unto God without it The Apostle exhorteth us Rom. 12.1 to offer up our bodies a living sacrifice acceptable to God For it is said of Cain That he offered unto the Lord of the fruit of the ground Gen. 4.3 He brought an earthly dead liveless offering and was not accepted But Abel brought of the fat of the flock verse 4. He offered the Firstling of his fold a pure clean lively sacrifice unto which God had respect it was more excellent then his Brothers Heb. 11.4 How came this to pass The Apostle tells us it was by faith The life of faith is in death and by death that liveth when we are dead I am crucified with Christ yet I live and I live in the flesh by the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.20 He had a life in the flesh after he was dead to the flesh Faith indeed shall cease but 't is not till the end of the second life The principal act of faith is exercised in death the death of Christ and is a conforming vertue or power unto the likeness thereof by mortification and offering up of the flesh with the affections and lusts unto death Gal. 5.24 God accepteth nothing but what is done in this faith by this faith in the Son of God John 15.5 Heb. 11.5 27. We read in 1 Sam. 15.9 That Saul spared Agag the King and the best of the spoil but that which was vile and refuse and good for nothing that he and the people utterly dastroyed Saul was an hypocritical Tyrant ambitiously aspiring to a Kingdom and got it God gave a King in his anger He that aimeth at the Scepter is not the best Saint 28. Saul was a right Machiavilian he knew the high way to the Crown When Ephraim spake trembling he exalted himself in Israel Hos 13.1 When he was mean and low in a poor condition and little in his own sight he could bow and cringe flatter fawn upon and comply with the vulgar bemoan and pitty the burdens of the poor people especially the good people of the land he could stand cap in hand to the meanest and like Absolom court them into a good conceit of his Clemency and care of their well-fare assuring them that if it were in his power to remedy it things should not be carried as they are but first he put himself into a souldiers posture 2. Sam. 15.1,2,3,4,5 Now he rode post in the right rode to be the head of the Tribes of Israel Commander in chief over the military Forces 1 Sam. 15.17 yea God himself might so far have his work to do under his proud design as to give him a Call to be King and fight his battles as is plain in the place cited which might confirm him in a good opinion of himself to undertake the Government especially if some musty Prophesies had been raked together and by a Court-Parasite particularly applyed to him 'T is as common for the highest as the meanest to be deluded and mistake or mis-use many passages of Gods Providence But now he is King he grows covetous and self-ended he falls upon the spoil and the prey of the enemy who seemed before to contemn all self-interest and advantage Sam. 15.19 His feigned and forged excuse of reserving it for Gods worship would not serve his turn How faulty then are those who do not so much as pretend any thing for Gods service but openly convert the common loss into their private gain This is that which will involve a Nation in broils and blood 29. But alas How many such Sauls hath the world seen since Sauls time who can part with that which is not worth the keeping but with-hold from God that which he requireth as his due If God call for the heart they bring him the lip and tongue only If God require spirit and Truth they offer in the mountain and at Jerusalem they put him off with complements out-side service formality and a State-Religion Dissembling Pharisees they exact and pay Tithe of Mint and Rue but neglect Judgement Mercy Faith the love of God and their Neighbour Mat. 23.23 When God commandeth the best and fattest to be given him they put him off with the leanest with the fruit of the ground If they pretend to dedicate the best unto God they intend to make their own advantage out of it They may refrain from Extortion Adultery c. but continue proud heady high-minaed covetous c. yet be very devout too fast twice in the week give a small Alms out of their superfluity and ill gotten goods pay Tithes give their Minister his due and applaud him censure all that be contrary-minded to them as prophane c. Isa 65.4,5 Luke 18.11,12 30. Those sacrifices are acceptable to God that are turned into ashes Psalm 20.3 This must be done by fire the heavenly fire of zeal and love which separateth and consumeth the gross body of flesh and turneth and reduceth all into a pure essential and spiritual body out of which ashet is made the savory salt of the heavenly nature which seasoneth all things And therefore the Lord is said to plead with all flesh by fire Isa 66.16 He hath his fire in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem Isa 31.9 with which refining fire he doth purifie the sons of Levi that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in Righteousness Mal. 3.3 Mat. 3.12 No oblation in Righteousness but by fire 't is the fire of the Spirit that consumeth the fuel of the flesh Rom. 8.13 We must pass through water and fire before we can come into the wealthly place Psalm 66.12 Without fire we cannot subsist in the natural life much less can we perform the Actions of the spiritual life without it 31. Under the Law the