his head that is from his Humanity to his Divinity But whereas it is said that she anointed the head also of Christ it is plain that it was no common Oyntment for such would rather have besmear'd him but some pleasant and sweet-scented Liquor or rich water as hath been said 6. Lastly She wiped the feet of Christ with her hair as if she had been drunk with love not knowing which way to do him more service but willing to do more if she could It was therefore justly said she hath done what she could Mar. 14.8 Thus this woman indeed doth fill the whole house of God with the good smell of her pious work whereby the Elect are yet refreshed and stirred up to do the like 1. Christ yet holds his peace and lets her alone yea he takes it in good part not that he was taken with such kind of pleasures nor that the thing was so much worth in it self but because it proceeded from so great faith and devotion for that is it which Christ most regardeth in our works 2. Also Christ therefore suffered himself to be anoynted because that Unction prefigured his death and burial as shall more largely appear hereafter Although Christ behaved himself most lowly all his life time yet would he honour death too which he did not suffer by any necessity but of his own accord for the health of the whole world and by which he would conquer the Devil Hence it is that when he drew near his death he was carried with triumphant pomp into Jerusalem and hence also it was that he would be anoynted with costly oyntment before his death and when he was dead would be buried in a new Tomb cut out of a Rock and be wrapt in clean linnen by a Noble man And therefore would he give more honour to his death than to his life viz. for the comfort of his people that they might know the death of the Saints is precious even when their life is in glory and that then they do most truly approach unto glory when they draw neerest unto death But this Unction of Christ doth in some sort represent the Unction of his Father wherewith he was anoynted to be a King and a Priest with the oyl of gladness above his fellows Psal 45.7 viz. with the holy Spirit and the fulness of all grace as it is Isay 11. The hairs of Gods head that is the Elect do wipe the drops of his Unction Of the fulness of Christ do all receive John 1. The Saints are truly called the hairs of Gods Head For as the hair in it self is dead yet sticketh fast to the head and adorneth it So the Saints in themselves are dead They mortifie their members upon earth and die daily Col. 3. 1 Cor. 15. that is they are alwayes ready to dye for Christ yet they cleave close to God as to their head and in him they This their Head they do also beautifie for they glorifie God in word and work and God is glorified in them 1. And from hence ariseth a twofold comfort unto us in that we know assuredly that this same Christ who was so much despised of the Jews was anoynted by God the Father and that with the most precious Oyntment of all the very smell whereof refresheth the whole world Again because we know that the drops of his Oyntment did and yet do fall upon us 2. Furthermore This History doth also shadow out the whole state of the Church The Allegory Simon the Leper in whose house these things were done who also signifieth hearing or obeying doth represent the people of the Jews who first heard the Word of God Vnto them were committed the Oracles of God Rom. 3.2 This people while they remained pure had a most spacious house wherein God was pleased to dwell Psal 76. viz. the Assembly of Believers for then was God known only in Jury But this people of the Jews became leprous through their unbelief and so were rejected out of that house but the house remained yea became greater For out of the Synagogue of the Jews sprang the universal Church of Believers In this house are three sorts of men Some are converted and risen from the death of sin These are set forth by Lazarus Others are fain to work hard for a livelihood who thereby also do glorifie God These are held out by Martha Some give themselves only to God and spiritual things These signified by Mary The Morality Indeed every Christian should have in himself and bear about these three persons First Lazarus by rising out of and flying from sin Secondly Martha alway exercised in good works Thirdly Mary anoynting Christ The Oyntment wherewith Christ should and would be anoynted is faith yet not any kind of faith but the best sort viz. the Christian faith This faith must be made up of Spikenard that is it must be fervent that so it may work by love it must not be adulterate by mixture of Errours It must be compleat even a full pound lest it doubt in any one Article We must anoynt both the head and feet of Christ believing his Divinity and Humanity These things we ought to perform to Christ in his own Person but yet we have not honoured whole Christ For he hath a mystical Body the Church in which he is Head and all that Believe in him are the feet The Oyntment wherewith this body must be anoynted is charity out of a pure heart and faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 Anoynt then both head and feet viz. love God and thy neighbour For charity from the heart is not enough unless there be the hairs also by which are signified outward riches not only because they do outwardly adorn but because they neither live nor give life nor