hee is not vvakened till the Prophet of the LORD came vnto him The longer that thy conscience lieth still in sinne the bitterer the vvakening vvill bee A reprobate vvill get an harde vvakening Iudas got a sore vvakening he vvas asleepe vvhilest hee kissed his Master but vvhen hee vvakened he hanged himselfe But the Lord dealeth otherwise vvith His owne Hee vvill vvaken them in mercie and in the heauiest displeasure they shall haue the sweetest joye and in the greatest aboundance of teares the greatest comfort Of all the thinges in the vvorlde take best heede to the conscience for it is alwayes verie readie to fall asleepe and of all judgementes a sleeping conscience is the greatest and therefore let vs striue night and daye to haue a waking conscience which may rounde in our eares when vvee lay vs downe at Euen vvhat vvee haue done all the daye if thou hast done good then thou mayest sleepe vvith a sound conscience but if thou hast done euill it is better a thousand times to vveepe vvith teares and vvake in mourning till thou findest thy selfe to be recōciled to God againe than to sleepe We should neuer let the conscience sleepe but euer hold it vvaking to tell vs vvhen vve doe euill that vve may haue dolour vvhē vve haue done vvell vve may haue joy through Iesus Christ To vvhome vvith the Father and the Holy Spirite bee all Praise Honour and Glorie for euermore AMEN THE FOVRTH LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XVIII verse 19 The high Priest then asked IESVS of his Disciples and of his Doctrine verse 20 IESVS answered him I spake openly to the worlde I euer taught in the Synagogue and in the Temple whither the Iewes resort continually and in secret haue I said nothing verse 21 Why askest thou mee aske them that heard me what I said vnto them beholde they know what I said verse 22 When he had spoken these things one of the officers which stood by smote IESVS with his rodde saying Answerest thou the high Priest so verse 23 IESVS answered him if I haue euill spoken beare witnesse of the euill but if I haue well spoken why smitest thou me verse 24 Now Annas had sent him bound vnto Caiaphas the high Priest verse 25 And Simon Peter stood and warmed himselfe and they saide vnto him Art not thou also one of his Disciples He denied it and said I am not verse 26 One of the seruants of the high Priest his cousin whose eare Peter smote off saide Did not I see thee in the Garden with him verse 27 Peter then denied againe and immediatly the Cocke crew BELOVED in the LORD IESVS we haue heard the first part of the Passion of the LORD which was in the Garden beside that inward agonie with the wrath of His Father that Hee felt in His soule outwardly in the Garden where Hee was taken like a thiefe bound Hee was taken to deliuer vs from that captiuitie and bondage of sinne and death And then after we entered into the seconde part of His suffering which was in the Hall of Caiaphas being taken and bound He is led away to Hierusalem The first house that He is brought vnto is the house of Anna◠the father-in-lawe to Caiaphas and there Hee tarrieth a certaine time till the Priestes the Elders and Scribes were assembled in the house of Caiaphas and then Annas sendes Him bound to Caiaphas the High Priest Now we heard the last day the Historie of Peter how hee denied his Lord and Master Peter vpon a vaine confidence notwithstanding of an admonition of the Lord hee will followe Him to the house of the High Priest Now the Lord entereth in and the other disciple vvho knewe the High Priest and Peter vvas stopped at the doore this might haue beene an aduertisement for him to haue left off but yet hee would not and the other disciple thinking to gratifie him he desireth the maiden that kept the doore to let him in and beeing no sooner entered in but that same seruant vvoman tempteth him This temptation is by a sober instrument neither vttered she any reuiling vvordes vnto him yet neuerthelesse Peter falleth vvhereby yee maye see vvhereunto the confidence of fleshe and blood turneth for the lightest assault vvill throwe him downe vvho trusteth in it Hee is standing vvarming himselfe vvith euill companie and being standing securely he getteth his reward hee deare bought his vvarming there for hee is tempted and denieth his Lord and Master Now to come to this Text There are two parts of it shortly the first containes the suffering of the Lord Iesus in the Hall of the high Priest the second containes the second and third deniall of Peter As for the first it is saide that Caiaphas the high Priest begineth to aske of Iesus concerning his doctrine and his disciples he layeth not downe first such and such particular pointes of false doctrine because he had none to lay to the charge of the Lord and therefore this was no formall proceeding and dealing to draw a man before a judge and then not to haue one word to lay to his charge Should not the dittay be made before the man was taken ye may see the malice of this persecution Well then to examine his words he enquireth about his doctrine and then for his disciples whilst he asked him of his doctrine he would meane that his doctrine was not allowable and that it might not abide the light and that Hee teached lies and whilst as hee speaketh of His disciples hee would meane that the Lord was a seducer and had seduced so many among the people the Lord answeres The thing that I haue teached I haue teached openly before the world and therefore why askest thou me of my doctrine as though it were not allowable and as if I had teached in secret holes and caues then he appealeth to the witnessing of his enemies aske of these men who haue heard me I will bee judged by them This is the effect first of the question of the high Priest and next of the answere of the Lord. The first thing that wee marke here is shortly this Beholde in the person of Caiaphas the malice of the enemies of the trueth in their heartes they know the trueth and yet they will seeme that they knowe it not CAAIPHAS knewe the trueth but hee seemeth not to knowe it the enemies will count light darknesse albeit the truth should shine in their faces more bright than the Sunne in the noone-tide of the day yet they will say Light is darknesse But to come to Christs part as the trueth loues the light and desires not to be hid neither to bee teached in secret holes and caues so the trueth so farre as is possible is publikely to bee teached in the presence of the worlde it would haue all men to know it it would euer bee heard and the light would euer shine through the world The Ministers of the trueth should euer
hurt him not which are done by the hands of the Emperour Who executes them in the Inquisition The Kinges the Popes holy hāds are cleane of all Excuse as they will I pronounce and the Lord shall ratifie it in that Great day that they are greater murtherers than the secular power Away with their vaine excuses When they haue murthered the man they will put the fault in the Magistrate Wil God accept such excuses In the next vers Iohn subjoynes wherfore y e Iewes would not take vpon them to judge of y e life or death of Iesus Christ and saies that they answered so that that might be fulfilled that the Lord spake signifying what death he should die When He was conuersant with His Disciples He fore-told them that He should die vpon the Crosse Now the Iewes will not take vpon them the right of the judging Him that these words might be fulfilled If the Iewes had taken it vpon them they would not haue crucified him because it was not vsuall among the Iewes they vsed to stone a deceiuer or blasphemer to the death according to the lawe as they did Steuen afterwards This death of the Crosse was familiar and vsuall among the Romanes Then Brethrē we see here the God of Heauen is the disposer of the whole action of the persecution passion of Christ what euer be mans part There is not a word vttered nor an action done either by Pilate or any of the Iewes which the Lord did not dispose All that Pilate did all that the Iewes did as that spitting and buffeting of Christ were all disposed by the Lord And this is it that ye reade in that prayer in y e Acts of the Apostles cap. 4. vers 28. The princes of the earth are gathered against thine anointed Herode Pilate and the Gentiles Whereto That they should doe that thing that thine hand and thy councell hath ordained Neither Herode Pilate nor any of the Iewes or Gentiles did anie thing in this execution but that vvhich God appointed The vnderstanding herof serues to this that there was nothing done to our Redeamer but that which His father appointed they were but persecuters appointed by God euen as the hang-man the Iewes Pilate Herod were like as many hangmen to execute that decree of God This would seeme a very light word that the Iewes say We haue no power to sit ouer the life or death of men yet this is a meane whereby the Lord bringes to passe that forme of Cursed death Brethren we may speake as lightly of thinges as wee please and many times to little purpose but there is nothing that passes GODS decree Looke to that prouidence that GOD hath in His creatures The LORD disposes the lightest wordes that thou speakest He rules thine hand so that whatsoeuer thou doest He makes al to effectuate produce that which He hath decerned the thing that thou wilt speake or doe it will serue for some purpose to Him how beit little for thee In the meane time let no man thinke that when men speake or doe euill that they shall bee the more excusable for if there were no more but this it shall make thee vnexcusable because in speaking euill and in doing euill thou hast not the LORD before thine eyes Thou doest it not for obedience to His vvill Take this lesson Let euerie man and vvoman take good heede that they bee vvell exercised and if our GOD employe vs let vs take good heede that vvee bee in a good seruice in speaking good and doing good Lende not thine heart thine hande nor thy tongue to the Deuill in vnrighteousnesse And seeing thou canst not sleepe from morning to euening but must bee speaking and doing praye that the LORD maye employe thee to doe vvell and to speake vvell and saye LORD let mee bee an instrument to doe well And more in doing vvell bee not content of the outwarde face of the action but in doing vvhether it bee little or much goe euer to the heart and see the disposition thereof and looke thou doe it in sinceritie hauing regarde to GOD. Thinke it not enough and if the LORD vvorke a good vvorke by thee as an instrument but looke still that Hee vvorke in thee that thou mayest finde a good motion in thine heart For alas vvhat auaileth the outwarde action if the heart bee foule vvhich defileth all Indeed vvee maye not thinke that there is anie perfection in vs or in our actions in this life but this is the perfect ground that makes that action to smell sweetelie in the sight of GOD to vvit Faith in IESVS CHRIST If that thou findest that thou hast IESVS CHRIST in thine heart by Faith albeit vvith great vveakenesse in thy selfe yet in CHRIST all the imperfection and vveakenesse is hidden and vvhen the action commeth before the LORD it is pleasant and acceptable to Him All thinges are pleasant that come to the Father thorowe the Sonne there is the grounde of all grace and acceptation Sticke to the LORD IESVS and haue Him not in thy mouth onelie as the Hypocrites doe but let Him also bee inclosed in thine heart and dwell therein for then thou shalt bee acceptable to GOD through Him To vvhome vvith the Father and the Holie Spirit bee all Praise Honour and Glorie for euer and euer vvorlde vvithout ende AMEN THE SIXT LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XVIII verse 33 So Pilate entered into the common Hall againe and called IESVS and saide vnto him Art thou the King of the Iewes verse 34 IESVS answered him Sayest thou that of thy selfe or did other tell it thee of mee verse 35 Pilate answered Am I a Iew Thine owne nation and the high Priests haue deliuered thee vnto mee What hast thou done verse 36 IESVS answered My Kingdome is not of this world if my Kingdome were of this world my seruants would surely fight that I should not bee deliuered to the Iewes but nowe is my Kingdome not from hence verse 37 Pilate then saide vnto him Art thou a King then IESVS answered Thou sayest that I am a King for this cause am I borne and for this cause came I into the world that I should beare witnesse vnto the trueth euerie one that is of the trueth heareth my voyce THE last day Brethren we entered into the suffering of Christ vnder Pontius Pilate the Romane Gouernour Ciuill Iudge in Iudeae for the time Iesus is led into the Common Hall to the House of Iustice as ye heard where Pilate sate Now Pilate is not rash in judging but before he sit downe to judge hee will haue an inditement and will see what things the Iewes haue to lay to the charge of the Lord He saw the accusers of Him the Iewes in multitudes he saw no accusation therefore he goes out vnto them because they would not come to him and asketh what accusation haue they against Him hee receiueth little answere or at least little
for the first incident There is another thing that falles out whereof wee read in the 23 Chapter Luke as He goes to the place of execution it is said that the multitude followed Him This multitude was not onely of the Iewes but also of all Nations who resorted to Hierusalem at the time of the Passeouer Nowe this multitude followed to see what should become of Him as men who are inclined to see wonders Sâ—e on what minde thou followest a man to death these spectacles are spectacles of thy miserie they followe to see the fashion but surely this following of Christ and this going of Christ to His suffering with such a multitude learneth vs a lesson it pleased the Father that Iesus Christ should suffer an open shame He would not haue Him stollen down or secretly executed in the night He would haue Him accused publikly before the great Iudge who represented Cesars person Then as Hee went out He would haue all the worlde to see Him and then Hee would haue Him mounted vp and nailed vpon the Crosse in the face of the world in a worde the Father would haue the Sonne who became suretie for vs to die and not onely to die but also to be pined and not onely pined but also to bee pined shamefully There is not a sinne in the worlde let wanton men take their pastime in sinne albeit it were done neuer so secretly goe to thy chamber doe it doe it in the night goe to holes and most secret places and commit wickednesse but the end thereof how secret so euer it was shall bee with open shame I denounce against secret sinnes against God thy secret sinnes shall bring an open shame to thee if thou haue not recourse to the shame of Iesus either of necessitie thou must suffer in thy person eternally and drinke out the full cuppe of the wrath of God or els thou must haue recourse to the shame of Iesus Christ and this is our comfort that wee haue Wilt thou first of all repent thee an impenitent man will neuer get the cloake of Christs righteousnesse to couer his shame and turne and beleeue in Iesus Christ Wilt thou haue recourse to Him and loure vnder His Passion I promise thee that thou shalt neuer come to an open shame it my bee that men come to an open shame for sinne in this worlde but in the worlde to come I promise thee thou shalt not suffer any shame in that daye thy sinnes shall not come to the light neither man nor Angell shall see them But if thou haue not recourse to Iesus thou shalt bee rooâ—ed out like a thiefe out of a hoale before millions of millions of Angels and before all the worlde and the secrets of thine heart shall bee reueiled and heapes of the wrath of God shall bee powred on thy miserable head Hell stands not only in paine but in shame and confusion thou shalt goe downe to Hell with a fearefull shoute from the sight of this world at that judgement Now to come to these women amongst the rest there followes Him certaine women out of Hierusalem there is a great difference betweene them and the multitude women oft times shames men The souldiers pities Him not their pleasure is in His miserie wee see not heere that any of the multitude mournes but it is saide that the women of Hierusalem that followed Him wept for Him This was done of the Father to testifie His innocencie the Father at all times will haue the innocencie of His Sonne witnessed during the time of His accusation the Iudge preached His innocency as he was giuing out the senteÌ„ce against Him he both by deed in washing of his hands word testifies His innocencie And now whilst He goes out Hee makes these women to bewaile Him No question all this was done by the Lords prouidence Iesus the innocent Hee was lamented for Wilt thou bee innocent like to Him thou shalt not want bewailing ye see this if he be a thiefe and hee bee penitent and haue recourse to Iesus and seeke to be innocent with that innocencie of Iesus Christ men will pitie him but especially in that great daye if thou appearest innocent in the innocencie of Iesus Christ thou shalt get such pittying of God and of all the Angels that thou shalt neuer die but shalt be receiued to glorie and if thou appearest before Him without this innocencie thou shalt not be bewailed none shall pitie thee neither God nor Angell but thou shalt goe to destruction and when thou art going to Hell thy father nor thy mother shall not weepe nor lament for it but shall rejoyce approue Gods judgement Yee see then howe good a thing it is to be innocent in the innocencie of Iesus Christ albeit wee be not innocent but guiltie in ourselues When Christ heares the lamentation and mourning of the women Hee lookes ouer His shoulder And beholding them He standes and speakes Daughters of Hierusalem weepe not for mee but for your selues and for your children and He giues the reason wherefore they should weepe so because of that fearce terrible judgement which should ouer-take Hierusalem and all for this innoceÌ„t blood and for the refusall of that innocent One For beholde the dayes will come saies Hee when men will say Blessed are the barren and the wombes that neuer bare and the pappes that neuer gaue sucke Then shall they begin to say to the mountaines Fall on vs and to the hilles Couer vs. And vnâ—er the destruction of Hierusalem Hee vnderstands adumbrates that terrible judgement wrath in the latter day that great destruction that remaines for the wicked He confirmes this judgemeÌ„t which He threatens by an argument taken from the greatest to the smallest If they doe so to a griene tree what shall they doe to a withered what shall they doe to you By the greene tree Hee meanes Himselfe who in Himselfe was freshe sappie greene and fruitfull albeit for vs Hee was like a drie tree because Hee was guiltie for vs. And by the drie tree Hee meanes vs who are vnfruitfull in our selues and meete for nothing but for confusion to be casten into the fire Marke heere shortly of this It is the sense of misery that makes any bodie to weepe No doubt when one weepes sore the heart hath a sense of misery and this sense is either of a mans owne misery or for a sympathie of the miserie of another They who haue a sense of the miserie of others they will mourne I see fewe of this sort in these dayes There are few now that will weepe for the misery of another All sympathie is out of the world and the pleasure of men is in the pleasure of others Indeede I thinke that Iesus condemned not this compassion Certainely compassion vpon the estate of another is good Away with a pittilesse heart for it hath not felt the mercie of God and bowels of His compassion But this is
the pointes of his Iustice it behoued Him to suffer all the points of Iustice vnder the earthly judge Pontius Pilate in His condemnation in His taking from the crosse in His burial this was all to the intent that thou mightest be fully freed from all the points of the Iustice of GOD for whatsoeuer thing He either did or suffered it was for thy cause There is another thing here that would not be passed by There is no question but it comes of the Prouidence of God that this body is neither reaued away by violence nor stollen away by slight but the taking away comes of a speciall request◠no question this matter was so dispensed that the death of Iesus should bee made notable and come to the eares of Pilate and all other men the death was to be made notable to the world likewise the buriall was to be made notable to the end that His glorious resurrection might be made knowne to the world These are the two pillars of our Faith the death of Christ and His resurrection these are the two points that the deuill and the Heretiques haue from time to time striuen to hew and cut downe that they should not appeare to the world because they are the chiefe pillars of our Faith but honour glory be to the Lord who of His grace hath kept these pillars constantly in His Church in despite of the deuill all his instrumēts Now the God of Heauen grant vs grace to take holde on His death and glorious resurrection that through His death and resurrection we may bee raised from death to newnesse of life here that hereafter wee may reigne in glory with Him To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirite bee all honour praise and glorie world without end AMEN THE XXVI LECTVRE OF THE BVRIALL OF CHRIST MARKE CHAP. XV. verse 44 And Pilate marueiled if hee were alreadie dead and called vnto him the Centurion and asked of him whether hee had beene any while dead verse 45 And when hee know the trueth of the Centurion hee gaue the bodie to Ioseph verse 46 Who bought a linnen cloth and tooke him downe and wrapped him in the linnen cloth c. IOHN CHAP. XIX verse 38 And after these things Ioseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Iesus but secretly for feare of the Iewes besought Pilate that hee might take downe the body of Iesus And Pilate gaue him licence Hee came then and tooke Iesus bodie verse 39 And there came also Nicodemus who first came to Iesus by night and brought of myrrhe and aloes mingled together about an hundreth pound verse 40 Then tooke they the bodie of Iesus and wrapped it in linnen clothes with the odours as the manner of the Iewes is to burie THE last day welbeloued in Iesus Christ wee entered into the History of the Buriall of the Lord Iesus and wee hearde that the Buriall came by a request made to Pilate the Romane Deputie for the time The request maker was one IOSEPH Hee is set down and described by all the foure EVANGELISTES in all his properties Hee was a man of ARIMATHEA a Towne in IVRIE Hee vvas a rich man and also an honourable and graue Counseller Then as concerning the qualities of his person Hee was a good and an vpright man who liued vprightlie in the worlde and yet hee had a further respect than vnto this life for he waited constantlie for the Kingdome of God And therefore when Christ came into the worlde and tooke vpon Him that great office of the Mediator betwixt GOD and man hee enters into His schoole and became His Disciple howbeit for feare of the IEVVES hee durst not manifest himselfe but lurked secretlie for a time euen to this time that it came to the Buriall of the bodie of Iesus and then hee shewes himselfe to bee a Disciple of Christ In that Councell which was against the Lorde hee vvas a Counseller but hee vvoulde neither giue counsell nor consent to the condemning and slaying of CHRIST Thus much yee hearde before concerning this man and his properties Then wee hearde howe hee goes forwarde boldlie to Pilate to seeke the Lordes bodie Hee lurked before so long as Iesus was in the worlde working such wonders as neuer man wrought speaking with such a grace as neuer man spake with But nowe when Hee is dead hee comes out boldlie and goes to Pilate and hee manifestes himselfe To let vs see that IESVS in His death had greater force to drawe the soules of men vnto Him than Hee had in His life for from that death there came so sweete and sensible a smell to the soules of sinners that it drewe the soules of sinners vnto Him Namelie the heart of this man IOSEPH So that hee comes out boldlie as saide is and hee goes to PILATE and requestes him to giue him the bodie of IESVS to bee buried Thus farre vvee hearde the last daye Nowe this daye wee haue PILATES answere to IOSEPHS request PILATE wonders that He was dead so soone and for the more certaintie hee calles a Centurion and askes him if Hee was dead alreadie The Centurion affirmes that Hee was dead alreadie PILATE grantes the request After this we come to the maner of His Buriall Wee shall goe forward as time shall suffer God shall giue vs grace Pilate wonders that hee was so soone dead This wondering of Pilate no question imports that the death of Iesus was extraordinary It was not after the common fashion of men y t were crucified for men who were crucified they vsed to hing long on the Crosse before they yeelded the spirit dayes nights and in end ere they yeelded the spirite the life was taken from them by violence They were broken on the Crosse So Pilate hearing that the Lorde was so soone dead hee wondered as at an extraordinarie thing There are sundrie thinges that testifie that death of Iesus to haue beene extraordinary as first That mighty and loude voyce crying which the Lord vttered on the Crosse immediately before He yeelded the spirit for who will giue a loud crie at the yeelding of his spirit for at the poinct of death when nature failes it is a rare thing to finde a man to haue a voyce or a word Next The yeelding of His spirit so suddenly whē by the power of nature He might haue liued longer Last This wondering of Pilate testifies That His death was extraordinarie that there was a power in Iesus which controlled nature When nature would haue kept life the diuine power puts it out In a word This wondering testifies That the death of Iesus was the death of God the death of a man but God in the man glorious and blessed for euermore Now it is said Pilate vnderstood of the Centurion that Iesus was dead when hee granted the request of Ioseph and gaue the bodie to him to bee buried First I see Pilate is a good Iustitier the Romane Iustice was
