this Ceremony shall endure But after Christ there is another generation another Testament nor are the Jews any longer the people of God so that the offering of that Paschal Lamb ceased This the Prophet Jeremy foretold Behold the dayes come when it shall be no more said the Lord liveth that brought the children of Israel out of Aegypt c. Jer. 16. In short we now eat the true and new Passover in the kingdom of God in the Church wherein God truly raigneth and is acknowledged as King Christ saith Paul is our Passover 1 Cor. 5.7 John 1. And John Baptist seeing Christ saith Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world Whatsoever was done and commanded concerning that Lamb heretofore is now fulfill'd and still will be fulfill'd in this true Lamb viz. 1. Though Moses was present with the Israelites when they were bondmen in Aegypt Exod. 12. and did terrifie that Tyrant of Aegypt with many plagues yet he could not deliver them till the Lamb was slain Pharaoh was overthrown by the blood of the Lamb even so neither the Judaicall Law nor the Leviticall Priesthood could save mankind till CHRIST came who was the true Lamb. 2. When the Lamb of God was there slain the Promises of God concerning the deliverance of Abrahams seed and the bringing them into the Land of Canaan began presently then to be fulfilled So when Christ is slain all the Promises of God are now Yea and Amen 1 Cor. 1. 3. As that Lamb was to be taken out of the flock but to be without blemish a male of a year old so he that was to be our Saviour must be a man yet without spot of sin a Male for the strength of his spirit but a year old a man acquainted with poverty and weakness 4. As the Lamb was to be taken and separated from the flock on the tenth day of the first moneth and offered the fourteenth day so on the tenth day of the moneth Christ entered Jerusalem the place of his Passion He came to Bethany six dayes before the Passover the next day he went to Jerusalem where the multitude received him as the Lamb to be offered the fourteenth day 5. That Lamb was to be offered at the full Moon so Christ was crucified in the fulness of time Gal. 4. at full Moon according to the letter 6. Nor was that Lamb to be offered at any full Moon but only at that which next followed the Spring Equinox when the day waxeth longer than the night Thus when Christ suffered the light of Righteousness began to overcome the darkness of sin There was before a long and deep night of sin and the light of legall Righteousness was very short and cloudy But now all things are otherwise Rom. 13. The night saith Paul is past and the day is at hand Again ye were sometimes darknesss but now are ye light in the Lord Eph. 5. 7. That Lamb was to be offered by all the Assembly of the children of Israel so Christ died for all And all whosoever either before or since did then and now do hope for Salvation by his sacrifice only 8. As the Israelites were once freed from the Destroyer only by the blood of the Lamb yet were to offer a Lamb every year in memory of that Deliverance so Christ suffered but once Heb. 9. yet will he have us remember that his sacrifice every year yea every day and celebrate it publikely This do saith he in remembrance of me 9. Lastly That Lamb was offered that it might be eaten for the meat is incorporated to a man being eaten so Christ is set forth unto us for no other use but that we might be incorporated with him and he with us Thus you see that this Lamb was nothing but a figure of Christ when the Truth is come there is no need of type or shadow The Jews then are mistaken who think themselves yet bound to legall observations So do the Ebionites err too who say that because Christ did eat the Lamb after the Jews manner when he instituted the Sacrament therefore we also should do the like it is very false For certain it is that Christ is the true Lamb and the true Passover Therefore the Ceremony of that former lamb is abolished and with it the whole Law Old things are passed away 2 Cor. 5. behold all things are become new Therefore letting pass the legall lamb let us consider the true Lamb which followeth And as they did eat Jesus took bread Mat. 26.26 and when he had given thanks he brake it and gave it to his Disciples and said Take eat this is my Body Which is given for you this do in remembrance of me Luke 22.19 Mat. 26.27 And he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying Drink ye all of it For this is my blood of the New Testament Mat. 26.28 which is shed for many for the remission of sins This do in remembrance of me Added by the Author A premonition of the Translator concerning the Exposition following Reader BE not surpriz'd with prejudice It may be thou maist meet with some passages and expressions in the explication of these words This is my body which do not concur with thy opinion And likewise what he saith concerning the coercive power of the Magistrate Consider the time and place in which the Author lived and thou wilt find him ingeniously sober and modest not given to vain jangling or railing bitterness but conscientiously serious diligently trading with his Talent The world is full of divisions and diversity of opinions in matters of Religion and saith every one pleads for the preheminence of his own Give some allowance to this man who was but a man yet doubless a godly man If thou see any chaff in his heap of good grain do not blow and puffe away the weighty Wheat with the light and empty dust Hear what he saith This is the most sacred Supper of Jesus Christ which he made and most religiously observed with his Disciples near about the time or a little after the Jews Passover The words of the Evangelist are here to be observed with all diligence pondered seriously in the heart held fast with a stedfast and unshaken memory specially in these dangerous dayes now there are so many dissentions and contests about these words when every person almost fancieth to himself a particular Mass and Sacrament It is much to be lamented that since there was a Church no Doctrine or Article of Faith ever raised so much strife and mischief notwithstadding there is not any thing more comfortable to the Church Good God! what hath not Satan attempted to do against this Sacrament What horrid errours what differences and dissentions hath he stirred up against it none can express the misery and calamity thereof The Devill hath and doth try all wayes to render this Sacrament
ΣΤΑΥΡΟΔΙΔΑΧΗ ΚΑΙ ΣΤΑΥΡΟÎΙΚΗ THE Doctrine Dominion OF THE CROSSE In an Historical Narration and Spiritual Application of the PASSION of IESUS Written first in Latin by John Ferus Publique Preacher in the City of Mentz Now turned into English for the good of this Nation By Henry Pinnell Together with a Preface of the Translator containing the Necessity of knowing and conforming unto the Cross of Christ Short considerations of Predestination Redemption Free-will and Original sin He that serveth in his Generation faithfully answereth the end of his Creation fully and shall never lose the hope of his salvation finally LONDON Printed by Robert White 1659. THE PREFACE Reader THE Transcription of the following Treatise is an Account of some vacant time when I was sequesterd from other imployment The subject matter of it did generally concur and sute with that state and measure of Faith I was then in and being perswaded that it may yet be usefull for them whose growth in the Mysterie of the Cross is not come to that perfection as not to need Counsell and Encouragement therein I have for their sake made it publique And though I cannot minister to the strong yet I would gladly be serviceable to the weak What I have here prefixt agreeable to the nature of the ensuing Discourse is done to satisfie the desire of many friends and in hope to profit others The sum of what I have to say is comprehended in this Proposition viz. That there is a Necessity of knowing and conforming unto the death of Christ 2. There doth not want full and pregnant proof of Scripture to confirm the Truth of this Proposition It is a faithfull saying For if we be dead with him we shall also live with him If we suffer we shall also reign with him If we deny him he also will deny us 2 Tim. 2.11,12 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death c. If we be dead with Christ c. Rom. 6.5,8 Let none dream of Justification unto life or of the new birth which only entereth into the Kingdom of God without the likeness and image of Christ in his humiliation And therefore the Apostle doth not content himself with the knowledge only that Christ died but desires also a conformity to his death Phil. 3.10 A strong curb and smart scourge to all notional and licentious Gospellers The reasons also of this Proposition are weighty and considerable 1. As first 3. We can have no benefit of the life of Christ but by conformity to his death Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be manifest in our body c. 2 Cor. 4.10,11 What need we carry the death dying and marks of the Lord Jesus in our body and mortal flesh if the life of Christ could otherwise or more easily appear The life of a Believer is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 There 's no coming at the full Glory of this life but by breaking thorow death unto it See Rom. 6.3 c. the place before cited The dead men of God are quickned by the dead body of Christ Isa 26.19 No future Resurrection unto life but by an antecedent death in the body Except the grain of Wheat die it abideth alone and is not quickened John 12.24 1 Cor. 15.36 The touch of a dead Prophet revived the body of another dead man 2 King 13.21 Who is this dead Prophet but the true and spiritual Elisha my Lord that saveth the Lord of my salvation my saving Lord Jesus Christ the great Prophet of the most high God who died for our sins and was raised again for our Justification This Elisha this Jesus let us follow not only from Galilee to Jerusalem but from Jerusalem also here below the outward and litteral Service and Worship unto Mount Calvery and from thence to the Sepulchre thither let us hasten with Mary Magdalen aad the two other Disciples and there let us wait we shall have some Angelical invitation to come near and see the place where the Lord lay The Lord is risen and hath left room enough in his grave to receive all that inquire into the Mysterie of his death Into this Sepulchre let us descend by a true operating saith working a conformity in us unto his death Let us touch not the flesh but the bones of this great Elisha Let us not lay bold on the weakness of the mortal nature but upon the Power of his endless life 2. Secondly 4. Without this conformity there is no freedom from sin We must resist unto Blood striving against sin for without blood there is no Remission And that our minds may not be weary nor faint Let us consider him that suffered such contradiction of sinners Heb. 12.3,4 1 John 1.7 Lev. 17.11 Heb. 9.22 The Prophet Ezekiel describeth the Sickness and Remedy of a sinner under the borrowed speech of a new-born Child Ezek. 16. Which place of the Prophet I think is much mistaken by many who understand it of the natural birth and accordingly from thence conclude all Children guilty of original sin in the common acceptation of it which to me seems most improbable For Children by natural as well as spiritual Propagation are an Heritage and Reward of the Lord Gen. 30.2 Psalm 127.3 Acts 17.28 Our very bodily Being Substance and Existence is the Workmanship of God Psalm 119.73 Psalm 139.5,13,16 Now if Children be guilty of sin as soon as they draw breath yea before they be born this would be some stain upon the Work-manship of God according to whose Will and not according to mans it is that Children are propagated Again One of Gods Laws would be broken by observing another Ordinance of his own which would bring confusion upon the orderly works and methodical ways of God For God hath made a Law That the son shall not bear the Iniquity of the Father Ezek. 18.20 Now if Children should be guilty of Adams sia as soon as they be born it would make many religious and consciencious persons be at a stand concerning marriage which is the first and great Ordinance of God for fear lest they should be Instruments to fill the world with sinners rather than with Saints And indeed how can that state be honorable and the bed undefiled if it should produce nothing but such an unclean Off-spring Heb. 13.4 5. I shall only add this Quaere viz Is Marriage an Ordinance of God instituted among other ends for the propagation of Mankind I suppose it granted I ask then Did God ever make and intend such an Ordinance the observation whereof doth unavoidably increase sin in the world If so How is he acquited fram having a hand in mans sin The wicked heart of man hath shifts and evasions to extenuate and excuse his sin Why He is not so much to be blamed 't was his Fathers and Mothers fault rather then his Hominum quoque
God shall add to him the plagues c. Apoc. 21. The Benefit So then if as hath been proved the Body of Christ be truly according to the tenor of the words in the Sacrament it is certain that the Sacrament it self cannot be an unprofitable thing For it is evident that the flesh of Christ was filled with the God-head If therefore God be nothing worth then also is the flesh of Christ of no value When that flesh of Christ walked on the earth it did good to all that it did but touch never so little by reason of the Godhead that dwelt in it How can it be then that it should do no good in the Sacrament since it is the same flesh of Christ in Union with the same Divinity it is also the same word of God of the same Nature and force now as ever it was But take notice that Christ in this Sacrament gave us not his Body alone but his Blood too As in the Law of Moses there was a sacrifice to be slain and moreover a cleansing by blood so the Body of Christ was the sacrifice and his Blood the cleansing away of sins the sacrifice of his body maketh satisfaction his blood purifieth the offering is made to God for Reconciliation the blood is poured out to make us clean Now in the distribution of his blood he observeth the same gestures as he did in the distribution of his body He took it he gave thanks he gave it to them c. In the words he added at least altered something For he doth not say simply Hic est sanguis meus This is my blood as he said Hoc est corpus meum This is my body But he addeth This is the blood of the New Testament Or as Paul hath it This cup is the New Testament in my blood by which word he plainly alludeth to the confirmation of the old Testament as when Moses had read all the Law he took the blood of the Calf and therewith sprinkled the people saying Exod. 24. Behold the blood of the Covenant which God hath made with you c. In like manner Christ here speaketh By how much the blood of Christ is more excellent than the blood of a Bull so much the new Testament is more worthy than the old What a Testament 〈◊〉 A Testament is the disposing and bequeathing of goods whether it be by writing or word of mouth And it is confirmed by the death of the Testator God made a Will to the Israelites Ex. ibid. that he would give them the promised Land but because God could not die he commanded a Bullock to be slain and ratified this his Testament with the blood thereof So now Christ hath bequeathed to us his goods even the forgiveness of sins and so all other his good things come along therewith That the Testament may be sure Christ himself the Testator died and that we might remember his death he did affix as it were two seals unto it the Sacrament of his Body and Blood The sense of the words Therefore when he saith Take eat Take drink c. his meaning is this Lo I promise you all my goods and do freely bestow them on you and to make this firm and sure to you I am about to die and in witness whereof I set to my Seal I leave you my body blood He maketh mention of a Testament when he speaketh not of his body but of his blood The shedding of blood is a sign of death by which death the Testament is ratified Whereas he addeth at last speaking of his body Which shall be given for you but concerning his blood saith he Which shall be shed for you he plainly sheweth that the same body which was crucified and slain and the same blood which was shed upon the Cross is received in the Sacrament These words also shew the fruit of the Eucharist which is to partake of the merit of Christs Passion Whereunto Faith is requisite not only to believe that the body and blood of Christ is here present but withall to believe that it is the same body which was offered for us and the same blood which was shed for us and that it is given to us which Christ merited by his death Take notice also of what is said concerning his blood which is shed not for all but for many Indeed the blood of Christ was sufficient for all but all do not believe It is fitly said not for all but for many which is a word of terrour to the slothfull and those that are too secure who flatter themselves that they cannot be damned Christ addeth in the close Do this in remembrance of me Where we see that the Evangelists do not only describe the thing as it was once done but they set it down so as a thing ever hereafter to be observed and continued Whence Christ commanded his Apostles that they should do as he had done thereby signifying that he would alwayes be present at his Sacrament and that what he by himself did at the Supper the same should be done by the Apostles and their Successors So that they are much mistaken who say I believe that Christ the Apostles did consecrate it but I do not believe that every Priest can do it I believe that the Saints do receive the body of Christ but I do not think sinners do Hear me Brother the Sacraments of the Church are not founded on our worthiness or unworthiness but upon the Word of God whatever the Minister or the Communicant be Gods Ordinance is the same As neither Angel nor man could of themselves turn bread into the body of Christ so neither of them can hinder it Therefore he doth not say if thou receive it worthily thou shalt take my body but This is my Body so the Creed the Lords Prayer and the Commandments of God c. remain good and valid though thou never believest if thou dost not pray work c. as Gods outward works alwayes continue though we abuse them But it is most to be observed that Christ here commandeth and speaks imperatively and chargeth us to take and eat and to do as he did whereby t is plain that we are not left at our liberty to observe or neglect this Sacrament If thou art a Christian thou must sometimes obey this Command Christ hath commanded it though he appointed no set time It is not in our choice wholly to omit it When he saith in remembrance of me his will is that this Sacrament should be 1. A Monument of his Charity towards us whereby he gave himself to us in every respect as a companion a brother a sacrifice meat c. Who is so hard as not to melt into a mutual love by all these signs of love 2. A remembrance of that sacrifice which Christ offered up for us at his death upon the Cross as Paul saith 1 Cor. 11. As often as ye eat
recourse to God And not only so but he sheweth also the best way of praying For 1. first he with-drew from the Apostles He that will pray must go into his Chamber Mat. 6. 2. Secondly He kneeleth down yea falleth on his face Prayer ought to be made in humility So much the more humble so much the sooner it peirceth Heaven and is heard 3. Thirdly He doth not pray once only but often nor did he give over till the Angel comforted him Teaching us thereby to persevere in prayer 4. Fourthly He prayed in assurance therefore he did so sweetly repeat the name of Father He that believeth not let him not think to receive any thing James 1. 5. Fifthly He committeth all to God We must not prescribe time or manner unto God 6. Lastly Peter James and John were not far from him by whom those three vertues are signified which are necessary for every one that prayeth to wit Faith by Peter Courage by James and the Grace of God by John As often then O Christian as Satan tempteth thee remember this Garden and this prayer of Christ in the Garden Avoid the tumults of men go a little aside kneel down fall on thy face for by these gestures the faithfull express the servency of their mind and that they have no hope counsell or help in the world but only in God open thy mouth and utter words from thy heart lay open thy anguish and pain before God with sighs and supplications against the violence and wrongs of Satan Here thy sorrow and anguish of heart will do thee no harm Yea though it afflict thy body a little it will do thy soul good But remember to temper thy prayer so even as Christ here did who in all humility threw himself upon the ground and as man he resigned and offered himself wholly to the Will of God that the Father should do with him as he pleased Thou also pray for what thou wilt cry intreat make known thy wants but conclude alway as here Not mine but thy will be done for thou knowest best what is good and profitable for me Believe me our prayer is well accepted if it be granted to us according to the will of God The Evangelists do not without cause so diligently set down this that Christ put the whole event of his Prayer in the will of God If Christ did thus whose will yet was not divided from the will of his Father nor could he will any thing but what the Father willed how much more ought we to do so whose will most commonly is against and resisteth the will of God To say nothing how pernitious and destructive for the most part it would be to us if God should alwayes grant us what we desire The will of our flesh is not good but that which the Spirit willeth in us cannot be evil because the Spirit is not evil Briefly Let the Prayer of Jesus be the Form and Pattern of our Prayer Let him teach us how to pray as he shew'd us how to suffer Let us now weigh the words First he saith in the Chalde Tongue Abba which in Latine is as much as Pater Father and this name he doubleth It is a great comfort in affliction to believe that God is our Father and that our troubles come upon us by his good pleasure 1 Cor. 11. So Paul when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with this world Heb. 12. Again Yee have not yet resisted unto blood and ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as children Prov. 3. my son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord c. Secondly He saith If it be possible and all things are possible unto thee Here none doubteth but that God to speak absolutely could have restored man some other way than by the death of his Son but this was the way which from Eternity was resolved on and therefore it must be that Christ should dye And it was not without reason why God should be best pleased with that way For 1. Divine Justice must be satisfied We deserv'd to be punisht but God the Father set his Son in our stead who could owe nothing upon his own score and therefore might make the fuller satisfaction As the person of Christ was more pleasing to God than all other men so his Passion merited more than all ours can do 2. God therefore made choyce of this way to redeem mankind that he might make his power known For he did not defend Christ against his strong enemy yet he overcame him 3. That he might make his love so much the more manifest to us to provoke our love 1 John 4. In this was his love manifest that he sent his Son c. Wicked men prate that God took no pains to create them But here let them consider that they were not easily Redeemed Christ took a great deal of care and pains to make man a great debtor to him in much love and that he might become more thankfull by the difficulty of his Redemption who was grown so cold in his devotion because of the easiness of his creation God made all things and man among the rest in six dayes but he was full three and thirty years working out our Salvation in the midst of the earth See how justly we may be complained of who lightly esteem this greatest Token of Love whereby we exceedingly provoke his wrathfull indignation against us Whereas Christ prayeth that the Cup might pass from him by the Cup he meaneth his Passion 1. For as much drinking makes men drowsie so Christs Passion made him sleep in Death 2. Or as free drinking makes men jocund so the sufferings of Christ make us above all things most cheerfull in that it brought everlasting Salvation to us In this sense the Cup is taken elswhere I will take the Cup of salvation c. Again Psalm 116. Can yee drink of the Cup that I shall drink of Mat. 20. But thou wilt say was not Christ willing to suffer Or did he suffer against his will in that he prayes here against the Cup of his Passion Far be it from us so to think How could he be unwilling to suffer who at his last Supper said that the blood of his Body was to be shed for the Remission of sins Mat. 26. Who also said I lay down my life for my sheep John 10. And reply'd to Peter when he disswaded him from suffering Get thee behind me Satan for thou savourest not the things of God Matth. 16. We say that Christ did not suffer unwillingly but freely of his own voluntary consent as his Prayer concludes Thy will be done He prayed that if it were possible the Cup might pass from him 1. First to shew that he was a true man who by Nature is afraid of Death As there are divers affections in man to wit