deliver from death Again most commonly they are superfluous as the hair is and as the hair may be cut off without pain so should we not be troubled to part with our worldly goods for the good of our Neighbour seeing Christ bestowed himself on us Or thus the hair is a kind of dead thing so if thou hast any dead thing in thee as sin do as Daniel bids thee Break off thy sins by righteousness and thy iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor Dan. 4.27 In short this Oyntment signifieth that good savour of good works which we that believe ought to bestow on the Body of Christ the holy Church and members of Christ after the example of that woman from faith unfeigned according to that In as much as ye have done it to one of these little ones ye have done it unto me Mat. 25. Thus not only Origen but Augustine refer that Unction to the good works of Believers and it doth well agree For as that house in Bethany was filled with the smell of the Oyntment John 12. 2 Cor. 2. so the good works of the Church which is the true
of Christ i. e. to acknowledge him both God and man not daunted with death or danger Of Charity that they may learn to anoynt Christs feet with Oyntment viz. to succour their Neighbour with works of mercy and to wipe their feet with their hair that is so to supply the wants of the needy with the abundance of their riches without impoverishing themselves as they pole themselves without pain Here we see how an immortal name may be gotten to wit by godliness and good works For as wicked men die with a noise only and leave nothing but a nasty name behind them so the Righteous are in everlasting Remembrance Some there be saith the wise man which have no memorial Eccl. 44.9 who are perished as though they had never been and are become as though they had never been born But the name of mercifull men abideth from generation to generation Thus this woman by one good deed got her both a perpetual and precious name which shall never be blotted out For as long as the Gospel lasteth so long the praise and memory of this woman shall endure If thou therefore wouldst have a perpetual name and memory strive to imitate this Mary in good works who as she is commended in Luke for hearing the word of God Luke 10.39 so here she is praised for her care of good works Do thou therefore joyn both together a love of Gods Word and a zeal of good works Thus much of this History it follows in the Text Luke 22.3,4 Then entred Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot being of the number of the twelve and he went his way and communed with the chief Priests and Captains Mat. 26.15 And said unto them what will ye give me and I will deliver him unto you When the Evangelist would describe the person of the Traytor he doth fitly premise that Satan entred into him otherwise it had been most strange that any man could be so wicked and act so villanously and cruelly against his Lord. But because we hear that Satan entred into this man it is the less to be admired that he should dare do so horrid a thing for where that most abominable guest is there no good can be expected As the Holy Spirit stirs them up in whom he dwelleth to all good so that wicked spirit spurs them on to all evil Where we see 1. That the Devil was the cause of Christs death and suffering first by this Traytor then by the hands of sinners as the Jews and Gentiles Whence he is rightly called Satan or Christs Adversary 2. We see how dangerous it is once to give place to the Devil for he will never leave haunting us when once he findeth that our faith is feeble and that our unstable heart is intangled with strange cares as we see here in Judas who because he first yielded to the Devil when he tempted him to covetousness he is now wholly possest by him But the Evangelists do exactly describe the person of this Traytor as well by his name as his office that the greatness of his sin may the more appear His proper name was Judas his furname was Iscariot which the Evangelist did carefully add to distinguish him from Judas the brother of James who is called both Thaddaeus and Lebbaeus He was called Iscariot either from the Tribe whence he came viz. Isachar or as some think from a little Village where he was born Some are of opinion that the Evangelists did therefore add this surname of his to shew that he was born for this villany For Isachar whence Iscariot seems to be derived signifieth Reward or Wages Others think that Iscariot is derived from Ish which signifieth a Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Carath which signifieth to beat down to destroy to root out c. So that Iscariot is as much as to to say a slaughter-man which name doth too well sute to this man for indeed he shewed himself to be such a one He had also another name to wit Simon as appears by John for saith he he gave the sop to Judas Iscariot the son of Simon John 13.26 These three names fully set forth the condition of this man aggravating also his sin and are a Picture of all false Christians 1. For first he was Simon in that he heard the Gospel of Christ for Simon signifieth Hearing 2. He was also Judas in that he profest himself a Disciple of Christ for Judas signifieth Confessing 3. but indeed and in truth he was Iscariot i. e. a Murtherer Thus false Christians hear the Gospel and profess Christ but in their practice deny him Tit. 