blinde ambition so the other tenne offended no lesse with ambitious indignation As they did carnally make this request so these did as carnally disdain them seeing euery one of them did no lesse desire the cheefest place Luke 9 46. Mar. 9 34. as appeareth by their manifolde contentions and disputations about it But our Sauiour as by his wonted mildenesse and clemency he tollerated the carnal petition of the two brethren so he doth not sharpely reprooue the carnall indignation of the rest Ver. 25. But calling them all vnto him as if hee had had some serious matter to impart he laboureth to cure them all with one Medicine and hereby taketh occasion to exhort them to humility and lowlinesse of mind and that by two contrary examples The one is takē from the Kings of the earth from whom he would haue his Disciples to differ the other is his owne example Ver. 25 26. whereunto they ought to conform themselues if they desire to reigne with him The former example is first propounded in these words Ye know that the Lords of the Gentiles haue domination ouer them they that are great exercise authority ouer thē But it shall not be so among you And afterward it is expounded in the next words Ver. 26. But whosoeuer will be great among you let him be your seruant wher he declareth how he would haue christians to differ from the heathen Hee doth not forbid that euen among his disciples one should be greater another lesser but prescribeth another way and other maner of maiority and minority which consisteth not in lordlinesse outward pomp nor in lofty seats and worldly pride but in labour and seruice And to the end that he might affect them the more make better impression of his doctrine he addeth another sentence Verse 27. saying Whosoeuer wil be chiefe among you let him bee your seruant Where he teacheth vs how a man may be great and the chiefe before God in the kingdom of heauen namely if he subiect himself to minister to do seruice to al men whereupon Ierom saith * Christus humilitatis magister c ad locum Christ the master of humility meeknes doth neither reproue the two sutors for their immoderat desire nor rebuke the other ten for their indignation enuy but propoundeth such an example whereby he wold teach them that he is the greater that is the lesser and that he is a lord that is seruant of al. And therfore it was in vaine either for them to seek superfluous things or for these to grieue at their desire of greatnes seeing men must come to the heighth of honor not by power Externis nostra similia non haben◠c. ad locum but by humility so doth Chrysostom also expound the place As if our Sauior shold haue said our estate is not like the estate of strangers For among the Gentiles they that are princes do bear rule but with mee he that is the last is the cheefest But there are others that wil haue the meaning of the speech thus that our Sauiour teacheth in this place how he that hath attained rule authority in the church ought to behaue himselfe in the same namely if he will execute his office wel he must be the minister and seruant of them ouer whom he is set so as in all things he seek their benefit saluation not his own honor And this sense agreeth best with that which Christ saith in another place to the disciples whē they contended for superiority Luc. 22.24.25 26.27 The Kings of the Gentiles reigne ouer them and they that bear rule ouer them are called gracious Lords But ye shall not be so but let the greatest amōg you be as the least and the cheefest as hee that serueth For who is greater hee that sitteth at table or he that serueth Is not he that sitteth at Table And I am among you as he that serueth The example of our Sauior Christ is set downe in this verse that I haue read There are no arguments that preuaile more with Schollers hearers then the example of their Maister And therefore as Christ doeth euery where vrge and presse it that they might in it as in a glasse see how to conforme themselues so heere also to his precept he addeth his example that he might the more effectually moue them Now this example is first propounded generally in these words The Sonne of man came not to be ministred vnto but to minister As if hee should haue saide If I had come into the world in any such pompe as to beare rule like an earthly King and to bee guarded with a troope of manie seruants then it would bee no maruell if your mindes were enflamed set on fire with ambition and that you should also conceyue haughtie thoughts For then there would bee some reason that my followers should contend for superiority it would be a necessary question who should beare rule and who should obey But you your selues do see how I am come in the forme of a seruant to doe seruice for the good of all men And therefore what excuse can you haue if neglecting my example whereby I minister vnto others you desire to beare rule ouer others For you shold alwayes remember that which I haue so often saide vnto you The Disciple is not aboue his Master nor the seruant aboue his Lord. It is enough for the Disciple to be as his master is and the seruant as his Lord. And heerein we haue to consider