daily sacrifice was not to cease Num. 28.3,4 and this Oblation was to be made by fire He that causeth this to cease is the He-goat Dan. 9.29 Dan. 8.11,12,13 The vile person Dan. 11.21,31 the Beast the Whore the false Prophet that speaketh lyes in the name of the Lord It is Anti Christ that setteth up a Religion in the world without the Cross Whosoever is zealous toward God without Self-denial Mortification and conformity to the death of Christ his zeal is not according to knowledge which will make him seek to establish his own in stead of Gods Righteousness Rom. 10.2,3 Whosoever rejecteth the Cross can be no true Christian Wherefore think it not strange concerning this fiery tryal also which is to come upon you as though some strange thing happened unto you But rejoyce rather although 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The righteous is not saved without great labour and pains hard strugling and striving sore Combats and Conflicts 1 Pet. 4.12,13,17,18 Make not that way too wide which God hath made strait All must go the narrow way who would enter into life For every one must be salted with fire and every sacrifice must be salted with salt Mar. 9.49 10. Tenthly 32.
Christ doth not simply require Love of those that are his but so as without it he will own none for his Disciple And if it be so or rather because it is so truly there are but few true Christians to be found in these dayes for Charity almost among all men waxeth cold and faith and mercifulness faileth every where and is withered instead of which hatred envy discord deceit treachery is sprung up 2. We see how much they are out of the way who would fain be taken for Christians by I know not what Tokens when Charity towards God and their Neighbour is nothing regarded 3. Here we find the difference between Faith and Charity Faith maketh a Disciple of Christ Charity maketh him known to be a Disciple It followeth Simon Peter said unto him Lord whither goest thou John 13.36 Jesus answered him whither I go thou canst not follow me now but thou shalt follow me afterwards Peter said unto him Lord why cannot I follow thee now verse 37. I will lay down my life for thy sake Jesus answered him wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake verse 38. Simon Simon Satan hath desired you Luke 22.31 that he may sift you as wheat But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not verse 32. and when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren And he said unto him Lord verse 33. I am ready to go with thee both into prison and to death And he said I tell thee Peter the Cock shall not crow this day verse 34. before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me It was a sign of great fervency in Peter that he only should interrupt Christ and ask his Lord whither he was going when all the rest held their peace sure he was astonished at the word which Christ spake whither I go ye cannot come and fearing that he should be separated from Christ he could hold no longer but must needs ask the question To whom Christ very sweetly answered Whither I go thou canst not follow me now but thou shalt follow me afterwards which may be understood two wayes 1. He could not follow Christ to Heaven who was now going thither but he should follow him afterwards when he was made a Citizen of the City above he with the rest of the Saints should raign with Christ 2. He was not yet indued with power from on high neither had he that strengthening Spirit to reform him and his Nature therefore he could not scorn the dangers of death nor wholly overcome the terrour thereof 1. The power to break the force of death was only in Christ Therefore thou canst not follow me now because that to go by the Cross is yet very hard and difficult Psal 77.19 As t is said Thy Wayes are in the sea and thy Path in the great waters and thy Foot-steps are not known 2. Again secondly Thou canst not follow me yet because of the imperfection of thy love Rom. 5. There had need be a great fire of Love which so many waters of afflictions cannot quench but hereafter when the Spirit shall shed forth more Love into thy heart then shalt thou follow me 3. Lastly Thou canst not follow me yet It is not in the power of thy carnal will to conquer Death this it the work of Gods Grace his Grace alone must do it I must first set upon it by my death and overcome it I will grapple with it in my Passion and conquer it by my Resurrection Till this be done thou canst not follow me thou canst not but tremble at death T is too strong for thee to conquer and contemn Inded our nature shrinks at death croucheth under it Our Saviours Passion was the first dissolution of Death 1. To this end the Son of God did take upon him the seed of Abraham Heb. 2. that by the death of his flesh he might make Death of none effect and might deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to bondage 2. Again the contempt of Death had its first original from the Resurrection of Christ 1 Cor. 15. From that very time we may say with Paul O Death where is thy sting O grave where is thy Victory Thanks be to God who hath given us the Victory by Jesus Christ our Lord. And that Peter might not think that he should for ever be separated from Christ he saith But thou shalt follow me afterwards alluding to Peters death and tels him in a Riddle what death he should die q.d. as I