1. and so are like the Traitor Judas It will not serve the turn to hear and make Confession if thou play Judas in thy practice So much for the Traitors name now consider his office It is said that he was one of the twelve Apostles whom Christ had chosen out of all the world for his intimate friends to whom he shewed all his Secrets 1. This by others was counted a great honour to be one of Christs Apostles But 't was little praise to this man it was rather his utter tisgrace for his malice appeared so much the more abominable in that he was an Apostle of Christ Who can but tremble to hear that the Devil entered into an Apostle If that wicked one durst set upon the Apostles nay if he could hurry one of them into horrid baseness which of us can be safe Wherefore Pauls admonition is not in vain 1 Cor. 10. 1 Pet. 5. That he that standeth should take heed lest he fall And Peter exhorteth Be sober and watch knowing that your Adversary the Devil goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he way devour 2. Again Who can but tremble to think that in so small and so holy a company so vile a wretch should be found Let none therefore trust in man or in the sanctity of place office or robe If the Apostleship did not sanctifie Judas neither will a place office or garment make thee holy If thou haâ—… not first sought and receive Holiness from God thou mayeâ—… be the worse for thy Calling And if Judas was not good though he dwelt among good men and had a good office so neither art thou the better for a holy Calling or Cloathing 3. Besides If there were so bad a fellow in that little Colledge which Christ himself founded no marvail if there be many unworthy men in the great Colledges of mens building Let every man beware that he be not in his Fellowship or Congregation as Judas was among the Apostles 4. Lastly Is it not strange that Christ should be betrayed by one of those that came with him and was honorably entertained at Bethany and sate at Table with him This is that which the Psalmist complaineth of Psalm 55. It was thou a man mine equal my guide and mine acquaintance We took
die in the midst of his unspeakable grief mourning and sorrow when the Humane Nature could no longer hold out this Fountain of Life began to close his languishing eyes his face waxt pale and wan and the signes of death appeared in him he spake the last Word to his Father to whom he had directed his first and fourth before And when Jesus had cryed with a loud voyce he said Father Luke 23.46 into thy hands I commend my spirit And having said thus he bowed the head and gave up the ghost John 19.30 This last word is taken out of Psalm 31.5 which Saint Steven also made use of and would to God we could all imitate it I say I wish that this might be our last word He takes good care of his soul that doth commend it to God The sense The meaning of the word is as if Christ should have said O most excellent Father to thee all thanks do of right belong and are justly due for thy blessings bestowed upon us and into thy hands the Salvation of mankind is safely committed from whom it doth proceed For at thy beck all things are made safe and sure and at thy pleasure and command are they again dissolved and brought to nothing out of which they were made Thou art the beginning and end of all things from thee they all had their being It is meet therefore that they should return to thee again and with so much the more confidence commend themselves to thee again there being nothing more acceptable nothing more sweet and pleasant nothing more prompt and ready to thee then to receive the creatures that return to thee with thy Fatherly Kisses and greatest Clemency Thou dost cherish and love thine own and hatest nothing that thou hast made Wisd 11.24 Thou art the most desired Bosom of thy children Thou art the safest Harbour of our Ships Thou art the Surety peace and security of our souls So that I thy Son have no small hope left me while I sayl through the deep and wide Sea of Tribulations thou supplyest my strength and by thy help have I overcome so many hazards and such great dangers I have manifested thy Name unto men I have glorified thee upon earth I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do Now I come unto thee John 17. And for the prosperous gale of thy Goodness I render thee all possible thanks and do here upon this Altar of the Cross sacrifice and offer up unto thee my self for a most acceptable Oblation But because my spirit doth with wonderfull sweetness cleave to the flesh which thou gavest me for a companion it is by a kind of natural reluctancy exceedingly afraid to be parted from it Therefore I commit the close of my life into thy hands that thou wouldest not leave me now at this hour who hast ever done so many and so great things for me and hast alwayes heard me 1. I commend my spirit into the hands of thy Majestie which have made and preserved all things for thou hast marvelously setled me in hope In peace therefore will I lie down and take my rest in thee Psalm 4. Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell nor suffer thine Holy One to see corruption Psalm 16. Let my flesh flourish again and let gladness compass me about whom thou hast girded with sackcloth Look upon my Humility save my soul out of all distress set my feet in a large room Thou art my God my Lot and lines are in thy hands Receive me thy highly esteemed One who commend my self unto thee 2. Into thy hands also I commend my Reward or Purchase which I have obtained at so dear a rate Redeemed with so much blood I mean those souls which are preserved from Eternal death and destruction and which hitherto have brandished the Sword and greedily sought for revenge but are now reconciled and become Champions for thy Truth Take those souls into thy hands which I have written and printed in my hands These are my booty the spoiles recovered out of the jawes of our enemy This is my Venison take and taste of it that thy soul may bless me This is my stray sheep which I have brought home again upon my shoulders This is the tenth penny which I have found rejoyce and be glad with me These I commend into thy hands for whom I now give up the ghost let them never fall out of thy hands Keep the souls of the righteous in thy hand let not the torment of malice or the wicked one touch them Wipe off every tear from their eyes let the former things pass away let there be no mourning nor crying nor any sorrow let not the pit any more gape upon them Dear and only Father who openest thy hands and fillest every living thing with thy blessing pluck them not back from me thy Son and all my complices who are also reckoned among thy children but receive keep cherish them and gather them up into thy Joyes bless crown exalt them For truly for that very cause do I undauntedly lay down and offer up my life to thee confessing and trusting in thy will and so O Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit Whence we are taught first to bear whatsoever comes from God Secondly to commend all we are or have unto God and thirdly to persevere and hold out unto the end It is the end only and peseverance that will prove what our works are Perseverance only delivereth up the spirit into the hands of God that alone doth strive lawfully and that alone shall be crowned For what prowess or praise is it only to begin Who will suffer a tree to grow that doth but only bud and blossom and never bring forth any ripe fruit What can be more dronish then to put on the Habegeon or Harness of War at home in the House and cowardly to cast it off and run away when the Battel is set What can be more foolish and ridiculous then to be at vast expences to lay the Foundation of a House to raise up the walls and never lay the roof to cover it What advantage is it to make a long Voyage and sink in the Haven What profit is it to buy oyl and spill it on the ground when the Bridegroom is coming To what purpose is it to be zealous for a time to climb up to Heaven to make his nest among the Stars to walk with the children of God in the midst of a fiery Furnace and at last to sink down to hell to be besotted in sin and of a yong Angel to become an old decrepite Devil Remember him therefore who loved us to the end and persevered in his love to us even to the end upon the Cross and will save none but such as persevere in good even to the end to wit in the imitation of his Cross Now when our Lord Christ had uttered this his last Word he bowed down his head and gave
ΣΤΑΥΡΟΔΙΔΑΧΗ ΚΑΙ ΣΤΑΥΡΟÎΙΚΗ THE Doctrine Dominion OF THE CROSSE In an Historical Narration and Spiritual Application of the PASSION of IESUS Written first in Latin by John Ferus Publique Preacher in the City of Mentz Now turned into English for the good of this Nation By Henry Pinnell Together with a Preface of the Translator containing the Necessity of knowing and conforming unto the Cross of Christ Short considerations of Predestination Redemption Free-will and Original sin He that serveth in his Generation faithfully answereth the end of his Creation fully and shall never lose the hope of his salvation finally LONDON Printed by Robert White 1659. THE PREFACE Reader THE Transcription of the following Treatise is an Account of some vacant time when I was sequesterd from other imployment The subject matter of it did generally concur and sute with that state and measure of Faith I was then in and being perswaded that it may yet be usefull for them whose growth in the Mysterie of the Cross is not come to that perfection as not to need Counsell and Encouragement therein I have for their sake made it publique And though I cannot minister to the strong yet I would gladly be serviceable to the weak What I have here prefixt agreeable to the nature of the ensuing Discourse is done to satisfie the desire of many friends and in hope to profit others The sum of what I have to say is comprehended in this Proposition viz. That there is a Necessity of knowing and conforming unto the death of Christ 2. There doth not want full and pregnant proof of Scripture to confirm the Truth of this Proposition It is a faithfull saying For if we be dead with him we shall also live with him If we suffer we shall also reign with him If we deny him he also will deny us 2 Tim. 2.11,12 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death c. If we be dead with Christ c. Rom. 6.5,8 Let none dream of Justification unto life or of the new birth which only entereth into the Kingdom of God without the likeness and image of Christ in his humiliation And therefore the Apostle doth not content himself with the knowledge only that Christ died but desires also a conformity to his death Phil. 3.10 A strong curb and smart scourge to all