up the ghost He bowed his head First as taking his leave of the world Secondly he would thereby comfort us by letting us know that he is not cross or froward towards us First it is very significantly expressed in that it is not said that he died but that he gave up the ghost for he had power to lay down his life John 10. Secondly he is said to give up the ghost to let us know that when our souls are loosed from the flesh they should be commended to the Divine Goodness as into the hands of a most dear Father Thus innocent Abel is slain by his brother Thus is Isaac offered Gen. 4. 22. Thus Joseph escapes naked to his fathers protection being spoiled of his garment of flesh by the Adulteress Synagogue Thus our High-Priest hath finished his evening Sacrifice Thus the Life of the world died the Fountain of true Light was ecclipsed thus the Spring of all Life in whom all things live waxed dry that he might deliver them that were subject to death Thus that celestial Wedlock between the holiest soul and the purest flesh was dissolved and divorced by the sword of Death that we who were condemned might be recovered to the indissoluble Union of his Beatitude Thus the Organ of Divinity the Harp of the true David the most melodious Voyce of Jesus sunk into the silence of cruel Death Thus those Heavenly Lights of his most gracious Eyes were darkened by Death Thus that most sacred Breast of Eternal Wisdom and the Store-House of the Treasures of Grace is deprived of his life Thus he Redeemed us from our sins with so great a price a greater then which is not to be found among all the creatures in the world thus did he satisfie the Father for our disobedience with such obedience as was even unto death O how great was that grief when that most holy Soul which was Wedded and United to that most holy Body with an indissoluble bond of Love must be separated now and torn asunder by a violent death and that most holy Life die Never was there death more bitter because never was there man so sensibly sensible of it 1. Wo be to thee therefore O thou ungodly Synagogue who art more fierce and cruel then any wild beast thou hast devoured the life of Jesus who out of the Paternal Piety was sent unto thee to be thy Father and thy Husband 2. O how grievous will thy Accusation be for rending and tearing the body of Christ And wo be to thee thou ingratefull heart thou hard heart harder then any stone who dost not break and melt at the remembrance of so great a Sacrifice for the expiating thy hainous sins how strictly will that innocent blood be required at thy hands Here then O man O generation of Adam here knock thy bosom and beat thy breast consider well and think of this death The chiefest and choisest good doth here hang upon the Cross Here the Eternal Wisdom offereth it self to be seen naked Here the tree carried the Treasure and Price of the whole world O sinners here dieth the Son of God I say here the Son of the most High the King of Heaven and Lord of Earth dieth Nay he dies on the Cross like a Malefactor in the midst of Thieves in greatest misery and anguish and shame It was we O ye sons of men that brought this just One to this unjust and unworthy suffering Our sins were the cause of this his great Passion Here the word of the Sacrament is made good This is my body which is given for you This is my blood which is shed for you for the remission of sins Here now we understand what Christ meant by these sacred and holy words because all things are here seen with the eyes Here that Article of our most holy Faith hath its Foundation He suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried Think on this O man imprint these things in thy heart that thy very inward parts may be made sensible how that we men we sinners were guilty of this death We should have hung on the cross and died yea and have been eternally scorcht in Hell but that our most holy Lord stept in and said I will hang on the cross and die for all men Take me and smite me the Shepheard but let the sheep go free I will pay what I own not I will undertake other mens debt I will even all accounts I will make peace and bring all things to a good end and issue Think seriously on these things Believers Be pleased to accept this Ministry of Christ and highly prize it For this his death is your life For us thus to die is to live and escape death This weakness is our strength and fortitude These wounds and scars are our health and soundness This malediction is our benediction this cursing is our blessing This shame is our glory This cross is our celestial Court and Palace These Nayles are our Salvation Lift up your hearts O ye Faithfull lift up your hearts in consideration of these wonderfull things There was War between Christ and the Devil the field was pitched the battel set and Christ got the Victory Let us therefore give him thanks who was pleased through his infinite love with such hazard and hardship to Redeem us 1. In this expiation of Christ first we see that verified which he said before in John 10 I have power to lay down my life 2 Here we see that the works of God are against reason For who ever hearing that Christ was the son of God and seeing such great Miracles which he had done before could at all believe that God should so far wink at wicked men as to let them kill so great and so worthy a man Again who would believe that the true had then its beginning seeing him die so shamefull a death But this is the ancient and usual custom of God to promote and carry on his works by strange unlikely and contrary means It was indeed the pleasure of God to cause great and mighty boughs and limms to grow on this tree of Christ He intended to build up and quicken the Church This he did by a work disagreeable and repugnant to life and nothing of kin to it to wit the death of Christ by which he quickened and made the Church alive Hence is that of John 12. Except a grain of wheat die it bringeth forth no fruit but if it die it beareth much fruit The Edifice or building of the Church did not then indeed appear while Christ yet hanged on the cross for here you see nothing but his death and burial as at Seed-time there is no shew of Harvest But as in Summer the seed that was sown doth spring up so after the Resurrection the living Church sprouted out of the dead and dry body of Christ 3. From this Expiation of Christ we are diligently to confider what punishments we shall endure if we
Souldiers also are at hand ready to gratifie the Jews they break the legs of the Thieves hanging on the cross and were about to strike the body of Christ but that they saw he was dead already which was that which hindered them and not any pity of theirs Nor need they further torture him who was now insensible of any torments And as Christ though he was dead yet had none of his bones broken so the godly are afflicted indeed but not destroyed and as all their hairs are numbred so all their bones are preserved that nothing can befall them without the good Will of God But therefore Christ would not have his legs broken because the bones which Mystically in the Scriptures do signifie power and strength would preach nothing of Mysterie to us if they should be broken But on the contrary whereas his legs were preserved whole it signifieth thus much to us that al 's his wayes which in the Canticles are described by his Legs are straight and inviolable But however they had no need to break Christs legs because he was dead already yet one of the Souldiers willing to please the Jews thrust his Javelin into his side for which Pilate gave him no such commission But God ordered this also thus to be done First that the Scripture in Zachary here quoted might be fulfilled Secondly that the Figure of Adam sleeping might be explained who had his Rib taken out of him when he was asleep of which the Woman was made Gen. 2. And it is significantly expressed that the side of Christ was not wounded but opened to let us know 1. That there is an open way for us to the heart of God Here is our Refuge that we may hide our selves in the clefts of this Rock for there and there only we shall be safe 2. The opening of this side signifieth that the door of Life is open to us whence Sacraments flow forth without which no man can come to the true Life For as Eve was formed out of Adams side when he was asleep so the Church was formed out of Christs side when he died upon the cross Therefore it is said here that when Christs side was pierced presently there came forth blood and water Which out-flowing was both very Miraculous and Mysterious For we are Redeemed by blood and with water are we washed So that the death of Christ was both our redemption and purification And it is observable that neither only blood nor only water came forth For without blood water could do nothing nor had our redemption stood us in such stead if we should have been and continued as bad as we were before and not been cleansed withall Wherefore that there might be wherewith to wash us from our sins water which only washeth away the filth of the body is joyned to blood which is the price of our Redemption and by conjunction thereto did it receive Vertue that it might be fit to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to the washing away the invisible spots and stains of sin This was foretold in the Prophet There shall be a Fountain opened to the House of David for the washing of the sinner and the menstruous or unclean Zach. 13. Whereby Sinner is understood the Heathen people and by the Unclean is meant the Iew who sinned against the Law Therefore blood and water are the two undoubted Objects of our Faith and Sacraments of the Church The Mass to wit the Supper and Baptism The Blood was shed for the remission of sins and Baptism was instituted for the forgiveness of sins Act. 2.38 22.16 Such great salvation did there flow to us out of the Wound of our Lord. For by these two is the Church built up By Water we are new born by Blood are we nourished Or thus these two blood and water signifie that both life and comfort flow to us out of the Passion of Christ The life is in the blood and water in the Scriptures doth most commonly signifie Consolation Here then are we confirmed not only whilst we live but when we die too that we are perswaded there is life in death and that our life is hid in God Well therefore may Augustine here cry out O mors unde mortui reviviscunt O the Death by which the dead do live again What can be more pure then that Blood What more healthful then that Wound But why Christs bones should not be broken and yet his side pierced John brings in and alledgeth two Testimonies one out of the Law another out of the Prophets But first he doth affirm that these things were true by his own witness that none might think it incredible which he said of the blood and water flowing out of the side of Christ when he was dead For it is against Nature that blood and water should come out of the side of a dead man John therefore doth maintain that he saw it And that his Testimony is valid and true may appear by this in that he did not write only of the glorious but also the meaner things of Christ and of his abasement But he produceth two other Testimonies more that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established Deut. 17. The Testimony out of the Law is Ye shall not break a bone thereof Exod. 12. which was concerning the paschal Lamb. And who is that paschal Lamb but Jesus who was crucified and offered up upon the Cross For he is our Passover as Paul saith 1 Cor 5. By this Quotation it plainly appears that Iohn did not so much intend to cite the History as to put us in mind of what this History did signifie to wit that this Jesus was the true Passover which was signified by the legal Lamb. But even this Scripture doth confirm us that the bones of the paschal Lamb are not broken Indeed the power of darkness might so far rage against Christ as to take away his life and glory in the view of the world But his bones that is his life and glory with God it could not break or deprive him of The same happeneth to all the Saints let the wicked rage as much as they will yet they break not the bones of the godly that is no power or force of theirs is so great but Faith will overcome it For Faith is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth Rom. 1. The other Testimony is taken out of Zachary They shall look on him whom they have pierced Zach. 12. This in the first place is referred to the godly who shall look on Christ crucified and acknowledge that he so suffered for their sins To the same purpose also is that in the same Zachary And they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son This place here cited may also be referred to the wicked and then it is all one with that where it is said Vengeance is mine I will repay it For when Divine Vengeanceis
Psalm 51.5 it will not be altogether lost labour to consider whether that Text will not admit of another genuine reading besides that which our Translators render The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here rendred I was fashioned may as well be turned I have been afraid sore troubled grieved c. And so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In sin hath my mother conceived me may be read In sin hath my mother warmed me or Calefacta est mater de me my mother hath been warmed heated by me so Pagnin My mother hath brought me forth with sorrow and pain Cum dolere parturiit me mater so Symmachus and Aquila two of the ancientest Translators as Theodoret cites them So thaet the Text with the Context may admit this Paraphrastical reading i. e. Against thee thee only have I not my mother but I sinned taking all the shame and guilt upon himself not charging his Mother with the cause of his sin against Uriah and his Wife And now behold in by or for this iniquity viz. the sin of evil concupiscence as the Chaldee cals it the Original of his Actual sin I am exceedingly afflicted and very much grieved My Mother indeed brought me forth with sorrowfull labour and painfull Travel Gen. 3.16 for she hath sinned against thee and she perhaps being in sin conceived me But her sin was not the cause of my Adultery and Murther that was my own Act nor did her sin make me guilty for the child shall not bear the iniquity of the Father but when I had lusted I sinned and when I had committed the sin I became liable to the condemnation of death My father and mother are not to be blamed To this purpose Anselmus reasoneth the case If Adam saith he could not traduce or convey over his original Righteousness to his posterity neither could be transmit his original unrighteousness but he could not the one nor the other But this may seem to contradict what was said of Adams begetting Seth. Therefore I say that it is not in the Will and at the pleasure of man to beget Children which shall prove either good or bad however a good or a bad man may beget such as may be good or evil And they are good either as they continue as God made them or else by returning again into that state by Repentance and Faith in Christ or they are bad by consenting unto the motions aâ—d temptations of sin and Satan So Cain was not evil as he came out of Gods hands but as he was born and became a child of the devil That heat wherewith David warmed his mother as Pagnin reads it was not any sin of him in her womb for there the child doth not defile the mother but as they say the mother the child But his mother might well be troubled to see her son commit such hainous sins as Adultery and Murder and say as another doth Prov. 31.1,2,3,4 5. What my son the son of my womb Give not thy strength unto women c. It is not for thee O David my son it is not for thee to commit such wickedness against the Lord who hath saved thee from the Lion the Bear and the uncircumcised Philistin and hath made thee King over Israel it is not for thee so to requite thy God it doth not become thee I am sorry to hear such things of thee So that David might justly complain against himself and say Against thee only have I even I sinned and done this evil in thy fight for which I am now so greatly perplexed and for which my mother is incensed and so highly displeased with me What violence is offered to this Text and Context or to the general scope of the whole Scripture by this manner of reading I do not yet understand This might further be insisted upon but that I am not about a Treatise but a Preface I do not peremtorily and arrogantly impose these things but meekly offer them to the consideration of those who are more learned and illuminate if happily the Truth aud glory of God by this occasion may be brought more to light I know I have trod besides the beaten road but if curiosity and singularity rather then simplicity and integrity were my guides I should not adventure any further 7. Wherefore I rather take that place of the Prophet Ezek. 16. to signifie and demonstrate the corrupt fallen and sinfull state of man into which he is begotten by the deceitfull and destructive spirit after he hath received the natural life from his Parents Not denying but that literally and historically it holds forth the Idolatrous state into which Judah and Jerusalem were then degenerated Canaan signifieth Humility or a Merchant And this spiritual sense seems to be most aimed at by the Allegory For there is a time when we all wander into the land of Canaan when we are seduced by a voluntary shew of Humility Col. 2.18 to become Merchants for Heaven by our chosen Righteousness and legal works are rather Factors for Satan selling our selves to iniquity and sin for naught and parting with our precious souls for no money In this Cananitish Countrey we find ten native lusts answerable to the number of the Inbabitants in Canaan Gen. 15.19,20,21 standing in opposition to the ten Precepts and seed of God These disobedient properties are begotten by that Amorite the vain Talker great Pratler cruel Rebel that Father of lyes the Devil who was a lyar from the beginning who by his sleights and cunning craftiness fair speeches and subtile delusions lay in wait to beguil our first parents and cheat them of the pearl of their innocency being now an Amoritish father unto them begetting them into the disobedience and rebellion of his own nature having been himself a cursed Rebel before To this Amoritish father the Hittite our whorish heart the true Hittite being broken asunder from God joyneth and becomes a mother is bring forth the sinfull brood Lust when it hath conceived bringeth forth sin and when it is finished bringeth forth death James 1.15 And thus we come to be denominated sinners and Children of wrath And so neither do I deny original sin but grant there is a time for sin to have its original and beginning in us as it had in Adam 8. Thus we have found out mans sickness what it is how he catcheth it and is infected with it His Remedy and Recovery is there also described I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness yea I sware unto thee and entred into Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine verse 8. The skirt wherewith God covereth us before he entreth into Covenant with us is the death of Christ the blood of the everlasting Covenant as will appear anon when the signification of the skirt shall be explained I have yet further to shew you that all our freedom from sin is by the death and blood of Christ whether we consider sin First In respect