will go by the Cross to the Father so thou shalt follow me by the Cross Very truly did Christ say Thou canst not follow me now which thee vent of the matter shew'd not long after When poor feeble Peter could not follow his Lord but denied him the third time for fear he should be forced to follow him with the loss of his own life But afterwards he did follow him when he stretched forth his hands and was crucified like a worthy Disciple of his Master But Peter not well weighing what Christ said and too much trusting to his own strength doth reply again Why saith he can I not follow thee now q.d. Dost thou think that I will prove so ingratefull for all thy kindnesses as to desert thee Thou hast chosen me for one of thy Apostles I had a taste of the joyes of heaven upon Mount Tabor I have wrought miracles in thy name indeed what favour hast thou denied me how then can I forsake thee at the greatest pinch of death when my own life shall be never so much in danger Nay I will engage my self and this I promise I love thee so dearly that I will lay down my life for thee I esteem so much of thy love that I value not my own life Indeed Peter thou dost make large promises but thou dost not well understand what thou saist thou hast a good conceit of thy own abilities but art altogether ignorant of thy weakness thou hast not yet tryed nor tasted the force of death if thou hadst thou wouldst not have spoken as thou dost nor wondred why Christ said thou couldst not follow him now I know there are examples enough of such as hazarded their lives for their country or kindred but this proceeded from their carnal affection But if God may be Judge it is not a work of the flesh but of the Spirit to dye for a stranger or to lay down ones life for his enemies Yet such is the property of humane reason that it will not acknowledge its own weakness Peter should have believed what Christ said and not so boldly contradicted him Let it be granted that be did it out of his great affection yet he ought to have believed Christ before himself and have thought with himself thus Surely he knows all things and understands better then I what he saith but what doth Christ reply to this presumptuous confidence
here really shew for he had gathered the other Disciples under his wings Now 1. He labours to recall the wanderer and him that was ready to be destroyed And although he had hitherto admonished him in vain yet he doth not give him over to teach us that we should not too suddenly despair of our amendment 2. A wicked man is not presently to be cast off before all wayes and means are used for his recovery Gal. 6. So saith Paul If any be overtaken with a fault Matth. 18. c. instruct or restore him in the spirit of meekness So Christ If thy brother offend thee go and reprove him between him and thee alone As Christ here doth not forbear to prick Judas and set his sin before him although he knew that he would not amend so is it still by the righteous Judgement of God many that will not amend must feel the worm of conscience whether they will or no to make that of the Prophet true Is 48. There is no peace to the wicked Here he doth double his word Verily verily as well to stir up their attention as to shew the certainty of his word It is to be Noted that although Christ doth disclose the sin of Judas yet he doth conceal his person lest he should either break out into a rage against Christ being confounded by his or impudently presume to deny it Teaching us thereby what we should do to our brethren in the case of close sins even do as we would be done unto But he speaks to all that all might fear Rom. 11. And blessed is the man that feareth alwayes Be not high minded but fear Now in that he doth so clearly convince them that he knew all their sins never so secret he doth thereby deter both them and us not only from sinfull acts but also from evil thoughts and purposes Hence Boethius saith well There is great necessity for us to live godlily because he that beholdeth all things doth see all that we do What effect this word took in the hearts of the Disciples doth appear by what is there said They were sad they looked one on another And no marvell every one knew-himself guiltless and none thought any evil of the other Yet 1. They did not doubt but that Christ spake the truth They only wondered how the Devil could so far prevail as to be able to get away one of them and snatch him from the fellowship of Christ 2. Every one feared his own heart and though they knew no such thing by themselves yet they all suspected the frailty of their flesh They might say with Paul I know nothing by my self 1 Cor. 4. yet am I not thereby justified It is a sign of a good and godly heart to tremble at the Judgements and Word of God On the contrary t is the sign of an obstinate mind to be nothing moved thereat as here Judas he only is fearless and persists in the same impudence he dares sit with his brazen face at the holy Banquet But could he there endure the piercing eyes of his Lord which he knew saw all things and the secret machinations of his heart at that time 3. They were not a little troubled to think that so holy a consortship should be so much defamed by so vile and hainous a crime Here then t is plain that Judas durst not disclose what he plotted against Christ to any of his fellow-Disciples which made for their commendation but