notional and licentious Gospellers The reasons also of this Proposition are weighty and considerable 1. As first 3. We can have no benefit of the life of Christ but by conformity to his death Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be manifest in our body c. 2 Cor. 4.10,11 What need we carry the death dying and marks of the Lord Jesus in our body and mortal flesh if the life of Christ could otherwise or more easily appear The life of a Believer is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 There 's no coming at the full Glory of this life but by breaking thorow death unto it See Rom. 6.3 c. the place before cited The dead men of God are quickned by the dead body of Christ Isa 26.19 No future Resurrection unto life but by an antecedent death in the body Except the grain of Wheat die it abideth alone and is not quickened John 12.24 1 Cor. 15.36 The touch of a dead Prophet revived the body of another dead man 2 King 13.21 Who is this dead Prophet but the true and spiritual Elisha my Lord that saveth the Lord of my salvation my saving Lord Jesus Christ the great Prophet of the most high God who died for our sins and was raised again for our Justification This Elisha this Jesus let us follow not only from Galilee to Jerusalem but from Jerusalem also here below the outward and litteral Service and Worship unto Mount Calvery and from thence to the Sepulchre thither let us hasten with Mary Magdalen aad the two other Disciples and there let us wait we shall have some Angelical invitation to come near and see the place where the Lord lay The Lord is risen and hath left room enough in his grave to receive all that inquire into the Mysterie of his death Into this Sepulchre let us descend by a true operating saith working a conformity in us unto his death Let us touch not the flesh but the bones of this great Elisha Let us not lay bold on the weakness of the mortal nature but upon the Power of his endless life 2. Secondly 4. Without this conformity there is no freedom from sin We must resist unto Blood striving against sin for without blood there is no Remission And that our minds may not be weary nor faint Let us consider him that suffered such contradiction of sinners Heb. 12.3,4 1 John 1.7 Lev. 17.11 Heb. 9.22 The Prophet Ezekiel describeth the Sickness and Remedy of a sinner under the borrowed speech of a new-born Child Ezek. 16. Which place of the Prophet I think is much mistaken by many who understand it of the natural birth and accordingly from thence conclude all Children guilty of original sin in the common acceptation of it which to me seems most improbable For Children by natural as well as spiritual Propagation are an Heritage and Reward of the Lord Gen. 30.2 Psalm 127.3 Acts 17.28 Our very bodily Being Substance and Existence is the Workmanship of God Psalm 119.73 Psalm 139.5,13,16 Now if Children be guilty of sin as soon as they draw breath yea before they be born this would be some stain upon the Work-manship of God according to whose Will and not according to mans it is that Children are propagated Again One of Gods Laws would be broken by observing another Ordinance of his own which would bring confusion upon the orderly works and methodical ways of God For God hath made a Law That the son shall not bear the Iniquity of the Father Ezek. 18.20 Now if Children should be guilty of Adams sia as soon as they be born it would make many religious and consciencious persons be at a stand concerning marriage which is the first and great Ordinance of God for fear lest they should be Instruments to fill the world with sinners rather than with Saints And indeed how can that state be honorable and the bed undefiled if it should produce nothing but such an unclean Off-spring Heb. 13.4 5. I shall only add this Quaere viz Is Marriage an Ordinance of God instituted among other ends for the propagation of Mankind I suppose it granted I ask then Did God ever make and intend such an Ordinance the observation whereof doth unavoidably increase sin in the world If so How is he acquited fram having a hand in mans sin The wicked heart of man hath shifts and evasions to extenuate and excuse his sin Why He is not so much to be blamed 't was his Fathers and Mothers fault rather then his Hominum quoque
another time upon the same ground he thrust Christ from him when he said Depart from me Luke 5. for I am a sinful man O Lord. Nay rather if thou art a sinner thou shouldest desire that the Lord would not depart from thee It hath indeed a shew of reverence but t is very preposterous arising only from the carnal mind as most think that by reason of their unworthiness they should dishonour God if they pray to him or receive the Sacrament But faith is of another mind and thinketh that he dishonoureth God that sinneth not he that begs pardon and useth such remedies against sin as God hath appointed He that submitteth to the work and Ministry of God doth not dishonour him but he that resisteth the same and preferreth his own wit before the will of God It is surely a great part of Piety to acknowledge our unworthiness and so we ought to do It is also a pious part to reverence Gods Majesty But this piety will run into superstition if we reject Christs Ministry because of our unworthiness Therefore there is no cause why we should be afraid to draw near unto God inasmuch as he himself commandeth us to come unto him and call upon him Come unto me all ye that are weary c. Caell upon me in the day of trouble Matth. 