul Act. 21. But thus it must be Christ foreknew and foretold his scourging long before Mar. 10. Luke 18. And Isaiah prophesied the same long before the Incarnation of Christ I gave my body to the smiters and my face to them that plucked off the hair c. Isa 50. The Apostles also in like manner were thus scourged and whipt afterward Acts 5.
all thy bruisings and of all thy confusions Thy love and my sin made thee become so weak Consider this O thou miserable sinner consider of this when thou makest provision to fulfill the lusts of the flesh Here we see how that 1. We were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold But with the precious blood of the unspotted Lamb 1 Pet. 1. 2. How Christ made satisfaction for the sins of the flesh 3. How the lost sheep is not only found but brought home again upon the shoulders of the good shepherd with great labour and toyl Wo to those miserable men that polluted their hands in the blood of the innocent And wo be to us also if we be not thankfull But there is something else to be taken notice of in this whipping of Christ for while the world is so busie about scourging of Christ God is not idle or neglecting his care in the mean time towards those that are his The Lord is wont to do his work when wicked men are active in theirs for the trouble and affliction of the godly When the Patriarchs sold their harmless brother Joseph and fulfil'd their lust upon him then did God carry on his design and accomplish his work For under that sale of him did God secretly advance Joseph to have dominion over his brethren So here When Pilate and the Jews did their business in this whipping of Christ mean while also God doth his work as fast For 1. He hath so sanctified and blessed all stripes and all afflictions by these scourgings of his Son that what afflictions soever do now befall a godly man they do him more good than hurt and help him forward in the way of holiness 2. By these stripes wherewith Christ was beaten God the Father hath so ordered it that all the scourges of a godly man shall prosper to his good 3. God hath here declared in his only begotten Son what usage his adopted and elected Children must look for in this world For if he suffered his only begotten Son to be whipt shall he not much more let his adopted Children be slasht For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth Prov. 3. And scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth What will they say to these things who live in pleasures and never think of adversity so far are they from being willing to suffer the least and lightest cross as if they went about to build another Paradise in the earth Behold saith he That which I have built I will break down and seekest thou great things for thy self Jer. 45. They whose Judgement it was not to drink of the cup have drank of it and dost thou think to escape Learn therefore O Christian from this scourging of Christ to bear the scourge of God patiently and say with David In flagella paratus sum I am ready for the Rod as the vulgar reading is Psalm 38.17 And with Paul I am ready not to be bound only but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Act. 21. Hitherto we have heard of the whipping of Christ which indeed had been sufficient for the redemption of all mankind But all is not at an end yet the wickedness of perfidious men as well of the Jews as of the souldiers is not yet satisfied but affliction is added to the afflicted and the injuries of our King abound the pain of his manifold punishments and reproaches increase more and more Assoon as they had done whipping him Pilates souldiers who were then under the Roman pay and kept garrison at Jerusalam under the Governour because of the frequent seditions and mutinies of the Jews they begin to mock and make sport with Christ and that with such looseness and sawciness that the like was never seen or heard of before no nor were it to be believed if the Evangelists had not so punctually set down every particular We do not read that Pilate commanded these things to be done but the souldiers did it of their own accord to gratifie and curry favour with the Jews However Pilate winks at it holds his peace takes no notice of it he doth not restrain or forbid them Whence some suspect that Pilate all this while did but with a counterfeit mind defend and plead for Christ but really and indeed did conspire his death with the Jews And therefore we heard before that the Governour sent a band of Roman fouldiers to take Christ Whereas if the souldiers had done this without Pilates privity yet Pilate could not be excused who did not so much as check them or speak one word in dislike of their great malice against the innocent Wherefore O Christians seriously consider again and think upon this so great suffering but withall take notice that our sins were the cause thereof Eight jeers That Prophecy of David was here many ways fulfilled in Psal 22 39. 