turned to his condemnation who could be so wicked among so many godly men Now the Disciples nothing doubting but that all that Christ said was true and yet could not suspect which of them should be so base to do so they look one on another to see if any would discover the same by his blushing And every one of them saith to Christ Lord is it I Their Faith thought better of Christs words than of their own consciences Therefore they do not say Lord I am not the man excusing themselves saying t is not I but Lord is it I or no by way of Quere q.d. God forbid that ever we should commit such a horrid fact against our good Lord and Master with whom we have gone thorow fire and water suffered good and evil whom we have followed rather than any man and for whom we have forsaken all things Surely there was little worldly mirth and jollity at this Supper where both Lord and servants were so sadly sorrowfull Here could be no laughter or lightness when those godly men heard what a horrible thing should break out from among them but could not tell who should act or contrive it in which uncertainty they were held in suspence for a time the Lord so ballancing what he before had spoken for their comfort And that which made them yet more sorrowfull was that Christ would not answer when they askt the question but leaves them still in suspence repeating the same word again with greater vehemency One of the twelve I say which dippeth his hand with me in the dish he shall betray me q.d. It is one of the twelve who is so familiar with me that he puts his hand into the same dish with me and for this freedom and respect which I shew him he doth thus requite me Mark it he doth give no other description of the Traytor Psalm 41. but what David gave long since when he spake in the person of Christ Vir pacis mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted which did eat of my bread he hath lift up his heel against me But the words following are very heavenly The Son of man indeed goeth as it is written of him q.d. there is nothing concerning me happened contrary to my expectation but as it was long since foretold by the Prophets so it cometh to pass I must die indeed that I may mercifully redeem mankind according to the counsell and fore-purpose of Gods Divine Majestie And it is expedient for many that I should be betrayed but wo be to the man for all that by whom I am betrayed He will thereby procure salvation for others but he will bring perpetual destruction upon himself The day of other mens Nativity is commonly solemnized with great joy but this mans birth-day deserves to be noted with a black coal Nay it had been better for him if he had never been born For it is better not to be at all than to be in perpetual torments which is all one as to have a death without death Christ would hereby afright Judas to terrifie him from his evil purpose with threats of eternal damnation whom he could not recall by so many courtesies But all the while for bearing to name him to teach us that we should admonish sinners but not traduce them And if there be any good in them t is better hinted by a Periphrasis or circumlocution than to particularise them But Judas was past repentance yet Christs goodness is exceedingly commended
saith he I will smite the Shepheard c. In the Prophet it is thus Awake O sword upon my shepheard and upon the man that cleaveth to me saith the Lord of Hosts smite the shepheard and the sheep shall be scattered c. they are the words of God the Father speaking by a prosopopaeia to his Sword i.e. The wrothfull and mad Troop of the Jews who were armed with Swords and weapons of War to assault Christ when his time was come c. which is not spoken by way of command but Prophesie Let us distinctly consider the words of the Prophet 1. First he speaketh to the Sword and commands it to smite The Sword cannot strike Christ nor any Christian unless God command or permit it So Christ saith to Pilate Thou couldest have no power against me except it were given thee from above John 19. 2. He calleth Christ a Shepheard For he is that one and only Shepheard which God promised Ezek. 34. 3. God doth not call him a Shepheard only but the man which is his fellow by whom his Divine Nature is touched by the Humane For the Son is next of all to the Father he is one with him and altogether of the same substance and this none of the Jews could deny 4. Lastly The Prophet foretelleth the offence of the Apostles The sheep shall be scattered for what can they do when their Shepheard is smitten Christ did not a little affright the Apostles with these words which fear also was much aggravated by the night but lest they should be swallowed up of overmuch sorrow he doth comfort them withall Thus Christ suffers those that are his to be tempted yet will he not let them be wholly overcome And that he may solace them with the greater consolation he foretelleth his Resurrection thereby intending to comfort them again whom the thoughts of his death before had made sad his death being a Token of Gods chastisement for our sins Rom 4. But he was raised for our justification The meaning then is as if he had said It was as yee hear long since even from Eternity concluded in the counsel of God that I the Shepheard of Israel should be slain for the salvation of men and therefore I do most willingly yield my self to suffer It was also concluded in the same counsel of God that I should rise again As soon as ever this shall be accomplished I will be with you in Galilee yea more than that I will be there sooner than yee that I may gather my dispersed sheep together Take this for a Truth and believe it Matth. 