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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	let_v	peter_n	preposterous_a	10	3	16.0993	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11012	Lectures, vpon the history of the Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension of our Lord Iesus Christ Beginning at the eighteenth chapter of the Gospell, according to S. Iohn, and from the 16. verse of the 19. chapter thereof, containing a perfect harmonie of all the foure Euangelists, for the better vnderstanding of all the circumstances of the Lords death, and Resurrection. Preached by that reuerend and faithfull seruant of God, Mr. Robert Rollocke, sometime minister of the Euangell of Iesus Christ, and rector of the Colledge of Edinburgh.	Rollock, Robert, 1555?-1599.; Charteris, Henry, 1565-1628.; Arthur, William, fl. 1606-1619.	1616 (1616)	STC 21283; ESTC S116153	527,260	592

put in execution namely a wicked mā if he giue coūsell he wold gladly haue it put in executiō albeit it were neuer so wicked if he shuld do it himself he had rather hang himselfe than it went backe as ye may see in Achitophell Iohn the writer of this historie leaues Christ and hee returnes to Peter and makes rehearsall of a thing that befell to Peter in the meane time of that foule fall of Peter vvho boasted so fast of his strength to bee an example to the vvhole posteritie neuer to trust in the power of man he got a vvorse fall thā any of the rest of the disciples for he denied the Lord vvith an execration the rest fled only In this fact of Peters vve haue first how he tempts God then next because he tempted the Lord the Lord tempts him againe he who tempts God God will tempt him thirdly we haue the foule deniall of Peter by a light temptation Then Peter first tempts the Lord for when as they led away the Lord to the Hall of the High Priest there followed him Peter albeit the Lord had fore-warned him of his weakenesse but afarre off as Matt. 26.58 Marke 14.54 and Luke 22. 54. doe note and another disciple What this disciple was his name is not mentioned some thinke it was Iohn for Iohn when hee speakes of himselfe he vses cōmonly to suppresse his name as ye see often in this book Others think it was not Iohn nor any of the twelue but some other godly man who loued the Lord Iesus well to see what issue should follow vpon that taking and this is more prooueable for I thinke Iohn had not such an acquaintance and court with the High Priest being but a simple mā a poore fisher namely a disciple of Iesus Christ but whosoeuer it was it is not much to the purpose When they come to Caiaphas Hall the Lord is taken in amongst the rest this other disciple getteth in because saies Iohn he was knowne to the High Priest As for Peter because he was not knowne hee standes at the doore which was straitly kept at this time The other disciple pitties Peters case and estate but it was a preposterous pittie And hee entreateth the doore-keeper to let in Peter Take heede to friendship and looke that in pleasuring thy friende thou bee not an instrument of his destruction Nowe Peter commeth in and warmeth himselfe amongst the rest This for Peters tempting of GOD Nowe let vs examine heere what is commendable and what is not Indeede there is no man that will not like of this loue which Peter did beare towardes his Master CHRIST IESVS and of this zeale and of this his vnwillingnesse to depart from his Master for hee loued Him so well that hee would followe Him to the death and would to God in this cold age there were but a piece of this zeale in vs that Peter had wee haue no zeale and if it were but this incōsideratiue zeale yet it is better to haue it than no zeale So this loue is cōmendable for albeit he did wel to loue his master yet he faileth in this that in receiuing aduertisement out of the mouth of the Lord that he was not able to suffer for Him yet he would go forward when Iesus said to His takers If ye seeke me let these goe their way Peter might haue perceiued by this that he was not able to suffer hee might haue retired to some priuate place with prayer mourning but he would step forward would not accept of that that the Lord said to him thou art not able so he falleth here very farre We all haue our lesson here the day of our trial may come let vs therefore euer haue our eye on the will of God that which He will haue thee to doe that doe thou what the Lord requireth not of vs that doe not Thou canst doe nothing better than this to take vp thy Crosse and to followe Christ but if the Lord bid thee not doe it doe it not if hee require not at thine hand that thou suffer enter not to suffer if he forewarne thee that thou art not able to suffer the fire go thy way step aside and let it bee But one will say How can I get aduertisement Peter had the mouth of the Lord how shall wee be aduertised by God whether we shall offer our selues to the fire or not Iesus Christ is not amongst vs now face to face I answere The only way to know this is this Ere any man offer to put his hand to the Crosse of Christ look what he is able to beare