two things First the Title that is heere giuen vnto our Sauiour Christ he is called The Sonne of Man Secondly the end of his comming 〈…〉 is set downe first negatiuely not to be ministred vnto and secondly affirmatiuely but to minister Secondly this example is amplified by a particular instance of the greatest humility and of the basest seruice that euer was performed and that was to giue his life a ransome for many Wherein we are to obserue first what it was that hee gaue his life Secondly how he gaue it willingly and voluntarily without compulsion which is insinuated in this that it is saide he gaue his life Thirdly the end why he gaue it to be a ransom Fourthly and last of all for whom he gaue it and that is for many And thus I haue led you along to see the dependance that these words haue vpon the former and also haue giuen you the summe and resolution thereof Let vs now see the doctrines therein contained for our instruction The Sonne of man This title is euerie where appropriated to the Messiah in the new Testament And it is taken out of the Prophesie of Daniel where the Prophet describeth the person of the Messiah in this manner As I beheld in visions by night beholde Dan. 7 13 14 one like the Sonne of Man came in the clouds of heauen and approached vnto the Ancient of
great Humility of our Sauiour Christ so it also commendeth his singular loue to vs that hee would bee pleased in this manner to respect such poore wretches as we are For wee might euerie one of vs say 2 Sam. 9 8. as Mephibosheth said to Dauid What is thy seruant that thou shouldest looke vpon such a dead dogge as I am If an earthly King should appoint one of the Nobles of his Court to attend vpon some poore despised person as the great King Ahashuerosh commanded Haman the most honorable of all his Court Ester 6 10 11 to attend and waite vpon poore Mordecai it were a token of great loue but if the King himselfe shall lay by his Princely robes and put on base apparrell and so shall in his owne person performe euery base office to a poore begger that lieth at his gates it would bee a wonderfull spectacle worthy to bee chronicled and registred to all posterity In like manner if the Lorde had appointed any of his Angels the Nobles of his Court of heauen as I may call them who are ministring spirits Heb. 1 14. sent forth to minister for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation to attend vppon vs it had bene exceeding Loue considering our base and wretched estate But that hee himselfe the Sonne of God Apoc. 19 16 Math. 28 18 King of kings and Lord of lords who hath receiued all power from his Father in Heauen and earth should not onely strip himselfe of that glorie which hee had in heauen and to take our Nature vpon him but also take vppon him the base forme of a seruant and therein do seruice vnto vs it is a loue surpassing all loue and therefore should cause vs to loue him againe Secondly this example is propounded for our imitation As our Sauiour himselfe applyeth it when hauing washed his Disciples feete and taken his Garments and beeing set downe againe he said vnto them Know yee what I haue done to you Iohn 13 12 13 14 15. Ye call mee Master and Lord and yee say well for so I am If I then your Lord and Master haue washed your feete ye also ought to wash one anothers Feete For I haue giuen you an example that yee should doe euen as I haue done vnto you And this is also the exhortation of the Apostle Phil. 2 5 6 7 Let the same minde saith he be in you that was in Christ Iesus Now what mind was in him Why as wee haue heard hee layde by his Maiesty and glory that hee had with his Father and for our sakes debased himselfe to the lowest degree of humiliation that could be So must we as much as lyeth in vs apply our selues to the good one of another Wee must lay by our greatnesse and serue one another by Loue. And Galath 5 13. as hee exhorteth others so him-selfe did carefully practise this Dutie Though hee were free from all men yet hee made himselfe a Seruant vnto all men that he might winne the more 1 Cor. 9 19 20 21 22. Vnto the Iewes he became as a Iew that he might winne the Iewes to them that were vnder the Law as though hee were vnder the Law to them that were without law as if hee were without the Law To the weake he became as weake In a word He was made all things to al men that he might by all meanes saue some As if he should haue saide I am in all things free and may liue as I list yet haue I willingly subiected my selfe to all sorts of men For to becom a seruant is to liue at the pleasure commandement of another and not to be his owne man Thus the Apostle sheweth himself exceeding humble who as though he were the meanest of all was ready to performe his seruice vnto all men as if they had bene his superiors If so great an Apostle did debase himselfe thus low let vs thinke what is meete for vs to do Wee must not spare for any difficulties but by the example of the Apostle become all thinges to all men though it bee with the losse of our liberty and profit It was a good speech of one of the Christian Emperors * Luitprand lib. 5. cap. 11. That hee reigneth more