see that all our honour stands in that that Iesus Christ may be honoured that we may be content with all men to glorifie Him he sayes not Nicodemus doe thou the rest of it I haue done my part I haue bought y e winding-sheete now I will goe my way doe thou the rest annoynt thou Him burie thou Him No he leaues Him not but when once he put his hand to Him he wil not leaue Him hast thou begun to serue Christ leaue Him not albeit a King should command thee leaue Him not if thou come not w t odours come with a windingsheet if not with y e windingsheet come put the towell about Him bind Him if thou doest no more stand by speake to His honur glorifie Him and if thou hast not a tongue to speake reuerently of Him think of Him reuerently honour Him in thy heart If thou honour Him not woe to thee if thou were a King wo to thee if y u glorify not y e God of glory this may let vs see by experience y t y e soule y t hath any will to glorify Iesus can neuer be at rest but wheÌ„ it is occupied in glorifying Him he saies this was done after y e custome of y e Jewes as they buried honorable men so they buried Iesus good reasoÌ„ was it y t so it should be there came neuer such an honorable man amoÌ„g them as Christ no not their kings Dauid Salomon c. were nothing to Him So it appeares y t this custome in y e buriall was according to their ceremonial law therefore these ceremonies y t y e Iewes vsed in these burialls their washing their odours the rest were all figures of Iesus to come of y t glorious resurrectioÌ„ of His which is y e ernest peÌ„ny of our resurrectioÌ„ for our resurrectioÌ„ depeÌ„ds on His glorious resurrection and if Hee had not risen we should neuer haue risen in glorie Seeing therefore they were shadowes after His death and resurrection all these ceremonies all this balming washing c. take an end and except thou wouldest say that Iesus is not risen and extinguish the sweet smel of His resurrection thou must leaue off all the ceremonies It is true buriall should be honoured and certainely in the buriall of men and women a great respect should bee had Why should the body of a man bee cast away the very light of Nature imprinted in the heart by the creation dites that the dead body of a man or a woman should be buried honourablie and that in hope of immortalitie Nature hath a smell of immortalitie and it causes the body be had in due regarde the beasts bodies ye see when they are dead they are cast avvay and no more is made of them Come to custome the custome of buriall that the Fathers vsed from the beginning teaches vs that the buriall of man and woman should be respected and that vpon the hope of resurrection Beginne at Adam goe to Abraham Isaac Iacob Joseph and all the rest of the holy Patriarkes they had a regarde of their burialls vpon hope of their resurrection for the bodies of the Sainctes vvho are buried shall rise gloriously in that great day and this they did not so much by Nature as by a reuelation of God and on this hope follovved these ceremonies the vvashing and balming of the bodies Acts 9.37 The very vvord the Scripture vses the vvord of slâ—eping shevv the bodie vvould not die for euer but that they laid downe the body in the graue to sleepe as if it vvere laide dovvne in a soft bed to sleepe not to lye for ay there but to rise againâ— in the morning vvhen the day shall rise Iesus Christ is the most glorious morning that euer vvas and the body that sleepes in Him shâ—ll rise againe to glorie vvhen Hee shall come in the cloudes vvâ—th millions of His Angels Come to the custome of the nations their buriall vvas honoured they did it of imitation follovving the Fâ—thers like Apes vvanting the hope of resurrection What hâ—lpeth thee thy buriall or the honours of it if thou vvantâ—st that hope of resurrection they vvanted the vvord of God the life of all ceâ—emonies what good doe all these ceremonies vvithout the vvord and promises of God by them only they are quickened by them only they liue vvithout them they are dead shadovves The very Ethnikes had a respect to buriall But this vvas in hope of resurrection but vpon a custome for pompe and vaine glorie As in all things the Lord gaue them vp vnto a reprobate sense so in buriall Hee gaue them vp to a reprobate sense They would cast out some dead bodies like dogges and some vsed to burne the deade bodies in the fire these are barbarous and inhumane fashions The body should be buried in the earth thou shouldest returne to the earth as thou camest of the earth Againe some amongst the Gentiles vsed ouer great gorgeousnesse and sumptuousnesse in their burialls placing the effect of the buriall in gorgeousnesse But to come to vs if thou werest a King thou shouldest not followe the Ethnickes in sumptuousnesse when the Lord brings a man low wilt thou exalt his head and exceede measure in gorgeousnesse vvilt thou hold vp his head when the Lord is casting downe his head the Lord will cast downe thine heade and his both to the dust Eschew two extremities First eschew contempt cast not away the body and secondly eschew gorgeousnesse and superfluitie keepe a Christian honour albeit thou werest a King or an Emperour thou shouldest keepe a mediocritie and Christian honestie and let that sweete smell of the death and resurrection of IESVS CHRIST sauour into his buriall What shall we say in burialls then Shall we make none exception No let vs looke to Circumstances Burie not a begger like a King looke to the place and time and person yet in all times places and persons let the buriall smell of that sweet smelling odour of IESVS CHRIST and let that simple Christian honestie be seene in your burialls Now because the time is spent and I will not wearie you I leaue the rest till the next daye and commend you to GOD beseeching Him that yee may bee like to Him both in life and death and in His buriall and resurrection that wee may dwell with Him for euermore in the Heauens To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all honour praise and glorie world without end AMEN THE XXVII LECTVRE OF THE BVRIALL OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVII verse 59 So Ioseph tooke the bodie and wrapped it in a cleane linnen cloth MARKE CHAP. XV. verse 46 And layed him in a tombe that was hâ—wen out of a rocke and rolled a stone vnto the doore of the sepulchre LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 53 And tooke it downe and wrapped it in a linnen cloth and layed it in a tombe hewen out of a rocke wherein was neuer man yet
Apostles which sets out vnto vs the glorious Majestie of God and His properties His power His mercie His Iustice His wisdome c. is by infinite degrees inferior to the Majestie which it describes vnto vs that the Spirit of God paintes Him not throughly fully in His essence nature and in His owne perfection as He is No but in painting Him out Hee attempers His stile to our infirmitie weaknesse that we may vnderstand beleeue for there can be no words so high so sublime so glorious inuented or deuised by any that can bee sufficient to expresse that Majestie which is incōprehensible infinite Alwayes seeing the Holy Spirit hath set down so much in the Scripture concerning that glorious incomprehensible Majestie of God His worship as is sufficient for our Saluation let vs therewith be content and not curiously seeke for any more and while we read or heare the Scriptures let vs earnestly craue at God that He would worke faith in our soules that we may beleeue that Iesus is that Christ the Sonne of God that in beleeuing we may haue life Saluation through Him To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all praise honour and glory for euermore AMEN THE LIII LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVIII verse 16 Then the eleuen disciples went into Galile into a mountaine where Jesus had appointed them verse 17 And when they sawe Him they worshipped Him but some doubted verse 18 And Jesus came and spake vnto them saying All power is giuen vnto Me in heauen and in earth verse 19 Goe therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 15 And Hee saide vnto them Goe yee into all the world and preach the Gospell to euery creature WELBELOVED Brethren these dayes bypast we followed out the Historie of the Resurrection of the Lord and of His manifolde appearings vnto sundrie but especially vnto His Disciples as they are set down by the Euangelist John who insists more largely in describing His appearings to His Disciples than any of y e rest as God gaue the grace the last day wee ended his Gospell spake last of the conclusion thereof now it rests that we follow out so much as remaines of the Historie of the resurrectiō as it is set down by y e rest of y e Euangelists for Iohn wrote his Euāgel after all y e rest omitted purposely such things as were written by y e rest willing vs to addresse our selues to y e rest of y e Euangelists that there we might read follow out y e rest of y e Historie of CHRIST vvhich hee left off And so vvee are this day to enter into the description of another appearing of CHRIST after His Resurrection as it is set downe by Matthew Marke This appearing of the Lord seemes to be the ninth in number for the first was to Marie Magdalene The second to other women The thirde to two disciples as they wēt to Emmaus The fourth was to Simō Peter The fift to Iames Then three seuerall times Hee appeared to His disciples being gathered together as ye heard out of Iohn So this is y e ninth appearing wherin it is likely that He shewes Himselfe not only to the eleuen disciples being met together but also to a great number of brethren being together with them For this seemes to be y t appearing wherof th'Apostle Paul makes mention 1. Cor. 15 6. where he says Hee was seene of more than fiue hundreth brethren at once In this appearing there are sundry thinges to bee considered As the circumstances of time and place the disciples worshipping of Him when they sawe Him the doubting of some of them His communicatiō with the disciples sending them out with a commission to preach to all Nations Appearantly this is that meeting which the Lord in His appearing to the women enjoyned to the Apostles for by the women Hee gaue th'Apostles a direction to meete Him in Galilie Matth. chap. 28. vers 10. According to this direction it is said The eleuen disciples went into Galilie vnto a Mountaine where Iesus had appointed them So the place vvas in that Mountaine of Galilie wherein the Lord had appointed them to meete The time is not particularly mentioned yet it is likelie that as the Lord gaue a direction concerning the place so did Hee also concerning the time of their meeting Then this whole meeting the time the place and all is according to the direction and appointment of the Lord. Now as they keep this meeting vpō hope to see the Lord according to His promise so they are not disappointed of their hope The Lord is as good as His promise He shewes Himselfe present vnto thē Marke the lesson The Lord who has appointed ordained y e meetings assemblies of His owne has promised to be amongst them when they are gathered together He disappoints thē not of His promise but shewes Himselfe to be present with thē This y e disciples foūd by experience whē they met together by His appointment y e Lord shewes Himselfe present vnto thē This same haue al y e godly foūd in al ages y e faithful find it this day in their meetings for albeit He shew not Himselfe present after a bodilie manner as here He did to His disciples yet He is present yea no lesse present with His owne now than He was then but He is now present after a spirituall manner and the faithfull find His presence to be no lesse powerfull effectuall now than it was then for frō whence comes this vnspeakeable joy comfort and peace of conscience which the faithfull find in their meetings but from the presence of Iesus for except the Lord Iesus were present in our soules by His Spirite it were not possible that wee could finde such a powerfull working and such sweete motions and alterations in them Vaine and foolish men who are touched with no sense of sin disdaines scornes the meetings of the Saincts they thinke them all to be but fectlesse for y e feshiō they think they feed vpō fantasies But y e faithful find by experience that the presence of Christ in their meetinges is so powerfull comfortable as no tongue can vtter nor the heart of man is able to conceiue And thou y t contemnest and scornest these meetings thou shalt find one day by sorrowful experiēce of how great comforts thou hast depriued thy selfe And if thy conscience were once wakened with the sense of sinne thou wouldest finde that there were no joy nor comfort to thy soule but by these meetings Then thou wouldest haue greater pleasure to frequēt these meetings thā euer thou hadst to eat or drink when thou werest hungry and drie Now when y e Lord appeares to them what doe they what is their behauiour It is saide When
that is y t by baptisme they should seale vp y t Gospel which they had teached before But to whō should they go out to whō should they preach Whome should they baptize Not the Jewes only but all Nations Marke sayes Goe yee into all the world and preach the Gospell to euery creature As if He had said My power is extended to all Nations to euery creature and therefore this my Gospell your Ministerie whereby my power is manifested and declared to all must likewise bee extended to all creatures in the world These words of the Lord furnishes vs sundrie lessons for our instruction First we may learne heere that this office of the Apostleship which the Lord committes to His Disciples is not a bare stile of honour No but it is a laborious and painefull charge and calling they are commanded to goe out into the worlde to preach diligently the Gospell to euery creature The Pope his Cardinalles and Bishops vaunt bragge that they are the successours of the Apostles they clame this as a stile of honour to themselues but in the meane time they refuse to vndertake any paines and trauell for mans saluation as the Apostles did these idle bellies liue in carnall securitie and sensualitie taking their pleasure and pastime and deceitfully gather in to themselues the substance of the world and commit the charge of Preaching to Vicares and Curates as if the Gospell were too base an exercise for them and a thing whereof they had just occasion to be ashamed and therefore let them clame what stiles they list to themselues they are nothing lesse than successours to the Apostles Next these wordes lets vs see that there are two points of y e Ministerie for y e Lord giues His Apostles commission to preach the Gospell to baptize so the Ministers haue these two things enjoyned vnto them to preach the word to minister the Sacraments we heare nothing spoken here of offering of a Sacrifice either bloody or vnbloody or of a Priesthood and no question if there had bene such a thing or at least if it had bene a matter of such importance so necessarie as the Pope his shauelings say the Lord would altogether haue misknowne it passed it ouer with silence but He would haue spoken something of it to His Apostles so it is but a follie vanitie to thinke that since Christ hath once offered Himself a propitiatory Sacrifice for y e Redemption of the world that now there remaines any propitiatory Sacrifice in the Church The Lord hath put an end to them all by His death Sacrifice there is no Priesthood cōmitted either to the Apostles before or to the Ministers now but that whereby y e preaching of y e word they offer the soules of men womē in a Sacrifice to y e Lord Away with that deuilish sacrifice of y e Masse whereby the Pope and his Clergy deceiues the world making men beleeue that daylie they offer vp Christ againe as a propitiatorie sacrifice to the Father for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead No there is no propitiatorie sacrifice nowe left to the Kirke That sacrifice which the Lord once offered vpon y e crosse is sufficient perfect enough to take away the sinnes of y e world Thirdly these words teach vs y e these two poincts of the calling of the Ministery Teaching Baptizing were not cōmitted to diuerse sundry persons but both were cōmitted to one y e selfe same person So that he who is ordained to preach is ordained to baptize and he who cānot preach has no power nor libertie granted him of the Lord to baptize and if hee baptize he does it without the Lords commandement he has no warrant of Him and therfore his doing is but a profanation of that Holie Sacramēt of Baptisme This baptizing of infants which is ministred by priuate men has no warrant nor allowāce of God much lesse that which is done by women Fourthly out of these words we may learne what order ought to be kept in the ministring of Baptisme to wit the word must be first preached the couenant of grace and the glad tidings of saluation must be first opened vp vnto vs and then Baptisme should be ministred to seale vp that same word and couenant which before was preached Wherefore serues Baptisme except first the word be preached Baptisme is a seale And what serues y e seale for if there be nothing to be sealed Wherefore can it serue if the charter of the word preceed not Therfore except the preaching of the couenant of grace preceede Baptisme is nothing but an vnprofitable ceremony and a dead element Nowe in whose name should this Sacrament of Baptisme be ministred The Lord sayes IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SONNE AND OF THE HOLY GHOST That is Yee shall baptize by the authoritie power of the Father the Sonne of the Holy Ghost Whereof we haue to learne That the power efficacie of Baptisme depends neither vpon the power of the Minister who baptizes nor vpon the force nor power of the words pronounced by the Minister in Baptisme as if there were any such power or operation in the wordes as the Papists falsely attribute vnto them but all the force efficacie of Baptisme depends vpon the power of God only And therefore it is the duety of him who is baptized to lift vp his eyes his heart to Heauen and to craue the blessing efficacy thereof from God only Next it would be noeed y t He sayes not in a generall tearme Baptise in the name of God but Hee sayes distinctly Baptise in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Therefore it is the duety of him who is baptized not to content himselfe with a confused knowledge and consideration of God but hee ought to behold that glorious Majesty y t incomprehensible essence distinctly in the Trinitie of the persons that is three distinct persons in one Godhead for faith is a distinct a cleare knowledge apprehension of the Majesty of God for whosoeuer truely and sincerely beleeues puts his confidēce in God he finds sensibly by experiēce that all good things flowe first from the Father as the fountaine of all grace and goodnesse through the Sonne as Mediator by whom all grace is conueyed and cōmunicated vnto men and by the Holie Ghost who powerfully effectually works all grace in y e heart Last we see here a cleare and a plaine naming of the three distinct persons of the Godhead the Lord names distinctly The Father the Sonne the holy Ghost In all the Old Testament we will not reade so plaine cleare a distinction of y e three persons of y e Godhead Then learne here that Iesus Christ the Sonne of God brought first of all into the world a distinct knowledge of God and that He first of all distinctly named The
Father the Sonne and the Holy Spirit Indeed it is true that God was knowne in the Trinitie of persons in some sorte by the Fathers who liued vnder the Old Testament before Christs manifestation in the fleshe but the knowledge which they had was obscure and confused in respect of that knowledge which IESVS brought into the worlde at His comming but chiefely this distinct knowledge of the three persons of the Godhead was manifested after Christes Resurrection from the dead and His Glorification for Christ glorified is chiefely the image of the vnuisible God and the brightnesse of His glorie and the engrauen forme of His person And from Christ glorified especially proceedes th' effectuall operation of the Holy Spirit in the soules of His Elect. All tendes to this To let you see that the cleare and distinct knowledge of the Godhead in the Trinitie of the persons proceeded chiefely from the Kingdome of Christ and from His glory Nowe to this God one in essence in three persons The Father the Sonne and the Holie Spirit be all praise honour and glorie for euermore Amen THE LIV. LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVIII verse 20 Teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you and loe I am with you alway vntill the ende of the world Amen MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 16 He that shall beleeue and bee baptized shall bee saued but hee that will not beleeue shall bee damned verse 17 And these tokens shall follow them that beleeue In my Name they shall cast out deuils and shall speake with new tongues verse 18 And shall take away serpentes and if they shall drinke anie deadlie thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay their handes on the sicke and they shall recouer THE last daye Welbeloued Brethren in Christ we began to speake of the nine appearings of the Lord to the Disciples as it is set downe by Matthew and Marke Hee appeared to them in a Mountaine of Galilie vvhere Hee had appointed them to meete Him Wee hearde vvhat vvas the Disciples behauiour The sight of that glorious Majestie made them to fall downe and worship Him yet in the meane time some of them doubted and therefore the LORDE to confirme them drawes neare vnto them and enters into communication with them and in His communing first Hee telles what power and authoritie was giuen Him both in Heauen and earth to the ende Hee might mooue them the more willinglie and chearefullie to vndertake the office of the Apostleship Then when Hee has layed downe this power as a ground of their office and Ministerie Hee sendes them out in the worlde charging them first to goe to all Nations Next to preach to euery creature And thirdly To baptize in the Name and authority of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Spirit Nowe in these wordes first Hee telles them what doctrine they shoulde teach to the worlde then hee makes them a threefolde promise The first is of life and saluation to then that beleeue and are baptised The seconde is a promise of th'extraordinarie and miraculous giftes of the Holie Spirite The thirde is a promise of His owne glorious and powerfull presence with them in discharging of their calling that not for a season but to continue to th' ende of the vvorlde Then in the first wordes which vve haue read He telles them what they should teach not al things not euery thing that they pleased themselues but He sayes Teach them to obserue all thinges whatsoeuer J haue commanded you So Hee restraines the doctrine that they should teach vnto the world vnto that doctrine which Hee Himselfe first had taught them In the 14. Chapter of John vers 26. after Hee has first promised the Holie Spirit to teach His Apostles all thinges then Hee telles vvhat Hee meanes by All these thinges which His Spirite should teach and Hee boundes them and restraines them to that doctrine which Hee Himselfe had taught them before For sayes Hee hee shall bring all thinges to your remembrance which I haue tolde you Euen so here Hee restraines the preaching of th'Apostles to these thinges vvhich Hee Himselfe had taught them So marke this lesson The doctrine of Iesus Christ which Hee deliuered the time that Hee liued in the vvorlde and had His conuersation among men is the grounde the rule and the measure of all true doctrine The Spirit of the Lord Iesus vvhome Hee left behinde Him to bee His vicegerent in th' earth kept preciselie this rule Hee taught not so much as one sentence in substance but that vvhich CHRIST had taught before Th'Apostles vvhome Hee sent out into the worlde declined not one jote from this rule for they taught the vvorlde nothing but that vvhich the Holie Spirite had furnished and suggested vnto them before and that Spirite taught them nothing but that vvhich IESVS had taught them before So that the doctrine of the H. Spirit th'Apostles come all wholly from Iesus as th' only doctor teacher of His Kirke of whom the Father said in His baptisme trāsfiguratiō Heare him So it should be w t ministers and Teachers of the Church to the end of the world they should make Christes doctrine to bee the rule of all their doctrine they should teach nothing but that which Christ teached before them the faithfull Ministers of Christ in all ages haue striuen to doe so they confirmed all their doctrine so farre as they could to the doctrine of Christ Indeede it is true through processe of time corrupt men entred in the Church who respected not God nor His glory nor the well and saluation of men but their owne honour their owne lusts and their bellie who taught the world not the doctrine of Christ the way of life but their own fantasies dreames and traditions Wee may see this lamentable experience this day in the kingdome of the Antichrist What teaches the Pope and his Clergie to the world Not the word of God Not the doctrine of Christ Not that doctrine which the Holy Spirit furnished to the Apostles not that vvhich the Apostles haue left in register this day they make not that to be the rule of their preaching but they teach their owne vanities deuised by themselues they teach mens traditions they teach vnwritten verities as they call them vvhich are for the moste parte altogether repugnant to the doctrine of Christ The Lord saue vs from their doctrine vvherewith they poyson the world and bring men to perdition Now as the Pastors are obliged to teach nothing but the doctrine of Christ so are the people bound to heare and receiue none other doctrine but the doctrine of Christ and for this cause they shoulde pray earnestly for the Holy Spirit who is promised to His owne to illuminate their mindes and to giue them the gift of discretion to discerne spirits as also they should be diligently exercised in reading and considering the Olde and New Testament the writtings of the
be obedient to the Father that is Hee died willingly at the good will and pleasure of the Father And if He had not bene obedient His sacrifice had neuer beene a satisfaction for the sinnes of the worlde and then what good had the sacrifice of CHRIST done to mee or thee or to anie man and therefore hereupon is our faith grounded that we know the LORD IESVS not onely died but also that Hee died willingly and so willingly and with such a readinesse to pleasure his Father and to satisfie the wrath of the Father as no tongue of man nor Angell can expresse And when euer thou settlest thine heart on the death of CHRIST looke that thine heart settle it on a willing and obedient death for if thou thinke not that Hee died willinglie and chearefullie for thee thou canst haue no comfort Now to come to Iudas part Iudas knoweth the place where the LORD was hee knoweth the Garden well enough because IESVS oftentimes was wont to resort thither with his disciples and Judas was one of them for manie times hee was there with the rest of his disciples and hee knewe that commonly the LORD was wont to resort thither with his disciples and on this hee taketh occasion to betray Him and when hee hath gotten a band of men of warre and the seruants of the high Priestes and Pharises hee as a Captaine to them and they as a guarde with swordes and staues enter within the Garden to take the LORD IESVS Well Brethren it is the acquaintance and familiaritie that Judas had with CHRIST and with the place where He was vvont to resort that was the occasion of the betraying of the Lord. If Iudas had not bene acquainted with Christ Iudas had not come to this place to take Him It is familiaritie that makes traitours hee that will betray a man must be a domesticke a houshold man to him Will euerie man betray Christ No not euerie man hee that will betray Christ must be one that knoweth Him and His trueth in some measure Then thou that knowest Christ take good heede to thy knowledge and to thy familiaritie take good heede that knowledge of Christ be in sinceritie and that thou be not an Hypocrite but bee a friend indeede and not outwardly otherwise if thy knowledge be but in hypocrisie and if thy friendship bee coloured thou shalt bee a traitour and in the ende thou shalt make apostasie with Judas from Iesus Christ What is the cause that men become Apostates and traitours and after that they haue professed and subscribed they fall away from Iesus Christ what but because they were neuer true nor sincere friends to Iesus Christ All was but dissimulation and shall end in persecution of Iesus Christ and his members and they shall end in destruction as Iudas did for after that hee had once made apostasie from the Lord and betrayed his Master hee neuer tooke rest till he hanged himselfe If ye will marke well ye wil find in the companie of Iudas two rancks sorts of men The first is a band of men of warre of the Romane Deputies that was one part of the guarde The other was the officers and ministers of the high Priest they make out the other part Then the third guarde is partly of Gentiles partly of Iewes How came they They came with lanterns weapons lights on a naked man with feare of warre they needed not What needed all this companie the Lord Iesus beeing a naked man in the Garden not minded to fight What needed Iudas to bring such a guard with him The Spirit of God marketh in this Narratiue that Iudas in doing this had an euill conscience through his euill doing The man that taketh an euill or a wicked deede in hand will thinke that hee can neuer get men enew to doe it with him hee shall feare for no cause if yee should guarde him with all the worlde scarcely shall hee be in securitie for hee wantes that peace of GOD. Paul to the Philippians calles it that peace that passes all vnderstanding and that guardes the heart of man for peace is nothing but a good conscience and hee who wantes this good conscience which is the inward guarde that man can neuer bee saued with an outwarde guarde if all the worlde should stand about that man hee will euer bee in feare and albeit hee were in the mids of an armie he will tremble and quake but a good conscience will rest in peace as Dauid sayeth Although I were helmed about with ten thousand men yet would I not be afraid for I know assuredly that thou wilt bee with mee That heart is well guarded that hath a good conscience for it will haue peace inwardly and will not seeke that outward guarde The same thing is set out in the manner of his comming hee commeth with lanternes and hee commeth with lights and in the night This comming in the night manifesteth that he had an euill conscience for he that doeth euill hateth the light What needed all this company Was not the Lord Iesus dayly going in and out in Hierusalem And was He not daylie teaching in the Temple yet they layed not an hand vpon him The verie season and time of his out-cōming testifieth that he had an euill conscience in doing of it and therefore he came not in the day light Hee that hath an euill conscience feareth the Sunne hee dreadeth the light and hee seeketh to execute his purpose in the night The night maketh an euill man impudent All these things manifest vnto vs that Iudas had an euill conscience but it was not well wakened but when it was wakened then he despaired and he had Hell in his soule and got no rest till he had hanged himselfe Nowe I goe forwarde to the communication betwixt the Lord and the Guarde Ihon saith The Lord knowing all things that should happen vnto him and that were to come vnto him he commeth forward he fleeth not away he hideth not himselfe he is not drawne out of an hole as men who haue done an euill fact but vnrequired hee commeth foorth vnto them and vpon his owne free motiue hee offereth himselfe vnto them then he tarrieth not till they beginne to talke but first the Lord speaketh saieth Whom seeke ye and they answere not knowing him by the face they say IESVS of Nazareth Hee answereth not denying himselfe I am hee hee confessed himselfe Will ye marke these thinges when hee saieth hee knewe all thinges that should come vnto him Iohn would let you see that the Lord Iesus willingly and wittingly offered Himselfe vnto the death This taking and laying hands vpon Him commeth not of hap-hazard No the Lord knew well enough all the things that should come to Him He is taken wittingly and as He is taken wittingly so is Hee taken willinglie and Hee is readier to offer Himselfe to bee taken than they are to take Him But to come to the wordes Hee