69. There are eight manner of jeers reckoned up which these knaves put upon Christ for which no doubt the Jews did well reward them nor would they march out to take Christ for nothing For truly Officers of an Army are but vassals to Gold That side which allows the best pay hath the justest cause But these were Tiberian and heathen Souldiers What then are ours and what do our souâ—diers do who are baptized for Christians What people under the sun are worse and less fearing God Those souldiers of Tiberius did scourge crown mock spit on and at last crucifie Christ But our souldiers whom we daily see before our eyes do no less to Christ by swearing and blaspheming the blood and wounds of Christ c. No wonder if such souldiers were always worsted not only by the Turks but also if the earth had swallowed them up alive And no question but the earth and the people therein are the worse for such kind of Blasphemies For is it not a diabolical thing that Christians know not what else to swear by but by that by which they are redeemed But of this we shall speak elsewhere Let us now consider those eight things which Christ suffered from those souldiers 1. They muster up the whole devilish band together to make the greater mockery and derision of it Surely 't is no small vexation to be jeered at by one single person alone how much more to be made a laughing stock before so many men 2. The band being called together they clothe and put on him a purple robe which was a military garment of a red colour which Commanders use to wear The military attire of other souldiers was called a Corslet or Coat of Male. This they did scoffingly to signifie thereby that he was a King Herods servants put a white robe upon Christ these clothe him in scarlet 3. They plat a Crown of Thorns and set it on his holy head for a royal Diadem Who can imagine the pain that reverend Head indured by so many prickly thorns fastned on it when we are so tormented with the prick
having overcome all enemies to wit the Devil Sin the World and Hell it self should set all mankind at liberty again Or by the Purple mantle is signified the service of love which he performed for us and to us in his Passion For Scarlet in grain is of the colour of fire which the Lord commanded should be taken for the service of his Tabernacle when it was twice dipt Exod. 28.5 to signifie our love to God and to our Neighbour whence it is that whatsoever we offer by fire and that will endure the test is well pleasing in the sight of God Now Christ out of his exceeding great love to us did drink off the cup of his Passion to the bottom Well therefore might he be clothed with a purple Robe to express this his overflowing charity to us or else it was to shew that he himself was that very self-same one signified by the red Heifer in the Law whose body was commanded to be burnt for a sin-offering without the camp and the ashes thereof to be sprickled upon the people in water Numb 19. 2. The crown of Thorns signified that the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world that is it doth not glitter with stateliness or pomp nor doth it consist of outward force and might but it is thorny and of a scarlet dye that is it is subject to sufferings and afflictions The crowns of the Kings of this world are made part of Iron part of Silver and part of Gold intimating that the Empire of this world consisteth in carnal power lustre and nobleness But Christs crown is made of Thorns thereby hinting unto us that the Kingdom of Christ doth consist and is full of Thorns and Afflictions Such a King as Christ is himself such Kings doth he make us obnoxions to all tribulations If then thou wouldst raign with Christ do not startle at or throw aside the thorny Crown for if thou art crowned here with him with thorns hereafter thou shalt be crowned with him with a crown of Glory and honour Psal 8. 2 Cor. 1. 3. The Reed in his hand signified that he had power to lay down his life and to take it up again Iohn 10. Although they thought no such thing Seeing Christs Kingdom is such a one as grows up among Thorns no marvell that the world doth so scoff and jeer at it 1 Cor. 1. For the Gospel and the preaching of the Cross is foolishness to the world When they heard say that Christ was a King but seeing him crowned with Thorns they disdained and made light of him hearing that the Gospel promiseth freedom from all evil and seeing it come along accompanied with nothing but the cross they â—…out and â—…eer at it When they hear that Christians are Kings over sin and death yet seeing that they are sick and dye as well as others they do but laugh at it Christians therefore do look like fools to the world because they hope for ayd and deliverance but for all that are at present overwhelmed with all manner of miseries Hence it was that Iobs Wife said to him Dost thou still retain thine integrity Curse God and dye Job 2. But however the cross and afflictions crush Christ he is nevertheless and