18. Mark 16. c. And so indeed it came to pass as appeareth in Matthew and Mark. How great was he that had power to lay down his life and to take it up again John 10. The first shewed his Humanity the other his Divinity His humanity in that he dyed his Divinity in that he rose from the dead He could die and he could live again he could be buried and he could rise again In the one he was like unto us in the other he was not although as Paul saith We also shall rise again in our own order but not of our selves but of the Lord 1 Cor. 15. Now when proud Peter heard this he was again pufft up with the vain confidence of his own strength he answereth again and promiseth great matters Shall I saith he ever distrust thee desert thee be offended at thee Shall I be afraid to lay down my life for thee to die with thee I perceive Lord that thou dost lightly esteem my known and approved Faith Thou dost not know how highly I value thee But be thou sure of this that if all those my fellow-Brethren nay if all the world should be offended at thee yet will I never be offended Here is mans great presumption of himself though man be nothing but very meer vanity it self What dost mean Peter art not ashamed of this thy boasting why dost trust so much to thy own strength dost not hear Christ contradict thee who doth know thee better than thou dost thy self If thou dost esteem Christ at such a rate why dost not believe him and hold thy peace Didst thou ever find him false But his heat of Faith and ardent affection made Peter forget both the frailty of his own flesh and the verity of Christs words The same affection also emboldened the other Disciples to all constancy of service by an undaunted resolution of Faith Nor doth the Lord say any thing to the rest of the Disciples but accepts their good will and takes it in good part But he tels Peter again of his fall in the same words he did before that he might not say he was not warned beforehand but might become more wary for the time to come Verily I say unto thee c. Gods Word doth ever tend to the humbling and beating down our vain boasting in our own strength Jer. 17.5 Cursed be the man that maketh flesh his arm c. There is nothing more dangerous than this vain kind of confidence which yet is so rooted in our Nature that it can hardly be rooted out There be but few that with David can truly say from their heart I will love thee O Lord Psalm 18. my strength the Lord is my Rock c. Hence it was that the more Peter was warned of his own weakness the more pertinaciously did he persist in his presumption But he spake the more vehemently Yea though I should die c. Peter is here a figure of those who presume that they can go through all afflictions and death it self without assistance of Gods Grace These surely blaspheme against God and seek to make him a lyar nor are they able to stand to their own Resolutions Thus Peter 1. He said that he would break thorow stone walls and go thorow fire and water with Christ and all in his own strength 2. When Christ reproved his rashness he blasphemed and would have made Christ a lyar Thus it befals all those that will undertake to do any thing without the help of Grace So true is that of Christ Without me yee can do nothing It is God John 15. Phil. 2. saith Paul that worketh in us to will and to do c. These things happened to the Apostles for our admonition Christ let his Apostles fall fowly that if we have fallen we might not despair Peter fell that afterward he might deal more gently with the people of God Therefore it was said to him when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren It follows Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane Mat. 26.36 John 18.1 verse 2. Where was a garden into the which he entred and his Disciples And Judas also which betrayed him knew the place for Jesus oft-times resorted thither with his Disciples And said unto his Disciples sit yee here Matth. ibid. while I go and pray jonder We heard
glorified over all Isa 53. The lowest descent of Christ was to be accounted more base and wicked then a Thief or a Robber but this Descention is a means of his Ascention and the true and only way for him to be more highly exalted If thou therefore art despised and reckoned worse then the worst have recourse presently to Christ who in the sence of so great contempt transfer'd it on himself and overcame it that thou by Faith in him mightest overcome it also No marvell then if guiltless men be sometimes punished and the guilty escape Scot-free So it was with Christ And as it here fell out in Pilates Court the very same happened in Gods Court Adam that notorious Thief with his whole posterity stood accused before God all of them guilty of Death So did also the most innocent Son of God Now one of them must be punished with Death Divine Justice did so require it But God of his great mercy spared him and delivered his own innocent Son to Death for him 1. Brethren let us embrace this mercy of God and be thankfull unto him for it 2. Let us take heed that Christ that is the Righteousness of God be not taken and kept prisoner