power of GOD and liueth nowe in glorie at the right hande of the Father How great a power must this bee that proceedeth out from Christ glorified Alas if the worlde saw this if the blinde men saw the thousand part of that terrible power that commeth from Iesus Christ glorified thinke ye that for all the world they durst confederate with the King of Spaine the Pope and his power and enterprise anie thing against Christ and his Church but alas this blindnesse and induration letteth them not see nor feele but in the ende they shall feele it if the Lord in mercie conuert them not to their euerlasting shame confusion Well to goe forward IOHN to this purpose alleadgeth an olde prophecie which was prophecied before of Iesus Christ long before hee came into the world and this is the prophecie Of them which thou gauest me haue I lost none Nowe Iohn draweth this prophecie to the preseruation of Christes disciples at this time because the disciples that were concredite vnto him escaped at this time Marke Brethren It is true indeed that the prophecie properly is to be vnderstood not so much of a safetie in this life presently as of a spirituall safetie to life euerlasting this is the meaning Yet it hath pleased the Spirit of God to apply this prophecie to this bodily preseruation the cause is this At this time the bodily safetie of his disciples importeth that spirituall safetie the life to come as by the contrarie the indangering of the present life indangered the life to come If the disciples had bene taken at this time to haue suffered with their Master they had all reuolted and denied their Master Wee may see the proofe of this in Peter and so they had hazarded not onely this life but also the life to come because that the disciples were as yet but children in Iesus Christ and were not strengthened enough with the power of Christ and woe is to that soule that will denie Iesus Christ and chiefly in death There is not one who will suffer their litle finger only to be burnt for the cause of Christ except he be strengthened with the power of Iesus Christ and there is not one that will now suffer affliction but they who are guarded with the power of God and therefore yee see heere Gods mercie towardes his disciples This is the mercifull dealing of God with his owne hee will neuer let one of his owne bee tempted but hee will giue them power to beare out the temptation and Hee will neuer suffer them to be tempted till He giue them abilitie and when Hee hath giuen them strength then the LORD will lay on the burthen It is a wonderfull thing the heauier the burthen be that the Lord layes on his owne the greater strength Hee giues them to sustaine it The world hath wondered at the Martyres of God who had so great comfort in the time of their burning in the fire and how in suffering they would sing Psalmes vnto their latter breath The world wondereth at this The heauier that the death hath bene the greater hath the power of God bene and the greater hath the life of Iesus beene in the Martyres And these disciples whom he spared now when He saw that they were ripe Spared He them then No no what was the whole lifetime of the disciples after that Christ departed out of this world but a perpetuall suffering till the life was taken from them they died all by persecution and then by the lossing of this life they got life euerlasting in dying they died not but in dying they entered into a more glorious life So this is that mercifull power of God It appeares that in this countrey there is litle ripenesse because of this litle suffering and therefore the Lord hath dealt mercifully with vs and in great mercie hath holden mens handes off vs therefore wee should pray if it shall please him to bring any to the triall to suffer for his glorious Names sake Lord I am not able to behold the sight of the fire much lesse to suffer the crueltie of the fire therefore if thou wilt haue mee to suffer giue me strength whereby I may bee able to suffer Now I goe to Peters part he setteth downe his action certainly it is worth nothing albeit it seemeth to bee verie zealous What doeth hee hee hath a sword about him he seeing them rush on his Master shevveth his manhood And he striketh the seruant of the high Priest whose name was Malchus and he cut off his right eare The rest of the Euangelists Mat 26. Marke 14. Luke 22 speake of some thing that was done before this When the Lord was communing vvith them that tooke Him then comes the traitour Iudas to the Lord and cryes Rabbi Rabbi Master Master with that he kisseth Him now this was a signe that hee had giuen vnto his companie that that man whome hee should kisse was the man that they should take Now what doth the Lord He makes no signe of anger and there is none of vs but wee thinke that He should haue vttered great anger to the traitour fie on thee traitour for of all men he is most detestable but the Lord in mildnes meeknes of Spirit for all this whole time He takes purpose to suffer patiently as Esay sayeth Hee was as a Lambe before the shearer as a sheepe led to the slaughter openeth not his mouth He sayes friend betrayest thou the Sonne of man with a kisse He assayeth if the conscience will bee brought to remorse There is a wonderfull patience of God to the most vile sinner whē he hath giuen them a signe the whole companie russhed vpon Him Then the disciples said Master shal we defend thee by the sword but Peter not staying vpō an answere he was hardie striketh off the eare of Malchus the high Priests seruant Nowe Brethren albeit that this Malchus the high Priests seruant deserued that not only his eare should be cut off but also that the head the life should be taken from him for he was in a very euill action indeed he was cled with authority but with an euill authoritie if thou hadst the authoritie of all the kings in the world it wil neuer excuse thee before God if thou shouldest get a subscriptiō to do euil against an innocent man the Lord shall not alow thee but His judgmēt shal ouertake thee whether Peter did this of zeale for no doubt he loued his Master exceeding well he would haue had his Master out of his hands yet for all this the Lordes owne wordes testifie that this fact of Peter is to be condemned If ye will examine the zeale it is a very preposterous and vnskilfull zeale the zeale is nothing worth if a man go beyond the boundes of his calling What was Peter but a priuate man this cōpany being sent by the Magistrats superior power Peter ought not
King he should haue asked what a King He was where his kingdome was that He might haue gotten a part of it there is y e coÌ„fessioÌ„ that Iesus gaue vnder Pontius Pilate as is saide 1. Tim. 6.13 Pilate should haue bin inquisitiue of these things and followed out that purpose about his kingdome but he breakes off the conference by an accusation of Iesus An earthly hearted man knowes not things heauenly so he cannot speake of them but rather he will stay an heauenly purpose Ye see earthly hearted men when one will begin to speake of heauenly things hath no more pleasure in them than Pilate had begin once to speake of heauenly things to a prophane man then he cannot keepe purpose with thee but hee will breake off purpose speake of earthly things Paul 1. Cor 2. sets down the grouÌ„d here The naturall man sayes he knowes not the things of the Spirit of God yea he will wonder what that means when thou speakest of Heauen yea he hath no power nor spirituall sense for they are but foolishnes to him the most wise things of God are but foolishnes to the naturall man he delites not in them because he hath not tasted how sweet the Lord is So Pilate interrupteth Christ Christ answeres He sayes Thou sayest that I am a King In the which answere the Lord denies not that He is a King but He takes the mouth of Pilate to be witnes that He was a King Then he lets vs see for what cause He came into the world not to be an earthly King Came I into the world but that I might beare witnesse of the trueth I came not to be an earthly King as other Kings are but I came from the throne of a King a glorious Kingdome that I may play the part of a seruaÌ„t in bearing witnes to the trueth Iesus Christ was God equall with the Father thought it no robberie but He made Himselfe of no reputation by taking on the forme of a servant Phil. 2.6 As though he would say I came into the world tooke on the flesh of man to be a seruant to my Father to be a witnes to the trueth then He subjoynes lest that Pilate should thinke that office of litle effect that He laboured in vaine sayes They who are of veritie to wit begotten of the word the immortal seed of the word of God for by veritie here is meant the word of veritie as Chap 17. vers 17. preceeding They heare my word He draweth neâ—re vnto Pilate if thou be such an one as is begotten of the trueth thou wilt heare my word albeit Christ be stayed from speaking Pilate would haue put Him off Hee leaues not but speakes againe to Pilate He would haue winne Pilate it had bene possible Albeit we be interrupted when we speake of heauenlie things to profane men and women wee ought not to leaue off by the example of Christ but howbeit wee bee interrupted wee should returne againe and follow out the thing we haue begun to see if some wordes will sinke in their hearts or if they will not returne that they may be vnexcusable Speake of Christ and of Heauen it shall neuer be in vaine but as Paul saies 2. Corin. 2. it shall bee a sweet odour to God either to their saluation or damnation that God may be glorified either in mercy in winning of them or in justice in their perdition And therfore it is good to speake of things HeaueÌ„lie the soule is nourished therby A man that redresses himselfe to a kingdome would euer take delite to speake of it if thou hast no pleasure at no time to speake of Heauenly things it is a sure token that thou hast no part of that kingdom thou hast neuer tasted the sweetnes of it for they who haue tasted thereof will haue somtimes a delite to speake of thinges Heauenly and will desire that sincere milke of the word as Peter speakes So if thou findest the worde of life sweet why shouldst thou not desire it continually for it is that only food by the which y e life of God is nourished within thee here and one day it shall present vnto thee such satiety of all pleasure and joy in the face of God as the heart cannot thinke of now howbeit thou gettest but scant in this world Alas that we should let such a joy passe away for fault of feeling tasting What is the veritie saies Pilate he askes this not with pleasure but loathing disdaining taries no answere but goes his way His stomack loathes Christ Then in Pilate we haue an example of naturall men if any will speake of things Heauenly vnto them of Christ and of His benefits they will stay the speach so farre as they can and if thereafter any will insist and yet speake on then at the last if thou wilt vrge them they must speake something but they will speake as Pilate did lightly and disdainfully and when they haue asked they will leaue off and will not care for an answere but askes for the fashions cause when they are constrained thereunto We are by nature like to Pilate either we will not speake one word of things Heauenly or else if wee bee compelled to speake and wordes bee throwne out of vs wee will speake with a loathing and disdaining of the heart There vvas neuer any thing in the world that could moue the naturall man more to loathing than y e word of God he will heare it with such disdain that when one thing is saide in word hee will say another in heart and he vvill thinke him vvho teaches him the most foolish man in the vvorld And he vvho is vvisest if he be not regenerated and renewed hee shall count Christ and things Heauenly most foolish A simple bodie is sooner vvonne than hee vvho is vvise in his owne conceit in the vvorld If thou vvouldest be an hearer or speaker of Heauenly things striue alwayes to get a reformation of thine own corrupt nature and let thy meditation and prayer be thus Lord reforme mine heart that thy vvord maye bee fruitfull in mee so that both I may heare vvith pleasure and also that the vvords come not from the teeth forward but from the deepnes of mine heart when I speake of Thee and things Heauenly that so thy vvord may edifie both mee and others It is a more dangerous thing to come to heare if vve be not duely prepared than to tarrie away and better not to speake at all than to speake of thinges Heauenly vvithout the inward sense of the heart Now the Lord grant vs grace that in hearing speaking of things Heauenly vve may haue this Heauenly disposition in some measure for Christes sake To vvhom vvith the Father and Holy Spirit be all Praise Honour and Glory both now and euermore Amen THE SEVENTH LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XVIII verse 38 Pilate said vnto him What
conscience and getting litle blenckes immediately he goes in againe to the common Hall and takes in Iesus Christ and he sayes to Iesus Whence art thou Art thou the Sonne of God hee had no certaintie of this this is worthie of commendation that hee getting a blencke hee will follow it out who vvill say but this was worthie of commendation in an Ethnicke If it shall please GOD to giue vs a blencke any time let vs striue to follow it foorth and let that glimmering mooue thee to follow it out further for all the joy in the worlde is in the sight of GOD thou neuer knewest what joy is who hast not tasted of the pleasure of Heauen fye on thee who hast not tasted of this joy So if it shall please the Lord to giue vs a glance of Iesus Christ Pilate learnes vs to followe it albeit it goe out of thine eyes for a time rest neuer till thou gettest it againe although men would giue thee all the pleasures in the world Now Brethren we must not thinke that it was the loue of the trueth that mooued Pilate to aske this No it vvas rather the feare of danger that mooued him to aske it for hee feared some danger to come vnto himselfe when hee heard that hee vvas the Sonne of God therefore partly for this cause and partly because Christ knew that Pilate disdained Him and all spirituall graces in Him Hee gaue him none ansvvere But let vs follovv out the knowledge of CHRIST once begunne vpon the loue of the trueth then vvee may bee assured that according to His promise Hee vvill heare vs for Hee saies Verily verily whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name that shall hee giue you IOH. XVI 23. Thou vvho hast that sweet promise Knocke and it shall bee opened shouldest thou not bee instant to make inquirie of IESVS vvho offereth Himselfe so vvillingly and saies I am the Light of the worlde and Come to Mee to get the water of Life Alas that thou shouldest perishe for default of seeking of grace Yee vvoulde maruell that IESVS answered not a vvorde I spake of this somewhat before I shall saye onely this for the present The Lord Hee knewe His houre vvas comming that Hee shoulde die and Hee knewe it vvas His Fathers vvill therefore Hee vvould not vtter so much as a vvorde to staye and holde backe His death If Hee had giuen Pilate euident and sure information vvhat manner of person Hee vvas then happily Hee vvoulde haue stayed and vvoulde haue proceeded no further and vvoulde not haue slaine Him but hee knewe not vvith vvhome hee dealt vvhen hee gaue out the sentence of death against Him But it maye bee asked vvith reuerence vvee speake it Was not this an harde matter that Christ vvould not doe so much as to tell Pilate that this vvas Gods vvorke and that Hee Himselfe vvas the Sonne of God vvas it not an hard matter so to hinder this mans saluation But I saye What reckoning is to bee made of Pilate and all the creatures in the vvorlde Angels and men so that God bee glorified We are all made to glorifie Him and except He had a respect to His owne glorie in the creature He would neuer haue made man nor Angell If it please the Lord to be glorified in thy damnation holde thee content Hath not the Potter saies Paul power of the claye to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour and another to dishonour Roman 9.21 I saye more God in that his great sa nilie hath some vessels of honour and some of dishonour 2. Timâ—th 2.20 If that thou finde thy selfe to bee one of the vessels of honour thou hast no cause to complaine and to saye Wherefore was this man made to shame for thou hast enough if thou hast gotten mercie thanke GOD that of His free will He hath put a difference betwixt thee and him There are none who are ordained to be vessels of honour but they wil seeke the honour of God eueÌ„ suppose it were by their own destructioÌ„ as ye may read of Moses This is the nature of all them who haue gotten some assurance of GODS fauour in IESVS and if thou haue this assurance in thine heart certainly thou art an instrument of glorie Now to ende Yee see Brethren in this whole action the pittifull estate of Pilate he is tossed to and fro betwixt two parties his own conscience on the one part vrges and forces him to stand and pleade for Christ and on the other part the desire that he hath to pleasure the vnportunate Iewes and the feare that he hath to offend Cesar moues him to goe on in that processe against Christ till at last he pronounces sentence against Him Iudges by his example are to take good heed to their proceedinges in judgement and to keepe their hands from euill and that they sit not in a wicked judgemeÌ„t Be not Iudge against the innocent Pilate sate in judgement doing wickedly pronouÌ„cing sentence against the Lord of Glorie If thou sit in judgement pronounce not sentence against y e innocent either leaue that judgement or then absolue the innocent in despite of the worlde It is no small matter to pronounce sentence of damnation The Lord grant vs this conscience that whensoeuer wee shall be employed we may be employed in doing of good deedes and in glorifying God that wee may haue that assurance of grace in Iesus Christ To whome with the Father and Holy Spirit bee all Honour and Praise for euer Amen THE TENTH LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XIX verse 10 Then saide Pilate vnto him Speakest thou not vnto mee Knowest thou not that I haue power to crucifie thee and haue power to loose thee verse 11 IESVS answered Thou couldest haue no power at all against mee except it were giuen thee from aboue therefore hee that deliuered mee vnto thee hath the greater sinne IN this whole Historie of the suffering of IESVS CHRIST vnder Pontius Pilate we see a continuall strife betwixt the Iudge Pilate and the accusers Pilate laboures by all meanes to get the innocent set free The Hie Priests be y e contrary endeuour themselues to get Iesus Christ crucified Pilate seekes if it had beene possible to followe his conscience they seeke by all meanes the contrarie to harden the heart of Pilate The last words as yee heard the Iewes rose and saide Wee haue a law by the which hee ought to die because hee made himselfe the Sonne of God These wordes of theirs are so farre from that that they take away the conscience of Pilate that by the contrarie by these words the conscience of Pilate is more wakened than before and he begins to feare IESVS CHRIST and humbles himselfe more than euer hee did yea in such sort that when as hee heares tell that IESVS was the Sonne of GOD hee demaundes of Him Whether Hee was the Sonne of GOD or no but hee receiues no answere for the LORD
who was the disposer of this whole worke There was nothing done but that which GOD the Father had decreed to bee done and vvhat Hee does concerning His Sonne Hee does it moste justlie for IESVS became suretie for the sinnes of the vvorlde and Hee bare the burthen not onelie of murther and theft but of all the sinnes of the Elect. And as He goes out with the two Thieues Hee bare the burthen of one of them and relieued him of his sinnes and the one of them that same night supped with Him in Paradise Therefore saye I vvhatsoeuer was the part of the Jewes or of the Souldioures yet the doing of the FATHER to the SONNE was moste just And when wee reade of this let vs blesse the FATHER of IESVS CHRIST for wee haue good cause so to doe For in this justice Hee shewes great mercie towardes vs and if Hee had not done this woefull and miserable had the estate of man beene Now I come to the place which in Hebrew is called GOLGOTHA that is a place of dead mens skulles or braine pannes This place was without the portes of the Towne of Hierusalem And no question Iesus like an vnworthie reprobate was carried out of the portes of Hierusalem to suffer and this was figured vnder the Lawe The beastes that were to be offered were carried out of the campes of the people and there vvere burnt and afterwardes their blood was carried into the Sanctuarie to bee a typicall propitiation for the sinnes of the people and the people were sprinkled therewith Euen so IESVS CHRIST that eternall Sacrifice was carried out like an out-cast out of the portes of the Towne to suffer that ignominious death that when Hee had suffered Hee might enter in with His precious blood into that Heauenlie Sanctuarie for the sinnes of the world by that eternall propitiation HEBR. CHAP. XIII VERS 11. and 12. Concerning the name of the place wherefore it is so called there is great controuersie and doubting Some thinke that it was so named because the skull or braine panne of ADAM was delued vp out of that same place where the Crosse was set and vvhere IESVS suffered But I count this but a vaine fable of the vain Papists for their Legēds are full of such like fables And again some thinke that it was so named because in this place were vsed to bee casten heapes of skulles and dead mens bones to bee kept which vse may bee seene in sundrie partes and this is more likely And last others thinke that it was so named in respect of the figure shape of the place It was a round knoll like a mans head rising vp and round at the height also it was high that these who were executed might be a spectacle to the people to be wondred at and therefore in respect of the shape it was called Caluarie that is the skull of a dead man and those who haue resorted to those parts they report this day that the same place is a round knolle like a dead mans skull where the Lord Iesus was crucified beside Ierusalem But how euer it be this is most certaine that this place was shamefull and ignominious and the innocent is conueyed to that place where the murtherers vsed to bee execute No doubt it was vile and stinked yet it hindred not that sweete sauour to ascend to the Father through His death and the more ignominious that the death was the glorie and triumph was the greater and the more stinking that the place was the more sweetly sauoured Hee to the Father His sacrifice had a most sweet smell in the nosthirles of the Father This is the thing that I marke I see that these Iewes who persecuted the Lord of glorie to the death cannot bee satisfied and the hatred against the innocent is endlesse They are not content that He die a shamefull death but they will haue Him to die a shamefull death in a shamefull place and they will haue Him conuoyed and led out like a thiefe No brethren the hatred of the worlde against the children of the light hath none ende they hated the Lord first The Lord Iesus is the light of the world and euer from that day the children of darknesse shall neuer cease to hate the children of light assoone so euer as a man shall professe that he appertaines to Iesus Christ at that same moment the worlde and the children of darknesse shall beginne to hate them and to persecute them As the rage of the Iewes was vnquencheable against Christ so it was after His passion and ascension against all Christians Brethren in this matter we must passe aboue the malice of the Iewes and behold the counsell of God and see that all this doing comes from Heauen for the Father doth it albeit He vse the ministerie of these Hangmen I see this He layes on shame vpon His owne Sonne and not only shame but He heapes shame vpon shame vpon Him He will first haue Him shamed in respect of the death of the Crosse then Hee will haue the world to gaze vpon Him and next in respect of the two thieues that were ledde out with Him and then in respect of the place Hee will haue Him to suffer shame in all things in presence of the world So that one would wonder that the Father would pursue the Sonne with such extremitie of wrath it is no small thing to take on the burthen of sinne O sinfull soule runne vnder sinne as thou wilt yet one day thou shalt find it the heauiest burthen that euer was If the suretie suffered such a paine and such a burthen what shall become of thee If thou by thy selfe shalt vndertake such an heauie burthē of wrath for thy sins But Brethren the thing that appertaines to vs concerning the place of execution is this All this processe judgement is a type of that great terrible judgement of the world in that Great day ye shall see that visible judgement to bee like this judgement that was holden on Iesus He suffers like a reprobate and is judged and that same thing that Iesus suffered temporally when the great Iudge shall sit the reprobate shall suffer eternally Then take heede It is a terrible thing to fal into the hands of that liuing God who is a consuming fire Looke to it as yee will for whosoeuer hee be that shall not bee saued in Iesus in that day beside all the shame that they shall beare the verie place wherein they shall suffer shall adde something to their shame As their soule and bodie shall bee ignominious so the place shall be stinking the very place shall heape shame after shame let Hell bee where it will it is the most shamefull and ignominious place that euer was and thou shalt bee shamed and shent whosoeuer shall bee casten into it And by the contrarie in that Great daye of Iudgement they who shall bee saued in this IESVS as they shall be glorious manie wayes so