will be a King with all Saints which will appear to be so one day whether the world will believe it now or no. It follows John 19.4 Pilate therefore went forth again and saith unto them Behold I bring him forth to you that you may know that I find no fault in him Then came Jesus forth wearing the Crown of Thorns and the Purple Robe and Pilate saith unto them behold the man When the chief Priests therefore and the Officers saw him they cryed out saying Crucifie him Crucifie him Pilate saith unto them take ye him and crucifie him for I find no fault in him The Jews answered him we have a law and by our law he ought to dye because he made himself the Son of God When Pilate therefore heard that saying he was the more afraid and went again into the Judgement Hall and saith unto Jesus Whence art thou But Jesus gave him no answer Then Pilate saith unto him speakest thou not unto me Knowest thou not that I have power to crucifie thee and have power to release thee Jesus answered Thou couldest have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him But the Jews cryed out saying if thou let this man go thou art not Caesars friend whosoever maketh himself a King speaketh against Caesar 'T is not to be uttered what the malice of the Jews plotted against Christ how earnestly they did press and urge against him what various and several things they invented to crucifie an innocent Christ As for any thing concerning the civil Laws Christ ought to have been set at liberty inasmuch as the Judge was satisfied in his opinion and the civil Laws do appoint but one punishment for one offence But thus Christ and they that are his do speed in this world they can scarcely find civil honest Judges Christ ought to have been absolved by the Judges sentence forasmuch as he had now suffered the punishment pronounced against him But wickedness is so insatiable that it will not be satisfied when punishment is inflicted although the Judge himself doth omit nothing that might tend to Christs liberty but doth use his utmost endeavour to effect it excepting only this that in the end he doth suffer himself to be prest to do open injustice for fear of his Superiours How much had he done and stood hitherto on the behalf of Christ How many consultations had he and how did he debate the business in his behalf But all his art and skill neither could nor ought to take place for God had otherwise determined Indeed Pilate doth now openly and sharply speak to the Jews endeavouring what possibly he could to maintain what was just and honest And then he examineth Jesus in private that he might find out the truth of the mattter but all that he attempted was to no purpose Now when his servants had most miserably and most shamefully abused and made sport with Jesus he offers to shew him to the people in that pittifull pickle and deformity if thereby happily he might move them to some compassion Pilate therefore went out again but not altogether so hot and zealous to do him right as when he went out before He had not a little swerved from the right Rule of true Justice when he did but scourge innocent Jesus Now he brings him out again and sets Christ before them that ye may know said he that I find no fault at all in him He doth here again acknowledge that Christ was innocent and that it was plain injustice to proceed any further against him Nay he doth clearly confess that he had gone beyond his
Vagabonds upon the earth like Cain Gen. 4. And no doubt but ye have felt the smart of it long since how sorely this blood of Christ hath lain upon you But now 1659. years and opprest you and your Children now more than these fifteen hundred years Nor shall you ever have rest and quiet till ye be converted and turn to him and acknowledge your iniquity After Pilate had washt his hands and thought himself whiter than the snow then he gives sentence against Christ to put him to death He thought it a small matter to adjudge a poor mean man to die He thought no body would revenge his blood but he found it otherwise at last What matter is it if a godly man hath no man to take his part or none to revenge his quarrel so long as he hath God to avenge his wrong Vengeance is mine saith he I will repay Deut. 32. Thus Barabbas the Robber is let go without any punishment but innocent Jesus is whipt and judged to death even the death of the Cross The just for the unjnst So those sons of men Whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword did prevail and get the day because they stifly stood it out and held on their clamour so long till at last he was delivered to them to be crucified And so he that gives life to all bare the sentence of death for us For in the righteous Judgement and Court of God this sentence of death was due to us But Christ took it upon himself Thus I say He to whom the heavenly Father had committed all Judgement John 5. And who shall call to the Heavens from above and to the earth that he may judge his people Psalm 50. 