on No man took it from him 1 Kings 20.11 John 10.18 21. Thus Christ when he was in the height of his perfection in perfect Glory filling all in all the fulness and end of the Law for Righteousness the Law-giver above the Law yet in the fulness of time was made of a woman made under the Law became a curse for us to redeem us from the curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 chap. 4.4 By this going back-ward of Christ unto the tenth degree of death we have hope of life to come His going back-ward was his progress to his journeyes end for his ways are not our ways but rather contrary to them Thus our true Joseph having been in prison and taken out from among men is afterward rightly called Zaphnath-paaneah i.e. a man to whom secrets are revealed or in the Egyptian tongue a Saviour of the world Gen. 41.14,45 Isa 53.8 John 3.17 chap. 12.47 Let us imitate our Lord for even hereunto are we called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2.21 Let us resist unto blood striving against sin suffering in the flesh that we may cease from sin Heb. 12.4 1 Pet. 4 1. Ponder these things seriously 6. Sixthly 22. We cannot understand nor submit unto the Gospel unless we know and conform unto the death of Christ The sum of the Gospel is Christ crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 There is a dolefull doom denounced against all those that obey not this Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thes 1.7,8,9,10 It is not enough for us to make our boast of the Gospel except we obey it no advantage comes by it Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of the Father Mat. 7.21 He that doth the Will shall know the Doctrine John 7.17 Now we must know that every man is brutish in his knowledge and born a wild Asses Colt Jer. 10.14 Job 11.12 Psalm 92.6 Wherefore it is necessary that every man take up his Cross dayly and crucifie this brutish man which is so ignorant of the Mysterie of God and altogether uncapable to understand it and put on the new man which is created after God in Righteousness Holiness and Knowledge 1 Cor. 2.14 Eph. 4.22,23,24 Col. 3.9,10 The old must be put off before the new can be put on Obedience is the best Vsher unto knowledge 7. Seventhly 23. The grand Mysterie of iniquity worketh in the contrary Doctrine When the Devil suspected what ruine and desolation was like to come upon his kingdom by the death of Christ he did what possibly he could to save his life by Pilates wife And so he is still stirring some to be enemies to his Cross Phil 3.18 The old subtile Serpent argueth with us as he did with our first Parents Yea saith he doth God require such strictness and circumspect walking doth he think ye delight to afflict his creature the work of his hands will he have thee die mortifie and crucifie thy self Far be it from thee These things shall not happen unto thee Mat. 16.22,23 Hath not Christ suffered for thy sins hath not he made full satisfaction and done all for thee Is there any thing left for thee to do Canst thou add to the vertue of his blood Wilt thou fall back again to the Law and be justified by the works thereof Is not this flat Popery Away away with these legal and pensive thoughts they make thee melancholy dull and indisposed to good things Wilt thou separate not only from the prophane Gentile but from the outward and formal Jew also Canst thou by taking thought add one Cubit to his stature Were not the works finished from the foundation of the world Mat. 6.27 Heb. 4 3. Be not righteous overmuch neither make thy self over-wise Why shouldest thou destroy thy self Eccles 7.16 24. Look upon the high and mighty professors of the world Are not the preud among them happy and they that tempt God by Pride Ambition Covetousness Hypocrisie Perjury breach of Promises Covenants Vows Oaths and Protestations Rebellion Domineering are they not delivered delivered to do all abominations Doth not their Bull gender and faileth not have they not more then heart can wish so that pride compasseth them about as a chain and violence covereth them as a Garment Mal. 3.15 Jer. 7.9,10,11 c. Job 21.10 Psalm 73.4,5,6,7 Take thine ease eat drink and be merry to morrow shall be as this day Thus the crafty Serpent insinnateth his damnable Doctrine by his false Prophets into the minds of simple ignorant presumptuous Gospellers themselves Whereas the true Believer saith It is his meat and drink to do the Will of his Lord and Master John 4.34 To beat down his body and bring it into subjection 1 Cor 9.27 Nothing is more glory to him then such tribulation he takes pleasure in such necessity and distresses for Christs sake and is glad that he can die dayly that the world may be crucified unto him and he unto the world Rom. 5.3 2 Cor. 12.10 1 Cor. 15.31 Gal. 6.14 8. Eightly 25. Without this knowledge and conformity there can be no perseverance in Godliness The Hypocrite will not pray always he cannot many begin to run well but are driven back from obeying the Truth Gal. 5.7 They are clogd with the care of preserving the worldly life they are full yet with their youthfull lusts and the sins of their riper years These youths shall faint and such young men utterly fail because they do not eat and drink the flesh and blood of the Son of man that they might have life and strength to persevere they do not by eating and drinking incorporate the living bread and drink by a lively faith that they might grow thereby Isa 40.30 John 6.33.35,48,51 unto verse 59. 1 Pet. 2.2 2 Pet. 3.18 But the righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands that hath washt them in innocency in the innocent blood of the Lamb he shall wax stronger and stronger his light shall be as the shining light which increaseth to a perfect day Job 17.9 Prov. 10.29 and chap. 4.18 But they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength and mount up with wings as Eagles Psalm 103.5 Isa 40.31 The Eagle is sharp of sight swift and lofty in flight it can soar up and look upon the Sun So do all true Believers who have anointed their eyes with the spiritual eye-salve Rev. 3.18 which maketh them quick-sighted but then like Eagles they resort unto the Carkass Mat. 24.28 They have continual Recourse unto the crucified body of Christ refreshing themselves with that heavenly food turning it into the nourishment of their inward and new man and growing up therein unto a likeness and conformity unto that food These do not miscarry nor come short of their aim 9. Ninthly 26. There can be no due performance of any acceptable service
esteem the Word of God the name of Christ Righteousness and the members of Christ even we would have killed Christ as well as the Jews This was the Evangelists opinion when they so exactly described Judas who sold him and the Jews that bought him Observe this too Never any of the Saints was so sold and so bought as Christ was viz. bought and sold to be slain Joseph indeed was bought and sold but not unto death but bondage Christ only was sold and bought to die and that at a low rate which by the righteous Judgement of God fell out to the great loss both of seller and buyers For instead of those thirty pieces of silver Psal 109. they got thirty most terrible maledictions which David fore-saw would come upon them As 1. Set thou a wicked man over him 2. Let Satan stand at his right hand 3. When he shall be judged let him be condemned 4. Let his prayer become sin 5. Let his days be few 6. Let another take his office 7. Let his Children be fatherless 8. And his wife a Widdow 9. Let his Children be continually Vagabonds and beg 10. Let them seek their bread out of their desolate places 11. Let the Extortioner catch all that he hath 12. Let strangers spoil his labour 13. Let there be none to extend mercy unto him 14. Let there be none to favour his fatherless children 15. Let his posterity be cut off 16. In the generation following let their name be blotted out 17. Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembred with the Lord. 18. Let not the sin of his mother be blotted out 19 Let them be before the Lord continually 20. That he may cut off the memory of them from the earth 21. He loved cursing so let it come unto him 22. As he delighted not in blessing so let it be far from him 23. He cloathed himself with cursing like as with his garment 24. Let it come into his bowels like water 25. And like oyl into his bones 26. Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him 27. And for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually 28. When they arise let them be ashamed 29. Let mine Adversaries be cloathed with shame 30. Let them cover themselves with their own confusion as with a Mantle These are the thirty pieces of silver for which Judas sold Christ See now how wickedly how damnably he recovered the loss of the oyntment The wretched man thought that he should have had the thirty pieces of silver but he got nothing but thirty curses which stuck close to him after he had thrown the money from him in the Temple He did not as yet feel the weight of those curses but not long after he was sensible thereof when he hanged himself in despair Mat. 26. Nor did he go away alone with these Maledictions but the Jews also had their share with him and so shall all they who for gain shed blood or commit any other sin against God or their Neighbour They think to make themselves rich but it will be in nothing but endless curses which they their Children and Heirs commonly find by wofull experience It followeth Mat. 26.17 Luke 22.7 Now the first day of the Feast of unleavened bread when the Passover must be killed the Disciples came to Jesus saying Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passover Enough hath been said of the damned Traytor already Now the Evangelists are about to describe that most sacred Supper which was the last at which Christ was with his Disciples There is scarce any thing that the Evangelists do more exactly set down and that justly too For there was nothing said or done at that Supper but was worth the noting Now there must be some reason as also time and place for that Supper Of all which the Evangelists omit nothing The dayes of unleavened bread were the time of this Supper The place was a large upper room well furnished The occasion was the Paschal Lamb which the Jews did then eat according to the custom Why those were called the days of unleavened bread I have told you in the entrance of this discourse 'T is needless to repeat it now seeing the word it self explains it For Azymus is derived from A which signifieth without and Zyma which signifieth Leaven as much as to say without leaven unleavened bread Levit. 7. For in those days the Jews might not eat leavened bread nor offer such bread no nor so much as have it in their houses Luke 13. A figure that no Hypocrisie or any Pharisaical thing should be found in the Church Thus Christ expoundeth Leaven Beware saith he of the leaven of the Pharisees which is Hypocrisie 1 Cor. 5. Let us keep the feast saith Paul not with old leaven but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth The feast of the Passover drawing nigh the Disciples took care about the Paschal Lamb for they were Jews Exod 12. and knew the custom of the Nation and the Command of the Law Therefore they did not delay till the time was come to eat it or till Christ put them in mind of it but thought on 't before hand of their own accord So that t is evident they had a great care that the Command of God should not be neglected lest it should be imputed to them as a great sin if they kept not the Passover Therefore all business laid aside they mind this only Where wilt thou say they that we prepare for thee c. Thus Christians should be carefull to observe all good old and godly customes and by no means sleight them For there will some good fruit come of it when the Church of Believers do unaminously go on in that which is good See here the Disciples willingness like devout men they are mindfull of the legal institution and like humble servants they tender their duty and service unto Christ The meaning Where shall we make ready c. as if they had said It becometh us to know thy pleasure it is our duty to serve and make all ready for thee our Master We know thou wilt not omit or neglect this legal Ceremony but where thou intendest to celebrate it we know not Thou hast no house of thine own at Jerusalem otherwise we need not ask this question John 1. Luke 9. Observe here O Christians the extream poverty of Christ Jesus who though he were Lord of the whole world yet had he not a house of his own to lay his head in So that he was fain to sup at another mans house and when he was dead he was buried in another mans grave He shewed himself truly a stranger on earth for our Example 2. Let the rich men of the world consider this well who cease not to joyn house to house Es 5.8 and land to land till there be no more place as though they only were born to
is not made for it self but to strengthen them that eat it so Christ hath not these good things for himself alone but imparteth them to us also But after what manner How can we partake of the life and righteousness of Christ seeing we have no righteousness or life in us Answ By feeding upon him Then we find the vertue of bread when it is incorporated in us Then thou perceivest what vertue and good there is in Christ when thou receivest Christ into thy self 1. Now Christ is offered two manner of wayes unto us in the Word and in the Sacrament So also do we eat his body two wayes Spiritually and Sacramentally Of the spiritual eating he saith thus he that cometh to me shall not hunger and he that believeth in me shall not thirst From which words it is clear that to eat Christs body spiritually is to believe with the heart that Christ was made man and took our sins upon himself that he shed his blood for us and conquered hell and that he reconciled us unto God He that believeth this doth as is it were snatch Christ by faith and throw him into himself and is become one body with him whereby it cometh to pass that he doth not hunger in sin for he hath the righteousness of Christ he doth not hunger in death for he hath the life of Christ nor in malediction for he hath the benediction of Christ nor in afflictions because he seeth his deliverance by Christ This spiritual eating is necessary to all for none can be saved without it If we partake not of the Righteousness and Life of Christ what do we but abide in our sins and death Therefore Christ himself saith John 6. Except ye eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you He doth not speak here of the Sacrament for all are not damned that do not receive the Sacrament but he speaks of the spiritual eating by faith Heb 11. without which no man can please God After this manner the Fathers of the old Testament also did eat the body of Christ for Christ was offered to them too by Word and Promises Without this spiritual eating the Sacrament is nothing available nay it doth hurt and condemn because it is received unworthily 2. Here then you see that Christ is not offered unto us only in the Word but also in the Sacrament to this end even to put us in mind of the Promises by this outward sign and that we should be assured by this corporal eating that Christ with all that he hath was truly given to us For he that gave his very body what else will he deny We may now see that this exteâ—nal eating was not instituted in vain as some ungodly and unthankful men prate What need was there say they of an outward sign when it is faith that taketh all the good things of Christ to it self And who art thou wretched man that darest reprove God in his what he doth as if he had not ordained all things wisely I might also reason after that manner what need was there for Christ to take our flesh and suffer And what need is there of preaching the Gospel God could have restored man by his Word only as he did create him only by his Word Is therefore the Incarnation Passion and Gospel of Christ to no purpose See how unthankfull we are But God was willing to communicate his good things to us many wayes yea his own Son to wit by his Incarnation by the Word and Sacrament And who art thou unthankful man that durst question why he would do so and what need there was of it Thou shouldest rather exceedingly rejoyce that God would be pleased to impart his good things to thee which way soever he did bestow them This is one of Satans old tricks Gen. 3. whereby he cheated Eve Why saith he did God command that you should not eat of this tree Gen. 12. To what purpose what need was there for it And this way he seeks to deceive us Gen 22. Abraham did not reason so what need have I to leave my own Country Thou mayest do me good where I am Again To what end should I offer my Son He said no such thing but presently obeyed The Nature of faith is to shut the eyes of reason and to go blindfold after the naked Word of God So should we do in this case But hear what Christ saith further This saith he is my Body Here you have the other and more principal part of the Sacrament to wit the Word of God The visible Bread is one part the Word of Christ is the other Every Sacrament is made up of these two that is the outward Sign and the Word of God which must not be separated one from the other The Word was added to the Element and so became a Sacrament The bread is seen the Word of Christ is heard Which of these is of most credit the sight The Truth of Christs Body or hearing surely the hearing for he that speaks is God Therefore all the vertue of the Sacraments is from the Word of God When the Word cometh to the Bread it is no more what it was before but somewhat else far more excellent by reason of the Word of God added to it For the Word of God is of that efficacy that it can do all things which is most clearly manifest both from the first creation of all things as also from those Miracles which wrought by the Word of God For concerning both Psal 148.5 he spake the word and they were made yea the Word of God is God It is the Wisdom and Power of God Rom. 1. John 1. 1 Cor. 1. When God therefore by his Word joyneth his Vertue Power and Name to the outward thing who doubteth but that some new and great thing is thereby wrought How then durst any be so bold to say that there is nothing but bare bread in this Sacrament after the words of Consecration are uttered Is the Word of God which is so powerfull in every thing else of no force in this Sacrament 1. These words then This is my Body do prove the truth of Christs body in the Sacrament So that we are most highly to esteem the words of God Nor can there be any trope or figure in them For first nothing can more absolutely be spoken if all the tongues in the world should speak together 2. Besides there is not one of the Evangelists no nor Paul himself who was a most sincere Preacher of the Gospel that ever hinted the least letter of a trope in these words 3. Lastly There is no just reason can be alledged why these words should be otherwise understood We must therefore keep to these words as to the most undoubted and safe sayings of God himself which do not deceive nor suffer to be deceived He that addeth to these words
man than to have his part with Christ so not to partake with him is unavoidable damnation Beloved let 's do and suffer whatever is required of us to do and suffer lest we lose this our share with Christ To have part with Christ is to partake of his Grace Spirit and Word here and of his Glory and Kingdom hereafter This part Peter afterward denied to Simon Magus Acts 8. Thou hast no part nor lot in this word But this word of Christ may have another meaning If I wash thee not c. q.d. Why art thou afraid at my meek manner of behaviour and startlest at this kind of Ministry wilt not thou that I wash thee with water when thou must of necessity be washed with my blood except I gird my self harder yet and wash thee with greater labour and pains thou wilt have no part with me Truly if Christ had not washed his Elect with his blood neither Peter nor any man else could have had any part with him So is it still whom Christ purgeth not he is yet unclean as it was heretofore no man was clean till he was washed with the water of Purification Numb 19. Apoc. 21. And no unclean thing shall enter into the Kingdom of Christ therefore it is rightly said if I wash thee not thou hast no part with me By all this Christ sheweth what is meant by the washing of feet and why he did wash his Disciples feet before his Passion Teaching us hereby that it is his office only to purge and wash away the filth of sin which he doth by the sprinkling of his blood This washing then of the feet signifieth the whole Passion of Christ who ministred to us and washed us Where note that none is purged from sin but by Christ Also see here our laziness who hear that we shall have no part with Christ except he wash us yet we run not to him though he be present with us Doubtless Peter wholly submitted himself to Christ being terrified with this his threatning word Lord saith he not only my feet but also my hands and my head As if he had said if it be so there 's an end I have done not my will but thine be done I will no longer hinder thee from washing me Only let me never be separated from thee Lo I present my hands feet head my whole body wash me wipe me do as thou wilt I have nothing to say against it At first I did not know what it meant therefore I crave pardon I cry thee mercy c. This is that Chrysostome saith of him Peter was earnest in denying more earnest in yielding both proceeded from love 1. Here we see the nature of Faith which fully and wholly resigneth it self unto the will of God to do with us whatsoever he pleaseth Come life come death all as he will So David 2 Sam. 15.26 if he say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good to him Gen. 12. And so Abraham he fully committed himself to God following him whithersoever he led him This Resignation of self unto the will of God is a most acceptable service to him As Christ saith he that will come after me let him deny himself and follow me Matth. 16. 2. Note that besides his feet Peter offers his hands and his head to be washed Not only our affections but our works yea our very intention and purpose many times had need be cleansed David acknowledgeth himself to be filthy all over Psalm 51. Behold I was conceived in iniquities sprinkle me with Hysop c. To be short This word of Peter sheweth that we are wholly polluted in body and soul in affections works intention will and understanding So that we have very great need of Christ 3. Hence we learn what we have most need to ask of Christ even that he would cleanse us every whit who created us all that we are If we be not first purified we can never partake of the good things of Christ 4. Lastly He sheweth what we should principally offer to God for his innumerable benefits even an universal Resignation not only of our temporal goods but of our own will and reason too that with David we might say twice Psalm 108. O God my heart is ready my heart is ready Ready to deny the world for thy sake Again ready to deny my self for thee Thus Abraham not only left his Country at Gods call Gen. 12.22 but was ready to slay his son too at his command But there are too few now that imitate him Perhaps there be some that will part with a little trash but very rarely shall we find one that will strangle his own will Although Peter presented his hands and his head to be washed yet Christ washeth only his feet with which he began at first For he that is washed saith he needeth not save to wash his feet As if he had said Peter I need not wash thy hands and head these are clean enough already but thy feet can never be washt too much for they will presently be foul again See how fitly Christ turneth his speech from outward things to spiritual From washing the members of the body he passeth on to the washing of the inward parts of the soul it self which are the affections here meant by the feet As in every employment the feet tread on the ground so this our mortal life cannot continue without our affections The affections interpose themselves in all businesses so that if any shall say they need not washing and cleansing he is altogether mistaken If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves 1 John 1. and the truth is not in us He washeth our feet daily who maketh intercession for us in Heaven continually That we have need of this daily washing we acknowledge when we pray Matth 6. forgive us our trespasses c. Now Christ in saying He that is washed c. plainly sheweth that we need a two-fold washing 1. The first is when the whole body is washed the inbred pollution the other when the feet are cleansed from that dust and dirt which daily cleaveth to them Christ by his blood hath washed us both these wayes First at the Font where the whole man is washed from his inbred uncleanness his original sin This is done and that but once at the Font. Wherefore he saith He that is washed needeth not So to be washt again in Baptism Once Baptized is sufficient Only we must have a care to wash our feet often And 2. This second Baptism is not in the Font but in Podoniptro in true Repentance which purgeth our daily sins There is a second Table in which they may escape by swimming who have made Ship-wrack after the first washing This is the washing of which Isaiah speaketh Wash ye make ye clean c. Is 1. This washing of the feet by