euen in respect of the place they shall be glorious That Heauenlie Hierusalem is the pleasandest place that euer was and those that shall come to Heauen beside all that glorie that they shall haue therein they shall haue glorie in the verie place for Christ suffered in a place foule vile and ignominious that they might dwell for euer most glorious in that glorious place that Heauenlie Paradise Nowe to come to the third vvhich is that drinke vvhich is propined vnto CHRIST when He comes to that place no question He was verie thirstie beside the paine He had an extreame thirst and beeing thirstie Hee desired to drinke Hee vvas a vvearied man for He vvas holden all the vvhole night ouer vvithout either meate drinke or sleepe yea and all the next daye also beside the feare of death and therefore it vvas no maruell that Hee desired to drinke And MATTHEVV saies that they gaue Him Vineger to drinke mixed with Gall Then both soure and bitter vvas His drinke Now it is true that Sainct MARKE saies that it vvas Wine mixed with Myrrhe All is alike for Myrrhe hath the bitternesse of the gall There are sundrie opinions about this drinke which they gaue Him Some thinkes that this was a delicious drinke and that it was caried there and offered by the women who followed Him weeping to the end He might feele the lesse paine so long as Hee vnderlay so longsome and cruell death There are others who thinke that this drinke serued to hasten the death because the death was painfull for they count Myrrhe to be of this force that it will cast out blood at any wound So when the LORD had drunke they thought that the blood should haue springed out at the wounds and should haue most hastely procured His death But I leaue these opinions and I thinke that this was no delicious drinke and I thinke againe that this drinke was not giuen to hasten His death I think that this sowre bitter drinke was offered in derision and scorne by the Iewes and souldiers who had no pitie nor compassion vpon Him and that of the bitter malice of their heartes they offered it to Him No mercie for Christ now but all extremitie and to thinke so I am partly moued by that Prophecie which is contained in the 62. Psalme and 22. verse wherein the LORD is brought in complaining and saying In my thirst they gaue mee vineger to drinke and partly by the Historie following wherein it is saide Then they brought Him in derision a sponge with vineger and put it to His mouth and this His drinke is to bee counted a part of His Passion Of this we haue this lesson alwayes keeping this ground That this Iudgement is a type of the latter Iudgement Amongst all the paines that they shall suffer who shall not bee found in IESVS CHRIST they shall thirst to death both of soule and bodie as the LORD thirsted who was counted as a reprobate so the reprobate shall thirst exceedingly And as the LORD got not so much as a drinke of water to quench His thirst no more shalt thou As the rich Glutton when hee was in Hell could not get one droppe of water to coole his tongue that was so sore burning in torment no more shalt thou bee quenched of that eternall wrath for sinne brings the most terrible drowght and hotnesse in the soule and body that euer was Thou shalt drinke the cuppe of the bitter wrath of God for euer euer Blessed are they who hunger thirstes for righteousnesse they shall be filled sayes Christ They who shall bee saued in Iesus Christ shall neuer thirst for they shall haue in their bellies the fountaine of liuing water Iesus Christ when this drinke is propined Hee tastes it and would haue no more of it because as Iesus Christ bare the nature of man so Hee had this naturall taste and nature abhorred this drinke And albeit that patiently He suffered all injuries of others yet Hee would not vse violence against nature to His owne selfe let one suffer violence of others but doe no violence to thine owne selfe Yet we see that albeit He knew well eneugh both the bitternesse and sowrenesse of it yet Hee tasted it This learnes vs that there was no bitternesse nor sowrnesse but the LORD would taste it that thou shouldest not onely taste but also drinke yea quaffe all delicious and sweet drinke euermore yea not only of the water of life but euen the delicious drinke of this worlde for refreshment of our bodie Then when thou art drinking a sweet drinke remember that Iesus Christ dranke a bitter drinke that thou shouldest drinke a sweete drinke Otherwise I tell thee drinke on and pamper thy belly as thou wilt thy sweete drinke shall become a bitter curse vnto thee Now we come to the very action of crucifying Hee is thirstie He cannot get the thirst quenched He must suffer the death with an extreame thirst there is not a thiefe but hee will get a drinke The men of warre come to the execution and first they stripped the LORD of glorie They take His garments off Him So the LORD before Hee was mounted vpon the Crosse Hee was stripped naked and then beeing starke naked they mount and spread out that glorious bodie on the Crosse And nailes Him with nailes and this is complained of before They pierced through mine hands and my feete Psalme 22.17 And now beeing nailed on the Crosse it commeth to passe as Paul sayes in the Epistle to the Galathians Chap. 3. verse 13 14 Hee is become a curse for vs that wee should become the blessing of God in Him Not that Iesus beganne then to be accursed of the Father when He hang vpon the Crosse No from the time of His conception euen all the time that Hee was in the world As our sinnes were laide vpon Him so the curse of God was on Him pursuing our sinne All these three and thirtie yeeres that Hee liued in the worlde the curse of God goes neuer off Him for the curse of God neuer leaues sinne A wicked man will seeme to bee blessed and to prosper and who will sit at such ease as he will play him and blesse himselfe in his owne heart but vvhen hee comes to a miserable ende and dies a miserable death when the miserable death appeares then the world sees that that man was cursed It appeared not that Iesus Christ vvas cursed till He vvas dying and going to be nailed on the Crosse then all the vvorld sees that Hee is cursed beside all the things that sinne brings on a man to it shall bring thee to a shamefull death and if thou bee not found in Iesus Christ and bee not couered with His Crosse then thou shalt die in the ende a cursed death although thou be in thy bed and thy Wife thy friends and all thy children about thee the death that thou shalt die shall be accursed Blessed are they who die
the day in the which He was crucified MARKE names it to haue bene about the third houre of the daye which according to our reckoning and our fashion of diuiding of the daye fell about the twelfth houre of the daye which manifestes a verie hastie dispatch and a short space betwixt the doome and the execution yea all this matter was very hastilie dispatched for Hee was taken in the night in the which Hee gotte no rest but was hurried first to Annas and from him to Caiaphas Hall and then before Pilate the Romane Iudge and there before him condemned So that Hee is taken in the night and the next day before twelue a clocke Hee is crucified In the night Hee is taken and brought before the Iudge The accusation passeth The doome is giuen and He is crucified on the morrow following before twelue of the clocke Nowe to passe by the malice of the Jewes and their earnestnesse to haue the Lord put to death we shall marke that all this judgement wee maye see the swiftnesse of the wrath of the Father which pursued the Sonne because He bare the sinnes of the worlde It lets vs see plainlie that the judgement that shall bee in the latter daye to the which this is proportionate it is a type of the latter judgement that judgemeÌ„t also I say shall passe ouer swiftlie and the reprobate in that judgement when the Lord is once entred into judgement shall not gette leaue nor leasure to draw their breath till they be casteÌ„ into Hel. And after that the terrible Iudge shall once enter into accompt with them and giue out that sentence Depart from mee yee cursed of my Father with the Deuill and his angelles immediatelie those damned soules shall bee hurled to Hell If the wrath was so swift vpon the Sonne of God Himselfe what shall bee the swiftnesse of the wrath vpon the reprobate in that Great daye Then come to the Text which we haue read and to goe forwardes to speake of the thinges and circumstances that fell out in the time that the Lord did hang quicke nayled vpon the Crosse for as I haue already declared Hee hung the â—pace of three houres quicke nayled vpon the Crosse ere Hee gaue vp the ghoste The first thing we haue to speake of is concerning the two Thieues that were crucified with Him the one at the one hande and the other at the other hand Next wee shall speake of that prayer that Iesus conceiued whilest Hee was hanging on the Crosse before His enemies And thirdly wee shall speake of that title and inscription that Pilate commanded to bee fixed on the Crosse to wit IESVS of Nazareth the King of the Iewes and this contained the crime and cause of His suffering Last wee shall speake of the diuiding of His garmentes and howe they cast lottes on His coate All these heads are plaine they offer plaine doctrine Then to come to the first It is saide that They crucified with him two thieues two vagabondes two throat-cutters and they crucified the one of them at his right hand and the other at his left hand And Hee hung on the Crosse in the middest betweene them both They crucifie not the Lord Iesus Himselfe alone but betwixt two Thieues and not at the side but one of them at each side and Him in the middest gâ—uing out thereby to bee vnderstood by all the worlde who looked on Him and there was an hudge multitude of Iewes Romanes and Gentiles looking on that of all Malefactors He was the greatest Brethren I see this thorowe all the Historie of the Passion of Iesus Christ euer His dolour encâ—easses till it come to the ende to the height And I see this that as His paine growes continually So shame is heaped on His head continually and whilest Hee is hanging on the Crosse at the same time the greatest shame is heaped on His head for Hee hanges vpon the Tree betwixt the euill doers as Prince of all euill doers in the worlde To let you see that as the paine of the reprobate shall bee extreame so the shâ—me and confusion that they shall suffer in Hell shall passe all measure In this circumstance as in all the rest I looke not so much to the Iewes and to their malice as I looke to His Father in Heauen to His wrath and to His Iustice it is Hee who is the chiefe worker of all these things All theâ—e men Pilate Herode the men of warre and the High Priestes they are like as many burrioes to that Iudge The LORD hanges on the Crosse in extreame paine of bodie and soule and as Hee hanges in extreame paine so there is extreame shame joyned with it Nowe if the shame and paine was extreame it must followe that Hee bare an extreame but then of sinne these goe together in GODS Iustice extreame burthen of sinne extreame paine and extreame shame for the Iustice of GOD requires that extreame sinne bee punished by extreame paine and shame It is true the Martyres suffered greater shame paine than euer murtherer did or malefactour yet it followes not that their sinne was greater than the sinne of them who suffers not so great paine Why The Martyres suffered not for sinne Non eo nomine Neuer a Martyre suffered for sinne but for the testimonie of the same Lord Iesus Christ who suffered for their sinne and therefore in their suffering they had an exceeding great joy assuring them that they had a remissioÌ„ of their sinnes in the blood of the Lambe IESVS CHRIST But IESVS CHRIST suffered for sinne Eo nomine it is one thing to a sinner to suffer it is another thing to suffer for sin No if the Lord make thee to suffer for the least sin if it were but for an euill thought thou shalt feele howe terrible a Iudge Hee is The LORD suffers and is shamed for sinne the Lord IESVS suffered extreame shame and paine therefore the consequent followes He bare an extreame but then of sinne When I looke to this vtter shame as I call to minde all the sinnes that IESVS suffered for so chiefly I looke to that high pride of Adam and of vs all in Adam whereby wee aspire to bee like to that High and glorious Majestie that pride whereby we would haue spoyled that great GOD of that honour and glorie which was due to Him Therefore in this vtter shame the Father of Heauen meetes randers and requites that high pride of Adam and for that Hee heapes shame on the head of His Sonne As thou aspirest to dishonour Him by pride so Hee meetes thy pride in His deare Sonne If thou be not found in IESVS in that great day the prouder thou bee in the worlde the greater shall be thy shame beside that vnspeakable torment of soule and bodie Now will yee see in this extreame paine shame that the Lord suffers how the wonder of our saluation is wrought it is so farre from that that it is wrought
of His owne goods Howsoeuer they esteemed of Him yet Hee vvas innocent Next they doe Him shame in stripping Him and setting Him naked vpon the Crosse in the sight of all the worlde And last of all they despite Him and contemne Him in taking His garmentes and parting them in His owne presence vvhere He Himselfe might behold it So they did Him vvrong shame and despite But Brethren as in all other circumstances conjoyned with the Passion I looke not so much to men as to the Lord So heere I looke not so much to these executioners in parting of these garments as to that Heauēly Iudge His Father to His justice in this matter for whatsoeuer bee their part and howe vnjust soeuer they bee that Heauenly Father is just and that burthen of our sinne vvhich Iesus Christ tooke vpon Him deserued all this as suretie for vs Hee demerited all this Nowe to examine more narrowly euerie one of these to wit the wrong shame and despite wee shall see howe justly all is done if yee will looke to His Father and first consider the wrong done vnto Him in taking His cloathes Hee was wearied of His garments because Hee was cledde with our sinne Nowe woulde to GOD that wee could feele in mercy this weight of sinne which our Mediator did beare vpon His backe for vs for then wee woulde not runne on so wantonly as wee doe And it telles vs this That a sinner that is not in Iesus Christ vvho hath not put off sinne but yet beares the burthen of sinne hath no right to weare so much as a moste vile garment yea though it were but a bratte of a sacke to hide his shame from the sight of the worlde let bee Golde Siluer or precious rayment and if it shall fall out at any time that hee be reaued and spoyled of his cloathes let him take it to bee of the just judgement of GOD whatsoeuer bee mans part therein And though the Thieues bereaue him yet the GOD of Heauen is just in punishing of him whatsoeuer part man hath in the action Yet it telles vs more for I tell you still that this judgement of Iesus Christ is the image and figure of the latter judgement for such processe as is vsed heere shall bee vsed in the latter judgement Then I saye it telles vs that in that latter daye a reprobate and sinner vvho shall not bee founde in Iesus Christ shall bee depriued and spoyled of all the creatures made for the vse and ornament of man and there shall neuer a one of them bee left him neither shall hee haue so much a foot-breadth of earth or the meanest commoditie in the worlde yea albeit hee were a king let him haue possessions kingdomes and the whole earth now but then there shall not bee any thing in this worlde that hee shall possesse at that daye but shame in the Hell for euermore Where by the contrary they who shall bee founde in Iesus Christ shall not onelie bee cladde with incorruption and glory in Christ but also shall be put in possession of a newe Heauen and newe Earth to reigne with their Head and Lord Iesus Christ for euermore Yee see then what happinesse it is to bee founde in Iesus Christ at that Great daye O the misery of him vvho shall bee founde out of Him Nowe to come to that shame which Hee suffers on the Crosse The Father thorowe His nakednesse heerein also is just Hee vvas cledde on the Crosse with our sinnes It telles vs this that among all the punishmentes of sinne this is one to wit nakednesse to set the body naked in the sight of the worlde Yee reade in Esay 3.17 where the sinfull women are threatned for their pride that the Lord IEHOVAH shall make naked and discouer their secret parts to the world But to speake of the latter day beside all the rest of the punishments of the reprobate the nakednesse of their carcases shal be a punishment they shall rise with foule bodies whereas the Elect shall rise with glorified bodies and the reprobate shall stand vp in the sight of all men Angels with naked bodies that their shame may be seene they shall crie to hide their shame on the mountaines to couer them and on the hilles to fall on them Now last to speake of that despite that Hee suffered They parte His garmentes before Him in despite of Him They goe not to a backside to deale them Looke to Gods dealing heere this is a just thing with God that hee who is a sinner and who in contempt and despite of God hath sinned that he be contemned againe and suffer despite openlie And Christ among all other punishmēts bare this punishment of contempt vpon the Crosse Then if contempt be done vnto thee who art a sinner not in Iesus Christ not cledde with His justice in respect of God it is due justice if thy goods be taken and pulled from thee before thine eyes if thy sonnes bee slaine in despite of thee or thy virgins destored thy selfe looking on take it for the just judgement of God In the latter daye beside all the punishmentes that shall fall vpon a reprobate despite shall be done to them If it were but this that the persons whome they disdained contemned and spitted vpon shall bee glorified in despite of them So to ende this This teaches vs howe good a thing it is to bee in Iesus Christ and howe blessed that bodie shall bee vvho is founde in Him And as for thee who art out of Iesus Christ woe shall be to thee suppose thou were an Emperour Nowe to goe forwarde After the Hang-man and after their despite followes the part of the people vvho gazed on Him they beginne and wagge their heads Dauid foretelles of that in the 22. Psalme vers 7. They had mee in derision and made a mowe and nodde their heads and they said Is this the man who saide hee would destroy the glorious Temple of Hierusalem and builde it after in three dayes Come downe from the Crosse and saue thy selfe They mistooke the LORD for the LORD vnderstood of the Temple of His bodie which after three dayes by His glorious resurrection hee should reedifie and builde vp againe so the opprobrie that they cast vp to Him is this He was wount to say He would cast downe the Temple and builde it vp againe in three dayes But this is a thing impossible and their ground they take from His present infirme estate that inhabilitie He was in on the Crosse So they gather of that Seeing He could not free Himselfe that the other was impossible Before I marke or obserue any thing on this place I shall followe out the scoffing rayling and mocking of others After the people came in the Princes of the people as High Priestes Scribes Pharises Elders and Rulers and they raile on Him saying This man tooke on Him the Name of CHRIST let vs see if He can saue Himselfe As
it is impossible that that body can attaine to glory They thinke him as an out-cast and will scorne his profession They will saye Are these your Christians of all men they are the moste miserable if that be the waye to Heauen I will renounce to goe that way this is rather the waye to goe to Hell This is the voyce of the worlde And the cause is because miserable catiues know not what sinne is which at that time behooued to bee purged by the Crosse for the justice and Majestie of GOD beeing offended required that it shoulde bee so and nowe in vs sinne thorowe manifolde crosses and afflictions must bee mortified Let the vvorlde thinke and speake as it pleases the onely waye whereby thou shalt come to life is suffering and affliction and thou must thinke this that wee must bee racked thorowe Hell ere wee come to Heauen Our redemption is wrought by the Crosse thou shalt not come to Heauen but by the Crosse The ground of all is sinne But alas the world sees it not The word will teach thee that there is no other vvay to come to Heauen but by affliction and it will thee that if thou bee not purged and changed by trouble and affliction thou shalt neuer see Heauen Alas that wee coulde once grone vnder sinne And blessed is the soule that hath a sight of the weight of sinne and vvoe to that soule that hath no sight of sinne To goe forwarde I see in this Thiefe vvho rayles on Christ some speciall thing hee hath a particular of his owne hee is in torment and therefore hee saies Jf thou bee that CHRIST saue thy selfe and vs. Brethren a torment vvhatsoeuer it bee if it bee not the better sanctified it vvill mooue the creature to fall out in blasphemie thou vvilt blaspheme both in heart and mouth and thou vvilt saye that there is no power in GOD to saue thee And the Thiefe in effect saide this There is no power in thee to saue mee I renounce thee as a Sauiour and if thou confesse His power thou wilt denie His mercie and vvilt saye GOD is but a Tyrant And if thou vvilt saye Hee is mercifull bee mercifull to vvhome Hee vvill Hee cannot bee mercifull vnto mee This last distrusting of mercie to thy selfe is a great sinne And that to saye altogether that there is no mercie in GOD it is a plaine blasphemie And last to saye there is no power in GOD it is to denie GOD to bee GOD For howe can Hee bee GOD if Hee vvant power So I thinke that this catiue hath beene a great blasphemer of that Majestie and vvhen I looke on it I see in him the image of the death of the reprobate vvhen they are dying and changing this life The Lord giue vs grace to die well The reprobate shall thinke that in their doing God hath no power to saue them for of all men in the worlde the reprobate is the most Ioath to die for either they shall thinke that God is not mercifull at all or else at least that there is no mercie in Him for them and so the miserable creature will turne his backe on GOD and immediately shall cast himselfe into Hell and damnation Wee reade of Sidrach Mesach and Abednego that they were so farre from this blasphemie that when the Tyrant falles out in blasphemie they meete him and saye Our GOD is Almightie and Hee hath power to deliuer vs if Hee please Neuer come thou to despaire though thou shouldest die tenne thousande deathes but sleepe in His bosome hang on Him and saue His honour and thinke not that which maye derogate His honour and saye Though thou shouldest slaye mee LORD yet will I trust in thee and so die sweetlie resting in His armes Well I see this hath beene a miserable bodie and hath died miserablie blaspheming the God of Glorie and this is euen as the reprobate shall doe at the latter Iudgement And yet when I compare him with the Pharises and Priests I find their blasphemie greater than his Well shall it bee to the Thiefe in respect of them for they had knowledge and hee wanted Who shoulde haue had knowledge but they They had no torment hee had sore torment What neede had they to blaspheme Therefore their condemnation shall bee greater than his And vvhen I compare this blasphemie of the Thiefe with the blasphemie of some men in these dayes vvho when anie crosse falles vpon them without their expectation vvill saye What can GOD doe more vnto mee so in effect denying power to bee in GOD and in IESVS CHRIST I count the blasphemie of these men to bee greater than his vvas For nowe IESVS is in Glorie and the Thiefe saw Him on the Crosse in miserie vvith himselfe If thou now blasphemest Him so it were well done that thy mouth were sowed vp that thou neuer spakest a vvorde Nowe to ende vvith this The LORD giue vs grace that neither in thought nor in vvorde vvee dishonour that MAIESTIE but maye acknowledge His mercie and power towardes vs in IESVS CHRIST To vvhome bee all Honour Glorie Praise Power and Dominion both nowe and euermore Worlde vvithout ende AMEN THE XVII LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 40 But the other answered and rebuked him saying Fearest thou not GOD seeing thou art in the same condemnation verse 41 We are indeede righteously heere for wee receiue things worthie of that we haue done but this man hath done nothing amisse verse 42 And hee saide vnto Iesus Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome WEE heard the last day Brethren of all these railings and blasphemies that the Lord Iesus suffered of all rankes and estates of persons whilest Hee hang on the Crosse naked liuing in torment Pilate began fixed on the Crosse an ignominious inscription That Iesus was a Traitor against Caesar and that He suffered death for His treason Then the Hang-men foure in number in despite and in His sight tooke his garmentes and diuided them in foure partes and because his coate had no seame but was wouen thorowout therefore they cast lottes for it who shoulde haue it whole Then comes on the people with their part and raile vpon Him and blaspheme Him saying Nowe if thou bee that Christ come downe and saue thy selfe Then followe the high Priestes the Scribes and the Elders who raile on Him and saye Is this hee who will saue others let see if hee can bee able to saue himselfe Then the men of warre and Gentiles beginne to raile if thou bee the King of the Iewes saue thy selfe and come downe from the Crosse And then one of the Thieues railes out on Him If thou be that Christ saue thy selfe and vs both but nowe so like as thou art the Christ thou art adying as vvell as vvee and art neither able to sâ—ue thy selfe nor vs and therefore thou art not a King Nowe Brethren yee maye perceiue that it was no prayer that