gloriously that serueth the base estate of Gods seruants then he that ruleth ouer the greatest sinners in the world But to the end we may be the more willing to performe this duty let vs a little neerer examine this example of our Sauiour Christ And in it let vs consider first who it was that in this manner humbled himself and that is the onely begotten Sonne of God who is Lord of heauen and earth Secondly how farre hee humbled himselfe euen vnto death and that the most shamefull death of the crosse Thirdly for whom he humbled himselfe euen for sinners and wicked persons as the apostle saith When we were sinners Christ dyed for vs. Rom 5.8 Ther could not any thing be propoūded more forcibly against the pride of our nature then this example It may bee thou art a great man a Learned man a wise man a noble man a rich man a mighty man therefore thou thinkst it would be a disgrace to thee to do seruice vnto others But thou art not greater nor learneder nor wiser nor nobler nor richer nor mightier then our Sauiour Christ was It may bee thou art discouraged by the basenesse of the seruice which thou must performe But what euer was more base and vile in the world then the death of the Crosse It may bee thou considerest the basenesse of them to whom thou art to doe seruice and comparest it with thy greatnesse and so thinkest it some disparagement vnto thee If it were to perform some kind office of loue for one of thine owne ranke thou wouldest not stand vpon it But to stoop so low as to do seruice to euery mean person thou thinkest it cannot stande with thy reputation But what is more vile and abiect beeing compared vnto God then wicked sinners the Children of wrath and subiect to eternall destruction So that to conclude this point by vertue of this example of our Sauiour Christ there is no man liuing though hee be neuer so great and honourable that should refuse to do any thing though it bee neuer so base for any man though hee be neuer so abiect if his necessitie doe require it His Life Thus wee haue heard the example of our Sauiour Christ as it hath beene generally propounded Now followeth the particular instance of Humility whereby it is amplified and set out which was To giue his Life a ransome for many In the first circumstance whereof wee are taught what is the price of our Redemption The Apostle telleth vs 1 Cor. 6 19 20 that Wee are not our owne for wee are bought with a price And this price as another Apostle sayeth 1 Pet. 1 18 19 Was not Siluer and Golde or
doctrine and send it backe againe to hell from whence it came and let vs rely vpon the all-sufficient merites of Christ his sufferings for the saluation of our soules assuring our selues that Hee was made vnto vs Wisedome 1. Cor. 1 30. and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption Let vs acknowledge with that blessed Martyr Lambert in the midst of the fire * Foxe martyrol None but Christ None but Christ Secondly this great price that our Sauiour hath payed for our Redemption should mooue vs to godlie sorrowe and remorse for our sinnes It is true that the very bare consideration of our Sauiour Christ his sufferings without any respect to vs should worke sorrow and commiseration in our hearts For who is so hard-hearted that can but reade or heare the Storie of Abraham about to sacrifice his innocent sonne Isaac or the selling away of poore Ioseph by his most vnnaturall and cruell Brethren or the fearefull torments which many of the Martyres haue suffered and endured at the hands of cruell and bloody tyrants not be moued to ruth compassion Nay who can endure to behold euen notorious malefactors executed for their iust deserts without some sense of sorrow For the communion and mutuall participation of nature doeth so affect vs as wee thinke that part of our selues suffereth in them yea that very humanity that is bred with men cannot but bee troubled at the torments of brute beasts But when wee shall consider that our Sauiour suffered all that he suffered for our sakes and for our sinnes much more then ought we to greeue and sorrow It was ordained in the Law that when a man brought a beast to the doore of the Tabernacle for a burnt Offering he should put his hand vpon the head of it Leuit. 1 4. Thereby acknowledging that hee had deserued to die that the beast was to be slaine for his offences So should wee acknowledge that Christ was put to death nor for anie desert of his owne for as we haue heard before he was altogether without blemish but onely for our sinnes When Dauid saw the miserable death of his people by the pestilence and considered that his sinne in numbering of his men was the cause of it his tender heart was vexed within him and with great remorse hee cried thus vnto the Lord Behold I haue sinned yea I haue done wickedly 2 Sam 24 17. but these Sheepe what haue they done In like manner we haue all cause with bitternesse of heart to cry out in this case It is we Lord that haue sinned it is wee that haue done wickedly as for this innocent Lambe Christ Iesus alas what hath he done But that we may be the better affected it shall not be amisse a litle to consider the