looke what strength of God he hath if thou werest like a Giant thou wilt not beare the Crosse of Christ with mans strength if thou findest in triall y t thou hast not strength enough take it for a warning from heauen draw thy selfe away to prayer meditatiō then being furnished with strength come out and suffer then if thou hast strength step forward suffer Another fault in Peter when he commeth to the doore of the high Priest finding it shut yet hee standeth whereas by the shutting of the doore he was commanded to leaue off at least to try whether the deede in hand was lawfull or no. It was by the prouidence of God that the doore was shut he got a warning there to leaue off yet hee would not These impediments that are casten in when we are of purpose to effectuat or do any thing should not be idlely looked on but they should make vs to enter into a carefull and earnest triall of that deede to see whether it be lawfull or not for nothing is without the prouidence of God when thou hast considered the worke findest it a good worke conformable to Gods will that thou art able to doe it then goe forward in despite of the Deuill and the world but if thou findest after triall otherwise either that it is an euill vvorke or else a good vvorke and yet that thou art not able to doe it then staye and leaue off for if thou doest not thou shalt thinke shame in the ende as Peter did Therefore let no man looke lightlie to such impediments as they shall finde to bee casten in in doing anie thing Well yee see Peters fall in these two poincts First he will not receiue aduertisment Secondlie hee will not goe from the doore till he get in Search the grounde of his doing and ye shall see that albeit Peter was a verie weake man yet he saw not his owne infirmitie and when he thought himselfe strong enough in his vaine conciet he was blinded hee saw not his owne infirmitie this is the ground of his fall It was the strength of fleshe and blood that was in Peter and an humane spirite such a courage as the Romane vvarriours had This courage of fleshe and blood will carry men a good piece forwarde in the cause of

the blood of the innocent Whatsoeuer thou doest looke that thou haue a vvarrande of that reuealed vvill of GOD. And thinke it not enough to bee an executer of the decree of GOD but see thou bee assured of this reuealed will And yet more Be not an Hypocrite in thy doing but doe all thinges vvith sinceritie and not for mans cause but for GODS cause that thou mayest be partaker of that euerlasting glorie vvith IESVS To vvhome vvith the Father and the Holie Ghoste bee all Praise Honour and Glorie both nowe and foreuer AMEN THE ELEVENTH LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IOHN CHAP. XIX verse 12 From thencefoorth Pilate sought to loos● him but the Iewes cryed saying If thou deliuer him thou art not Caesars friend for whosoeuer m●k●th himselfe a King spe●keth against Caesar verse 13 When Pilate heard this word hee brought IESVS foorth and sate downe in the Iudgement-seate in a place called the Pauement and in Hebrew GABBATHA verse 14 And it was the Preparation of the Passeouer and about the sixt houre and he said vnto the Iewes Beholde your King verse 15 But they cryed Away with him away with him crucifie him Pilate saide vnto them Shall I crucifie your King The high Priests answered We haue no King but Caesar YEE haue heard Brethren that in this whole Historie of the suffering of IESVS CHRIST vnder Pontius Pilate the Romane Deputie we might clearlie see a continuall strife and debate betwixt the Iudge Pilate and the accusers Pilate euer striuing to get Iesus that just one and that innocent for his conscience tolde him that Hee was innocent set at libertie The accusers on the other part striue to blotte out the conscience of Pilate and to get Iesus crucified and as wee haue found this debate in the whole Historie before so also in these words which wee haue read wee finde the same strife And if Pilate before was earnest to get Iesus set loose hee is farre more earnest nowe than euer hee was and with all his might hee seekes to get Him set at libertie but looke howe earnest Pilate is to haue Him loosed the High Priestes and the Iewes are as earnest to haue Him crucified In ende as wee shall heare the victorie inclines to the accusers Pilate giues it ouer and sits downe to condemne the innocent Nowe to come to the wordes they are plaine and offer verie plaine and easie doctrine therefore we shall bee also plaine by Gods grace It is saide concerning Pilate that from that time when he had heard these last wordes of Iesus accusing Him for that blasphemie against His Father then hee tooke a greater feare and from that time hee studied more and more to absolue Iesus Brethren wee see heere thorowe this whole Historie that the more Pilate heares of Iesus and the more that Iesus insistes with him continually the conscience is the more wakened and the more that it is wakened the more earnestly striues hee to get Him set at libertie So it is a wonder to see an Ethnick without God to haue such a conscience of the innocencie of