Repentance should never be omitted For the way we go as the vulg Lat. hath it is polluted saith David 1 Sam. 2â—…5 The filthiness of Jerusalem is in her skirts in her feet saith the vulgar Latine Lam. 1.9 Therefore saith Paul 2 Tim. 2.21 if a man purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honour That which Christ addeth is enough to melt and move any man But is clean every whit How is he every whit clean that must yet wash his feet Yea how can one baptized be said to be clean all over when the Scripture often saith there is none without sin Is 64. 1 John â— It is most true that there is no man without sin yet withall t is as true that whosoever is purified by Faith is clean every whit He that is planted into the body of Christ doth partake of and possess by faith the holiness and purity of Christ Thus Paul saith to Believers Ye are washed 1 Cor. 6. Rom. 8. ye are sanctified by the Name of the Lord Jesus Again There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Those that be planted into Christ are called holy by Faith the Name and Blood of Christ But yet in themselves they are nothing but sinners and have yet many sins but no condemnation for God accounteth of them as clean by Faith in Christ So Paul saith of himself With my mind I serve the Law of God Rom. 7. but with my flesh the law of sin 1. Hence we conclude that the Apostles were baptized otherwise he would not have said to them he needeth not save to wash his feet 2. Baptism is not sufficient except also we wash our feet 3. Grace is of more force than sin Where Grace is a man is accounted just and pure before God notwithstanding he be not yet altogether without sin and imperfections in himself 4. Repentance is necessary to backsliders 5. That common cleanness by baptism and the profession of the Faith of the Gospel is not sufficient for a Gospel-Minister except his feet the affections of his soul also be purged from all the filth of this world from which a man shall find it a hard matter to keep himself pure unless he be still carefull to wash off the pollution contracted by converse with men with the blood of Christ Hitherto Christ spake in general He that is washed c. But presently he directeth his speech to the Apostles in special And ye saith he are clean but not all The Apostles were clean because baptized and cleaving close to Christ because they loved and followed him with unwearied desire But above all they were clean from the impiety and covetousness of the traytor Judas It soundeth sweetly when the Judge himself shall pronounce us guiltless But that which follows is full of terrour But not all whereby Christ doth not only smite Judas but also all such that live wickedly in the profession of Christianity For all is not Gold that glisters Judas had his feet outwardly washed and kept company with the Apostles he was with them in the body but not in the Faith Therefore he was cast with his filthy hands and feet into utter darkness It is also Emphatically added by John For he knew who it was that should betray him to let us know that Christ said this for Judas sake only ye are not all clean 1. Hereby he giveth us an Example of true charity and humility Christ saw the very heart of this wicked man he knew his bloody design yet he gave him like respect with others and washt his feet as well as the rest Hence learn to love your enemies and do good to them that hate you This wonderfull and absolute clemency is proper only to the nature of our Lord. Although he knoweth our sins yet doth he not presently punish us but many wayes recalleth us in his long-suffering patience Oft-times doth he good to his rebellious Traytors to make that good which he saith by the Prophet Ezek. 18. I will not the death of a sinner c. 2. He setteth forth the greatness of Judas his sin which Christ could not wash away because that wicked man resisted and withstood the same We admire at some mens sins and begin to examine their weight and hainous nature in that the Prophets could not cure them though they applied never so many Medicines as one of them complaineth Jer. 51. We would have healed Babylon and she is not healed How great then was Judas his sin who had so great remedies for it Christ the greatest Physitian of all and yet was never the better So after he had washed their feet and had taken his garments John 13.12 and was set down again he said unto them Know ye what I have done to you Ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am verse 13. If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet verse 14. ye also ought to wash one anothers feet For I have given you an Example verse 15. that ye should do as I have done to you Verily verily I say unto you verse 16. the servant is not greater then his Lord neither he that is sent greater then he that sent him If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them verse 17. I speak not of you all I know whom I have chosen verse 18. but that the Scripture may be fulfilled He that eateth bread with me hath lift up his heel against me Now I tell you before it come that when it is come to pass verse 19. ye may believe that I am he Verily verily I say unto you verse 20. he that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me Here Christ performed what he had before promise to Peter when he washt his feet Thou shalt know it afterward Now he shews him what this washing of the feet did signifie Thus every thing is to be done in its season Let the work be first done in it self then let the exposition and interpretation of it follow what is meant by it Christ did not presently tell them the signification of this washing that the Disciples might the more diligently attend and the more admire it before they knew it or the reason of it Now be layeth by the Bason and Towel and sits down again and setleth himself to preach to them 1. And first he prepares their attention by an interrogation for when we are askt what we know not we are as it were jogg'd to listen more attentively So Christ here Know ye what I have done to you Doubtless they did not know They knew their feet were washt but why or wherefore they were altogether ignorant This then they had need to be instructed in 2. Let us all in general suppose that it is said to us Know ye what I have done for ye Whereby
before the egress of Christ out of Jerusalem here we have his progress He came to the Village Gethsemane which is by interpretation the Vale of farness by reason of the abundance of Olives that grew there Here was a garden into which Jesus entred that he might begin to make satisfaction in a garden as sin was first committed in the Garden of Paradise For when Adam abused his liberty or rather the leave which was given him in that garden be then delivered us up captives to Satan and to all manner of evil for to what mischief is not man now exposed it was most fit that Christ by his captivity in the Garden should free us from our captivity Compare what was first done in Paradise with what is here done 1. In the garden of Paradise Adam became disobedient in this garden Christ obeyed unto bonds 2. There Adam merited bondage by his Liberty here Christ recovered liberty by his bonds 3. There he pronounced the sentence of condemnation against man here doth compassionately take the same sentence upon himself That so we may see how that Mercy exalts it self above Judgement and that his Mercies are over all his works Psalm 145. But lest any man should think that Christ desired the privacy of a garden that so he might the better escape and hide himself John saith that the Traytor knew this very place well enough as that into which Christ often resorted It might have been a great advantage of his salvation to this wretched man that he knew where Jesus was and might be found for else why doth the Spouse desire Cant. 1. Shew me saith she where thou feedest and where thou lyest down O thou whom my soul loveth But this miserable man most abominably abusing this Knowledge to his own destruction became so much more wicked than all other men as the Serpent was more subtil than the rest of the creatures Gen. 3. and for this cause he became a more convenient catch-pole for the Devil the destroyer of mankind as the Serpent was the most proper lurking place for the same Devil to deceive the first man For as then the Devil made use of the Serpent to destroy the earthy man in his soul so now he employed this Traytor to kill the new and Heavenly man in his body And as there the Serpent being the Devils instrument was curst above all creatures so here Judas for the same reason became obnoxious to most grievous maledictions as hath been shewed before Observe further that Christ with his Disciples often resorted to this garden Our Lord was wont to chuse solitary and private places especially when he had any Mysterie to impart A retired place is most fit for prayer and instruction Here we learn that Christ prayed often Luke 18. as also he commandeth us to do likewise He did not seek privacy for his own part for nothing could disturb him but for our example as he saith elswhere When thou prayest enter into thy closet Matth 6. Whereas he with his Disciples frequented no place like the garden it sheweth that he delighteth in the flourishing growth of Vertue and the fruit of Grace and Faith there he doth willingly abide and may be found But not so where all things wither and are unfruitfull such as was that barren Synagogue which he cursed under the Type of the fruitless fig-tree Matth. 21. Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever When he came to the garden he commanded his Disciples to sit still i. e. to be quiet and not troubled in mind not to be disquieted at those things which should befall him He bids them stay till he had prayed alone for them all and for all others for his prayer is our Redemption It followeth And he took with him Peter and James and John Mat. 26.37 Mar. 14.33 Luke 22.40 the two sons of Zebedee and he began to be amazed sorrowfull and very heavy And saith unto them my soul is exceeding sorrowfull unto death tarry yee here and watch with me and pray that ye enter not into temptation And he went forward a little and was withdrawn from them about a stones cast and he kneeled down fell on his face upon the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass from him And he said Abba Father All things are possible unto thee if it be possible let this Cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt From these words we way plainly perceive that this was not a garden of solace to Christ but of greatest sorrow Here Christ began to give up himself to sufferings here he opened the door to terrours and horrours Now the Godhead withdrew its shining Rayes and the meek and most innocent humanity was left to it self For there were two things in Christ most different one from the other to wit the Divine Majesty than which nothing is more Sublime and the humane weakness than which nothing is more low and abject Now because he had given some taste of his Sublimity to these three Apostles in his Transfiguration Matth. 17. he would have them also to be witnesses of his exceeding great abasement that thereby they might learn what they were to follow after and what they might expect They had seen his glory in the Mount now they see his sorrow in the garden from that they had proof of his Divinity by this they were fully assured of his humanity that afterward they might give clear Testimony of both The Lord knew that there would Hereticks arise who out of their wanton brain would affirm that he did not suffer really and indeed but only held out an image or figure of sorrow and suffering as Manichaeus that wicked man forged of him Wherefore that he might clear it to all Ages that he did not fantastically but truly grieve for us and endured a most bitter Passion for us he makes it appear by most evident signs to wit sorrow fear long prayer Angelical Consolation and sweat of blood To this agreeth that of Isaiah Surely he hath born our griefs Isa 53. Psalm 88.3 and carried our so rows So in the Psalms Repleta est malis anima mea my soul is full of troubles He doth not say of Vice and Sin but of humane evils i. e. my soul is full of grief and anguish For in that he took upon him the whole man with his natural conditions he must needs have natural sadness and vexation Christus minus nobis contulerat si non nostrum suscepisset affectum Hence saith Ambrose Christ had not done us so much good if he had not taken our affections upon him Nor was he delusively incarnate but truly and properly so How else could we follow him if not as a man if we believe not that he dyed if we had not seen his Wounds Or how should the very Disciples themselves have believed that he dyed indeed if they had
to strengthen him Luke saith That he was in an Agony that is he was as it were contending with death What man what tongue what understanding is able to comprehend fully this Agony I say not to express it We see with what great perplexity dying men struggle in whom their senses are almost dead already how much more anguish then was there in the heart of Christ whose senses were yet most lively who clearly perceived all the horrour of death and was perfectly sensible thereof O how hard sharp and bitter was it to the humanity in Christ What strugling what strife what horrour Lastly What and how full of Anguish was this perruption If thou doubt it consider the bloody sweat on every side flowing from his sacred body Where didst thou ever see the like When didst thou ever hear the like This greatest and most violent Agony squeezed out this sweat And if thou dost mind it well they were our sins that prest out this unusual sweat from the Lord Jesus All our sins were hanged about his neck and laid upon his shoulders Satan endeavoured with all his might utterly to overthrow both him and his kingdom Death would not die yet of necessity it must come to it One only Christ alone was to combate with all these evils and as another yea the true Hercules he was to shake off these most heinous and pestilent mischiefs from our necks Nor could any other do this but he Therefore by how much the greater these evils were so much the more pains was there required to overcome them Yea seeing they were the greatest evils there was need of the greatest labour This Luke signifieth when he saith He was in an Agony and did sweat blood Now that Agony of Christ signifieth nothing else Agon vel Agonia but the fear and dread of our Conscience before the face or presence of Gods Judgement For indeed when the time of Judgement is at hand the soul is toucht with the conscience of evil which being touched the whole soul begins to tremble the whole begins to perish when it is set single and alone before the eternal and wrathfull Tribunal of God Of which trembling Job speaketh Job 9. If he will contend who shall answer him This Trembling is also set forth and described in the Evengelical Banquet Job 9. Mat. 22. where he that had not the wedding Garment was struck speechless when the Lord ask'd him for it Sometimes the Saints are supprized with this Trembling as appears in Job Hence it is that David saith Psalm 6. Psalm 38.3 O Lord rebuke me not in thy anger c. for there is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger Thus Hezechiah I said In the cutting off of my dayes in dimidio dierum I shall go to the gates of the grave c. ad portas inferi vulg lat Therefore that we should not for ever be opprest with this Trembling Christ was cast into an Agony for us Therefore when this Temptation seizeth upon us let us pray with Hezechiah O Lord I am oppressed undertake for me Isa 38.14 Psalm 17.8 And with David Hide me under the shadow of thy wings But let us return to the bloody sweat We need not here shew any further how it could be that he should sweat blood Doubtless he was Supernatural But let us consider what Christ would shew unto us by this bloody sweat 1. First then that bloody sweat sheweth the great perplexity that Christ was in greater than which cannot be imagined Great pain will make men sweat For as we never read that any besides Christ did sweat blood though they were in never so great torment so there was never greater anguish than his And no wonder For although other men have certainly known that their death was at hand yet none could distinctly foreknow the sharpness of the pains of Death But Christ did distinctly in his inner sense taste beforehand the bitterness of Death as if it had been then present Consider this thou impudent sinner who art not afraid to renew thy sin daily for which thy Saviour was pleas'd to suffer this kind of punishment and consider the nature of the disease by the preciousness of the Remedy Consider I say the sharpness and bitterness of the Passion how great it was when it made him sweat blood but to think of it Consider how hard it was for Christ to make satisfaction for the sins of the heart which we lightly pass over without taking any notice of them Think what condition thou hadst been in for ever if Christ had not Redeemed thee Think upon what great anguish thou wouldst have been in at the hour of death therefore now while thou art in health arm thy self against it by the Passion and Prayer of Christ otherwise thou wilt not hold out in that distress For t is not for us to contend with death in our own strength It is too strong for us We must therefore flee to Christ that he may succour us in that streight which he tasted and conquered also for us The fear of Death is no other way to be vanquisht but by Faith in Christ and by long and strong prayer as Christ here did when he was in an Agony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he extended his prayer or he prayed more largely 2. By this bloody sweat Christ would shew his great Love to us which was so great in him that he made all the haste possible might be to pour out this medical blood even before his persecutors came to him that so he might the more speedily relieve lost man So ready was Christ to shed his blood for us 3. Lastly By this bloody sweat he did as it were foreshew that his Mystical body should sweat blood i. e. it should be exposed tosuch great afflictions that if it were possible it should sweat blood which we see fulfilled even at this day when wicked men live in all delights and pleasures but godly men are cast into a sweat of blood But this is their comfort that their time of suffering is but short and then they shall enter into glory Luke 22.45 Mat. 24.41,42 And when he rose up from prayer and was come to his Disciples he found them sleeping for sorrow And he saith 〈◊〉 them sleep on now and take your rest it is enough the hour is come Why sleep yee Luke 22.46 Behold the son of man is betrayrd into the hands of sinners Rise up let us go lo he that betrayeth me is at hand Christ returns again to his Disciples indeed how could he forget his own He was more thoughtfull for them than they were for themselves for he found them asleep again They might well be sad who lay under such failings They that sleep are ready to deny their life One evil is commonly a fore-runner of many more Spiritual sleep what it is and one sin is but the beginning of another Spiritual sleep is
honest men if they were but compared with this perfidious wretched Villain for what was all their Treasons to this 1. Now this Treachery of Judas was figured out in Joab who also betrayed and cut off two famous men 2 Sam. 3.20 Abner and Amasa with a kiss 2. To conclude this Treason of Judas did prefigure the crafty devises of Hereticks who indeed counterfeit themselves to be the friends of Truth but are the Betrayers of it For by flattery and fair speeches they beguil the hearts of the simple Jer. 6. They say as in the Prophet Peace Peace where there is no Peace They have Christ much in their mouth but most of all oppose the faith of him very like the Traytor Judas who are also appointed to the same condemnation Jesus therefore knowing all things that should come upon him John 18.4 went forth and said unto them Whom seek ye They answered him Jesus of Nazareth Jesus saith unto them I am he And Judas also which betrayed him stood with them Assoon then as he had said unto them I am he they went backward and fell on the ground Then asked he them again Whom seek ye And they said Jesus of Nazareth Jesus answered I have told ye that I am he if therefore ye seek me let these go their way That the saying might be fulfilled which he spake Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none All these things were thus done and written that by most manifest Arguments we might see that Christ came to the Cross willingly and of his own accord For if he had been compel'd to the Cross by humane force or fraud the world would have appeared to be more crafty and stronger than he and consequently that Christ had not been God For what kind of God is he against whom the world is able to prevail Again He had not manifested so much love if he had suffered death unwillingly and by constraint But it is most plain in that the Evangelists do every where shew that he could not be surprized by fraud or humane force till he himself pleased I say it is plain that he was both wiser and stronger than the world and so his love did thereby shine forth more clearly All which make much for our comfort For as he said before John 13.1 that knowing his hour was now come that he should now pass out of this world c. having loved his own c. So now also although he truly knew not only some things but all that should come upon him yea and knew them most perfectly too and that they were hard at hand yet did he not shrink or flee or hide himself but continued his love to us unto the end And therefore he went out to meet his enemies single by himself against many without any weapon against those that were armed that they might all see he did not fear death At other times we often read that he made an escape Joh. 8. 11. and hid himself but now he doth voluntarily meet his enemies The time which his Father had prefixed was now come In both he was our example For by his flight and hiding himself he taught us not to tempt God but by meeting his foes he instructed us readily to resign our selves to the Will of God and to obey him with all cheerfulness of mind Thus Paul sometimes fled without intreaty but at last he would not be perswaded when the Brethren earnestly intreated him with many tears to make his escape What mean you saith he to weep Acts 9. Acts 21.13 and to break my heart here he offered himself to the Will of God there he would not tempt God rashly Doing both in faith For we can do neither without the help of God We cannot avoid an imminent danger if the hand of God rescue us not neither can we resign our selves to the Will of God except the Spirit of God assist us It is also to be observed John 6. that Christ conveighed himself from them that would have made him a King and no marvel For he that exalteth himself shall be brought low Kingdoms and Empires for the most part are nothing but steep places for men to fall from and break their necks Contrariwise when they sought to crucifie him he came out to meet them For he knew that the Cross was the way to the Father Let us also learn in the hope of future happiness not to be affrighted at present and momentany evils and not so much regard what we suffer but consider that by our sufferings we are going toward our Father See how forward Christ was to suffer For he doth not only meet his Adversaries but first asks them whom they sought He might have rebuked them sharply and cast his former benefits with their ingratitude and impiety in their Teeth yea he might have destroyed them all at one beck However he doth not so but with fair words he asked them what they sought as if he knew nothing of their design This was not the time of his Judgement but of his shewing Mercy He would not be passionate but patient and overcome evil with good Therefore he speaks to them in a familiar manner Whom seek yee 1. By which word he did warn them that they should take heed what they did Saith he Whom seek ye even an innocent person and him whom ye know by his Signs and Miracles which he did Gen. 4. that he is more and greater than a man Consider well t is no small offence to seek the death of the innocent For the blood of the innocent reacheth unto Heaven But t is much more hainous to sin against God If one man sin against another the Judge shall judge him 1 Sam. 2.25 but if a man sin against God who shall entreat for him 2. By this word Whom seek ye Christ jeereth their needless preparations he mocketh at their fear Whom saith he do yee seek i. e. What need these arms Whom do you fear Is it me who have no Weapon about me or do ye seek for my Disciples who also are unarmed men He doth not tell them at first sight I am he whom ye look for though he knew their enterprize but first asketh them that he might take occasion from their answer to confute them and that all the world might see and know that such a huge multitude went out to take one single man as they themselves confess that they did seek but for one 3. He first askt his Adversaries whom they sought after before he let them lay hands on him because thereby he might yet extend and offer Grace unto them q.d. To this end was I sent that I might hold forth unto all men and bestow it too upon them And as many as have sought me with a good heart hitherto know it full well to be true Therefore if ye also seek for Grace lo here I am and ready to