greeuousnesse of his sufferings And that will appeare first by the generality of them and that in diuers respects First hee suffered of all kinds and sorts of men Hee suffered of the Gentiles and of the Iewes of the Princes and of the people of masters and seruants of his acquaintance and strangers of male and Female So hee suffered in all things wherein it is possible for a man to suffer He suffered in his friends and followers who seeing him apprehended and carried away They all forsooke him and fled Mat. 26 56 58 Onely Peter followed him but it was a farre off and afterwardes most shamefully denied him He suffered in his good name which was wounded with blasphemies and reproches For besides the shameful indignities that were offered him whē hee was arraigned before the High-Priests and Pilate when hee hanged vpon the crosse and deserued to bee pittied of all that had but common humanity he was flouted and derided and scoffed at by all that behelde him a Lu. 23 36 37 by the souldiers b Ma. 27 41 42 by the high-Priests c Luk. 23 35. by them that stood and looked on d Math. 27 39 40. by them that passed by e Math. 27 44 Luke 23 39. yea by the very theeues at least by one of them that wer crucified with him He suffred also in his outward things such as he had for though he had nothing but the clothes to his backe Math. 27 35. yet the Souldiers stript him of them shared and diuided them before his face Thirdly he suffered in al his outward senses and in all the members of his body His glorious head was wounded to the braine with a crown of thorns his faire face was horribly defiled with the filthy spittings of the Iewes his bright eyes dazeled and languished in his head to beholde the outragious cruelty of his Tormentors his holy eares were wounded to hear the insulting blasphemies of the Iewes his sacred mouth which taught men all truth was put out of taste with Gall and vineger his hands which wrought so manie famous myracles and his feete that had wonderfully walked vppon the Sea were fastened vnto the Crosse with sharp nailes His blessed heart that was neuer defiled with the least euill thought was pierced with a speare In a worde his whole bodye was pittifully rent and torne with whipping and scourging so that we might say of him as the Prophet saith in another case Isaiah 1 verse 6. From the sole of his foote vnto his head there was nothing whole in him but woundes and swelling and sores full of corruption Secondly the bitternesse of his passion will appeare by considering the kinde of death that he suffered and that was the death of the crosse which the Apostle added as an augmentation of his torments Philip. 2 8. Hee became obedient saith hee to the death euen to the death of the Crosse Now the death of the crosse was most greeuous in many respects First because it was an accursed death As the Apostle sayth Cursed is euery one that hangeth on a tree Galath 3 13. Not that all that were hanged if they did vnfeignedly repent were reiected and forsaken of God but because that kinde of punishment was accursed and hatefull to God and a spectacle of horrible malediction We do not reade any such thing of other kinde of punishments as stoning to death burning slaying with the sword c. onely God pronounced the hanging on the crosse to bee execrable and accursed And therefore Constantine the Great that good and mild Emperor * Tripartit histor lib. 1. cap. 9. made a law wherein he forbad that any Christian should be hanged vpon the crosse Secondly because it was also an ignominious and a shameful death For it was principally inflicted vpon slaues and seruants and therefore was called a seruile punishment either for accusing of their Masters or conspiring theyr death or for running away Such as were free men though otherwise verie vile and base were seldome punished with it vnlesse it were for some heinous and notorious crime As for robbery and therefore there were two robbers crucified with him Or
him with chaines carried him to babel and put him in prison til the day of his death But we need not go so farre for examples Many of our poor brethren do suffer lamentable miserie vnder the barbarous Turke and cruell Spaniard But all this is nothing in comparison of the bondage of a sinner that is not redeemed by Iesus Christ For in all bodily slaueries still the mind and the soule is free all the tyrants in the worlde haue no power ouer that As our Sauiour Christ said Feare not them which kill the bodye but are not able to hurt the soule Math. 10 28. c. But here the very soule also is in bondage Neuer was there any bondslaue endured greater villany and drudgerie vnder any earthly master though neuer so hard and cruell then euerie impenitent sinner doth vnder sinne and the deuill Mathew 8 9. As the Centurion had his seruants at his becke that he saide to one go and he goeth to another come and he commeth and to his seruant doe this and he doth it So the deuill hath all wicked men at his commaundement if he bid them but go they are ready to run Hee hath taken them in a snare 2. Tim. 2 20. and leadeth them as a dog in a chaine He ruleth ouer them like a Prince and