2 Pet. 2. At whose Judgement the Powers of Heaven shall be shaken and the firmament shall pass away with fervent heat Hell shall give up its dead and every creature shall tremble he it this day set at naught and despised as the vilest fellow in the world and condemned to die But wo and alas 1. How were the hearts of his Disciples and the rest of his friends overcharged with sadness and grief when all hope of life was taken away and they heard that their faithfull Master their Lord and Helper was condemned by a most unrighteous Judgement 2. On the contrary what a frantick fit of jollity and howling exultation were these mad dogs put into when they had at last prevailed with the Judge by their importunate clamours to grant them their most abominable and horrid request which he had so often denyed them before when the wicked Judge delivered up Jesus the Saviour to the cursed and most cruel will of those who thirsted so much after his blood 3. How did the hopeless sadness of his friends and the furious mirth of his foes torture and afflict this meekest Lamb now in the midst of Wolves 1. Here we see Christians what we must have expected at Gods Judgement day even the Sentence of Eternal Death if Christ had not took pity on us and taken it upon himself 2. We see what little confidence we are to put in the World when Pilate who had hitherto so often stood in defence of Christ now to gratifie and please the Iews doth crucifie him without any other cause in the world So Herod heard Iohn willingly yet cut off his head at last Mark 6. This unrighteous Sentence Christ took and accepted of to free us from the most just Sentence of damnation and to teach us not to fear the unrighteous judgement of the World Let us alwayes remember this Judgement that we may with all our might and whole hearts give thanks to our Lord Christ who would be condemned to death for us and be delivered to the will of the wicked Iews yea he delivered himself that we might be able to stand before the Judgement of God And they took off the purple from him Mar. 15.20 and put his own cloaths on him and led him out to crucifie him And he bearing his cross went forth John 19.17 And as they came out they found a man of Cyrene Simon by name Mat. 27.32 who passed by coming out of the Countrey the father of Alexander and Rufus Mark 15.21 and they laid hold upon him Luke 23.26 him they compelled to bear his cross Mat. ibid. and they laid the cross on him that he might bear it after Iesus And there followed him a great company of people and of women which also bewailed and lamented him And Iesus turning unto them said Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me but weep for your selves and for your children For behold the dayes are coming in the which they shall say Blessed are the barren and the Wombs that never bare and the paps which never gave suck Then shall they begin to say to the Mountains fall on us and to the Hills cover us For if they do these things in a green Tree what shall be done in the dry Luke 23.27 Dearest Brethren and friends of God you who wait to hear the end of the saving crucifying of the blessed Lord and beloved Jesus the good God imprint in your hearts the memory of this great suffering that thereby you may not only be more strengthened in your Faith but also animated and encouraged in patience to undergo the like if need so require Amen Invocate the Lords mercy and with most fervent minds pray for all Iews Pagans Hereticks sinners and sinneresses that God the Father and Creator of all would bestow his Grace and Mercy upon all men whereby they may be converted from unbelief to the Faith and from a wicked life to godliness O thou most high God remember this so infinite Passion and be not angry with us for ever These things I thought good to premise to stir up your minds and make ye more attentive to those things which now follow We have heard first what our Lord suffered before finall sentence was past upon him We have heard secondly what that sentence was to wit that he should be crucified Now thirdly we shall hear next how that sentence was put in execution Here then let us give all attention not so much with the ears of our body as of our mind The next thing to be done is to open the Veins of the Fountain of living Waters that that precious balsam which pierceth and softeneth the hearts of all the godly may flow out After that wicked sentence was pronounced those truculent and bloody Wolves took that meekest Lamb Jesus to rend him in pieces and destroy him utterly a thing which they had long desired and now at last had obtained So that what Christ had foretold was now fulfilled to wit that the world should rejoice in his sufferings Ioh. 15. Then is the world glad when it may do what it listeth without controul when there is none to reprove it when it hath those that rebuke it under its own power they took Christ
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