one gets the conscience of their merite and feeles that they deserue death ten wants it It is a pitie to see how many dies without sense like dogges and then if it fall so that one get the conscience of sinne in the houre of death it falles out ofttimes that they get not the sense of mercie It may bee that thou get the sense of sinne and be stricken with a feare but with a desperate feare for with the sense and feeling of sinne if there bee not also a sense of mercie there is nothing but terrour and a seruile feare So thou shalt die like a vile slaue in damnation So the conscience of this thiefes merite makes him to feare God no doubt hee hath had a sweet sense of the mercy of God in Iesus Christ But who made this difference It was the Lord It was a happie thing for this thiefe to be crucified with IESVS CHRIST for all this slowed out of the Crosse of IESVS CHRIST Therefore take vp the lesson Thinke not that in the houre of death thou shalt bee twitched as thou shouldest either with the feeling of thy sinne and miserie or yet of mercie except that thou sweetely turne thee to the Crosse of CHRIST and say LORD I feele neither sense of my merite and what my sinnes deserues nor of mercie LORD therefore giue mee it then the sweetnesse of that sense shall swallow vp that paine No comfort in death but in IESVS CHRIST except thine eyes be set on that Crosse Woe is to thee and woe to thee againe and better for thee if thou hadst neuer come in the world Thou and I sayes hee suffer iustly This confession witnesses the inward conuersion to IESVS CHRIST for when the heart of a sinner is turned to IESVS CHRIST it will taste a such sweetnesse that the creature will not care by that it bee shamed so it can get that LORD in whome it feeles such a sweetnesse glorified it is a sure token that these shamelesse sinners these men who will not shame themselues in the sight of the worlde but will stand in their pointes of honour with GOD these miserable soules these bloodie murtherers these adulterers tasted neuer of that mercie in IESVS CHRIST If thou wouldest haue thy sinnes hid from the eyes of GOD that terrible Iudge then open them to the world that the LORD may be glorified and if thou hidest thy sinnes the LORD shall rippe vp thy brest in that great daye and let all the world see the most hid and secret corner of thine heart to thy shame and confusion Nowe come to the thirde argument of reproofe and it is taken from the innocencie of Iesus This is an innocent and iust man Fearest thou not GOD to raile on the innocent if He were guiltie as thou and I am thy railing were more tollerable but howe canst thou raile on this just man The lesson is Iust ones who suffer innocently should not be railed vpon the LORD keepe our mouthes from railing on them if thy conscience tell thee of their innocency reuile them not a man who suffers may be innocent two manner of wayes for either hee is innocent in himselfe and not guiltie of that for which hee suffers or els if hee bee a malefactour and guiltie he may be innocent through Faith and repentance through the blood of Iesus Christ as this thiefe was innocent in Christ Now if a man be innocent of that crime for which hee suffers raile not on him on paine of thy life and if thou findest him innocent in the blood of Iesus Christ and findest him to haue true and vnfained repentance in Him albeit he bee neuer so wicked let him die and suffer these paines hee should suffer for repentance should not exeeme and free him from ciuile punishment but beware thou raile on him surely thy mouth should be stopped to raile out on him God forbid that an euill word be spoken out against him as a reprobate whom the LORD Iesus countes innocent in His blood for this railing testifies that thou counts that man as a reprobate and that is too sore a judgement thou takes to thee I see heere further the LORD neuer leaues His Sonne without a testimonie of His innocencie Pilate euer on testified His innocencie before hee condemned Him and said once twise thrise I finde nothing worthie of death in Him No Pilate was neuer brought to say that Christ was guiltie suppose he condemned Him but euer preached and proclaimed His innocencie Then when Hee is comming to suffer the poore women followes and testifies and now the poore penitent thiefe testifies the innocencie of Christ and lastly the men of warre were compelled to say Of a trueth this is the Sonne of God And if ye consider well yee shall see two thinges very contrarie that of all men that suffered He was both the most just and the most vnjust He was innocent in Himselfe and Hee was guiltie in vs and this for our consolation for this lets vs seee how meete a Mediatour He was for vs my Sauiour must be innocent in Himselfe Heb. 7.26 and He must bee guiltie in me Thus farre this thiefe hath vttered that inward repentance in rebuking the other for his blasphemie and sinne and in confessing his sinnes before the other thiefe and those that stood by now followes the third effect he turnes him to the Lord and in all humilitie seeking remission grace and life and sayes Lord remember me when thou commest to thy Kingdome Prayer should follow vpon confession of sinnes but marke the word hee calls Him Lord albeit he saw Him hanging on the tree there like a vile slaue yet he acknowledges Him to be a King when he ascribeth a Kingdome to Him albeit he sees Him hanging there like a slaue yet he askes life of Him albeit he saw Him in weaknesse in torment and at the point of death All these things are marueilous and ye shall see them the more marueilous if ye will consider well the person of him who prayes what a man before this time he was and then what is his estate present and last the person of Him to whom he directs his Prayer This his conuersion was marueilous if this man had beene trained vp in the schoole of Christ any space of time it had beene lesse marueilous but beeing trained vp in a denne of thieues where hee had lost all kinde of equitie and naturalitie where hee had liued like a beast like a lyon liuing by cutting of throates theft and by the bloode of men this man to be turned from such an foule heart to get faith and seeke mercie so suddenly in a moment such sudden mutation is more than marueilous aad wonderfull Then will yee looke to his present estate if he had bene free in the body without paine so that he had gotten leasure and licence to looke thorow that body to His Kingdome and to that eternall Life then this doing had beene lesse marueilous
it that we count not much of them but that â—e behold that heauenly life Paul 2. Cor. 5.16 When he was speaking of the redemption that the Lord bought with His precious blood sayes From henceforth I will knowe no man according to the flesh and if I did know Jesus sometimes according to the flesh now I will not know Him hee giues a reason Who euer is in Christ let him bee a newe creature the olde creatures are past away behold all things are made new Fye on thee that hast thine heart fixed on these earthly thinges and forgettest Heauen This for the stile that He giues her Come to the words He sayes Behold thy sonne As if He had said Woman I am to depart this life and I put Iohn in my stead and I ordaine him to take the protection of thee and to doe the dutie of a sonne to thee in my steade then Hee turnes Him to Iohn and Hee sayes Beholde thy mother As if Hee had said I goe out of the world and I leaue my mother to thee and I ordaine that thou be a sonne to her and she a mother to thee and that thou keepe her and intertaine her so long as thou and she liue together It may be asked The LORD IESVS CHRIST going to Heauen might Hee not from the Heauen haue kept His owne mother might Hee not haue taken the defence of His owne mother might He not haue preserued Her from all dangers No question He might haue kept her well eneugh yet He committes her to Iohn whom Hee loues because He loues His mother well Hee commends her to a man whom He loued intierely He will not contemne the ordinarie meanes and manner of doing this same Hee does dayly the LORD IESVS hath power to saue His Church and all the members of the same to protect and defend them but He will not contemne these ordinarie meanes He will haue euery one to keepe another as Hee commended His mother to Iohn to bee kept And woe bee to thee who may if thou keepe none And namely the LORD hath a care of that infirme sexe that women bee kept by the protection of men who are faithfull She who is kept vnder the protection of any in the worlde let her giue CHRIST glorie for it for it is by His direction as Marie was directed to Iohn Consider heere further The LORD at this time is in the seruice of His heauenly Father and there was neuer a man so occupied in His life as He was at this houre and He was neuer so occupied all His time as now and Hee was now occupied chiefly in suffering It is an easie thing to bee occupied in performing duties of the seruice of GOD in respect of suffering it is a sore thing to suffer as to be cast in a fire to bee nailed on a Crosse yet in suffering albeit He is occupied so that He forgets His owne selfe yet when Hee sees His mother Hee forgets not her I would all men should marke this lesson The malediction of GOD shall fall on these that deserue the curse of their mother who glorie in it let them glorie in it as they will our dutie to GOD prejudges nothing our dutie to father or mother thou was neuer so occupied in the seruice of GOD as was Iesus Christ at this houre who in the middest of all this did His dutie to His mother and Christ will let vs see that our dutie to our GOD stands well with our duetie to man Wilt thou pull the first and the second Table asunder the one from the other Wilt thou say that the first prejudges the second thou doest lie But looke the order That CHRIST keepes in these duties doth He first His dutie to His mother No first He doth His dutie to His Father Hee is obedient to His Father to the death and in the middest of that obedience to the Father Hee doth His dutie to His mother Beginne at thy GOD if thou wouldest doe thy dutie and next come to man and if thou passest by GOD to doe thy dutie to man thou shalt doe nothing of loue nor of sinceritie Fye on thee and that loue and that dutie thou vtterest to man followe not on that loue thou bearest to GOD and wilt thou say this I see my dutie to the King and to my father bindes me I will doe my dutie to them and last I will serue GOD any thing will serue Him wilt thou jest so with the LORD I say to thee if thou beginnest at man euen at the King or at thy father or mother and postpone the LORD I say to thee the LORD will haue none of thy seruice And if thou hatest not sayes CHRIST father and mother for my cause thou art not worthie of mee Luke 14.26 Then what shall become of them who preferre father and mother to GOD he is but a knaue that will take on him the name of a Christian and will serue men before GOD No that name shall turne to thy shame Therefore vnder the paine of thy life doe thy dutie first to GOD and then for GODS cause doe thy dutie to man that GOD may haue the glorie of it Further there are some in the houre of death that will take so litle care of the worlde and of them whome they leaue behinde them that they are destitute of naturall affection that they regard not if they die though all the world should fall in one moment for men wanting that naturall affection will say What care I if once I bee gone from the world Nowe there are others albeit they loose not altogether that naturall affection who haue their senses so occupied and exercised about the present paine that they will not know their parents kinsfolks or any that appertaine vnto them Who was euer in such a paine as Iesus was And yet out of the middest of torment of blasphemies of wrastling with death euerlasting with the wrath of the Father and with all the Infernall powers Hee is carefull of His Mother No man was euer borne that had such a naturall affection as Hee no sonne in this worlde euer loued his mother so well as Hee And except thou be in Iesus Christ and He sanctifie thy affections that in the houre of death thou mayest sleepe in Him sweetly either thou shalt loose altogether this naturall affection or else it shall bee suffocate that albeit thy Parentes and all thy kinred were about thee thou shalt haue no care of them No thou shalt not once by thine head and countenance vtter anie meaning that thou hast a care of their weale IESVS CHRIST honoured His Mother beyonde anie man euen on the Crosse in such a paine and such a displeasure And this testifies that naturall affection was greater in Iesus than in anie man Further Seeing Iesus from the Crosse in shame in torment in that fearefull battell c. commendes His Mother to Iohn it telles vs that the duety which wee owe to
Parentes standes not in ceremonies so much as in performing of necessarie dueties One word is greater in the houre of death or the meanest care than all that thou couldest doe being in health It is said Honour thy father and thy mother But our lordes and gentlemen thinke it enough to take off their hats and to bowe their knees to them Standes the honour of thy Parentes in a ceremonie Commendes God hypocrisie Learne at Iesus Christ the honour of thy Parentes standes in performing all essentiall partes of thy duetie to them Was thy Mother bounde to giue thee sucke and to bring thee vp in thy youth I saye thou art as straitly bounde to honour thy Mother and to nourishe her in her olde age Woe to them that procure their mothers curse and who are not tender to their mothers and will neither foster them nor haue a care of them This example of Iesus Christ which is registrate in the Gospell shall beare witnesse against thee when thy conscience shal rent and teare thee Men are come to such vnnaturalnesse that the Lyon was neuer so cruell as men in Scotland to them out of whose bellies they came Now what does Iohn He takes her home heartily John takes anoâ—her mans mother and entertaines her and he gets but this direction from the Crosse Fie on thee that gettest a direction from the throne of heaueÌ„ to honour thy own mother I say not saies Christ my mother but thy mother When men will not obeye Christ from that HeaueÌ„ly Throne what shall become of them in that great day Shame shall be heaped on them And Iohn who tooke not home his own mother but another mans mother shall stand vp condemne thee who would not entertaine thine own mother All the speaches of the worlde will not learne men in this wicked generation Further this is not to be pâ—ssed by that Iohn had an House and so had the rest of the Apostles say not y t they were beggers it is but folly to place religion in beggery I say it in a word These priuiledges in the world Houses wiues children c. are as well sanctified to a Minister as thy lordship is to thee Nowe I beseech thee as euer thou woldest y t the Lord shold blesse thee thy posseshoÌ„s in this world shold giue thee an hope of y t life to come let the Ministers of the Gospell haue a part of their own It is not yours as euer ye would giue an accompt to the Iudge to be answerable to Him in y t great Checker for all the blood of perishing soules shall bee required at them who with-draw these temporal things whereon those should bee sustained whom God hath sent to feede the soules of men and women to that Heauenly life To the Lord of that life be all Honour Praise and Glorie for euermore Amen THE XIX LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVII verse 45 Nowe from the sixt houre was there darknesse ouer all the lande vnto the ninth houre verse 46 And about the ninth houre Iesus cried with a loude voyce saying Eli Eli lamasabachthani that is My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee MARKE CHAP. XV. verse 33 Now when the sixt houre was come darknesse arose ouer all the land vntill the ninth houre verse 34 And at the ninth houre Iesus cried with a loude voyce saying Eloi Eloi lamma-sabachthani which is by interpretation My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 44 And it was about the sixt houre and there was a darknesse ouer all the land vntill the ninth houre verse 45 And the Sunne was darkened and the vaile of the Temple rent through the middes BELOVED in the LORD IESVS CHRIST we haue heard the last day that the Lord when Hee is hanging on the Crosse Hee was not onely occupied in suffering at the will of His Heauenly Father but also Hee was occupied in doing First we heard Hee did like a king howbeit He hung on the Crosse like a vile slaue in the sight of the worlde Yea Hee did like God Hee appardoned the poore Thiefe that hung at His right hand and was penitent and sought grace and mercie at Him for his sinnes and Hee makes a promise to him that hee shoulde bee with Him shortly in Paradise Then next wee hearde that when as Hee hung quick on the Crosse He did like a louing kind Sonne to His Mother who bare Him He recommends her earnestly to be entertained with Iohn His well beloued disciple Nowe in this dayes exercise wee haue a rehearsall of other thinges that fell ouâ— when as Iesus hung on the Crosse there falles a wonder there falles a darkenesse at the noone-tide the Sunne is obscured the time is noted when at the sixt houre the space of three houres as we shall heare All the time that Hee hung on the Crosse the darknesse continued on the Earth The next thing wee haue namely out of Matthew and Marke an heauie complaint that the Lorde falles out into vvhen Hee had hung on the Crosse about three houres for Hee falles out in the beginning of the ninth houre into an heauie complaint to His Father saying My GOD my GOD why hast thou forsaken mee Then vve haue how the Iewes misconstrues the voyce of the Lord but first we shall speake of the wonder there falles a darknes in the whole land or as some interprete on the whole earth the cause is noted The Sunne which should haue giuen light is obscured a marueilous Ecclipse contrarie to the common course of Nature fell on the Sunne The time is noted When it was the sixt houre Now Brethren This place requires that I should speake something concerning the diuision of the night and the day for this is requisite for the vnderstanding of the Historie of the Passion of Iesus Christ the Iewes tooke vp the beginning of their night from the going downe of the Sunne and ended at the rising of the Sunne they diuided their night in twelue houres whether long or short they had a more compendious diuision and diuided it in foure partes which they called quatuor vigilias foure watches euery watch containing three houres as for their day they measured it from the rising of the Sunne in the morning to the going downe and as they diuided the night so did they the daye in twelue houres whether it were long or short and as they diuided the night so did they the daye in foure partes each part containing three houres they called the first part of the day the first morning prima diluculi and the first houre albeit it contained three houres taking the name from the houre vvhere it beganne the second part vvhich contained other three houres they called the thirde houre taking the name from the houre it beganne at speaking exclusivè as vve vse to say the third part taking the name from the part it beganne at they called the sixt houre the
was but for a time but no escaping for thee if thou be thrust into hell thou shalt neuer get out and shalt find nothing but bitternes aime here or there all shal be in vaine euerlasting bitternes shal be casten in thy teeth and compasse thee on all sides that is a sore word An euerlasting bitternes neuer to haue an ende So blessed is that soule for euer who in that Day shal be found in Christ to get a part of that passioÌ„ y t He suffred the Lord giue euery one of vs grace now while we haue time to know Him to seek to be fouÌ„d in Him for wo to y t soule y t shal be fouÌ„d out of Him in y e great day Now I come â—o y e voyces first to that fourth voyce y t the Lord vttered wheÌ„ He said I thirst When vttered He it When He knew that all â—hinges were ended To the ende that the prophesie might bee fulfiâ—led that was spoken of Him before Hee saide I thirst A voyce of sadnessâ— comming from an extreame drought of bodie The Lord Iesus as He tooâ—e our nature vpon Him so He tooke on all our infirmities sinne exâ—epted Many times was Hee hungry and thirsty but chiefely whâ—n He hanges on the Crosse in that extreame heat of His soule and His body The soule was burnt vp with wrath and all the moysture of the bodie likewise dryed vp with wrath at this time the Lord had such a thirst that the tongue of man cannot expresse it thou sufferedst neuer such a thirst in any Feuer or disease as the Lord Iesus suffered for thee on the Crosse And no doubt beside other paines this exceeding thirst was a part of His paine and a part of that ransome that He payed to the Father for our redemption Yee see when a man is in a Feuer the thirst will bee a speciall part of the paine that hee hath Therefore albeit the thirst that the Lord sâ—ffered on the Crosse was an exceeding great paine yet He will not vtter His voyce I thirst till the ransome was payed Hee would not seeke to quench that thirst till that wrath of the Father was satisfied The drought was insatiable for the infinite wrath of God thirsted after the blood of the Mediator bearing our sins and was not quenched till the blood of the Mediator was drunken vp No quenching of sin but by the blood of the Mediator if thou bee not in Him the wrath of God will thirst for thy blood After this followes that bodily thirst The soule is dried vp the moysture of the body is clung vp the wrath suckes all vp On this rises the thirst of the body for except the Lorde had had a spirituall thirst and a pleasure to obey His Father to the death to saue thy soule from Hell it had beene vnpossible for Him to haue suffered that bodily thirst so long Learne this lesson at the Lorde Iesus and followe His example wee should suffer patiently all paine that it pleases the Lord to lay on body and soule knowing that it is according to His will and that by thy suffering thy obedience to Him is tryed And as we should suffer patiently all paineâ— so wee learne at Christ to abide patiently this bodily thirst in sicknes or Feuers knowing well that the Lord layes it on vs to trie our obedience patience But wilt thou know how thou shouldest abide it patieÌ„tly The Lord Iesus had a spirituall thirst to obey His HeaueÌ„ly Father for thy saluation that swallowed vp that bodily thirst Gette thee an earnest thirst to obey thy God it will bee a wondrous thing how patientlie thou wilt suffer whatsoeuer God wil lay on thee Therfore BrethreÌ„ in all things we should set our hearts to obey God and winke and close thy eyes at all dangers yea if thou be in extreame thirst and going to die say Lord I wil obey thee if thou get thy heart thus resolued and humbled vnder the hand of thy God howbeit thou be in pain for a time thou shalt see a faire end The Lord Iesus after this thirst and after death saw a glorious end So no question wilt thou leane on thy God as He did abide His will patiently thou shalt see the joyfullest most glorious end that euer was The Lord giue vs grace to obey God and to say Cast me here or there lay on me what thou wilt I shall obey thee though thou shouldest slay mee I will trust in thee This is an happy râ—solution We shall speake of the end wherefore the Lord vttered this voyce To the ende saies Iohn that the Scripture might be fulfilled In the 5. of Matt. the Lord saies J come not to dissolue the Law and the Prophets but to fulfill the Lawe and to fulfill euerie jote of that Lawe Heauen and Earth shall perish ere one jote of that Lawe shall passe away Now among all the prophesies that Christ fulfilled there is one here made mention of in the 69. Psalme Jn my meat they gaue mee bitternesse and in my drinke they gaue mee gâ—ll to drinke Nowe this prophesie is accomplished Dauid spake this in his owne person typically but the veriâ—y thereof was fulfilled in Christ Dauid got no vineger to drinke but Iesus Christ drunke vineger When the Lord came into the world wrought the worke of our redemption there was not so much as a title that was foretold of Him but He fulfilled it there was not a circumstance of His death but it was fore-tolde That nayling was fore-tolde where it is said They pearced mine hands and my feete The hanging of Him betwixt two Thieues was fore-tolde They reckon me saies the Prophet amoâ—g the vnjust The diuiding of His garmentes was fore-spoken They diuidâ—d my garmentes among them and cast lottes for my coat Looke the XXII and IXVI. PSALMES and the LIII CHAPTER of ESAY So this drinking of vineger was foretolde Nowe what learnes this vnto vs Was there euer any man whose death was pointed out this waye No neuer any one All the Kinges nor all the Emperoures had neuer such a particular pointing out of their death This lets vs see that the Father had a more speciall care of the death of IESVS than of the death of anie man that euer vvas and consequentlie it lets vs see that there vvas neuer such a vvorthie personage in the vvorlde as IESVS and that there was neuer such excellencie in the death of any as in the death of Iesus in it stood the life of the world Let men make pompes of the death of Emperours the Lord had neuer such an eye to the death of any as to the death of His onely well beloued Sonne and all the predictions of His death are to this end that wee comparing the issue of His death with the predictions wee might beleeue that Iesus was sent to bee the onely Sauiour of the world When I thinke on this I wonder at the
blindnesse of y e Iewes y t cannot know Him to be the Mediator but after that once a man be giuen to a reprobate sense he will say the Sun in y e noone-tide is but darknes The Gospel is hid sayes Paul 2. Cor. 4.4 to them who perish if thou see not beleeue not y e Gospell thou hast an earnest pennie in thy bosome y t thy damnatioÌ„ is sealed vp Thus farre for His thirst they gaue Him a drinke There is a vessell full of vineger This was a custome that they vsed they had a drinke beside them who were crucified Some thinke it was for this end that the paine might be stanched There is a drinke of vineger standing beside the Lord but I knowe not if they gaue such a sowre drinke to the thieues So this vessell standing beside one of them steps to it in scorne and takes a water sponge and puts it on a reede and puts it to His head he got litle thanke for his worke I take this giuing of this drinke to the Lord at this time to haue proceeded from bitter malice The wrath of His Father was begun to be asswaged yet the wrath of the Iewes could not be asswaged There is none end of the malice of the Iewes so long as breath is in Him they neuer cease to rage against Him WheÌ„ He was dead they persecute Him wheÌ„ He was in glorie they thought to shame Him WheÌ„ y e Lord looses y e raines of y e deuill of wicked men to chastise his own they run headlongs to wracke His Church y e Lord seekes but chastisemeÌ„t they seek wrack of body soule he y t knowes not this he knowes nothing if these persecuters got their will they would not only seeke y e wracke of y e body but also of y e soule What doth y e Lord for this when y e Lord hath pulled in their raines Hee takes y e scourge casts it in y e fire because they run far beyond their coÌ„mission This shal be y e end of their miserable soules O y t damnation y t shal ouertake them when y e Lord hath chastened vs by them they shal be cast in y e fire for euer Refuses y e Lord y e drinke indeede before He was raised vp on y e Crosse He tasted of this but would not drinke but He beeing on the Crosse it is said He dranke it It may by that after such a troublesome labour that His drought was so great that Hee was glad to drinke any liquour Alwayes this I know except the Lord had had a thirst of thy saluation Hee had not drunken it The thirst of thy saluation made Him as Hee dranke out the cuppe of the wrath of His Father So to drinke out this bitter cuppe that was propined to Him out of the bitternesse of their heartes Hee dranke out the wrath of God and the wrath of man that thou shouldest drinke the water of Life I say remember vpon that drinke that Iesus dranke when thou drinkest delicious drinkes it is not thy money that buyes the wine except it be bought with the precious blood of Iesus not a piece of bread or any thing pertaines to thee if it bee not bought with the blood of Iesus to them who are sanctified all thing is sanctified if thou be not in Him thou shalt bee accused as a violent possessour of all things in y t great day Now I goe to the next voyce when He hath drunkeÌ„ He saies Jt is sinished that is y t wearisome worke is now put to an end now the ransom is payed now the work of RedemptioÌ„ is ended Brethren that yee may vnderstand this The Lord when He was in the Garden had two workes The first was to buy Heauen to conquere life to vs The second to put vs in possession of it The first worke He beganne it in the first moment of His conception and continues still from that time to that moment He gaue vp the Spirit to the Father Now that worke beeing ended He proclaimes on the Crosse cries out in the audience of them all Consummatum est it is finished Now that wearisome worke is ended the deare worke is ended Heauen and life and righteousnesse is conquered to the worlde for euer This is the summe of the Gospel the worke of our Redemption is ended this is all our preaching Heauen life glorie is conquered againe to the lost world Thou needest not to giue one pennie out of thy purse for Heauen Cursed are they from the High Heauen to the low Hell that open their mouth to say Thou must pay some of that ransom out of thy purse Woe to the Papistes who will stand vp say Thou must pay some part of that ransome wo to that foule mouth that dare be so bold to open it and say pay thou a part of that ransome with thy money seeing that Iesus Christ hath proclaimed that all is finished bought by His blood woe vengeance and euerlasting damnation shall light on the Pope and all the Papistes that dare open their mouthes to speake such presumptuous wordes Yet there is another worke remaining which is to put vs in possession of Heauen and He began this at His resurrection and He holdes it on yâ—t and shall continue it vnto His comming againe And at that day of His comming yee shall heare Him crying All is ended not on His Crosse but in glory and all the Angels and all the Sainctes shall crie All is ended Glorie to him who hath ended all no more shall bee Looke downe to His heart and to the sense from whence this voyce arose wheÌ„ He saies this ye shall find that Iesus felt the wrath of His Father asswaged Before Hee was in an agony now Hee feeles the agony to cease where before He fouÌ„d no joy now joy returnes On the sense of all these thinges falles out this voyce All is ended WheÌ„ I looke to this I thinke I see y e image of a godly Sainct dying for the godly are like to him in death and life Before the last moment they are in a battell and suddenly they will say I haue gotten the victorie in Iesus and theÌ„ last they will yeeld vp the spirit Come to the last voyce It is a voyce of joy I am of that opinion that before the Lord yeelded vp the ghost the agony left him and that joy that had left him returned againe and made him to vtter joyfull words The Euangelists say He cryed with a loud voyce What voyce this is Luke expresses Father into thine hands I recommend my spirit All that were standing about might haue heard him vttering this powerfull voyce Now ye would wonder that a man immediatly yeelding vp his spirit should haue such a strong voyce Ye see men and women in death their voyce will faile them some will not haue any voyce and some not any signe some if they get that grace to speake