11. c. Psalm 50. Thou canst not honour God more then to pray unto him faithfully and thou castest the greatest scorn and contempt upon him that may be if thou slightest him by not coming when he calleth and promiseth his assistance Thou canst not attribute more honour to Christ than by bearing and suffering his work to be done in thee Hence Mary who sat still at the feet of Jesus and hearkened to Christs Ministry when he preached had a much more honourable commendation than busie Martha Luke 10. In short if thou desirest thy health thou must not drive the Physitian from thee Rather come with the more boldness the more frail and unworthy thou art as in outward necessities we do not regard our own unworthiness or the worthiness of others so long as they help us and do us good As a hunger-starv'd man is not ashamed or afraid to beg of the most noble Personage his necessity compels him Go thou and do likewise Second word The second time Peter speaks more sawsily with a shew of zeal indeed but not according to knowledge Thou saith he shalt never wash my feet And here again is the nature of flesh discovered which is alwayes obstinate in its own as it thinks good purpose and under a fair pretence stifly maintains its conceited opinion whether in jest or earnest whereof Christ most holily instructed Peter but all in vain The like obstinacy we see in David 1 Chron 21. when he was disswaded from numbring the people And in Josia when he was forbidden to war against the King of Aegypt 2 Chron. 35. Therefore the Wise man saith There is a way which seemeth right unto a man Prov. 14. but the end thereof are the wayes of death Thus Peter is a figure of those who please themselves only with what seems to be good to them and which they do with their good meanings as they call them But t is not enough to do what seems good to us unless God also approve of it For most commonly so it falls out that what we think to be good is nothing so 1 Sam. 23 1 Sam. 15. as when Saul in sacrificing would needs usurp the office of the Priest So when he reserved the cattel taken from the Amalechites for sacrifice So that t is not enough to have a good meaning but chiefly to consider what the will of God is else they that persecute Christians may be excused John 16. for they did it with a good meaning thinking they did God service thereby But here Christ first reproveth Peters ignorance saying What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter As much as to say why doest thou withstand me seeing thou knowest not why or wherefore I do this What I do is no trifle though thou dost not understand Matth. 3. So he said to John when he was afraid to baptize him Suffer it to be so now for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness Indeed Peter knew not what Christ did then For 1. He thought his Lord did that service for some bodily Recreation as others used to do 2. He did not yet fully understand the Discipline of this his Master that he that would be greatest in his School must be as the least and specially that the great Lord of all would raign in the highest Tower of Humility of which we shall have occasion to speak hereafter Luke 22. concerning the strife among the Apostles for Precedency c. Again Peter knew not whereto this his pertinacy and disorderly respect would come in the end he little thought the issue of it would be his self-justification He that will not let Christ wash him what else doth he pretend but that he is righteous enough and hath no need of the Grace of God Peter did not consider this that his words tended to such a thing otherwise he would not have refused Christ yet doth not presently tell him the reason of this washing Eccl. 3. For there is a time to work and a time to speak we should observe God in both But tells him he shall know hereafter for by and by after he sat down again he explained this Mysterie to them And then this humility of Christ took such impression in Peter that he afterward exhorts others thereunto Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God 1 Pet. 5. c. Hence we also my learn not rashly to require a reason of Gods works but humbly to obey his will What is here said to Peter is spoken to us all For certainly we are ignorant and know not that God now worketh in us with us for us He washeth us sometimes with prosperity sometimes with adversity but we understand it not But we shall know hereafter when we are enlightened by the Spirit of God but specially in the world to come Thus of the answer to Peters first word To his pertinacy he hath a sharper answer If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me As if he had said if thou strivest for the preheminence and wilt not submit thy self to me thou canst not be my Disciple Christs school will have such schollars who resign their own will mortifie their own reason 2 Cor. 10. and lead all their understanding captive into the obedience of Christ Thus he that would not be pacified with a promise is quieted with a threatning It is indeed a great commination to say Thou shalt have no part with me Not to have part with Christ is to have our part with the Devil and all wicked men As there is nothing better can befall a
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