me all this while in the City and save all this cost and pains How oft have we been togegether in the Temple where ye heard me preach Why did ye not lay hold on me then I know ye had a mind to do it but ye could not so much as hurt one hair of my head as ye have many times tryed But now I willingly tender my self ye may fulfill your wicked lust upon me But your great Array can do nothing to it Wretched men what could all your endeavour power wrath fury do to me if I were not willing But the time is now come This is your hour God even my God now gives you leave Do therefore not what God hath commanded but what he now permitteth you to do Now the power of hell reigneth Now this power taketh place A man cannot now turn himself any way but there is most palpable and thick darkness so that there is scarce a man at this time able to see or know what is holy what is true and just There is neither day nor light nor reason nor wisdom among men Christ compared that satanical and hellish darkness to the usual darkness of the Night when those Tyrants rusht into the Garden to take Jesus There was darkness without but their hearts were much darker It was night that one could not see another But the hearts of those wicked men were so blinded that they could see nothing at noon day so powerfully had the Devil brought his hellish darkness over these wicked Jews For doubtless it is a most infallible sign of great blindness and obscurity of darkness and of the night to take and bind the true and only Messias 1. Christ then doth here teach us that no harm can happen to the godly but when and how much God pleaseth 2. That the afflictions of the godly last but for an hour That which vexeth us here is but momentany and short as Paul saith 2 Cor. 4.17 3. He doth fully describe the conquests of the wicked calling them the Power of darkness That is properly the Power of darkness when Virtue and Righteousness is oppressed and when lyes injustice and iniquity raigneth 4. He doth secretly admonish his Adversaries of the Judgement to come This saith he is your hour but your glass will be out ere long you have but an hour and then my time will quickly come when all your malice will be required at your hands By this Word therefore Christ gave them power to take him Do ye ask why he did so It was that the Scriptures might be fulfilled that is that whatsoever the true God at any time had spoken by the mouth of his Prophets might indeed come to pass Where you see again that this whole History is grounded upon the Scripture The reason of all that was done is referred to the Scripture that we might be more firmly established in the Faith Thus far Christ spake to those sons of the Night and Darkness who answered him not a word again but being at length permitted they poured out all their wrath and rage against him Matthew saith Then came they and laid hands on Jesus Mat. 26.50 This is spokeâ— in general But John sets it down more at large Then the band of Souldiers John 18.12 and the Tribune so it should be read and the Officers of the Jews took Jesus and bound him The inward suffering of Christ hath hitherto been premised His out ward now begins When Christ had permitted rather then given them power over him these ravenous Wolves worry this Lamb cursed Thieves lay hands on the Shepheard degenerate children on their Father sinners on God the children of darkness on the true Light being nothing moved with his meekness or the Majesty of his Godhead or the amazement of his Miracles They held him who was ready to be taken hold of they hale him who was willing to be drag'd by them if he would have resisted their wicked hands could have done him no hurt Here then was fulfilled what David in the person of Christ foretold long ago Trouble is near and there is none to help Psal 22.11 Many bulls have compassed me about strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round They gaped upon me with their mouthes as a ravening and a roaring Lyon I am poured out like water c. Now although the Evangelists recite this captivation of Christ plainly and in a few words for they did it only that we might believe the story to be true yet they give us occasion to meditate on many things as appears chiefly out of John who hinteth 1. What was the reason why they could now lay hold on Christ and not before though they had often attempted it viz. Because the Father had given this cup and Christ himself obediently took the same and drank it and the hour was now come which was from Eternity determined for this to be done therefore they could take him This was the reason and not their force or power 2. The same John reckons up more that laid hold on Christ and that by name too The Band and the Captain and the Officers of the Jews c. to intimate that this first furious assault was exceeding grievous to the Lord Christ And no wonder for how should they be favourable to him on whom they had but now laid hold on whom they had no pitty on when he hung upon the cross when they had vented all their rage upon him Therefore not one nor another but altogether fall foul on him Besides they were all of them incensed against him with wrath and hatred being perswaded by their Ring-leaders that this man was a most mischievous seducer with this wrath and hatred they go out against him Their wrath was encreased in that they could not apprehend him all this while as also because he had thrown them flat to the ground Judas too had not a little stirr'd them up advising them to keep him fast in hold They all fell upon him assoon as they had their Commission every one seeking to avenge his in jury and studying how to gratifie the chief Priests for whom they knew they should do a most acceptable service if they took no compassion on Christ It seem'd to be just as if some strong hold were storm'd sack'd plundered none sparing any when a breach was once made after a long siege For this cause John doth particularly name those that took Christ prisoner Note also that in taking Christ captive there were not only the Souldiers and the Jews but the Gentile Romans too nor did they only that were present sin against Christ but they also that were absent the Rulers by whose command it was put in execution So neither one nor other but all men they that have been they that are and they that shall be of every sex of every state condition c. are all guilty of the blood of Christ He was truly taken in our sins Who then should not be afraid
They took Jesus but they had been better they had let him alone That is a good apprehension when the godly apprehend him by faith hope and charity whereof Paul saith I follow after if by any means I may comprehend Phil. 3. So the Spouse I held him and would not let him go Cant. 8. But this is not the apprehension spoken of here but that which the Wise man speaketh of Let us lye in wait for the Righteous let us put him to u shameful death Wisd 2. Thus he that took not the Angels but the seed of Abraham is most unworthily laid hands on by those very men whom he took by the hand He that stretcht not forth his hand of mercy to the Angels but to men when they were fallen is now taken by their hands O the wonderfull goodness of God! It was much that he should set men so high at first but it is much more that he should abase himself sollow for man at last So it was a great thing that commonly he did miraculously deliver the godly but it is far greater that he should now in love to us yield to be a captive that he might deliver us from Eternal slavery Sin death and the devil had taken us captive with great Tyranny but Christ willingly suffered himself to be taken when none of these our catch-poles had any power over him And because he was stronger than they he overcame them and set us free Therefore we may well sing I will extoll thee O Lord for thou hast lifted me up and hast not made my foes to rejoyce over me Psalm 30.1 John addeth And they bound him This was the only power of darkness to take to bind whom they could not take to understand So they did take him when his own hour was for one momentany hour for afterward there was no power of darkness could ever any more comprehend the Light When they had taken him they bound him O the horrid boldness of sinners They bound him that they might lead him away more safely For so Judas had forewarned them that they should look narrowly to him And now they think themselves safe as long as they have Christ prisoner in their own custody But certainly this taking and binding of Christ was their utter undoing A figure whereof was in Sampson and in the Ark of God Judg. 16. and 1 Sam. 5. For as the Philistins took Sampson to their own bane he killing many more of them at his death then in his life And as the same Philistins when they took the Ark of God were many wayes sorely afflicted by it so none else destroyed the Jews but he that was taken and bound by them The Philistins rejoyced when they had taken Sampson so they did when they got the Ark of God but their joy did not last long The Jews were glad when they had taken Christ but their joy was but short for a little after the Romans destroyed them Hence it is that they also now cry and pray but there is none to hear or help them And justly too For he may say to them that they manicled both his arms of Majesty and therefore he cannot now relieve them Thus the unthankfull sons of Adam lay hands on him by whose hands they were created They bind him who came to untye all men The meek Lamb all this while holds his peace and openeth not his mouth but in the bitterness of soul considereth of what continuance our time is knowing that nothing but our sin brought him into all this trouble and sorrow Isa 53. David spake of this taking of Christ long since Mine enemies compass me about they are inclosed in their own fat i.e. they are incorrigibly resolved to practice their own wickedness and not to be withheld by any perswasions or Miracles Their mouth speaketh proud things Psalm 17. We may suppose that they took him with great shouting and scoffing and reviling They have compassed my steps they set their eyes bowing to the earth that is they have determined that neither God nor his Justice no nor Heaven it self shall see or find them out They come upon me with open mouth as a Lyon greedy of his prey Behold what wrath and rage was here which cannot be exprest but by the fury of the most stout and savage Beast So in another Psalm They compassed me about like Bees and are extinct as the fire among the Thorns By which words the excessive cruelty of Christs enemies is foreshewn Psalm 118.12 For such is the fiery rage of Bees that although they can never get honey when they have lost their sting yet they will in a rage stick the same in their enemy and rather live drones than not revenge themselves Thus the Jews spit their venom on Christ never caring whether they did ever gather hony more Therefore afterward they said His blood be on us and on our children Matth. 27. Of which anon Note also that when the binding of Christ is mentioned it is spoken in the plural number It was not only one that bound him They were the sins of all men that did bind Christ So t is said in the Psalms The bonds of the wicked have robbed me Psalm 119.61 Our first Parents begun to twist these cords and we have finished them Startle here O sinner when thou hearest and seest that thy sins did so cruelly intangle and bind Christ But be not altogether dismayd for by those his bonds Christ brake ours and restored us unto true freedom So that we may merrily sing Thou hast loosed my bonds I will sacrifice to thee the sacrifice of praise Psalm 116. Learn we hence 1. To be thankfull for our deliverance 2. Let us take heed that we never more so bind Christ with our sins again 3. We also should learn constantly to suffer bonds for Christ if the case so require For fetters and shackles are now no more a reproach but an honour They are sanctified and ennobled by the sacred Body of Christ so that t is no shame but a credit to bear them for Christ as we see in the Apostles and Martyrs who had no greater badge of honour then to suffer for Christ And let not us blush to be bound for Christ who first was in bonds for us 4. Lastly Let us learn to take our selves captives and to bind our selves with the cords of Gods Precepts or rather with the bonds of Charity lest we let them take their swinge in those things that are contrary to God Let our eyes be held captive from sinfull objects our ear from idle tales our tongue from unsavoury discourse our hands from wicked works our heart from evil thoughts our understanding and judgement from erroneous and corrupt opinions c. Let this suffice in brief to be spoken of Christs surprisal And they all forsook him and fled Mar. 14.50 And there followed him a certain yong man having a linen cloath cast about his naked body and the yong
is that to us We bought and sold we paid what we promised Therefore there can be no flaw against us at the Law Look thou to it whom thou didst sell it nothing conterns us But hear O ye Heads and Rulers of the Synagogue Ye dealt either justly or unjustly with Christ If unjustly as t is plain enough that ye did then are ye Christ-killers that is such as murther your own Messias If ye did justly with him then ought ye to have comforted poor miserable Iudas and not have heaped all the guilt upon him and laid all the load on his back but ingenuously have confest that he was in no fault at all But whereas ye shift of the blame from your selves and lay it on Iudas certainly you acknowledge that he did very wickedly And if his Treason were a filthy fact doubtless your murther could not be lawfull nor just and so ye are manifestly convinced of unrighteousness and that out of your own mouth 1. Note here what wicked men will do against their conscience so they may but satisfie their lust They deny not but that it was guiltless blood that was betrayed Wherefore hence we may observe to whom the poor sheep may safely commit themselves These should have comforted his conscience that was driven into despair but they say what is that to us O tender hearted Shepheards Here we see little of that affection that was in Moses toward the people Exod. 32. And in Paul to his Brethren Rom. 9. They are indeed no Shepheards but Wolves rather seeking their own and not the good of the Lords Flock c. 2. Observe here that they who do evil to please men if the wind turn and things fall out contrary they shall be flouted and forsaken by those very men for whose favour they did it Let no man therefore at any time do evil to humour others c. What should Indas do now being terrified in conscience and finding no comfort from those men whose turn he had served against his own conscience What else I say should he do or what indeed could he do but despair Wherefore he cast down the pieces of silver in the Temple and went and hanged himself being forced so to do by that sorrow which is unto death 2 Cor. 2. and that by the righteous Judgement of God that so the wickedness which he fomented against the Head of all the Saints might fall on his own pate and that he should be his own judge and Executioner Now 1. He hanged himself to shew that he was hated of heaven and earth who would not only not reform and amend that sin of Treason but also added this horrid offence to be his own murtherer 2. He hung in the ayr died and burst a sunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out as Peter saith Act. 1. for he was not worthy of a burial Indeed he was not fit for the company either of Angels or men Therefore he could finde no place in heaven among the Angels because he betrayed the Lord of heaven and of the Angels nor ought he to be buried in the earth amongst men because when he was on earth he was a companion of Devils justly then did he perish in the ayr which is the place appointed for the Devils until the day of Judgement A figure of this untimely death we have in Achitophel who plotted the death and ruine of David 2 Sam. 17. who came to the same end as Judas here did for he hanged himself and for no other reason but because he foresaw that David would get the Kingdom in that Chushi Davids Friend was come over to Absolon not cordially but only personally So Judas saw that Christs name would not be forgotten in that the Apostles yet live to keep up the remembrance thereof and would survive that his memory should not perish As therefore Achitophels hanging himself was a sad presage that Absolon himself also should come to an ill end So Judas hanging himself portended the end and destruction of the Jews for unto this very day they hang yet between heaven and earth because in heaven they have no hope and on earth have not any setled place and their bowels are gushed out for they are scattered over the face of all the earth Now whereas it is here said that Judas brought back the 30. pieces of silver to the Priests into the Temple it is plain 1. That some of the Priests and Elders tarried in the Temple because of the Feast whilst others of the chief Priests and Elders accused Christ before Pilate For the Sacrifices of the Feast must be taken care of and if no other yet the morning Sacrifice which was the daily offering must be lookt after that nothing might be now left undone but that in both they might hold up the Service of God both by their Oblations in the Temple and by condemning Christ that grand Seducer who is indeed the Saviour of the world Hence we see how justly their Sacrifices were rejected Isa 1. Because your hands saith he are full of blood 2. Here also we may see what a fearfull thing it is to be forsaken of God For he that is deserted of God hath indeed a sense of his sin but he dares not hope for any mercy or pardon for his sin nor can he finde any comfort from men but must necessarily run into despair 3. We see also what a miserable end they come unto who are the persecutors of Christ they hang between heaven and earth They lose earthly things and cannot obtain heavenly 4. But let covetous men principally mark well this passage for here they may see what becomes of their covetousness For what profit or pleasure had this miserable Judas by all the money that he took Surely he got nothing but grief and sorrow of heart Riches are a perpetual vexation although thou get them with distracting care and fill all thy Store-houses therewith scraping them together by all means right or wrong What becomes of all at last Thou losest thy money bringest thy body to poverty and betrayest thy soul to the Devil And therefore O Christian take better heed and let not money master thee but if thou hast got it honestly use it soberly if dishonestly be careful to dispose of it to good uses or make restitution to those thou hast wronged But whence had Judas all this money And what became of it at last Doubtless the Jewish Prelates being in a confusion were forced to pick up the money again which he scattered in the Temple inasmuch as it came from them at first but when they had it they could not tell what in the world to do with it But it was the least of their thoughts to take care for the preservation of the Traitor when he had cleared Christs innocency They saw that Judas repented and recanted what he had done and returned again the earnest and contract of the bargain which he made But they keep the