greater wonder to see a regenerate man from whome that scroofe is taken away than that all the rockes should rent This for the first wonder now followes the second The Earth quakes No doubt but with the quaking of the earth there was a sore dinne whilst the soule of the Lord separated from the body O! what a thing was it to draw the soule of the Sauiour of the world from the body No the renting of the rockes was nothing in respect of that drawing of the soule of the Mediatour from the body The Earth is holden vp by the mightie hand of the Lord and when it shakes the mightie hand of the Lord shakes it When the Lord begins to shake His arme all the mountaines shakes it is no jesting for if Hee hit thee Hee will bruse thee in pieces although all the world were about thee What is miserable man doing that will not knowe the power of the Almightie God This shaking meanes a threatning to this people and the earth threatens to swallowe them all vp for their indignitie they wrought to their Lord their Maker If thou dishonourest thy Maker the earth shall open and swallow thee vp as it did Core Dathan and Abiram who withstood Moyses No it is a wonder that the earth should beare men No I protest I would not wonder so much if the earth opened and swallowed some men as I wonder that the Lord in His long suffering patience spares them and holds His hand and Iudgement off them It is a wonder that the houses fall not downe on the blasphemers and the chambers where they commit their filthinesse should not smoother them But Hee shall cause an heauier thing fall on the body and soule than a thousand mountaines were tumbled on them thou doest nothing but heapes vp wrath as the Apost sayes against the day of wrath No wrath and heauie wrath shall be heaped on them So the earth threatens thâ—m for the indignitie they did to their Lord. Yee see that after the earth quaked it will swallow vp townes and people but shee swallowes them not vp now but the earth vomites them out as not worthie to beare them in her bellie No she thought them ouer bitter to be within her who had dishonoured her Creator but afterward looke what came on them The earth will reuenge that foule thing done to her Lord the land of Iudea spued them out and the earth will not let that cursed kinde haue a foot-breadth of her O! what is it to haue battell with the Creator when He begins to arme the earth or any creature against thee we would thinke that this shaking of the earth should haue mooued them yet tâ—ey take no thought for it At the voyce of the Lord the earth did shake but did the Priests and the Scribes shake Are they mooued at the dinne and shaking of the earth So againe I say there is nothing so vnmooueable No not the earth as thine hardened heart will be at all the denunciations that will come from Heauen or Hell saue thy selfe from a reprobate sense or else thou shalt neuer bee wakened till thou bee thrust into hell where thou shalt bee tormented vvith endlesse vexation without any hope of comfort This for the second wonder Nowe let vs come to the clieuing of the Mountaines This followes on the former as the earth opened to swallow them so the mountaines cloue to tumble vpon them The mountaines will not suffer them to dishonour their maker What mooued this the Iewes Euen as much as the other two No question it was a great and terrible noyse when the mountaines cloue Woe to a senselesse heart The mountaines may clieue and shiuer and quake but if thy soule bee giuen to induration the stones mountaines shall bee mooued and broken but thine heart shall neuer breake Woe againe to a senselesse heart which is not mooued at the word of God that Scepter of yron whereof ye reade 2. Psal shall light on thee bruise thee in pieces Therfore cast away that vaile froÌ„ thine heart and striue to keepe light in thy soule conscience and walke in sobriety till thy God call on thee and then thou shalt see a blessed ende Nowe wee come to the last wonder which was wrought The graues doe their duetie they forget not their maker but in their manner they glorifie their Lord God and honour Him yea death it selfe with the graue doe Him homage and honour But miserable man will not honour Him The graues laye open from three a clock after noone for about three a clock the Lord gaue vp the ghost and they lay open all that day all that night all the daye following and the next night till the morning that the Lord rises and then the bodies of the Sainctes also arole by vertue of His resurrection and went into the Citie The graues will tell the miserable people that the Lord Iesus had loosed the bandes of the graue by His death By death He slew death with her owne sword He slew her as wee speake Shee would teach them that the bodies in that Great day shall rise vp by the vertue of that resurrection of Iesus Christ This question may bee asked What became of those bodies which arose went into the City Did they lay them down againe in the graue or ascended they to Heauen I will not bee curious in this purpose But in my judgement they were taken vp to the heaueÌ„s with Iesus Christ to be an argumeÌ„t of our resurrection going to the heauens This was a faire lesson but this miserable people was not moued Woe to a stonie senselesse heart the graue may open but nothing will open a senselesse soule Therefore I beseech you striue to get a soft and mollified heart The voyce of Iesus made the earth to quake the rockes to rent the graues to open the deade to rise but the voyce of the LORD opened not their heartes then He opens the graues It is an easier thing to raise a dead body out of the graue than to raise thy soule if it bee once haâ—dened it is more wonderfull to raise a deade soule and to see that soule get a sense of Heauen than to see all the bodies of the Church-yard rising Nowe to compare these wonders There are two of them The first and the last that teach this people The other two the second and the third that threatens them The quaking of the earth and the renting of the rockes threaten a damnage and destruction to them and in this temperature of His wonders As the power of God so the wisdome of God appeares wonderfully He threatens this people for the indignitie that they had done to the LORD of glorie with Hell and death yet Hee holds vp His handes O! how vnwilling He is to strike but if He light on thee Hee will cause thee squeele He is ayming Hee is shaking that terrible arme and threatning them in the meane time
multitude of the wicked and persecuters of IESVS CHRIST in crucifying Him in taunting and scorning Him Doubtlesse there were in that companie some of the godlie who loued the LORD IESVS but seeing we haue heard nothing of them as yet therefore this daye wee shall speake somewhat in their behalfe Nowe what are they doing in the meane time They are standing afar off Some men many women who all that time had followed Him before standing to see that sadde spectacle yet with sadnesse they had joye no question And this is the first part of our TEXT which wee haue read out of MATTHEVV MARKE and LVKE After this wee enter into the Historie of Christs buriall But before we come to His buriall wee haue in the XIX CHAPTER of IOHN the Historie of the taking downe of His bodie from the Crosse So at this time by Gods grace wee shall speake of these two to wit Of the part of the godlie who loued Him and next Of the taking downe of that blessed bodie from the Crosse after it was dead Then to come shortly to the purpose It is saide And all his acquaintance stood afarre off There is the generall Then comes on the particular Manie women particular mention is made of them Manie women are standing afarre off looking on Wee heard of before in the XIX of IOHN vers 23. of three women chiefely Marie the Mother of Iesus and other two Maries together with His well-beloued Disciple IOHN and they were standing at that time when Hee hung quicke vpon the Crosse so neare hand Him that He speakes to them from the Crosse and they hearde Him So Brethren this standing afarre off at this time as I take it hath beene after the Lord had giuen vp the ghost when the women are returning home againe being loath to part companie with Him and as they were going home they turned about looked to Iesus hinging on the Crosse on Moūt Caluarie They stand first near thē turning home again they stand afar off No questiō it was y e loue they bare to the Lord that drue thē after him whē he went to be crucified y t same loue y t they bare to him was so tender entire y t it made them to stand look on him when he hung on the Crosse and y t loue they bare to y e Lord Iesus made thē to seuer frō the rest of the multitude and to gather themselues together and looke backe to Him where Hee was hanging For this is a sure thing Those that meete together in one faith and loue in the Lord Iesus of meere force they must meet together among themselues and be linked together by the band of loue in one bodie By the contrary those who meet not together in one faith in Iesus Christ their hearts will neuer be joyned in this world they will neuer meet to make one body they will neuer separate themselues from the multitude of this world No if it were all my kinred father and mother brother and sister if they loue not the Lord Iesus mine heart and his shall neuer bee linked together in this worlde nor in the worlde to come Hee that loueth not the Lord Iesus as Paul saies 1. Corin. Chap. 16. let him be Anathema maran-atha that is cursed for euermore But hee who loues the Lord Iesus and meetes with mee in Him let him bee what hee will let him bee in the vtmoste corner of the worlde mine heart and his is linked together and there is a conjunction which neuer shall bee separated neither in the Heauen nor in the Earth it shall last for euer Brethren when I consider this multitude heere standing looking vpon Him when Hee hung vpon the Crosse I thinke I see an image of the whole worlde for it is a worlde of people who are standing about Him there are Gentiles there are Jewes and the false adulterous kirke there are Priestes Pharises Elders blinde guides of the people a prophane multitude enemies of all sorts And as there are manie enemies to Christ So there is a sillie handfull of godlie men and women gathered together looking vpon that sadde spectacle who resembled the true Kirke militant heere vpon the face of the earth And as in all this multitude like drawes to like The vvicked and the vngodlie ranke themselues together The Priests ranke themselues together The souldiours ranke themselues together and also the godly ranke themselues together and looke vpon that sadde spectacle their Lord crucified Well this is common to all all are standing looking to CHRIST hanging on the Crosse vpon the toppe of the Mount Caluarie Jewe and Gentile wicked and godlie all are looking But in looking there is a great difference There are some delighting their eyes vvith the spectacle there are some feeding the malice of their heartes and drinking the blood of IESVS CHRIST the Priestes the Pharises and the Elders But the godlie are looking on vvith sadnesse of their heartes And I doubt not but as with sadnesse so also they are looking on Him vvith joy by faith in His glorious resurrection There are manie this same houre who haue their eyes fixed on Christ both Turkes and Paganes and the true Kirke and the false Kirke but one cause mooues not all Take heede therefore howe thou lookest either to His Crosse or to His glorie looke that thy soule bee set on Him and see that by looking vnto Him thou preasse to bee partaker of the fruite of His death and resurrection for if thou lookest to Him for the fashion or in malice as the Turkes doe and the Pagans and the Papistes enemies to His Crosse thou shalt perish better had it bene to thee neuer to haue heard of Iesus or neuer to haue seene Him Further this would be well considered We see if we haue a friend whō we loue well if he betaken out to a shamefull death there was neuer such a shamefull death as this we will thinke shame of him and he will thinke shame that his friendes shoulde see him in that estate Who would thinke but that the acquaintances of Iesus should haue thought shame of Him to haue conuoyed their friend to such an ignominious death and to haue seene Him so shamefully demained So that Brethren when I cōsider this matter well I perceiue that those His familiars and acquaintance haue seene further into Christ than men women doe commonly No doubt but the friends of Christ who came to see Him hanging in ignominie sawe life in that death they sawe glory in His ignominie otherwise they had neuer come to see Him hanging in ignominie And no doubt they felt a sweete perfume flowing from that Sacrifice It was the sweetest smelling Sacrifice that euer was offered All the perfume and incense that euer was offered passed not vp with such a sweete smell in the nosethrilles of the Father as that one blessed sacrifice did And as it smelled sweetly in the nosethrilles of the
deepe perswasion of thine heart thou speakest like a Parrat thou prophanest that Holy word and knowest not what thou speakest Now all the Apostles are away yet their testimonie remaines this is that blessed Gospell that wee haue this day yet the Lord leaues not the world destitute of witnesses who haue liuelie voyces who will preach like the Apostles indeede their record should bee beleeued if thou beleeuedst neuer a preaching I say thou hast no Faith thou shalt neuer see Heauen Indeede we are not Apostles but sinfull men yet if thou beleeuest vs not thou shalt die as well as they who would not beleeue the Apostles I bid no man nor woman beleeue vs simply but only so farre as our record agrees vvith the recorde of the Apostles We may not compare with the Apostles we haue not seene Him we haue not heard Him as they did they had a greater measure of perswasion of Faith and of feeling than any Preacher hath nowe yet the Lord hath giuen His measure to euery one therefore we desire not that yee should beleeue vs simply to beleeue euery thing that we say as the Pope and that soule crue will bid you beleeue all that they affirme No if he were the best Minister that euer preached beleeue his recorde if it agree not with the writting of the Apostles They haue set downe the ground and they who teach any other thing but that which is written by the Apostles or els that follow on their writes by a necessarie consequence I pronounce a vengeance and a curse shall be on them Woe to deceiuers who poyson soules dayly by their vengeance and poyson Now to come to the last heade Iohn layes downe the ende wherefore His thighes were not broken and by piercing of His side These thinges were set downe that the Scripture might bee fulfilled and he cites two testimonies The first is out of the twelfth Chapter of Exodus Not one bone of Him shall be broken The next is out of the twelfth Chapter of Zacharie They shall see Him whome they haue pierced Some will maruell that it is said oft times in the Gospell this was done that the Scripture might be fulfilled Some would thinke that this had bene but a light cause that the thighes of Christ and the bones were not broken Wherefore That the Scripture might be fulfilled the side was pierced that the Scripture might be fulfilled Men would count this but light but wilt thou count that light that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled Thinkest thou it a light thing that that thing that the Lord spake long time before should come to passe and the LORD should be glorified in His Trueth Thinkest thou it a light thing that the Lord should bee found a lyer No ere He be a lyer and ere a jote or title that Hee hath spoken should passe away vnfâ—lfilled it is better that Heauen and Earth men and Angels and all the creatures should vanish to nothing The Lord speakes none idle talke as man will doe but what thing so euer that Hee speakes Hee speakes it of set purpose to the glorie of God and to the well of His Church and therefore it is very requisite both for His owne glorie and for the well of His Church that His word be accomplished Would to God we could consider how highly we sould regarde the glory of God in beleeuing of His promises of mercie and His threatnings of Iustice Well the end of these thinges was that GOD should be glorified in the trueth of His word There is nothing the Lord seekes more than to be knowne in the trueth of His worde and therefore looke what He will doe to bee knowne to be true in His promise rather than His promise be not performed Hee will inuert the course of nature the thing that the Lord hath once spoken it shall be performed albeit all the world should say the contrarie It is said Numb 23.19 God is not as man that He should lie neither as the sonne of man that Hee should repent hath Hee said it and shall Hee not doe it and hath Hee spoken and shall Hee not accomplish it Men may lie but God cannot lie ere Hee bring not about the thing that Hee hath spoken Hee will mixe the Heauen and the Earth together He will bring things about against all the meanes in the worlde not onely by and aboue nature but also contrarie and against nature As Hee brought the promise made to Abraham to passe Nature can be no impediment to the LORD albeit a creature can doe nothing against Nature Looke then what a Faith wee should haue Wee should beleeue His promise albeit it were neuer so vnpossible to Nature Thou must not only glorifie God when thou seest His promise come to passe but also thou must also glorifie Him by depending and hanging on His worde ere euer thou see it accomplished It is an easie thing when thou seest the Lordes promise come to passe to say Glorified bee GOD in the trueth of His promise but except thou glorifie Him by Faith in His worde ere euer thou see the promise effectuate thou doest nothing worthie of praise beleeâ—e His word let neuer death nor life nor power in Heauen or iâ— Earth or the Deuils separate thee from that Faith in His worde No I say further thou must so glorifie God by Faith in His word that albeit thou savvest all things threaten the contrarie yet notwâ—thstanding thou feelest in thine heart that God is true this was a fined and purified Faith Such was the Faith of Abraham who aboue hope beleeued vnder hope that hee should haue a seede not considering the deadnesse of his owne bodie nor the deadnesse of Saraes vvombe hee beleeued in despite of nature and all ordinarie meanes and therefore worthilie hee is called The Father of the Faithfull Then wouldest thou haue such a faith as the Lord commendes beleeue in His promise though all the thinges in the worlde shoulde threaten the contrarie Hath Hee promised to thee Heauen and Life and albeit thou sawe nothing but Hell and Death yet beleeue Him for there is nothing more contrarie to Life than Death And yet albeit thine owne heart woulde make opposition and saye vnto thee It cannot bee that euer thou canst get Life and Heauen for what seest thou but Death and Hell Yet thou wouldest glorifie God by beleeuing His promise in despight of Hell and Death Notwithstanding thou seest the Deuill man Death and Hell threatning that thou shalt not get life yet beleeue the Lordes promise And if in this case thou beleeuest thou hast a fined faith fined and made more precious than Golde in the fornace And except thou bee tried by such temptations thou knowest not what faith meanes Faith must bee tried by temptations by troubles and afflictions Our Christians woulde passe thorowe the worlde with ease and rest they will beleeue but howe In peace and rest they cannot abide to
heades and they had more of that vvorldlie and fleshlie vvit than of that Heauenlie vvit and this drewe them to this securitie This is the nature of the Regenerate Suppose the Regenerate in this vvorlde compt in some measure of the crosse of Christ and of the power of God yet in the best of them there is some lacke some infirmities and vvantes and they will thinke sometime the preaching of the Crosse and Resurrection of Christ to bee but vanitie and a dreame of vviues as IOHN PETER MATTHEVV and the rest of the Apostles did for none of them vvoulde beleeue this That CHRIST vvas risen Wee vvill thinke that there is some great follie in these tidinges I vvill tell you my nature and the nature of the best man or vvoman but vvhen vve shall see That joyfull Morning as DAVID calles it then vvee shall saye vvith SARAH THE LORDE hath made mee nowe to laugh indeede Shee scorned vvhen shee hearde saye shee shoulde conceaue and beare a childe shee thought shee coulde not beare a childe and nowe vvhen shee sees it come to passe shee saies The LORDE makes mee to laugh indeede And so shall vvee saye one daye that thing vvhich vvee thought but jestes then wee shall saye I see this nowe that I coulde not beleeue vvell enough nowe I see it is true indeede So then in despite of all naturall vvit striue to gette an hope aboue hope and then shalt thou greatlie vvonder at that sight and maruell foreuer that there could be such a joy Now blessed is that man or that woman that gets a taste of it here for they shall be assured of it for euer But to goe forward I see that it auailes not much to speake to a sleeping person that is loadned with sin and feeles it not that is the worst estate in the worlde neuer to groane vnder this mortalitie vnder this burthen of death They can neuer say with the Apostle Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death And if yee speake to these persons of the Resurrection death of Christ it auaileth nothing to them What did the Apostles They thought it but a scorne if the Apostles thought so what wilt thou doe that sleepest in thy murther in thine adulterie in thy theft in thine oppression If the Apostles slept how wilt thou sleepe a sleeping sinner must bee once wakened as PAVL sayes in the Epistle to the Romanes the first Chapter and eighteenth verse The wrath of God is manifest from the Heauen against all the vnrighteousnesse of men And I say the wrath and the vengeance of GOD is manifest vpon the sleeping sinner and death comes on him that neuer shall haue an end But PAVL in the Epistle to the Romanes the third CHAPTER and the twentie and one VERSE hee comes on with other tithings and sayes That the righteousnesse of GOD through faith in Jesus Christ is made manifest to them that beleeue And I will say to thee that Iesus is come into the world and died for thee if thou beleeuest thou shalt be freed of that burthen of sinne and wrath and vvhen a man heares this he will thinke it the sweetest tithings that euer he heard for the sinner will finde life in that death and that blood will sprinckle his conscience as the Apostle sayes to the Hebrewes and thou wilt finde a wonderfull joy vvhen thy sinnes are remitted in Christ of all joyes vnder the Heauen this is the greatest The preaching of Christ auailes to none but to him who findes his soule loadned with sinne Now one word and so I shall ende I see in the Apostles and in their great infirmitie the great prouidence of GOD they will neither beleeue nor misbeleeue but by His Prouidence what euer vvas their part in it the worke was good of a good purpose The LORD will not haue them to beleeue the testimonie of the first companie nor yet of the second companie of women No no He vvill not haue them to beleeue vntill they see it with their eyes and feele it with their handes and ere they passe out to others He vvill speake to them and let them see that they may be perswaded that it was true I alwayes tell you this It is not a small thing to testifie of the Resurrection of Christ to preach His Passion and Resurrection and wilt thou of a light knowledge preach it No beware thou speake this or that vpon a report Of all men that speakes in this earth or is sent with a commission a Minister hath most neede to beware what hee speakes Speake hee of the Passion or Resurrection of CHRIST ere euer hee speake let him get a sight of Him suppose not vvith the bodily eyes lay hold on Him by Faith in thine heart Thinke it not enough to be an hearing witnesse but a seeing witnesse and vvhen thou hast gotten that persvvasion with vvhat confidence vvilt thou speake of His death thou wilt speake with such euidencie that the high heartes of men shall be humbled finding such weight in thy wordes The LORD giue vs grace that vvhen vve stand vp to speake of the Resurrection of CHRIST to others vvee may haue the perswasion of it in our ovvne heartes and that vve may finde His gracious Spirit working in vs and as vvee speake of Heauen and these joyes to others so vvee may finde some joy beginne in our owne hearts heere that after this life is ended we may reigne with Him in glorie for euer with CHRIST To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all honour praise and glorie for euermore AMEN THE XXXII LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 12 Then arose Peter and ranne vnto the sepulchre and looked in and sawe the linnen clothes layed by themselues and departed wondering in himselfe at that which was come to passe IOHN CHAP. XX. verse 3 Peter therefore went foorth and the other disciple and they came vnto the sepulchre verse 4 So they ranne both together but the other disciple did out-runne Peter and came first to the sepulchre verse 5 And hee stouped downe and sawe the linnen clothes lying yet went hee not in verse 6 Then came Simon Peter following him and went into the sepulchre and sawe the linnen clothes lie verse 7 And the kerchiefe that was vpon his head not lying with the linnen clothes but wrapped together in a place by it selfe verse 8 Then went in also the other disciple who came first to the sepulchre and hee sawe it and beleeued verse 9 For as yet they knewe not the Scripture That hee must rise againe from the dead verse 10 And the disciples went awaye againe vnto their owne home WE haue heard these dayes past beloued in the Lord Iesus of the two companies of women that went out of Hierusalem towarde the graue of the Lorde early in the morning The one company that came first wherein was Marie Magd. and Marie the mother of