in us and the Thief that is unrighteousness be not let go at random But what doth Pilate do when he saw this frantick obstinacy of the Jews He little thought that they would desire Barabbas to be released unto them And nothing seemed more strange unto him then this unworthy behaviour of them Therefore he saith What then shall I do with Jesus c. q.d. If ye think it meet and just that a Thief should have his inlargement much more he that is proved to be innocent or with what justice can I condemn this man if a Thief must be released instead of him ye desire that he should be sent packing but require a Thief to be set at liberty Nay in requiring a Thiefs enlargement ye do necessarily desire this mans releasment For he that would an offender let go would much more that a Righteous man should not be kept prisoner And so is it indeed with those that are in their right wits but malice had blinded these mens eyes Therefore they cry out again Crucifie him Crucifie him These wicked Husbandmen had a will and a resolution to kill the Lord of the Vineyard thinking that then they should possess his Inheritance safely and hold it sure enough and so brave it out with great gladness and glory Mat. 21. Wherefore they sharpened their Tongues like Serpents But first of all they determine what kind of death he should dye Where again they discover their wickedness in that they would prescribe what manner of death to put him unto whereas this did not belong to the Accusers but to the Judge And t was not for nothing that they would have him crucified For thereby they thought to delude the people and alienate them from Christ that whereas it is written in the Law Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree they might shew them that Christ also was accursed of God and so by that means Christ might wholly perish not only in his person but in his good Name and repute among the people and the clearness of his Miracles and whatever else was good in him This was that which that wicked crew did plot and purpose even that the whole memory of Christ might utterly be abolished But God crossed their contrivances For the curse of the Cross was far from clouding Christs Renown that his Glory did the more sparkle and spread thereby Let not us think shame of the Cross of Christ but esteem it our greatest honour Let us now glory in nothing save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ Gal. 6. For this will turn all cursing into blessing to us But how madly soever they cry out Pilate doth yet withstand them and doth the third time publiquely protest Christs innocency What evil saith he hath he done I find no fault in him For he knew and now had sufficient experience by the fact it self that for envy they had delivered him Nothing but envy I say was the ground of all this clamour For this had so blinded them that they could not see the Law of God or of Nature A manifest and plain Sign and Token of this their envy was in that they took no notice of the Judges excusing him but still cryed out more and more and what else should they do when they had nothing else to prove their charge In like manner the world afterward cryed out against the Martyrs of Christ The curse of the Cross light on them Away with them Throw them to the beasts make dogs meat of them Hence with these Malefactors c. How should they scape better then their Lord But though Ravens or Lyons devour us although the fire burn us or the water drown us let us never deny Christ or desert his Church It follows in the Text Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged him John 19.1 Mar. 15.16 Mat. 27.28 And the Souldiers led him away into the Hall called Pretorium and they call together the whole band And they stripped him and put on him a scarlet Robe And when they had platted a Crown of Thorns they put it upon his head and a Reed in his right hand and they bowed the knee before him and mocked him saying Hail King of the Jews And began to salute him Hail c. Mar. 15. And they smote him with their hands John 19.3 And they spit upon him and took the Reed and smote him on the head Mat. 27.30 And bowing their knees worshipped him Mar. 15.19 The Devil now at last through the furious rage of the Jews so far prevailed with Pilate who endeavoured to carry on things in a politique way of Justice to lay violent hands on Christ I say he laid hands on him whom he had so often excused For so the Scripture must be fulfilled Pilate knew well enough that for envy they had delivered him and yet he doth so far gratifie and condescend unto them that for their sakes and in favour to them he doth suffer and command innocent Jesus to be scourged And how many such Pilatists are there to be found now adayes in every Countrey who commonly Apprehend Oppress Spoyl Kill and condemn even the innocent for no other cause but because it will please their Princes Pilate might have rescued Christ out of the hands of the Jews having power and force sufficient to have done it as Lysias the Tribune or chief Captain did rescue Paul Act. 21. But thus it must be Christ foreknew and foretold his scourging long before Mar. 10. Luke 18. And Isaiah prophesied the same long before the Incarnation of Christ I gave my body to the smiters and my face to them that plucked off the hair c. Isa 50. The Apostles also in like manner were thus scourged and whipt afterward Acts 5.