Merchandize which they bought and the money too all which was just and honest in their opinion Nevertheless their stomacks did a little rise against that money and they call it the price of blood whereby we may clearly see that the worm of their conscience did begin to sting them wherefore they would not put this money into the Treasury because it was ill gotten goods thus they did strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camel Mat. 23. Whereas if they thought that money to be prophane and unholy not fit to be imployed about any use for the Temple because it was the price of blood Why then did they shed that blood And why did not they themselves refrain the Altar and Temple as being defiled with blood but this they make light of and count it no sin they can swallow this Camel though they are at a stand what to do with the money this is the righteousness of the Pharisees Now Corban in the Chaldee Tongue signifieth a Gift offered whence the Chest Box or Coffer in which such Oblations or Offerings were laid up were called by that name the thing containing being put for the thing contained And that this money may be well bestowed and laid out again they buy part of a field with it of a certain Potter to bury strangers in Just like those who rob and cheat the poor and then throw away a drib of it to paint the Church or buy some trifling ornament for the Temple forsooth whereby they imagine to expunge and wash away their sin but all the while they will not abate one jot of their Covetousness and Cruelty But 1. 1. This came to pass by the providence of God that the price of our Saviour should not be lavisht on the State and pomp of Sinners but serve for the rest succour and refreshment of Strangers that Christ by shedding his blood might redeem the living and by the price of his passion might recover and raise up the dead 2. Nor doth it want a mysterie that the Potters field should be bought God is that Potter who of the dust of the earth did make and fashion the vessels of our bodies the field is the Lords Inheritance So then the field of this Potter is purchased by the blood of Christ and that for Strangers for true Rest and eternal life is obtained for those that are truly strangers in this world by the blood of Christ But although Hospitality be a good and pious Work and Christians ought especially to observe this that they entertain strangers and cherish them and to bury their dead decently yet it is left as a perpetual blot upon the Jews and it had been far better for them if that money had been laid up in the Treasury for so their reproach might one way or other have been concealed but now their shame lies open to all the world for God so ordering it that field is not called Xebergerim that is a place to bury Strangers in but Hakaldama which after the Chaldee is the field of blood this is continually cast in their teeth and they must hear on 't whether they will or no nor have they got them much honour by purchasing a Burying place for Strangers but thus it must be that the Scripture might be fulfilled in Zachary who prophesied long since in the person of Christ after this manner And saith he I the Messias said to the Jews If ye think good give me my price if not forbear so they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver And the Lord said unto me Cast them to the Potter a goodly price that I was prized at of them Zach. 11. And I took the thirty pieces of silver and I cast them to the potter in the Temple of the Lord. In this prophesie we hear not only of the thirty pieces of silver but of throwing them in the Temple too as also of the Potter so that it is no less than a Miracle that the Scriptures of the Prophets and Evangelists should so agree together which is a great confirmation of our Faith Christ calls these thirty pieces of silver his price because he was bought and sold for just so much and no more and because this was so small contemptible and ridiculous a summ God the Father bade him cast it to the Potter and doth Ironically call it a goodly price which so eminent a person was valued at What the Lord there commanded to be done the Evangelist here saith as the Lord appointed me And whereas the Prophet saith that he did do so it is as much as to say he foretold that all things should so fall out And whereas the Evangelist saith further whom they of the children of Israel did value it seems to have respect to the History of Joseph who was sold Gen. 37. For so the froward and stubborn children of Abraham bought him of the children of Israel that is of Judas and his Associates the Ishmaelites bought him of the Israelites one wicked man of another as bad as himself Nor let it trouble any man that Matthew doth here put Jeremy for Zachary for either one name is put for another in the Greek copies or else this Zachary had two names as we know many others had But some are of opinion that Matthew hath respect here to the 22. or 33. ch of Ieremy Let these things pass for they profit not much we should rather study to be thankful unto Christ who bought an inheritance for us Strangers with his own blood of the Father who is our former and fashioner Isa 64. Rom. 9. Ier. 18. It follows Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the Hall of judgement Joh. 18.28 and they themselves went not into the judgement Hall lest they should be defiled but that they might eat the Passover Pilate then went out unto them and said What accusation bring you against this man They answered and said unto him If he were not a malefactor we would not have delivered him up unto thee Then said Pilate unto them Take ye him and judge him according to your Law The Jews therefore said unto him It is not lawfull for us to put any man to death that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which he spake signifying what death he should die Most dear Brethren we have now followed Christ to the very Judgement Hall of Pilate I wish we could follow him a little further without cross as we now follow him in heart thought Now that Pilate was a very potent man and a kinde of a petty Prince whom Tiberius Caesar had sent at that time to Jerusalem to be the chief Governour and Ruler of the Jews Country His sirname or rather his fore-name was Pontius perhaps it was from the Country which is called Pontus near Cappadocia and Bythinia The house in which he lived at Jerusalem was called Praetorium the Judgement Hall after the custom of the Romans or the house of the Praetor although indeed
all thy bruisings and of all thy confusions Thy love and my sin made thee become so weak Consider this O thou miserable sinner consider of this when thou makest provision to fulfill the lusts of the flesh Here we see how that 1. We were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold But with the precious blood of the unspotted Lamb 1 Pet. 1. 2. How Christ made satisfaction for the sins of the flesh 3. How the lost sheep is not only found but brought home again upon the shoulders of the good shepherd with great labour and toyl Wo to those miserable men that polluted their hands in the blood of the innocent And wo be to us also if we be not thankfull But there is something else to be taken notice of in this whipping of Christ for while the world is so busie about scourging of Christ God is not idle or neglecting his care in the mean time towards those that are his The Lord is wont to do his work when wicked men are active in theirs for the trouble and affliction of the godly When the Patriarchs sold their harmless brother Joseph and fulfil'd their lust upon him then did God carry on his design and accomplish his work For under that sale of him did God secretly advance Joseph to have dominion over his brethren So here When Pilate and the Jews did their business in this whipping of Christ mean while also God doth his work as fast For 1. He hath so sanctified and blessed all stripes and all afflictions by these scourgings of his Son that what afflictions soever do now befall a godly man they do him more good than hurt and help him forward in the way of holiness 2. By these stripes wherewith Christ was beaten God the Father hath so ordered it that all the scourges of a godly man shall prosper to his good 3. God hath here declared in his only begotten Son what usage his adopted and elected Children must look for in this world For if he suffered his only begotten Son to be whipt shall he not much more let his adopted Children be slasht For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth Prov. 3. And scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth What will they say to these things who live in pleasures and never think of adversity so far are they from being willing to suffer the least and lightest cross as if they went about to build another Paradise in the earth Behold saith he That which I have built I will break down and seekest thou great things for thy self Jer. 45. They whose Judgement it was not to drink of the cup have drank of it and dost thou think to escape Learn therefore O Christian from this scourging of Christ to bear the scourge of God patiently and say with David In flagella paratus sum I am ready for the Rod as the vulgar reading is Psalm 38.17 And with Paul I am ready not to be bound only but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Act. 21. Hitherto we have heard of the whipping of Christ which indeed had been sufficient for the redemption of all mankind But all is not at an end yet the wickedness of perfidious men as well of the Jews as of the souldiers is not yet satisfied but affliction is added to the afflicted and the injuries of our King abound the pain of his manifold punishments and reproaches increase more and more Assoon as they had done whipping him Pilates souldiers who were then under the Roman pay and kept garrison at Jerusalam under the Governour because of the frequent seditions and mutinies of the Jews they begin to mock and make sport with Christ and that with such looseness and sawciness that the like was never seen or heard of before no nor were it to be believed if the Evangelists had not so punctually set down every particular We do not read that Pilate commanded these things to be done but the souldiers did it of their own accord to gratifie and curry favour with the Jews However Pilate winks at it holds his peace takes no notice of it he doth not restrain or forbid them Whence some suspect that Pilate all this while did but with a counterfeit mind defend and plead for Christ but really and indeed did conspire his death with the Jews And therefore we heard before that the Governour sent a band of Roman fouldiers to take Christ Whereas if the souldiers had done this without Pilates privity yet Pilate could not be excused who did not so much as check them or speak one word in dislike of their great malice against the innocent Wherefore O Christians seriously consider again and think upon this so great suffering but withall take notice that our sins were the cause thereof Eight jeers That Prophecy of David was here many ways fulfilled in Psal 22 39. 69. There are eight manner of jeers reckoned up which these knaves put upon Christ for which no doubt the Jews did well reward them nor would they march out to take Christ for nothing For truly Officers of an Army are but vassals to Gold That side which allows the best pay hath the justest cause But these were Tiberian and heathen Souldiers What then are ours and what do our souâ—diers do who are baptized for Christians What people under the sun are worse and less fearing God Those souldiers of Tiberius did scourge crown mock spit on and at last crucifie Christ But our souldiers whom we daily see before our eyes do no less to Christ by swearing and blaspheming the blood and wounds of Christ c. No wonder if such souldiers were always worsted not only by the Turks but also if the earth had swallowed them up alive And no question but the earth and the people therein are the worse for such kind of Blasphemies For is it not a diabolical thing that Christians know not what else to swear by but by that by which they are redeemed But of this we shall speak elsewhere Let us now consider those eight things which Christ suffered from those souldiers 1. They muster up the whole devilish band together to make the greater mockery and derision of it Surely 't is no small vexation to be jeered at by one single person alone how much more to be made a laughing stock before so many men 2. The band being called together they clothe and put on him a purple robe which was a military garment of a red colour which Commanders use to wear The military attire of other souldiers was called a Corslet or Coat of Male. This they did scoffingly to signifie thereby that he was a King Herods servants put a white robe upon Christ these clothe him in scarlet 3. They plat a Crown of Thorns and set it on his holy head for a royal Diadem Who can imagine the pain that reverend Head indured by so many prickly thorns fastned on it when we are so tormented with the prick
over me Who foretold it by the Prophet long since Awake O sword against my Shepheard and against the man that is my Fellow smite the Shepheard c. Zach. 13. And if he did not hold my right hand and dispose of me at his pleasure I could break thee as a Potters vessel with the Rod only of my mouth or with one beck or twinkling of mine eye Therefore because I am delivered into thy hands from above for the Father hath delivered me and hath not spared his own Son Rom. 8 do not thou glory and boast so for t is not thy power but Gods permission Besides it is no true power which thou dost exercise over me but Tyranny and Robbery Power is given for the praise and protection of them that do well and for the punishment of evil doers Rom. 13. Thou hast received power yet t is not lawfull for thee to use it as thou listest For as the Law is given or made for the lawless and ungodly only 1 Tim. 1. So the Magistrate hath right to use the Sword only against the wicked Now if he destroy the guiltless with the Sword it is no lawfull power but Tyranny it is Theft not Magistracy Whereas thou art let alone to abuse thy power do not brag and make thy boast of that for the Lord will not suffer the Rod of the wicked to rest upon the Lot of the Righteous Psal 125. Shall the Ax boast it self against him that heweth therewith Isa 10. A Thief hath no power over a true man no Law against an honest man yet he may lay wait for him fall upon him and kill him So thou hast no more power over me but by permission of my Father Hereby 1. Christ doth quell Pilate who boasted so much of his power but abused the same 2. He doth shew him that he did not suffer unwillingly nor was he compel'd to the Cross by mans power but his Fathers pleasure 3. He warneth all Judges that they do not proudly vaunt of their power Also that they should consider and know themselves to be but Judges not Tyrants And that they do not bear the Sword against the godly but against the wicked doers 4. But especially he doth hereby comfort the godly and confirm their consciences letting them know that the Kingdom of the world can do nothing against them but what the Father of his good pleasure alloweth to give them experience of his presence and assistance and to strengthen their Faith Therefore he saith I will be a wall of fire Zach. 2. But Christ tells him further Therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin q.d. Thou hast no power to crucifie me but thou hast much sin in so doing but yet Judas and the Jews have more sin then thou hast For it was he and they that laid hands on me and falsly accused me What they do is out of envy but what thou dost is for fear yet not without sin T is true thou art a friend to innocency but the baseness of the Iews carry thee captive another way They have the Law and do not ignorantly but wittingly abuse the permission of God but thou never hadst that Law and therefore t is not so much folly and malignity in thee to hate the Wisdom or be ignorant of the Sacraments of God Thou committest murther in shedding the blood of a man thou dost not know but they by delivering their King and Lord to death do add Sacriledge to their Murder Where we see that one sin is greater then another sins of knowledge are greater then sins of ignorance So he that sinneth maliciously doth offend more then he that sinneth out of infirmity And a wicked Counsellour doth sin more then an ignorant Prince or Judge A naughty Christian doth sin more then an Heathen and more grievously in the same kind of sin Pilate being troubled at these words of Christ doth labour yet more earnestly to set Christ at liberty For although he was a Heathen yet he was troubled at the denunciation against sin nor would he willingly sin against God although he knew him not no more then the Heathen could know him to wit by the things that are made Rom. 1. Now when the Jews perceived that Pilate was afraid lest he should offend God and polluet himself with sin they recur to the former cavil that he affected and desired a Kingdom that he would fain be King and supplant Caesar which they shew was not safe for him being Judge and Vice-roy to neglect and therefore they threaten him with Caesar that which doth most terrifie and compell wicked Judges If thou let this man go say they c. q.d. If it doth not concern thee that he hath sinned against God yet doubtless it is something to thee that he hath offended against Caesar Thou art a Royalist a Caesarian and dost reside here to the end thou mayest not diminish but defend and encrease the Name Honour Renown and Power of Caesar But this man doth directly set himself against Caesar For Caesars main drift is to be King of Syria especially over us Jews where thou O Pilate dost preside and command in the Name of Caesar Therefore if thou shouldest let this fellow escape and not punish this his affectation to be a King none could think otherwise but that thou thy self also wast Caesars back-friend in that thou dost not punish his open enemy For whosoever maketh himself a King speaketh against Caesar All this they said not for any love to Caesar for they hated him to the death and had often made insurrections against him but out of hatred to Christ only colouring it over with the pretence of Caesars Name and Honour that they might satisfie their lusts upon Christ This is the Weapon that wounded Pilates Justice with this Exclamation his constancy doth flag and shatter in pieces his justice is turned into injustice and all the reason and gravity of this man falls to the ground So that here it is plain that civil Righteousness is not able to hold out a true and full Tryal and so is nothing worth unless it stood it out to the utmost Thus we are now come to an end of that long Dispute of Pilate both with Christ and with the Jews which did wholly tend to the freeing of the innocent It follows therefore When Pilate therefore heard that saying John 19.13 he brought Jesus forth and sat down in the Judgement seat in a place that is called the Pavement but in the Hebrew Gabbatha And it was the preparation of the Passover about the sixth hour and he saith unto the Jews behold your King But they cryed out Away with him away with him crucifie him Pilate saith unto them shall I crucifie your King The chief Priests answered We have no King but Caesar When he was set down on the Judgement seat Mat. 27.19 his Wife sent usto him saying Have thou nothing to do with that just man for
cast off both God and their Messias when they say We have no King but Caesar Justly therefore is it said of them The Princes of Israel have forsaken me and I have forsaken you But whilst Pilate sat on the Tribunal his wife sent to him straitly charging him that he should not pass any severe sentence against Christ affirming that she had suffered many things by reaof him O miracle saith Theophylact he that is judged doth terrifie the Judges wife What that womans vision was in her dream of Christ the Evangelifts do not express Nor can any man positively conclude it But certain it is that this Vision was not shewed to that woman without divine providence God knows how to pre-ordain and dispose all things better then all the wise men in the world can imagine Pilates wife was in some measure converted unto Christ and did labour all that possibly she could to withdraw her husband and hinder him from doing any hurt unto Christ Herein doubtless she is to be commended above all the Jews in that she durst acknowledge Christ by his proper Epithite and pronounce him a just man which was as much as to accuse all the Jews of a lie and unrighteousness This Vision was not shewed to the man but to the woman because happily he was not worthy of it nor would any have believed him because he had so laboured to set Christ at liberty Some there are who do attribute all these things to the Devil as he who now laboured might and main by this woman to hinder the Passion of our Lord which before he had endeavoured with all industry For now he perceived that it was himself and not Christ that would be ruined by that Passion which that he might the more speedily prevent and hinder he makes choise of a woman a very fit and familiar Instrument for him by which he might destory mankind But now he had out slipt his time and staid too long for he had already swallowed the hook Haman heretofore was strangled on that Gallows which he had provided for Mordecai Esth 7. so the devil was destroyed upon the Cross which he had prepared for Christ For upon the Cross it was that Christ spoiled Principalities and Powers c. Col. 2.15 Thus much concerning Pilates wife But all this while Pilate was nothing wrought upon he resolves to pass sentence for all this for his carnal prudence thought it more safe if he served the common good with the loss of ones mans life Sedition thought he is a grievous inconvenience and of great damage to the Common-wealth therefore he will please and satisfie the multitude A Typeof those who will do Justice so far as the world and the worlds friends will allow of it they will keep so long to the rule of Righteousness that they will be sure to lose nothing of their wealth and honour However Pilate was yet in a great straight He was willing to gratifie the Jews but on the other hand the sheding of innocent blood did stare fearfully in his face And therefore he doth call for water and wash his hands before them all by which he would signifie that he had no hand in shedding this innocent blood And this he did not after the custome of the Gentiles but of the Jews For David saith I will wash my hands in innocency Psalm 26. This Pilate would fain imitate and wash his hands he did but not his heart For the Lord had said before that he sinned in what he did though not so much as the Jews and Judas did I am clear saith he from the blood of this just person See ye to it I am but the Minister of the Law 't is your cry hath shed the blood and not I. But thou must not think to escape so O thou Judge who must also thy self be judged who dost not judge the cause of the poor and fatherless but art dastardly afraid of the clamours and threats of the base people and swervest from doing Equity and Right Knowest thou not what courage and constancy becomes a Judge that he should rather die a thousand deaths than not do Justice Therefore the wise man saith Seek not to be Judge being not able to take away iniquity lest at any time thou fear the person of the Mighty and lay a stumbling block in the way of thy uprightness Ecclus 7.6 Why dost thou suffer Liers to turn thee from the truth O thou double tongu'd Judge who with the same mouth dost three or four times excuse and by and by condemn most unjustly Thou dost condemn the innocent and yet dost pronounce him innocent Wretched man who did thus bewitch thee Who infected the purity of thy mind Why dost thou thus pervert Judgement Seest thou not what enmity thou causest to the Roman dignity hereby It is a slur to Ceasar a stain to thy Honour and Reputation thou rendrest thy self odious and insamous to all men finally thou dost give an ill example to other Judges to do as bad as thou dost Hast forgot what oath thou didst take Art not afraid of the wrath of thy Gods To what purpose are the Laws and the Power and Authority of Governours if it be lawfull to do thus All the Elements may justly rise up and arm themselves against thee inasmuch as thou dost what in thee lies to destroy their Maker What needest thou fling all the fault upon the Jews when thou thy self mightst have rescued him Thou knewst full well that for envy he was delivered and it was in thy hand by thine own confession to absolve or condemn him But he from whom thou hadst thy power will one day examine thy works and search out all thy thoughts because when thou wast an Officer of his Kingdom thou didst not judge justly nor keep the Law of Righteousness and didst not walk according to the Will of God But what do the Jews answer when they heard Pilate cast all the guilt of Christs blood upon them and lay the sin at their door They are not in the least startled but count it rather a trifle and make light of it Let not this say they trouble or binder thee Take thou no further care Be this Jesus just or unjust let him be good or bad all the guilt of his death be upon us We would have the business dispatched We would fain be guilty of his blood Do thou only give sentence His blood be on us and on our Children O wicked Parents by this one word they destroyed themselves and all their posterity A Generation of Vipers indeed Mat. 3. Therefore O ye naughty Jews be it unto you as you have said for in as much as ye have unanimously desired it let all the righteous blood that hath been shed from the beginning of the world rest upon you Mat. 23. Your hands are defiled with blood therefore ye pray in vain Isa 1. Your house shall be left desolate to you and yours Ye shall be Runagates and