of necessitie loue caused them to mourne for Him And this sponke of loue that was couered kept down afore in end it brake out burnt thorowe all their imperfections It is a wonder to see howe the LORDE will keepe in a sponke of grace vnder an hundreth imperfections And this shoulde make vs to bee loath to judge and to giue out sentence for all the euill that wee see in anie it maye bee that the LORDE will let thee see that there was some sponke of grace in that man couered which sponk will breake out in its owne time Nowe I haue ended the Historie of MARIE MAGDALENE who loued the LORDE so well and so entirelie In the words following to wit in the Gospell of MATTHEVV there are two discourses The first is of the two companies of women at their turning home againe as they met with the Angels afore nowe they meete with the LORDE Himselfe In the next discourse wee haue a piece of an Historie of them that were set to keepe the graue who returned to the Scribes and to the High Priestes vvith these same tidinges Hee is risen againe Nowe I shall goe thorowe this daye the first discourse and piece of Historie as GOD shall giue vs grace Then to returne to the women It is saide that as they returned home The LORDE met them but Marie was returned before these women came foorth shee had met with CHRIST and returned home againe This company meetes with the LORDE as they returned homewarde Ye will perhaps aske what was the cause that Hee met with Marie Magdalene No doubt this was the cause She loued Him best shee loued Him aboue them all and shee had the greatest languor to see Him and shee rested neuer till shee had seene Him and met with Him What was the cause that these women sawe Him afore the Apostles No question their languor to see IESVS was next to MARIE The Apostles languor was last and therefore they got the last sight of Him Nowe the lesson is easie Thou that longest moste for the LORDE IESVS shalt see Him first with MARIE MAGDALENE A man will thirst for earthlie thinges and bee disappointed of them but it is vnpossible if thou thirst for CHRIST and to see thy LORDE but thou shalt see Him So Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnesse for they shall be satisfied Matth. Chapter 5. verse 5. So if thou vvouldest see CHRIST first long for Him and thou shalt neuer get that blessednesse till thou seest Him Then if thou canst not be the first in care and desire to see Him vvith Marie Magdalene yet bee next in care vvith the rest of the vvomen and if thou canst not attaine to the first nor second looke that thou be in the third roome at least that thou long vvith the Apostles and thou shalt get the thirde sight for blessed are they that get any sight yea the last sight Blessed are they that come either first or last to Heauen but thinke not that this dravving neare of ours to Him is the cause that Hee dravves neere to vs No if Hee drevve not neare vnto vs first vve vvould neuer thinke of Him let be to dravv neare vnto Him So Brethren the cause vvherefore our heartes doe dravv neare vnto the LORD is not in vs but in Him because He thirstes for vs and dravves vs vnto Him and vvouldest thou haue an argument that the LORD is neare vnto thee looke if thine heart dravves neare vnto Him and if thou findest thine heart longing and thirsting for Him then the LORD is neare vnto thee and Hee is present with thee and if thou findest no sense nor feeling of Him in thine heart nor no desire of Him nor no languour for His presence in the vvhich is sacietie of joy and if thou haue no languour bee sure the Lord is farre from thee for if Hee be farre from thee albeit thou hadst all the world about thee thou art but a miserable body When Hee meetes vvith these vvomen Hee is not dumbe and Hee speakes not to the eare only but also to the heart He sayes God saue you the word in the own language would be wel marked it signifies rejoyce Is not this a great thing that Hee that hath joy to giue thee should bid thee rejoyce and no doubt it was an effectuall vvord and it made them to haue joy vnspeakable A man when Hee bids thee rejoyce hath no power to worke joy in thee but the LORD is joy it selfe who hath joy to giue but the LORD Himselfe or who can giue peace but the LORD assoone as He drawes neare to any person and giues His presence to Him to y e end that His presence may worke He giues a joyful word the word of the Lord is of power as Paul sayes Rom. 1.16 The Gospell is the power of GOD vnto saluation vnto euery one that beleeueth So if thou contemnest this word that bids thee rejoyce thou shalt get no portion of that grace that is with Him so this word is the only minister that ministers joy to the soule all the thinges in the world shal neuer minister joy to the soule that is afflicted Whē He hath spoken this word and no question it was very effectuall they are so filled with joy that they tarie not to make answere but they fell dovvne at His feete And embrace Him by the feete and adore and worship Him as Thomas did vvhen hee put his hande in His side he said Thou art my Lord and my God IOHN Chapter 20. verse 28. Hee refuses not this honour because Hee vvas their LORD and GOD. Yee see heere how effectuall the presence of the LORD is albeit it were but one worde Reioyce the povver that is in that worde workes such a joy in the heart of a sinner that the poore sinner must meete Him the LORD cannot meete thee but if thou feelest that joy but thou must meete Him againe and striue to haue Him in thine armes No svvord nor fire nor hunger nor nakednesse nor nothing can separate thee from Him if thou feelest Him in thine heart but thou must meete Him againe and cleaue fast to Him The feeling of this joy which is through the presence and worde of GOD mooues vs to desire to embrace Him and makes our conjunction vvith Him vvhereupon arises our joy againe farre greater than before The joy that wee haue novv is but by Faith and a farre meeting as farre as is betvvene the Heauen and the Earth yet sayes Peter in his first Epistle the first Chapter and the eight verse Wee not seeing Him but beleeuing in Him reioyce with a ioy vnspeakable and glorious So beleeuing in Him vvee finde joy but vvhen thou shalt see Him face to face Alas lookest thou not for this then thorovv thy conjunction with Him by sight there shall be praise honour and glory for euer No such shall bee thy joy as eye neuer savve eare neuer heard nor neuer
and how farre his nature is repugnant to that calling wee will thinke that of all things in the world it is most hard and most painefull It is an hard thing indeede to bring a man out of nature and make him a Christian but it is farre harder to make a man a teacher of Christians and a disposer of the treasures of grace and of the secrets of God Nowe when I beginne to consider what should haue mooued the Lord to haue chosen such persons and so vnmeete for such an high calling I thinke this chiefly hath beene it that when the Apostles went out to preach Repentance and Remission of sinnes to others and to exhort all persons howe grieuouslie so euer they had sinned to come and to seeke mercie in Christ they might propone themselues as examples of the superaboundant mercie of God and that they in their Ministerie might declare and make manifest the gentlenesse and long suffering of God towardes all men euen the greatest sinners in the worlde and that by the proofe and experience that they found in their owne person of the mercie of God in calling them and placing them in that high calling who before vvere so miserable wretches and so vpon their owne experience they might the more easily perswade euen the most miserable sinners to seeke for mercie and grace in Christ When Paul preaches Where sinne aboundes there grace and mercie superaboundes if hee had not found this by experience and had not stoode for example hereof hee would not so easily haue perswaded sinners of the exceeding greatnesse of the mercie of God But to goe forward Because this direction that He giues them and this Ministerie He calles them to was very painfull and troublesome and so they might haue taken hardly with it therefore in the words following the Lord goes about to encourage them to vndertake it and to discharge it chearfully the Argument is of great force Beholde sayes He I will send the promise of my Father vpon you that is I will send vnto you the Holy Spirit Himselfe with Him His extraordinarie giftes and graces as the gift of prophecie of working of miracles of tongues and such other that ye may bee the more able to discharge this calling and to performe the worke I send you for Hee calles this the promise of His Father because the Father long before by His Prophetes promised at the comming of the Messias to send His Spirite in great abundance vpon them that beleeue Yee may read this promise in sundrie places of the Olde Testament but chiefly in the 2. Chapter of the prophecie of Ioel and the 28. verse In the last dayes I will powre out my Spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie your olde men shall dreame dreames and your young men shall see visions and also vpon the seruants and vpon the maides will I powre my Spirit c. And of the accomplishment of this promise ye may read in the 2. Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles Out of this place wee may marke first That the things which the Father promised of olde to His Church the Sonne in the appointed time accomplished them the Father promised of olde the Spirit and His graces the Sonne in the fulnesse of time sendes the Spirit and His graces and giues them to His Church and for this cause the Spirit and His giftes that is giuen to euery faithfull man is called the measure of the gife of Christ Ephes Chapter 4. verse 7. And thereafter in that same Chapter ver 11. the Apostle sayes That Christ to the end He might fill all things Hee gaue some to bee Apostles some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastours and Teachers that is He gaue all sorts of gifts vnto His Church that He might fulfill the promise of His Father and all these giftes and graces that we see are now in the Church from whome came they but only from the Lord Iesus This leadeâ— vs to an higher ground that the Sonne hath receiued of the Father all graces and all the giftes of the Holy Spirit together with the Holy Spirit Himselfe the Father hath giuen all first to the Sonne and not to vs for the Father loues the Sonne and hath giuen all thinges into His hand Ioh. 3.35 And In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdome knowledge Coloss Chapter 2. verse 3. Yet there is an higher cause of this to wit that the Sonne only hath merited the Holy Spirit with the fulnesse of all His graces No man euer merited any of them for who can merite them but hee who first receiued them The Lord Iesus receiued them first wee haue none but as He giues vs Hee merited and purchased them to vs with no lesse price than with the ransome of His owne blood Now wouldest thou know how all these graces that the Lord hath boughâ— with such a deare price are communicated to thee and made thine I will tell thee Not by any merite of thine own for thou couldest merite nothing at the Lordes handes but Hell and damnation but it is of the free grace and liberalitie of the Father and the Sonne that they are made thine it is of this grace that out of His fulnesse we receiue grace for grace When the Apostle Coloss Chapter 2. verse 9. hath saide In Him dwelles all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily thereafter he subjoynes And ye are compleete in Him as if hee had saide All this fulnesse is made yours of free grace whilst as by Faith yee take holde of Him Consider the wonderfull bountifulnesse and liberalitie of the Sonne to thee who giues thee these graces freely that Hee bought so dearely and purchased with such a worthie price Yee know sayes the Apostle the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that He beeing rich for your sakes became poore that ye through His pouertie might be made rich 2. Cor. 8.9 Now ere I go forward I marke another lesson that the Spirit of God pointes out clearely in these words for our instruction for when the Lord sayes I will send you the promise of my Father vpon you that is the Holy Spirit with His graces He lets vs see that without His Spirit His presence and assistance a Minister cannot be able to doe any thing well in His calling but that in the discharge of euery part of His calling hee must bee assisted by the Spirit The Apostle Paul when hee is telling what good successe his preaching had among the Gentiles he takes not the praise thereof to himselfe but he ascribes all to the presence of Christ by His Spirit I dare not sayes he speake of any thing which Christe hath not wrought by mee to make the Gentiles obedient in word and deede Rom. 15.18 It is not with a Minister as it is with a man in the ciuile policie No there is a great difference for in the ciuile policie a man by his naturall giftes by his wisdome
deserued no such thing at His hand because they were ashamed of Him and fled away at His Passion yet He honoures them with this high calling then to encourage them the more chearfully to vndertake this calling He promises to send vnto them the Holy Spirit who was before promised to them by the Father to accompanie them and their trauells And last that they might haue the greater securitie and assurance to receiue this Spirit He giues them a commandement not to depart from Ierusalem vntill they finde His promise performed vnto them and vntill they were endued vvith power from on high Thus farre vve haue heard out of Luke of this Sermon Now in this Text that vve haue read Iohn followes out cheifly y e latter part of the Lord concerning the sending out of the Apostles and he insistes therein more largely and particularly than Luke does marking especially the things that vvere omitted by Luke for he vvrote after him First in these vvordes vve haue set downe a preface to prepare their heartes the better to receiue the vvorde which Hee vvas to speake vnto them thereafter vvee haue the preaching wherin first He sends out the Apostles to preach the Gospel Next He confirmes them partly by giuing them the Holy Spirit partly by arming them with power and authoritie But to come to the words Iohn sayes that before He sent them out He said againe to them Peace be vnto you Before at the first meeting with them this was His salutation Peace be vnto you Now He repeates these wordes againe Wherefore is this It was to prepare their heartes to receiue the more reuerently and attentiuely and with the greater comfort these things that Hee was to speake to them concerning their charge to preach in His Name to the world The man that would receiue the word of the Lord especially the Gospell of peace and consolation must haue His heart prepared with the assurance of peace for the message of peace and consolation requires First that the soule be prepared with peace to the end it may receiue the word with peace and joy for except the soule haue some perswasion of peace it can finde no comfort and if we receiue the message of peace with a perswasion of peace and vvith a joy in the soule then the more vvee heare the greater shall our comfort bee the more shall vvee drinke in that joy of the Holy Spirit The messengers of peace should follow this example of the Lord When they are to preach the Gospell of peace they should prepare their heartes that by foretelling that all their message and the worde that they are to speake tendes to peace and likewise they who come to heare shoulde haue their heartes prepared vvith some sense of peace and joye but such a joye as followes vpon sorrow for sinne and a sense of their owne miserie and vvhich euer is accompanied with true Repentance for there is no true joye of a Christian man in this life but that which is conjoyned with Repentance and sorrow for sinne Nowe vvhen the Lorde hath prepared their heartes vvith this preface of peace Hee comes to the Sermon and first Hee giues them a direction to goe out to preach the Gospell As my Father sayes he sent me so send I you Wee haue spoken some thing alreadie of this sending out of the Apostles in opening vp of the Lordes wordes as they are set downe by Luke and therefore heere I shall be the shorter in speaking of it Yee see the Lorde sets downe this sending of the Apostles by vvay of comparison with His owne sending I sent you euen as the Father sent mee This comparison importes first that the Sonne only vvas sent immediatly by the Father the Sonne only hath gotten this honour to be sent immediatly by the Father The Apostle sayes Christ tooke not this honour to Himselfe to bee High Priest but Hee that saide vnto Him Thou art My Sonne this day haue I begotten Thee gaue it Him Heb. 5.5 And the Father by sending the Sonne immediatly Himselfe gaue Him all power to send all others so that all others are sent by the Sonne albeit not all after one manner for some are sent by Him immediatly as the Prophets Apostles some mediatly as the Pastors the Teachers Indeede I grant The Prophets and Apostles were sent also by the Father but they were sent mediatly by the Father immediatly by the Sonne therefore Paul vses to call Himselfe The Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God the Father whereby he meanes that immediatly he was sent by the Sonne mediatly by the Father the Sonne sent the Prophets and Apostles immediatly therefore it is said when He ascended vp to Heauen He gaue some to be Apostles and some to be Prophets Eph. 4.11 Next this comparison importes that the office of the Apostleship is not only lawful but also that it is furnished with authority for Christ who sent His Apostles was first sent by His Father not only had Hee a lawful calling but He had it with authority euen so all true Pastors Teachers in the Church haue not only a lawful calling to preach the Gospell but also authoritie joyned with their calling because they are sent by the Sonne for it was the Sonne that gaue some to be Pastors some Teachers Eph 4.11 for albeit true Pastors in y e Church be called by y e ministerie of mē yet they are sent by the Son therfore men haue their authoritie frō Him for in a maner they represent His person as the Son represented the person of His Father was His ambassadour to the worlde so they are ambassadours of the Sonne and must represent His person Men in this Lande despise the Ministers of the Gospell and count most vilely of them in respect of the basenesse of their persons but they shoulde consider it is not with men but with God Christ Himselfe whose ambassadours they are that they haue adoe the obedience or disobedience and contempt of the Pastour redounds directly to the Sonne and the Father and the Sonne counts it to be done to Himselfe and to the Father for He sayes He that heares you heares me and he that despises you despises me and he that despises me despises Him that sent me Luke 10.15 Thirdly this comparison lets vs see who they are that haue a lawfull calling in the Church not euery one that hath a pretence and shew of outwarde calling but only they vvho are called by them vvho vvere sent themselues before And therefore these only are lawfull Pastours who haue bene called by the Presbyterie and fellowship of the Elders who themselues before had a lawfull calling The people and flocke haue no power to call a man to the Ministerie they may indeede nominate and present a man and giue their consent but the calling and admission of a man to the function of the Ministerie belonges only to the Eldership and
approached to them partly that Hee might take away all occasion of doubting from them partly that with the greater profite and commoditie He might instruct them and that His teaching might be the more powerfull and fruitfull for no question while He drawes nearer to them with His body offers Himselfe to be seene more clearly with y e bodily eyes in y e meane time He drawes nearer to them inwardly joynes Himselfe by His Spirit more powerfully and familiarly to their soules for this is the accustomed dealing of the Lord when by the word He is purposed to be effectuall and powerfull in the soule of any man He drawes neare them by His Spirit whereas by the contrarie when Hee is not of purpose to be effectuall by his word in the heart He approaches not inwardly to the soule but He holds Himselfe a farre off and giues them only a shew of His power and glory outwardly a farre off Now followes the Lords cōmuning with His Disciples wherein He giues them a commission to goe out and preach to the world baptizing them that beleeue But before He giues them this commission by way of preface He sets down the ground of this commission to wit that power and authoritie which He had for sayes He All power is giuen vnto me in heauen and in earth for it was necessary that the Apostles should be enformed of this His power and authoritie which He had giuen Him to the end that knowing that infinite power whereupon their commission and Apostleship was grounded they might the more chearefully and willingly with free heartes and open mouthes discharge their commission message beeing assured that they had Him who was Lord of Heauen and Earth to be their protectour maintainer Marke this Brethren This Ministerie of the Gospell albeit it be but a sort of seruice in the Church of God it is no Lordship and albeit men count very basely of it and esteeme it of all callings in the world to be the most vile and contemptible yet it is grounded vpon such a power as farre surpasses all the power of all the Kings and Monarches of the earth and it is the Lordes will that both the Ministers themselues and likewise the people that heares them haue their eyes fixed and be exercised continually in the contemplation and consideration of that incomprehensible and infinite power whereupon this Ministrie is grounded to the end that both the Ministers may the more chearfully and couragiously discharge their calling and also the people that heare them be not offended nor stumble at the basenesse of this outward forme of the ministerie not measuring the Majestie and glory of the Gospell preached vnto them by the outward shew and forme which they see but by the infinite and incomprehensible power of the Lord whereupon it is grounded Next it is to bee marked that Hee sayes All power is giuen me not in heauen only but also in earth He joynes them both together and that for the comfort of His Apostles whom Hee was to send out and of the Ministers who were to follow them to the end of the world for when He sayes that all power was giuen to Him in the earth it serues to encourage the Apostles and all Ministers in the Church faithfully and chearefully to discharge their calling so long as they remaine heere in the earth and grounding and anchoring themselues vpon that infinite power which the Lord Iesus hath vpon the earth to striue and fight couragiously and boldly against the assaults of Sathan against the allurements of sinne against the feare and terrour of trouble and persecution against the manners and behauiour of this vnthankfull world as assured that His almightie power in the earth shall guarde defend them in their calling so long as the Lord hath a worke adoe with them Againe when Hee sayes that all power was giuen to Him in Heauen it serues to comfort the Apostles Ministers vpon the hope of a reward that after they haue discharged their dutie in their calling after they haue striuen against all difficulties hath ouercome all tentations at last they should waite for the Kingdome of Heauen where they shall rest from their labours enjoy the presence of their Lord King for euer 1 Cor. 15.19 Jf in this life only we haue hope in Christ of all men we are the most miserable By the which words He meanes if the power of Iesus Christ whereupon wee repose anchore our selues extended no further than within the bounds of this present life then our estate condition of all men were most miserable yet ere we leaue these words it is to be considered what maner of power this is whereof he speakes whereupon their Apostleship is groūded that ye may vnderstand this the better ye must consider that there is a twofold power in the Lord Iesus the Sonne of God the first is heritably the other purchased The first He hath as the Sonne of God equall with the Father before the foundations of the world were laide of this He speakes in His Prayer to His Father before His Passion Father glorifie me with thine owne selfe with that glory which I had with thee before the world was Ioh. 17.5 The other the Sonne of God Iesus Christ purchased to Himselfe for our cause when Hee made Himselfe of no reputation and tooke on Him the forme of a seruant humbled Himselfe and became obedient to the death euen to the death of the Crosse for the Lord then exalted Him highly and gaue Him a Name aboue euery Name that at the Name of Iesus euery knee should bow both of things in heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth Philip. 2.6 Heere the Apostle speakes of that power which Hee as a Mediatour acquired by His perfect obedience in all things and of this acquired power it is which the Lord speakes in this place for frō this power which He purchased to Himselfe by His obedience in our flesh proceedes the Gospel from this power proceedes the Ministerie in the Church from this power proceedes Saluation to the world for that heritāble power which the Sonne of God had with the Father from all eternitie without the manhead of Christ and His acquired power by His obedience would neuer serue to bring life Saluation to sinners Nowe to come to the sending out of the Apostles Hee sayes Goe therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them In these wordes Hee giues them their commission and committes vnto them the Ministerie and office of the Apostleship commanding them to goe foorth to all Nations to teach and baptize them for the Lord sets downe here distinctly three points of their calling First y t they should goe foorth to all Nations of the world not holding themselues within y e narrow boūds of y e land of Iudea as they did before Next y t they should preach y e Gospel thirdly y t they should baptize
As He blessed them He departed froÌ„ them He went alitle froÌ„ them Next He was taken vp Tdirdly He was receiued in a cloud Fourthly being receiued in y t cloud His Apostles beholding Him the cloud toâ—ke Him out of their sight Fiftly being taken out of their sight by the cloud He was caried vp into heauen If we weigh coÌ„sider wel all these circumstaÌ„ces we wil see that th'AscensioÌ„ of our Lord was not only exceeding glorious but also very sensible visible for while He stood in the mids of them He depaâ—ted separated Himselfe a space from them to the end that they all might the better see Him ascending thereafter He was taken vp piece piece degree by degree so that sensibly piece piece they might haue followed Him with their eyes then as they are thus beholding a cloude interueenes takes Him out of their sight After this they see His person no more but they see y t cloud wherein He was receiued to be caried vp into heaueÌ„ al these circumstaÌ„ces were very sensiible for now He goes not froÌ„ them on a suddainty He conueyes not Himselfe out of their sight in a momeÌ„t as He did w t the two Disciples w t whom He sate at table in Emmaus no question the Lord of set purpose would haue His AscensioÌ„ to be so sensible to the end y t the disciples who saw it the whole form of it so clearly might haue a setled assuraÌ„ce ful perswasion in their hearts to the end y t w t the greater euidency liberty freedom they might preach proclaime it to the world for the ful perswasion of the heart made theÌ„ bold confideÌ„t in preaching as Paul saies Seeing we haue such trust we vse great boldnes of speech y t so y e world hearing theÌ„ speak w t such euidency freedome boldnes of the Lords AsceÌ„sion seeing theÌ„ paint out so vinely sensibly the whole forme processe y t therein was vsed might without any doubt fully beleeue y t the Lord was ascended to heaueÌ„ so the Lord had a regard respect vnto His Kirk in all the faithful y t shuld liue in th'ages to come yea euen of vs who liue this day wheÌ„ so sensibly visibly in the preseÌ„ce of His Apostles He asceÌ„ded into heaueÌ„ The Lord made not His Apostles eye witnesses of His Ascension so much for their own cause as for the Kirkes cause which by their Ministery was to be gathered together to be broght to th' obedience of Iesus so when y u coÌ„siderâ—st y t sensible forme progresse y t the Lord vsed in His Ascension for thy cause it is thy duty to praise glorifie His Majesty for it Now after the Lord is caried vp to heauen what followes was there no higher degree of glory Yes for Marke sayes After He was receiued into heauen He sate at the right hand of God After He had past throgh al the visible HeaueÌ„s He was set at the right hand of His Father in the highest Heauens farre aboue all principalitie and power and might and domination and euery name that is named not in this world only but also in that which is to come so that all things were made subiect vnder His feete Ephes 1.20 21. this the Father had spoken of Him before when He said Sit thou at my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy footstoole Psal 110.1 To sit at the right hand of God is to obtaine y t highest degree of glory in the heauens as Mediator to haue equal power glory w t the Father to haue power ouer all creatures to doe w t them as He pleases to haue all things vnder His feete to be declared to be y e head of y e Kirk that person by whoÌ„ the Father immediatly guides gouernes all things for as He is y e Sonne of God equall with y e Father He was glorified with that glory which Hee had with the Father before the foundations of the world were laid according as He prayed before His Passion Joh. 17.5 as He is man He is exalted aboue euery creature in such sort that by y e hand of Christ the man God gouernes all things in heauen in earth so we see that y e Lord by degrees passed froÌ„ glory to glory now He is in such incomprehensiblâ— glory as this mortal eye of man caÌ„not be able to pierce into Indeed the disciples saw His glorious AscensioÌ„ but they could not be able to see that highnes sublimity of glory whereunto He was exalted wheÌ„ He sate at the right hand of y e Father SteueÌ„ saw the heaueÌ„ opened the Sonne of man standing at the right hand of God Acts 7.55 but how sober meane a portioÌ„ of His glory was y t which He saw in respâ—ct of y e fulnes of glory y t He had theÌ„ in y e heaueÌ„s but albeit we be not able w t our bodily eyes to pierce behold y e greatnes of y t glory whereinto He is exalted yet this is our coÌ„fort y t we find sensibly by experience in our own soules y t Iesus is sitting in his Kingdome w t exceeding glory power by these comfortable effects motions y t He workes within vs. Th'Apostles albeit they saw Him not sitting at y e right hand of God in glory yet in y t same momeÌ„t y t He sate down in His throne of glory they found in their own hearts his kingly power that dominioÌ„ y t He hath ouer al creatures for what meaned y t exceeding joy y t they had after that He was taken out of their sight wheÌ„ they were returning to Jerusalem eueÌ„ this that Christ was entred in His kingdome that His kingdome power was effectuall into their soules what meanes these spiritual motions which are raised vp in the hearts of the godly this sadnes for sinne this vnspeakable joy this peace traÌ„quillity of coÌ„science this loue to God desire to see Him euen this y t the Lord Iesus is come into His Kingdome is now reigning in y e heaueÌ„s y t He hath established this Kingdome in our soules For the Kingdome of God sayes Paul is righteousnes peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 therefore wheÌ„ y u findest any spiritual motioÌ„ in thy soule take it for a sure argument of Christs sitting at the right hand of God in His kingdome Now hauing spokeÌ„ of Christs Ascension let vs see what was the Apostles behauiour wheÌ„ they saw the Lord thus asceÌ„d whâ—t did they It is said that they worshipped Him next that they looked stedfastly toward heauen what moued theÌ„ to worship Him no question the sight of a wonderfull glory Majestie in Iesus because at this time they saw Him in an higher glory majesty than euer they did before therfore of necessity their worshipping of Him at this time