worketh in their hearts as in a shoppe Ephes 2 2 3. Titus 1. causing them to fulfill the will of the flesh and the minde and to serue diuers lustes and pleasures euen like slaues That which one speaketh of bodily seruants in Princes courts may much more be applyed vnto the seruants of sinne * Qui vitaÌ„ seruilem agunt alienis negotus oâ—ci pantur c Petrarch de vita solitaria They that leade a seruile life are ocupied in other mens businesses and are ruled by the will of another mans becke and learn in another mans countenance what they must doe All that they haue is another mans another mans thresholde another mans house another mans sleepe another mans meate and which is worst of all another mans minde They neither weep nor laugh at their owne pleasure Quid interest nolens seruias an inuitus NaÌ„ etsi coacta seruitus miserabilis sed affectata miserior est Ber. de consid lib. 5. but they cast away their owne and put on another mans affections Finally they do another mans businesse they think another mans thought they liue another mans life I cannot see what difference there is between these persons and such as are iudged to perpetuall imprisonment but that the one are bound in Iron and the other in Golden fetters the chaine is more honorable but the slauery is all alike This may serue first for such as are not yet redeemed to stirre them vp to bewaile their wretched and miserable condition The people of Israel when they wer in bondage in Egypt They sighed for the bondage Exo. 2 23 24. and cried made their moane to God And the poor prisoners as Dauid saith That dwell in darknesse and in the shadow of death being bound in misery and Iron Psa 107 10 13 do cry vnto the Lord in their trouble c. Much more should they that are the vassals of sinne and the prisoners of the Deuill and hell crie earnestly vnto God for deliuerance It is a lamentable thing to see how the God of this worlde hath blinded the mindes of Infidels 2 Cor. 4 4. that they see not the miserie of their wretched estate but rather count the seruice of sinne to be sweete and pleasant and thinke it the greatest liberty in the world if they may be suffered to sweare whore and be drunk and run to all excesse of riot without controlment Whereas if they had grace to see it there is no bondage as we haue heard before so greeuous as the bondage of sin Naturally a Nihil faedius seruitute Cicer. Phillipic 3. men doe abhorre bondage b Omnibus ita est libertas insita vt emori potius quam seruire praestaret Cic. in L. Pison and the loue of liberty is so deepely setled in the hart as that many chuse rather to die then to becom seruants But for a man that hath beene noblie borne and well brought vp to become a slaue it is the greatest miserie in the world Much more miserable is it for Man that was the most excellent creature on the earth made after Gods owne image Lord and ruler ouer all the creatures to bee brought into bondage and subiection * Cum omnis seruitus misera tum vero intolerabile est seruire impuro c Cic. Phil. 3. But as all seruice is miserable so is it a most intollerable thing to be a seruant to a vile and base master But there is nothing so base in all the world as sinne and the deuill So that it may be truly said of euery wicked sinner that he is a seruant of seruants euen the basest vilest slaue that liueth And therefore let all such persons bee admonished neuer to giue rest vnto their soules neuer to come vpon their beds Psal 132 3 4. nor suffer their eies to sleepe nor their eye-liddes to slumber as Dauid saith in another case vntil they finde some comfortable assurance that they are redeemed deliuered from the power of darknesse Secondly for them that are redeemd by the death of Iesus Christ First it serueth to admonish them worthily to esteeme so great a benefite and to magnify the name of God who hath done so great things for them saying with Zacharias in his song Luke 1 68 69 Blessed bee the Lord God of Israel because hee hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised vp the horne of saluation vnto vs in the house of his seruant Dauid And certainly howsoeuer this benefite be nothing esteemed of carnall men who sauour nothing but the things of the flesh Romanes 8 5. yet they that haue once felt tasted the sweetnesse of it do contemne the wealth of all the world and with the Apostle Phil. 3 8. count it to be but dung in comparison of it And therefore they are carefull to stand fast in that libertie wherewith Christ hath made them free Gal. 5 1. And hauing once escaped from the filthinesse of the worlde 2 Peter 2 20. are loath to be entangled againe therein The Heathen man could say * Plane confiteor nihil fieri posse dementius quam scientem in cum locum venire vbi liber tatem sis perdi turus Cic. pro C. Raber I plainely confesse that nothing can bee more foolishly and madly done then for a man wittingly to come into that place where hee shall loose his libertie Much more should Christians make that account especially if they consider the worth of the price where-with they were redeemed They that once doe vnderstand what their Redemption cost the Lord they cannot but thinke