like a Lyon that is greedy of his prey Psalm 17. Now the Lyon when he hath got his prey he doth carry it away presently lest it should be taken from him The Lyons whelps instantly devour that part of the prey which their Sires bring to the Dens lest the other yong Lyons should snatch it out oft heir paws And thus they dealt with Christ So do these wicked men seem to prevail for this was their hour and power of darkness Not that the wicked do truly and indeed prevail against Christ but in that he emptied himself and was made obedient even to the death of the Cross The Souldiers are here Emphatically expressed for these also mocked Christ in Pilates house and now they take the place of hangmen to lead away Christ and crucifie him for this was not a meet work for the Iews But for all that the chief Priests of the Iews ought more justly to be termed the crucifiers of Christ inasmuch as they first laid hands on him and were the cause of his death And indeed they were the true crucifiers of him So that Peter tells them Ye by wicked hands have crucified and slain Acts 2. And a little after Even Iesus whom ye have crucified hath God raised from the dead Stephen tells them the same calling them the betrayers and murtherers of Jesus that just One Acts 7. Paul saith plainly that the Jews did crucifie the Lord of Glory 1 Cor. 2. For what they did by other hands is all one as if they had done it by their own The Souldiers then took Jesus for he was now delivered into their power and not only unto their power but also to their most perverse and wicked will And because they were in earnest they now pull off the jesting garment and put his own cloaths upon him again to his greater confusion and to make the more sport with him that he might be the better known by his own cloaths forasmuch as he could hardly be known by his face it was so spit on buffeted beaten and deformed But the Crown they let alone upon his head for they would not in the least lighten or lessen his pains although this was done by Gods providence to shew that Christ who was once crowned King abideth a King for ever nor can any take away his Kingdom or pull his Crown off from him his Royal Crown Therefore it became him to clime the Cross when he was crowned that in that his Sacrifice he might at once shew himself to be both King and Priest So they led him away Thus these wicked Husbandmen cast the Son and Heir of the Father out of his Vineyard Mat. 21. Here comes in that Figure of the Goat which was to be offered for sin Levit. 16. That was to be burnt without the Camp but his blood was to be sprinkled within the City in three places The Tabernacle was to be sprinkled with it in the inside and the Sanctuary and the Altar on the outside So the Lord Jesus who was to wash away the sins of all men sprinkled his blood within the City in three places in the house of Caiaphas without Pilates Hall when he was tyed to the whipping post and in the Judgement Hall when he was crowned with Thorns Now being to be burnt through his abundant love upon the Cross he is led without the City And he is not brought forth as a Preacher of the Truth but he is cryed out upon mockt derided hissed at as a Prevaricator as a Thief as a Magician as a Seducer as a Blasphemer All they that see me saith he laugh me to scorn they shoot out the lip and shake the head Psalm 22. And again They that sit in the gate speak against me and I was the song of the drunkards Psalm 69. Thus he is led forth he that leadeth his people out of Babylon the City of the Devil and the congregation of wicked men into Jerusalem the holy Church He that took his people out of Hell to be his Inheritance is now cast out of his own Heritage He came unto his own and his own received him not He that delivered his people from the fellowship of Devils is now led forth among Thieves and Rogues He that leads his people to Triumph is now led or rather drag'd to death Thus cursed Cain leads his innocent brother into the field to kill him Gen 4. O how unlike was this out-leading of Christ unto that when hereto fore heled their Fathers out of Aegypt There it is said He brought them forth with joy and gladness but here he is led out with great anxiety and sorrow They were brought forth with silver and gold Psalm 105.37,43 but he is led forth in greatest misery and want O miserable out-leading indeed He was not so entertain'd in the City but six dayes ago for then he was desired as the Sacrificial Lamb now he is slain then they bore up his Ass now his knees falter under the burdensom Cross then he was accompanied with his Disciples now he is made a companion for Thieves and Robbers then they strawed the cross-wayes with Flowers Palm branches and garments now they force him to run through mire and dirt to go through thick and thin they drive him along rough and stony-places then the very boyes did even melt their mouths into praises saving Glory honour and praise be unto thee O Christ our King and Redeemer Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord Hosanna in the Highest but now all is full of nothing but wrong reproach derision and cursing O how unlike each other are these Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord and Away with him away with him crucifie him How unlike are these King of Israel and We have no King but Caesar How unlike are green Branches and the Cross Flowers and Thorns And that this Eduction may be made more penal to him they make him carry his own cross a thing never seen or heard of before this they compell him to carry from Pilates house out of the City whereby they might make his sin greater then the sin of those Thieves and that the sufferings of Christ might more perfectly satisfie for our sins And he went forth saith he bearing his Cross A grand Spectacle a great gazing-stock indeed but to a godly man this is a great Mysterie for here that of Isaiah was fulfilled The Government shall be upon his shoulders Isa 9. The Government of Christ is his Cross for submitting whereunto he was exalted of the Father Phil. 2. Here those Figures were fulfilled for here is Abel led forth by his brother to be kill'd Here is Isaac with the wood and Abraham with the Ram caught in the thicket Gen. 22. Here is Joseph with his party-coloured coat besmeared with blood Gen. 37. Here is Moses with his Serpent put upon the Pole Numb 21. Here is the Bunch of Grapes upon the Staff Numb 13. O how bitter
gore blood and rankled wounds My hands still work wickedness as if I could never sin enough whilst thy most harmless hands are fastened to the Cross for me O ingratitude worthy of all manner of punishment to be inflicted Do we return thanks after this fashion How ought this crucifying of Christ to terrifie us from sin For what hope can we have of pardon if we be not only unthankfull here but do moreover crucifie Christ again with our sins Now there may be many reasons given why Christ would be crucified For 1. Being thus set between Heaven and Earth he might shew that he was the true Mediator of God and Man 2. Because sin was first committed by eating of the fruit of the Tree therefore would he expiate sin upon the Tree 3. Because the Devil overcame man by the Tree therefore would Christ conquer him upon the Tree 4. Christ would be crucified after this manner that by the very posture and form of his crucified body we might learn what we are to expect from him He stretched out his hands to shew that the way to his Heart and tender Love was open to us He let his feet be fastened to shew that he would not go back till we were fully Redeemed He stretched out his right hand because he came to bestow good things upon us and his left hand that he might take away all evil from us He let his right foot be nailed because he came to confirm and establish the good and his left because he would suppress all evil thoughts 5. He would be crucified to shew the fruit of his sufferings by the very fashion of the cross For as the cross hath four corners so there are four principal effects and fruits of the Lords Passion The upper end which points towards Heaven signifieth that the Angelical Ruin was repaired by the Passion of Christ and that Heaven was open for us The lower end signifieth that thereby the Fathers were redeemed out of Limbo Let not this expression offend thee but attend the weightier things or from the borders of hell The right corner sheweth that the dispersed children of God were by it gathered together in the world The left horn shews that by the cross even his enemies were reconciled 6. Christ would be crucified thereby to shew of what fashion the Christian life is to be For as the cross hath those four Dimensions to wit Length Breadth Height and Depth Thereby are signified the four principal Virtues in which the Life of Christianity doth consist By the Depth is signified Faith which is laid first in the bottom of the heart as a Foundation in Gods building by the secret and hidden Call of the Divine Will Perseverance is intimated by the Length by the Height is Hope signified and by the Breadth Charity For of these may that of the Apostle be understood Ephes 3. That ye may be able to comprehend what is the length breadth height and depth c. 7. He would be crucified to teach us that our whole body should be put forth to the utmost in the service of God and that we should crucifie the flesh as Paul saith I am crucified with Christ Gal. 2. Again I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus Gal. 6. To offer up a mans self is the most acceptable service unto God Rom. 12. Thus much for the fastening of Christ to the cross which when they had so done they rear up the cross with great shoutings with most bitter railings and revilings There was a hole cut out of the Rock to fasten the foot of the cross in Into which place they do not let the cross slide gently in but they jolt it in with great violence on a sudden that they might add one more and that the greatest torture too to all his other sufferings to shake his very entrails and to widen the wounds of his hands and feet again with so great and sudden a jogg which were filled before with the bluntness of the Nails causing those full and fertile Rivolets of his blood to gush out and overflow again Thus that Spring of Paradise the Fountain of Christs blood brake out from that pleasant Garden the place of pleasure even the body of the Lord dividing it self into four parts to wit into the clefts and holes of his hands and feet Gen. 2. By its plentifull and most abundant flowing it watered the whole earth washing away the sins of all Believers Here then was fulfilled that of Christ And I saith he when I am lifted from the earth will draw all unto me John 12. Again As Moses lifted the Serpent in the Wilderness so must the son of Man be lifted up John 3. that whosoever believed in him might not perish but have everlasting life Here that figure of the Brazen Serpent was fulfilled Numb 21. Here was Christ standing before God as the true Mediator between God and man as the High Priest offering himself for us and taking up that saying in Psalm 40. Sacrifice and offering for sin thou wouldest not then said I Lo I come in the Volume of the book it is written of me that I should do thy will as if he had said inasmuch as no other Sacrifices have hitherto been able to Reconcile thee unto man Behold I thine only begotten Son do offer up my self unto thee for man And we Brethren let us stand close to our High Priest with great devotion whilest he offereth himself for us Let us lift up the eyes of our mind and look upon his Sacrifice and from the bottom of our heart let us say Holy Father look down we beseech thee from thy Sanctuary and holy Place and from the height of thy heavenly Habitation Behold this sacred Sacrifice and Oblation which our great High Priest thy Holy child Jesus offereth unto thee for the sins of his Brethren and be thou appeased for the multitude of our wickedness which we have committed Behold the blood of our brother cryeth to thee from the cross Gen. 4. Behold the spotless Lamb which was dumb before the shearers Behold he that did no sin he hath born and taken away our sins Behold Lord the face of thine Anointed thy Christ who was obedient to thee even to the death and never do thou turn thine eyes away from beholding the marks of his wounds that thou mayest never forget what great and full satisfaction thou hast received from him for our sins Look O most mercifull Father upon him that doth suffer and remember gracious Father for whom he suffereth Most meek Maker look upon the Humanity of thy beloved Off-spring and take pity on the frailty of thy feeble workmanship Have respect to the torn members of thy most tender and acceptable Progeny and remember whereof I am made and what my substance is Look upon the penance and take notice of the sufferings of God and Man and relieve the misery of thy poor creature man Consider the Torment of
the Redeemer and forgive the sin of the Redeemed And thou also O thou wretched sinner see the Sacrifice with which thou wast Redeemed the blood wherewith thou art washed the punishment by which thy sins were satisfied for the bonds by which thou art set at liberty See those hands which dissolved the wicked works which thy hands had wrought See the feet which carryed away what thy feet left behind and offended in by neglect sloth or overmuch haste and swiftness Look upon and into Christ crucified in this fashion for never was he any where seen more lovely His hands are open to give unto thee his feet are fast to tarry with thee his arms spread abroad to receive and embrace thee his head bowed down to kiss thee Take thou heed therefore left that be cast in thy teeth I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious c. Isa 65. Rom. 10. Again I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded Prov. 1. See O man saith Christ crying from the cross what I do endure for thee I that do dye for thee I call and cry unto thee to see what punishment I suffer Behold do but see with what Nails I am pierced c. But the Jews were not content to put Christ to a most shamefull death in a most ignominious place but to aggravate his reproach they must crucifie two Thieves with him not as if they were enemies to the Thieves for they were partakers of their wickedness For when Pilate said Whom will ye that I release the Thieves cryed out and asked for a Thief Now 1. They crucified Thieves with the Lord to stain and blemish his Passion that so he might be taken for an offender at least from the wicked companions with which he suffered 2. That their crime might seem all one who suffered all alike and that the report might be blazed abroad that there were three Thieves crucified at Jerusalem in one day This is that which those wicked Jews would have And the more to defame Christ they so set the crosses that Jesus was placed in the middle hedged on either hand with Thieves that all men might take him for the Ring-leader of Thieves the very Captain of Cutters and Highway-men True the Law doth not only allow but command that Thieves should be put to death Gen. 9. Numb 35.31 Well but what hath the Fountain of life done worthy of death what good hath he omitted that he ought to have done O Jerusalem and thou Judaea is this all he shall have from you who hath done all good to you Isa 5. Is this all the thanks he shall have at thy hands who ever since Abrahams time hath so wonderfully guided saved exalted and honoured thee above all the people in the world Who did ever bid thee crucifie thine own Messias King Bishop Doctor or Teacher Shepheard Father Wo be to thee Jerusalem for this thy murder for this thy malice But thus thou must though unwittingly fulfill that Prophesie And he was numbred with the wicked Isa 53. Christ must thus be humbled that we might be reckoned among the just But all the drift of these wicked Iews was to disgrace Christ utterly although it fell out far otherwise For the Fountain of all purity cannot be defiled with humane impurities for even the villanous and filthy acts of men serve to set off and illustrate the clearness of the Spring of Glory The Cross which formerly was a reproach is now made a Badge of Triumph by him the head to which the world boweth which the Angels worship and at which the Devils tremble Christ when he was condemned among Thieves found one whom of a Thief he could make a Citizen of Paradise so far was he from being polluted by suffering with Malefactors But 1. Christ would suffer among Thieves and not among his Disciples lest his death alone should be thought not to be sufficient for our salvation unless his Disciples had dyed with him 2. He was crucified with Thieves because he dyed for thieves A thief is one that steals that which belongeth to God All we are thieves therefore is Christ crucified in the midst of us And we also are crucified for there is none without his cross But as here one of the thieves is damned so all are not saved that bear the cross Look to it therefore that thy cross become thy crown which it will not be except thou believe in Christ The two thieves then whereof the one was saved and the other damned do signifie First either men or devils Secondly either Gentiles or Jews Thirdly either good or bad men both which bear their cross but in a different manner Finally Let us here learn to be raised from the earth and with Christ to be crucified in the midst of thieves For as then there were three crucified two thieves and Jesus in the middle so there are in us three things morally to be crucified in us to wit the flesh and the world signified by the two thieves and the Spirit which is signified by Jesus The flesh is to be crucified as the right-hand thief For they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 We must crucifie the world as the left-hand thief The world saith Paul is crucified unto me and I unto the world Gal. 6.14 When those thieves are crucified in us then is our spirit crucified with Christ in the midst so that we may say with the Apostle I am crucified with Christ Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2.20 As therefore the thief on the left hand was crucified indeed but not saved for he continued in his unbelief so the world although it be crucified to me doth still remain in its filthiness But when the flesh is crucified it is saved with the spirit for it shall be glorified in its Resurrection from the dead Therefore it is compared to the right-hand thief to whom it was said This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Luke 23. Now the cross of the flesh is the severity of Discipline which hath four branches Watchfulness Abstinence course cloaths or meanness of apparel and well-ordered words or savoury Discourse The cross by which the world is crucified is poverty of spirit which also hath four parts that is contempt of glory gain countrey and of Parentage The cross of the Spirit is fervency of Devotion which hath four Arms Love Hope Fear and Grief Hope above Fear beneath Love on the right hand Grief on the left Mat. 27.37 Mar. 15.26 Luke 23.38 John 19.19 And Pilate wrote a Title and put it on the cross or the superscription of his Accusation and they put it on the Cross at the head of Jesus And the writing was Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews This Title then read many of the Jews for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the City And it was written in Letters