Iesus and then that such a man should labour to get Him loose I know not if many of our Iudges now adayes will haue such a conscience and would be so earnest to haue the innocent set at libertie So when I looke to the vigilantnesse of his conscience I am compelled to saye that this man had a speciall grace in this poinct for one of the best blessinges of a judge vvho sits on life and death is to haue a vigilant conscience By the contrarie a Iudge wanting conscience of right and wrong of all men hee is the moste accursed Then Brethren if ye will looke to this matter narrowly yee shall say that Pilate had a great vigilantnesse in his conscience but alas hee falles at the last for certainely this conscience had beene a blessing if hee had obeyed this counsell of the conscience but because hee falles in the ende and obeyes not his conscience that which was giuen for a blessing becomes a cursing vnto him If God giue thee a blessing as a vigilant conscience if thou abuse it and refuse to heare thy conscience the blessing sh●ll turne to a curse and that conscience which was a counseller becomes a sore tormenter and vrges thee to put hand into thine owne soule and teare it in pieces Pilates conscience so judged and tormented him till hee was faine to put hand in himselfe that was his ende Nowe what doe Christes accusers looke how b●sie Pilate can be to get the innocent set at libertie as earnest are they to get Him crucified and now they begin to handle Pilate more sharply than before The greatest arguments they vsed before was taken from a crime laid to the charge of Iesus from Iesus treason against Caesar the Emperour and from His blasphemie against God Now they leaue off such accusation and they laye treason to Pilate accuse him of treason against his Master Caesar If thou lettest this man loose thou art no friend to thy Master Caesar thou wilt endanger thy selfe and make thy selfe guiltie of treason and more this man will pull the Crowne from Caesars head so if thou let such a man loose thou shalt be guiltie of treason as well as he and thou shalt be the friend of the enemies of Caesar The effect of the accusation is this They accuse Pilate of treason against Caesa● now Pilate heard not the like of this all the day before and as hee studies to keepe a good consci●nce towardes the innocent IESVS so the temptation gro●es on Nowe it is not possible to keepe a good conscience without temptation both inwardly and outwardly and aye the better conscience the greater temptation and the last the worst The Deuill and his impes begins softly with ●lluring but in ende if thou yeeldest not they will threaten thee saye Thou shalt either loose thy conscience or els thy life Then ye shall marke what is the forest temptation that the deuill euill men c●n vse against men who haue a conscience Either doe or die as though one tooke a dagger and helde it to thy breast and said Doe or die either renounce thy conscience or die there is a sore temptation but to whom is this a grieuous temptation euen to such a man as Pilate was whose God was Caesar a man whose Heauen was in the honour of this world a man who saw no better life than this present life And marke the craft of Sathan and his instruments vvhen they goe to tempt there is not a mediciner who can apply their medicine better than they ere they tempt they wil see the quality of the person So that if they finde a man onely wordly hearted without God without hope of life as Pilate was then they can well bring against him tentations from worldly things if thou wilt not doe it thou shalt loose the worlde and thy selfe But if thou doe as I

hands of Pilate by any delation or poinct of inditement against Iesus whether treason against Caesar or blasphemie against GOD they come more roundly to the matter and come to the accusation of Pilate lay treason against him If thou let this man goe say they thou art not Caesars friend This is the greatest temptation that euer Pilate got hee had no God but Caesar he sought for no honour but in this world he saw no life but this life therefore hearing treason laide to his charge hee begins to faint faile and then quickly hee enters into judgement and commeth out and bringeth out Iesus and commeth to his tribunall in a place called the Pauement an open place and there sitteth downe to giue judgement against the innocent yet hee hath a doubt in conscience yea when hee is running to pronounce sentence of damnation hee sayes Behold your King to moue them yet to suffer the innocent to escape but hee preuailes not for once getting Him vnder Priestes and people beginne to shout in the eare of the miserable man so that hee could not heare his conscience crying Iesus is innocent yet for all this yet he hath a doubt stirre in his conscience and sayes Shall I crucifie your King They answere We haue no King but Cesar Woe to them that made such change and they finde it in experience Now brethren Iohn in his Gospel Chap. 19. verse 16 he subjoynes that Pilate deliuered Iesus in the hands of the men of warre to be crucified that they receiued Him and led Him to