behoued to be in a greater humility w t greater reuereÌ„ce w t greater feruency thaÌ„ euer it was before Indeed they worshipped Him before knowing Him to be the Messias but their knowledge was but very mean sober but now they see know perfectly that He is the Lord of glory the glorious judge of the world therefore the worshipping of Him at this time behoued to be in greater reuereÌ„ce with greater perswasion boldnes than euer it was before The sight of that glorious majesty makes euer the creature in reuereÌ„ce to worship God the greater sight the greater reuerence The faithfull while they liue here in th' earth because by th' eye of faith in the mirrour of the Gospel they see the glory of the Lord therfore in humility they worship His majesty but because they see Him not clearly as He is but darkly and obscurely therfore their worshipping here is not like that worshipping y t shal be when they shal see Him face to face for when we shal see him as he is we shal worship Him with greater reuerence confideÌ„ce boldnes liberty than euer we did before for then vve shall be made like vnto Him that is vve shall bee made conformable to the image of His glory and vve shall shake off all this mortality corruption vvherewith th'Apostles vvere clad at this time vvheÌ„ they worshipped Him ascending to HeaueÌ„ So that that vvorshipping adoring of the Lord which the faithful shal giue Him in that great day wheÌ„ He desceÌ„ds from the HeaueÌ„s to judge the world shall surpasse exceedingly by many degrees that worship which the Apostleâ— gaue Him wheÌ„ they saw Him asceÌ„d into HeaueÌ„ for theÌ„ there shal be nothing to hinder them Now in the meane time while the Lord is ascending to Heauen as they worship Him so likewise they followe Him vvith their eyes and looked stedfastly toward heauen vvhere they saw Him ascending vvhich testifies plainly that their hearts were lifted vp to the Heauens together vvith Christ as Christ ascended so their hearts ascended vvere lifted vp to Heauen by the power veâ—tue of that same Ascention glorie of Christ in vvhome they beleeued for they that beleeue in Christ and are conjoyned to Him by faith of necessity must by that bâ—nd of faith be lifted vp together vvith Him to the Heauens for that soule that is linked to Him by faith caÌ„not be seuered from Him but it must follow Him vvhersoeuer He goes Mark this lesson wheÌ„ y e heart is lifted vp to Heauen it vvill lift y e eye of y e bodie to Heauen also y e sight sense of y e Ascension of Christ liftes vp the heart to Heauen for where there is in y e heart a sense feeling of y e power of Christs AscensioÌ„ of necessity both the soule th' eyes of the body must be lifted vp to Heauen And this lifting vp of th' eyes of the body proceeding froÌ„ the lifting vp of y e heart to Heauen this lifting vp of y e heart proceeding froÌ„ y e feeling of y e power of th'AsceÌ„sioÌ„ of Iesus which now y e faithfull find is a sure argumeÌ„t vndoubted warraÌ„â— to y e faithful y t one day th' eye y e heart y e soule y e body yea y e whole man shal be lifted vp to heaueÌ„ both soule body in y t great day wheÌ„ y e Lord appeares to judgemeÌ„t shal enjoy His glorious preseÌ„ce therfore y e godly haue great cause continually to be waiting looking for y t glorious apppearing of Christ happy art thou who art euer waiting for it for at y t glorious appearing thou shâ—lt be partaker of glory w t him to whoÌ„ with y e Father H. Spirit be all praise honor glory Amen THE LVI LECTVRE OF THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 20 And they went foorth and preached euerie where And the Lord wrought with them and confirmed the word with signes that followed Amen LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 52 And they Worshipped him returned to HierusaleÌ„ with great ioye verse 53 And were continuallie in the Temple praising and lauding GOD Amen ACTS CHAP. I. verse 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heauen as hee went beholde two men stood by them in white apparell verse 11 Which also said Yee men of Galile why stand yee gazing into heauen This Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen shall so come as yee haue seene him goe into heauen verse 12 Then returned they vnto Hierusalem from the mount that is called the mount of Oliues which is neare to Hierusalem beeing from it a Sabbath dayes journey verse 13 And when they were come in they went vp into an vpper chamber where abode both Peter and Iames and Iohn and Andrew Philip and Thomas Bartlemew and Matthew James the sonne of Alpheus and Simon Zelotes and Iudas Iames brother verse 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplications with the women and Marie the mother of Iesus and with his brethren THE last day welbeloued BrethreÌ„ in Christ we entred into the history of Christs ascension to heauen We heard of the circuÌ„staÌ„ces of it The Lord led them out to Bethania to the mount of Oliues from the which place He asceÌ„ded vnto heaueÌ„ we heard of the coÌ„muning y t was betwixt Christ his disciples who asked of him Lord wilt thou at this time restore the kingdome to Jsrael The Lord reproues this their curiosity It is not for you to know the times the seasons which the Father has put in his owne power And then he tels what they ought to doe First they shuld be mindfull of the promise of y e H. Spirit Next they shuld look to their own calling to beare witnesse of him to the world Wee heard how before his Ascension he blessed them we heard of the manner of his Ascension it was very sensible and visible He went a little space from them and was taken vp and receiued in a cloude hee was taken out of their sight and carried vp to heauen This was done the â—oth th'Apostle themselues might be perswaded and also with greater boldnesse assurance perswade others of His Ascension We heard that wheÌ„ He was taken out of their sight He was placed at the right hand of God and exalted to that sublimitie of glory that all the creatures in heauen and earth are subdued to him And last wee hearde what was the behauiour of th'Apostles In the meane time they worshipped him and looked stedfastly to â—he heauens This day by Gods grace wee shall follow out put an end to this history In the words which wee haue read we wil sâ—e what falles out While the disciples are looking vp to the heauens two Angels are sent to them by Christ who partly reproues them and partlie comforts them We will see likewise what the disciples doe after this They
of the bodie they are most occupied with businesse and most troubled in making their Testament and I know not what Now make thy Testament before hand and discharge thee of all thinges and denude thine hand of all worldly affaires that in that houre thy soule may rest on God and bee delited on heuenly thinges and on that life which thou art going vnto by death But to come forwards It is said He went ouer the Brooke Cedron with his Disciples This Brooke Cedron was a water which ranne betweene Hierusalem and the Mount of Oliues in a little and lowe valley Luke 2. Sam. 15.23 and it was a little streape that ran when it was raine but in time of drought it was drie Nowe heere was a Garden into the which the Lord entered with his Disciples to the ende that euen as in the Garden to wit the Garden of Paradise the saluation of mankinde was lost through the fall of Adam and Eue Euen so in a Garden the saluation of mankinde should begin to bee recouered Christ began his agonie and passion in this Garden There are sundrie thinges concerning the suffering of Christ in this Garden of purpose omitted and left out by Iohn which is mentioned and set downe at large by the rest of the Euangelists by Matt. in his 26. chap. 36. vers Mark 14.37 Luk. 22.9 Onely Iohn speaketh of his taking and binding in the Garden the rest speake of that agonie and conflict that hee had with the wrath of his Father in the Garden They who are desirous to haue these things more at large let them reade the rest of the Euangelists only I shall touch that battell agonie that Christ had in his soule with the terrible wrath of his Father before any laide handes vpon him When he entereth into the gardē the first thing he doth he choosed out three of his disciples Peter Iohn Iames he calleth them aside from the rest to the end that as these thre were witnesses of his glorie in that his glorious Transfiguration vpon Mount Tabor when Moses and Helias appeared vnto him Matt. 17.1 Euen so the same three should be witnesses of his humiliation and that dejection in the Garden and hee commandeth the rest to sit downe together So these he calleth apart Peter Iohn and Iames by name and in their sight first he beginneth to enter into that combate and he beginneth to shiner and quake to be exceedingly heauy and he crieth out with a loude voyce in their audience My soule is heauie on all sides to the death There beginneth he his agonie and conflict with the wrath of the Father for our sins wherewith he was burthened After that he went from these disciples about a stone cast and hee prayed to the Father with a loud voyce saying Father if it be possible remoue from me this cup that is this cup of wrath death but not my will but thy will be done Thirdly he goeth forward in that conflict battell with the wrath of his Father he feeleth the wrath of God to increase he crieth againe that they might heare Father if it be possible remoue from me this cup. Then againe the battell increaseth the agonie groweth then the third time he prayeth the same words Father take this cup frō me that is the cup of the heauy wrath of God at the which time an Angell came from heauen comforteth him Yet the battell holdeth on and he is in a greater agony with his Father than euer he was in before he prayeth at greater length and more ardently vehemently than euer he did of before So that in his agony the drops of purple blood fell downe from his face to the grounde such a thing was neuer seene nor neuer befell vnto anie man since the beginning of the worlde as to sweate blood no man was euer vnder such a terrible and horrible wrath of God as Christ was for our sinnes and for the sinnes of the whole world Now in all this meane time he is not forgetfull of his disciples whō he brought with him to be witnesses of his suffering he is ay going to them from them to hold them waking doe what he could doe they are ay sleeping the Deuill is busie with them that in the suffering of CHRIST they beeing then sleeping they should beare no witnes of the suffering of Christ the Deuill was as busie to cast them in a sleepe as the Lord was busie to hold them waking to beare witnesse of that agonie conflict I will not insist in this matter reade thereof in Matth. 26. in Luke 22. in Marc. 14. and yee shall get this Historie at large only we haue thus farre of the suffering of Iesus Christ in the garden first how heauie ◠weightie a thing sinne is all this was not for his sinne but for our sinnes for the sinnes of the world Next ye see how heauie a thing the wrath of God is that followeth on sinne for as Iesus Christ tooke on his backe the burthen of our sinnes so did he also the weight of the wrath of God and the punishment that followeth vpon sinne if ye know not this ye know nothing of Christ Thirdly yee see the greatnesse of the loue of CHRIST to man that first tooke on his backe so heauie a burthen of sinne and secondly so heauie a burthen of wrath and all for mankinde If CHRIST had not suffered neuer a man had beene safe but these burthens had pressed them downe to hell neuer a soule had beene saued from Adam to the end of the worlde Looke then what loue hee hath shewed to vs and last this agonie suffering in the garden letteth vs see that the Sonne of God as he is verie God so he is very man also and that he hath the body of a man the soule of a man for this suffering in the garden was especially in the soule in this battell the soule of Iesus Christ was especially set on by the wrath of the Father There was none touching the body of the Lord at this time but the wrath of the Father was fighting with the soule But to leaue this and to marke the purpose of IOHN his purpose is onely to let you see that when Iesus Christ died he died with a great willingnesse and readinesse that willinglie hee goeth to death and is not drawen out against his will but knowing that IVDAS would come with a companie of men of warre to that place where hee was wont to walke and pray of set purpose that hee should be taken hee resorted thither So this is the purpose of IOHN to let vs see that IESVS CHRIST offered vp a voluntarie Sacrifice for the sinnes of the world for except He had offered vp a voluntarie sacrifice His suffering had not bene obedience to the Father He had not bene as is said Phil. 2.8 obedient to the Father So the Lord died and hee died to
Christes will that the ground of their lameÌ„tation shuld not be so much His suffring for them as the sense of their owne misery sinne which brought Him to such a misery The Lord would haue the women considering the greatnesse of their owne misery which made Christ for their cause to bee so miserable that should haue beene chiefelie the cause of their mourning that shoulde haue beene the cause of their dolour for as Iohn saies out of Zacharie They shall see Him whome they pearced Our sinnes haue pearced Him The godly in the latter daye when they shall see Him they shall mourne It was not so much the Souldiours that pearced Him as thy sinnes Haue not therefore thine eye so much on Pilate Herode or the Iewes or on the men of warre or Hang-man as on thy selfe and on thine owne sinnes for it was thy sinnes that pearced Him thorowe and in the latter day when the godly shall see Him whome they haue pearced they shall weepe Turne thine eyes on thy selfe and let the ground of thy weeping bee for thine owne sinne that pearced the Innocent There is another thing heere worthie to bee considered I see it is a good thing to bee in heauinesse and yee see that the LORD speakes nothing to the men of warre nor to anie others in the way but onely to the poore women who were weeping Hee comfortes them and instructes them Hee leades them to the grounde of their weeping to the ende that they shoulde repent and haue recourse vnto Him The best estate of men and women is to bee sadde in heart and mourning either for their owne misery or the misery of others for the Lord saies Blessed are they that mourne for they shall bee comforted And GOD dwelles in a coutrite heart ESAY CHAP. 66. VERS 2. PSAL. 51. VERS 19. Thou who laughest thou needest no comfort Thou who art mourning for thy sinnes and the sinnes of the worlde the Lord Hee shall speake to thee and giue thee consolation with His owne mouth Nothing becommeth a Christian better than sadnesse and to haue his sinnes before his eyes and to bee sadde both at noone and at Euen for all this joye that a true Christian hath is sadnesse Awaye with wantonnesse mocking and jesting there is no true joye there and the Lord vses not to comfort such nor speake to such for they neede it not I fore-warne thee that thou shalt neuer gette the taste of that joye but in teares and then vvhen the heart is broken and casten downe then the LORD is mighty to raise thee vp and to comfort thee The Lord therefore giue vs grace when wee looke to the death and passion of CHRIST that wee maye gette a sense of our owne miserie and that wee maye bee in sadnesse and mourne that our sinnes pearced the sides of the innocent vvho vvas the GOD of Glorie and that vvee maye haue recourse to this suffering and gette grace in our LORD To vvhom with the Father and the Holie Spirite bee all Honour Praise and Glorie for euer and euer AMEN THE XIV LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVII verse 33 And when they came vnto the place called Golgotha that is to say the place of dead mens skulles verse 34 They gaue him vineger to drinke mingled with gall and when he had tasted thereof he would not drinke MARKE 15. verse 22 And they brought him to a place named Golgotha which is by interpretation the place of dead mens skulles verse 23 And they gaue hâ—m to drinke wine mingled with myrrhe but he receiued it not LVKE XXIII verse 32 And there were two others which were euill doers led with him to be slaine IOHN CHAP. XIX verse 17 And hee bare his owne crosse and came into a place named of dead mens skulles which is called in Hebrewe Golgotha NOwe ye haue heard Brethren of the accusation of CHRIST before the Iudge Pontius Pilate and of His condemnation out of the mouth of the Iudge Pilate and then wee heard that after the sentence of damnation was pronounced he deliuered Him into the handes of the Iewes to bee crucified they take Him and first of all they leade Him in againe to a moste secret part of the Common Hall and there they handeled Him more freely yea more vilely than euer before seeing Hee was a condemned man and when they had vsed whatsoeuer indignitie they pleased against Him they leade Him to the place where Hee should be executed In the Historie wee haue marked three or foure things that fell out in the way First how the Lord is bearing His owne Crosse to the place of execution Next Hee beeing wearied vnder the burthen one Simon of Cyrene comming from the Countrey to the towne is compelled to take vp one ende of the Crosse to helpe him So Iesus goes before and beares the one end of the Crosse Simon of Cyrene followes bearing the other end thereof The third thing the multitude followes men of all countreyes that were conueened and come out of Ierusalem at such a solemne time at the Passeouer Amongst the rest there were women of Ierusalem better than the rest of the multitude who followed him and wept for him Wee haue heard what answere the Lord gaue them and how he instructed them in the right cause of their weeping Now the last thing that is marked it is this that we haue read out of the Gospel of Luke there were led out two thieues with him Then in this dayes exercise we shall heare of these points The first concerning the two thieues that were led out with him The next is concerning the place The third is concerning the sowre bitter drinke that they gaue him to drinke The fourth concerning the act of the suffering and fiftly concerning the houre To returne to the first As hee goes out to the place where hee should suffer There are ledde out with Him two thieues to suffer with him in that same place Iesus is ledde out to the place of execution like a thiefe beeing innocent and ledde out with thieues to suffer with thieues Amongst all the rest of the things that Iesus Christ suffered beside the paine that he suffered in soule and bodie he suffered extreame shame as we say hee was shamed and shent I shewed to you that shame followed alwayes vpon sinne Iesus Christ tooke vpon him the sinnes of the world and therefore hee behooued to suffer shame before the worlde The Lord Iesus Christ was ignominious in respect of the painfull and ignominious death for hee was mounted vp vpon the Crosse in presence of them all and in respect of the multitude all the worlde was gazing vpon him and in this respect when hee goes out to suffer hee is counted a thiefe among the thieues and the Lord was also ignominious in respect of the place Brethren in this matter I looke not so much to the Iewes or to the souldiers as I looke to his Father in heauen
they would say It is impossible to Him who now hangs so ignominiously to saue Himselfe After them came the men of warâ—e and in derision They offer Him vineger to drinke And they say this is very like a King How can He doe the dutie of a King to deliuer the people who cannot deliuer Himselfe This they saide because Hee had called Himselfe a King to the prejudice as they thought of Cesars Kingdome And lastly one of the thieues rayled on Him to wit He that hang at His left hand saying So like as thou art that Christ who can neither saue vs nor thy selfe Nowe because the rayling of the whole is all to one effect therefore shortly I shall obserue some things in generall as the Lord shall offer In all this rayling out against Him yee see the extreame humiliation of IESVS CHRIST for our sinnes Hee is made of no reputation No He is trodde on as a worme And no question that extreame torment of bodie was not so grieuous to Him as was this rayling on Him They speake to Him as a verie reprobate and so farre as lay in them they endeuoured to make Him to despare of all helpe So yee may seee this rayling was a thing most grieuous to Him And Dauid beeing His type he complaines on this shame that they heaped on Him in the 22. Psalme All this lets vs see howe dearely the Lord hath bought our life and Saluation And wee are more than miserable if we see not this And also it lets vs see what should haue become of vs if He had not satisfied for vs and what should become of thee if thou bee not in CHRIST in that great day And it tells thee seeing all this is for thy sinne that thou shouldest haue a sadde heart to haue such a Redeemer made such a spectacle and thou shouldest groane vnder the burthen of sinne and when thou readest of the Crosse thine heart should bee sorrowfull that euer thou shouldest haue moued the GOD of glorie to such vengeance of His deare Sonne for thee Thinke not that euery man shall bee relieued of his sinne by Him No onlie those who learne to groane vnder the burthen of their owne sinnes by the which they haue pierced Him and turne to the LORD vnfainedly and get fauour So if thou learnest not at one time or other to groane vnder the burthen of thy sinne thou shalt neuer be relieued by Him But to marke something of this railing I see that these things they cast vp to Him is the verie verdict whereupon they accused Him They accused Him because He called Himselfe the Christ and because He called Himselfe the King of the Iewes and because He said that He would destroy the Temple and build it vp againe the third day So the very thing y t they cast vp to Him in despite is y e very crime wherefore they condemned Him Men would thinke y t it should haue coÌ„tented them to had Him hanging in torment but Brethren alas the malice of the enemies of Iesus Christ is endlesse there is none end of it it will not bee the death of one Christian y t wil satisfie them it wil not be thy blood that wil quench their thirst but in thy torment they will raile on and striue to cause thee to despare that thy soule may perish There is such an extreame despite in their heartes that they would haue thine ashes and thy bones to be exponed to opprobrie and shame which hath lyen so long in the graue See wee not this howe the bones of faithfull Christians haue beene taken vp and burnt by the Antichrist The LORD saue vs from their crueltie But here I lift vp mine eyes and looke vnto GOD. The Lord Iesus He suffered most justly who was cled with our sinnes and bare them on the Crosse for our cause and it learnes thee this that if thou sufferest opprobrie and shame and men raile on thee that thou goe euer to see if thou be in Christ in thy suffering for if thou be out of Christ woe is to thee for that is but the beginning and forerunner of that paine and shame that thou shalt suffer in Hell I tell this more in that latter day when y e reprobate shal be coÌ„demned their sin which was the cause of their death shall euer be had in memory but if once thou goest to Hell y e remembrance of thy sin shall neuer be buried but thy verdict shal be cast in thy teeth thy coÌ„science shal taunt thee and shal say to thee Murtherer thou delitedst in murther now goe to murther nowe free thy selfe out of Hell if thou canst and to them who followed Harlots Thou delitedst in Harlotrie and in offending of GOD thou vvho couldest not bee satisfied in pleasuring thy foole lustes nowe satisfie thy selfe vvith these extreame tormentes nowe goe to thy harlotrie let see And to the blasphemer Thou delitedst in blaspheming of GOD nowe let see if thou dare blaspheme goe thy way nowe and blaspheme And to the Idolater Thou delitedst in worshipping of Idolles and leftest the worshipping of the true GOD nowe goe thy waye to Idolatrie c. Nowe woulde to GOD the worlde coulde thinkâ— Hell to be earnest This torment and rayling in the death of CHRIST is an image of the torment of Hell I see heere further that besides this there is a grounde of all their opprobrie to wit that shamefull Crosse which IESVS was hanging on They thought that seeing IESVS was crucified it was impossible for Him to cast downe the Temple and to build it vp againe They thought it was impossible for Him to saue the worlde seeing Hee coulde not saue Himselfe and that Hee coulde not doe the duetie of a King vvho was alreadie hanged How becomes it a King to bee hanged The cause of their offence vvas that shame which Hee suffered and that they sawe that Hee could not deliuer Himselfe The Crosse of Iesus is foolishnesse to the worlde blessed are they who will not take offence at the Crosse of Christ Looke howe they are deceiued in their judgements Because the Crosse was the onely meane whereby Hee shoulde haue done all things when Hee was hanging was He not destroying the Temple of His body that after three dayes by His glorious resurrection Hee might builde it vp againe And when Hee was on the Crosse did Hee not the office of Christ that is of an anointed Priest for then Hee was offering that Sacrifice of His body to the Father And was He not by the Crosse purchasing to Himselfe and to vs a glorious Kingdome Yea on the Crosse Hee like a glorious King triumphed ouer the Deuils and made an open shew of them for Hee had a battell with the Deuils on the Crosse and triumphed ouer them all Col. 2.15 This same blindnes of the world remaines still in it for when the world sees a body vnder afflictioÌ„ in pouerty buâ—nt or martyred for Christs sake then the world thinkes