The Disciples believed because they were incouraged by being promised to sit upon twelve Thrones Mat. 19. Thou never sawest any of all these things Thou hast not read the Scriptures thou hast seen no signs thou hast heard none of the Promises and yet thou believest nay thou dost make glory appear out of infirmity and innocency out of condemnation Have but a little patience thou shalt not stay long without a reward of so great a faith For although thou art now hard by the gates of death and the Ax is cutting down the tree of thy life yet thou art come in good time and seasonably enough There is place yet for pardon the gate of Mercy is not yet shut nay the fountain of Grace and Favour doth now flow more abundantly than it was wont to do Go to Be it unto thee according to thy Faith Faith stopt the womans issue of blood it shall cleanse thee from the contagion of all thy sins Faith freed the Cananitish daughter that was vexed with Devils it shall quit thee of the serpent that lurketh at thy heel deliver thee from the snare of the Hunter and from the expectation of thine enemies whom thou hast served By faith the Lepers were cleansed the blind made to see the sick of the Palsie restored to health thou by this thy faith shalt obtain eternal Glory and the salvation of thy soul By this thy faith thou shalt not with Enoch see the bitterness of death thou shalt he saved from the flood with Neah thou shalt with Abraham receive a place which thou knowest not for an Inheritance thou shalt not with Moses be smitten with the destroying Angel and shalt pass safely through the sea Thou like another Caleb shalt enter into a land flowing with Milk and Hony I Jesus will conduct thee thither It shall be better and more honourable for thee that thou hast hung by my side than if thou hadst sate before Caesar in golden Hangings and in his Ivory Chair Thou shalt have much more Honour and Renown than Augustus himself It shall be more sweet and pleasant to thee to partake with me in my torments than if thou hadst been Monarch and sole King of all the earth For what had it profited thee if the whole world had been subdued under thee for a moment and thy soul tortured with eternal pains and darkness Mat. 16. What good would a little paltry pelf do thee if thou shouldst lie under perpetual torments Verily I say unto thee Verily I say to thee I shall not bring thee into fools Paradise with tempting and inticing allurements rely upon what I say be secure my Word is as much as my Oath But because of the excellency of faith I did heretofore swear to Abraham and the Fathers and I will swear to thee also but much more happily I swear unto these that which I performed many Ages after but what I swear to thee I will presently perform To day To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise This shall be thy Reward To day I say lest long delay become tedious to thy expectation This day is salvation come into thine house Luk. 19. This day will I begin to exalt thee before all Israel that they may know that I am with thee This day shalt thou take the Land of the living which thou hast trampled upon with thy feet for thine eternal possession because thou hast followed the Lord thy God This petition of thine seems but a light Request to those that are without for what is more easie than to remember Thou thinkest that thou hast asked but a small matter but they are great things that thou suest for and such only as none but my faithfull servants pray for even to remember thee in my Kingdom For whom I remember they are not forsaken but whom I forget they are thrown aside out of my hand and do vanish away as the smoak Those on whom I have Mercy I remember them whom I remember on them also I have Mercy They cannot but be blessed whom I remember in my Kingdom So that in this short form of prayer thou hast asked more than thou art aware of for I ever give more than I am desired Wherefore remembring I will remember thee and bless thee Memory Thou shalt be had in everlasting Remembrance and shalt not be afraid of evil Tidings Psalm 112. With me Thou shalt be With me lest at any time thou shouldest slip out of mind mine eyes shall be still upon thee thou shalt be born upon my shoulders I will cover thee with my feathers and thou shalt put thy trust under my Wings Psalm 91. Thou shalt be with me with whom that the Saints might be they desire to be dissolved Thou shalt be with me thou shalt fear none ill for I the Hand of the Lord and as a mighty man of War am with thee Thou shalt be with me free from fear full of joy in peace and safety Thou shalt be with me who am every where and am All in All. Then thou shalt see what and how honourable a thing it is to be with me thou shalt overflow and thy heart shall be enlarged For In Paradise Thou shalt be with me in Paradise Nor shall that flaming Sword or guard of the Cherubins drive thee thence Adam who hid himself out of my sight was justly expelled that Garden Gen. 3. But thou who hast turned to me that I might remember thee shalt mercifully be led thereinto 1. Thou shalt be in Paradise not in the earthy but Heavenly garden of pleasure where thou shalt be enlightened with the inaccessible Rayes of Light which enlighteneth the eyes of Angels cheareth the youthfull minds of the Saints where thou shalt drink of and be filled with the Fountain of Life where thou shalt celebrate the Sabbaths and keep Holy-day in the celestiall Jerusalem in the pure and pleasant beauties of peace Thou art the first that entered that Kingdom prepared for good men before the world began No man shall go into it before thee None had ever so much and so many good things bestowed upon them before Thus they that honour me I will honour them 1 Sam. 2. And thou shalt be for a Sign that all may know from the greatest to the least how Saving how Honourable how fruitfull the Faith of Believers in me is 2. Thou shalt be with me in Paradise and the Kingdom of the Church which this day I erect with my blood 1. That whosoever shall know that thy wickedness is pardoned he may not despair of the forgiveness of his own but that he also may be turned to me that he may seek salvation and find it ask of me that he may receive pardon 2. I say thou shalt be an Example and a Spectacle of my mercy in whom all that are laden with sin shall see that my mercy is greater than mans frowardness so that they will but return to me that I also may
forsaken of God in that he could perceive no consolation from him whereas he was not indeed forsaken of him but was even then the most beloved Son of God So that here we are well assured that God is never more present then when he seemeth to be farthest of In a small moment saith he for a little while have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee Isa 54. Christ therefore that he might deliver sinners put himself in the stead of all sinners yet was he no Thief Adulterer Murderer c. but he undertook the wages punishment and desert of sinners which are cold heat hunger thirst fear trembling horrour of death and Hell Desperation Death Hell it self that he might conquer hunger with hunger fear with fear horrour with horrour desperation with desperation death with death hell with hell in brief that he might conquer Satan by Satan It is the gallantest kind of Victory to kill the enemy with his own Sword Hence saith Paul Godsent his own Son in the likeness of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin Rom. 8. So Isaiah Thou hast broken the Rod of the oppressor as in the day of Midian Isa 9. For the Midianites slew one another Judg. 7. Thus Satan was overcome by his own arms as David slew Goliah with his own Weapon 1 Sam. 17. 3. We are here taught how to behave our selves in Tribulations and Afflictions even to run to God in them all with a believing mind that he would be pleased to look on our Affliction 4. Here also we learn that we should freely follow Christ in the same way by which he entered into the Kingdom of Heaven and not grumble at our pressures forasmuch as the Disciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord. But then shall we be truly blessed when we partake of the sufferings of Christ suffer adversity for his Names sake when nothing is sweet unto us but Jesus nothing harsh but to be parted from Jesus and what wise man would not rather go with the King in a mourning Habit and with his Nobles clad in blacks into a most stately Palace of pleasure and joy then to be trimmed up in gay cloaths and with the rascall sort to be shut out of doors The Vestment of Christ is dyed purple with blood and so are the garments of the Martyrs for they pressed into the celestial Joy thorow many Tribulations and the most strict Life We see how little cause we have to complain of crosses and afflictions especially if we consider that we justly suffer for our sins 5. Lastly We are by this Word instructed how to quench the burning heat of lust To the beating down of which evil there is not a more wholsome and effectual Herb to be had then to consider that the Lord Jesus was thus forsaken of all yea of his very Father exposed to so many Torments void of all comfortable Refreshments and that he being guiltless should yet endure all manner of Tortures and Adversities for other mens faults But O ye Fornicators and Adulterers how do you requite your most miserably afflicted Christ If ye cannot endure to be deprived of some momentany and petty pleasures nor taste a little of some bitter or sharp potion for your health and eternal welfare how will ye be able to hazard blood body and life too for Christ and the brethren Where do ye fasten your affections Why do ye stick so fast to the earth whose birth and blood is higher then the Heavens O ye that dwell in the Vineyards of Engedi why perish ye like the dung in Endor Ye Citizens of Paradise why wallow you in the styes of Asphaltites why tumble ye in the mire and mud of the dead Sea Take a bundle of this Myrrhe meditate upon the Passion of the Lord that ye may be healed of that loathsome lust And so much for this Word It is added in the close that Christ even in this his dolefull and miserable cry did not want such as mocked him Behold say they this man calleth for Elias 1. Jerome is of opinion that these were the Roman Souldiers who understood not the propriety of the Hebrew Tongue 2. But others think they were Hebrews who did openly deprave and wrest the words of Christ against their conscience as if he now implored the help of Elias who before had said he was the Son of God If they had not been stark blind they might have seen that by this great cry he applyed to himself that place of Scripture where all things were foretold which they then saw to be fulfilled before their eyes and for the most part were already fulfilled Of the fifth Word MEn that are desolate and forsaken use to seek ease and ayd which way soever they turn themselves So Christ at the entrance into his Passion foreseeing and considering those things which he was to suffer fell into an agony the anguish of death sometime running to God by prayer then again returning to his Disciples seeking comfort from both So now here also when he found himself forsaken of God he doth seek for some small refreshment even from men especially by a little drink for of the two the want of drink is more tedious then that of meat to those that are weary and tyred out who sometimes are resreshed with a few drops Therefore Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished John 19 28. that the Scripture might be fulfilled saith I thirst Now there was set a Vessel full of Vineger and they filled a spunge with vineger and put it upon Hysop and put it to his mouth Christ is last of all tormented in his Taste as Eve in the last place sinned in her tasting Gen. 3. For before she had tasted the forbidden fruit she had sinned by lusting after it and reaching out her hand to take it Now this thirst of Christ was partly natural and partly Mystical For 1. First he was exceeding weary and had sweat abundantly besides he hung naked on the cross exposed to Sun and Wind So that questionless he must needs be grievously athirst which doth easily appear in that he doth so pittifully express the sharpness of his thirst by a mournfull intreaty as if he had forgot all his other pains although he did not do or say this so much to quench his thirst as to fulfill the Scripture That the Scripture might be fulfilled he saith I thirst But 2. He did spiritually thirst after our Salvation his desire was to overcome the Devil and to set man at liberty though he died for 't And this thirst he was never without but now in his Passion he did discover it more then before for here it doth truly appear how earnestly he thirsted for our Salvation however all his works also everywhere do witness this very thing The meaning then of the word is as if he had said The sense Dear Brethren whereas I am yours and do extreamly
the bitterness and impiety of the Jews hearts For as Vineger is but degenerate Wine so the Jews had degenerated from what they were at first My noble Vine how art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me Jer. 2. Again I looked that it should bring forth grapes and it brought forth wild grapes Isa 5. It is to be admired in those ministers of the Lords death yea in that Divine Counsell by which all these things were ordered that they should do every thing so regularly and so exactly as if they had sworn to fulfill all Prophesies in him And therefore it is here said That the Scripture might be fulfilled to wit that which saith They gave me Gall for my meat and in my thirst they gave me Vineger to drink Psalm 69 Hence we learn how the world dealeth with the godly in their extremity and distress ' For at this very day Christ cryeth and complaineth in the poor and those that are destitute of the like succour and assistance I thirst but the world doth give nothing but Vineger scoff at contemn reproach revile the afflicted Therefore it follows But others said Let be let us see whether Elias will come to save him The rest should have reproved those mockers which offered Vineger to Christ when he was in that distress and did so earnestly desire a little drink But there was not one to rebuke them Nay what these do with Vineger the rest do with bitter words Both sorts wounded Christ So unequally is Christ dealt with in this world But it lasteth but an hour c. Of the sixth Word WHen Jesus therefore had received the Vineger John 19.30 he said It is finished There were many things yet to be fulfilled as Death the opening of his side his Burial the Destruction of Hell which were also foretold in the Scriptures But inasmuch as they were how about to be finished therefore he saith It is finished There was the Resurrection Ascention and sending the holy Spirit yet behind But those belong to the Conquest not to the Contest They are the Laurels not the labours of the battel Christ then by this sixt word doth exceedingly fulminate and appale the Devil which yet makes most for our Consolation The meaning is all one as if he had said The sense Thou wicked soulhunter thou dost here spread thy net in vain thou shalt catch and carry away nothing but shame and confusion Hitherto thou hast done what in thee lieth to destroy me But now and hence-forward none of all thy cheating tricks shall avail any thing against me thy thousand weapons and wiles shall not hurt me thou hast bent thy bow thou hast sown the tares of envy thou hast planted the thorne of ingratitude thou hast stirred up the fury of the people thou hast blinded the Judges encouraged the Executioners thou hast spit thy venome and done the worst thou canst The Disciple by thy instigation hath betrayed his God his Friends have despised him the Souldiers crucified him Thou hast shot all thy Darts now thy Quiver is empty Thou hast opened the pit which thou hast digged but shalt fall into it thy self Thy wickedness shall come down upon thine own pate Thou shalt not only get nothing by me but shalt also lose many millions of souls by me I will be many a thousand out of thy way thy Power shall be weakened thy Kingdom wasted Iniquity shall come to an end My Wisdom shall overcome thy malice For lo whatsoever the Father hath determined praised be God is now accomplished I have fully suffered whatever the Law and the Prophets did foretell all that is necessary and may conduce to the Salvation of man The Sacrifice is offered the Types fulfilled the shadows are fled away The Fathers command is finished The Scripture is sulfilled The power is at an end which thou hast used or rather abused over men The rage and violence of the Jews against me is at an end Righteousness it perfected it is come up to the height greater then which cannot possibly be imagined Justice and Love is compleated it is raised to the highest pitch The Sacrifice by which alone God could be pacified is now perfectly finished Finally all things are now made ready Sin is at an end Everlasting Righteousness shall now take place The Law is at an end the Gospel shall now succeed Man is now redeemed and reconciled unto God Nothing hath been omitted all things have been vigorously executed nothing could hinder or withhold me from finishing the Mysterie of mans Redemption An end is now put to thy Kingdom The Kingdom of Christ and of God shall now begin Henceforth thou shalt not be so formidable nor shalt thou have such power upon earth The people that dwell in Sion shall not fear thee O Ashur The children also shall take up Rods they shall whip and scourge thee they shall be so strengthened by Faith in me that they shall be nothing afraid of thy temptations yea they shall tear thee all to pieces and spurn thee for it is finished 1. By this Word of Christ is our Faith confirmed against all Hereticks and Antichrist himself 2. Hereby also may we Triumph over all adversity whatsoever For if we be tempted with any lust of sin if death if hell rush upon us we may say Why ragest thou thus why art thou so mad Dost not hear that Victory is at hand and that all things are finished For however we may now be sensible of those things yet they are as a Serpent without poyson as a Bee without a sting Therefore we may boldly say Death where is thy victory Thou art swallowed up c. 1 Cor. 15. 3. Whereas heretofore we were by the Law we were very uncertain whither we should go and what should become of us after this life Nay we were most sure to be hurled into Hell now by this consummation we are ascertained that we shall be received into Heaven if so be we are graffed into Christ by Faith But Christ said that all things were finished in the same sense as the Lamb is said to be slain from the beginning of the world Not that he was then manifestly slain but that Christ being once slain his death and blood was sprinkled backward and forward even to Adam and to the end of the world Thus also is our salvation finished not fully yet and indeed but in Hope Man is begun to be justified and healed But mean while being justified and healed the sin which yet remains in his flesh is not imputed to him because of Christ who being without any sin and now become one with man intercedeth for him to the Father Rom. 5. So that there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. Now after that word It is finished let not the Jews expect any other who shall do more then what Christ hath done already Of the seventh Word AS Christ was now about to
that every man shall rise again in his own time The Evangelist doth Emphatically add that they who thus arose came into Jerusalem and appeared unto many that none might think it was a phantasme or delusion By this likewise was foreshewed that many snners should rise out of their sins and the death of their souls to a new life Rom. 6. so as to be seen afterward in the holy Church exercising themselves in the works of Life and Spirit to wit good works whereby others may be moved to glorifie the Father Mat. 5. The graves were therefore opened to shew that death was swallowed up by the death of Christ for so it was foretold by the Prophet O death I will be thy death Hos 13. Thus we see 1. That when Christ died every creature suffered with him Only the Jews hearts remained hard whom obstinate sinners also do now imitate who by their sins do still crucifie the Son of God notwithstanding they have heard and seen so many signs and wonders they do not yet fear nor rend their hearts so far are they from rising again and confessing Christ to be the Son of God 2. Here we see that the glory or glorifying of Christ did begin presently upon his death so also will our glorifying begin immediately after our death and we who now seem to be despised in this life shall then appear gloriously in glory as may be seen in the begger Lazarus who when he lived was hated of all men but when he died he was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosom Luke 16. It is to be noted that at the death of Christ there were seven Signs which do yet likewise concur in every justified person For the Sun is darkened at noon the vail is rent the earth shaketh the Rocks cleave asunder the Graves open the Dead arise and the Gentiles make a good confession For 1. Whosoever will be justified must have no hope or confidence in any worldly thing he must loath and cast them out of his sight this is to have darkness made when worldly things seem to be colourless and dark unto us 2. Internal things must be revealed to him that is he must have a true sight of his sins acknowledge his own filthiness this is to rend the Vail under which such sins were hid that they did not appear so foul and filthy as they are 3. Then he must fear and be astonished at the sight of such ugly sins and so defiled a conscience this is for the Earth to quake for no man is afraid or troubled in conscience but he that sees his sin and feels the weight thereof 4. The rending of the Rocks is next to wit Contrition Hatred and dislike of sin and he that before was a Rock is now cleft and broken and so the Rock sendeth forth waters of weeping and tears 5. The Graves are opened when the mouth maketh confession and discloseth what was before concealed 6. He must come forth by Absolution and go into the City Jerusalem i. e. the Holy Church and be again reconciled unto it by a spiritual Life 7. Lastly He must confess and witness by word and work that Christ is the Son of God as the Centurion here did concerning whom it follows Now when the Centurion which stood over against him Mat. 27.54 Mar. 15.39 Luke 23.47 and they that were with him watching Iesus saw that he so cryed out and gave up the ghost and saw the Earth-quake and those things that were done they feared greatly and glorified God saying Truly this was a Righteous man and the Son of God And all the people that came together to that sight beholding the things that were done smote their breasts and returned And all his acquaintance and the women that followed him from Galilee stood afar off beholding these things Among whom was Mary Magdalen and Mary the mother of James the less and the mother of Joses and Salome the mother of Zebedees children who also when he was in Galile followed him and ministred unto him and many other women which came up with him from Galile to Jerusalem Hitherto of the Signs which happened at Christs death Now we shall see what fruit followed from thence First the Centurion and they that were with him which were Romans were hereby converted to the Faith glorified God confessed that Jesus who was crucified was a just man and the Son of God consequently that he was put to death wrongfully And what wonder Should such great Miracles which were wrought in Heaven and in Earth and in the Temple and on the Dead have no effect and bring forth no fruit Blessed therefore are they that search out his wondrous things Psalm 119.18 Now if Christ could do these things with the Elements at his death what might he have done upon them that crucified him What Iew can say but that God did here manifestly shew himself Great were their ancient Miracles in Aegypt in the red Sea at Mount Sinai and in the Wilderness But compare them with those that were here wrought at the death of Christ with those at his Resurrection which was the greatest Miracle of all with those for forty dayes after at the Ascention and sending of the Holy Ghost and you will see that the rise and beginning of the New Testament was far more excellent and glorious then that of the Old Testament 1. The Centurion and they that were with him could think no other but that all these signs were wrought for the sake of this Jesus Therefore they excuse his innocency pronounce him Righteous and do not conclude him to be such a one as the Jews accused him to be and as Pilate had condemned him And which is more they confess him to be the Son of God which they gathered and concluded from the signs which they saw Lo this did the Gentiles believe who had neither the Law nor the Prophets 2. The people which came together to that sight for so is Christ truly with those that are his made a Spectacle to the world 1 Cor. 4. A sign and wonder Isa 8. smote their breasts and returned as if they had said O God what strange and new things have we seen and heard to day Truly truly this shall be our Messias O how basely have we used him to whom we did owe and should have done all honour and respect This innocent blood will be required of us and our generation Here then was fulfilled what Christ had foretold When ye have lift up the son of man then shall ye know that I am he John 8. even the Messias Here we see that he that dieth for the Truth doth more at his death then when he lived Thus Christ converted more at his death then in his life For when he shed his blood it never ceased crying Whence it is that the Elect who do through ignorance afflict the godly yet obtain they mercy but the Reprobate are damned His acquaintance especially those Women