the place of execution But Matthew as ye heard read reportes of some things that interueened there are three thinges in speciall as he recordes that passed before the leading of Iesus to the place of execution The first thing Pilate by a ceremonie of washing his handes cleanses him of the innocent blood and as hee disburthens himselfe so he burthenes the Iewes as guiltie of the most innocent blood that euer was or shall be shed And they are more glad to take on the burthen than he is to lay it ouer on them for with their own tongue they bound the blood of the innocent on their owne backe saying His blood be on vs and on our children The second thing that Matthew rehearses is after that he hath exonered himselfe as he thought a vaine thought he was neuer quite of it nor neuer shall be when he thinkes he is exonered then he goes quickly to worke then hee begins to serue the foule and cruell appetite of the Iewes hee lets loose Barabbas a foule murtherer Then as Luke markes hee giues out the sentence of condemnation against the innocent then hee takes Him and scourges Him the second time and lastly hee puts Him in the handes of the Burrio this is the second thing yet there is one third thing when they get Him they lead Him not incontin●nt out of the Portes to that filthie place of execution but to satisfie the malitiousnesse of their heartes they led Him to the common Hall againe and there mis-vse the Lord of glorie When all this was done they leade Him out to the place of execution Wee shall speake of these thinges according to the rehearsall of Matthew As for the first Matthew sayes that When Pilate sawe that hee could preuaile nothing at their handes but that more tumult was made hee cries for water and washes his handes and makes a protestation I am innocent of the blood of this Iust man And as he protests that he is cleane hee turnes it ouer vpon the Iewes saying See yee to it ye shall giue an account for this dayes worke it shall be the dearest worke that euer ye wrought They say Let His blood be on vs and on our children First wee shall marke somewhat on the part of Pilate Secondly on the part of the High Priestes and the rest of the Iewes The Historie is very plaine This miserable man Pilate hath fought on a reasonable space yea a long time for the Lord Iesus Christ against the obstinacie of the Jewes at the last when he is charged as guiltie of treason when hee sees hee cannot preuaile and findes him so straited with so great incommodities he is compelled to yeelde and hee thinkes that this necessitie should excuse him for his part well eneugh Brethren this is the lesson Men commonly and especially such as Pilate was men without God naturall men that see not another life that see not another world they will striue and they will striue wonderfully through the instinct of nature to keep a good cōscience but at the last if they be importunately straited with great incommoditie and feare of dangers they will yeeld and giue ouer Alas nature and all the benefites thereof is but a weake ground at the last they will yeelde and that good conscience that they contended to keepe they bid farewell and at the last they will yeelde to a mischiefe and when they haue done they will thinke that necessitie wherewith they were straited that importunitie of men that compelled them will excuse them for their doing sufficiently they will thinke that albeit they put to their hand to doe the most wicked action in the world that that necessitie will disburthen them This is the judgement of naturall men But this is as true What euer hee or shee be that perseueres not to the end shall neuer get the crowne Take the sentence Albeit thou hast begunne well if thou go●st not on to the end thou shalt nor get the crowne of glorie and the Lord shall neuer account of thy former well doing more than if thou hadst neuer done a good action Indeede I grant that necessity which is without the cōsent forces compelles men against their wils As for example When our bodies mooued with externall force and violence without consent or voluntarie mouing of the members thereof hurteth another I say that necessitie excuseth a man but as for that necessitie which for feare of inconueniences and great dangers to followe makes a man consent to an euill action it excuseth not Some will say I was sore straitted and I behooued to doe or die I stroue so long as I might and I sawe I could not escape if I had not done it But I say that kinde of necessitie and com●ulsion th●t drawes on an euill action vpon thy conscience shal neu●r excuse thee albeit all the King● of y e world should threaten thee terrifie thee with the feare of torture if thou once consentest all that shall neuer excuse thee No if we once consent to an euill action which may hurt the conscience wee should rather suffer to be beheaded or hanged die ten thousand deathes The Lord of life can and will giue thee life if thou diest in his feare but miserable shall that life bee that thou shalt liue when thou hast done against the Lord and a good conscience Pilate calleth for water and washeth his